by Cheree Alsop
“That’s what you did.”
Kalia’s tone as much as her words gripped Alex’s heart. He closed his eyes for a moment. When he opened them again and looked at her, he couldn’t deny the pain he saw there. “Yes, it is,” he admitted. “I had to tell you the truth. I couldn’t keep drawing things on. It wouldn’t have been fair to you.”
Kalia turned away from him without a word.
“Kalia, wait,” Alex said. He jogged to catch up to her.
She turned on him with the speed of a striking snake. “Leave me alone, Alex, and stop playing matchmaker with my life. If I’m not for you, then I’d rather not be for anyone.”
She left him standing in the hall feeling as though whatever he did in regards to her was destined to be doomed.
Chapter Seventeen
“Just relax and remember that you’ve got to keep a tight hold on your wolf side here,” Coach Vance told them.
Alex looked at his anxious teammates. Even Boris and Torin appeared on edge at the thought of the football game ahead of them. For many of the Lifer werewolves, the game would be the first time they had been around humans since they arrived at the Academy. For the others, though some had family members and friends that were human, the fate of the Academy and the students within it rested on their ability to maintain control.
“Let’s go.”
The team followed their coach through the doors from the locker room. A short tiled hallway led to the outside doors. Vance put a hand on Alex’s shoulder, holding him back while the others passed by.
“They’ll be looking to you for cues,” the coach told him, his expression serious. “If you stay calm, so will they. You know how to act around humans.” The light in Vance’s gaze said he knew about Alex’s excursion to Cherish’s. Alex wondered if that was why the coach had really picked him as quarterback.
“I’ll get us through this,” Alex promised.
“I know you will,” Vance replied with one of his rare smiles.
Alex and Vance jogged across the field to where the team was waiting in a loose huddle. Alex dropped to one knee with his teammates. For the first time, he chanced a look at his surroundings.
It wasn’t a huge school. A few bleachers lined either side of the field and a track with a fence on the outside made up the rest of the view. Fans wearing the red and white colors of the high school they cheered for took up the bleachers nearest to the school. The other side was conspicuously empty.
A whistle blew and they took their positions.
“What’s the matter? You guys are so bad your own town doesn’t even come out to cheer?” the other quarterback asked. His team burst out laughing.
“Maybe that’s why we’ve never played them,” another said.
“I’m gonna tear—”
Alex grabbed Boris’ shoulder. The Alpha shot him a glare.
“Focus on the game,” Alex said loud enough that the rest of his team could hear.
He crouched back down and held his hands ready. “Hike,” he called.
Drake passed him the ball. Alex backed up a few steps, checked the field, and spotted Tennison wide open fifteen yards down. He threw the ball, remembering at the last second to step into the throw to make it look real. Tennison caught the ball and took off down the field.
Alex realized at that moment that everyone was staring at their team. A quick check showed every member on the line holding the rushing team back as if they weighed less than a football. No matter how hard the humans strained, they couldn’t move the werewolf team an inch. The player covering Tennison was far behind. When Tennison scored, nobody cheered. Alex felt the stares of a hundred confused humans.
“Time out,” he called.
Coach Vance motioned to the referee. The man in black and white blew his whistle, though he looked confused as to why they were taking a time out after scoring a touchdown.
“Guys, seriously!” Alex said, his voice quiet enough that only the team huddled around him could hear. “Can you act like you’re getting hit? It’s like they’re running into a wall!”
“They are,” Torin scoffed.
Alex grabbed the Alpha by the face mask and pulled him close. “If the Academy needs money through the football program, it’s our job to make it look like we can actually play football. There is a lot more on the line than your pride. Think you can act a little bit more human?”
Alex suddenly realized he had an Alpha by the facemask and was giving him direct orders. He stared at Torin, his chest heaving as he wondered what the Alpha would do.
Torin glanced left and right. The rest of their teammates watched in stunned silence. In that moment, the Alpha did something that shocked Alex entirely.
“Sorry, Alex,” he said, lowering his eyes.
Alex let go of Torin’s facemask and the Alpha took a step back. He looked at the other members of their team. “Listen to Alex,” Torin growled. “The Academy needs this.”
“Right,” Boris answered. The rest of the team echoed him.
The whistle blew. Alex watched the defense take their positions on the line. To his relief, when the quarterback called hike, his team grunted and staggered with the effort of blocking the other players. When Miguel took down the running back, he actually looked winded when he got back up, and the running back wasn’t killed. Alex chalked it up as a point for Vicki Carso’s Preparatory Academy.
“What did you say to them?” Coach Vance asked in amazement.
Alex shrugged. “I guess threatening an Alpha really gets in their heads.”
“Good,” Vance said with a nod. He crossed his arms and studied the team.
When it was their turn to throw, Alex felt the change in his teammates. They weren’t just werewolves, defensive, brutal creatures fighting to defend their territories; instead, they felt like a team, working and acting together to bring money to the Academy. Even those who were Termers needed the Academy. It was a sanctuary, a school, and a place they could call home where they fit in no matter what they did.
Alex released the ball and fell when the defenders dove into him. He struggled free in time to see Tennison catch it and run just fast enough to make it look like the other team was close to taking him down.
