by Cheree Alsop
Tennison shook his head. “It won’t go away. Does it ever?”
When he looked at Alex, Alex knew Tennison guessed their story. Jet was the twins’ brother, and the entire werewolf world knew what had happened to him and his parents. “Not for me,” Alex said quietly. “We were eight when our parents were killed, and the memories still attack me when I least expect it.”
Tennison turned his gaze on Cassie. She gave Alex a small, grateful look. “Alex covered my eyes. He kept me from seeing everything. He protected me.”
Tennison nodded. “You’re a good brother. I wish my older brother had made it.”
“You’re not alone,” Cassie told him. “You have us, and you have the pack.”
“It’s not a real pack,” Tennison replied.
Alex knew the words were true, but the truth of them still hurt. “It’s better than nothing,” he replied a touch defensively.
Tennison stood. “If this is all I have, why try?”
He took two steps toward the cliff’s edge before Alex barred his way.
“You jump, I’m jumping after you. Again,” Alex said.
Tennison took a breath, then let it out slowly. “You’re crazy, you know that?”
Alex nodded. He didn’t want Cassie to guess just how crazy he felt sometimes, how on edge and out of control, but if it kept Tennison from jumping to his death, it was worth it.
Tennison finally gave in. “Fine. I won’t do it.”
“Promise?” Cassie asked behind him. The tremor in her voice let Alex know just how hard the experience had been on her.
“I promise,” Tennison agreed quietly.
Cassie surprised them both by giving Tennison a hug. She stepped back quickly, her cheeks red with embarrassment.
“I just, I, uh, I want you to know you’re not alone,” she stammered as she retreated back up to stable ground.
Alex knew it was more than that. As twins, they shared a lot more than most siblings. It was a feeling, perhaps instinct, that let him know the truth of what was going on. He realized that Cassie loved Tennison.
He followed them numbly as his sister and Tennison walked side-by-side back to the Academy. From what he knew of the human world, and what the professors had told him, love was different with werewolves. For humans, it could be a fleeting thing, an attachment of sorts that sometimes faded.
Werewolves were like wolves in the wild when it came to love. They chose a mate and stayed with their chosen love for the rest of their lives. If a wolf lost a mate to one of the many accidents that came with living in the wild, the wolf often chose to live a solitary life, helping out with the pack, but staying alone in remembrance of the loved one.
Cassie’s feelings for Tennison weren’t just a simple infatuation. He saw it in the way she looked at him, the way she listened to his quiet words, and the expression on her face when he had almost chosen to jump over the cliff. He owned her heart. Alex wondered if Tennison knew it.
Chapter Nine
“Anything I should know?”
Alex crossed back to Jericho’s room and leaned against the doorframe.
“What’s up?” Jericho asked from his bed. The half-light of dawn spilled through the window, casting the room in gray shadows. Jericho’s knowing brown eyes watched him steadily.
Alex nodded. “Tennison went sleepwalking. He’s weighed down by guilt and sadness from when his family was killed. He almost threw himself off a cliff.”
“A cliff?” Jericho repeated. He sat up.
Alex ran a finger down the rough wooden fibers of the doorframe. “Cassie and I stopped him. I think he’s just trying to figure out how to cope.”
Jericho watched him with an expression that said he guessed more than Alex was saying. “You’re the right one to help him,” the Alpha told him quietly.
“Thank you,” Alex replied, touched.
“Thank you for saving him. I should have been there,” Jericho said.
Alex shook his head. “If it wasn’t for Cassie, I wouldn’t have known either. I think...” He hesitated, wondering how much to tell the Alpha. He rushed on, “I think she likes him.”
Jericho nodded. “I guessed as much.”
“You knew?” Alex couldn’t contain his astonishment. “When were you going to tell me?”
“I thought it was obvious,” Jericho replied. “They’re always together, eating, talking, not talking.” He smiled. “It’s cute.”
