Werewolf Academy Book 1

by Cheree Alsop

  At that moment, the power in the house cut completely. Commotion could be heard inside. The cameras switched to night vision.

  “Move in,” Jaze commanded.

  Both teams opened their doors and stepped inside. Jaze flowed silently to the left through a small dining room. Kaynan followed close behind. Dray and Colleen took the right.

  Three men waited in the kitchen. Jaze reached one, punched him in the kidney and slammed an elbow into his ear. As the man fell, Jaze was at the second who was just turning with his mouth opening to give an alarm. Jaze silence him with a straight punch to his throat followed by a blow to the stomach. When the man doubled over, Jaze elbowed him in the back. The man fell to the floor and the Alpha still him with a fist to the side of the head.

  He stepped over the man Kaynan had already brought down.

  “There are four men upstairs, but the majority are in the basement,” Brock informed them. For once, his sandwich and pizza sat forgotten next to the computer.

  Vance’s team ran up the stairs. Jaze motioned for Colleen to stay on the main floor in case backup arrived. He, Kaynan, Dray, and Chet hurried on silent feet down the stairs.

  “The power company’s sending a guy to check it out,” one of the men in the basement said. He held out his phone, its glowing light casting the room in shadows.

  “No need,” Jaze replied in the darkness.

  Everyone turned in surprised. The werewolves had them surrounded. Jaze crouched and knocked the feet out from beneath two men with a sweep of his leg. He silenced them both with two haymakers. Jaze rolled forward, hit a man in the groin, then rose and slammed the back of his elbow into another man’s jaw. He spun and kicked the head of man who was grappling with Dray. Dray dropped him and turned to slam a two-fisted punch to the next man’s chest.

  A shot rang out. Jaze tackled the shooter against the wall. He slid a chop down the man’s arm to knock his gun out of his grasp and followed it with a back-hand across the man’s face. The man tried to punch him in the stomach. Jaze blocked the punch and popped an uppercut to the man’s jaw that sent his head against the wall. He slid to the ground.

  A quick check showed all of the men down.

  “Is everyone alright?” Jaze asked.

  “A shot was fired,” Chet pointed out dryly. “Mission failed.”

  Jaze shook his head. “Lights on, Mouse,” he said.

  The power was immediately turned back on. A single door led from the room.

  “Anyone else in there?” Jaze asked.

  “Two people,” Brock replied, looking at the screen.

  “Careful,” Kaynan warned.

  Alex watched with abated breath as Chet reached for the doorknob at Jaze’s nod. When the door opened, Jaze dove into the room, came up to his knees, and knocked the waiting man’s gun away before he could fire. Jaze drove a fist into the man’s groin followed by a punch to the stomach. The man doubled over. Jaze wrapped an arm around the man’s neck and rolled, slamming the man’s body to the ground.

  “You get to have all the fun,” Chet said from the door.

  “That was awesome,” Alex breathed, unable to tear his eyes from the screen.

  Jaze rose without a word and walked to the cage in the corner. A lone woman sat huddled on a dirty blanket with another thrown over her shoulders. Jaze touched the cage.

  “We’re going to get you out of here,” he said gently. She looked up at him

  Cassie’s hand grabbed Alex’s. His heart skipped a beat.

  “It’s Mom!” Cassie exclaimed. “That’s Mom!”

  Alex shook his head. “No, it can’t be,” he replied, though he stared at her sitting there. Her dark hair was shorter than his mother usually wore it, but the same light blue eyes looked straight at the camera, filled with loss and pain from her confinement. She had the same high cheekbones and the creases at the corners of her eyes that said smiling was a habit, though no smile lit her face. Only fear showed in her eyes at the werewolves that surrounded the cage.

  “It can’t be,” Alex said again. Tears burned in his eyes and began to stream down his cheeks. “I saw her die. I watched her die, Cass. It can’t be.”

  “But it’s Mom,” his sister replied, her voice tight and her gaze locked on the woman in Jaze’s camera. Tears trickled down her cheeks. “It’s Mom. It has to be.”

  Brock looked between them, stunned.

