by Cheree Alsop
“So you would have risked the team?”
Jaze replied with a question. “Why was the team there?”
“To stop Drogan,” Alex replied. “But I had a feeling when I saw the bomb…”
Jaze nodded. “Sometimes instinct can be the hardest battle we face. Instinct can save us, but it also makes us cautious.” He waved a hand to indicate the Academy. “It was against my instincts to create a place like this with bricks and walls. Trust me, calling together all the werewolf youth to one school wasn’t exactly the best act of preserving our race, if you know what I mean.”
“It’s almost been the end of us a few times,” Alex replied. “But it saved us, too.”
“It did?” Jaze asked. He watched Alex as if curious what his answer would be.
Alex nodded. “If werewolves stayed in hiding, with our packs destroyed and living out our lives like desperate criminals, the race would be as good as gone anyway. What kind of a life is that? You and Nikki built something special here.” His voice trailed away at the mention of her name.
Jaze closed his eyes. He squeezed them. “And now I’m losing her. Her body refuses to heal…” His voice cracked and he stopped talking.
Alex put an arm around the dean. He thought of how many times Jaze had comforted him the same way. When he lost his parents and Jet, and then losing Kalia, and almost Siale, he had always known Jaze was there if he needed someone to sit in silence with.
“I’m not me without her,” Jaze said in a voice just above a whisper. He bowed his head, his elbows on his knees and his face hidden in his hands. “She’s the reason my heart beats. I don’t even know where I end and she begins anymore.”
Alex didn’t know what to say to fight against Jaze’s agony. He swallowed and went with, “How is your little girl.”
Jaze was quiet for a moment. He took a shuddering breath. “She’s perfect. Your mother says she’s eating like a champion.”
“What will you name her?”
Jaze let out another breath. “Nikki chose the name Vicki Megan Carso, after our mothers. I wanted to change it around, but she said…” He paused as if the words were too painful to continue. After a moment, he said, “This school had always been a dream of my mother’s, a place where werewolf children could be safe, fed, and educated. She said she wanted to thank my mom for bringing all of us together.”
Alex gave a small smile. “I like the name Vicki.”
“Me, too,” Jaze replied with tears in his eyes.
Alex leaned against the dean. “No matter what happens, we’re family, Jaze. Don’t forget that, and don’t stop fighting.”
Jaze looked at him. “That’s what I’m supposed to say to you.”
Alex nodded. “That’s why I’m here to say it to you. Jet wouldn’t want you to give in. Nikki’s still here. We can hope, at least.”
Jaze’s gaze wandered to the statue lit by the golden morning sunshine. “Yes, we can,” he agreed quietly.
About an hour later, the door opened behind them.
“You are a horrible assistant,” Mr. O’Hare berated from the top step.
Before Alex could apologize for not checking in, Jaze stood so fast the human backed up and nearly tripped on the top step.
“Do I understand correctly that you brought one of my students knowingly into a dangerous situation with your colleagues?” he demanded.
Alex stared at the dean. He didn’t know who had told Jaze what happened, but the anger that sparked in the dean’s eyes made him glad it was directed at someone else.
“I, uh, perhaps,” Mr. O’Hare stumbled over his words. “There was a situation, but I couldn’t possibly have foreseen—”
“You endangered a student,” Jaze replied with such vehemence even the stalwart Mr. O’Hare dropped his gaze. “Isn’t that entirely against what you stand for? You’re here to see that our level of education meets the standards set by the Board of Education, and yet you knowingly and willingly placed one of our children in danger. How dare you question what I do here if your intention is to look the other way when prejudice threatens the security of the very students you swear to champion?”
Alex knew Jaze’s pent-up worry and frustration about Nikki’s situation was fueling his attack on the Board representative. As much as he enjoyed seeing Mr. O’Hare get what he deserved, Alex didn’t know how far Jaze would go.
