“I’m Alarick Temples,” he growled, his scowl deepening. “You were supposed to be in your room.”
“Why?” I asked, indignation bubbling up in my chest. “Raff said that this was the common room. I assumed that meant we hung out in here.”
“The others do. Are you really foolish enough to? I thought you’d be smarter than that.” He shook his head as he looked me over. “You’re not one of us. I advised my father he was making a mistake by bringing you here, but I told him I would do my duty and protect you. It seems you’re going to be making that incredibly difficult for me if you keep doing half-witted things like this.”
I didn’t appreciate being spoken down to, and I took another bite of cereal to mask my irritation with the pretty boy in front of me. Okay, I wanted to kick him nearly as bad as I wanted to lick him. Interesting combination, and one that was mildly upsetting. “Well, I’m a student here despite your objections, and they’re just going to have to get used to it. Me hiding in my room all the time isn’t going to do anything to make things better.”
“No, but it may save your fragile neck.”
I scowled at him. “I’m not fragile.”
“Oh, please. I’ve taken down bobcats bigger than you,” Alarick scoffed, his pretty mouth twisting into a sneer.
I wondered if that was supposed to scare me, but curiosity hit me far harder than fear. “Really? You’ve taken down a bobcat?” I inquired, cocking my head to study him. “I wouldn’t think bobcats were a main source of prey for wolves.”
Alarick growled, the rumble filling the room around us and sending tingles up my spine. Why in the world did I find that noise attractive? I really had been reading too many books. “Foolish girl.”
I shrugged. “I may be foolish, but I’ve saved your neck before, haven’t I?” I pushed the words at him with an arched brow, as I forced myself to take another bite of cereal. My stomach was in knots as it hit, but at least the motion made me look relaxed.
Alarick’s growl turned into a snarl, and his hands balled into fists. “Your mother saved me, not you. And I was a pup.”
“You weren’t that young,” I taunted, unsure why I felt the need to rile this guy up. Maybe it was just the way he looked so perfect, or how he assumed I was a type of prey for him and his friends. “You’re older than I am, and I was eight at the time.”
“Whatever the age, I was still a pup. And it was your mother who helped me.”
“I think your memory is a little faulty,” I challenged. “I was there as well, you know.”
“And she’s the one who pulled me back over the cliff and carried me home,” he snarled. “She’s not the issue here, you are. You’re putting my whole pack at risk just to return a favor.”
“I thought you said I was the one at risk,” I reminded him.
“You are! And if anything happens to you, it affects my pack, and I’m not going to allow that to happen.” His husky voice was deep and smooth, and a shiver worked its way up my spine. Stupid werewolf pheromones.
“So, what, are you going to shadow me every minute of the day? That may get a little difficult. I tend to prefer showering in private,” I retorted.
“Pity,” two voices spoke in unison, and I swore, nearly bobbling my cereal bowl again.
“What is with sneaking up on a girl?” I yelped as I turned, my eyes widening at the pair who had slid in behind me. Oh yeah, it was certainly a werewolf thing. They were as tall as Alarick, all of them over six feet, but the two facing me were an adorable pair of twins, wearing matching cheeky grins. They were most absolutely identical, down to the little dimple at the right corner of their mouths. They were dressed like Alarick, although more relaxed—their ties loosened and the top buttons open on their shirts, showing off smooth, tan skin. Their brown hair held a touch of red, and their eyes were a brilliant green. A light scruff of stubble coated their cheeks and chins in a way that had to be intentional, as not a single hair differed between them. “There’s no need to scare the wits out of me just to introduce yourselves,” I scolded. “Since it doesn’t look like Alarick is going to do the polite thing here…” I arched a brow at his scowling face.
“I’m Zev,” the one on the left offered in a smooth baritone.
“I’m Chann,” the other added.
“Chann? Zev?” Okay, my appropriate conversation meter was turned off today, apparently, and I winced. “Sorry. I’m Pixie.”
The twins chuckled, each cocking their head at the same time, the dual movements enough to make me dizzy. “You’re commenting on our names and yours is Pixie?” Zev asked.
