Oath Keeper

by Shelley Wilson

  ‘I think it’s best if Sebastian comes with us. He could be a distraction for the GA if we come into contact with any of them.’

  ‘You mean a sacrifice.’

  Terry gave a short nod.

  ‘Do you know where they’re holding Zak and the others?’

  ‘We’ve got our suspicions. The laboratories are the logical choice, but there’s also the animal cages at the back of the property. If they have them heavily guarded, it’ll be difficult to set them free no matter where they are.’

  ‘We’ll get him back, Terry,’ I said linking my arm into his. ‘We’ll get them all back.’

  I felt like I was spending more time at Hood Academy recently than I ever did when I was a student. First, there was the incident with Ari, then finding Sebastian on the school’s extensive grounds, rescuing Elizabeth, returning to find the captive children, and now another rescue attempt to save my brother and the pack members.

  During the few short months I’d been at Hood Academy I’d run away three times. There was an irony in there somewhere. Running from the academy when I was a student and now returning to the academy when I was supposed to be a pack member. Maybe Ethan was right. Perhaps if I’d been more dedicated to upholding the hunters’ oath, I wouldn’t feel so displaced.

  The pack moved through the forest towards the back of the school, approaching the animal cages first to see if this was where our family and friends were being held. We were all still in human form having decided this was the best way to track and rescue our friends. It meant walking at a slower pace, but I understood how it would be difficult to sneak six huge wolves through the back door. I walked with Sebastian as Terry had given me the task of looking after my father. Ethan had also been placed in my ‘keep them out of the pack’s way’ group. I hoped Terry understood why I had to give Sebastian a chance. He was my biological father as well as being the psycho scientist we’d got to know too well. If there was any hope that I could carve some kind of relationship out of all this mess, then I was willing to try.

  Through the inky blackness of the forest, I could see the pack creeping forward, their human shapes melting into the trees with ease. If the GA discovered us, there was a high probability that each of the pack members would turn to protect themselves.

  Cody had told me more about the turn after I discovered that werewolves were real. He explained how they always turned on a full moon but other than that they remained human unless attacked. Felicity and her goons beat Cody when he’d come to rescue me. When he turned, I couldn’t look away. It was horrific and beautiful at the same time. Snapping bones, shifting limbs, and gut-wrenching screams. No wonder Sebastian had made the cure. Who would want that for their children?

  ‘Wait,’ Terry hissed back at us, and we halted our steps.

  Through the overhanging branches I could see the twinkling lights of Hood Academy. The GA would be located in one specific area. Sebastian told us that any reviews they had done in the past were carried out from the library, which was on the west side of the building. If we could contain them in one place, it would make it easier for the scouts to search for Zak and Byron.

  A runner returned to Terry’s side. Would we be heading to the animal cages or had the GA chosen to lock our friends up in the laboratories? Terry waved his hand in the air, and we all moved off as one. The laboratories it was then.

  As we reached the treeline, I spotted the bright lights illuminating the dormitory rooms. Why weren’t they still in darkness? The students weren’t due to start the new term for another week. I tuned into my senses and listened. Through the wind and drizzle, I heard the playful tones of young girls laughing and talking. Panic flooded my entire body, and my hands began shaking. I looked over at Ethan with wide eyes and saw the realisation spread across his face.

  ‘Stop!’ He turned towards the pack, attracting Terry’s attention with a frantic wave of his arms. ‘There are students here.’

  Terry appraised the building, casting his eyes up to the second and third floors where silhouettes of students moved across the glass.

  ‘It doesn’t change anything.’ Terry waved the pack forward.

  I watched helplessly as Terry, Cody, and the other pack members crossed the lawns and made their way to the back door, which led to the kitchens. Sebastian had told them it would be the easiest access point, but if the students were back, that meant the kitchen staff would be too.

  ‘Are you going to let them attack students?’ Ethan hissed. ‘Is this what being a hybrid is all about?’

  Panic filled my chest as I struggled with my dual personalities. We had to rescue Zak and the others, but I also had a duty to protect the girls inside.

