by Cheree Alsop
Torin gave him a skeptical look. “You think?”
“Yeah,” Alex said, rubbing his throat. “It couldn’t hurt.”
“I consider it,” the Alpha replied. “But it might be pushing things a bit too far.”
***
“We thought we’d find you out here.”
Alex smiled when Cassie’s face blocked his view of the stars.
“This is the best place at this school,” he said.
“Especially since your living space is filled with members of Pack Torin?” Trent asked, sitting down next to the statue.
“It’s not that bad,” Alex told them. He sat up next to Trent. “It just makes me appreciate you guys that much more.”
“All of us?” Kalia’s voice made Alex’s heart turn over.
“All of you,” he said, trying to keep the smile on his face.
His friends took seats around him. Cassie leaned against Tennison’s shoulder near the statue while Terith and Kalia sat facing the others.
“What’s it like being Torin’s Second?” Terith asked.
Alex thought about it for a moment. “Well, I’m getting really good at scrubbing toilets.”
“That’s not what Seconds are for,” Kalia said grumpily. “If you’d waited to be on my pack, I wouldn’t make you do that.”
Alex saw Cassie’s downcast gaze. Knowing Kalia would have chosen him as Second over his sister definitely hurt her feelings. Alex thought quickly for a change of subject. “So, um, everyone ready for football? Sounds like we’re getting serious tomorrow.”
“No one should want to be the quarterback,” Trent pointed out. “He’s the target. It’s like being the elk that’s limping and bleeding. Everyone’s going to be after you.”
“Yeah, that’d be stupid,” Alex said.
Trent’s eyes narrowed at his tone. “Wait. You want to be the quarterback, don’t you?”
Alex shrugged as if it didn’t matter. “I can throw and I’m quick.”
“Tennison’s quick,” Cassie said. “But he doesn’t want to be the quarterback.”
“No way,” her boyfriend replied. “Not happening. I would rather catch than throw, and I’d worry about wolfing-out if I got tackled.”
Alex smiled. “Wolfing-out?”
Tennison nodded seriously. “Think about it. Your instincts are going to kick in with all that adrenaline. Especially if you get rushed and five guys are chasing you down. It’s going to take some real self-control to keep calm in that type of a situation.”
“If anyone finds out this school is a werewolf academy, the Extremists will be here for sure,” Cassie agreed. “Don’t do it, Alex.”
Alex feigned a surprised look. “Who says I’m going to do it?”
“I’ve known you since the day you were born,” his sister said. “You can’t pass up an opportunity to push the limits.”
“And we don’t want you to get into a bad situation,” Kalia said. She set a hand on Alex’s knee. “You could get hurt.”
Alex shifted uncomfortably, but Kalia refused to drop her hand. He met Tennison’s gaze. “You said it’s going to take some real self-control, right?”
Tennison nodded.
“Think about it,” Alex continued. “What happens to Torin in this situation?” He looked at Kalia. “Or Boris? What happens if one of our extremely explosive, highly instinct-driven Alphas becomes the quarterback? If they phase, not only will they give away our secret, but I have no doubt human students will be injured as well.” Alex drew up on his knees and Kalia’s hand slid away. “I want to protect this school. I have self-control, and I think I’ve proven it plenty of times.” He met each of their gazes. The werewolves around him nodded one at a time.
Trent let out a slow breath. “Alex is the only one I would trust out there.”
“Me, too,” Terith agreed.
Cassie finally gave in. “Do what you need to,” she said. “Just be careful.”
“I will,” Alex promised. “First I’ve got to win the position.”
A grin spread across Trent’s face. He unzipped the backpack Alex hadn’t noticed he had been wearing. To his surprise, the small werewolf pulled out a football. “Well, let’s get practicing.”
“You knew it was going to come down to this, didn’t you?” Alex asked, rising.
Trent shrugged. “I’m not your best friend for nothing.”
Alex laughed and caught the ball the werewolf threw to him. “If you’re going to be one of my receivers, you’d better work on those hands.”
