Werewolves Rule (The Rule Series)

by K. C. Blake

For the millionth time Jack wondered where Blaine was at, what he was up to, and if he planned on returning for revenge.

  “No one has done more for this school than me,” Meghan droned on. At least she had to let go of his arm to pass out flyers to passing students. She smiled at them but continued to talk to him. “I’m going to the prom with the quarterback because he’s sure to be king. It wouldn’t be good idea for me to be with a loser.”

  Jack stared at her, trying hard not to roll his eyes. He nodded and pursed his lips together to keep from shouting at her. A war was coming, and the oblivious girl only cared about gathering another meaningless title. He shrugged. “Sounds like you have it under control then.”

  “Well I would much rather go to the prom with someone like you.” Her eyes raked down his body in a way that made him a hundred times more uncomfortable than he imagined possible. She batted her eyelashes at him. “I don’t even like Robert Garrison.”

  “Who?”

  “The star quarterback of our football team.” She shook her head at him. “I know you haven’t been here a whole year yet, but when are you going to learn the names of the major players?”

  His eyes slid over to Silver, silently begging her to save him from the most inane conversation he’d had in over a decade. He mumbled, “I don’t know.”

  Trying hard not to be obvious about it, he stretched both arms over his head, arched his back and faked a yawn while beckoning to Silver with his fingers, but Silver just smiled, amused at his predicament. Trina had her locked into a conversation anyway. She probably couldn’t get away to help even if she wanted to.

  Jack realized he was going to have to extricate himself somehow. If only he still had fangs. One flash of those babies and Meghan Welch would leave him alone for the rest of his life. He made a show of glancing at his watch. “I don’t want to be late for class. I’m sure you don’t either, being the best student here and all.”

  “Oh, it’s no problem. I just have typing class, and Ms. Shurley always lets me get by with being tardy or not showing up at all even.” Her hand went to his upper arm this time. She squeezed it and made a face as if she’d never felt a muscle before. “I can walk you to class if you’re worried about being late. Who do you have now? Most of the teachers just love me. I can even get you out of class for the entire day if you want. I’ll tell Hardwick you’re helping me with the prom. I’m on the decorating committee, you know.”

  He hadn’t known that, but it didn’t surprise him, not even a little bit. Meghan seemed to have her greedy hand in everything. Speaking of her hand, it moved up and down his arm in a disturbing caress. A flash of a hairy tarantula came to mind. He had to find a way to get away from her. Maybe it was time for him to be painfully blunt.

  Before he could open his mouth, another hand slid over his shoulder and rested possessively near his throat. He sighed in relief. Silver had decided to come to his rescue after all.

  “Are you flirting with my guy, Meg?”

  That voice didn’t belong to Silver. Jack didn’t have to turn his head to know it was Isobel standing next to him, Isobel’s hand on his shoulder, and it was the sight of Isobel that put pure terror in Meghan’s eyes.

  “I-I’m s-s-sorry. I didn’t know you two even knew each other.”

  Meghan stared at them for several awkward seconds like a deer in the headlights before making a hasty departure. Jack stood frozen to the spot. The hairs on the back of his neck prickled near where Isobel’s heavy hand rested. He thought about the candles on his birthday cake. Too bad he hadn’t wished for this moment to never happen.

  With obvious reluctance, Jack turned to face her. At least it gave him the opportunity to step sideways so she couldn’t keep touching him. He asked, “Are you happy now? She’s going to tell everyone who will listen to her that we’re a couple.”

  “Don’t tell me you were actually enjoying being handled by that creature. Meghan Welch is as shallow as a saucer of milk.”

  “So?”

  The bell rang. Jack looked around, stunned to find they were the only ones left in the hallway. Great. He was tardy for a second time in a month because of Isobel. A little inner voice tempted him to ditch school altogether. Why not? If he moved quickly, he could be out the doors before anyone noticed.

  Isobel smiled, reading his mind. “Why don’t we go somewhere, just the two of us? We can talk.”

  “About what?”

