The Haunted High Series Boxed Set

by Cheree Alsop

  “I told Meg he’d be a loose cannon,” the werewolf muttered as my arms were pulled roughly behind my back.

  My head lolled forward when they picked me up by the handcuffs and my ankles and carried me from the room.

  “What about the vampire?” a werewolf asked.

  “Leave him,” Stix replied. “This one just sealed his friend’s fate.”

  Panic flooded through me. I tried to fight, but my limbs wouldn’t respond. I willed the wolf to come to the forefront, but the blow to the head had dazed my ability to phase. I lost track of the twists and turns down various hallways until a door swung open with a creak and I was tossed inside. Hitting the floor filled me with enough adrenaline that I was able to lumber to my feet and throw myself against the barred door.

  Stix backed away with the key in his hand and a look of relief on his face that he had locked the door in time.

  “Let me out!” I yelled.

  “There’s no way,” Stix replied. “You’re in here for your own good.”

  I hit the door again without regard for how pain flooded my shoulder at the blow.

  “Open this door!” I demanded.

  Stix took a step forward. I was aware of other werewolves watching us from further away. Apparently seeing someone be thrown in the cage was a community event. I doubted they had ever been so entertained.

  “You better watch yourself,” Stix growled low enough that his voice was pitched only for me. “You’re playing a very dangerous game here.”

  I willed my voice to match his; it was difficult with the way my heart hammered in my chest and the ringing echoed loudly in my ears from being hit in the head. “Just please, let me out. I need to take care of my friend. I’ll do it. You don’t have to worry about him. Just let me do it. That’s all I ask.” Tears burned in my eyes at the thought of the state in which I had found Vicken.

  Stix shook his head. “I can’t let you out.”

  I leaned against the bars, my voice pleading, “Then please, please promise me you’ll give him some blood. Please. I’ll do anything. I’ll be the perfect example. I’ll stay here as long as you want me to. Just please save my friend.” The tears fell down my cheeks.

  Stix let out a breath. “I can’t do that. I’m sorry.” He turned and motioned for the other werewolves to leave.

  “Please?” I called out, my voice as broken as my heart.

  Stix walked away as though he didn’t hear me. Sobs tore from my chest. I raged against the bars with my hands cuffed behind my back until I fell to my knees, exhausted. Sometime during my battle with the door, even the last of the spectating werewolves had wandered away. Apparently the pain of the new werewolf didn’t affect them.

  I fell exhausted to my side with my back against the door. The thought of Vicken chained and dying made me want to curl up in the fetal position and shut out the world, but even that had been denied to me with the way my wrists were locked. I fell into a numb state of staring at the inside of the cage without really seeing it, my thoughts on my dying friend and my head in constant pain.

  I had no idea how much time had passed before I heard the sound of a sneaker on the marble floor.

  “Finn?”

  I couldn’t bring myself to move.

  I heard the faint sound of fabric on metal, and then a hand touched my arm. The smell of blood made me glance down even through the numb haze of my mind. The hand was small and the fingernails painted pink and black, but what drew my eyes was the cloth wrapped around the wrist. I stared at it.

  Another manicured hand with matching fingernails slipped through the bars and unwrapped the cloth. It fell away to reveal a shallow cut with a deep hole on either side.

  “But,” I began, willing my brain to work. “What, I mean, why? I mean, what did you—”

  “You were much better at talking earlier,” Kiyah said. “I know my dad hits hard, but this is ridiculous.”

  I struggled to a sitting position and turned to face her.

  Kiyah’s expression fell. “He hit you really hard.”

  I couldn’t feel anything past amazement at what she had shown me. “Vicken. Did you? I mean is he? I mean, did you let him drink?”

  Kiyah nodded. “Yeah, I did. It took some urging, but I finally got him to take a few gulps.”

  I could see in her light blue eyes how bad he was. I didn’t want to ask, but made myself say in a whisper, “Is he going to be alright?”

  Kiyah’s eyebrows pulled together. She pushed a strand of pink hair from her face and said, “I’m not going to lie. He’s not in a good place, but I’ll make sure he eats and I’ll keep an eye on him for you.”

