by Cheree Alsop
Siale sat up and looked at him. “You gave me my life, Alex. I can’t wait to spend it with you.”
“You’ve become what I live for,” he replied, smiling down at her. “You are worth every breath.”
Tears showed in her eyes. She leaned her head against him again. “I’m already dreading going up to Pack Jericho’s quarters without you.”
“Don’t worry,” he told her. “Everything’s going to work out.”
“I know.” She paused, then said, “Because nobody’s stupid enough to get between a werewolf and the boy she loves.”
Alex chuckled and she laughed. He pulled her close and together they watched Orion travel across the sky.
Chapter Twenty-eight
When he awoke, it took Alex a minute to remember where he was. The smells were different, dust and the faintest scent of lemon lingered as though it had been a while since the place had been cleaned. The couch he slept on felt unfamiliar and lumpy. He opened his eyes and glanced around the room. A wry smile crossed his face.
All of the packs had their own quarters at the Academy. In planning for expansion, other rooms had been built so that the Academy could accommodate nearly double the number it already housed. Without a pack, Alex had found his belongings later that night moved from the bedroom in Pack Jericho’s quarters where he had slept the night before and left at the end of the hallway.
Unsure what else to do, Alex had made his way to an empty hallway and taken the first set of rooms on the left. He tried all the bedrooms, but the first room was usually reserved for an Alpha, and the next for the Second. Being neither of these, Alex couldn’t bring himself to settle for one of the rooms further down the hall. Instead, he fell asleep on the couch in the commons room with his stuff still in the duffle bag on the floor.
“It’s not horrible,” Alex said aloud. He paused, then concluded, “Except now I’m talking to myself.”
Determined to make the most of the situation, Alex showered and wandered through the empty quarters, stalling until it was time for breakfast. He made his way down the hall and caught up with the throng of students hurrying downstairs toward the scent of waffles, cheesy scrambled eggs, and Cook Jerald’s famous marmalade.
“Alex!” Siale called.
The sound of her familiar voice warmed Alex’s heart. He turned in time to catch her when she ran down the stairs. Laughing at her enthusiasm, he stumbled back against the banister and received a kiss.
“I’ve missed you,” she exclaimed.
“I’ve missed you, too,” he told her. “Seeing you made my day about a hundred percent better.”
“I’m glad,” she said. She slipped her hand into his. “Let’s go eat.”
“I’m not sure I’m allowed to eat with you,” Alex replied, letting her pull him down the stairs.
Siale smiled up at him, her gray eyes bright in the morning sunlight that spilled through the windows of the entryway. “I’ve already cleared it with Jericho. He says you can be our pet.”
“Pet?” Alex sputtered.
“Don’t worry.” A hand fell on his shoulder. Alex glanced back to see Jericho. “We’ll make sure you have food and water like any good pet.” He led the way into the Great Hall.
Alex laughed. “You guys are ridiculous.”
“You can have treats,” Trent said, coming up behind Jericho, his Alpha, when they stopped in the line for food. “But only if you’re good.”
“Then he’s not going to have any,” Jordan told them. She grinned at Alex, her spikey red hair skewed from the night’s sleep. “Maybe we should reward you for bad behavior instead.”
“That’s not a bad idea,” Alex replied, feeling immensely happy by the ridiculousness of their teasing. “Unless I get fat.”
“I’d still love you,” Siale told him. “You’d still be cute.”
“So you only love me for my looks?” Alex queried.
Siale’s smile deepened. “Oh no! You know my secret. It’s your eyes, so dark and mysterious, like the depths of the ever-changing ocean. What are you thinking, Alex Davies?” she asked teasingly.
He took a step closer to her and lowered his voice. “That I need to kiss you so much right now it’s the only thing I can think about.”
Her eyes widened.
“Oh man,” Trent said, stepping between them. “You’ll get suspension for too much public affection in school. You know that’s not allowed.”