  “Up to you. I’m game for anything.”

  He rolled his eyes and headed for the office instead. “I think I’ll take my chances with Hardwick, thanks.”

  “Have it your way. Just do me one tiny favor please.”

  It was the word please that caught him off guard. Coming from her mouth, it didn’t sound quite right. He stopped walking, and she ran into his back. With a mumbled apology, she moved to the side. His eyes narrowed on her face. “What?”

  “Don’t tell anyone about me, especially not Silver. She’s a hunter, you know. If you tell her about me, her family will kill me.”

  Without a word, he walked away.

  “Jack!” She followed him, an annoying dog nipping at his heels. “Are you going to keep my secret or not?”

  “I don’t know.”

  “At least give me the opportunity to run if you’re going to spill your guts.”

  He paused at the office door and smirked at her. “Maybe I will. Maybe I won’t.” Then he stepped into the office, ignoring Isobel’s cry of outrage. It was nice to have the upper-hand for a change. Let her sweat. She’d find out the truth tonight when she got to Silver’s house.

  The secretary glanced up from the papers on her desk. She stared at Jack through wire-rimmed glasses. “Tardy again, Mr. Reece?” Clicking her tongue, she shook her head at him. “Well, I’m afraid you’ll have to talk to the principal before I give you a tardy slip this time.”

  Turning on the charm, he said, “Come on, Ms. Klecki. Just give me the slip and send me on my way. You know you want to.”

  “And what makes you think that?”

  “If I go into that office, the principal is going to be a bear for the rest of the day. He’ll be on a rampage, and you’ll have to put up with a lot of abuse. Better for both of us if I don’t go in there.”

  She lifted the pad of tardy slips and waved them under his nose. “I’ll give you one of these... after you talk to the principal. Go right in. I’ll buzz him to let him know you’re on your way.”

  With slumped shoulders, Jack slowly walked to the door. His hand rested on the knob for several seconds. He sighed before twisting it. One quick push and he was inside. There was only one problem. The principal wasn’t at his desk chugging pink antacid and muttering over a stack of paperwork. He was on the floor behind his desk. His sock-covered feet peeked out at Jack.

  Jack forcefully tore his eyes from the confusing sight to look back at the secretary. “Uh…I think you should come in here.”

  Ms. Klecki rolled her eyes at him. She hurried across the room and entered the office without the slightest hesitation. A scream immediately abandoned her throat. Another followed. She ran back to her desk in a frantic dance and picked up the phone to call for an ambulance.

  Isobel joined him. “I wonder what happened to Hardwick.”

  Jack heard a few students and teachers outside the office rapidly firing questions at the harried secretary. Silver’s voice was among them. Jack wanted to go to her, grab onto her arm, anchor himself back to reality, but he couldn’t get his feet to cooperate.

  Ms. Klecki said, “I think the principal is dead.”

  A round of gasps and one horrified shriek followed the statement. Another round of questions began. Then Ms. Klecki could be heard on the phone talking to the emergency dispatcher. She ordered an ambulance.

  Isobel left Jack’s side. She circled the desk and looked down at the principal. Her expression didn’t falter. She whistled between her teeth. She returned to Jack, twisted amusement written all over her facial features. “S
omeone sure sliced and diced him. Looks like he made the wrong person mad.”

  Jack pressed his lips together, refusing to talk to her. He walked out of the principal’s office and saw the shocked look on Silver’s face. A cloud of suspicion darkened her eyes. He couldn’t believe it. She didn’t trust him. How could she think he’d killed the principal?

  As he passed her, she opened her mouth to say something to him, but he didn’t want to hear it. She didn’t trust him, so he had nothing to say to her. Inside his head he heard the last nail bang into the coffin that had been their relationship. If he pictured it, he’d see Silver with the hammer in her hand.

  ******

  Chapter Nine:

  BLANCA

  The police had a lot of questions. As soon as they finished with Jack, they told him to go home. Silver wanted him to follow her to the mansion so they could set the trap for Isobel, but she was the last person he wanted to be around. She thought he’d killed the principal. How could he ever forget the look on her face when she’d seen him step out of the man’s office?

