by Cheree Alsop
Alex faced the camera. If Drogan was watching, he wanted to leave a message that would hit home hard. “Drogan, you’re finished. If you’re smart, you’ll go hide in a corner somewhere and leave werewolves and humans to live in peace. The world is changing. Peace is attainable, and the families of this nation deserve to live unafraid no matter what their race.” He swallowed and took a risk. “Brother, let it go. Please. I’m begging you to let peace have a chance. Stop hurting the innocent. Nobody should have to live in fear, and you have the choice. Just let it go. Please.” He turned back to Cooper. “I’d better get back and help with the cleanup. Thank you for what you do. I appreciate it.”
“We’re happy to do our part,” the reporter replied, shaking Alex’s hand. “Thank you for your time.”
Alex saw Siale out of the corner of his eye. A smile spread across his face. “Can I introduce you to someone?”
“Anyone,” Cooper replied with a hint of surprise.
“Siale?” Alex called.
She came over with a questioning look at the camera. Alex introduced her to Cooper. “Cooper Peterson, this is Siale Andrews, my fiancé.”
Cooper’s answering smile was huge when he shook Siale’s hand. “I am so glad to meet you. I didn’t know Alex was engaged. Are you a werewolf, too?”
Siale looked at Alex. He left it up to her to choose what she wanted to say.
She nodded and gave the camera a warm smile. “I am a werewolf, and I’m so happy. Alex proposed to me at sunset on the beach a few weeks back, and I couldn’t be happier. He’s a romantic at heart.”
Cooper chuckled and spoke into the microphone. “I apologize to all of you ladies who had your hearts set on our dashing Alex, but he’s been taken by this beautiful young woman. I wish them all the happiness in the world, and,” he turned back to Alex and Siale, “Maybe I can get an invitation to the wedding?”
He left the question hanging. Alex made a split-second decision. “Who knows,” he replied. “Maybe everyone will.”
“What do you mean?” Cooper asked.
Alex looked at Siale. “What do you think about having a public wedding?”
Siale looked a bit taken back, but she nodded. “I think that would be wonderful.”
“There you have it,” Cooper said. The fact that he had the biggest story in the nation in regards to both the mutant elimination and Alex’s wedding was evident by his grin.
When the camera turned off, Cooper gave Alex an apologetic smile. “Sorry for putting you on the spot there. That was amazing!”
Alex looked at Siale. “Are you sure that’s okay? I should have talked to you first.”
Siale shook her head. “Everyone knows you. If our wedding will help people feel better about werewolves, then I think we really should.”
Alex kissed her. “You are amazing.”
She smiled up at him. “That’s why I’m marrying you.”
Alex chuckled. He glanced up and realized Cooper was still standing there. “Uh, sorry. Sometimes we get a bit carried away.”
“That’s alright,” Cooper replied. “That’s how it’s supposed to be when you’re young and in love.” He smiled at Siale. “Ever since we first aired what happened in the hospital, we’ve gotten more letters about Alex than any other single event. Having a young person who has been so brave acting as the forefront of the werewolf movement has been a wonderful thing. Everyone loves a wedding. I can guarantee that letting the nation watch is going to do wonders for easing prejudices.”
“I’m happy it’ll help,” Siale said.
Alex could see the effect she had on the reporter. Siale’s soft smile and sincere gray eyes could win anyone over.
“It’s great to meet you, Siale,” Cooper was telling her. “I look forward to spending more time with you both as the wedding draws near.”
“Thank you very much,” she replied. She met Alex’s gaze. “I’m going to go see if your mother or Nyra needs help with the food.” She gave a little wave to Cooper and the cameraman. “It’s nice meeting you.”
“How’d you pull off that one?” Cooper asked as they watched Siale enter the school.
“Flat out luck,” Alex replied.
That brought a chuckle from Cooper. “I need some more luck,” he said.
When Alex reached the mayor and Principal Dalton again, he found Jaze talking to both men.
“Your student has become quite the public speaker,” Mayor Hendricks noted with an approving nod at Alex.
