by Cheree Alsop
“Why?” she asked teasingly. “Hate everyone talking about you?”
Alex shook his head. “Everyone always talks about me, except this time they’re saying good things.”
She laughed in reply.
When they reached the stairs, the students walking up and down immediately moved to the sides to give Alex room. He had to walk up slower than he wanted, and every second he spent being stared at and talked about made his skin crawl. He couldn’t ignore the looks of awe on the younger students’ faces.
“Maybe I should go back to the Saa,” he said. “Gangs are easier to face than this.”
“The mighty Alex, afraid of a little hero worship,” Siale replied.
Alex breathed a sigh of relief when they reached the top. Siale walked with him to the door of Pack Torin’s quarters.
“You sure you’re okay?” she asked, her tone belying the confident smile she gave.
“I’ll be fine. Like Nate said, Torin saved me the toilets. At least I’ll have something to do.”
Siale shook her head. “Don’t you dare! If you make that stomach wound open again...”
Alex silenced her with a kiss. When he stepped back, she gave a flustered huff. “I’ll be fine,” he said. He opened the door and stepped inside before she could argue.
“It’s about time you got here,” Torin said.
Alex glanced over at the Alpha’s tone. The room was surprisingly empty except for the Alpha who stood near the couch with his arms crossed as if he had been waiting for Alex for quite a while.
“I didn’t know I was expected,” Alex replied levelly.
Torin’s eyes narrowed. “You’ve definitely slacked off as my Second.”
“Maybe you should replace me.”
“I considered it,” Torin said. “Especially when you decided to announce that you beat me in front of the entire school.”
Alex leaned against the door in an effort to appear nonchalant. He knew he couldn’t take on Torin again in his condition, and he couldn’t blame the Alpha if he decided to call for another rank duel to defend his honor. “In hindsight, that was probably poor timing.”
“You think?” Torin asked dryly.
Alex studied him in silence for a few minutes. He was growing tired of the badgering. Patience definitely wasn’t his best virtue when he was achy and exhausted. “So now what, Alpha? You want to beat me again, show everyone who’s the best and all that? Don’t worry. I have silver in my veins again. It’ll probably slow me down.” He gave Torin a look of steel. “That didn’t stop me from beating you last time, though.”
Torin’s eyebrows lifted slightly. “You always were too stubborn for your own good. I remember you attacking me the first time we set foot at this place.”
Caught off guard by the Alpha’s cordiality, Alex answered with caution, “You shoved my sister aside, and I was looking for a fight.”
“Grays aren’t supposed to fight Alphas.”
Alex gave a small smile. “I guess I missed that memo.”
Torin surprised him with a chuckle. “Yeah, you did. Let’s just forget about it for now.”
Alex nodded. “That’s fair.” He pushed away from the door and hesitated. “You want me to scrub the toilets?”
Torin shook his head. “Nate’s got toilet duty for the rest of the term. I heard he told you I saved them for you. Just what you need to hear after everything you’ve been through. Payback sucks.”
Alex laughed. “Yeah, it does.”
He made his way to his room. Torin called over his shoulder. “Are you going to miss the toilets?”
“Not one bit,” Alex replied with a grin.
Chapter Twenty-six
Alex was trying to find a comfortable position on the couch that night as members of Pack Torin worked on their studies or played games. It was late, but nobody wanted to go to bed. Alex was enjoying the quiet acceptance of the pack. Nate and Matt worked on college algebra while several of the others were busy playing cards in a circle on the floor.
Torin was busy showing Charlie, one of the younger members of the pack, how to combine vinegar, baking soda, and soap to make a volcano out of a pile of dirt he had commanded Nate to bring in from outside. Torin said the experiment was purely for education, but his excitement at pouring the vinegar in the hole made Alex wonder.
A howl cut through the air. Everyone paused what they were doing.
Torin glanced at Alex. “An alarm?”
Alex shook his head. “The tones are wrong. I think it’s actually a call for night games.”
