by Cheree Alsop
“I hit a deer.”
“On your motorcycle? Are you sure you’re okay?”
Alex took in a testing breath and let it out slowly. “Just a bit road burned, and a few bruised ribs.” He sat up gingerly. A glance at the deer showed it motionless near his motorcycle. “But I’m afraid I can’t say the same for the deer.”
Alex stood. His vision swam for a moment, telling him he should probably have waited longer before moving. He gritted his teeth and limped toward the animal.
The deer was definitely dead. Its neck was bent at an unnatural angle across his fallen motorcycle and its eyes were glazed over.
“At least I don’t have to kill it,” Alex said quietly. He knelt by the animal’s side with a flood of remorse. He set a hand on its neck. The animal’s fur was still warm. He could smell the fresh blood spilling out on the ground. At least the animal hadn’t suffered.
“What are you going to do?” Siale asked. “Do you need help?”
“Let’s see what I have to work with.”
Alex limped around the deer to his motorcycle. A quick check of his aching leg showed the skin from his knee to his ankle had been removed by the abrasive road. He knew his shoulder didn’t look much better. The gravel and dirt embedded in the wounds would slow the healing process if he didn’t get them cleaned out.
He grabbed a bottle of water from the saddlebag on the side of the motorcycle. He didn’t realize his hands were shaking until he tried to open the lid.
“Apparently I can fight Extremists and hounds without a problem, but let me hit a deer on my bike and I’m shaking like a leaf,” Alex said wryly.
“Alex, you’ve been through a trauma,” Siale told him, her voice thick with concern. “You’re probably in shock.”
“I’ll get over it,” Alex replied. He tipped his helmet back enough that he could drink some water but still stay in contact with Siale. The cool liquid calmed his nerves. He shoved his helmet back on and bent over so he could pour water on his leg.
“What was that?” Siale asked.
Alex hadn’t realized he’d made a sound. “Oh, just cleaning my leg.”
“Sounds like it hurts,” she replied quietly.
“Or your boyfriend’s just a sissy.”
Alex paused. He hadn’t meant to call himself her boyfriend. As he had told Cherish, they had only spoken face to face twice. The first time was in the body pit when she was half-unconscious from pain, and the second was when she had removed a bullet from his shoulder before the silver could kill him. Neither had led to the discussion of relationships.
“You’re not a sissy,” Siale replied without addressing his poorly timed words.
Gratitude filled him at her discretion. “I hate to admit it, but sometimes I am.” He poured the rest of the water bottle over his shoulder. The twisting it took to reach the wound told him that there were a few other injuries he didn’t want to take into account.
When the bottle was empty, Alex found a piece of his shirt that hadn’t been torn up by the road and scrubbed both wounds.
“Alex, you’re really quiet. It worries me,” Siale said.
“I’m trying to clean my road rash without further confirming my sissy status,” Alex replied tightly as he worked several stubborn rocks from his leg. Thankfully, his shoulder proved a bit less rock-filled. He finished them both and tucked the remains of his shirt into the saddlebag with the empty water bottle.
“Now for the part I’ve been dreading,” Alex said. “Let’s see what the damage to the motorcycle is.”
“That’s the part you’ve been dreading?” Siale repeated with a little laugh.
Alex clenched his jaw at the pull to his wounds as he righted the motorcycle.
“How’s your bike?”
“Better than I thought it would be,” Alex replied with relief. While the road had scraped a good amount of paint from the side and broken the left saddlebag, the frame and roll bar had prevented a lot more damage. The deer’s body had broken his headlight and dented the front fender, but Alex was able to straighten it with his hands enough that it didn’t rub on the tire.
He looked from the still form of the deer to the motorcycle.
“I have an idea,” he said.
“Are you doing what I think you’re doing?” Siale asked suspiciously.
Alex grinned as he hefted the deer onto his shoulders. “If you think I’m tying the deer to the back of my motorcycle so I can take it back to Rafe’s pack, then yeah.”