“He’s taught me a thing or two, that’s for sure,” Jaze replied. He gave Alex a searching look. “Did you really just invite the entire nation to your wedding?”
Alex fought back a surge of embarrassment. “That may have been rash.”
“I think it was brilliant,” Mayor Hendricks said. “In fact, let us host your wedding here.” He paused, then quickly told Alex, “If, of course, you’d like that. I don’t want to rush you into things or make decisions for you, just know that Greyton City is more than happy to open its doors for such an event.” He winked. “It’s been nice to give Greyton the chance for positive media. We’re rising as a recommended place to live. Being the city responsible for taking down Drogan’s mutant army will definitely help.”
“You don’t think the fact that it was a target will make people more wary to come here?” Principal Dalton asked.
“I don’t think so,” the mayor replied. They wandered away discussing the prospects.
“You do whatever you’d like,” Jaze told Alex quietly. The dean’s gave Alex’s shoulder a fatherly squeeze. “If you want to get married in front of four people or thousands, you let me know.” He paused, then said, “I say four because your mother, Nikki, Red, and I insist on being there. Of course, then there is Cassie and Tennison, and Trent and Jordan, and well, maybe a few more than four.”
Alex laughed. “Of course. I couldn’t imagine it any other way.”
“Jaze, guess what!”
Both werewolves turned expectantly at the sound of Brock’s voice. The human with the spikey brown hair who was the head of security at the Academy grinned. “They actually know what Jarlsberg cheese is, and they put it on a sandwich! It’s the best thing ever!”
“I thought you were supposed to be running DNA checks on the curs,” Jaze said, giving his friend a quizzical look.
Brock waved his sandwich and a piece of tomato fell onto the sidewalk. “Mouse and I already did that. There are nineteen vials in the SUV waiting to go home with us.” The skinny human shrugged. “Can’t do more than that, so I thought I’d grab a bite to eat before I waste away.”
“I don’t think that’s possible,” Jaze said.
Brock nodded. He glanced over Jaze’s shoulder and his eyes widened. Alex and Jaze turned.
“See, Ashley, Jarlsberg is the perfect cheese to pair with honey baked ham and spicy mustard,” a woman with curly blonde hair was telling Mrs. Summers.
Alex recognized Jennifer Stauffer as Cherish’s mother’s best friend from high school. Since Jaze reunited them, the werewolf had moved to Greyton to be closer to her friend. They both worked together at the diner where Mrs. Summers supported her and Cherish.
“Maybe we should suggest it to Bernard,” Mrs. Summers replied. “He’s always looking for new recipes to spice things up.”
“Who. Is. That?” Brock asked. He gulped down the bite of sandwich in his mouth and wiped his face on his sleeve. “I need to meet her.”
“Go ahead,” Jaze told him. “That’s Jennifer. You helped us find her, remember? Her name used to be Jacey.”
“What do I say?” Brock looked truly afraid at the thought of talking to her.
“Say hello,” Jaze replied encouragingly. “You’ve spoken to girls before.”
Brock gave him a straight look. “Jaze, since we met in high school, have you ever seen me speak to a girl willingly?”
The dean thought about it for a moment. “I guess not,” he admitted.
Brock nodded. “Exactly.”<
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Alex made his way over to the table. He could still hear the pair arguing.
“It’s not that hard,” Jaze encouraged. “She’s not going to bite.”
“Didn’t you say she was a werewolf?” Brock shot back.
“Jennifer?”
She turned at the sound of Alex’s voice. “Alex!” she exclaimed. She gave him a hug. “It’s so good to see you again! It’s amazing what you’ve helped accomplish here.”
“Thanks,” Alex replied. He looked back at where Brock was now waving his arms and the sandwich and arguing adamantly with Jaze. “Uh, could you do me a favor?”
“Anything,” she said with a warm smile.
Alex didn’t know how to start, so he rushed in. “One of Jaze’s pack mates thinks you’re beautiful and would like to come talk to you, but he doesn’t know what to say. Could I introduce you?”