A buzz of excitement ran through the room. They hadn’t had night games long enough that some of the younger members of the pack hadn’t even participated. The rest of the pack filled them in on what to expect.
Torin gave Alex a searching look. Alex caught his expression. “You knew about this?”
Torin shrugged with what passed from the hulking werewolf as a smile. Alex rose gingerly and followed them down the stairs. Other packs were already rushing to the courtyard. Siale found him at the doors. They walked down the stairs together.
“So, night games?”
“Yeah,” Alex replied. “We used to hold them years back. It was a way for packs to bond. We turned it into strategy training when the Academy was under threat by the General. The games died out after that.”
“You sound like you regretted it,” she noted.
“I did,” Alex admitted. “It was fun and really did help with unity.”
“You can’t participate,” Trent pointed out, jogging down the stairs. “Meredith would kill you, if bleeding to death doesn’t first.”
“Thanks for the reminder,” Alex said dryly.
Trent grinned. “Just trying to keep you from killing yourself.”
“Somebody’s got to,” Cassie said, joining them with Tennison at her side. Alex’s sister set a hand on Siale’s shoulder, slowing her. The others stopped as well. “I need to thank you,” Cassie said.
Alex and the others fell back to give them some space. His werewolf hearing picked up the conversation anyway.
“I can’t believe you pretended to be me,” Cassie told her. “You could have been killed.”
“I didn’t want them to get you. Drogan never gives up,” Siale replied.
Cassie gave Siale a hug. “Thank you for protecting me, and for saving my brother. You were really brave.”
“You’re welcome,” Siale replied, hugging her back.
When they turned, everyone pretended to not have been listening in. Both girls smiled at the werewolves’ attempts at feigning innocence.
“We better hurry. Torin’s not known for his patience,” Cassie told them.
The others fell in behind her as she rushed to the courtyard.
“Welcome, werewolves,” Torin said, catching the attention of the packs that milled below. “Night games are a tradition that has been gone for far too long. It’s time we start them up again!” He turned to Alex.
Alex felt everyone’s focus immediately shift to him.
“Unfortunately, our resident celebrity won’t be able to join us in participating in the games, and so he is going to be in charge.”
Alex stared at Torin. The Alpha gave a small shrug, making light of the honor he gave to the gray.
“I won’t follow him.”
Alex’s stomach tightened painfully. He turned to face Boris who pushed off from the wall and stalked toward him.
“I won’t follow that Stray no matter if he’s managed to convince the world he’s a saint,” Boris spat.
“I’m not a saint,” Alex replied, his tone level. He refused to step back when the Alpha stepped so close he had to tip his head back to look into the huge werewolf’s face. He let his sincerity show in his voice. “I don’t blame you for holding me accountable for Kalia’s death. I’m sorry for what happened.”
Boris’ eyes narrowed. “You’re a coward and a snake. You let her die and I’ll never forgive you for that. Even if the dean and eve
ryone else around here is fooled by your innocent act, I’m not. Someday, you’ll pay for the life she lost.”
Alex’s hands clenched and unclenched. He wasn’t sure if he could beat the Alpha again. Guilt warred in him for the truth in Boris’ words. Kalia would be at the Academy still if it wasn’t for him. He couldn’t blame her brother for his anger.
“Boris, give it a rest.” The growl in Torin’s voice left no doubt as to what the Alpha would do if Boris refused.
The Alphas stared at each other, Boris’ chest heaving and his hands clenched into fists so tight the veins stood out along his arms.
“He already beat you once,” Torin said quietly so that only the closest werewolves could hear. “Do you want to tempt fate again? Maybe Jaze will give him your pack next time.”
Boris glared at the other Alpha. “I doubt he could beat me now.”
Alex held himself perfectly straight despite the way it pulled at the healing wound in his stomach. “Beat me if you want,” he said, his voice deadly calm. “It won’t bring Kalia back. Believe me, I’ve tried to come to terms with her death by fighting. It doesn’t work.”
