I shook my head mutely.
“You can graduate a semester early. This semester,” he said, crossing his arms on his desk as he leaned forward. “Good news, yes?”
“I knew I had enough credits,” I replied carefully. “I intend to take additional classes next semester for college credit.”
“An admirable goal,” he said, nodding. ‘But one I’m afraid you won’t be doing here. You can always take some classes at the community college.”
“But, Principal,” I halted when he raised his hand, his stare gimlet.
“Don’t mistake this as an offer or a request. You will be graduating this semester.”
I glanced down, licking my lip as I tried to come up with a response. I heard him sigh.
“I don’t want to be the bad guy here, but there are rumors.” My head came up and he gave me a tight smile. “No accusations. Nothing brought to my attention that I would have to respond to. I’d like to keep it that way.” He raised his eyebrow as he added, “I trust you know what I’m referring too?” I nodded automatically, knowing exactly what he meant. “Then you understand why it would be best for you to graduate this semester.”
When I tried to respond, my throat seized and I had to clear it. “Of course.” My own smile was brittle as he relaxed. “I welcome the chance to graduate early.”
“I owe the Navarre family,” he added carefully. “They do a great many things for the school and I look the other way when necessary.” I blinked at him as his voice took on an ingratiating quality. “I was happy to hear that Hank Navarre was made sheriff. Dominic Navarre is a fine coach and Caleb is a great student.”
“What are you saying?”
“That I’m doing this as much for their protection as your own.”
“The only one you’re protecting is yourself, Principal Davis. I remember you letting Sheriff Hanley walk me out of the school without contacting my father. You were protecting yourself then too.” I stood up, forcing him to look up at me. “But I won’t make a fuss since in this instance we are both protecting the same person.” I leaned forward and he flinched back. “But do both of us a favor and quit pretending you give a damn about anyone but yourself and your position here.”
I marched out of the office, back straight, forcing back unwanted tears.
Jess, his voice soothed my turmoil and I felt my lips twitch into a smile.
I’m fine, I rushed to reassure him. Got good news! I attempted to keep my voice perky, but he didn’t buy it.
What happened, Jess?
I spoke with Principal Davis and I’m graduating early. This semester.
You wanted to take advanced classes next semester for college, he reminded me and I wished for just a second that he didn’t always pay such close attention when I spoke.
I can take them at the community college.
Yeah, but you wanted to graduate with Leah and Anna. Go to prom.
It’s better this way, I gritted out and if it was possible I felt him go still in my mind.
Did Principal Davis force you into this? He asked, his voice frighteningly calm.
He didn’t force me. He reminded me why it’s the best choice.
I’ll speak with him, Dom replied dangerously.
You know you say speak in the same tone other people say execute.
I’m on my way.
NO! You’re not. It’s done. I graduate this semester and no matter what you say or do to him, it’s not going to change my mind.
Jess, I heard his exasperation and his worry. You’ve given up too much.
I don’t feel like I’ve given up anything, I replied, swallowing hard as I admitted the truth. I’ve sacrificed nothing to be with you, but I’ve gained so much.
He appeared around the corner then, slowing as he approached me. His hand cupped my cheek, thumb rubbing my jaw as he stared at me. “I don’t deserve you,” he murmured.
“Definitely not,” I answered, my smile a little damp as I tilted my head back to meet his eyes. “But you can keep trying until you do.”
He nodded silently, lowering his head until his lips skimmed mine.
“Dom,” I protested. “We’re standing in the middle of the hallway.”
“What are they going to do? Kick you out?” He retorted, brushing his lips back and forth against mine.
A smile hovered over my mouth as I said, “No, they already did that. But they could fire you and that would piss me off.”
He blew air out through his nose as he straightened. “Best not to piss you off.”
I nodded, my smile flickering as I stood there, my backpack hanging off one shoulder. My body felt equal parts hot and cold as I contemplated what had just happened. Yes, I had enough credits to graduate early but I’d essentially been kicked out and I wasn’t sure how to respond to that fact.