  Jack went home by himself.

  The school was being shut down for at least a week while the police investigated Hardwick’s death. Jack had no idea what he was going to do during that time. He mentally crossed Silver off his list of options. Spending time with someone who thought him capable of murder didn’t seem like a whole lot of fun.

  His faithful cat met him at the door or so it seemed. He was going to reach down to pet her, but Blanca strutted by him, tail in the air. She was in one of her moods. In case he’d missed the attitude the first time, she turned around and repeated the strut, passing in front of him a second time. It would have been funny if he wasn’t in a black mood already.

  He went upstairs to check on his brother, but Billy wasn’t home. Had Billy spent the night at Mary’s house? A bad feeling twisted Jack’s gut every time he thought about the mystery woman. His brother could be in danger and not even know it. What was the matter with him? Billy needed to think with his head and not his heart.

  A few minutes after looking into Billy’s empty bedroom, Jack warmed up a bowl of stew downstairs in the kitchen. Blanca jumped up on the snack bar while Jack was spreading butter on a slice of bread. The cat meowed in a plaintive tone, wanting to be fed.

  “I guess it’s just you and me tonight,” he said. He opened a nearby cabinet and checked out the selection of cat food. “You want tuna or chicken for dinner?”

  Blanca leaped off the bar. She rubbed against his leg and purred like the sweet engine in his new car. Laughing, he bent over and scooped the cat off the floor in one hand. She continued to purr as he rubbed her furry white head. Her glittering green eyes looked at everything but him.

  “Are you up to something?” he asked.

  Jack lifted the cat to his eye level, forcing her to look at him. She didn’t appear to be happy about it. Any second she would hiss and scratch him if he didn’t put her down. He lowered her to the ground quickly before opening a can of chicken. The second it was in front of her, she began to hiss.

  “What’s wrong with you now?”

  Her eyes were on the foyer. Although he didn’t hear anything, Jack knew they had an uninvited guest. He wondered who it could be. Maybe Silver had come to apologize. Blanca didn’t like their resident werewolf killer. Silver was the only human Blanca hissed at on a regular basis.

  Jack reluctantly went to the door. He took a deep breath before pulling it open, but Silver wasn’t standing on his porch. It was Ian Carver. The man had his fist raised, ready to knock. A surprised look crossed the new teacher’s face. He cleared his throat before saying, “May I come in?”

  Everything inside of Jack screamed at him to slam the door shut. Blanca had hissed. The possibility that this man was a werewolf didn’t fail to cross Jack’s mind. It wasn’t out of the question. Hadn’t the previous English teacher been one?

  Jack took a few slow steps to the side and allowed Carver to enter. His eyes stayed glued to the teacher. They didn’t waiver, not for a second. By silent mutual agreement they made their way to the living room. Once there, Carver decided to remain standing.

  “It occurred to me that you might be interested in hearing the news. I was just appointed as acting principal until they find someone to permanently take the position.”

  Jack’s insides grew cold. “Oh yeah?”

  “Being such, I have decided that you may take my Advanced Literature class and graduate in a timely manner. Since I am standing in for Principal Hardwick I can sign the consent form.”

  “What’s the catch?”

  “No catch.” The dark suit Carver wore looked out of place in the small, cluttered living room, and the man seemed ill at ease as he added, “I am here to inform you about the class. Nothing more. I’m quite certain it’s been weighing on your mind.”

  Why didn’t Jack believe him?

  “Teachers make house calls now?”

  “You mean Jersey Clifford never came here to see you?” Ian Carver made a face. “I find that hard to believe given what I’ve heard about your close friendship with him.”

  There it was again, the veiled innuendos about his relationship to the werewolf teacher. There was something wrong with the way Ian Carver watched him, as if he knew exactly who and what Jack was and was waiting for Jack to slip up. Carver didn’t just look at Jack. He sized him up, testing him on every occasion for—what, some weakness he could exploit?