Trent’s eyes widened. “You are not getting me onto that field.”
Alex smiled. “Tennison’s got speed and agility, and you’re the smartest werewolf I know. I need you both out there in case something does go wrong.”
Trent sighed. “Fine, but if Torin wins the quarterback position, I quit.”
Alex grinned and threw him the football.
Chapter Sixteen
“Tight spirals aren’t all I’m looking for,” Coach Vance said as he walked down the row of students who had shown up for quarterback tryouts. “You need accuracy, the ability to make snap decisions, and reliability. If your team can’t count on you, I can’t count on you.”
Alex threw the ball and nailed Tennison in the middle of his short route.
“Nice,” Vance commented. “Just watch your werewolf strength. It looks too easy.”
“It needs to look hard?” Boris asked from a few places down the line.
“If you’re throwing the football eighty yards and it looks like you put in the effort of tossing it five, we’re going to have a problem,” the coach explained, his tone dry. “We need realism here. Strength proves nothing. You all have strength. I need someone who can look like a quarterback as well as throw. You might have to pull a few punches once in a while.”
“That makes no sense,” Torin muttered. “Who pulls punches?”
Vance snorted. “It means act. I need you guys to learn how to act. If you take a hit, act like it hurt. If someone hits you, let it throw you off balance like it would a human.”
“Great,” Sid complained. “Not only do we have to learn about them, we have to act like them, too.”
Vance stopped behind the student. The coach’s hulking stature made the huge werewolf look like a tiny kid. “You’re done, Sid. Take a hike.”
“But—”
Vance shook his head. “You should know by now the value of humans. I don’t like your tone and I don’t want you on my team.”
“Good,” Sid snapped. “I didn’t want to be on your stupid football team anyway.”
Coach Vance’s face took on a look of such anger that the students closest to him backed away. Alex didn’t know if Vance would attack Sid for being snide. It took a few seconds for the professor to regain visible control of his emotions.
“Leave, now,” Vance finally barked.
Sid ran across the huge expanse of lawn along the side of the Academy that made up the practice field. Alex doubted the werewolf would stop running until he reached his bedroom.
“The rest of you, throw,” Vance barked.
Tennison completed another route. Alex ran forward a few steps as though he needed it for momentum and threw the ball in a tight spiral. He leaned into the throw even though he could have done it without moving at all.
“You look like a dork,” Boris commented while a few of the others laughed.
“Yeah, we’ll he’s a dork with a job.” Vance gave him a rare smile. “Alex, you’ve got the position until you screw it up and I give it to someone else.”
“Uh, thanks?” Alex replied. With the glares he was receiving from the rest of the werewolves, he wasn’t sure the position was much of an honor.
“The rest of you will be divided into defensive and offensive teams. I expect you to practice on your off time as well as on this field.” Coach Vance gave the group of them a hard look. “We have our first game in a week. Make practice count.”
“One week!” Tren
t squeaked as soon as the professor was out of earshot. “Is he kidding?”
“I don’t think Coach Vance has kidded a day in his life,” Tennison replied.
Alex felt the weight of the team on his shoulders. “Let’s get to work.”
Boris was in front of him in an instant. Kalia’s huge brother had to duck his head to look Alex in the face. He glared. “Just because you’re the quarterback doesn’t mean you get to start giving orders, Stray.”
“Yes, it does.”
Everyone stared at Torin in surprise. The Lifer Alpha crossed his arms. “Alex is our quarterback and my Second. What he says on this field goes.”
It appeared for a moment as though Boris was about to challenge Torin. His jaw clenched so tight it looked like the vein in the side of his neck was going to pop out of his skin. Finally, the huge Alpha took a calming breath. “Fine,” he growled. “But if your Second steps out of line off this field, he gets to answer to me.”
“And me,” Torin replied calmly. He looked at Alex. “Where should we start?”