“I have to go lock up the field house,” Dom said and I gave him a jerky nod, letting him know I heard him. He pressed keys in my hand and my fingers wrapped around them automatically. “Go wait in the Jeep, okay?” Again, my head bobbed in an automatic response and for a minute we just stood there until he gently pushed me toward the front entrance. I started walking, chancing one last glance over my shoulder to see him staring after me.
Don’t kill anybody, I thought distractedly, the thought meant for Dom as I made my way to his Jeep in the teacher’s lot.
No death, he promised, but a dark undercurrent in his thoughts warned me he intended to do something.
Or mayhem, I added firmly. This is for the best. The words sounded hollow even to me and I felt a flash of his anger before he could hide it. Dom, its just high school. It’s not important.
It is important. You had plans and now they’re gone.
They changed, I corrected him, stopping in front of his Jeep as I huddled inside the thick coat I’d been forced to buy when the cold became too much for me. Life changes and how you react is the key to happiness.
You’re serious, he stated, his surprise coming through our bond and I was equally surprised to realize I was serious. Yeah, what had just happened was unexpected and I was upset, but really, I should have seen it coming. Dom and I played a dangerous game. A relationship between a student and teacher was taboo and flaunting it shouldn’t be encouraged.
I have you. The rest is just stuff, I replied, unlocking the Jeep and hopping to get myself inside.
Doesn’t mean he shouldn’t get the shit scared out of him, Dom rumbled and I thought about protesting but finally decided it wasn’t worth it.
Just don’t get fired, I replied tiredly, my head dropping back against the seat as I tried to decide how I was going to tell Dad.
A scraping sound caused my eyes to pop open in time to see the passenger door wrenched open. I sucked in a lungful of air, prepared to scream, when Trent’s face came into view. I let out several choked breaths as he reached up and yanked me out of the Jeep.
“What?”
“No time. Where’s Anna?” He spoke quickly, glancing over his shoulder repeatedly. “We’re exposed out here.”
“Who?” I tried to gather my thoughts as they skittered everywhere. “Hanleys?”
“Yes. The answer is always Hanleys,” he confirmed, his grip tight as he hauled me back toward the school.
“I’m not really welcome there,” I muttered as he pushed open the doors.
“Don’t really care. Anna?” He asked again, staring down at me.
“Sixth period,” I pointed down the hallway. “Four hundred hall.”
“Okay, now would be a nice time to use that nifty link you have with Dom,” he muttered, hustling us down the hall.
“Why don’t you?” I asked in confusion. “You have a link with him.”
“Shhh, let’s not bandy that information around, okay?” Trent said with a grimace. “And he’s not tuning into my channel at the moment which is why I hauled ass over here when I got the info.”
“What info?”
“That the Hanleys planned an abduction at
tempt on you and Anna,” he said shortly.
“Then who’s at the motel?” I pushed at him frantically. “Trent, who’s at the motel?”
“I pressed Payne into service,” he answered and then mumbled under his breath, “Also Dylan and Liam.”
“Liam? As in Hanley? You don’t think this might be a trap?” I shrieked, no longer worried if anyone heard us as I considered the fact that my dad and Monster could be in danger. “And you somehow think Dylan can help?” The words came out more caustic than I intended as I panicked.
“Look, what was I supposed to do? I couldn’t risk you or Anna getting captured. It would start a war that would end in a lot of bloodshed.” He clenched his jaw, still moving us down the hall, scanning for the room number I gave him. “I thought about it, but I couldn’t exactly send Dylan or Liam with a message. Dom wouldn’t have reacted well to Liam,” he gritted out, before pulling us to a stop. “Finally.”
He pushed open the door and scanned the room, glancing back at me. “She’s not here.” I shoved past him and saw he spoke the truth.
I looked at the substitute and asked, “Where’s Anna?”
“She was called to the field house right after you were called to the office,” she responded, automatically reacting to the command in my voice.
“Shit,” I cursed, running past Trent and toward the back doors. I sent a call out to Dom over our bond, hoping he wasn’t ignoring all links. Trent was hot on my heels as we raced across the back lawn to the field house. Right as I was about to yank open the doors, Trent stopped me.