“Smashing you to a pulp would make me feel better,” Boris growled.
Alex shoved his hands in his pockets. “Then go ahead.”
Alex almost hoped the Alpha would take him up on the offer. He wondered if it would help ease the guilt, even if just a little bit, though he had found out the hard way that experiencing more pain wouldn’t take away the ache in his heart from Kalia’s death.
Boris hesitated. He glanced behind him at the watching packs. After a moment, the Alpha turned on his heel and stalked away.
Torin waited until Boris was gone, then shook his head. “Some werewolves just don’t enjoy good night games.”
Students laughed in reply. The tension dissipated, leaving students eager to begin the games.
The Alpha turned back to Alex. “So, what do you say? Want to take charge of this chaos?”
“Definitely,” Alex replied. He found himself staring at the Alpha, wondering when Torin had become so good at crowd control and politics. Somehow during Torin’s loss, he had grown up.
“Alex?”
Alex cleared his throat. “Alright, werewolves, go phase and meet back here in five minutes. Last pack here gets to run laps,” he said, echoing Coach Vance’s favorite punishment.
The packs immediately took off, intent on their quarters and getting back faster than the others.
Alex eased down on the first step. The scuff of a foot made him turn his head. “You’re not playing?” he asked Siale.
She sat down next to him and slipped her hand into his. “I’d rather stay with you. I want to see what you come up with.”
Alex smiled. “Good. I might need some ideas.”
“What do you have?”
“A scavenger hunt.”
Siale laughed. “Perfect. Can they bring back some chocolate?”
Alex chuckled in reply. “I don’t think you’d want to eat it after they bring it back. Trust me, it wouldn’t be worth it.”
“I’ll take your word for it,” she replied with a smile. She leaned her head on his shoulder.
Alex glanced at her. “You okay?”
She nodded. “I’m just glad you’re here. There were a few times I doubted you’d ever make it back.”
Alex could hear the pain she tried to keep from her voice. He put an arm around her. “I shouldn’t have put you through that.”
“You had things you needed to deal with. I understand that better than most.”
Werewolves in wolf form flooded out the doors that had been propped open behind them. Alex rose with Siale at his side. It was impossible not to smile at the enthusiasm of the wolves bouncing and prancing in the courtyard. They nipped each other and filled the night with barks and yips, anxious for the games to begin.
“We are having a scavenger hunt,” Alex called out. “Your first task is to bring me a branch from a blueberry bush. The first pack to give me one wins the first task.” He raised a hand. “And...go!”
The entire force of werewolves took off around the school. They could hear the wolves growling and fighting to get through the gate.
“A blueberry bush?” Siale asked.
“They’re pokey. Trust me, I know from experience. It’ll be a challenge.” He smiled at her. “You get to choose the next one.”
She rubbed her hands together. “I’m starting to enjoy this.”
Pack Miguel was the first to appear with a straggly blueberry branch that barely deserved the name. Alex accepted it anyway. “Pack Miguel is the winner of the first task,” he called when the rest of the packs had arrived. “The first pack with three completed tasks wins the honor of...” He looked around, wondering what the prize could be. A thought occurred to him. “Of a free day from my mom’s English class.” He hoped he could talk her into it. The excitement from the wolves below let him know that the prize was one they appreciated. He hoped Meredith wouldn’t mind.
At Alex’s prompting, Siale said, “Your next task is to get a rock from the lake.”
By the end of the games, Pack Torin had two wins with a sprig of mint from the top of the cliff and an early-blooming dandelion. Pack Miguel had one win and Pack Maliki was tied with them after bringing back the rock.
Alex and Siale grinned at each other. “This next task is going to be a hard one. It’s worth two points for anyone who can accomplish it.”
Siale laughed at his hesitation. “He’s afraid to tell you,” she announced. The wolves below snorted with laughter in reply. “Do you want to know?” she asked. At the answering barks, she said, “You have to take Cook Jerald’s apron.”