  The relief that someone in this horrid place had at least some shred of humanity made my heart hurt. I leaned my forehead against the bars and let out a half-sigh, half-sob at the thought that Vicken wasn’t dead, that there was hope, and that someone in the Den wasn’t afraid of him.

  Kiyah’s hand touched my head. “Are you okay, Finn?”

  I sat back on my heels and nodded. “I am now.” I took a steadying breath. “Thank you. I don’t know how I’ll ever repay you, but I will. I promise.”

  Kiyah’s gaze held mine. “You’ll get me out of here.”

  My eyes widened. “What?”

  Kiyah leaned closer to the bars. “If you and the vampire get out, you take me with you. I can’t stay in this place any longer. It’s killing me.”

  “Vicken,” I told her.

  “What?” she asked, caught off-guard.

  “The vampire’s name is Vicken. Vicken Ruvine the Third.” I held her gaze. “And if you keep him alive until I can get us out of here, I promise to take you with us.”

  Kiyah was silent for a moment before she nodded. “Good. I’ll take care of him. You take care of yourself. You’re in a lot of trouble.”

  I sighed and leaned my back against the bars. “Tell me something I don’t know.”

  “You don’t know the rules around here,” Kiyah replied from behind me. “Like, if you hurt someone inside the Den, you have to answer for it in your hide.”

  I glanced back at her in confusion. “In my hide? Like a whipping?”

  She nodded. “And after that, Meg’s going to make you run in the Gauntlet. I overheard her say it’s the only way to prove whether you’re fit to be here.”

  I turned away from Kiyah. “I don’t care if I’m fit to be here. I don’t want to be here. They’re the ones forcing me.”

  “Yeah, but if you don’t run in the Gauntlet or you don’t pass, they’ll kill you.”

  A chill ran through my body at her words. I turned slowly on my knees to face her. “They’ll kill me?”

  She lowered her gaze. “It’s how they weed out the weak. Meg says we can’t have werewolves running all over without order, so they use the trials to figure out who is a valuable asset to the Pack. Anyone who passes is given the Den brand on their forearm. The rest are thrown to the bears.”

  I tried to understand what she was telling me. I didn’t know if it was the blow to the head or the relief of knowing that Vicken was alive, but her words didn’t make sense. I shook my head. “That’s ridiculous. They throw werewolves who don’t pass the Gauntlet to bears? What happens then?”

  “They’re eaten,” she said with a tone that hinted at the stupidity of my question.

  I watched her closely. “So let me get this straight. I’m going to be whipped and then thrown into some sort of trial, and if I fail, I get thrown to bears to be eaten. But if I survive, I get to stay in this glorious place as a member of the Pack?”

  The wryness of my tone wasn’t lost on her. She gave a half-smile and said, “Maybe you’re better off dead.”

  “I’m beginning to think that,” I replied.

  Kiyah glanced behind her. “I’ve got to get back before Dad finds out I’m gone. I’ll have Bri sneak you some food if she gets a chance. You need to focus on what’s ahead.” Worry showed in her blue gaze when she said, “The Gauntlet is hard, Finn, and
the new one is even harder. A lot of good werewolves aren’t going to survive.” The pain that swept across her face told of loved ones she had lost.

  “Does everyone do the Gauntlet?” I asked.

  She nodded. “We usually do it when we turn eighteen, but Meg said with your tendencies, she would waive the age restriction for the good of the Pack.”

  “Sixteen isn’t that far off,” I replied.

  She sighed. “Tell me about it. We practice from the time we can walk. More than half of the werewolves who go through the Gauntlet don’t make it.”

  My mouth fell open. “You mean more than half of the werewolves here are thrown to the bears before they’re adults?”

  She nodded. “Those who don’t die in the Gauntlet, and we’ve been training for it our whole lives. You’re going to be at a heavy disadvantage. Just remember to keep your head and obey the rules. They’ll throw you to the bears if you slip up.” Her gaze darkened. “They keep the bears hungry so they stay angry. The last time I told Dad that treating animals that way made us less than the animals, I got slapped.” She gritted her teeth and said, “Get me out of here, Finn.”