“Me first,” he said, not even out of breath as I stood there panting. I managed to nod, waving my hand for him to go ahead. I was no hero.
Jess? Relief trickled through me at Dom’s worried voice as I sucked in lungfuls of air.
Field house, hurry, I told him and felt his concern. I shored up my courage and followed behind Trent, ignoring his angry glare. I wasn’t going to stay behind if there was a chance I could help Anna.
We wandered through the darkened building, listening for the sound of anyone. Trent paused, inhaling deeply, his forehead wrinkling, as he directed us toward the weight room. A giggle broke the silence and I glanced at Trent as I said, “That’s Anna.”
Anger contorted his face for a moment, and then he slammed through the doors. I chased after him in time to see Caleb with his arm around Anna, his face close enough to hers to make me realize we may have interrupted something, when Trent snatched Anna away from him.
“Trent,” I called, clapping my hand over my mouth as Anna struggled against him.
“What the hell, man?” Caleb yelled and Trent released Anna, swinging around to punch Caleb.
“Stop! What are you doing?” Anna shrieked, grabbing Trent’s arm as he went to swing again. She must have used her shifter strength because she was able to stop him.
“I thought,” Trent stopped, wiping the back of his mouth as he shook his head.
“Thought what?” Anna blasted. “What could you possibly have thought?”
“That you’d been lured out here by a Hanley so they could kidnap you,” he burst out. “Instead, you’re in here playing kissy face with the child Alpha.”
“Watch it,” Caleb growled and Trent scoffed.
“Or what? You’re not my Alpha.”
“Anna,” I interjected before they got in a pissing match. “We thought you’d been kidnapped. The teacher said you’d been called out here.”
Anna blushed, not making eye contact as she mumbled, “I told you I had date with Caleb.”
“This is the date?” I asked in disbelief and she nodded. “FYI, making out in the field house is not a date. It’s a hookup.” I pointed a finger at Caleb. “And you, sir, know better.”
He flushed, ducking his head, and I traded a glance with Trent right before the doors burst open again and Dom came barreling in. “What the hell is going on?” He shouted, glaring wildly around the room.
“Trent, the motel,” I gasped, my brain connecting the dots and he stared at me in horror.
“Oh, God,” he muttered right before slapping his hand against Dom’s chest and giving him a pointed stare. “We need to go.”
Dom’s eyes widened with awareness and he jerked his head to Caleb. “Now, we’ll discuss this later.” He must have told them what was happening through the Pack bond because they both reacted instantly.
They all dashed back toward the parking lot by unspoken agreement. Dom scooped me up as their superior speed outpaced me. He threw me in the back with Anna, Trent standing behind us as Caleb and Dom slid into the front seat. He gunned the engine, tires squealing as we peeled out of the parking lot.
Tension held me immobile as the drive stretched out for what seemed like forever, when in reality it was less than two minutes before gravel sprayed as Dom careened into the motel parking lot.
My heart jumped when I saw Dad standing outside the motel office, Monster nowhere in sight. Sirens screamed as Dom’s father came spinning into the parking lot right after us.
“Sam,” Dom whispered and I saw her fighting Payne as he struggled to hold on to her. “Jesus, they have Nicky.”
He slammed to a stop with those words and I sprinted from the Jeep, for once faster than the others, as I headed straight for my Dad. “Monster?” I cried frantically and he shook his head. My knees gave out and I crashed toward the concrete sidewalk as Dad lunged for me.
“This is your fault. You bastard, you let them take him,” Sam screamed, pounding her fists against Payne as he stood still, taking her abuse.
“Samantha,” Hank Navarre rumbled and her hands dropped from Payne as she turned to face her father for the first time in years.
“Dad?” Her voice wobbled as she stared at him, the crisp uniform snug on his large frame. “Daddy,” she cried, launching herself at him and he accepted her with open arms. “They have my baby.”
“Not for long,” Hank answered, patting her back as he nodded at Payne. “Not for long.”