“Cute?” Alex demanded. “Cute is for puppies or baby cougars. Not my twin sister.”
Jericho held up both hands. “Slow down. I know it’s a lot to take in. But she deserves to be happy, and so does Tennison.”
Alex pushed his forehead against the frame. “I know,” he gave in reluctantly. “It’s just so soon.”
“She’s fifteen,” Jericho reminded him. “Love doesn’t have a calendar, especially with werewolves.”
Alex glanced at him sideways. “What are you, some sort of philosopher?”
Jericho rolled his eyes. “Get some sleep, Alex.” He glanced at the clock. “You have an hour. Better make it count.”
Alex groaned and turned back to his room. He paused in the hallway. “Jericho?”
“Yeah?” the Alpha answered.
“Next time, don’t assume I know. I’m not so good at the social stuff.”
He heard Jericho chuckle. “I’ll keep that in mind.”
Alex was almost to his bed when Jericho called, “Alex?”
“Yes?” he responded tiredly.
“You do better in the social stuff than you probably know,” Jericho said.
Alex gave a small smile and fell onto the blankets.
***
Voices woke Alex up less than an hour later. He glanced out the door to see Cassie and Kalia on one of the couches. They had chosen to bring their breakfast back upstairs instead of eating with the rest of the packs in the Great Hall.
“He almost jumped?” Kalia was repeating.
Cassie nodded. “He did, actually. Alex jumped after him.”
Alex wished in that moment that he could see Kalia’s face, but she had her back to him.
“I almost saw them both die,” Cassie said with a tremor in her voice. “It was horrible.”
“Thank goodness you and Alex followed him,” Kalia said with shock in her voice.
Cassie nodded. “It was scary. I’m just glad they’re both alright.” She hesitated, then said, “I really like Tennison.”
“I can tell,” Kalia replied.
Alex rolled his eyes. Apparently, it had been obvious to everyone but him. He definitely needed to pay more attention.
“Is, uh, is Alex alright?” Kalia asked.
Alex held perfectly still. The concern he heard in her voice surprised him. It made his heart stutter, but in a different way than he was used to. He put a hand to his chest to calm it as he listened.
“He’s fine,” Cassie told her. “He’s pretty tough, though not as tough as I think he wants to be.”
Cassie’s comment made Alex’s cheeks burn. He closed his eyes against the embarrassment.
“What do you mean?” Kalia asked.
Cassie sighed; her spoon chinked against the bowl as she took another bite of oatmeal. “He wants to be like Jet so badly, and Jet was an Alpha. I think sometimes Alex pushes himself so hard because he thinks it’s the only way to fill Jet’s shoes.”
The statement was true enough to make Alex feel exposed. He hated that Cassie knew it. The hate vanished immediately because he knew so much about her that he couldn’t hold it against her. Cassie was just speaking from her heart. She had no guile; she was simply being honest.
Cassie fell silent, then said, “I really worry about him.”
“It sounds like somebody should,” Kalia replied, her tone unreadable.
Alex couldn’t take it anymore. He pushed his door open all the way and crossed the room intent on the hall door.
“Hi, Alex,” Cassie called.
He paused and
acted surprised to see them there. “Oh, hi Cassie; hi Kalia.”
Kalia’s name tasted strange, as if it was different than the other times he had said it. He realized he was staring at her; he opened the door and hurried into the hallway before he could make a bigger fool of himself. He shut the door and leaned against it, filled with frustration.
“He looks tired,” Kalia noted on the other side of the door with a hint of concern.
Alex hurried down the stairs before he heard anything else.
***
“I’m glad you visited us for breakfast,” Nikki told Alex with a warm smile.
She held baby William in her lap. He had a tight grip on his mother’s long black hair. She beamed down at him. “We like company, don’t we, Will?”
She ran her hand through his shock of blond hair that reminded Alex so much of Jaze. The hair refused to stay down, sticking up all over in cowlicks. Nikki sighed and gave up. “Just like his father’s. I guess I can’t complain.”