  ‘Come on you two!’ I grabbed Sebastian’s hand and dragged him along with me as I sprinted after the wolves with Ethan matching my pace.

  I pushed past the assembled pack until I reached Terry’s side. He had a crowbar wedged into the kitchen doorframe ready to break in.

  ‘Let me go in first,’ I said, unable to mask the desperation in my voice. ‘I can keep to the shadows and get an idea of where everyone is. If anyone does see me, they’ll think I’m another student. That’s got to be better than a werewolf pack bursting into a school full of hunters.’

  I could see Terry thinking over his options. He was used to following orders not giving them. Eventually, he nodded his consent, and I breathed a sigh of relief.

  ‘Okay, I need two teams. Ethan, I want you to check out the nurse’s office that Lizzie told us about in case they used that entrance. Mia will go this way. I don’t want either of you to engage with the people inside. We don’t need the students seeing you and getting distressed. Find out where Zak is and then get back here as fast as you can.’

  Ethan shot off into the night and I felt a strange sense of satisfaction that he was working with us.

  Before I could enter the kitchen door Terry grabbed my wrist.

  ‘Mia, I want Cody to go with you as backup.’

  I opened my mouth to complain but he held his hand up to stop me.

  ‘It’s not because I don’t trust you,’ he said softly. ‘I’d just feel happier if someone had your back. He can stay hidden in the doorway but I want him close to you. Zak would never forgive me if anything happened to you.’

  I understood, and instead of getting argumentative with him I smiled and squeezed his arm. ‘You need to stay in the treeline,’ I said. ‘If the students are here that means the staff will be milling about too and I wouldn’t want the cook to stumble across you lot in her backyard.’

  Terry grinned at me in the way he used to, full of the boyish charm that had been so endearing when we’d first met. I needed to find my brother so everyone could be who they were meant to be, me included.

  THE DINING HALL was in darkness; we’d missed the dinner rush, and the staff had fortunately packed up and left. The main entrance hall was on the other side of the dining room through the closed glass door. I could see the light blazing and hear murmured voices. Directly opposite this room was Sebastian’s office, or rather Parker’s office as he now held the position of headmaster.

  ‘We have to go through that door into the main building,’ I told Cody who was tailing me. ‘But we need to wait until whoever’s out there has left or they’ll see us.’

  I couldn’t remember if this door handle squealed like some of the older ones in the school. I gripped it in my sweaty palm, and I prayed that opening this door wouldn’t blow our entire mission.

  It twisted easily, and I tugged it open a fraction. The main entrance hall was exactly how I remembered it. Squishy sofas circled the walls, interspersed with chunky mahogany furniture. The lamps were lit, but there were no students lounging there this evening. The voices I’d heard earlier were coming from Parker’s room where the office door was ajar. I couldn’t help the roll of my gut on recognising Felicity’s voice.

  ‘What if the GA let them go, Daddy?’

  ‘They’re foolish enough to do something
like that. Those damn idiots couldn’t organise a bake sale. We’ve worked too hard for these morons to risk it all.’

  ‘I thought they would have gone by now. Surely they know you’re the best person for the headmaster’s job instead of that imbecilic wolf lover, Sebastian.’

  I bristled at her words and felt Cody’s fingers intertwine with my free hand. His warmth gave me the strength I needed.

  ‘Yes, I thought that bringing the students back early might have encouraged them to leave, but no matter,’ Parker said. ‘Fortunately, my sweet child, the GA are as clueless about my dealings with Evermore Pharmaceuticals as they are about dealing with vermin wolves. They prance around my school demanding evidence of Sebastian’s ill-advised experiments as if I were the guilty one.’

  Felicity’s giggle echoed around the rooms. ‘You are guilty, Daddy.’

  Parker’s booming laughter mingled with his daughter’s as they relished in the downfall of my father.

  ‘My hands are clean, pumpkin. Only Sebastian knows of my involvement with his creation, and a single threat against the life of his wolf lover was enough to convince him to stay quiet.’