***
By the time they were done practicing routes and running defensive and offensive drills, the entire team was exhausted.
“I don’t know how we’re going to survive this until the end of December,” Trent said, trailing behind Alex as they made their way to the Great Hall for dinner. “Coach Vance is going to kill us.”
Alex smiled at his friend’s dramatic statement. “If it doesn’t kill us, it’ll make us stronger.”
Trent rolled his eyes. “Is that seriously your motto? No wonder you do so many stupid things.”
Alex shrugged. “I’m not dead yet.”
“Say it much louder and Boris will help you with that,” Tennison said.
Warmth filled Alex at the sight of the girls of his pack sitting around the table. Cassie smiled up at him and Tennison while Terith made room for her brother. Even Kalia looked happy to see him. Alex had almost reached them when he realized he was heading toward the wrong pack.
“Uh, take care,” Alex told Trent.
“You, too,” the Lifer said with a sad smile. “Wish you were joining us.”
Alex was about to reply when he realized that Torin had come up behind him.
“How are those toilets?” the Alpha asked.
Alex gritted his teeth and walked silently to Pack Torin’s table. He spent the meal moving the alfredo pasta around his plate without much of an appetite. The only improvement to the evening was when he saw Jordan stop Trent near the garbage can.
“Want to go for a walk tonight?” she asked.
Trent grinned as his face turned red. “Yeah, sure. That sounds great. I mean, that sounds more than great. It’s a great night for a walk, and I think we’d have a great time.”
Jordan looked like she was fighting back a laugh. “Okay. I’ll meet you by the gate.”
Trent practically ran to Alex. “She asked me to walk with her!” he said breathlessly.
“Yeah, I think the entire Great Hall heard you say the word ‘great’ a billion times,” Alex replied, smiling back.
Trent grinned. “I guess I was a bit nervous, but it worked!”
“Good job. I’m happy for you,” Alex said sincerely.
Trent was about to walk away, then paused. “Any idea where I should take her?”
Alex thought about his own walk with Siale. “How about the cliff above the lake? It’s a great place to talk.”
Trent nodded quickly. “Good thinking. Thanks.”
“Anytime,” Alex told him.
He watched the werewolf leave with a feeling of happiness.
“Do you always smile like an idiot after talking to that nerd?” Torin asked.
Alex made sure his face was expressionless when he turned to the Alpha. “I’m just glad things are going his way.”
Torin shook his head. “I don’t know why you associate with them. They’re weird.”
“If they’re weird, than I’m weird,” Alex replied.
Torin studied him for a moment, then shook his head. “I don’t understand you. Go scrub the toilets.”
Alex sighed and rose from the table.
He was emptying his tray in the garbage when he heard Torin speak again. It was easy to pick out the Alpha’s deep, grating voice through the crowd of students eating their dinner. Alex paused, listening.
“So, uh, don’t you think it’s lame we have to compete against humans?”
“I think it could be interesting.”
Alex was surprised to hear Kalia answer. He glanced over his shoulder.
“Interesting?” Torin’s expression was one of disgust.
“Yes,” Kalia replied. “A true test to see whether werewolf students could pass for human students.”
Torin’s mouth twisted at the idea. “Why act like something inferior?”
Kalia huffed a breath of frustration. “Look, Torin. I thought I was human for most of my life. It’s not that bad.”
Torin rolled his eyes, not bothering to hide his contempt. “At least now you’re one of us. You don’t have to worry about being one of them anymore.”
Kalia’s grip on her empty tray was so tight her knuckles were white. Alex wondered why she bothered talking to the Alpha at all. “Don’t you think maybe you’re a little biased?”
Torin shrugged, clearly enjoying himself. “What’s biased about being glad I’m a member of the dominant species? I just don’t appreciate having to hide my heritage in order to raise a few bucks for the school, that’s all. Especially when students like you could afford to pay a bit more for tuition.”
Kalia shook her head and stormed away from him. She slammed the tray down on the pile near Alex and stalked past him without saying a word.
