by Holly Hook
Mr. Saffron snatches his clipboard once we're standing in the auditorium. He's not wasting time. Maybe he knows things aren't right, too, or suspects it after the falling tree and the beam. “Cayden,” he says. “Your replacement fled town yesterday, so as much as I'm not happy about having someone unreliable back--”
“I know I've been unreliable,” Cayden says. “You don't have to—never mind.”
“You are King Oberon again,” he says. “Your performance was great tonight. I'm surprised you remembered all the lines. It must be magic.”
“Thank you,” Cayden says.
“We need to go soon,” I say. The uneasy feeling remains. No one else is here other than us. Listening to the rest of the school reveals that no one else is on this side of the building. There are no basketball games tonight. The janitor, if they're here, is on the other side of the building or even outside. Things are too quiet.
And if Jansen wasn't the guilty party—
Mr. Saffron grips a chair. “Cayden, Brie, you...you need to leave now.”
Our teacher looks up at us.
And for the first time, I spot a faint red glow in his eyes.
Chapter Nineteen
I seize Cayden's arm.
Mr. Saffron gives off a whiff of decay, a smell he's never had before.
“Mr. Saffron?” I ask.
He takes a step back and grabs his chest like he's in pain. Our teacher trembles. “I don't know what they did, but it's not good. Get out of here, both of you. I think it's dangerous. Something's taking over and--”
I pull on Cayden as understanding comes over me.
Romulus can also possess humans. This is how he gets in and out of our territory without detection.
“What's going on?” Cayden asks.
“The Savage King is trying to come through Mr. Saffron,” I say, yanking him to the door. “Get out of here.” Protecting Cayden comes first. I'll figure this out later.
“Leave!” Mr. Saffron shouts. “This thing might be after you. I don't remember what happens when it takes over--”
I glance back to find our teacher grasping the seat of the auditorium. His eyes are wide and terrified. He reeks of terror and rot. Mr. Saffron hadn‘t expected this.
“Run!” I shout to Cayden.
Power sweeps through me again. I can fight, but my confidence melts. I can't kill the Savage King by destroying those he takes over. Matt's proven that. We burst outside and break into a run.
“We need to shift,” Cayden says.
“No. The SUV,” I say.
Mr. Saffron utters a cry of pain from inside. A bone snaps. Romulus isn't just taking over Mr. Saffron's body. He's changing his form. My drama teacher might not survive this. He's not a werewolf. Shifting is hard enough for us.
Cayden pulls open the door without unlocking it first, breaking the lock. I do the same for the passenger side and slam the door behind me. Mr. Saffron screams from inside the school, a sound of pure agony. Romulus has no mercy on those he owns.
“What's going on?” Cayden shouts, jamming the key in the ignition.
“It's Romulus,” I say. “He‘s been looking through Mr. Saffron's eyes the whole time. The cult must have done this to him.”
Cayden turns the key.
And just as the SUV's engine coughs and struggles to turn over, shadows dance at the edges of my vision.
The cult's dark spirits. They planned this attack.
Cayden swears. “This won't start.”
“They're here,” I say. I sniff as Mr. Saffron screams again from inside. We've closed the door, right? But that won't keep him inside for long. “Cayden. Get out of here.”
He faces me. The pull between us returns. I want to hold on to him until the end. But if he stays, he dies.
And if he leaves, I'm on my own.
“I can‘t leave you.”
“If you stay, you'll die.” I seize his shoulders. “Cayden. Get the Russell Coven if you want to help. Stay alive, remember? And get the rest of the pack. Edwin might help. Run.” I emphasize that last sentence.
“They're attacking because they know you're alpha!”
“Do it!” I shout. “Gather the pack.”
The shadows continue to dance. Mr. Saffron makes a horrific gagging sound from inside the school. He's fighting. For a human, he's strong. Or maybe Romulus is having trouble because he's human.
Cayden jumps out of the SUV. It won't start until the dark spirits leave. I jump out, too.
Now I can smell them.