She followed Alex’s gaze. “Do you mean the one talking with Jaze Carso?” At his nod, she studied Brock. “Well, he is cute, and he’s eating the same sandwich I am. Maybe he has good taste.”
Alex grinned. “That’s actually what caught his eye. He said something about yars or yards...”
“Jarlsberg?” she finished.
Alex nodded. “Yes, thank you. Brock is sort of a...” He thought of a polite way to say it. “A food fan.”
“Me, too!” she said with interest. “Except they call it food connoisseurs. I wonder what he thinks about the mustard.”
“You should go ask,” Mrs. Summers said encouragingly.
Jennifer gave a sharp nod. “I think I will.” She took her sandwich and walked over to the pair.
“And I don’t think cheese is a good basis for—”
“For what?” Jennifer asked.
Brock turned and his eyes widened. “Uh, for...for...for beginning a relationship.”
“I agree,” she replied.
Brock’s face fell.
“Unless it’s a good Jarlsberg,” Jennifer continued. “How is it?”
Brock stared at her. He seemed to realize she had asked him a question because his head jerked down and he looked at his sandwich. “Divine, actually.”
“That’s the word I was going to use,” Jennifer said with a satisfactory nod. “It has an amazing nutty flavor and melts on the tongue.”
“Not too soft,” Brock said.
“With just the right amount of holes,” Jennifer concluded.
Both of them laughed.
“I’m going to excuse myself,” Jaze said. The expression on his face said he didn’t know what had just happened, but he wasn’t going to press his luck. He snuck away without them even appearing to notice. “What did you do?” the dean asked when he reached Alex and Mrs. Summers.
Alex shrugged. “I mentioned cheese. Apparently that was the selling point.”
Mrs. Summers gave Alex a grateful smile. “I’m happy for her. She’s needed someone, and she’s a bit shy.”
“So is he,” Jaze told her. “I can never get him to actually leave the Academy and socialize. Who knew his love of food would actually lead to a woman?”
“We’ll cross our fingers,” Mrs. Summers replied.
A familiar hand touched Alex’s shoulder. He took a deep breath of the sage and lavender scent that washed over him.
“Ready to go home?” Siale asked.
He turned and wrapped his arms around her. “Home is wherever you are.”
She smiled up at him. “I like it when you’re cheesy.”
Mrs. Summers, Jaze, and Alex burst out laughing.
“What did I say?” Siale asked.
Alex shook his head. “Just the perfect thing. Let’s go, love.”
She smiled and took his hand.
Chapter Twenty-four
Alex leaned his head back against the headrest. The curs were gone, the nation was safe, at least from Drogan’s most recent threat, and they were on their way back to Red’s warehouse that had begun to feel like his home away from the Academy. Alex’s chest gave a slight throb, reminding him that rest helped the healing process. He closed his eyes and willed the smooth ride of the jet to lull him to sleep.
He was almost there when Cassie shouted, “He what?”
Alex’s eyes flew open. He knew what was coming. Dread tightened in his stomach. He heard the storm of his sister’s footsteps coming up the alley between the seats. In that moment, he wished could be back at Greyton High School fighting curs.
“Alex Davies, did you just tell that reporter that we would get married on national television?”
Alex took a steeling breath and glanced at her. His sister’s dark blue eyes, the exact same color Jet’s had been, were filled with anger, horror, and tears.
Alex hated to see any girl cry. The fact that he was responsible for such an expression from his twin sister tore at him. He swallowed and went with, “To be fair, I only told Cooper about Siale and me.”
“But Alex,” Cassie said, her voice tight as if she barely kept back sobs. “The four of us are supposed to get married together. It was going to be special!”
The magnitude of what he had promised struck Alex hard. It may have been the worst thing he had ever done to his sister. He turned to face her completely and set a hand on her arm. “I’m sorry. I messed up.” He let out a slow breath. “I forgot how much you don’t like crowds.”
“You just set our wedding in front of the biggest crowd possible,” Cassie replied, her tone revealing how hurt she was.
