by Cheree Alsop
Alex’s heart stuttered. He clenched his jaw, willing it to steady. Having his heart fail when Pack Torin chased him would be the worst possible thing that could happen. He had to stay strong. The sound of paws on the snow closed the gap between them. He forced his muscles to hold. He had to make it back to the Academy.
His heart stuttered again. It was sooner than it usually started to falter, though the adrenaline of being chased by a blood-thirsty pack definitely didn’t help. Alex ducked his head, forcing his paws faster.
A thought occurred to him. If he couldn’t outrun the pack with his unsteady heart, he might be able to lose them another way. It was a shot in the dark, but would be better than feeling the fangs that were hot on his heels.
Alex galloped toward the clearing. Before he could reach it, his heart stuttered again and his legs gave out, sending him rolling into a tree. His side slammed into the trunk and his breath was forced out in a painful gasp. Alex gave a shallow, testing breath. The answering pain let him know that his ribs were bruised but not broken.
A bark sounded. Alex got up just as Sid and Torin appeared. Howls of victory tore from their throats. Alex sped away with the werewolves only a few feet behind. He had to breathe in shallow gasps as he fought to push himself faster. He would only have one chance.
Alex burst into the clearing and headed straight for Professor Colleen’s obstacle course. Nobody had made it to the top. If he could just clear the lower obstacles, he might be able to leave the wolves behind.
Alex hit the ramp without slowing. His paws scrambled in the snow, but he pushed himself up. Torin’s teeth snapped shut inches from his back foot. He pulled it up and cleared the ramp. Torin and Sid slid back down. Both wolves took running leaps at the ramp again. Alex knew it was only a matter of time before they made it.
He focused on the rope net, setting one paw carefully on the rope before moving the others. He hooked his front paws over the ropes to better stabilize himself and inched along. He heard Torin and several others reach the top of the ramp, but refused to look back. He was almost to the other side of the rope net before it began to shake. He kept careful focus, hooking his front paws, then working the back ones. He finally reached the other side.
A glance back showed four members of Pack Torin starting the rope net. When one moved, the net would shake and the others scrambled for stability. Alex was grateful he had been able to cross alone.
Alex set his paws carefully on the next challenge, remembering his last attempt to cross the logs with bearings. He wouldn’t have his pack ready to assist him if he got stuck again. Keeping that in mind, he worked his way across with small steps. When the logs began to turn, he stopped, willing them to remain stable. He could hear wolves reaching the other side of the rope net. If any tried to cross the logs, he would fall for sure.
Alex was close to the other end when he felt the logs move under someone else’s weight. He gathered his feet beneath him and sprang. His front paws hit the platform, but his back paws slipped off. He scrabbled against the snow-covered wood. His claws finally found purchase and he was able to pull himself up.
Alex’s heart thundered in his chest. He didn’t look back this time. Determined to make it to the top where Torin couldn’t reach him, Alex set his paws carefully on the next obstacle, the wooden beams with the hole in the middle. Making sure his paws didn’t slip on the slick surface, Alex shuffled slowly, moving one side, then the other in a skiing type motion. He fought back a grin at the thought of a werewolf skiing in wolf form. If he suggested it, Trent would no doubt come up with a way for it to happen.
One of Alex’s back paws slipped. He braced with his other three paws and willed his mind to focus. If he fell to the snow that was getting further below, Pack Torin would be on him like, well, like wolves on prey. Already, several members circled beneath him, barking and whining for him to fall.
Alex reached the platform and caught his breath. He had never passed the next challenge. The rising wooden beams had barely enough room to land and turn around. Colleen and Rafe usually kept them cleared, but with school out for the break, snow covered each platform, making footing uncertain at best.
Maybe he had made it far enough. Alex looked back and was surprised to see Sid and Justice reach the end of the turning logs. They wouldn’t give up with their target so close. He had no choice.