  ‘Didn’t that cow die anyway?’

  ‘Ah yes, but by whose hand? Sometimes we need to intervene when it’s for the good of the hunters’ oath.’

  Felicity’s wild laughter tore through my chest like a bullet. The pain in my heart threatened to rip me apart, and I couldn’t stop myself from shaking violently. Cody wrapped his muscular arms around me, sensing my horror. Sebastian believed he had killed my mother, the love of his life. I had believed he had killed my mother, as did everyone else, but it was a lie. Parker had interfered with Sebastian’s experiments just as he was doing now.

  I could barely hear their words as the screaming in my head intensified. Cody clung to me, possibly fearing that I might lose it and murder everyone in my way.

  ‘It’s all worked out for the best, my darling daughter. The GA will conclude that Sebastian set up a private venture in conjunction with Evermore to wipe out the wolves. Being a caring parent and governor, I stepped in to look after the interests of the academy and uphold the oath, and if I can time it right, everyone will believe that when his experiment went horribly wrong, he was driven to destroy all the evidence. If they believe Dr Roberts capable of such atrocities as murdering young wolves and silencing their families as they grieve for their cubs then they’ll end him, and his filthy bloodline.’

  Cody was struggling to keep me in his grasp. My fangs had emerged, and my claws were fully extracted, but I could feel something else, something new happening to my body. The muscles beneath my skin rippled with energy and my blood boiled.

  A searing pain shot down my spine as I lurched forward out of Cody’s arms. My legs buckled under me and I hit the floor. I braced myself against the hard surface as my claws stretched out before me. The pain screeched through my entire body, and I watched partly in horror and partly in awe as my hands pulsed and twitched. My right leg snapped backward, the bone breaking and moulding into another shape as I wept at the agony. The left leg followed. I’d never known such torture. Even the beatings Frank had subjected me to were nothing compared to this.

  I was aware of movement all around me. Cody had alerted the pack. His soft voice lulled me from somewhere that seemed far away. Terry’s strong tones carried an authority I’d never heard before, and I tried to remember how to speak. I wanted to communicate with my friends. I needed to scream for them to help me.

  I opened my mouth and felt my jaw rip as it widened beyond any reasonable boundary. More fangs slid into place bursting through my gums with terrific force. My shoulders rounded and snapped apart as my spine buckled and twisted.

  Sweat poured from me in waves and the nausea frightened me. I strained against the urge to scream as the pain reverberated through my bones. Any cry would attract attention that we didn’t need. If it was any consolation, I knew I wasn’t alone. The wolves had joined me in the dining hall as a measure of support, but I wasn’t sure I relished having an audience.

  When would it end? I realised the enormity of what I was going through. I was turning into a werewolf, a fully fledged wolf. No more hybrid fangs and cute claws, this was serious shit. Watching Cody turn all those months ago had been bad enough, I would have done anything to help him as he cried out in pain, but now he was forced to watch me, unable to offer anything but his soft words of comfort.

  My hands were no longer hands; instead I could see huge paws covered in silky brown fur. My arms snapped into place allowing me to lift myself off the floor. I could feel the power in my limbs as I rose from the ground. I flung my head back as my spine contorted and manoeuvred into another position. Then it was done. Over. I was a wolf.

  I rose higher, my arms and legs settling into position as I looked around the room for the first time. My eyes focused differently. I could see figures all around me, but it was harder to pick out who was who. I sniffed and instantly recognised Cody’s scent.

  ‘Don’t be afraid, Mia. I’m here with you.’

  I wasn’t afraid. For the first time in my life, I felt in control. A strength vibrated through me that I had only ever dreamed of. Images of Frank rolled across my mind. Him towering over me with that grotesque snarl before wrapping his fingers around my throat, his heavy boot as it connected with my body. All the times he had hurt me. Suddenly I understood how easy it had been for Zak to rip out his throat. Right here, right now, I knew I could do the same.

  My breathing was slow and steady as I waited for whatever came next. The pack remained in their human form and whispered to each other. I could almost taste their energy.