The cult approaches from the trees. Cayden sniffs and tenses. He detects them, too. I watch as he pulls off his coat. He'll run to the cabin as a wolf.
“Run through town. They won't expect that.”
“Come with me.” Cayden grabs my hand.
“We can't outrun Romulus,” I say. Me staying behind is the only hope. I have to distract him and the cult while Cayden goes for help.
“Don't sacrifice yourself.”
“The longer you stand here, the worse it gets. If you die, we all die.”
Cayden gets it.
We have to protect everyone else even if that means giving ourselves up. He kisses me hard, promising he'll come back. I return it. But it only lasts a second.
Cayden crouches, removing his shirt. I watch his form shift into that of a black wolf, complete with red highlights. The rest of his clothing falls away. As if he can't bear to look at me, Cayden lopes not toward the woods, but to the gates of the parking lot.
The cult is close. Twigs crunch and underbrush rustles as a mixture of burning hay, incense, and other exotic scents strengthen. The wind blows from the woods at last. It's as if the dark spirits have held the warning scents back until now.
Brett steps out of the forest first, clothed in a dark robe with red trim. He holds a leather-bound book in one hand and a black candle in the other. I square off with him. He emerges from the hole that the pack uses, violating our space. Darkness dances at the periphery of the world, pulsing as he exits the forest. Brett's narrow face and sunglasses survey the parking lot. He nods as if greeting the dark entities he and his father have spawned.
He's giving them attention. Food.
Mr. Saffron lets out one last, horrific scream from the school. The door remains shut. Then he goes silent. I hadn't realized he'd been clawing at the floor until now. And the silence terrifies me.
“Brett,” I shout, hoping I mask the sound of Cayden running away. His claws click against the adjacent street. Someone will see the black wolf running through town. The police are already on edge. “You're back. Looks like you have some new friends.”
“Don't talk to me, Brie,” he says with disgust. “I had to do what I had to do. My father was head of the Romulus Coven and now I've taken his place.”
“Did Romulus threaten to break your other arm?” I ask. “I know what he's doing to you.” When I look closely, I see the bulge of a plaster cast on his elbow. Even his robe can't hide it. And when I sniff, it fills the air.
“You could have changed things!” Brett shouts, locking his sunglasses on me. In the dim light, he looks extra creepy. “But now everything's worse than ever. You're no better than the Savages. Romulus found us. We joined him. Romulus is everywhere. He lurks in nature. He can possess any of his descendants, human or Wolf, with the help of magic.”
Brett's words chill me to the bone. “Romulus is a spirit?”
Brett paces. So far, he seems to be alone, but I smell others in the trees, waiting. I could attack Brett, but it's obvious he expects that. As I shift, he'll light that bag of poison. “The twins used to be flesh. The first Wolves, but mortal. One Noble, one Savage. Romulus felt threatened by his brother and killed him. Later, he died naturally. But Romulus learned he could keep his spirit strong and bound to the Earth. Worship gave him immortality. Lots of people carry a link to him in their blood. Your drama teacher was one. We used his blood to link Romulus to him.”
I step forward. Is Brett stalling, too?
>
Mr. Saffron doesn't make a sound. Maybe he didn't survive the changes Romulus tried to force on his human body. I hate the thought, but it might be the only hope.
“Did you kill Mr. Saffron?” I ask. He was innocent, like Jansen.
“Give it time. It's much easier for him to use other Wolves, provided they're his distant descendants.”
“You turned Matthew and Mr. Saffron into puppets?” I ask.
“You get your diploma.”
“You're disgusting,” I say, advancing on Brett.
Branches crack as I do.
And the other cultists emerge from the trees, at the same time as if they've coordinated this. I recognize Karina with her hood halfway down over her face. Her thick, dark hair hangs over her chest. She stands between an older man and a woman with bony hands.
I count thirteen dark figures, including Brett.
A full coven. A few hold bags of toxic herbs. Others hold up black candles, all flickering in the night.
