The Werewolf Academy Series Boxed Set

by Cheree Alsop

  Alex pulled the paper out of his pocket. The directions said third floor apartment B. He put the paper away and jogged up the stairs. When he reached the third floor, he walked quietly down the thin carpet. To a werewolf, the slightest brush of fibers against the bottom of his shoes would give him away no matter how carefully he walked. To a human, he knew such a sound was inaudible, but it made him self-conscious just the same.

  Sounds came from the door marked A. He could hear a baby gurgle and the quiet voice of a woman. A child piped up, asking for a cup of milk. The woman’s reply was kind.

  Alex crossed to the apartment marked B. The sound of people talking and laughing floated from beneath the door. The scent of spaghetti and meatballs wafted with it. Alex’s stomach growled, reminding him that he was truly hungry. He took a steeling breath and lifted his hand.

  His knuckles hit the wood of the door like a tree falling. The talking inside the apartment stopped. Someone hurried to the door and pulled it open.

  Alex couldn’t help but smile at the look of happy surprise on Cherish’s face. “I was hoping you’d come!” she exclaimed. She grabbed his arm and pulled him inside. Her black hair was caught back in a thick braid and she wore a blue dress, looking far from the tom boy Alex had met at the park.

  “You look beautiful,” he said honestly. He could feel the heat rush to his cheeks.

  Cherish laughed. “Don’t say that too loud. I don’t want the boys to start getting ideas.”

  She pulled him through the small living room and down a short hall to the source of the spaghetti scent. Alex paused when they reached the kitchen.

  The four other human students from the park were already sitting around a table.

  “Hey, Alex,” Tanner said with a nod.

  A woman at the stove turned. Her cheekbones and long black hair with gray at the temples gave no doubt that she was Cherish’s mother. She smiled, her eyes creasing at the corners.

  “Mom, this is Alex the werewolf.”

  Alex stared at Cherish.

  She laughed at his expression. “It’s okay. Mom’s best friend growing up was a werewolf. You don’t have to worry.”

  Cherish’s mother crossed the small tiled floor and held out a hand to Alex. He shook it carefully.

  “Pleased to meet you, Alex,” she said without a hint of nervousness. “I’m Mrs. Summers. I’m glad you came for dinner.”

  “Me, too,” Alex replied, but it came out sounding like a question.

  “We saved you a seat,” Sarah said. She patted the chair between her and Jen on one side of the rectangular table.

  Alex sat, aware of Tanner and Josh’s attention from across the wooden surface. It didn’t feel thick enough by far to be sitting between both humans’ girlfriends.

  “Thanks for the other day,” Josh said.

  “Yeah,” Tanner seconded. “That was pretty awesome.”

  “And scary,” Jen said. She pulled on a strand of her red hair as though it was a habit. “I thought we were going to die.”

  Mrs. Summers set a big bowl of spaghetti in the middle of the table. She gave Alex a warm but worried smile. “The kids told me what you did. That was very brave.”

  Alex shook his head. “Fighting Extremists is part of being a werewolf. It’s the only way I can keep those I care about safe.”

  “It’s dangerous,” Sarah said.

  Alex was touched by their concern. He hadn’t known what to expect at the dinner, but the humans’ fear for his safety hadn’t crossed his mind.

  “It gives me something to fight for,” he said quietly.

  Mrs. Summers sat down at the head of the table. Cherish took a seat between the two boys across from Alex. She handed him a roll, put one on her plate, then passed the bowl to Tanner.

  “What ever happened to your friend?” Josh asked, looking at Mrs. Summers.

  She shook her head with a sad expression. “I’m not sure. We were close through high school, and then during our senior year, she disappeared. I still look for her, but haven’t been able to find her since.”

  “I could ask Jaze,” Alex said.

  Mrs. Summers’ eyebrows rose. “You know Jaze Carso?”

  Alex nodded. “He’s sort of been like my father since my sister and I moved to the Academy.”

  Josh whistled. “Jaze Carso is your father figure? That’s amazing.”

  “What do you know about him?” Alex asked curiously.

