by Dean Murray
"Because young Dominic's convinced me that your primary motivation in helping the girl was selfless. For the first time since you were born you're actually living up to your father's legacy rather than Donovan's cowardly fears. I'll make sure James stands with you, but if you bully him right now you'll just reinforce everything I've told him about you."
I stared at the spot where Addison's wheelchair had sat for several minutes after she left. Believe what she might, she'd done more to contribute to James' unhappiness than any other factor. She'd made him a dominant by encouraging willfulness and a misplaced sense of entitlement.
In the end though I decided to follow her advice. She might or might not be lying, but it all boiled down to the fact that James was my friend, and if there was a reason not to bully him I'd take it.
The afternoon found James, Jess, Isaac and I up in the north end of the valley. It was always a bit of a risk to let any shape shifter lock with another. Even what was supposed to be nothing more than a sparring match could easily turn bloody and lethal if the wolves involved lost control of their beasts.
We started with Isaac and Jess and then worked our way up to the rest of us. As always Isaac's incredible control was a godsend. It was almost impossible to make him lose control, which meant I could concentrate on holding James off until he calmed down instead of jumping between two full-grown hybrids who both wanted to tear into each other.
By the time the sun started setting and it was time to call it a night we were all bloody and exhausted. We ran a quick circuit of our territory, returning to the house a few minutes after the girls returned from shopping.
I'd helped Donovan transport Adri's portion of the day's haul to the Lilac Room and then joined everyone for a late dinner. Between the nine of us we polished off an incredible amount of food and then it was time to go to bed. It had seemed as though Adri wasn't finished eating, so I'd planned on returning to conduct her back to the Lilac Room, but she followed me to my room and quietly asked if she could sleep with me again.
Once again I couldn't deny her. It should have been a restless night. Sleeping next to another person was hardly the kind of thing that engendered uninterrupted rest, but it was as if her presence calmed me on levels I hadn't known were anxious.
All of us shape shifters woke several hours before either Rachel or Adri, so I gathered everyone together and informed them we needed to come up with a revised set of schedules for everyone that would allow us to have someone from the pack with Rachel and Adri at all times.
I half expected arguments from Jess and James with some muttered protestations from Jasmin, but everyone had simply nodded like they'd been expecting my announcement and sat down to figure out how best to make it happen.
Donovan provided us with a complete class listing and makeup for each teacher in the school, doubtlessly hacked from the school's mainframe, and a relatively short time later we were finished.
I was unaccountably anxious to be there when Adri awoke, but I detoured past the Lilac Room on my way back and retrieved most of the clothes they'd bought in Vegas.
I made it back just in time to see her awake and tease her into a semblance of normality. It was apparent she didn't really believe me when I told her we'd need to rearrange everyone's class schedules to provide her and Rachel with bodyguards. I half thought she was going to gasp when we all filed into the office half an hour before school started.
I asked Mrs. Pendely to speak to Principal Gossil and was conducted into his office in short order.
I received a frown as I entered the office and pulled the blinds closed, but apparently Principal Gossil was still smarting from our last confrontation.
"What do you want, Graves? You can't just show up here every time you have your eye on some skirt who hasn't become immediately overwhelmed by your family's wealth."
He was fishing. He thought he had something on me now, but he was about to face a rather rude awakening.
"I assure you I'm no more anxious to continue our conversations than you are, Principal Gossil. Unfortunately I'm going to need your approval with regards to some class changes."
I thought for a second the vein in his forehead was going to explode. It was petty, but I took some satisfaction in seeing his blood pressure rise.
"That's ridiculous. There's absolutely no way that I'm going to approve anything of the kind. Do you have any idea how pissed the faculty would be if I let you change your classes around this late in the semester? I don't care what kind of dirt you think you've got on me, you're not getting your way."
I let him yell for another ten minutes and then let my beast flood the room with power. It wasn't elegant, and it wouldn't work long-term, but Principal Gossil folded like a pinata when the first burst of energy flowed over him. I hadn't done his heart any favors, but once he stopped jumping at shadows in a day or two he'd probably be okay.
Donovan had prepared notes for Principal Gossil to sign, which he did somewhat shakily. We informed the recently-arrived school counselor of the changes and then everyone split up to go to class.
Adri had obviously been fuming at being one of only two people not changing their schedules around, but managed to keep her dissatisfaction inside until we were nearly to her Biology class.
"You should have had me change some of my classes. Everyone is already bent out of shape over what you've done for me, I don't want the rest of the…your friends even more mad at me."
I shook my head and pulled her along behind me.
"You and Rachel are the ones who need the most sleep, ergo you don't change classes."
"That's crazy."
She tried to stop, but I had a pretty good feeling that would lead to an argument.
"It's not crazy. Everyone who swaps classes is going to be doing double homework for the duration. Assignments for their old class, which they presumably still want to get credit for, and assignments for the new class so as not to make any more waves than necessary with their temporary teacher. It only makes sense to place that burden on the ones who can most easily deal with it."