Alex backed up a few paces, then ran and leaped. He landed on the first platform and was surprised to find that the snow cushioned his impact, making it easier to stop instead of sliding off the platform. He remembered the rough grains of the wood from the first time he encountered the obstacle. It had enough traction to keep the snow from being slippery. The snow had actually made the obstacle easier instead of more difficult.
Alex leaped to the next platform. He knew that if the obstacle was easy for him, Sid and Justice would be close behind. He had no idea where Torin had gone, but if he failed, the Alpha would no doubt be there to make sure he knew what a bad mistake it had been.
Alex reached the top of the rising platforms. He had never been so high on the obstacle course. The snow was far below. The sight of the wolves milling around barking for his blood sent a chill up his spine. He turned to the next obstacle.
Wooden panels balanced on poles spread before him on an incline. He put a testing paw on the first one. It tipped sideways with the weight. If he didn’t center himself properly with his weight on both sides of the panel, it would spin vertical and he would plummet to the ground.
A growl came from behind him. Alex’s heart slowed at the sight of Sid reaching the middle of the inclined platforms. The gray wolf flattened his ears and growled again. Apparently Sid had decided that the obstacle course would be a great place to continue their rank duel. As much as Alex relished the thought of pummeling Sid once more, if the Second managed to push him off the course to the ground, Alex would no doubt pay severely. He turned his attention back to the platforms.
Placing his front paws on the left side and his back on the right proved too risky. He couldn’t gauge the distances between front and back, and moving to the next platform meant shifting his weight, a dangerous thing when the platform pivoted at the slightest change.
Alex stepped off the platform again. He could hear Sid getting closer, every leap lessening the gap between the two Seconds. The scent of Sid’s eagerness drifted with his sour smell. Alex grimaced. He set his front paws on the rocking platform and carefully worked his way forward until he could put his back paws on as well. There was a breathtaking moment when he had one back paw on and was hurrying to put the second one down. The platform slid left, then slowly righted itself until Alex was standing straight again.
A huff of victory told Alex that Sid had reached the platform. Alex was caught between the obstacle and the werewolf at his back. Pack Torin barked and howled below, anticipating Alex’s fall. He couldn’t turn around and face Sid, and he couldn’t take his time reaching the next platform. There was only one choice that would alleviate his instinct’s demand to keep an opponent from his exposed back. He gathered his legs.
Alex leaped from one platform to the next without giving the wood time to pivot on the poles. He heard the grunt of disappointment from Sid as his target escaped. Alex concentrated on landing squarely and jumping again. He hit three, four, than five platforms. At the sixth, he heard a yelp. Alex landed on the next rise and looked back in time to see Sid fall to the ground.
Sid hit the snow with a yip and a thud. Pack Torin swarmed him, nipping at their Second in their disappointment. His cries turned to growls and the pack backed off. Angry green eyes met Alex’s. He stared back at Torin as the Alpha waited below now clothed and in human form. The Alpha’s anger was clear. Alex had no doubt Sid would feel Torin’s wrath when they reached the Academy.
Alex crossed slowly up the final ramp to the top of the obstacle. He watched the pack below with a surge of joy. He had done it. He had conquered the obstacle course and gotten away from Pack Torin. He
lifted his muzzle and let out a howl of victory.
“You’ll pay, Alex,” Torin shouted as the echoes of the howl faded away.
Alex wanted to be snide and ask what he was supposed to pay for, but he was in wolf form which was probably a good thing; his mouth had a tendency to get him in more trouble than when he started.
Torin shook a fist in the air. “You’ll have to come down eventually, and when you do, we’ll be waiting!”
Alex rolled his eyes. Torin needed some serious help with his trash talk. Pack Torin wandered away. Torin was the last to leave. He studied Alex silently, his arms crossed in front of his chest.
“She’s too good for you, Alex,” Torin said. He didn’t raise his voice, knowing that Alex could hear him perfectly well. “You take her for granted.”
