by Cheree Alsop
The thought of throwing a football with his back all scratched up wasn’t a pleasant one.
“Don’t worry, you’ll win,” Trent reassured him, misreading his expression. “You’re a great quarterback, and you had all that practice on the beach during the summer. You’ve got it; no problem.”
“I’ve just gotta grab something in my room,” Alex told him. “Let Coach Vance know I’ll be there in a sec.”
“Okay,” Trent called over his shoulder. “But you know how much he hates it when we’re tardy.”
“I’ll be there,” Alex promised.
Chapter Six
Alex sat on the couch in his quarters and gingerly pulled off his shirt. The wound was healing, but it would do better if he washed it. Luck for him, Trent didn’t pay as much attention to scents as some wolves. Cassie or Siale would have been all over the smell of blood.
He dabbed at the lacerations along his back the best that he could. From what he could tell by feel, there were four gouges that ran from the base of his neck to about midway down his spine. It wasn’t exactly the easiest place to clean.
Footsteps sounded in the hallway. Alex grabbed a shirt, but the door opened before he could get it on. He glanced back and saw Mr. O’Hare in the doorway. The man’s expression was unreadable.
“You’re missing class?” the man asked, his gaze on Alex’s back.
Alex drew on the shirt, grateful he had chosen a black one that would hide any blood that leaked through during practice.
“I’m leaving right now,” Alex replied. He grabbed the torn shirt and tossed it in the corner he had turned into his laundry pile.
“Nice,” the human said dryly. “Bachelor quarters, huh?”
“Lone wolf quarters, really,” Alex said. He glanced around the room. “It’s a bit messy,” he admitted. “But it’s home.”
“Until I get it shut down.”
Alex stared at Mr. O’Hare. There wasn’t any budging in the man’s expression. “I saved your life today,” Alex reminded him quietly.
“That’s a matter of opinion,” the Board Member replied. “But what’s not an opinion is that a student from Vicky Carso’s Preparatory Academy violated the school grounds policy and trespassed during school hours.”
Alex tried to remain calm. “Wouldn’t that be on the student’s head instead of the school?”
Mr. O’Hare met his steely gaze. “That depends on how your school board decides to handle it.”
“My school board?”
The man nodded. “Whenever there is a violation of school policy, a board meeting should be called to address the punishment for the action.”
“Punishment?” Alex repeated. He hated miming the man’s words like a parrot, but he couldn’t believe his ears. “For fighting a grizzly to save your life?”
“For leaving the school property during the hours in which you should have been assisting your administrator, namely, me.”
“You trespassed, too,” Alex said, his tone barely above a whisper in his struggle to remain calm.
“I wouldn’t have if you hadn’t forced me to go looking for my assistant,” Mr. O’Hare replied curtly.
Alex’s hands balled into fists. “You’re putting this on me.” The lacerations down his back stung. He had to fight down the Demon that rose in the face of his outrage.
Mr. O’Hare turned away. “See that you report it to the dean so that the appropriate actions can take place.”
Alex stared after him. It wasn’t until he heard the man’s footsteps hit the bottom stair that he could will his muscles to relax again.
The bell rang.
Alex slammed his door shut and ran down the hallway. He jumped down the stairs and hit the bottom floor running. By the time he slid into Coach Vance’s classroom that was situated closest to the football field, he was a minute late.
The huge coach’s unforgiving gaze locked on him from where the werewolf was taking role at the front of the class. “Thirty laps and a two hundred pushups, Alex. It won’t do for a senior to show a bad example to our first year students, would it?”
Alex knew better than to argue. He shook his head. “No, Coach.” He headed to the outside door.
“Sorry, Alex,” Trent whispered when he went by.
Alex looked back at his friend. “You told me so.”
Trent’s response followed him outside. “Sometimes I wish I wasn’t right all the time.”