Siale laughed. “That’s what I thought you were doing.”
Alex set the deer on the back of the seat and used the straps from his saddlebags to tie it down. “I couldn’t just leave it. It seems like such a waste. At least if I feed the wolves, its death will have a purpose.”
“I like that,” Siale replied. “But are you sure you can drive a motorcycle with a deer on the back?”
“We’ll see,” Alex said. He brought his leg around gingerly and sat on the seat. He rolled his shoulders in an effort to work out their stiffness. “At least I still have over an hour before I get back to the Academy.”
“Why is that good?”
“Because I can heal before Trent sees that his worry is for a good reason.”
Siale laughed. “Someone needs to take care of you.”
Alex thought of Cassie and his mom. “Don’t worry. There will be plenty of scolding when I get back.”
“Glad to hear it,” Siale told him.
“Whose side are you on?” Alex asked good-naturedly as he kicked the motorcycle into gear and eased it up the road.
“Whoever’s side will keep you from getting yourself killed,” Siale replied.
“It’s probably the side of those who will be doing the scolding,” Alex admitted with a chuckle. He shifted the motorcycle into a higher gear. The weight of the deer on the back made him steer with more conscious thought, but he had evened it out the best he could and it didn’t tip the motorcycle too strongly to either side. He settled into the highest gear and sped down the road, this time searching the forest for deer. He wasn’t sure he or the motorcycle could take another hit.
“I guess I should let you go,” Alex finally said with reluctance. “You need your sleep. I shouldn’t have woken you up.”
“I’m glad you did.”
“Why?” Alex asked in surprise.
He could hear the smile in Siale’s voice when she replied, “You learn a lot about someone when they hit a der on their motorcycle after describing the stars.”
Alex laughed outright. “I guess you do.”
“Goodnight, Alex,” she said, her voice sweet.
“Goodnight, Siale.” Her side of the conversation clicked off with a sound Alex felt in his chest. He longed for the day he wouldn’t have to say goodnight to her. At least when she came to the Academy, she would only be down the hall.
Chapter Six
The click of the headset told Alex that Trent was back on the line. “What’s taking so long?” Trent asked, his voice filled with suspicion. “The motorcycle stopped for a while.”
“Uh, I caught a deer for Rafe’s pack?” Alex answered in the form of a question. He steered carefully around another patch of snow on the road.
“One question,” Trent replied with his usual tone of long-suffering. “How did you kill the deer.”
Alex grimaced. “I used the motorcycle as a weapon. It was very effective.”
Trent replied flatly, “Alex, you hit a deer with the motorcycle.”
“Is that a question?” Alex asked.
He knew Trent was shaking his head in disbelief back at the Wolf Den beneath the Academy. “Does it need to be?”
“No, not really,” Alex replied. “So now that you know, can you tell Rafe I’m bringing a kill for his wolves?”
Trent sighed. “I’ll let him know. How’s the bike?”
The thought of the damage to the motorcycle Trent had made for him made Alex cringe inside. “It’s, uh, had better days,” Ale
x said. “But I would like to help repair it.”
“You want to help fix the motorcycle?” Trent asked in disbelief.
Alex smiled. “You act like I’ve never helped you build anything before.” As soon as he said the words, he knew they both thought of the time Trent asked for his help to fix a lawn mower. With Alex’s assistance, the thing actually blew up. Jaze banned Alex from ever helping Trent on anything after that.
“I think you could help with the paint,” Trent said as though he was reaching for anything he thought Alex could handle without putting both of their lives and the Academy in jeopardy.
“Sure,” Alex replied. “Do I get to use an airbrush? What if we mixed glow in the dark paint with it. It’d look like it was on fire and—”
“On second thought, maybe I should paint it. Jaze did say you were banned from assisting me,” Trent reminded him.
“Okay, fine,” Alex let in.
“Thank goodness,” Trent whispered in relief
“Hey!” Alex protested. “It would have been fun!”