Alex blinked, Siale’s hold on him broken. He smiled. “Don’t worry. I have some constraint.”
“I don’t believe that for a moment,” Trent replied.
Alex chuckled. “Maybe you know me too well.”
His friend laughed. “I’ve been telling you that for years.”
Alex took Siale’s hand again and walked with her through the food line. It felt so good to have her at his side after the crazy Choosing Ceremony and the night alone in the strange quarters. He smiled at the sight of the engagement ring on her finger. He wouldn’t have to last without her much longer.
“Thank you,” Alex told Cook Jerald when she handed him a tray laden with waffles and cheesy eggs.
“We missed you over the summer,” she replied. She winked. “We had way too much quiche after you left.”
Guilt filled him at the egg and cheese pie he and Cassie had snuck before they left to Red’s.
“Sorry about that,” he apologized.
She shrugged and scooped a spoonful of eggs onto Siale’s plate. “If you had asked, I would’ve told you it was a month old and should have been thrown out.”
Alex sputtered. “We ate the whole thing!”
“Seriously, Alex?” Cassie said from behind him. “You’ve got to learn when someone’s pulling your leg.”
She and Cook Jerald broke out laughing.
“It was fresh,” the cook amended with a grin. “And worth losing to see your expression!”
“It was the best month old quiche I’ve ever had,” he replied with a laugh. “Thank you.”
Pack Jericho insisted that he join them at their table. Feeling the glances of the other werewolves around the room, Alex took a seat between Siale and Cassie. He proceeded to pile the eggs on his waffles and took a bite of the sandwich. A glance down the table showed nearly everyone in Pack Jericho doing the same. Alex held back a smile at the thought that he had at least left a small mark on the pack.
Jaze walked through the lunchroom with Nikki beside him. Little William held his father’s fingers as the dean carried a tray in his other hand. Alex focused on their conversation.
“I just don’t think any college, no matter how obscure, will be open to the idea of werewolves within their student body,” Professor Mouse was saying from behind them. “Every dean I’ve called hangs up before I say two sentences. They’re afraid.”
“We can’t blame them,” Nyra said from Mouse’s side. “Tolerance is difficult to achieve, especially when fear is involved.”
“But we can’t let our students graduate from here with no prospects for the future,” Nikki replied, setting her tray on the far table the professors used when they ate together in the lunchroom instead of in their separate quarters.
Gem smiled at little William and he scooted over to sit by the green haired werewolf.
Alex thought of his conversation with Flynn after their first game of football on the beach.
“I’ll be right back,” he told Siale.
He jogged over to the professors’ table.
“Good morning, Alex,” Jaze said with a warm smile. “Is it good to be back?”
“It’s great,” Alex told him honestly. “Though a bit different.”
Jaze nodded knowingly. “Being different takes courage, and you’ve got no shortage of that.”
“That’s why I’m here,” Alex said. He glanced at Professor Mouse. “I overheard your conversation about colleges.”
“You don’t have to worry about it,” Nikki told him. “We’ll figure something out.”
“I
t’s already figured out,” Alex replied. At their curious expressions, he said, “Someone I met while at Red’s told me that college applications don’t ask whether you’re a werewolf or not. I feel like that’s a sign. We can go to college without getting clearance for our race. We have names, addresses, and grades. As long as we can transfer our diplomas, nothing else should matter.”
Nyra gave him an understanding smile. “We wish it didn’t, but it does. It’s too dangerous for you there if you have to hide your nature.”
Alex shook his head. “Hiding what we are doesn’t help anyone.”
“What are you saying?” Jaze asked. There was a hint of steel in his gaze as if he had already guessed.
“We don’t need to hide anymore. The best thing we can do is to let the nation know we exist just as they do, students and professors who are trying to make the world a better place in which to live. Tolerance is there, but it has to start with us.”
Alex watched Jaze closely. Something flickered in the dean’s eyes. Alex’s chest tightened when he realized the emotion Jaze tried to suppress was fear.