  Alex shook his head, his voice broken. “She died, Cass. It can’t be.”

  He watched as Vance broke the lock to the cage and Jaze stepped inside.

  “I’m Jaze Carso,” he said. “Do you know who I am?”

  Her face showed a flicker of familiarity with the name. She nodded. “I know who you are,” she said softly in a voice that was so like Alex’s mother’s that his heart clenched because he knew it couldn’t be.

  Jaze held out a hand and the woman took it. Jaze led her carefully from the cage.

  Brock checked the screen. “The area’s clear. Have a safe trip back.”

  “Thanks, Brock,” Jaze replied. He reached up and his camera turned off. The others soon followed.

  “That was her,” Cassie said. Sobs shook her shoulders. “She was on the camera. You saw her.” Her voice was near hysterical.

  “It couldn’t have been,” Alex replied, putting an arm around his sister’s shoulders. He was so confused. The woman looked just like his mother, but her voice was slightly different. He had watched his mother die. Yet the woman’s face looked so achingly like hers that he couldn’t stop picturing it in his mind.

  “Where are they taking her?” Cassie asked. The same confusion showed in her voice. Tears wouldn’t stop rolling down her cheeks.

  Brock set his sandwich down. He looked as though he knew he shouldn’t tell them, but after what they had seen, he couldn’t deny the twins. “To our closest safe house,” he answered. “It’s on the other side of the forest at the furthest end of the preserve.”

  “Can we go there?” Alex asked.

  Brock shook his head. “It would be best if you wait for Jaze. I’m sure he’ll have some answers for you.” He looked around and ran a hand through his spikey hair. “He’s going to be upset you were down here.”

  “Tell him I overpowered you,” Alex replied.

  Brock gave him an incredulous look. “And you forced me to open the door in the first place? I know better than that.”

  “Tell him I was crying,” Cassie said.

  They both looked at her. She tried to wipe the tears from her cheeks, but they wouldn’t stop coming. “I bet he wouldn’t be so upset.”

  Brock nodded. “Fine. I need you both to go to your rooms. I’ll wake you as soon as Jaze gets back.”

  “Thank you, Brock,” Alex told him as he led his sister up the stairs. She clung to him, refusing to let go after what she had seen.

  “Yeah,” Brock replied, his tone showing he doubted whether he had made the right decision.

  Alex and Cassie made it back to Pack Jericho’s quarters. Cassie refused to go to her room, so Alex let her into his. She settled on his bed wrapped in her red blanket. Quiet sobs shook her small body. Alex held her close while he stared out the window, wondering with an aching heart about the woman they had seen on Jaze’s camera.

  Chapter Eighteen

  Alex listened for the vehicles to return. He kept seeing his mother’s face in his mind, watching the way the light had flickered out. He had to remind himself over and over again that the woman Jaze had rescued wasn’t her. He wanted to believe so badly. He listened to his sister cry herself to sleep, and it broke his heart. He wanted to tell Cassie that he was wrong, that by some miracle their mother was still alive. Yet he knew deep down that it couldn’t be true, and every time he reminded himself of that, it felt like a piece of him died.

  He finally rose and, checking to make sure Cassie was sleeping soundly, he crept down the stairs. Early dawn light spilled in through the windows, lighting the halls that would soon be packed with students rushi
ng to class. Alex couldn’t find any joy in the thought of being with them. He had to know; nothing else mattered until his questions were answered.

  He was surprised to hear voices from below when he stepped in the closet. He closed the door behind him and listened for a few seconds.

  “We have no idea how they found her, or why he was holding her,” Brock said.

  “You have some idea,” Vance replied.

  “That’s a discussion for a later date,” Jaze answered.

  At the sound of the dean’s voice, Alex raised his hand to the door; all talking below ceased.

  “Why is Alex up there?” he heard Jaze ask quietly.

  “He was down here,” Brock replied.

  “What?” Vance demanded, his tone heated. “Why was a student down here?”

  “What matters is what he saw,” Jaze answered, his voice level. “Is that why he’s here?”