“It’s Penelope,” Alarick grumbled.
I shot him an irritated glance over my shoulder. “Never heard of a nickname, Ari?” I emphasized the childhood name as he snarled at me. “My mom called me Pixie, and it stuck,” I explained.
Chann smiled, a little softer this time, though there was still a wicked glint in his sharp, green eyes. “Well, since you explained yours, we’ll explain ours. It’s considered an honor to be named after wolves, as that’s what we are. As much as we want to assimilate with the humans, we also hold on to our own customs. Chann is an old English word for wolf and Zev is a Hebrew abbreviation for wolf.”
My eyebrows shot up, and I cocked my head, considering him. “All of your names mean wolf?” I asked.
“Most of the males. You’ll hear names from many different countries. Some deviate a little, their names may mean red, gray, or black. Even things like hunter or strength,” Zev elucidated with a shrug. “Especially with the females—their names usually have traits we as wolves’ value, or their parents’ hopes for their future, since ‘wolf’ is an uncommon meaning for female names, although some do adapt the male names if their families are extremely traditional. It’s a badge of honor, a way of declaring who we are every time we say our names.”
“That’s really cool,” I admitted.
“If you’re all through with pleasantries,” Alarick growled, “I was trying to tell her about my plan.”
“Going to take over the world?” I countered, before scooping up my last bite of cereal. I resisted the urge to drink the milk in the bowl with them watching me. It was something my mom had always scolded me for, telling me it wasn’t polite to do while anyone watched. Chann and Zev snickered, and a knot inside me loosened. Not everyone here was uptight, that was for sure.
Alarick rubbed his temple, and I assumed I was beginning to irritate him. “It’s too risky to have you wandering around on your own. I’d hoped you would be smart enough to merely stay in your room, but since that doesn’t look like it’s the case...” He trailed off, as if hoping I would correct him.
“Sorry, I’m a person, not an exhibit in a zoo. I’ll deal with what comes, but I’m not going to hide like a rabbit.”
“Good, because we’re far more fun than playing with yourself,” one of the twins murmured behind me, and I chuckled even while Alarick glared at them.
“Then you’re going to force my hand. You should be safe in most of the classrooms, the teachers will intervene before anything gets too bloody. For the common room and other areas, though, it will be best if one of us is with you most of the time.”
“Like bodyguards?” I asked in confusion.
“Yes,” Alarick confirmed and gave a sharp nod. “While they’d be willing to mess with you, they wouldn’t be willing to mess with any of us. I'm going to be the next Alpha of Lupine Hollow, and Chann and Zev are in line to be my betas.” I turned my head to study the pair, noting the wiry strength I’d missed before. The grins on their faces spelled trouble for anyone who messed with them.
“You can’t shadow me everywhere though,” I pointed out.
“Your bathroom is attached to your room, so we don’t have to worry about that,” Alarick continued, as though he hadn’t heard me. “You’ll sit with us during meals and in the common room. If you need to attend the library, inform us and we’ll accommodate you once it fits into our schedules.”
I set the bowl of cereal onto the end table by the chair with a clunk, tossing my hands onto my hips. “You may be the alpha’s son, but that doesn’t mean you can tell me what to do,” I informed him. “If I need to go to the library, to the grounds, hell, to the moon, I’ll do so.”
“Then you’ll get torn to pieces and ruin my father’s reputation,” Alarick replied with an arched brow. I winced at that. Raff had been nothing but kind, understanding, and thoughtful. The idea of bringing harm to him in any way was not one I relished. “I figured that may change your mind, unless you were a complete brat, that is.”
“You’re one to talk,” I murmured under my breath.
“Point to remember,” Zev said on a laugh. “We don’t have human hearing here; we have wolf hearing. Speaking under your breath doesn’t really work with us.”
I groaned. “I really need to read that welcome packet.”
“I have class, but Chann and Zev will stay with you for now,” Alarick declared. “If you prefer to stay here rather than your bedroom, that’s your choice. Read the information my father provided, and make sure you’re ready for dinner.”