Dad cradled me against him as I whispered, “They took him?” He nodded his head as his chest shook.
“They took Monster and Nicky. We managed to hide the other children and women, but their focus was Nicky,” Dad spoke up, drawing their attention. “They came for Nicky.”
“This is my fault,” Trent said hollowly. “I left. I trusted Liam.”
“This is not your fault, son,” Dad denied. “We all trusted Liam, but he was under orders from his Alpha. He tried to warn us,” Dad explained, frowning. “He fought the compulsion. He saved Dylan.” Under his breath, he muttered, “Possibly at the cost of his own life. The Alpha attacked Dylan.”
“Dad?” I questioned and he jerked his head.
“Come on, he’s with Wren.”
Dom went to his sister and father, and his Dad wrapped his arm around him, enfolding both of his children into a massive hug.
Sam hiccupped, rubbing her face against her Dad’s uniform. “I can’t lose him,” she sobbed, shaking her head as she pleaded with her brother. “I can’t.”
Dom exhaled, patting her back, as he said, “We’ll get him back, I promise.” He met Payne’s eyes as he spoke and Payne nodded.
Trent was standing there, guilt and self-loathing on his face and I grabbed his arm, forcing him to come with me as I followed my Dad. Maybe we could get answers from Dylan.
Dad led us to Wren’s room, but it was unnecessary since blood smeared the ground, guiding us. “How badly is he injured?” I asked, wondering how Dylan could survive that much blood loss.
“It’s bad. I’m not sure he’s going to make it,” Dad replied, his eyes downcast. He opened the door and I instantly recognized the dirty brown fur of the wolf sprawled on the motel mattress
“Liam?” I gasped and Trent pushed past me.
“Holy shit,” he cursed as Wren held her hands to Liam’s stomach. “He’s been gutted.”
“He leapt in front of Dylan,” Wren told us, her words thick as she nodded to h
er brother, who sat in the corner rocking back and forth, as he wrung his hands. “The Alpha intended to kill Dylan, who was trying to protect Theodore. Liam…I don’t know how he did it, but he took the blow meant for Dylan.”
I gave Trent a confused stare and he explained. “He would have had to disobey a direct order from the Alpha to do that. Not an easy thing.” Trent sank to his knees in front of the bed, his hands hovering as if he didn’t know where to look first. “This is bad. We need more help.”
“Let me see.” I spun around at the sound of Leah’s voice, even more shocked when I saw the bag in her hands. She shooed Trent out of her way and knelt on the bed, her hands steady as she started examining Liam. “Exactly how much can a shift heal?” She asked after a minute. “Keep pressure there,” she told Wren, pointing to a spot where blood oozed.
“Almost anything,” Caleb answered, hovering by the door. “The shift is magic. It puts our bodies back like they were before, human or wolf. Severe injuries…. life threatening injuries, the shift can repair them to the point that we won’t die.”
“Okay, his guts are basically spilling out of his abdominal cavity. I’m not sure he would survive shifting right now. I can put everything back and stitch him up. Then see if he can shift and hope for the best,” Leah answered, glancing around the room. “He’s a Hanley, I take it. Do you want him to die?”
“No, he saved my brother,” Wren pleaded. “He didn’t have to do that. He tried to warn us.”
“He shouldn’t die just because he’s a Hanley,” Trent stated and I shook my head.
“He saved my life. He’s a good guy,” I spoke up, pinning Caleb with my stare. “He deserves to live.”
Caleb’s face took on a hunted expression as he realized we expected him to make the call. Until he glanced at Leah, and at the sight of her understanding smile, he relaxed. “Try,” he agreed, nodding before he turned to leave. “If nothing else maybe he can give us intel.”
“Do you need help?” Trent asked doggedly, though his face was paler than I’d ever seen and he looked seconds from puking his guts up.
Leah spared him a split-second glance. “Nope. I don’t need you vomiting all over everything. She can help me,” she answered, nodding to Wren.
The Challenge (The Pack Book 2) Page 19