  ‘Parker and his daughter are behind everything,’ Cody explained. ‘We overheard it all. The GA has nothing to do with the murders; it’s all Parker.’

  ‘Then we take out the main threat, rescue our pack, and get the hell out of here before…’ Terry’s voice trailed off as he glanced over his shoulder at me. His scent was strong and musty, but there was also an edge to it, a rippling of fear that rolled off him in waves. Was he afraid of me, or of what I might do?

  Parker’s voice interrupted my thoughts as he spoke to his daughter.

  ‘I think the time’s come to finish this little project, don’t you? I’ll keep the GA occupied while you go down to the lab. Here, this is Sebastian’s lab coat. Leave it behind for the GA to find but make sure you don’t leave any of the filthy wolves alive. I want them all dead.’

  I heard Felicity leave the headmaster’s office and enter the stockroom where the secret entrance to the laboratories was. I’d followed the redhead into that room before, but this time I wasn’t going to be trembling in the shadows.

  The growl rumbled up from the back of my throat as I edged towards the door.

  Cody stood in front of me with his hands held high in the air. ‘If you follow her, Mia, you’ll kill her, and I don’t want that for you.’

  I bared my teeth, and his arms lowered.

  ‘Let her save her brother,’ Sebastian said stepping out of the darkness so I could see his shape. I sniffed the air and memorised his scent. It was slightly spicy, like a grown-up’s aftershave mixed with coffee beans. ‘For the good of your pack we have to trust that she can control her actions. I’ll find the GA and let them know what’s been happening.’

  ‘If the GA see you they’ll arrest you on sight,’ Terry said.

  ‘I know, and I probably deserve it, but if it gives you the time to rescue your friends and get free of this place, then it’s worth the sacrifice.’

  I saw Terry extend his hand in offering to Sebastian who took it gratefully. Maybe there was hope for my father yet.

  ‘Okay, let’s do this.’

  CODY HADN’T LEFT my side, and for that I was thankful. I needed his support more than ever as I took my first steps as a wolf.

  The storeroom was more difficult to navigate since I was the size of a small horse, but I made it through and led the pack down the stone
stairs to the basement rooms. Terry and a few others went first, creeping down the steps in silence. I followed with Cody at my back.

  The muffled sounds of a struggle travelled along the corridor of rooms, and I urged Terry on. Felicity had barged through every door leaving them ajar in her eagerness to inflict pain and death on the captives. Her poisonous scent coated everything she’d touched.

  ‘You don’t have to do this!’ Someone cried out in pain.

  It was Byron, and the anguish in his tone pierced my heart.

  As one we rushed forward bursting into the next room as Felicity held a dagger over Byron’s heart. She jumped back from the table, holding the blade at arm’s length assessing her assailants. Her widening eyes surveyed the room until that calculated look she was so well known for settled on her face. She took in the human forms of the pack, as if filing their images away for the future when she would hunt them down one by one.

  I wasn’t going to let that happen, and I relished the shock on her face as I entered the room, my huge paws padding along the floor leaving tiny clouds of dust. Standing to my full height, I growled at her. Even Byron’s eyes widened. Cody stood by my side, and I felt the change in Felicity as she put the pieces together.

  ‘Wolf girl,’ she hissed. ‘You’ve managed to turn, I see, and here was me thinking you couldn’t do anything right.’ She brushed her fingers along her throat and the raw scar left behind after our last fight.

  ‘We’re here to take our pack,’ Cody spoke up, his voice cold and hard.

  Felicity waved her dagger in Cody’s direction. ‘You’re the one who nearly killed me in the woods that night, saving your girl.’ She moved closer and the pack tensed as one.

  ‘I must admit, Mia, he’s cute, for a wolf. I can see why you’d let him slobber all over you.’ She winked at Cody and circled back round to where Byron lay strapped to the metal trolley. ‘Unfortunately, it’s a hunter’s responsibility to uphold the oath and rid the world of vermin like you, no matter how cute.’