by B F Worlds
She chatted with Dugen as he dropped them off and that was enjoyable, but it all went to hell when she stepped out of the backseat. She'd never been in the midst of so many bodies. The smells assaulted her nose, the sounds bombarded her ears, and the moment she passed over the front doorway, the walls began to press in on her. Buildings made her anxious. Four walls represented a cage in her mind and her animal half was not thrilled being contained.
Worst of all were the stares. She kept her head down and her shoulders hunched, trying to disappear, but it didn't work. When she walked by, conversations stopped and all eyes fixed on her. She could smell changer, vampire, human, and a sweet, flowery scent that had to be Fae. There was no one to compare it to and it was weak. She had an especially hard time separating it from the heavy cloud of perfume.
Viktoriya seemed to take pity on her and hurried her through the halls to the principal's office. "Why are we heading to see the principal? I thought our first class was posted in the cafeteria and we immediately went to see our homerooms teachers?"
"Normally that would be the case, but Lady Purella has requested to speak to you." She looked at Dean with worry. "Be careful. The Lady wanting to speak with you is...not a good thing."
Dean ground her teeth. "Any chance I can get out of this?"
"No. Be respectful and you should be fine."
-
The secretary was speaking to someone on the phone, but she put it down when she saw them come in, standing up and walking around her desk. "Viktoriya, good to see you. Ready for another school year?"
"Yes, thank you Addison. This is Dean Rock."
Addison turned to her, holding out her hand. "A pleasure to meet you Dean."
Dean discretely sniffed the air. Blood and that flowery scent she was beginning to recognize as magic, cloaked in a heavy coat of lilac perfume. Vampire. Pasting a smile on her face, she took the hand and shook it as delicately as she could. "Nice to meet you too Ms...."
"Please, don't worry about honorifics. It's just Addison. Now, come with me. The Lady is expecting you. Viktoriya, you can wait out here if you want."
Addison put a hand on Dean's shoulder and guided her further into the office. They stooped outside of a wooden door painted entirely black with no nameplate. It stood out against the bright paint of the office and Dean felt a trickle of unease stiffen her shoulders. Her instincts were telling her not to enter that room. She unconsciously took a step back, but Addison was there to stop her retreat. "No one can blame you for being nervous, but the Lady will do you no harm." The secretary raised her hand and knocked once, sharply. "My Lady? The student you wished to see is here." Then she opened the door and gestured for Dean to walk in.
Dean followed the direction reluctantly and jumped when she heard the door close behind her. Inside was completely dark. The only light that came through the slit at the bottom of the door. She had a changer's night vision, but all she could make out was the vague outline of a large desk and a figure sitting behind it.
"Dean Rock," a low voice called out. "My, my. I was interested in you because I heard you were from an isolationist group and Franklin had taken an interest in you. I wasn't at all expecting to meet a blood wolf."
Less than a minute. Damn. "A pleasure to meet you Lady."
The voice laughed. "Once you get to a certain age, you can hear when someone's lying. You can't hide the hatred you feel. I imagine you had a bad experience with one of my kind? I don't know what it will mean to you, but I'll apologize for their actions."
Dean ground her teeth together. "It doesn't mean shit."
"Ah, now you're being honest. Good."
"What do you want vampire?" Dean hissed. "Why did you call me in here?" Her body tensed for a fight.
"I told you, I was interested in who you were. But now I am honestly concerned for the safety of my students. What are you doing here Dean? Do you plan on causing any trouble? Because I won't allow any disorderly conduct in my school. If we're going to have a problem, I would prefer you leave the building now and save me the effort of killing you."
"It is not my intention to cause you problems. I would rather you ignore I’m even here."
"A humble changer. Even rarer than a blood wolf." The principal chuckled and Dean's hair stood on end. Her wolf was on its feet, ready for a fight, but instead of the mad howling it did on the verge of a hunt, it was quiet and watchful. Cautious. The animal recognized a powerful predator that it would not yield too, but wanted to avoid fighting. "Very well Dean. I hope your time here is fruitful and remember; as long as you are here, you are one of mine."