  Tanner spoke up. “Only that he’s a legend. They tried everything they could to kill him, but they failed and he saved his people anyway. He’s the deadliest werewolf there is.”

  “Yeah, only Jet would have him beat on that title,” Josh said.

  Alex fought back a smile.

  Cherish caught the look. “What is it?”

  “Jet was my brother,” Alex admitted. He felt no sorrow with the statement, only a surge of pride at the amazement on the humans’ faces. It was obvious they had heard more about Jet and Jaze than he realized, and the fact that his words weren’t met with fear or loathing filled him with a sense of liberation.

  “Maybe we’ll find Jacey yet,” Mrs. Summers said, passing Sarah the bowl of spaghetti.

  “I know Jaze won’t give up until he’s followed every lead,” Alex reassured her. “If you want to write down what you remember about her, I’ll make sure it gets to him.”

  “I sure appreciate that,” Mrs. Summers replied.

  “All that and you don’t even know how to play soccer,” Josh said, shaking his head dramatically.

  “Hey, I learned,” Alex replied.

  “After nearly taking out that kid on the slide,” Jen said with a laugh.

  Alex grinned sheepishly. “I was hoping you would’ve forgotten about that.”

  “Guess it’d be hard not to be strong all the time,” Cherish said.

  Alex’s brow furrowed as he twirled spaghetti around his fork. “I usually don’t have to think about it. At the Academy, everyone’s a werewolf, so we don’t have to hide.”

  “The whole school is werewolves?” Sarah asked in awe.

  Alex nodded, worried for a second that he had made a serious mistake. Nobody was supposed to know that Vicki Carso’s Preparatory Academy was only for werewolves. If word got out, the Extremists would attack in full force. The General and Drogan didn’t know, or else they would have already leveled the school.

  “It makes sense,” Mrs. Summers noted before taking a bite of her salad. “You need a place to hide out.”

  “It’s more of somewhere to be normal,” Alex explained. He realized the truth of the words as soon as he said them. “Jaze has given us the chance to just be ourselves without having to hide what we are. We can phase without worrying about being seen, and we learn about our wolf heritage as well as our human side.”

  “Wolf heritage,” Josh repeated, his eyes wide. “That’s awesome!” He took a huge bite of his spaghetti.

  Alex shrugged a bit uncomfortably. To him it was normal, but to humans he wondered how sharing DNA with an animal really came across.

  Jen set a hand on Josh’s arm and he winced.

  “What was that?” Cherish asked.

  Josh gave a self-conscious smile and pulled back his sleeve. On his forearm was a firefighter helmet with a badge bearing the words Fire and Rescue below it. The tattoo was red around the edges.

  “Did you just get that done?” Tanner asked. “It looks amazing.”

  Josh nodded. He caught Alex’s gaze. “My dad was a firefighter. He died last year. I’ve been asking my mom ever since to let me get this done and she finally gave in.”

  “I think that’s a good tribute,” Alex told him. Josh gave a grateful smile.

  “Does it hurt?” Sarah asked.

  Josh shrugged. “A bit when they did it, but it feels more like road rash right now. I’m glad I got it.”

  Mrs. Summers squeezed his shoulder as she walked by with the empty spaghetti bowl. “Your dad would be so proud of you. You take such good care of yo
ur mom and brother.”

  “I’m glad to have them,” Josh replied, pulling his sleeve back down. “And to have this girl.” He drew Jen close and gave her a kiss on the cheek.

  She laughed and hugged him. “You’re so cheesy. I love you.”

  “I love you, too,” Josh replied, smiling down at her.

  “Gross,” Cherish said.

  Everyone laughed.

  A few minutes later, Sarah nudged Tanner. “We’d better get home. It’s getting late.”

  Alex glanced outside. The sun was just starting to set. Cherish gave him an apologetic smile. “The city’s not safe after sundown.”

  “You mean with bullies like Ruse?” Alex asked.

  Cherish shook her head. “Not exactly. They’re mild compared to what else is out there.”

  Sarah nodded with a shiver as she rose and pulled on her puffy purple coat. “The gangs take over after dark. Depending on what block you’re on, you might get robbed, beat up, or end up dead on the sidewalk.”