And now Cayden's so far away I can no longer hear him. I may have made a mistake. But Mr. Saffron hasn't changed yet. Romulus hasn't—
The door to the auditorium bursts open. The wind, as if guided by the dark spirits, snaps from the school, bringing a wave of darkness, cruelty, and decay. I gag on the stench as a hulking form squeezes through the door. A massive grayish-brown Wolf steps out and saunters towards me, savoring the moment. He growls and glares at me with red, hungry eyes. This being is ancient. He has siphoned the energy of thousands and is more alive than any of us here. I watch as Romulus searches the lot for Cayden before he stares at me again. Rage intensifies the faint red glow.
I swallow.
A part of me wants to fight this monster and banish him from the world, but another part screams at me to run.
Karina bites her lip, but Brett steps forward.
I face him because the sight of the Savage King is unbearable. He's smiling. Brett wants revenge. And tonight, he's sure he'll have it. I made his life this miserable.
“Call me disgusting all you want,” Brett says. “We brought you here tonight because you're more unique than you realize. Did you know your mother's family were also distant descendants of he who now stands behind you?”
Chapter Twenty
Shock hits me like a punch to the stomach as I stare at Brett. “My mother's family? The Sterlings? But they were Hunters.” I won‘t have it be true.
Brett smiles. “You're right. The Sterlings are an ancient family of Hunters. They didn't like the Savages. Most of all, they hated that they were some of Romulus‘s human descendants. Your distant ancestors felt they had a duty to keep the Savages under control.”
“That's not true about my mother,” I say, feeling the need to defend her. Until now, I had thought little about the contradiction in my family, or that my Hunter mother married my Wolf father.
Romulus gives a low growl. He prowls behind me, using a body that once belonged to my poor Drama teacher. It's a warning not to run. The powerful Savage Wolf won't attack me yet. I'm to stand here and listen.
“Maybe the Sterlings forgot about their legacy generations ago,” Brett says. “I‘ve learned a lot since I‘ve given myself to the Coven. Lots of people descend from Romulus. I'm lucky. I don't.” He puffs out his chest and flexes his good arm. “The point is, you came from your mother and your father. You're a Noble Royal. Your essence spreads to and sustains the other Noble Wolves. But you're also someone Romulus can take over. Get my drift?” Brett drops his arm, letting his words sink in. Then he grins. He's doing this to torment me, to let me know how horrible my situation is.
It's not as bad as I expected.
It's so much worse.
“So you want to make me a puppet and destroy the Nobles that way,” I say. “That's a stupid idea. Romulus would have a hard time taking me over. I'm too nice, remember?”
“The door is open!” Brett yells, glaring at me. He bites his lip. “You're unique. You also have that Savage spark. When Romulus takes you over, the Nobles rot from the inside. Maybe they'll just fade. Or maybe they'll become like the Savages.”
I gag in disgust. I don't know what's worse, but I've feared both. Romulus‘s stench surrounds me, threatening to poison the air in my lungs. He circles me next, surveying me with red, merciless eyes. As he walks, his claws click.
Then the huge Wolf pauses and trembles as if trying to hold on to his form. A trace of Mr. Saffron's waxy scent comes through. My teacher fights for his form back.
I don't dare move. I could shift and fight. It's my duty to protect Cayden and the others. Romulus struggles. But he still might be stronger than me. He could injure me and then the cult will be free to work their darkest magic.
Brett waits.
Romulus waits. He regains control and paces behind me.
“Hey,” I say. “What are we standing here for? Does the rite just involve us staring at each other?”
“And you say I have a cocky sense of humor,” Brett says.
“Are you happy serving this guy?” I ask. “You're just a puppet, too. So is your sister. I can't imagine what she's going through right now.” His sister is his only soft spot.
The Hayde siblings face each other. “I'm here out of my free will,” Karina says to him. “You know that.” But underneath her words is a river of fear. It tries to flow underground, but it can't escape my hearing.
Romulus regains control and stares right at me. Those deep reddish eyes look like a pit into some underworld. There is no mercy there—only greed and pain. Holding back a shudder, I imagine what it would be like to have Romulus own my being.