“Touchdown!” Trent shouted from the sidelines. To Alex’s horror, the buzz-haired werewolf then broke into a touchdown dance. His skinny elbows and knobby knees stuck out in all directions. By the end of his painfully long dance, everyone in the stadium was staring at him.
“At least that takes away the notion that we’re super-human,” Vance muttered.
By halftime, the score was twenty-eight to zero. The team huddled around Coach Vance in the locker room, their faces flushed with excitement.
“We’re killing them, Coach!” Trent said.
Vance nodded with a hint of concern on his face. “That’s what I’m worried about. This team was undefeated last year, and now we’re destroying them.”
“It’s awesome!” Boris replied.
“We’re unstoppable, and we’re not even using our full strength. We’re going to dominate!” Torin said. The rest of the team cheered.
Alex crossed to Vance’s side. “What do you want us to do?” he asked in an undertone.
Vance met his gaze squarely. “I want you to lose.”
Alex let out a breath. “They’re not going to be thrilled about that.”
The coach was silent for a few moments as he watched his team celebrate their impending victory. “We can’t risk shaking things up at such an early stage. We just got accepted into the division.” He put a hand on Alex’s shoulder. “I need you to make sure we lose this game.”
Alex trailed out after the rest of the team.
“What’s up?” Trent asked at the door.
Alex shook his head. “Nothing the rest of the team is going to like.”
“We have to throw the game.”
Alex stared at his friend. “How did you know?”
Trent shrugged. “It makes sense from
a statistics point of view. If we destroy the champions, somebody’s going to investigate the team. That’s the last thing we need.”
“So you’ll help me?” Alex asked.
Trent nodded. “Of course. Just get Coach to let me play. I’d like to tell Jordan I at least set foot on the field.”
“Oh, you’ll play,” Alex promised.
As soon as the whistle blew, Alex backed up a few quick steps. Tennison and Parker were both wide open. Alex checked center field. Daniel had two players covering him. Alex chucked the ball, letting it slip through his fingers at the last minute.
It wobbled through the air end over end and landed directly in one of the other team’s arms. The boy looked surprised to have it. He took off running with Daniel close behind. Alex jogged to intercept him, then tripped and took out Daniel instead. The boy reached the end zone to the cheers and shouts of the crowd.
“What was that?” Boris demanded as soon as they reached the sidelines.
Alex met his glare. “I’m doing what Coach told me to.”
“I’m not going to throw the game,” Boris growled.
Alex met his angry gaze. “If you won’t, I’ll get someone who will.”
Boris sat on the bench with a stony glare. When the next drive started, Trent was at Alex’s side.
“I can’t believe I’m out here!” the scrawny werewolf said. “This is amazing!”
“It’s a high school football game,” Torin told the werewolf dryly. “Try to maintain some composure.”
“Fumble it,” Alex whispered.
Trent nodded, his eyes wide.
As soon as Alex got the ball, he handed it off to Trent. The werewolf took off running. He made a very convincing show of tripping over his feet, and before his knees hit the ground, the ball flew out of his hands into the arms of the closest player from the other team. The student was tackled, but he held onto the ball.
“Seriously?” Boris growled. “That was pathetic.”
“Shut it,” Coach Vance snapped.
“Really?” Torin said, stopping at Alex’s side. “We have to lose like this?”
Alex hoped he could somehow get the Alpha to understand. Having Torin on his side might be the only way to pull off the loss. “Coach says we have to lose to keep playing in this division. If we wipe out the champions in our first game, we’re going to be investigated for sure. We’ll lose our funding and the Academy will come under scrutiny.”
Torin nodded. “Fine. Whatever.” He leaned close to Miguel and Drake. “Throw the game.” When the Alphas stared at him, he nodded toward Coach Vance. “Coach’s orders.”
Miguel nodded, and Drake followed. They began spreading the orders to the rest of the teammates. Those who had problems were sent to join Boris on the bench. Soon, everyone on the Academy’s team was involved in a completely different kind of acting.
“Stop dropping the ball,” Torin yelled.
“Give an effort,” Drake shouted.
Alex hid a grin as he threw the ball at Tennison. The werewolf took off toward the end zone. This time, instead of scoring, he let the other team catch him. The ball slipped from his hands into the grasp of the other team, and the player took off running.
“Catch him!” Miguel yelled, jumping up and down. “I can’t believe he just gave it away!” The Alpha threw his helmet to the ground.
“Tone it down a bit,” Vance said under his breath. “I don’t want to replace equipment.”
“Got it, Coach,” Miguel replied.
The crowd cheered as the player crossed the end zone.
“I’m going to miss my touchdown dances,” Trent said, shaking his head.
“You’re the only one,” Torin replied. “You looked like an idiot.”
“At least I have school spirit,” Trent shot back.
Torin grabbed the front of his jersey. “What did you say?”
Alex caught Torin’s hand. “Let’s remember what’s important here, and that means not pounding Trent’s face in. We need him.”
“For what?” Torin grumbled, but he set the werewolf back down. “He annoys me.”