  “It’s not pleasant,” Tanner said, helping her with her yellow scarf.

  “Want a bodyguard?” Alex asked.

  Tanner chuckled, but Sarah nodded quickly. “Yes, please.”

  “Were you kidding?” Tanner asked.

  Alex shook his head. “Not at all. I’d be glad to make sure you get home safe.”

  “We’ll walk with you, too,” Jen said.

  Josh rose and helped clear bowls from the table while the girls finished getting ready. Alex washed the dishes in the sink while Cherish wiped down the table.

  “It’s nice to have so much help,” Mrs. Summers said when they were done. “It sure gets everything cleaned up much quicker.”

  “Are you saying I’m slow, Mom?” Cherish asked with a teasing smile.

  “No, honey,” Mrs. Summer replied, leaning over to kiss the top of her head. “You just take more time to do things.”

  “So I’m slow,” Cherish repeated with a laugh.

  Her mother laughed as well. “Okay, if you want to take it like that.”

  The others were ready to go. Alex waited by the door.

  “Do you need a coat?” Mrs. Summers asked.

  Alex shook his head. “I don’t really get cold, but thank you for the offer.”

  “Come on back after,” Cherish invited. “We usually have hot cocoa before bed. It helps to keep the chill away.”

  “I will,” Alex promised.

  The walk down the stairs and then out to the street was quiet. Though cars rushed down the road, no one was in sight on the sidewalks. It felt eerie to walk between the apartment buildings knowing that they were filled with families but seeing no sign of them. Spray-painted graffiti tagged walls and posts with gang signs and names.

  “They’re getting bolder,” Sarah said quietly. “It used to be you only saw the tags in the alleys or in the Saa.”

  “What’s the saw?” Alex asked, repeating the word like it sounded.

  “It’s the part of the city south of Angel Avenue, so S.A.A. We call it the Saa for short,” Josh explained. “Angel Avenue is at the end of the business section and the sky scrapers. After that, the city’s made up of slums.” He pulled his beanie down tighter as if even talking about the Saa made him nervous. “Everyone avoids the Saa.”

  “Now the Saa’s coming to us,” Sarah said, her grip on Tanner’s arm tightening.

  Chapter Four

  Their footsteps echoed against the buildings that lined the sides of the road. Alex could hear the nervous breaths of his friends as they hurried past the alleys that branched away. They were almost to the building where Jen and Josh’s families lived. The humans were walking so fast Alex was amazed they didn’t break into a run.

  A shadow detached from the next alley. Alex’s wolven eyesight revealed a man wearing a hoodie with the hood pulled up. The man shoved his hands in his pockets and ambled toward them as though not caring that they were there. It didn’t fool the humans any more than the scent of iron and determination that touched Alex’s nose belied the man’s casual demeanor.

  “Oh no,” Sarah whispered.

  Tanner pulled her close, shielding her with his body. Josh did the same. Jen’s fast breaths puffed in the icy evening air. They clung to the edge of the curb as they reached the man. It seemed he would let them go, but at the last second, he pulled out a knife and spun around.

  “Give me your—”

  Alex grabbed his wrist and ducked under it, flipping the man completely over. He hit the ground on his back and gave a yell of pain.

  Alex glanced up in time to see another man come out of the same alley.

  “Hey, get off him!” the man yelled. He was short and skinny and moved the lethal grace of a hunting cat. The man pulled out a knife as he ran toward them.

  Alex met Josh’s terrified gaze. “I’ve got this,” he reassured his friends.

  Josh pulled Jen back the way they had come. Tanner and Sarah followed close behind.

  The man beneath Alex struggled. Alex stopped him with a straight punch to the jaw just as the shorter man reached them.

  Alex jumped back in time to feel the knife catch in the front of his shirt. He punched the man in the ribs, then took a swing at the man’s head.

  The skinny human ducked to the side, then lunged again with the deadly skill of a seasoned fighter. Alex blocked his arm and landed another punch before he was forced back by the knife. The man was quick, the blade appearing wherever Alex was, forcing him to guard when he wanted to end the fight and see his friends safely home.