Alex wanted to point out that a term ago Torin had barely known Kalia existed. Alex and Cassie had been her only friends. Now, Torin felt like he could come in and demand her attention and she would be fine with it. It was his duty as Kalia’s friend to protect her from the Alpha, or was it? He paced the top of the course, torn by his emotions.
“Let her choose, Alex. You know it’s not your place to decide for her.”
Torin’s last words haunted Alex.
He watched the Alpha leave, listening to the faint crunch of Torin’s footsteps in the snow long after he was out of sight. Alex turned his attention to the sun as it rose above the mountains, casting the trees around him in shades of dark green with gold caught between pine needles and bare branches. He wished life was like the sunrise, starting fresh and new with each dawn; but it wasn’t. Choices and experiences hung like the snow trapped in the branches, weighing a person down and reminding him that the consequences to actions left marks on more than just the body. At that moment, Alex’s soul felt like it was made of scars.
Chapter Twenty-four
“Finally, you’re here!” Trent exclaimed when Alex reached Pack Jericho’s quarters.
Alex looked around in surprise at the anxious faces of his pack mates. The seven Lifer members of the pack waited in the common room. Tennison and Cassie sat on the couch, Trent and Terith worked on something at the table, and Amos looked up from the economics book he and Von were sharing to give Alex a huge smile. It felt strange without the Termer members; Jericho’s absence was especially noticeable. But the Lifers had grown up together within the Academy walls. It was their home.
“What’s going on?” Alex asked.
“We’re going to war,” Trent proclaimed. He stepped to the side to reveal his and his sister’s project.
Alex suddenly recognized the scent of plastic that filled the room. “Water balloons?”
“You better believe it!” Terith told him.
Alex fought back a smile at the girl’s enthusiasm. “Do I dare ask who we are going to war against?”
Cassie spoke up this time. “The professors.”
Alex chuckled. “I like this idea.”
“So you’re in?” Tennison asked.
Alex nodded. “Of course. Why wouldn’t I be?”
The skinny werewolf gave an innocent smile. “I just know how hard you try to keep on good terms with everyone around here. You don’t want to get on anyone’s bad side.”
Alex tipped his head. Trent answered his request by tossing a blue water balloon to him. Alex caught it and threw it without hesitation.
Tennison tried to dive out of the way, but the water balloon clipped his shoulder and burst, spraying water over both him and Cassie.
“Hey!” Alex’s sister protested. “We’re supposed to save those for the teachers.”
Tennison laughed. “I was asking for it.”
“But I wasn’t,” Cassie said. She jumped over the back of the couch and made a run for the water balloons.
Alex picked up the laundry basket that was filled to the brim with different colors of balloons and held it out of her reach.
“You said we need to save them for the teachers,” Alex pointed out.
Cassie jabbed at his ribs. “I owe you one.”
Alex winced, dancing back out of her reach. “You really don’t. I was just doing you a favor. Don’t you feel refreshed?”
Cassie’s eyes narrowed with mock anger. She was about to tackle her brother to the floor when Trent stepped between them.
“Let’s have a little common sense here. The professors want us to fight among ourselves and leave them alone, but if we do, they’ll have no idea the assault they survived because we couldn’t keep from waging war in our own quarters.” Trent rubbed his buzzed head. “I say we hit Jaze first.”
“What about Vance?” Von suggested with his customary finger up his nose.
“Yeah,” Amos laughed. “Get Vance wet.” He followed the sentence with three deep chuckles.
“You know Vance will be the first to retaliate,” Trent pointed out. “And he’s not known for retaliating nicely.”
“How about we just hit the professors’ lounge and see who’s there?” Terith suggested.
Alex nodded. “Sounds like a plan.” He met the other werewolves’ gazes. “Everyone agree?”
“Agreed,” Cassie said.
Alex lowered the basket with a careful eye on his sister. If she made any move to grab a balloon, he was prepared to throw the entire basketful on her.
Cassie pulled the door open. “Well, what are you waiting for?” she asked with a twinkle in her gaze that said she knew Alex was worried about a counterattack.