Alex jogged around the field. By the fifteenth lap in the warm afternoon, sweat dripped down his back and stung the scratches. All he could think about was Mr. O’Hare’s demand that he ask Dean Jaze for a punishment for leaving the school grounds during class hours. He had saved the man’s life. Mr. O’Hare had no way of knowing Alex had been outside of the school until the incident with the bear. He couldn’t get his mind wrapped around what was happening.
“Done with your pushups yet?”
Alex looked up at Coach Vance. The rest of the seniors were on the field warming up.
A wry smile crossed Alex’s face. “I lost count somewhere around eighty.”
“I counted three-hundred and seven, so if you’re done showing off, you’re welcome to join us.” The coach held out a hand.
Coach Vance wasn’t one to give any show of kindness toward the students. He had lost his wife during the same werewolf annihilation that Jet died in. Even though Vance’s wife had been human, her relationship with a werewolf had made her a target. Nikki had told Alex that Vance never forgave himself for losing Nora. Because of that, he seldom let anyone else in.
Alex took the coach’s hand and rose to his feet.
“Your mind somewhere else?” Vance asked.
As badly as Alex wanted to tell the coach about Mr. O’Hare, he was determined to handle things on his own. Jaze had asked him to be a good representative of the school. He needed to do just that.
“I’ve got to talk to Dean Jaze,” Alex said. “Can I be excused?”
“You’ll miss tryouts for starting quarterback,” Coach Vance replied.
Alex nodded. “It’s probably for the best. I’ve got a lot going on and I wouldn’t want to let the team down.”
Vance looked at him carefully. Finally, he nodded. “You’re excused.”
“Thank you,” Alex said with relief. He turned toward the school.
“Alex?”
Alex glanced over his shoulder.
“Get your back looked at,” the coach said. “It’s bleeding.”
Alex’s stomach tightened into a knot at the searching look the huge werewolf gave him. He nodded, grateful that the coach didn’t ask any questions. “Will do.” He jogged toward the school feeling as though Mr. O’Hare had just managed to avoid an encounter with another bear.
Jaze stared at him from behind his desk a few minutes later.
“Let me get this straight,” the dean said. “You want me to punish you for going into the forest?”
Alex shook his head. “I want the school board to decide an appropriate punishment for violating school rules.”
“But we don’t have a rule about leaving the school grounds,” Jaze protested.
Alex sat back in the chair, then winced when his back touched the wood. He scooted forward again. “Yeah, I didn’t think so, but there is one; at least, there should be one.” He realized he was rambling and said, “Mr. O’Hare saw me leave the school and go into the forest. He suggested that I talk to you so that the school board can make a decision as to the best way to handle the situation.”
Jaze watched him closely. “By suggest, you mean that Mr. O’Hare said he could use your violation of the rules to shut the school down.”
“He more or less implied it.”
Jaze shook his head. “I don’t like him holding something like that over you. It’s not your individual duty to keep this school from getting shut down.”
“It is.” At Jaze’s surprised look, Alex said, “I’m pretty sure Mr. O’Hare has taken a personal vendetta against me a
nd if the school shuts down, it’ll probably be my fault. Let me do this and clear my name. It could go far toward improving our relationship with the man.”
Jaze sighed. “I don’t like this.”
“Trust me,” Alex told him. “I don’t like it either, but I don’t see another way. I can take it.”
Jaze nodded. “I know you can, but you shouldn’t have to. We’ve had classes held out in the forest before. Technically, that makes it part of the school grounds.”
“Only if you want to tell Mr. O’Hare the nature of the classes,” Alex shot back. “I’d rather take this one then open that can of worms.”
A slight, begrudging smile spread across Jaze’s face. “You’re starting to think like a dean.”
“What?” Alex replied in surprise.
Jaze nodded. “Listen to you. You’re more worried about the school than the punishment you’re going to receive for a violation you didn’t even know about. You’re willing to put your pride aside to keep this investigator in check, and I haven’t once heard you talk about your own problems since the moment you got in here.”
“What problems?” Alex asked uneasily.
Jaze speared him with a look. “Alex, you smell like blood and bears. What’s that about?”