  Alex could picture Brock nodding. He felt bad for putting the human in the situation, but he needed to talk to Jaze, and Brock’s honesty was the only thing that could get him through the door.

  “He saw it all,” Brock said, his voice showing the same exhaustion Alex felt. “He and Cassie both. They watched the rescue.”

  “Let him down,” Jaze said.

  Footsteps sounded on the stairs.

  “He shouldn’t be down here,” Vance argued. “He of all werewolves. If Drogan was to capture him—”

  “Then we have all failed,” Jaze finished quietly.

  Brock opened the door. He gave Alex a weak smile around a sucker that was in his mouth. “I figured you’d be here,” he said.

  Alex gave him a humorless smile in return. “I didn’t want to miss the party. By the way, how’d everyone get here without me hearing? I was listening for cars.”

  “Let me keep at least some secrets,” Brock replied.

  Alex nodded in answer and followed Brock down the stairs. He paused at the sight of the werewolves who had been a part of Jaze’s team sitting around an oval table.

  “You’re welcome here,” Jaze said.

  Vance’s expression told otherwise, but Alex ignored him. He took the seat Jaze indicated.

  Jaze studied him for a minute in silence. As much as he wanted to ask all the questions that had been swirling around in his mind for the past few hours, Alex held his tongue.

  “What would you like to know?” the dean asked, his attention fully on Alex.

  “He shouldn’t know anything,” Chet pointed out, though his tone was less harsh than Vance’s.

  Jaze met the Alpha’s gaze. “You all know how this affects Alex and Cassie.” An affectionate smile touched the dean’s lips when he saw the tired expressions on his team’s faces. “Get some sleep, everyone. It’s a school day in about,” he checked the clock above Brock, “Two hours. Better make them count.”

  “Can’t we just tell the students we slept in?” Kaynan asked, stifling a yawn.

  Alex fought back a small smile at the same comment Trent had made, though Kaynan said it without the whine.

  “I’m sure Grace could cover for you,” Jaze replied with a chuckle.

  “And leave my wife to those animals?” Kaynan asked, his tone aghast. He glanced at Alex and winked. “Not that we’re much better.”

  Alex answered with a good-natured smile.

  Kaynan rose and patted Alex on the shoulder as he walked past. A few of the others did the same before stumbling tiredly up the stairs. Alex wondered how many alarm clocks would be broken in the morning.

  “Go ahead, Brock,” Jaze said, dismissing the human.

  “Are you sure?” Brock asked. “Someone’s got to keep an eye on the monitors and with Mouse out repairing equipment. . . .”

  Jaze nodded. “Go ahead. I’ve got things down here.”

  Brock gave him a grateful smile and gathered up a few bags of snacks for his trip up the stairs. “I’m wasting away without your mother’s cooking,” Brock said with a sorrowful sigh. “I’ll catch some shuteye and be back in a couple of hours.”

  “Take what you need,” Jaze said.

  When the door closed above to leave only the two of them in the security room, Jaze sat back in his seat. Alex imagined he looked as tired as the dean, but he couldn’t rest until he had some answers. Now that everyone was gone, Alex leaned forward with his elbows on his knees.

  “Who is she?”

  Jaze nodded at the question as if he had been anticipating it. There was a light of understanding in his eyes that was tempered by sadness. “I’m sorry you saw that. I wished I could have explained it first.”

  “We insisted on being down here.” Alex rubbed his eyes with one hand. “I just don’t understand what it was that we saw.”

  Jaze took in a slow breath. His gaze was searching as if he debated how much to tell the student. He let the breath out slowly. “You’ve been like a son to Nikki and I,” he said.

  Alex nodded, keeping silent.

  “You’ve gone through so much.” Jaze opened a hand. “I have, too,” he said with a weary smile. “I suppose that’s why I felt we could help you and Cassie. We wanted you to live a normal life.”

  Alex didn’t know what the Alpha was getting at. He was anxious to have his question answered, but it felt like Jaze was stalling. Jaze never stalled as a matter of principle. He was always straight-forward and honest. The direction the conversation was taking confused Alex even more.

  He couldn’t hold it in any longer. “I just want to know who she is.”