Alex edged around her, careful to keep his back against the opposite door frame. He was almost through when a flash of color caught his eye. He glanced back in time to get hit in the face with a yellow balloon, compliments of Tennison’s accurate arm. The water splattered across his face and shirt.
“That’s cold!” Alex exclaimed, fighting to keep from dropping the basket in shock.
“Tell me about it,” Cassie replied, rolling her eyes. She and Tennison gave each other a high five.
Alex pretended to be appalled. “Seriously? Now you’re working together against me? I knew this was going to be no good,” he said, pointing with the basket at the two of them. “Together you two are trouble.”
“You better believe it,” Cassie said with a laugh.
“Alright, alright. Put your sibling rivalry aside long enough to get this war started,” Trent said.
“Yeah, no fight here,” Amos seconded.
“You’re right. Let’s get going,” Alex agreed.
He followed the rest of his pack down the stairs. Trent ran on ahead to ensure that there were indeed professors relaxing in the lounge at the end of the classroom wing. He came back with breathless enthusiasm.
“Dray and Gem are at the table, Mouse and Lyra are cooking something, and Nikki and Jaze are sitting on the couch! It’s the best possible situation!” Trent exclaimed
“Where’s baby William?” Cassie asked.
“No sign of him,” Trent said. “Maybe he’s sleeping.”
“Good,” Cassie replied. “We don’t want any innocent bystanders in this war.”
The excitement on her face filled Alex with joy. It was great to see his sister so happy. She held Tennison’s arm and had a hand on the basket as she practically dragged both Tennison and Alex down the hall.
“Come on!” she said.
Her eagerness spread until Alex found himself running with the rest of the students. His pack mates grabbed balloons from the basket and Trent threw open the door. Shouts of alarm and dismay filled the room as the professors inside were peppered with water balloons.
“We’re under attack!” Jaze shouted. Water balloons landed all around them. He pulled his wife behind the couch and gave her a pillow for protection. A purple water balloon bounced off the pillow and popped against Jaze’s chest.
“That backfired,” he said with a laugh.
“I got it!” Nikki yelled.
She caught a balloon that sailed toward Jaze and threw it back. It hit the door next to Alex
’s head and showered them with water. They retaliated with a dozen more water balloons.
“Save yourself!” Gem shouted from beside the fridge.
“No one will be left behind,” Dray replied. He held a frying pan lid and a wooden spoon. He was using the lid as a shield and attempting to cut down water balloons with the spoon before they could hit his wife.
Professor Mouse and Lyra hid beneath the table. Water dripped down from all sides. A red water balloon hit the floor near Lyra’s feet and splattered all over them. In a sudden act of heroism, Mouse rolled from beneath the table and grabbed the faucet hose at the sink. Turning it on full blast, he shot water at the students.
“Fall back!” Trent shouted as he was drenched. “Fall back!”
They scrambled out the door and reached the hallway laughing and dripping all over the thick carpet.
“They’re tougher than we thought,” Tennison said, out of breath.
“We’re almost out of ammo,” Terith pointed out.
“Give up?” Jaze’s voice called from the doorway.
“Never!” the Lifer members of Pack Jericho called back.
Nikki spoke up next. “What if we negotiate terms?”
The students looked at each other.
“What terms?” Alex asked.
A few seconds of silence followed, then Nikki spoke up again, “Jaze just confirmed with Cook Jerald that there is a chocolate mousse pie available to be eaten based on amiable surrender from both sides.”
The students exchanged glances. Alex grinned at the nods that surrounded him.
“And if we refuse?” Alex shouted. Terith and Cassie shoved his shoulder.
“Then no pie,” Jaze called back.
“Come on, Alex,” Cassie pleaded. “It’s chocolate pie!”
“But what about our war?” Alex teased.
“Who needs war when there’s chocolate?” Terith said.
Alex looked at Tennison. He shrugged. “I’m with the girls on this one. Chocolate mousse pie sounds fantastic right now.”
Alex rolled his eyes dramatically. “You’ve all been bought.”