I stuck my tongue out at his back as he strode from the room, my spirits lifting a bit when Chann and Zev both chuckled at my antics. “Okay. Werewolf 101. Let’s get started.”
Chapter Six
I wasn’t sure if I found it surprising that many of the things I knew about werewolves were fake. It’s not like they wanted to expose their existence to the world and correct all of the misinformation that was spread through different cultures or authors. I wondered for a moment if Raff had put this welcome packet together specifically for me, or if it had been built ages ago as a precautionary measure in case any other species were brought into the pack or academy.
“Really, a lot of this will seem common before you know it,” Zev assured me as I groaned, tossing the packet back onto the table. I’d stuck a post-it note on his leg when he sat down, so I was fairly sure I had the right twin. What I’d assumed were a few pages of rules ended up being nearly the length of a novel, with detailed accounts of every pack, their members, their ranks, and the overall structure of werewolf government along with rules of etiquette, challenges, and law, all spread amongst the rules of the school. I barked a laugh when I realized he was bent backwards over the chair, his long legs up over the back, crossed at the ankle, and his head dangling down so all of the blood rushed to it, darkening his cheeks.
I twirled, mindful of my skirt, to partially mimic the pose by kicking my legs over one arm and my head over the other, so we could look into each other’s eyes as we talked. “Easy for you to say, you’ve grown up with it,” I pointed out. “I’m never going to remember it all. Especially before I create an international incident.”
“No worries on that count,” Chann stated with a grin, flopping onto his back on the floor so we were all upside down together. “We don’t have any international students. You’ll just create a continental incident.” I groaned at his attempt at humor.
“How’s this going to work?” I questioned curiously. “You’re both being friendly with me, but you outrank me. Aren’t I supposed to submit to you? Refuse to make eye contact and everything?” I thought of the notes I’d read through, wishing I had my mother’s eidetic memory. I had a great memory for song lyrics, and even for the books I Ioved, but it still took me time to memorize them. Memorizing an entire culture in an hour and a half wasn’t something I could achieve, although I hoped I’d picked up enough of the highlights so I didn’t need to enter my first challenge tonight.
Chann and Zev shrugged in unison and I giggled. “Everyone is used to us kind of doing our own thing,” Chann explained, his lips twisting up into a wicked grin.
“And from the look on your faces, I assume that thing is trouble?” I guessed, arching my brow at him. This position was starting to make me dizzy, but I was still enjoying it. It was the first time I’d been relaxed in—well, a long time.
“Us?” Zev widened his eyes, pretending to give an outraged gasp. “Why, we’re never in trouble.”
“Because they can never catch us,” Chann added.
“But you’re the future betas,” I pressed. “Is it going to, well, cause problems for you?” Rank was so important to them, and I really didn’t want to be the cause of them losing their positions. So far, they’d been both amusing and relaxing, the kind of people I could actually see myself being friends with.
“We trust Alarick,” Zev replied, twirling to sit up. “And we really don’t care what anyone else thinks either.”
“Besides, we make our own judgments. If we just planned to watch over you, we wouldn’t hang with you,” Chann said, popping up and offering me a hand to turn right side up. “But you’re different.”
“Hello, Captain Obvious,” I teased. “Isn’t that what this whole issue is about? Me being different?”
A pillow smacked my face and I growled, tugging it down to see a sheepish looking Zev. “Sorry. Forgot about your reflexes,” he murmured, attempting to sound contrite though his green eyes twinkled with humor.
“You may be human, but you’re fun. Unlike half of the people here,” Chann muttered on a scowl. “Besides, if you prove to be boring, we can always go back to Alarick’s idea of watching you from a distance.”
“Despite us telling him that his idea crosses the border into creepy,” Zev finished for him.
I laughed, jumping up from my chair. “Okay, so tentative friends it is. Raff said I had to show up for dinner tonight, but I’m free until then. What do you suggest we do?” The two shared a look, tilting their heads as they communicated silently with each other. “Okay, I can’t help it,” I blurted out. “Is that a twin thing or a wolf thing?”