  I nodded. “I will. Just keep my friend alive.”

  “I will,” she replied.

  Footsteps sounded down the hall. Kiyah ghosted away without a backwards glance. I moved back from the door, but kept my gaze on it. I didn’t mind that Kiyah had touched my arm through the bars, but nobody else was going to get that close.

  My reservations strengthened when Meg, Stix, Roundy, and a skinny werewolf who was missing a hand appeared.

  I rose to my feet despite the way my head pounded. I might not have had much dignity left with handcuffs and standing behind bars, but I refused to put up a weak front. I watched them approach the cage.

  Meg sighed when she reached the door. “You’ve managed to stir up a whole lot of trouble in a very short amount of time.”

  I glared at her. “You promised my friend would be safe. You lied.”

  She glanced at Stix. “What’s he talking about?”

  Stix cleared his throat with an uncomfortable expression. “Mancos accidentally shot the vamp in the head. Apparently, the vampire woke up and tried to attack them.” At Meg’s searching look, he admitted, “The vampire’s not doing so good.”

  “He was bleeding out,” I told Meg hotly. “They left him there to die.” I crossed to the bars and felt a brief satisfaction when everyone but Meg stepped back. “You promised he’d be safe, and they left him to die. That’s why I attacked them. I was trying to save my friend’s life. As a werewolf, you should understand that.”

  Meg watched me in silence for a moment before she turned her glare on Stix. “If that vampire dies, it’s on your head.”

  “But, Meg—” he began.

  She cut him off. “A promise has been made, Stix. I put you in charge of the vampire’s wellbeing and promised Finn he would be safe. The failure is on your shoulders.” Her voice lowered threateningly when she said, “If he dies while in the Den, you will be thrown to the bears.”

  Stix’s mouth fell open. “But-but my children!”

  Meg lifted a shoulder. “You made your bed, Stix. You better hope the vampire doesn’t die.”

  Stix threw me a glare before he stormed back up the hallway.

  “Thank you,” I started to say, but Meg cut me off.

  “As for you, order is very important in keeping this place safe. And you’ve thrown order to the wind. The last thing we need is some sort of rebel telling our children that there’s a better life out there for them.” She toyed with something in her hand. It took me a moment to realize it was a whip with frayed ends. “You hurt members of my pack, Finn. You’re right when you say that I would fight to protect any of my family’s lives. I may not understand why you call a vampire your friend, but the same rules apply. Hurt for hurt; pain for pain.” She let the end of the whip fall to the ground. A twitch of her wrist made it move like a snake along the floor. “Tonight, you’ll pay for attacking members of the Pack. Tomorrow, you’ll be thrown in the Gauntlet. If you survive, you can stay. If not, well, the bears are hungry.”

  Her gaze held mine with a glimmer of threat. I returned her stare with a threat of my own. “You don’t scare me, Meg.” I tipped my head to indicate the main area of the Den visible beyond the far wall of my cage. Werewolves had gathered there without me noticing. At least half of those watching were close to my age. I felt Vicken’s haughtiness on my face when I said to Meg, “You’re the one running some sick game here, controlling the youth with your rules and threats. They deserve freedom. They deserve to see what lies beyond these walls. Instead, they grow up with the fear that they’re going to die from whatever is in the Gauntlet before they’ve even had a chance to live! What kind of childhood is that?”

  I lowered my voice but kept it pitched for the others to hear. “You’re the reason there aren’t any werewolves beyond these walls, but you can’t keep them in here forever. You can’t shield them from a world that isn’t nearly as bad as you’ve made it out to be.” I read the truth of my words on her face and continued with, “You might have made up for the lack of Alphas by death threats and false promises of safety, but the world is waiting out there and the youth in here should have a chance to experience it. You can’t block it out forever; all you can do is raise your pack in a way that they’re prepared to face it.” Murmurs rose from the werewolves on the other side of my cage. I couldn’t tell if they agreed or not.