Alex studied the dark wood of the desk in front of him. It was familiar, like the slight curve of the railing on the stairs or the board near the backdoor that creaked whenever he walked on it. He could have just not stepped on the board, but that wasn’t the point. The board was a part of him as much as the school.
The wood of the desk was covered in the tiny scratches and marks of years as a part of the dean’s furniture. ‘Torin’ had been scratched along the edge where Jaze wouldn’t see it from his seat. The letters were crude and oiled, as much a part of the desk as the wood itself.
“I went for a run in the forest,” Alex finally said. “I heard a scream and found Mr. O’Hare cornered by a bear. Somehow he had gotten between the grizzly and her cubs. I fought the bear so he could get away.”
The dean’s gaze was sharp. Alex could feel it even though he kept his gaze on the desk. He had never known Jaze to miss anything.
The dean’s voice was quiet when he said, “So you saved his life and he wants you to turn yourself in?”
Alex gave a reluctant nod.
Jaze sat back in his chair. “It’s not worth it.”
The words were so quiet Alex barely caught them with his sensitive werewolf hearing. He looked up at the dean.
Jaze was watching him with a concerned look. “It’s not worth it,” he repeated, louder.
Worry filled Alex. “Worth what?”
“This,” Jaze said, motioning to Alex. “I’m not going to stand by while one of my students goes above and beyond to protect a human only to be punished for it. I’d rather lose the Academy than stand by while injustices like that happen.”
Alex shook his head quickly, shocked by the dean’s direction of thought. “No, Jaze, you can’t do that!”
“Werewolves take care of their own, Alex. You may have chosen to be a lone wolf, but you’ll always be like a son to me. My pack is your pack, and I won’t stand by while some anti-werewolf activist tears down someone I care about.”
Alex stared at him. Jaze had truly been his father figure for most of his life. To hear the dean say as much in his own way gripped Alex’s heart in a tight fist.
“We’re not going to lose this place,” Alex said with determination. “It’s worth fighting for.”
Jaze watched him, his gaze distant as though he saw something other than Alex standing in his place.
“Don’t stop fighting,” Jaze said quietly.
Alex nodded at Jet’s words. “Never stop fighting.”
Jaze let out a slow breath and nodded. “Alright, then what do we do. Should I remove you from being his assistant?”
“And give someone else the torture?” Alex replied with a half-smile. “As much as I’d like to give the honor to Torin or Boris, I think they would have killed Mr. O’Hare by now. I’ve already conquered one bear. How much harder can it be?” He gave a smile he hoped didn’t look as forced as it felt. When dealing with Mr. O’Hare, he knew better than to hope it would get easier.
“Alright,” Jaze gave in. “I’ll talk to the school board and figure out what the appropriate punishment should be. In my opinion, maybe you should have let the grizzly eat him.”
Alex chuckled. “Good thing you’re not his assistant.”
Jaze nodded. “I agree with that completely.”
Alex rose and made his way to the door.
“Hey, Alex,” Jaze said.
When Alex turned back, the dean’s smile had faded, replaced by a look of respect. “I’m proud of the way you’ve handled this.”
His words took some of the weight from Alex’s shoulders. The younger werewolf nodded. “Thank you.”
He walked back up the hall with the knowledge that not only had he lost his position as starting quarterback, he had solidified his position as assistant to the most unforgiving, cruel, and spiteful man he had ever met. Yet Alex couldn’t help the smile that spread across his face. Through it all, Jaze was proud of him. He would do anything to stay worthy of the look of respect in the dean’s eyes. As long as Jaze thought he deserved even a tenth of the dean’s high opinion of him, Alex could survive anything. He hoped.
Chapter Seven
“Time to go.”
Alex opened his eyes. He had almost forgotten that Trent had kept true to his word and slept in his quarters. Alex had pulled the couch beneath the window where he could get the strongest moonlight for his healing back and had almost fallen asleep when the door had opened. Trent entered, tossed his pillow on the ground in front of the unlit fireplace, wrapped himself in the blanket he had brought, and fallen asleep without a word. Alex had decided not to question his friend. He was tired enough for the both of them.