  Jaze was silent for a few seconds. When he spoke, he gave Alex a sad smile. “She’s your mother’s twin sister.”

  Alex stared at the dean. He was filled with amazement and disappointment at the same time. The part of him that hoped Cassie’s words were true, the part that wished his mother had somehow survived the night, faded to leave the gaping hole his parents’ death had created in his heart. It hurt to let that hope go, even though he had known at the time how ridiculous a hope it had been.

  Yet the other side was filled with relief. He had felt something when he saw the woman on the screen, even though he knew she wasn’t his mother. Now he knew why. She was family, perhaps the only family Alex and Cassie had left.

  Alex shook his head, thinking aloud, “I didn’t know Mom had a twin sister.”

  The dean gave a gentle smile. “There are quite a few things you don’t know.” Before Alex could ask any more questions, Jaze held up a hand. “Those things will be cleared up in time, but now is not the opportunity to address them.”

  Alex nodded, as much as he wanted to ask. He had never questioned Jaze’s words, and refused to start doing so.

  “I will explain what I can,” Jaze continued. “You know that Drogan has been looking for you and Cassie. We put that to revenge against what Jet did. He brought them down and pretty much single-handedly freed the werewolves General Jared Carso and his men gathered to destroy. Jet made them look foolish, and even though he died, I don’t think they can forgive that.”

  “So why capture my mom’s sister?” Alex asked.

  Jaze’s brow furrowed. “We can only figure that they meant to use her as bait. Whether you knew your mom had a twin or not, if you saw her, you would try to rescue her.”

  The truth of Jaze’s words burned in Alex’s chest. He knew how fatal such an action would be, but he would have tried.

  “Is she alright?” Alex asked.

  Jaze nodded. “She suffers from dehydration and minor wounds as a result of Drogan’s captivity, but I think she’ll be okay. She’s in our safe house across the forest from here.”

  The need that burned in his chest to ascertain her safety surprised Alex. “Can I see her?”

  Jaze hesitated, then shook his head. “I don’t think now would be a good time. There’s a reason your mother kept her existence from you. If it was to protect her, we need to make sure both your safety and your aunt’s is taken into consideration.”

  “I understand,” Alex said softly.


  His words surprised Jaze. “You do?”

  Alex nodded. “I don’t want her to end up like my mom. If not knowing us will keep her from that, then it’s worth it.”

  Jaze’s gaze softened. He set a hand on Alex’s knee. “You have carried so much, and you’re still so young. I lost my dad when I was seventeen, but I wasn’t there.” Memories flooded through the dean’s eyes. Alex could tell he was seeing things that haunted him. “I couldn’t imagine going through what you did at your age. When it’s safe, I’ll introduce you to her. Until then, we’ll do everything we can to make her comfortable.”

  Alex nodded. Jaze’s words and confidence meant the world to him. A yawn caught him by surprise.

  Jaze smiled. “You better get to bed yourself.”

  “What about you?” Alex asked.

  Jaze stretched. “Oh, I’ve got another few hours in me.” He winked at Alex. “You don’t have to worry about this old man.”

  Alex smiled as he stood. “Oh, come on. You’re only what, forty?”

  Jaze barked out a laugh in reply. “I’m younger than that, Alex.”

  “How old are you in dog years?” Alex asked.

  Jaze pushed him toward the stairs. “Get to bed. I don’t need your cheekiness.”

  Alex laughed and ran up the stairs. He paused at the top and turned. “Jaze?”

  Jaze looked up at him. “Yes?”

  “Thank you for saving my aunt.”

  “You’re welcome,” Jaze replied. “We’ll do everything we can for her.”

  Alex shut the door behind him and walked up the stairs to his room. A few of the early rising students said hello to him in the hallway. He mumbled barely audible answers before making his way to his room. He almost fell into an exhausted heap on the bed until he remembered that Cassie was beneath the red blanket on top. Alex let out a sigh, grabbed a pillow, and settled on the floor.

  “It’s not her, is it?”

  The heartache in Cassie’s voice made all of the emotions from the past few hours storm back. Tears burned in Alex’s eyes.