  The longer they stayed in the streets, the more likely of a target the humans were going to be. The sun had almost set completely, and only a few of the streetlights flickered to life, lighting lonely orbs along the barren sidewalks. Alex’s sensitive ears picked up the scuffs of shoes against cement. They were about to be in much bigger trouble.

  Alex grabbed the knife by the blade. It was a stupid move, but it caught his attacker by surprise. Alex slammed a side kick into the skinny man’s ribs. He let go of the blade and backed up gasping. Alex kicked his left foot, then brought up the right. The ball of his foot connected with the man’s jaw with enough momentum to send him flying backwards into a motionless heap.

  The silence that followed was broken only by Alex’s harsh breaths and the moans of men at his feet.

  “Oh my gosh, Alex...” Jen began.

  “We’ve got to go,” Alex told them. He searched both sides of the street. “Others are coming.”

  None of them second-guessed Alex’s warning. They followed him across the street and down a block. More footsteps sounded. They would appear at any moment. Instinct warned Alex that if he didn’t act, his friends would be in danger again.

  “This way,” he said, following his gut.

  To his relief, the humans didn’t question trailing him into the alley and around the back side of the apartment building. He stood at the door studying the street as Josh and Jen hurried inside.

  “Thank you so much,” Jen said. She threw her arms around his neck and gave him a tight hug. After, she took a surprised step back. “Geesh,” she said. “Werewolves are ripped.

  “Jen.” Josh rolled his eyes.

  A blush touched Jen’s cheeks. “Thanks again,” she said, slipping her hand into Josh’s.

  They watched the pair climb the stairs until they were out of sight.

  “We’re only two more blocks down,” Tanner told Alex. “Sarah’s apartment is before mine.”

  “Let’s hurry,” Sarah said, her voice tight. “It’s getting darker.”

  Tanner glanced at Alex’s hand. “Alex, you’re bleeding.”

  Alex wiped his palm on his pants. “It’s already healing,” he said, holding it up. “No big deal.”

  Tanner looked like he was about to say something, then he closed his mouth.

  “Let’s get going,” Alex said.

  Sarah led the way at almost a run. To everyone’s relief, they reached her building without being
stopped. Alex waited near the outside doors while Tanner walked her up to her apartment. A few minutes later, he appeared again.

  “This city’s messed up, huh?” Tanner said, drawing the hood of his blue coat over his short blond hair.

  “It’s definitely not what I expected,” Alex replied. He pulled the door open and leading the way through. “Why do your families stay here?”

  “Some parts are nice.” Tanner shoved his hands in his pockets and leaned against the wall. “And sometimes the scary stuff you know is easier to face than the stuff you don’t.”

  Alex glanced at him in surprise. “Meaning you’d rather live with the thugs and gangs here instead of finding a place that might be better?”

  “It might not,” Tanner said. He tipped his head back against the bricks. “My dad’s the CEO of Datacorp. I could switch to a private school, but I’d have to leave Sarah and the others behind.” He looked at Alex. “I won’t do that.”

  Alex nodded in understanding. “So you protect them.”

  Tanner snorted. “If you call cowering with the girls while you take care of armed robbers protection, then yeah.”

  Alex chuckled. “I’m sure if I wasn’t here, you would have done something.”

  “I would have given them my wallet and asked them to leave the girls alone.”

  The honesty in Tanner’s voice said he was speaking from experience.

  “Does that work?” Alex asked curiously.

  Tanner’s gaze flitted to the street. “Sarah got hit once.” His clenched jaw said how much that affected him. “She was so scared that she was crying, and then he hit her. It left a bruise that took forever to go away.”

  Alex’s voice was quiet when he said, “I can teach you how to defend them.”

  Tanner looked at him, really looked at him, his green gaze searching as he took in Alex’s lack of jacket and his clenched fists. Alex couldn’t help the frustration that rose in him at the thought of his friends living lives of fear that could be stopped.

  “Let me see your hand,” Tanner said.

  Alex opened his fist. Dried blood showed where the knife had cut his palm. When he wiped it on his pants, he held out his hand again to reveal only a shallow mark where the wound had been.