Torin spotted Alex and rose. Alex regretted not leaving when he had the chance. He couldn’t imagine what the Alpha would do after Alex’s advice to have a normal conversation with Kalia had imploded so completely.
“Did you see that?” Torin demanded.
“Yeah,” Alex replied. “I’m sorry—”
“Me, too,” Torin said. “Sorry that I didn’t try having a conversation with her sooner. It went wonderfully, don’t you think?”
“I, uh...” Alex groped for words.
“I was quite the charmer.” Torin gave a huge smile, which was a terrifying, unnatural sight. “I’ll give her a break for the rest of the night before we have another conversation.” He winked. “I wouldn’t want to lay on the Torin Westwood charm too thick. She’d never have a chance.”
Alex couldn’t help but stare. “Yeah, you wouldn’t want to do that.”
Torin nodded, satisfied. “You give good advice.” He looked back at their table, studying the students still eating around it. “Hey, Matt.”
Matt’s head jerked up. His eyes widened at the sight of the Alpha talking to him. “Y-yes, Torin?”
“You’ve got toilet duty tonight.”
Matt looked extremely relieved that toilets were the Alpha’s only request. “Y-yes, Torin. I’ll get them done, Torin.”
Torin turned back to Alex. “You’re off duty for good advice.”
“Glad to hear it,” Alex replied. He shook his head as he walked down the hall, wondering where on earth he had gone wrong.
“What was that?”
The sound of Kalia’s frustration turned Alex in his tracks.
“What was what?”
She closed the distance between them. “You know what, Alex. I saw you listening. What was your Alpha up to?”
Alex stifled a sigh. “He was trying to have a normal conversation with you.”
“That was normal?” Kalia replied with an incredulous laugh. “Insulting my parents and all of the other humans I grew up with?”
Alex shrugged. “At least he’s trying to make an effort.”
“An effort for what?” Kalia asked.
Alex clenched and unclenched his fists, trying to figure out how to break it to her. “Torin’s convinced you’re
his one, and that if you’ll give him a chance, you’ll realize it, too.”
“That’s ridiculous,” Kalia replied with a small laugh. When she realized Alex was completely serious, she stared at him. “You’re not kidding.”
Alex shook his head. “Afraid not.”
Kalia leaned against the wall. “Torin thinks I’m his one.” Saying the words aloud made her eyes widen. “Torin, bully and Alpha of the Lifers, thinks I, the girl he just accused of paying too little for tuition, am the one he’s to be with for the rest of his life? Is he insane?”
“Probably.”
Kalia glared at him. “Now’s not the time for jokes, Alex.”
Alex decided it wasn’t the time to point out that he wasn’t joking. He rubbed the back of his neck. “Well, maybe you should give him a chance,” he suggested.
Kalia’s eyes tightened the way they did when she was about to fly off the handle.
Alex held up a hand. “Hear me out. You give him a chance, then let him know you just didn’t feel it.”
Kalia stared at the wall across from him. She was silent for so long, Alex tried to figure out where he had gone wrong in his advice. He didn’t know why everyone seemed to be seeking him out for his opinion; it didn’t appear to work out well.
“That’s what you did.”
Kalia’s tone as much as her words gripped Alex’s heart. He closed his eyes for a moment. When he opened them again and looked at her, he couldn’t deny the pain he saw there. “Yes, it is,” he admitted. “I had to tell you the truth. I couldn’t keep drawing things on. It wouldn’t have been fair to you.”
Kalia turned away from him without a word.
“Kalia, wait,” Alex said. He jogged to catch up to her.
She turned on him with the speed of a striking snake. “Leave me alone, Alex, and stop playing matchmaker with my life. If I’m not for you, then I’d rather not be for anyone.”
She left him standing in the hall feeling as though whatever he did in regards to her was destined to be doomed.
Chapter Seventeen
“Just relax and remember that you’ve got to keep a tight hold on your wolf side here,” Coach Vance told them.