The dean continued, “I don’t know why I agreed to allow your sniveling, backstabbing ways into our school. Perhaps I hoped it would help our cause to allow these students the chance at a real life, but you’ve destroyed that, haven’t you? The fact that your colleagues would readily attack one of our own who is still just a child shows how very far we are from that, doesn’t it?”
The dean’s hands clenched into fists and he took a step forward. Mr. O’Hare cowered against the door with his hands raised.
Alex set a hand on Jaze’s arm. “Jaze, it’s alright.”
The dean spun to face him. “It’s not alright, Alex! How are werewolves able to hope for a normal life when even the government officials who are supposed to be neutral are fighting against us?”
“They’ll learn,” Alex replied. “They’ll have to.” His gaze met Mr. O’Hare’s. “I could have killed those men, but I didn’t. They were the ones who lost even though they didn’t have a bruise on them.”
“But they don’t learn,” Jaze said. His body shook with the exhaustion of waiting every minute by Nikki’s side in fear that she would breathe her last breath. The dean and his wife had accomplished so much, now he was on the verge of losing her. “Nobody learns because prejudice is blinding.”
“We’re fighting it,” Alex replied. “Mr. O’Hare being here is a step toward overcoming prejudice.” He looked at the Board member. “If we can just get humans to see that we all want the same goals, perhaps we can overcome this.”
“But he set you up,” Jaze said.
“It was unintentional, for the most part,” Alex replied.
Jaze’s eyes narrowed. “You believe that?”
Alex nodded. “I do, and I’m glad I was there. If I hadn’t been, they may have gone after Mr. O’Hare. I’d rather it be me.”
That took some of the fight from the dean’s gaze. “You’re reckless.”
Alex shrugged. “But you’re the one who assigned me to him.”
Jaze gave a reluctant chuckle. “That’s because I’m reckless, too.”
“You need some sleep,” Alex told the dean.
“I told Nikki I’d watch the sunrise for her,” Jaze replied. “It’s important to her.” He sat back down, his tired gaze on the horizon.
Alex tipped his head at Mr. O’Hare to indicate that he should go back inside. The human opened the door and slipped into the school.
Alex sat down next to Jaze. Silence filled the space between them. Alex could feel the wall of sorrow that surrounded the dean.
“She asked me to remember her as she was,” Jaze admitted quietly. “She asked me to watch the sunrise for her, and she hoped I would see her in it and remember the way we were.” His voice broke when he said, “She said goodbye.”
Alex stared at Jaze. “She did?” His eyes filled with tears. Jaze had known, and yet he let Alex have hope.
The door opened behind them. When Alex heard Meredith’s steps, he knew.
“Jaze?”
Jaze nodded without looking back. His tears reflected the gold and rose hues of the sun spilling beyond the walls.
“I’m so sorry,” Meredith said.
Jaze leaned his head on Alex’s shoulder. Alex knew that the pain he had felt when he lost Kalia was multiplied a hundred times in the dean’s heart. He ached for Jaze and sat beside him until the sun was high in the sky. Alex knew the professors kept the students from going outside so the dean could have some peace.
Near noon, the door slid open again.
“Somebody wants her daddy,” Siale said. “Cassie has little William.”
Alex looked back to see
his fiancé carrying Vicky wrapped in a pink and white blanket. The baby’s face was red and eyes closed tight as she cried. Siale wordlessly settled the baby in her father’s arms. Jaze stared down at the little face. The baby stared up at him and stopped crying.
“See,” Siale said with a smile of satisfaction. “She’s refused to calm down for anyone. She needs you.” She blinked back tears and stepped around to Alex.
Without a word, Siale gave him a tight hug. Alex held her and felt a touch of relief from the sorrow of losing Nikki. He felt as though he could breathe again, and realized how much he had missed just being with Siale. Sharing their pain helped to ease it.
“How’s your leg?” she asked quietly.
“Healing,” Alex replied. “Jericho is a surprisingly efficient nurse.”
She gave a small smile. “I’ll tell him that.”