"I belong to myself."
"In this world, either you build allegiances or you perish. You will understand that soon. Dismissed."
Dean wanted to bolt from the room but she contained herself to a unconcerned walk. Viktoriya was gone, but Addison was at her desk, typing away at her computer. She didn't look up as Dean stopped in front of her desk, holding out a piece of paper. "Classes start in five minutes. Your homeroom is down the hall. Make a left, follow that hall down and it's the last room on the right. Good luck."
CHAPTER 13
"Yo, Vikky!"
Viktoriya scowled as Kyle took the seat next to her. "Kyle, there are a dozen free seats in this room. Why did you choose to sit next to me?"
"Ouch. You know Vikky, if you keep using the sharp remarks like that, I'll start thinking you don't like me."
"I don't like you."
He snorted. "Oh yeah I remember. You found your mate so little old me don't matter anymore. Heard it was a girl too. Didn't know you swung that way Vikky."
"Shut up." She turned away from him, ignoring his snickering. Kyle Freewood was cocky and he had good reason to be. As the Franklin's nephew, and closest relative, there was a good chance he would lead the Freewood Pack someday and he acted the part.
He had the alpha's money at his command, power, and was handsome; blond hair, blue eyes, and chiseled jaw that gave him a rugged charm the girls fell over for. They had never been an item. Viktoriya viewed him more as a rival than a heart throb, but Kyle had been pursuing her for years.
All the talking in the room stopped, causing Viktoriya to look up. She wasn't surprised to see Dean standing in the doorway. The two of them locked eyes briefly before Dean deliberately lowered her gaze and found a seat in the back. Viktoriya scoffed in disgust at the display.
Kyle snickered harder beside her. "That's too funny. You're shacking up with a submissive. Lame!"
"I said shut up Kyle. We aren't shacking up." Not as long as she keeps hiding from me. It was a shame too. It was the first time she'd seen Dean with her hair pulled back and it accentuated her features in the best way. She couldn't help tracking Dean to her seat, but she tore her gaze away from the girl as their teacher walked in.
-
It was a rough start, but once the actual teaching began, Dean began to see the appeal of school. Their homeroom was math. The pack Guards had briefly touched the subject when they were tutoring her, but it was nowhere near in depth enough for her to follow the lesson.
She spent the class partially listening to what the teacher had to say and focusing most of her attention on the book. The lessons were very detailed and the problems had a recognizable pattern. It was amazing how the other students seemed to be following along without any problems. She could only imagine how much the teacher knew. The thought of what she could learn was almost enough to counter her disgust with the place.
She had worked through half of the first chapter when she felt tapping on her shoulder. Dean looked up to find Viktoriya standing over with an unreadable expression on her face. "Class is over."
"Right." Dean closed her book and slipped it into her bag. "Thank you."
"Here." Viktoriya handed over a piece of paper. "It's your locker number and your lock code. If you hurry up, I can show you where it is before our next class starts."
"Tha-"
"Hey now Vikky, don't tell me you were going to
duck away without introducing me?"
A blonde boy appeared at their side and threw his arm over Viktoriya's shoulder. Dean frowned at the gesture and it deepened when Viktoriya didn't pull away. "Hey new girl. I'm Kyle, the alpha's nephew and one of his betas. I'm the wolf that'll be in charge one day, you get me?"
Kyle. Why is it always the assholes who end up in charge? "I…get you. I'm Dean Rock. It's a pleasure to meet you." She lowered her head. With her eyes down, she didn't see his other hand reach out and was completely surprised when her face was slammed into her desk.
"What the hell was that? It didn't sound sincere at all. Are you making fun of me wolf? You think you can take my girl and then disrespect me like that? You got a death wish? Huh?"
"Kyle!" Viktoriya shrugged him off. "Back off! Right now!"
He looked shocked. "You giving me orders Vikky?"