The entire conversation had been conducted in a whisper, but she lost a little volume as we finally did stop just outside her Biology class.
"I can help. I could switch at least one class and still keep up."
Donovan's hacking skills ranged to more than just getting us scheduling information from the school computer. I hadn't wanted to bring it up, almost hadn't wanted to believe it, but I'd seen the unofficial notes her teachers had been leaving.
"Adriana, you're struggling in two classes already. How do you propose to handle yet another set of homework?"
Her mouth abruptly slammed shut. For a second I worried she'd bitten her tongue. It'd been a low blow but we had to get into class before the bell rang or we'd just end up with more of a fight on our hands when we told Mrs. Sorenson she was going to have to accept me into the class.
"But they'll hate me even more."
I'd thought she'd just been looking for fodder for her argument earlier. I hadn't realized she really thought Jasmin and the others hated her.
"They don't hate you. A few of them are scared almost senseless, but nobody hates you."
Her voice dropped to something even fainter than a whisper. It was possible she didn't even mean to say the words out loud, but I was still able to hear them.
"They were willing to kill me. They wanted to trade me back to Brandon."
I pulled her into a hug, ignoring the scattered gasps from inside the room and a couple of wide eyes among the students walking past us. Leaning my face up against hers, I whispered into her ear.
"I'm not going to let anything happen to you. If there's a way to keep you safe I'll find it."
She pulled back and offered me a brave smile. It was unlikely I'd really convinced her, but some fears could only be defeated with time.
I walked into class and handed Mrs. Sorenson the signed note from Principal Gossil. I had some suspicions already about her based on
the fact she was one of only two teachers to be giving Adri less than an 'A', so it gave me the slightest tingle of satisfaction to see her eyebrows rise halfway to her hairline at the bold, uncompromising language of Donovan's note. It had to suck when the administration essentially told you to suck it up and let two of your students do pretty much whatever they wanted.
"This is highly irregular, Mr. Graves. In fact I don't believe the administration can legitimately expect me to comply."
I gave her a bland smile and held my hand back out for the note.
"I promise not to get in the way. In fact if you could just find us a couple of desks in the back corner you'll hardly know we're here."
She shot Adri a look that didn't bode well for Adri's continued enjoyment of her class.
"Ms. Paige has an assigned seat towards the front of the class. Based on her scholastic performance to date it would be highly irresponsible of me as an educator to allow her to change seats."
Half the secret to getting what you want out of people when you have the upper hand is letting silence work on them. I looked rather pointedly at the note and then waited for her to run down the logic tree and realize she didn't really have any other choice.
"Ms. Bellarose, please move up to Ms. Paige's old seat."
I collected the note and then led Adri back to the far corner of the room. Mrs. Sorenson proceeded to deliver on the unpleasantness her earlier look had promised. I'd had her for Biology the year before and enjoyed the subject enough, despite her efforts, that I'd spent some time in a couple of college texts.
It didn't take a doctoral student to see she was singling Adri out for a fairly humiliating session of question-and-answer. Even when Adri couldn't answer her unreasonable questions she didn't stop badgering her. I felt my beast bubble to the surface with all of the rage that normally accompanied it.
Adri had demonstrated a better understanding of the subject than anyone in my class last year had possessed, but was still being wrung out and left looking stupid. I kept the anger off of my face, but was already planning ways to improve the situation.
I trailed along behind Adri, letting the last few pieces snap into place as she reached her locker.
"Is that normal for her?"
Adri's laugh was slightly hysterical. She cut the sound short, nodding as she slammed her locker shut.
James was already nearly to us. There wasn't time to do anything about Mrs. Sorenson right now, but that would change.
"We'd better get you to your next class. Dealing with that will have to wait until later."
I watched James and Adri disappear around the corner and then slipped off to History. I stayed out in the hall just long enough to text a question to Donovan, and then went in and suffered through another hour of Mr. Simms doing absolutely nothing to teach anyone anything.
If it had been Jess or James that'd been assigned to take Adri to her third hour class I probably would have made sure they didn't conveniently forget to pick her up, but I had faith Jasmin would keep her promise to me. She occasionally went off half-cocked when it came to the other pack, but she never failed to do the things she'd committed to.
I was busy confirming my earlier hypothesis with Donovan when I felt twin rushes of power from the other side of the school. I took off at a brisk pace, something that would have been a near run for a human.
The halls had already started to clear out, but it was still all I could do to avoid running into the scattered students. I brushed past people with more force than was polite, ignoring their angry gasps.
Jasmin's familiar power was so quiet as to be non-existent. I broke out into a full run as I heard Isaac come up behind me. We came around a corner just in time to see Brandon come into view on the other end of the hall.
Vincent and Cassie were already mere inches away from Jasmin, and their power sparked higher with Brandon's presence to back them up.
I let an answering roar of power surge from me as I closed the remaining distance to Jasmin. I could only assume that Adri was safely inside the classroom surrounded by witnesses.
"We could kill all three of you right now."