“It would have been something,” Trent replied.
Alex reached the open gates to the Academy and his heart fell. Meredith stood near the courtyard steps with her arms crossed and a very worried look on her usually calm face. Alex pulled the motorcycle to a stop just as her eyes widened.
“What happened to you?” she asked in alarm.
Alex looked down at his bare chest. Blood had dripped from his shoulders and streaked his skin in dark liquid. He quickly pulled off the helmet.
“Don’t worry; it’s not from me. It’s from the deer,” he explained.
His mom seemed to suddenly notice the animal tied to the back of his motorcycle. “Do I want to ask why you have a deer?”
Alex shook his head. At her pointed look, he sighed. “I hit it with the motorcycle and thought Rafe’s wolves could use it.”
He thought she would flip out at the mention of hitting the deer, but instead, Meredith surprised him. She merely shook her head and crossed to his side.
“Are you okay?”
At his nod, she took a calming breath and let it out. “Good. Let me help you with this thing.”
Alex stared in awe as his mother untied the deer and dragged it off his motorcycle while he held the bike steady. She then crouched to help him carry it.
“I can do it,” he protested.
She shook her head. “I want to help.”
Alex helped her carry it around the side of the Academy in the dark. After a few moments of silence, he asked, “Uh, why are you doing this?”
Meredith took a few more quiet steps, then replied, “I realize that my outburst with Jaze was uncalled for. You and Cassie have survived this far without me.”
Alex tried to cut her off, but she stopped him with a look over the upside-down deer’s stomach.
“We both know it’s true. I had no right to argue against Jaze’s agreement of your request, and I have no right to second-guess any of your decisions. You are in charge of your life, and I’m just happy to be a part of it.” She blinked quickly, then said, “If you still want me to.”
Alex set the deer down, giving Meredith no choice but to lower her side as well. He crossed to her without a word and gave her a tight hug. “My mom will always have a place in my life,” he said.
“Are you sure?” Meredith asked. She looked up at him, her light blue eyes bright with tears that she wouldn’t let fall.
Alex nodded, his throat tight. “Of course I’m sure. I lost you once. I’m not going to lose you again.”
“Oh, Alex,” his mom said. She gave him another tight hug before stepping back. “You’re getting taller.”
Alex smiled as he picked up the deer again. “Cassie’s mad I’ve outgrown her. I told her way back when we were little and she was taller than me that I would eventually catch up.”
Meredith laughed as she carried her side of the deer. “You were right. I think she’ll stay my height.”
“That’s good,” Alex said. At his mother’s questioning look, he grinned. “That way I can look down on her.”
Meredith laughed. “That was corny.”
“I know,” Alex replied. “But it made you laugh.”
They walked through the gate and set the deer in the snow. It took Alex a minute to realize someone was leaning against one of the nearby trees, a part of the shadows that made up the forest at night. A quick breath told him it was Rafe.
“Call them in,” the werewolf said, detaching from the tree.
Rafe was the only werewolf at the Academy who had been raised by wolves. Offspring from that pack made up the wolves that ran through Rafe’s forest now. Though Alex had run with the werewolf and his wolves many times, he was always in awe of the half-wild werewolf Professor Colleen had pledged her heart to.
A little nervous about doing the call wrong, Alex put his hands to his mouth and attempted to hit the notes Rafe had taught the students. It was hard to match the full tones of a wolf just with the mouth, so Colleen and Rafe had taught them how to compensate with their hands to round out the sounds.
“Cup your hands a little bit more,” Rafe directed.
The werewolf had reached his side soundlessly despite the crunchy snow beneath their feet.
Alex did as the golden-eyed werewolf instructed, giving his hands more space in between which lowered his notes just enough.
Howls answered his call. A shiver ran through Alex. His instincts wanted him to phase. Alex glanced at Rafe. The werewolf’s golden eyes glowed in the moonlight.
“They’re here,” he said, his eyes focusing on the shadows.