  Jack said, “The last time I talked to you, you were adamant about not helping me.”

  “And you were equally adamant about getting into my advanced class.”

  “I guess I’m just surprised at your change of heart.” Not to mention disturbed. His eyes wandered the room, searching for anything he could use as a weapon should the need arise. All of the heavy artillery was in the secret room, just beyond his reach. There was a lamp, his baseball trophies, and a few other miscellaneous items that he might be able to use.

  Carver shrugged. “If you no longer care about graduating on time, it is entirely your business. I was trying to do you a favor.”

  Jack stood shock-still as the teacher abruptly headed for the door. Everything in him told him not to trust the Englishman, but he was caught in a trap. There wasn’t really a choice to be made here. He had to take the class. If he didn’t, he wouldn’t graduate.

  Jack blinked.

  The foyer was empty, door open, and Carver was gone.

  Jack hurried to catch the teacher before he reached his car, but when he ran outside he found Carver waiting on the porch. Although the man didn’t smile, there was a spark of triumph in his eyes. He thought he had Jack exactly where he wanted him... and maybe he did.

  “I’ll take the class,” Jack said with reluctance.

  “Good show. I would like the first three reports on my desk by the end of next week. Think you can manage?”

  “No problem.”

  “Very well then. Goodnight.”

  Carver headed for his car. He walked slowly with hesitant steps as if he wanted to say something else. The keys were in his hand, but he didn’t use them. Instead, he turned around and forced a smile. It didn’t reach his eyes. “Other than school, how have you been doing, Jack?”

  Jack faltered, stunned by the unexpected concern in the teacher’s voice. Or maybe it wasn’t concern. Maybe it was something else. Jack stepped off the porch before answering because he didn’t want to yell. However, he was cautious about getting too close to the other man. “I’m fine. Why do you ask?”

  “You live out here alone with your brother? Is that right?”

  He nodded. “Yeah. So?”

  “How is Billy getting on these days?”

  Carver said Billy’s name as if he knew him. Either that or he’d heard so much about Billy he felt he knew him. Question was who had told Carver about the Creed boys and their situation, and how much did the man know?

  Jack chose his words carefully. There was a dark feeling in the a
ir, the feeling of a trap being set. If Jack wasn’t careful, the trap could snap shut on him. He shrugged, trying to sound casual. “He’s fine. We both are. Why do you care?”

  The teacher’s mouth turned slightly at the ends. Ian wore the same annoyingly amused expression that Jersey and Isobel often taunted him with. The man could definitely be a werewolf. He climbed into his car without answering Jack’s question. After years spent as a vampire and returning to his childhood home to relive old memories, Jack knew what deep yearning looked like. Carver had lost a piece of his soul somewhere along the road.

  Jack swallowed hard, watching the taillights fade in the distance. Oh yeah, that man had secrets, secrets that somehow involved Jack. But what could they possibly be?

  ******

  It was two hours later when Silver’s car roared to a stop in front of his house. Jack was in the middle of an old Hitchcock movie when he heard the engine shut off. He grabbed the remote, muted the movie, and stretched his arms and back before going to the door.

  No longer angry with Silver for thinking the worst of him, he was anxious now to talk to her about what had happened earlier. Maybe they could put their heads together and figure out who had killed the principal. The death could be unrelated to their work. A human might have done the deed, but somehow Jack figured it had to be a supernatural creature.

  He opened the door before Silver made it up the porch steps

  She stepped inside, a hesitant smile on her lips. “I wasn’t sure you would want to see me, but I had to come.”

  “We need to talk.”

  “Okay. Maybe you should go first then.”

  The cat ran in through the open door. Jack hadn’t even noticed she was gone. Blanca let out a ferocious yowl that drew all eyes to her. She shot off like a bolt of lightning, streaking up the stairs in a split-second.

  “What in the heck was that about?” Silver asked.

  “I don’t know. She’s been pissed lately.”

  “Sometimes you talk about her like she’s a person.” Silver grinned and pinched his chin. “I think it’s cute.”