“It’s a skill,” Trent replied, straightening out his jersey.
By the end of the game, everyone from Vicki Carso’s Preparatory Academy had perfected their frustrated loser expressions. They sulked as they got onto the bus, and sat quietly until they were out of the city limits.
“That was a blast!” Torin shouted.
“Yeah,” Parker replied. “I don’t care if we lose as long as we get to play.”
“Then what’s the point?” Boris demanded. Everyone grew quiet. “If we’re not playing to win, why do it?”
Coach Vance stood up from the front of the school bus. He turned to face his students with his hands on the back of the seat. “Because your Academy needs you to. If you don’t play, we lose our funding. Several other venues of funds have become unavailable to us, and we need this sport to bring in what we’re lacking.”
“It still seems stupid to lose,” Boris muttered, turning to face the window.
As soon as they reached the Academy, Alex climbed off the bus. He was about to join the others on their way up the courtyard steps when a hand grabbed his jersey and slammed him against the side of the vehicle.
“If you ever, and I mean ever, talk to me like that in front of the other werewolves again, I will tear your arms off,” Torin growled with his face inches from Alex’s.
Alex nodded and pushed down his pride at the stares of the students on their way to the school. “I know I was out of line. I’m sorry.”
Torin lifted his lips in a snarl. “Other Alphas aren’t going to be as understanding as I am.”
“I appreciate it,” Alex replied.
Torin let him down. “Go clean the toilets.”
Alex stifled a sigh as he made his way to the Academy.
Chapter Eighteen
“There’s joy in slamming another person to the ground.”
Alex looked up from his potato salad to see Torin leaning against the wall near where Kalia threw the remains of her food in the garbage.
“I can image,” she said dryly.
“It’s a feeling of complete power,” Torin continued. “I know I’m stronger than any werewolf here.”
“Any werewolf?” Kalia asked doubtfully.
Torin shifted his feet. “Well, the students at least. I’ll bet I could take on more than a few of the professors as well.” He glanced around.
“Right,” Kalia said. “I’ve got to get something from upstairs.”
“I’ll go with you,” Torin told her. He fell in beside her without giving her a chance to argue.
“I almost feel sorry for Kalia,” Trent said, pausing near Alex’s side.
“Me, too,” Alex replied honestly.
Trent gave him a sympathetic smile. “Women.”
“What about us?”
Trent stared over his shoulder at Jordan. He gave her a quick smile. “You’re beautiful.”
The fact that the reply came out as more of a question than a statement didn’t seem to matter to Jordan. She smiled as she walked past him. “Why thank you.”
Trent lifted his eyebrows at Alex before running to catch up to Jordan. “And by beautiful, I mean absolutely stunning,” the werewolf said quickly.
Alex ate his last few bites of food with a smile on his face. He set his tray on top of the stack and made his way through the students to the hallway.
“Finally.”
The smile on his face grew at the sound of Siale’s voice. He met her gaze. “I’ve missed you.”
“Me, too,” she replied, slipping her arm through his. “School, football, and training with Jaze take all of your time. When am I supposed to see you? I’m beginning to think my reasons for coming to the Academy have disappeared.” She looked at the walls that surrounded them. Alex knew he didn’t imagine the shudder that ran across her skin. “Sometimes I feel a little trapped.”
Alex led her outside.
The brisk air bit his exposed skin, telling of the closing fingers of winter. He took a deep breath and could smell the icy promise of an approaching storm. The thought made him smile.
“You take a breath and smile? What’s that about?” Siale asked, watching him curiously.
Alex grinned. “I love winter. There’s something about snow covering everything, changing the landscape, altering the way the animals act and people, too. Sometimes change is nice.”
Siale nodded, following Alex around the side of the school. “It’s nice if you have a chance to get out and enjoy it.”
Alex pulled open the secondary entrance to Trent’s workshop. “Well, let’s get out and enjoy it.”
To his surprise, Trent was already there tinkering with something on a table littered with engine parts. He looked up when they came in.
“I thought you’d be itching to go out pretty soon, especially with football and all that,” his friend said, gesturing toward the motorcycle near one corner of the room. “It’s all fixed.”
“Thank you,” Alex said sincerely. He set a hand on the motorcycle, remembering the condition it had been in when he helped push it back after the accident with the deer. “You’ve worked a miracle.”
The answering smile on Trent’s face said enough.
“Do you happen to have another helmet?” Alex asked.
Trent’s gaze flicked to Siale. He nodded. “I thought you might be needing that, too.” He grabbed a red and black helmet from a hook on the wall and tossed it to Alex.
“We’re leaving?” Siale asked. Her eyes shifted to the motorcycle. “On that?”
“You’ll love it,” Alex told her as he fit the helmet over her long brown hair and fastened it under her chin. “Trust me.”
“Oh, I trust you,” she replied. “But you forget I was the one talking to you when you ran into that deer.”
Alex chuckled. “Then you don’t need to worry.”
“Why not?”
“Because now I won’t have your voice in my ear distracting me.”
She hit the top of his helmet. He laughed and climbed onto the motorcycle, then held it upright.
“Let’s go,” he said with an inviting smile.