Now, the croak of Trent’s tired voice brought him to full alert.
“Jaze?” Alex asked.
Trent peered at the small screen of the watch he wore. “Yeah, he’s calling the team. I’ll go get the others and meet you down there.”
“It’d be easier if you were already in their quarters,” Alex said meaningfully.
Trent nodded. “It would, but I’d rather stay in our quarters,” he answered, stressing the word. He pushed open the panel on the wall and stepped inside without waiting for Alex to respond.
Alex made his way down the dark tunnels and pushed open the door to the Wolf Den. The screens were lit and Brock sat on his throne in the center surveying the information that came across. The human’s throne was a swivel chair with various Kick-Me signs stuck to the back and surrounded by wrappers from many different types of snacks. Jaze’s best friend held a candy bar in one hand and a corndog in the other. Alex knew it was time to start worrying. Brock was usually a one-food-at-a-time person unless the situation was particularly intense.
Alex walked up the stairs. “That bad, huh?” he asked quietly.
Brock nodded without looking at him. The human’s gaze was glued to a screen with words running across it.
“I got it,” he said into his earpiece. “They’re on their way.”
He looked at Alex. “You might want to go armed to this one.”
Caden, Brock’s cousin, stood behind a long table already covered in a vast array of weaponry.
“Want the usual?” he asked.
At Alex’s nod, the human handed him the Glock the werewolf carried on their risky missions. He double-checked the slide and magazine before buckling on the shoulder holster Caden held out.
“Food in both hands?” Alex heard Cassie say to Siale. “We’re in trouble.”
“Gear up accordingly,” Dean Jaze said, entering closely behind them.
Jericho, Terith, and Tennison followed. The werewolves went straight to the table.
“Good to see you’re still at the Academy,” Jericho said with a nod at Al
ex. “We missed you at dinner.”
Alex stifled a grimace. “I was busy cleaning the bathrooms.”
“Seriously?” the Alpha asked. “I thought you’d had enough of toilet duty after your stint with Pack Torin.”
The thought of his time as Torin’s Second sent a shudder down Alex’s spine. He had thought he was done with cleaning toilets after that term. Unfortunately, Jaze’s board members didn’t feel the same way. He knew the smirk he had seen on Mr. O’Hare’s face when the man ‘accidentally’ walked in on him scrubbing the tiles would linger in his mind for days. He wondered if he had unintentionally become the human’s pawn, and the thought rankled his pride more than he liked to admit.
“What can I say?” Alex asked lightly. “Don’t leave the school grounds during school hours. If there isn’t a class being held in the forest, it’s outside the boundaries.”
He felt everyone’s stares. Alex didn’t want to explain further. He shoved his Glock into his holster and focused on Jaze. “What’s the situation?”
The dean’s gaze said he understood exactly how Alex felt. He saved Alex from further scrutiny by answering, “We’ve found Drogan’s trail.”
Alex’s heartbeat sped up at the proclamation. After they had defeated the mutants Drogan created in his attempt to make a Demon like the one Alex could turn into, Drogan had vanished. Though the summer went by much more peacefully, the thought of Alex’s half-brother lingered in his mind. Drogan had vowed to kill Alex for leaving him in Dr. Kamala’s clutches. Despite Alex’s pleading on national television for Drogan to leave the werewolves in peace, he knew his brother wouldn’t give up. The Extremist’s silence had only increased his certainty.
Alex was already heading for the helicopter.
“Fill us in on the way,” he called over his shoulder. “Let’s move!”
Everyone hurried to join him. Jaze climbed into the back of the helicopter and let Trent sit next to Mouse at the pilot’s seat.
“I could use the practice,” Trent urged.
“Not on a mission,” Mouse replied. “We’ll see about the trip home if everything goes well.”
The small professor guided the helicopter up through the floor and past the greenhouses designed to slide to each side of the hidden cavern passageway. They rose above the dark Academy and turned to the horizon.