"I'm protecting the your uncle's interests. He has commanded that we blend in and attend all classes. Right now, you're horsing around is preventing us from doing that." She grabbed his hand and removed it from Dean's head. "You aren't anyone yet and I won't let you interfere with my orders. So. Back. OFF!"
Kyle backpedaled with his hands raised in surrender, a silly smile on his face. "Relax babe. I was just messing around. Dean, no hard feelings? Catch me later and I'll show you around."
Dean lifted her head, wiping a trickle of blood that dripped from her nose. I’ll remember this, you mutt. "I understand. Thank you for the kind offer."
"Lame."
With that final parting shot, Kyle left the room. Dean looked at Viktoriya, who was silently fuming with anger. "Thank you for that."
The other girl sneered at her. "I won't always be around to protect you. And by the way, you can find your own damn locker."
-
Rachel stared intently at the mirror attached to her locker door, puckering her lips as she applied the clear lip gloss. "I don't see how any of that is my problem, Leo. I mean, do I look like your babysitter? Just because you started some beef with the wolves doesn't mean I have to come riding to your rescue."
"Uh, yes you do. It's in the twin handbook. My problems are your problems."
"Bullshit. I don't see you doubled over in pain once a month." She pocketed the gloss and fluffed her hair. Even she had to admit her coloring was strange; lightly bronzed skin, curly brown hair streaked with red near the roots, and emerald green eyes. She was 5'5, which was short for her family, and had a healthy amount of weight.
A few asswipes had called her fat but she knew her rounded figure looked good. Besides, beneath her soft exterior was hard muscle earned from wrestling with changers all her life and she'd decked anyone who dared to talk about her.
"The hell are you talking about? Changers don't have periods."
"So?" She slammed her locker closed and smiled at him. "Okay, bad metaphor. Still doesn't mean I'm going to help you."
"I'll tell Mom. You know she's says we're supposed to look after each other."
"Leo, you're a grown ass man. Aren't you embarrassed to say that out loud? I'm embarrassed for you. God, no wonder you can't keep a girlfriend."
Leo scowled and she was struck again just how much they resembled each other. Everyone called them twins, but they were actually born a year apart, from different fathers. They got their skin tone and facial features from their mother. Leo's hair didn't have the red streaks and he was taller, but that was where the differences ended. They even had the same dimple on the left side of their mouths.
"It'd be different if it was one dog. Kyle walks around with his groupies. They circle me you know? I feel like a deer whenever him and his posse come sniffing around me."
"Oh boo-hoo. You been lying to me? I guess you're a sheep in lion's-"
"Excuse me."
Rachel froze as the voice rolled over her. From the back of her mind, her animal half started purring. If the owner of that voice looks half as delicious as they sound, I know what my first assignment of the school year is going to be. Pasting on her most flirtatious smile, she turned around. "Yes?"
They met each others' eyes and Rachel felt the smile fall off her face as electricity zinged through her system. Her tiger, normally barely active during the day, shook itself off and stepped to the forefront of her mind, easily bypassing the barrier that was supposed to hold it back. It prompted her to lean forward and sniff at the stranger. Canine, mixed with the scent of earth, magic, and something else she couldn't quite put a finger on.
Mate.
The girl backed up, her brown eyes almost comically wide. "Oh no."
"Oh yes," Rachel replied, taking a step forward. She let her eyes rake up and down the girl's body and let out a dreamy sigh. "And its not even my birthday today." The wolf took another step back, but Rachel stepped in front of her, using her arms to cut off any chance of escape. It was quite the image, seeing how much the girl towered over her. "You know what this means, don't you? I bet you're wolf's howling like it's a full moon in your head huh?"
Swear beaded on the girl's forehead. "You have no idea."
"Rachel Salvatore. And you are?"
"Dean....Rock."
"Deeeannn." She rolled the name on her tongue, tasting it. "I like it. Well, Dean-"
She was more than a little surprised when Dean suddenly reversed there positions and then pushed Rachel aside to reach the locker she was pressed against. "I just came to find my locker."