Wolves appeared beneath the trees. The scent of blood made them anxious. Alex wondered if winter had been hard on them. They looked gaunt and worn out.
“The deer have been harder to find,” Rafe said softly, answering his unspoken question. “They’ll be grateful for this.”
The Alpha, a big, tawny colored female, approached the deer slowly. She glanced at Rafe questioningly. The werewolf gave a low grunt of approval. The Alpha latched onto the deer’s leg. The other wolves quickly followed, helping their Alpha drag it into the trees. Soon, only a trail of blood across the snow and the sounds of the wolves eating in the forest remained.
“Thanks for bringing the deer back,” Rafe said, saying more than the werewolf usually did. “You okay?”
“Much better now,” Alex said. At Rafe’s curious look, he explained, “I couldn’t just leave it there. Thinking that I’d killed it for nothing, even by accident, would have been horrible. At least now it didn’t die for no reason.”
“Life is a circle,” Rafe said. He gave Meredith and Alex a smile. “Out here, it’s simple. Kill or be killed; eat or be eaten.” He tipped his head toward the Academy. “It’s more complicated in there.”
“Sometimes it feels like the same thing,” Alex replied.
To his surprise, Rafe actually laughed. He couldn’t recall ever hearing the werewolf do such a thing. “If things get crazy, the forest is waiting,” he invited.
The offer touched Alex. “I’ll keep that in mind.”
“The wolves were sure grateful,” Meredith noted.
“I’m glad,” Alex said, glancing at his mom. When he looked back, Rafe was gone, vanishing beneath the trees as soundlessly as he had appeared.
Alex and Meredith made their way quietly back to the front of the Academy. Alex was surprised Meredith didn’t question him about his time with the humans. A quick check showed a determined expression on her face. He knew she was trying to give him his space and freedom.
He decided to give her a break. “You can ask me whatever you’d like.”
“Are you sure?” she asked, giving him a quick look. “I don’t want to pry.”
Alex nodded. “Ask away.”
She smiled in relief. “How was it?”
“Nice,” Alex said.
Meredith laughed. “Now I know why Cassie says you’re like talking to a wall.”
“She said self-centered.”
Alex could picture Cassie calling him exactly that. “Well, with Tennison around, there hadn’t exactly been as much time to talk.”
“She told me that, too,” Meredith said. His mom gave him a warm smile. “She just worries about you. She knows she hasn’t had as much time to be there for you, and so she asked me if I would make sure you’re doing okay.”
The thought made Alex smile. “I can’t exactly hold it against her. She’s happy, and I can’t ask for better than that.”
Meredith squeezed his shoulder. “You’re a good brother, Alex.”
Alex thought about the dinner with the humans. “They were really nice, Mom. Cherish, the girl who invited me, acted like I was just another one of her friends, and the rest of them did, too. It was refreshing. I didn’t even have to worry about letting werewolf stuff slip, because they already knew. And they weren’t afraid of me.”
“Not at all?” Meredith asked.
Alex shook his head. “We talked a lot about what it was like being a werewolf, and about their lives. Cherish is planning to be a doctor and her mother is very supportive.”
“Is it just the two of them?”
“Yeah,” Alex said. “I don’t know about her dad. I didn’t think it was a good idea to ask.”
“Good call,” Meredith replied. “She’ll probably tell you if she wants to.”
Alex stared at her. “So you don’t mind if I go over there?”
Meredith shook her head. “I did. I was so worried.” She let out a small sigh. “Sometimes it’s hard to remember that we need the humans if you guys are ever going to have the chance to live a normal life. Maybe Jaze is right. Perhaps your connection with these students can help things in the long run. I just have to be patient.”
“Me, too,” Alex admitted. Meredith watched him quietly, waiting for him to decide whether he wanted to explain. They had reached the side of the Academy and he could see Trent surveying the motorcycle. Alex wasn’t ready to go over there yet. He wandered to Jet’s statue and set a hand on the silver seven emblazoned on the wolf’s shoulder.