But he's waiting. For me to make the first move or for Cayden to die, I'm not sure. Maybe both.
Romulus snaps at me, but doesn't attack.
Cayden's voice echoes in my mind again. Run.
I should fight like a Noble and protect everyone in town, but Cayden sways me.
I turn and I run, pumping my legs across the pavement.
Romulus growls. A dark shape leaps over me, landing before me. The huge wolf peels his lips back and bares all his teeth, and they're still almost the size of my fingers. If he wanted, the Savage King could tear me in half.
“Don't want to fight?” Brett mocks. “Don't want to face the big bad wolf? My father was right you're too kind to live.”
The animal within stirs. The Noble within me might have strengthened, but still wants to fight this ultimate Savage. I grab onto that instinct.
Pain explodes over my body, ripping through my bones and muscles. Before I can protest, the world turns and Romulus growls his challenge. My clothing falls away as fur sprouts. Fabric rips. I fight out of my shirt and coat, blond paws tapping pavement, as I face Romulus.
I swear he's smiling. Still, he surveys me with eyes that might be intelligent. He's not a normal Savage but an ancient, primal being. Romulus growls and circles.
I do the same though he's at least twice my size. The cult watches in silence as two wolves circle, staring each other down.
My limbs tense, ready for the fight. I might be Noble, but I'm meant to protect the world from this monster. I want to leap and tear out his throat. Taste his blood. Expel him forever from this territory called Earth. Romulus gives me a reaction Matthew didn't.
He snaps at me.
I backpedal as the cult laughs. A mixture of men's and women's cackles float through the air.
Including Brett's.
My defeat will give him satisfaction, and the thought hits me like a wall of angry fire. He might not want Romulus to win, but he wants me to suffer.
Romulus turns his attention to the cult, and I leap at him.
Catching him by surprise, I jump onto his back and bite into his thick, vile flesh. Blood seeps into my mouth as the Savage stench fills my nostrils, threatening to suffocate me. He keeps his composure, trying to buck me off with patience and calm. The huge Wolf is waiting for Cayden.
I dig in harder, wrapping a paw around his throat. I have t
o kill. Dispel this monster from Breck. Protect. I dig, and Romulus growls with annoyance. He's Matt all over again.
And then he bucks me off, throwing me forward. I spin over him, spitting out blood, and land on the pavement. Spots dance in my vision as the cult goes still, watching and waiting. I slide, stopping on my side. My senses pop. The forest goes silent. Stars wink overhead.
Romulus snorts. He's laughing.
And I smell the first trace of Cayden on the wind.
His forest smell rides on the air, along with the meadow scent of Aunt May. I smell Remo. Everly. The whole pack is coming, and they're coming behind the Romulus cult. Cayden might be beta now, but he's still dedicated. He still wants nothing more than to protect me.
Romulus sniffs the air and stares right at me. Once again he reveals two rows of teeth. I don't have to be Savage to know what he means.
When Cayden gets here, he dies.
And his death will begin the end.
Chapter Twenty-One
I push myself back onto my feet and snap at the Savage King. A fierce protectiveness fills me. I'll die to keep Cayden and the pack alive. So far, Romulus is stalling and toying with me. I have to take advantage of that.
He growls at the cult who back away. Books open. Candles sway at the edge of my vision while shadows dance. My hackles stand, sensing the dark spirits. They're preparing for the rite.
In the distance, a motor whines. A dog barks. It's as if the world knows what's coming.
I circle Romulus again. He doesn't take his stare off me. Our gazes lock. I bare my teeth, but he's seen challengers before. His eyes laugh. My blond reflection shifts in them like a prisoner. The thought‘s a lightning bolt of terror. I leap, but the Savage King backpedals as I land on pavement.
Romulus charges, growling. He hits like a boulder. The force throws me back as lightning zaps my mind. I fly and roll along the parking lot, landing near a crack that grows for a moment before snapping back into place. My vision struggles to stabilize. Pain throbs across my skull from the impact.