"Looks like you found something better." She tried grabbing Dean's arm, but the girl shrugged her hand away. Rachel growled. She felt her skin tightening as her feline half pushed the change. "What do you think you're doing?"
She couldn't read the expression on the Dean's face. She wouldn't say it was fear. More like a mixture of anger and....dread? "Not now, not here. We'll talk about this later."
Dean went to walk away, but Rachel grabbed her arm. She could feel her outrage bubbling up and she was about to shout in the other girl's face when Dean's expression changed. There was no misinterpreting it this time. It was tension, a face that said she was right on the edge of losing it. Now that she was looking for it, Rachel could see other signs of it as well. Dean's hands kept flexing at her sides and, though it was quiet, her breathing was erratic, her nostrils flaring wide and fast. Something was wrong about her eyes too. When the light caught them the right way, the brown seemed to flash a bright, glowing red.
Rachel didn't know what was wrong, but something was telling her that if she pushed, she was going to get some very bad results. She swallowed her angry words and her tiger retreated, rumbling angry in the back of her mind. "Fine. Later. But we will talk. I don't know how you wolves do things but pride members don't just let their mates walk away."
"I'll remember that," Dean said through gritted teeth.
"You do that." She released her arm and the other girl actually bolted away from her, nearly knocking down a group of humans in her haste. It was a little insulting, but the ill feelings were quashed under the megatons of excitement coursing through her system. She had found her mate!
"Leo, I take back everything I ever said about this place. School is great. School is wonderful. God bless America for making it mandatory. Remind me to write a thank you letter to the president or something."
Her brother snickered. "That who I think it was?"
"Uh-huh. I hit the jackpot! Did you see her? Damn, she's gorgeous." Rachel silently danced in place, jumping and twirling a bit. "Oh this is going to be good."
"She ran away from you."
"You know I love a good chase. I told her too, cats don't just let their mates walk away. I am not getting rejected. Period."
"She's a wolf. That means she's with the Freewood Pack."
She felt a sharp twinge of worry, but it didn't show on her face. "And?"
"I'm telling Mom."
Rachel growled at him. "God, Leo, you are such a momma's boy!"
CHAPTER 14
Viktoriya slammed her locker closed and leaned her foreh
ead against the cool metal. She'd put on a brave face for the last week, but the pain in her chest was getting harder to ignore. Dean was avoiding her. The other girl wouldn't even accept a ride to school, choosing a twenty minute walk over spending a second in Viktoriya's company. Being ignored hurt, but it was nothing compared to watching the other girl struggle.
She could tell the lessons flew right over Dean's head and Kyle had made her his new target. It was nothing that could get them into trouble. If the school got involved, Franklin would tear a hole in everyone. Kyle convinced the other wolves that attended the school to follow her, taunt her, and encouraged the rest of the student body to do the same. They harassed anyone who tried to talk to her. As a result, Dean was always alone.
At first, Viktoriya burned with anger, but it could only last so long without a fuel. It faded into bitter embers and eventually blew out to cold sadness. Once she admitted the feelings to her self, they began to drown her.
Earlier, they'd gotten back their Government quizzes from a week ago. She'd scored a 80. Viktoriya had never gotten anything less than a 95 in her life. I need to pull myself together before this becomes serious. Gods forbid Franklin should notice. Her teachers already had, not that she could explain what was wrong.
"That's a long face you're wearing Vikky."
She stiffened as Rachel leaned against the locker next to her. The other girl was smiling, but her expression was stiff, never making it to her eyes. Viktoriya rolled her shoulders, wondering if their confrontation would turn violent. "Salvatore," she said wearily. "What do you want?"
"Believe it or not, I just came to check on you. You look like shit wolf."
"Thanks. We can't all be perfect like you."
"You think I'm perfect?"
Damn. I'm in worse shape than I thought. Viktoriya growled in annoyance and Rachel scoffed at the sound. "Quit while you're ahead of the game puppy. We both know you're not the kind to back that up with action."
"What are you trying to say cat?"
"You know exactly what I'm saying! You know what you did! Or should I say, what you didn't do."