“I miss you,” he leaned close and whispered so Jaze wouldn’t hear.
“I miss you, too,” she told him. “But I’m glad you’re here with Jaze.”
Alex nodded. “Let me know when I can help.”
She knew he meant with Nikki. The tears showed in her eyes when she gave him a smile of gratitude. “I will.”
“She’s strong.”
They both looked down at Jaze. The baby was staring up at him and she held his pinky with her tiny hand.
“Just like her daddy,” Siale said.
Jaze closed his eyes and put his forehead gently against the little girl’s. “I’ll take care of you,” he whispered. “Your mom won’t have any reason to worry. I’ll make sure you’re safe.” A shuddering breath escaped him and a tear rolled down his cheek to land on the baby’s. He wiped it away softly with his finger. “Your mom will watch over us, I promise.”
Siale slipped her hand into Alex’s. She looked like she wanted to cry, but she held it back. Alex squeezed her fingers, using her strength to keep him strong as well.
Vicki gave a little cry.
“Is she hungry?” Jaze asked, looking up at Siale.
She nodded. “Probably. Meredith said she ate about an hour ago, but she’s got quite the appetite.”
“That’s my girl,” Jaze replied. He pushed up to his feet.
Alex held open the door.
Jaze hesitated on the landing. He looked back at the courtyard, then up at the Academy as if entering took more strength than he chose to let show. Jaze’s shoulders rose with the breath he took; he carried his infant daughter in his arms into the school.
Chapter Fifteen
“Where are you going?” Alex leaned against the door to Mr. O’Hare’s office and watched the man pack his notebooks away in a box.
“I’m done here,” the man replied without looking up.
Alex’s chest tightened. “If you’re leaving because of Jaze, you’ve got to know that he never really would’ve hurt you. He was just lost because—”
“I know,” Mr. O’Hare replied, cutting him off without looking at him. “He lost his wife. He deserves to mourn. That’s not why I’m leaving.”
Alex took a step into the room. He made himself ask, “So you’re done here?”
Mr. O’Hare nodded.
Alex pushed down his apprehension and asked, “What will you report? Are you going to shut down the Academy?”
Mr. O’Hare’s movements slowed. He stared down at the book he had just placed in the box. His right hand brushed across one of the cardboard flaps. Alex could hear the minute friction of his fingers against the small fibers that made up the box.
“No.”
The man’s admission came out harsh as though he didn’t want to admit it.
Alex knew Mr. O’Hare had been given plenty of reasons to shut the Academy down. It was obvious Alex was involved in dangerous missions with the professors outside of school, Mr. O’Hare had almost been attacked by a bear, the simplest of searching would reveal that the previous terms’ curriculums contained classes that wouldn’t fit into the Board of Education’s guidelines, and he had almost been attacked by the dean.
Alex let out a slow breath. “Why not?”
Mr. O’Hare glanced at him but didn’t appear to see him. The man blinked, then rubbed his eyes wearily beneath his glasses.
“Jaze was right.”
Alex watched the human quietly but didn’t press.
His patience was rewarded when the man said, “Your dean was right when he said I placed you in danger.”
“It’s not like—”
Mr. O’Hare cut off Alex’s refute that he could handle himself and said, “I’m supposed to be an unbiased representative from the nation to determine whether or not this school meets the guidelines for educating the youth. Instead, I knowingly endangered a student.”
When Alex tried to protest that Mr. O’Hare hadn’t known, the man met his gaze with a steely expression. “Why do you think I asked you along? I knowingly put you in danger. You’re a kid.”
“I’m the Demon,” Alex replied.
Whatever Mr. O’Hare was about to stay was stopped and the man stared at Alex. “What?” he finally asked.
Alex crossed his arms. “You knew who I was when you arrived here. You hated me before I even had a chance to say hello. You knew what I was. Taking the Demon as a bodyguard isn’t putting a student in danger; instead, you endangered your coworkers.”
“You’re a kid,” Mr. O’Hare repeated, but with less conviction.