“It’s not safe,” the dean said. “We can’t protect our students beyond these walls, and if the Academy is known for what it is, they’ll tear it down around us.”
“They won’t,” Alex replied. “They can’t. They’ve seen what we can do.” He hesitated, then said, “They’ve seen what I can do. They know we exist. We can pretend to be ghosts, telling ourselves that wolves can live happily behind walls, or we can embrace our heritage and be strong enough to live outside of them.”
Jaze shook his head. “We’re not ready.”
Alex met his gaze. “You might not be ready, but we are.”
He realized that silence had fallen over the lunchroom.
Jaze rose to his feet. “Alex, you’re in over your head. We can’t protect our students if we make them a target.”
“We’ve been targets our whole lives,” Alex replied. “The only way to take the gun away is to force the world to accept that we deserve to exist.”
“I’ve tried,” Jaze replied, his tone heartbroken. “It doesn’t work like that.”
“It does,” Alex told him firmly.
“Alex,” Siale said his name quietly and touched his arm.
Alex kept his gaze on Jaze. “It’s time, Jaze. We need to reveal the Academy to the world. They might not have accepted werewolves years ago, but we’ve shown them that we’ll put our lives on the line to defend humans. We sacrificed to save Greyton and the hospital. We made ourselves targets for the curs to help end their threat. We gave the humans their lives back. Now is the time to ask the nation to return the favor.”
“I won’t let you risk this Academy,” Jaze said, his voice laced with steel.
“Then I’ll fight you for it.”
Gasps spread across the Great Hall at Alex’s challenge.
“What?” the dean asked.
Alex’s heart thundered in his chest. He kept his focus on Jaze. “I challenge you for the right to reveal the Academy to the world.”
“It doesn’t work like that,” Jaze began.
Alex motioned toward the student body. “You taught us that rank duels separate those who lead from werewolves too weak to be the leader. I am ready to lead, Dean. I challenge you for that right.”
Jaze’s gaze traveled around the room, then back to Alex.
“Fine. I accept your challenge,” he said shortly.
The dean’s jaw clenched and his right knee bent slightly. With an outlet of breath, Jaze threw the first punch.
The Werewolf Academy Series
Book 7- Chosen
By Cheree Alsop
Chapter One
Alex felt every eye in the Great Hall on him. The sounds of breakfast had vanished. If he was a lone wolf before, he was truly by himself now.
“What are you saying?” Jaze asked. There was a hint of steel in the dean’s voice as if he had already guessed the direction of Alex’s thoughts.
Alex took a steeling breath and let it out. “We don’t need to hide anymore. The best thing we can do is to let the nation know we exist just like they do, students and professors who are trying to make the world a better place in which to live. Tolerance is there, but it has to start with us.”
“It’s not safe,” Dean Jaze said. “We can’t protect our students beyond these walls, and if the Academy is known for what it is, they’ll tear it down around us.”
Alex watched Jaze closely. Something flickered in the dean’s eyes. Alex’s chest tightened when he realized the emotion Jaze tried to suppress was fear. Jaze had seen so much death and destruction when he revealed werewolves to the world the first time, the dean was afraid for his students. That was why he had worked to hide them for so long. He didn’t dare risk the werewolves who looked to him for protection.
“They won’t,” Alex replied. “They can’t. They’ve seen what we can do.” He hesitated, then said, “They’ve seen what I can do. They know we exist. We can pretend to be ghosts, telling ourselves that wolves can live happily behind walls, or we can embrace our heritage and be strong enough to live outside of them.”
Jaze shook his head. “We’re not ready.”
Alex met his gaze. “You might not be ready, but we are.”
The students and professors around the cafeteria were completely silent. Not even so much as a fork scraped against a tray. They had the Academy’s complete attention.
Jaze rose to his feet. “Alex, you’re in over your head. We can’t protect our students if we make them a target.”