The baby gave a small gurgle that made Alex laugh. “Do you miss running the school?” he asked.
Nikki grinned. “Technically, Jaze runs the school.” She gave Alex a wink. “But we both know who manages the details when he’s off saving the world.”
Alex nodded. “With your help, I never knew when he was gone. You two make a pretty good team.”
She smiled, her blue eyes twinkling. “Like you and Cassie. I think you two really run the Academy behind the scenes.”
The comment would have filled Alex with happiness a few days ago, but it only brought his concerns to the forefront. “Used to be,” he said quietly. “Now I think Cassie’s a bit distracted.”
Nikki’s eyebrows rose. “She likes someone?”
Alex nodded. “Tennison. He’s a new kid in our pack.”
“He’s the new Lifer,” Nikki replied. “Jaze said he was glad you guys took him in. He’s gone through a lot.”
Alex wondered how much Nikki knew. The events from the night before were still fresh in his mind. “What if he’s gone through too much?” Alex blurted out.
William held Nikki’s finger in his chubby hand. “You mean what if what he went through still affects him?” she asked perceptively.
Alex nodded. It was too late to go back, so he rushed forward. “What if he’s not safe for her to be around? What if he’s a danger to himself and others because he’s unstable?”
Nikki’s gaze was understanding when she replied quietly, “What if what he needs more than anything are friends who know what he’s gone through?”
Alex was quiet for a few minutes. He thought of last night and all they had experienced together. The look on Tennison’s face when he was about to jump the second time stayed in Alex’s mind. When he spoke again, it was in agreement. “I think that’s exactly what he needs.”
“But it’s hard to trust,” Nikki guessed. “After all you went through with Pip last year only to find out he was the one leaking information to Drogan, it must be hard to let someone else in.”
Alex nodded. He couldn’t put into words how it was harder to see his sister fall for someone. He knew the connection they had as twins wouldn’t ever go away completely, but already she spent more time with the girls in the pack and preferred their company to the adventures she and Alex used to have. Growing up was hard; he just hadn’t expected to handle everything on his own.
“Tennison’s a good guy,” Alex admitted. “He deserves a break.”
“As do you,” Nikki replied with a kind smile. William began to get fussy.
“Can I hold him?” Alex asked.
Surprised by Alex’s offer, Nikki nodded. “Of course.”
Alex had held William a few times. When school wasn’t in session, Alex and Cassie had spent a lot of time with Nikki and Jaze. The two had pretty much taken over as their parents when the orphaned twins arrived at the Academy seven years ago. With William’s birth, Nikki had been much busier, but she always took time when the twins needed her, a fact for which Alex was grateful.
She positioned the baby in his arms. William quieted immediately, staring up at Alex with wide blue eyes.
“I think Jet would be happy you gave William his name,” Alex said, smiling down at the baby. “I used to wish it was my name, too.”
“You did?” Nikki said. “I didn’t know that.”
Alex met her gaze, forcing his tone to be happy when he said, “I can’t think of anyone more deserving of it than the son of my brother’s best friend. He would be honored.”
“I hope so,” Nikki replied; sadness filled her gaze.
“He would,” Alex told her with confidence.
She nodded. “I’m glad. I think William has big shoes to fill.”
“We all do,” Alex said, but the melancholy didn’t come. With Nikki, he couldn’t be sad. She knew what the twins had gone through, and had been there for him when night terrors kept him up during their first year at the Academy. She had never been upset when he woke her up crying; she used to read him stories or sing him songs to help his mind calm down and to chase away the memories.
Sitting with her in their quarters felt like that again. She always had a kind smile or the right things to say to help him feel better. With Nikki, he always knew she believed in him. It wasn’t so much in what she said, but in the way she looked at him and Cassie. She loved them; that much had always been obvious. Even though they had been orphans when they came to the Academy, she made them feel like they had a home.