  I stepped back from the door. “I’ll take your punishment and I’ll face the Gauntlet. But if I survive, I’m leaving the Den and I’m taking Vicken with me.” I turned and faced the youth directly. “And any of you who want to get out and see what this world is all about can join me.” I heard the cage door open behind me, but ignored the werewolves’ advance. “There’s safety at the Academy and enough room for all of you.” Hands grabbed my arms. I moved my eyes from one teenager to another. Those who met my gaze did so eagerly. “And if I don’t make it out, tell them Finn sent you. They’ll let you in. I promise.”

  “Stop talking,” Meg growled in my ear.

  I fought back a grim smile at the suppressed panic in her voice and continued with, “There is life beyond these walls. Don’t let your elders hold you back. Choose to live your own life, not one that’s been dictated for you. Choose—”

  A stunner bullet struck me in the back. I dropped to my knees and was pulled out of the cage, but not before I saw the light and excitement on the faces of the teenagers who had listened to me.

  Satisfaction bloomed in my chest even as I was strapped to a whipping post in the middle of the compound. I didn’t struggle. Meg expected me to, as apparent by the number of armed guards that kept the audience at a distance who had gathered to watch my punishment. By the looks of things, she had required every werewolf in the Den to be a spectator. The sight of babies in arms and toddlers holding the cloth of their mother’s dresses in chubby fingers made me sick.

  Kiyah’s voice saying, ‘We practice from the time we can walk,’ repeated over again in my head. Meg had a good hold on her pack. She trained them from birth to fear her command. It was a twisted but effective way to keep her control over them. I vowed to break that hold if there was any way to do so.

  “Join with me, brothers and sisters, in reciting the pledge of the Den,” Meg instructed.

  On cue, the rest of the werewolves called out with her, “Strength of one, strength of the Pack, life for one, life for the Pack. We unite in safety, progress, and prosperity. In every action, we work for the good of the Pack; in every deed, we strive for peace. Hierarchy is safety, and the rules will be obeyed. Strength of one, strength of the Pack.”

  From my viewpoint strapped to the crossbeam of the post and with my head facing down, I saw Meg nod out of the corner of my eye.

  “Very good. As you know, Finn is a stranger to our rules, but he has broken them, nonetheless.” She turned. “Roundy, recite the rules this werew
olf has broken.”

  Roundy lifted his deep voice. “One count of insubordination. Two counts of threatening a Pack member, six counts of injury to other members of the Pack, and one count of phasing to attack a Pack member.”

  Murmurs ran through the crowd. I guessed they thought throwing in the werewolves that I had shot at the accident would help give fuel to the fire against me. I would have smiled if my face wasn’t still frozen under the effects of the numbing electricity.

  Meg took over. “Per Den guidelines, Finn is to be punished with one lash per injured pack member.”

  The murmurs increased.

  “Finn will also be required to run the Gauntlet and prove that he is an asset to our pack instead of a threat,” Meg concluded.

  The talking rose to a roar of surprised voices.

  “But he’s too young,” one woman pointed out. “Children should be eighteen to attempt the Gauntlet.”

  “He’s already proven to be a threat,” I heard Rhett say. “Throw him to the bears!”

  A man yelled, “That’s too many lashes for a boy.”

  “He has to pay the price,” another said.

  “That’s not fair,” a girl called out. I recognized Kiyah’s voice. As much as I appreciated her standing up for me, I didn’t want to cause further trouble for her at the Den.

  “Quiet,” Stix growled.

  “It has been decided,” Meg said firmly. “Roundy, you can begin.”

  The first lash sliced across my back with a sharp hiss. I heard a few whispers from members of the crowd, but everyone else watched in silence. By the second and third lashes, comments of, “He’s not making a sound,” and “It’s unnatural,” could be heard. But Meg had done me a favor when she shot me. I was sure she had no idea how much the stunner bullet had numbed my entire body. I could feel the impact of the lash, but the sting of the slice across my skin and the feeling of blood down my back was lost.