“It’s a twin thing,” Zev offered.
“We’d be happy to show you another twin thing.” Chann winked at me, his bright green eyes trailing up and down my body in a caress. “You said the shower was off limits, but there are plenty of other places we can try out.” He threaded his arm through his brother’s, and they tilted their heads together, the strands of their hair mingling into one silken mass.
“We’d give you the real twin werewolf experience,” Zev added, his voice husky and teasing, his tongue flashing out to trace his bottom lip.
I laughed, even as my stomach tightened, coiling with interest at the picture they painted. Okay, why in the world did I think that was hot? I seriously blamed werewolf pheromones, there wasn’t another explanation. Well, there was the explanation that they were hot as hell, but I preferred the pheromones. “Let’s keep that idea on the backburner for the moment and focus on me adjusting to school without losing any limbs.” At this point, I was doubting my virginity was going to make it out of here intact…
“Why don’t we show you where the library is?” Zev suggested. “You’ll use it frequently anyhow.”
“Are there computers there?” I inquired, trailing after them from the common room. Apparently, that wasn’t going to work for them as they pulled me between them, tossing their arms across my shoulders as we walked.
“Of course there are!” Chann scoffed. “What kind of school do you think this is?”
“A rich one?” I replied dryly. “I’m not an armrest, you know.”
“I think you’re a very pretty armrest,” Zev retorted, refusing to move his arm.
“Yeah, yeah, flattery won’t get you anywhere,” I muttered, though a smile twitched my lips, and my stomach unknotted a bit. I wondered if they were just teasing or if they really did think I was pretty. I didn’t look anything like them, that was for sure.
As if to emphasize my thought, a group of girls stepped from a classroom, chattering quietly amongst themselves, and it was a struggle not to let my shoulders sag. Perfection was clearly a werewolf quality. All of the girls were tall, their frames slender, and all of them had hair in varying shades of brown, though one girl’s leaned closer to red and another’s to black. The girl in the lead spotte
d me, a scowl crossing her face as she squared off with us, looking me up and down. A quick glance at her jacket informed me she was also Lupine Hollow, so there would be no avoiding this confrontation.
“So, you really did show up,” she sneered as her lip curled, looking me up and down. Not that I could blame her, I’d given her the same look only a moment before, though she didn’t know it, she’d been too busy chatting up her friends. “I’m surprised you had the nerve. Most of us have running bets that once you were informed of our existence, you’d be heading for the hills and we’d get to hunt you down like the prey you are.” She bared her teeth in a cross between a smile and a snarl.
Chann and Zev stiffened beside me and I wondered if they believed they’d have to physically defend me. I hoped it wouldn’t come to that, not that I relished letting her turn me into a pile of meat either. “Wow, someone needs a treat,” I offered, my words a slow drawl. “Maybe that would sweeten your attitude a little.” Chann laughed as the girl hissed at me. My mouth always ran away with me when I was nervous, besides, I didn’t want her to think she could just walk all over me at will no matter how edgy she made me.
“Who the hell do you think you’re talking to, human?” she growled. “And you two!” She glared at the pair flanking me. “What are you doing with her? She’s a meal, not a toy.”
“I thought cats played with their food, not wolves…” I tapped my chin, pretending to be deep in thought. “Though I think I’ve shown these two I can be more fun as a toy than a meal, although I’m not exactly opposed to them eating me.” I thought Zev would choke on his laugh behind me, and wondered idly if the Heimlich maneuver worked the same on a werewolf as a human.
She bared her teeth at me, her hands curling into claws as she glared. The girls behind her carried their books carefully, their eyes flashing between their leader and the two males flanking me. “Rhiannon, why are you running your mouth?” Zev asked. Though his voice sounded bored, his body still thrummed with energy, and I wouldn’t have been surprised if he could move before I could blink to catch any attack she may have planned.
Flower Moon Rising (Lupine Hollow Academy Book 1) Page 5