Alex glanced toward the back of the jet. Siale gave him an apologetic look. He couldn’t blame her. He was the one who had spoken to Cooper without clearing the idea with both the girls and Tennison. He had messed up his sister’s wedding, and he didn’t know how to fix it.
“Cass, I really didn’t mean for it to happen this way. Cooper was asking me about Siale and the wedding came up.” He sighed and shook his head. “I wasn’t even thinking about crowds or cameras or anything.”
“What were you thinking about?” She didn’t ask it accusingly. Her voice was quieter and her expression searching as if she was trying to understand despite her own hurt.
Alex loved her for that. “I was thinking about Drogan,” he said honestly. She shook her head as though disappointed, but Alex kept speaking, “I was thinking about the fact that he has tried everything possible within his means to destroy all of the happiness in our lives. He killed our parents, he’s hounded our every step, and he has hurt those we care about.” Alex’s eyes burned. He blinked quickly. “He almost killed Siale. Kalia’s dead because of him and the General, and everyone’s had to live in fear because of the monster he’s become.”
A pop sounded. Alex realized he was gripping the arm of the chair separating them so hard that it cracked. He swallowed and let go. “Cassie, I didn’t expect to live this long.” The admission took a lot from him. “When Jet saved us from Drogan, I told myself I would live for you, and for the memory of Mom and Dad. When you and Tennison hit it off and I found Siale, I started to dream about a real life. Then the General killed Kalia.”
He shook his head. “I lost something that day. Call it my sanity, my hope, my dreams, but it was really my belief that we could live a normal life away from fear and pain. Drogan has seen to that.” Alex gritted his teeth. “I have fought and fought, but I can’t keep everyone I care about safe.” He motioned with a hand at the city they had left behind. “But killing the curs changed that. Drogan may be a threat, but I don’t have to be afraid. You’re strong and you have Tennison. I saw Siale kill the beast that almost took her life, and I watched humans and werewolves working together to make this world a safer place to live in.”
He sat up, willing her to understand. “Cassie, if we’re going to live a normal life, we need this peace. We need humans not to be afraid of us. The professors should be able to live in homes of their own, not in a school trying to shelter werewolf students from the dangers of the world. Living in fear brought the fear to us, and I’m done with being afraid.”
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“So the wedding...” Cassie let the words hang.
Alex nodded. “The wedding was my way of welcoming the nation into my life. They made me their werewolf poster child, even with the Demon, so I wanted to turn that back at them. I want to show them that werewolves can love and dream, that we can hope and live with the belief that tomorrow is a better day. I invited them to the wedding because marrying Siale is something I never would have dreamed possible, and now it is. I have been given a gift, and I want to share it with the world in the hopes that it will make a difference. Mom and Dad taught us that love is real, and I want to show the nation that love can really be enough.”
Cassie was quiet for a few minutes. Alex watched her, unsure what she would say.
“Do you really think it’ll help?”
Surprised at her question, Alex replied, “You mean with humans and werewolves?” When she nodded, he answered honestly, “Jaze tried to get humans to accept werewolves, and it backfired because humans and werewolves were both coming from a place of fear. The werewolves had to reveal themselves in order to survive, and the humans were afraid of how strong the werewolves could be. If I can show the nation that werewolves are just like them, that we can fall in love and work to build a life together, maybe, just maybe, they’ll let it happen. If the generations who fought Jaze’s werewolves realized that we’re just kids who deserve a chance at life, perhaps they’ll see us differently.”
“Our wedding can do all that?” Cassie asked skeptically.
Alex lifted his shoulders in a small shrug. “Honestly, I’m not sure. You know me. I’m kind of the jump first and ask questions later type.”
“Kind of?” Cassie repeated with the ghost of a smile. “I think you invented it.”
Alex smiled back. “Exactly. Jump with me, Cass. Throw fear, caution, and prejudice away. We’ve learned to be just as afraid of them as they are of us, but in truth, we’re all the same. We all want to live our lives in peace. Perhaps showing them werewolves trying to do just that will help all of us realize that there isn’t so much to be afraid of.”