Alex and Siale rushed to get out of the way of the mad scramble up the stairs that followed. Alex couldn’t imagine the chaos they had created, but the barks and commotion from inside the Academy gave him some idea.
A few minutes later, Torin came running down the steps with the apron in his jaws. It was shredded at the edges and slobbery, but in one piece.
“Well done,” Alex said, accepting the cloth from the Alpha. It took a few minutes for the rest of the packs to follow. A few wolves looked upset, but only a bit. When Alex announced Pack Torin as the winner, the other students conceded.
“That is definitely something we need to do again,” Siale said with a laugh as they followed the wolves up the stairs.
“Next time, we’ll be able to participate.”
“And then they’d better look out,” she said. She rose on to her tiptoes and kissed him on the cheek. “Thank you for a fun night.”
“Thank you for sharing it with me. It would have been boring sitting there by myself.”
She smiled up at him. “How was it with company?”
“The best night I could have asked for,” Alex replied. He pulled her close and smiled when she leaned her head against his chest. “I’ll call for night games every night if I can spend each of them with you.”
“You’re stuck with me, Alex Davies. Better get used to it.”
He took a deep breath, filling his senses with her scent. “I’ll never get used to how amazing you are.”
She looked up at him as they walked up the stairs together. “You’re cheesy.”
“And you like it.”
“I like it a lot,” she replied.
He sighed and stepped back. “I’d better let you get to bed. Coach Vance will be upset if I’m not in class tomorrow.”
“He better not make you work too hard. Your mom will give him a piece of her mind.”
“Don’t worry,” he reassured her. “Vance is a friend.”
He watched her walk to the door of Pack Jericho. She smiled at him and waved before closing the door behind her.
As soon as she was inside, a force slammed into him and pinned him to the wall. He struggled in Boris’ grip, but the Alpha lifted him by the throat.
“Think you’re so tough, Stray?” Boris demanded. “You don’t hav
e everyone fooled by that act. It’s your fault my sister’s dead. You’re nothing but a murderer.”
Alex tried to pull the Alpha’s hand away, but his grip was too strong. “Boris, I’m sorry,” Alex forced out. “I know she’d be here if it wasn’t for me.”
Boris squeezed tighter, cutting off Alex’s air supply. Black pressed in at the edges of Alex’s vision. His head felt like it was going to explode.
“Alex, Siale wanted me to tell you—” Trent paused at the door to Pack Jericho’s quarters. His mouth fell open.
“You’re a waste of my time,” Boris growled. He let Alex go and stormed through the door to his rooms, slamming it shut behind him.
Alex leaned over with his hands on his knees, fighting to catch his breath. Trent hurried over and set a hand on his shoulder.
“Are you okay?”
Alex rubbed his neck as he straightened back up. “Fine.”
Trent gave him a searching look. “That didn’t look fine. It looked like Boris was trying to kill you while you’re weak.”
Alex let out a slow breath through his bruised throat. “I know what it feels like to hold all of the pain inside. He deserves to vent.”
Trent shook his head. “Not by killing you. You didn’t pull the trigger that killed Kalia, Alex.”
Alex closed his eyes, willing the pounding in his head to stop. “To him, I did.”
Trent let out a loud breath. “I’d recommend not wandering around this place alone.”
“I’ll keep that in mind,” Alex said.
Trent walked him to the door of Pack Torin’s quarters. The small werewolf made it a point to watch Alex close it behind him before Alex heard his footsteps walking away.
Chapter Twenty-seven
Alex was attempting to listen to Professor Mouse’s lecture in human and werewolf biology when Trent burst through the door. Every student looked up at his sudden entrance. Trent paused as if he just realized he had interrupted the lesson.
“Uh, sorry, Professor,” Trent said, not sounding the least bit apologetic in his haste. He searched the room and found Alex. “Can I borrow Alex for a minute?”
“He’s got a lot of work to do to catch up,” the professor said. “Will it take long?”