“We’ve been targets our whole lives,” Alex replied without stepping back. “The only way to take the gun away is to force the world to accept that we deserve to exist.”
“I’ve tried,” Jaze replied, his tone heartbroken. “It doesn’t work like that.”
“It does,” Alex told him firmly.
“Alex.” Siale said her fiancé’s name quietly and touched his arm.
Alex kept his gaze on the dean. “It’s time, Jaze. We need to reveal the Academy to the world. They might not have accepted werewolves years ago, but we’ve shown them that we’ll put our lives on the line to defend humans. We sacrificed to save Greyton and the hospital. We made ourselves targets for the curs to help end their threat. We gave the humans their lives back. Now is the time to ask the nation to return the favor.”
“I won’t let you risk this Academy,” Jaze said, his voice laced with steel.
“Then I’ll fight you for it.”
Gasps spread across the Great Hall at Alex’s challenge. A shiver ran down his spine at the enormity of his actions.
“What?” the dean asked.
Alex’s heart thundered in his chest. He kept his focus on Jaze. “I challenge you for the right to reveal the Academy to the world.”
“It doesn’t work like that,” Jaze began.
Alex cut him off with a motion toward the student body. “You taught us that rank duels separate those who lead from werewolves too weak to be the leader. I am ready to lead, Dean. I challenge you for that right.”
Jaze’s gaze traveled around the room, then back to Alex.
“Fine. I accept your challenge,” he said shortly.
The dean’s jaw clenched and his right knee bent slightly. With an outlet of breath, Jaze threw the first punch.
Alex ducked and answered with a jab. Jaze dodged the attempted hit to his ribs and threw a fast uppercut that connected with Alex’s jaw. Alex staggered back a few steps. The pain cleared everything else away. Alex was no longer fighting the werewolf who had been a father figure for most of his life. He wasn’t attacking the dean under the gaze of every student and professor at the Academy. He wasn’t the lone wolf student fighting to find his place in a life that kept shaking him from his feet.
With the blow to his jaw, Alex’s instincts took over. His wolven need to defend himself fused with the human side that had practiced for hours upon hours until blocks and punches came from muscl
e memory and Jaze was just another attacker intent on keeping him from his goal. To Alex, instead of the crazy world of tangled grays he tried to wade through, the fight was tangible, black and white. He would win or die, because that was the way he had always fought.
Alex threw punches and blocked, kicking and spinning out of the way of the dean’s answering blows. Jaze was unlike any fighter he had ever come across. Instead of defending and attacking as though he had been trained to do so, the dean’s movements appeared so natural it was as if he had been born to fight.
When Jaze crouched, Alex saw his brother Jet in the way the dean’s feet moved into the perfect defensive stance. When Jaze lashed out with a fist and brushed away Alex’s answering chop with a two-handed block that sent Alex into one of the nearby tables, he could almost see Jet within the lines of Jaze’s movements. He felt as though he wasn’t fighting Jaze, he was fighting his older brother.
Alex spun to the left and threw a punch that glanced off Jaze’s shoulder. The dean turned with the hit and slammed a fist into Alex’s chest so hard the ribs gave. Alex staggered back a few feet. He should have seen the blow coming.
The Demon surged at the pain, but Alex forced it down. The fight was between him and Jaze. Freeing the Demon was against the way of the wolf. If he couldn’t beat Jaze himself, he didn’t deserve to win.
Yet his memories of Jet merged with those of Jaze. Instead of the dean, his older brother stood in front of him. The dean’s brown eyes changed to dark blue, and his blonde hair to black. When Jaze threw a punch, Jet’s fist connected with Alex’s chest and then stomach. Alex staggered back, his head spinning.
Two punches to the face made Alex see spots. He tasted blood. The dean was faster than any werewolf he had ever fought. Jaze didn’t become the recognized Alpha leader of werewolves for nothing; he had earned it with every blow and scar. Despite the years Alex had trained, he couldn’t match the dean. Jaze had him beat.