Vincent's subvocalized taunt was designed to egg Jasmin on, but she kept her calm with surprising restraint considering just how irrational she'd been with regards to Vincent lately.
"If you attack now, with so many humans around, the Coun'hij will crucify you."
My voice came out more even than I'd expected, but Brandon laughed off the threat.
"Please, you've finally played right into my hands. We meet at lunch to resolve this or we'll create the kind of ruckus that'll have people wondering how you managed to survive being thrown through cinder block walls."
It wasn't something we had to do. I'd be within my rights to refuse to talk to him, but it wasn't a practical solution. Besides, the Coun'hij tended towards extremism when it came to punishing both sides of any confrontation that risked disclosure of our secret to the public.
"We'll be there, now get lost."
Brandon's lazy smile seemed to say he knew exactly what I was thinking, but Mr. Rindell, the assistant principal, chose that moment to arrive and break up the impending fight.
"Class is about to start, and if every one of you isn't where you're supposed to be before the bell rings, you'll have detention for the next month."
Vincent's hiss was just loud enough to carry into the classroom.
"This isn't over."
I wanted to check on Adri, but there wasn't time. Mr. Rindell was singularly incorruptible, and I couldn't afford to push him any further than I already had lately. He was capable of creating all kinds of problems for us.
I headed up to my art class at something less than a dead run, but at a quick enough clip to satisfy Mr. Rindell that I took him seriously. A quick text as I ducked through the door ordered the entire pack to meet at Adri's locker during lunch and then I was forced to sit through another hour of class before I could hurry down and breathe a sigh of relief at the fact that Adri was unhurt.
I took her hand as soon as I was close enough to touch her.
"Are you okay?"
She shook her head, presumably out of shock over everything that had just happened.
"This is going to be really bad, isn't it?"
It felt odd to be talking of such things around the pack. I paused for a second and then tried to parry her questions.
"I'd…we'd…spare you it if we could."
"No, this is my fault. I belong here, not cowering in a corner somewhere."
Rachel and Dominic closed ranks around Adri, and then we all walked outside. Brandon's entire pack, less Nathanial and Simon, was waiting for us already. I faced off against him as the two packs fanned out at our backs.
"I demand satisfaction on behalf of my pack for the two of our number that you brutally murdered. This is within my rights under the laws that bind us. I demand two lives for the two lives robbed me."
As always Brandon ignored the actual law, instead twisting it into something that served his purposes. Still, his demand was exactly as expected. He'd gone after something that would destroy my pack.
"Your wolves were lawbreakers who were executed before they could break further laws. The protection of the people, of the secrets that guard our nature from the dayborn, represents a law that supersedes any question of territory or dominance."
Brandon's pack tried to batter us to our knees with a surge of power, but we collectively answered with a blast of energy that was equal to theirs. I felt Rachel and Adri shaking from being on the fringes of the exchange, but there wasn't any time to worry further about them. I continued with my prepared defense.
"By their actions Adriana Paige learned of our nature, and it was only by the grace of the Maker that I was able to stop them from killing her. Their deaths were an unavoidable price to save an innocent."
Three of Brandon's wolves flinched at my words. I had a second to realize that it was Jack, Sam and Alison, and then Brandon laughed.
"Her life belonged to me, it was mine to dispose of as I saw fit."
It was a gross corruption of the ancient code. It was the kind of thing the southern shape shifters believed, but not us wolves.
"The ancient laws don't support her life being a disposable commodity, extinguished at your whim. Not even the bond of Ja'tell provides you with that right."
Brandon's grin was sarcastic.
"Ah, but those aren't the laws under which we labor now, are they? She's mine, and I have every right to do whatever I wish to her. Her presence among your pack is a direct affront to my rights and honor. I could demand your life, be glad I'm only requiring two of your pack."
I felt my face go wooden as I realized there wasn't any way to save the pack. The Coun'hij currently treated any human a shape shifter took an interest in as Ja'tell. They would support his position that no mere human was worth the lives of two shape shifters.
I shook my head and invoked the ritual words.
"By the same laws set down by Adjam and Inock when they first took mates from among the dayborn, I challenge your bond of Ja'tell. I challenge your standing among the people, and your personal honor. The dispute between us is such as can only be settled by blood."
Brandon's expression flickered slightly, but it couldn't be true surprise. He'd been maneuvering for exactly this day ever since he'd manifested his power and become confident he could kill me. Maybe he was just surprised he'd finally succeeded in backing us against a wall.
Brandon abruptly closed the distance between us and growled at me. "Too bad your pack has such an idiot for a leader. You're going to die, and then they'll finally be exposed and helpless. It may take a few months, but eventually they'll fall and then I'll absorb whoever I don't kill. All for a skirt."
His barb, intended more for the rest of the pack than it was for me, safely delivered, Brandon backed away, turned and left.
Chapter 25
After the faceoff with Brandon we'd all gone back to the cafeteria. Nobody was really in the mood to eat, but we'd all learned a while ago not to skip meals. Whatever supernatural forces stoked our abilities and strength, there was still a hefty need for food to help fuel the fires.