“Thank you for all that you’ve done for Cassie and me,” Alex said.
Nikki gave a surprised smile. “Thank you for being such a wonderful boy,” she replied.
Baby William’s fingers found his shirt. He smiled as the baby watched him with clear blue eyes.
Chapter Ten
“Welcome to this year’s full moon games!” Dean Jaze announced to the anxious students gathered in the courtyard. He glanced at the sun setting below the trees. “As you all know, the moon isn’t too far away.”
Chuckles sounded through the crowd. Not only had the professors let the students out early again for restlessness, they had promised to join the students at the games this year as their own pack. Alex exchanged a smile with Professor Grace. Kaynan stood next to her already in his red wolf form, allowing her to see. She looked as excited to participate in the games as the rest of them.
“This year’s games will be hosted by Professor Thorson, the only other human here besides my wife who is with our baby boy tonight and will be unable to join us.” Jaze nodded at Professor Thorson who stood near the doors. “Thank you for your bravery in putting up with us.”
The professor hefted a handful of medals on ribbons that chinked together from the movement. A breeze sent his wispy white hair waving. “If any of you act up, you won’t be earning one of these,” he said sternly. His usual smile broke through his attempt at a stern demeanor. “I’ll probably just lock the doors and leave you all out here running amuck.”
Jaze laughed and the students echoed the laughter. “That really will cause trouble.” The dean smiled down at them, his brown eyes bright. “The full moon games this year will emphasize the traits of a wolf. Feats of stealth, speed, your ability to track, protect your pack, and your strength will be tested. There are five medals.” He winked at Alex who waited near Jet’s wolf statue. “We haven’t quite figured out another task for the sixth, so you can relax this year, but don’t relax too much!”
A shudder ran down Alex’s spine. The full moon was rising. Alex set a hand on the cold metal of the statue to center himself.
“I guess I’d better speak quickly,” Jaze said. “To all of you seven year olds who are phasing for the first time, stay with your packs, they’ll take care of you. To the rest of you students, the race is on. If the professors return with all five medals, the entire group of you will be required to assist Professor Dray in building his new greenhouses.”
A groan went through the students. It was no secret tha
t Professor Dray was preparing to teach gardening and plant identification the next year. He had a sign-up sheet in the Great Hall asking for volunteers to help complete the building of the greenhouses. Apparently Jaze had found an answer to the lack of volunteers.
Another shudder ran through Alex’s skin, harder this time. Students exchanged glances. Alex searched for Cassie. Instead of waiting on the outskirts of the crowd where she usually liked to avoid the masses, he spotted her curly brown hair near Tennison’s tall form. Alex stifled a sigh. He then spotted the little girl next to her. Caitlyn held Cassie’s hand as if terrified of being separated from her.
“It’s going to be okay,” he heard his sister say.
Caitlyn looked anything but reassured as she shook her head, her white-blonde curls bouncing back and forth.
Alex made his way through the crowd and stopped behind Caitlyn in time to hear the little girl say, “But I’m scared.”
“Scared of what?” Alex asked.
Cassie threw him a grateful smile. “This is Caitlyn’s first phase. She’s afraid of what’s going to happen.”
Alex dropped down onto one knee so that he was eye-level with the little werewolf. “You’re afraid of phasing?”
Caitlyn nodded wordlessly, her wide green eyes showing her fear.
Alex gave her a smile. “I was scared of phasing my first time.”
“You were?” Caitlyn asked, her voice small within the excited crowd around them.
Alex nodded, his attention fully on her as if she was the only person in the courtyard. “I was, and I was glad to have Cassie with me. My big brother Jet was there, too, with his friends. Do you know who one of Jet’s friends was?”
Caitlyn shook her head.
Alex pointed to the dean standing on the stairs.
“He was?” she breathed in amazement.
Alex nodded. “Dean Jaze was so nice to us. You’re surrounded by tons of friends. It’s the best possible place to phase.”
“It is?” she asked.