Alex shook his head. “I stopped being a kid the day my parents were murdered in front of me. I’m the Demon of Greyton, the devil, Drogan’s half-brother. Whatever you want to call me, the fact remains the same. It wasn’t my life on the line when we went to your office. Don’t carry the guilt from the prejudice of your coworkers. You get credit for even daring to come to the Werewolf Academy. I can’t imagine how scary that must have been.”
Mr. O’Hare watched Alex with an unreadable expression. He finally said, “You really aren’t a child, are you?”
Alex shook his head. “There’s a reason I run missions with Jaze to save werewolves and stop Drogan.”
Mr. O’Hare allowed a ghost of a smile to cross his lips. “You’re not keeping any secrets.”
Alex gave a shrug. “You chose to come here without fully understanding what you were getting yourself into. I respect bravery.”
Mr. O’Hare shook his head and placed another book in the box. “All the same, I’m leaving. And no.” He looked at Alex. “I won’t be shutting down your school.”
Alex felt as if a huge weight had been taken off his shoulders. He held out a hand. “Thank you, Mr. O’Hare.”
The man stopped him with a look. “Don’t mistake my words as friendship, Mr. Davies. I still can’t stand werewolves. Your dean is right. There are many huge hurdles for you yet to overcome if humans and werewolves are going to get along. I, for one, can’t imagine sharing a bus with your kind, let alone approve of you in our schools as equal citizens.”
Alex felt like he had been punched in the stomach. He watched the man carefully pack the last of his belongings, then sit at the desk again. Alex left him making notes in one of his infuriating little notebooks.
“Are you okay?”
Trent’s voice jolted Alex out of the daze in which he wandered down the hall.
“Uh, yeah,” Alex said, though he couldn’t put much conviction into his words.
Trent’s eyes narrowed suspiciously. “I don’t believe you.”
“That’s because you know me too well,” Alex replied.
“I was looking for you,” Trent told him. “Come on.”
Alex followed his friend without question. His mind was still on Mr. O’Hare when he realized they had arrived at Alex’s quarters. Trent pushed open the door.
“Oh, good, you found him!” Terith said.
“About time,” Von echoed. “We almost left without you.”
“Left where?” Alex asked. He realized everyone was holding guns with canisters on the top. “Are those paintball guns?”
Alex didn’t know what to say. It was the last thing he had been expecting to do considering all that had happened.
Siale knew him well enough to read how he was feeling no matter how hard he tried to keep his face expressionless.
“Give us a minute?” she asked the others.
“Definitely,” Tennison told her. “We’ll meet you guys by the back wall. Come on.”
Alex watched the pack that had adopted him trail out after Trent and Tennison.
“I’m still not quite sure why they’re staying here,” he said when Jordan closed the door behind her.
Siale gave him a fond smile. “That’s why I love you.”
“You love me?” Alex repeated as if surprised by the fact.
She laughed. “Of course I love you.” She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him. “Why else do you think I’m marrying you?”
Alex stared at her. “We’re engaged?” he asked with mock shock.
She smiled up at him. “I knew there was a reason I felt like the happiest girl in the world.”
Alex ran his hands down her arms that were still wrapped around his neck. He couldn’t believe his good fortunate that he had her. The thought of anything taking her away was too painful to even think about, though that was exactly what Jaze was going through. His smile faltered.
“I know,” Siale said softly. Her own smile faded. “I know. I miss her, too.”
“I don’t think I can go out and pretend like nothing has happened,” Alex said, his throat tight.
“That’s not what we’re going to do,” Siale replied. “With losing Nikki and all the emotions in the Academy, the school feels like it’s closing in on us. Everyone says they’re about to explode. Jericho felt it was time to let off a little steam.”
Alex nodded. “He’s a good Alpha.”
Siale put a hand on his cheek. “You are, too. Come do this with us and help your pack wind down a bit, alright?”
Alex couldn’t deny her anything when she looked at him like that. “Alright.”