The Haunted High Series Boxed Set

by Cheree Alsop

  I met Meg’s astonished gaze. “Being weak physically shouldn’t be a crime,” I told her. “Everyone here has something to offer. At the Academy, your youth will have a chance to find their own path in this world that isn’t dictated by the fear of failure. A pack should be made up of members with strengths in a variety of ways, not just physically. Compassion, intelligence, tenacity, book smarts, street smarts, and positivity all have their place in this world. It’s time you realize that you can’t shape your children; instead, you should respect the shape they give themselves.”

  “But will they come back?” a woman asked. Her hand rested protectively on the shoulder of the boy in front of her. An old bruise marked his cheek. I had seen enough of the Den to know that corporal punishment was the method of choice.

  “They’ll come back when they choose,” I replied, my voice level. “But when they do, I suggest working out a new way to communicate rather than violence.”

  “We’re going with him!” a girl whispered from behind me.

  “We get to leave!” another said.

  A boy of about ten near Meg grabbed the hand of the girl next to him who appeared to be his sister. “We’re going,” he said.

  She nodded with excitement in her eyes.

  I lifted my voice. “Anyone who wants to go with me to the Academy has ten minutes to gather your belongings and say your goodbyes. I will meet you at the exit to the Den at that time.” I met the gaze of two of the werewolves with guns. “Bring food for the bears. They deserve to be fed.”

  Teenagers hurried from the crowd. Their parents trailed after them. Several argued with their children or pleaded for them to stay, but I wasn’t surprised at those who rushed to get away. They had just seen several of the youth they no doubt looked up to be brutally slaughtered in the Gauntlet. The fact that they had lived their entire lives with the knowledge that they, too, would follow in their friends’ footsteps must have been a heavy burden to carry. It was time that they were introduced to a world where there was a place for their strengths as well as weaknesses.

  I met Meg’s gaze again. The anger and defiance on her face was unmistakable. I knew only the fact that her own guards were ready to shoot her kept her from drawing her guns.

  “I should throw you to the bears,” I told her. “No creature should live in such conditions.”

  The biggest bear nudged his nose under my arm. I ran my hand across his massive head. “But they’re coming with me.” Thoughts of the forest through one of the Academy doors made me smile. “I know the perfect place for them.” I took a steeling breath and gave one last push as I spoke to Meg. “You will remain here at the Den and strive to make up for the children whose lives you cut short at the Gauntlet. The cage is no longer a place of punishment and will be destroyed. Whipping is abolished, and the werewolves here will choose their own leaders through a yearly vote with the focus on the good of the Pack.” Werewolves nodded around me. “Meg, power has turned you into someone who is cruel and unfeeling. Because of that, your job is to dismantle the Gauntlet completely.”@

  “But it’s part of my life’s work,” she began.

  I held her gaze and pushed, “You will dismantle the Gauntlet.”

  Her mouth closed and she nodded.

  I held out my hand. “Give me your cellphone.”

  She pulled it from her pocket and handed it to me.

  I turned away without another word and headed for the room where Vicken was being kept. Thoughts of my friend made me walk faster until I was nearly running. At the sounds that followed, I glanced back to see that the bears and a majority of the werewolves were also behind me. I ran through the halls Kiyah had shown me and slowed only when I reached the locked door.

  “Open it,” I told Stix.

  He fumbled through his keys, then unlocked the door and pushed it open. My heart slowed at the sight of Vicken still chained to the table with Kiyah curled up at his side.

  “Kiyah!” Stix called out before rushing to her.

  The girl’s head lolled when he picked her up frantically in his arms. A sheen of sweat showed on her face.

  “Wha-what’s happened to her?” her father asked.

  I glanced at the bandage on her wrist. “She gave blood to Vicken. It’s made her sick. She needs fluids and rest.”

  “She can stay,” Stix said quickly. “I’ll see that she has everything she needs. I can—”

  “No,” I replied. I had made Kiyah a promise and I was determined to keep it. “She’ll be treated at the Academy. The infirmary there is set up for situations like these.”

  “But—” Stix began.

  I met his gaze. “She’s coming with me.”

  Stix lowered his eyes and nodded.

  “Place her on a bear,” I instructed. “She’ll be carried to the exit.” I knelt next to Vicken’s still form. His face was a sickly gray and the wound from the bullet that had hit his forehead hadn’t healed even with Kiyah’s werewolf blood. He was in serious trouble. “Help me put Vicken on a bear as well.”

  I walked beside the great beast with a hand on the vampire’s arm. He swayed with the bear’s gentle movements, but gave no sign of awakening. The sluggish sound of his heartbeat made me anxious.

  The two numbers I dialed on Meg’s cellphone by heart were quickly answered. By the time the bears and I reached the exit from the Den, nineteen teenagers and five preteens waited with bags packed.

  I turned back to their parents and the rest of the werewolves who watched us leave. “I’m not stealing your children,” I said to reassure those with tears on their cheeks. “I am giving them a chance to see that there is more to the world than the Den. They can choose to come back, you can visit them at the Academy, and you yourselves are free to move from here if you wish.” I met the gazes of several mothers and fathers who held children too young to come with me. “As your little ones reach school age, they will be welcome at the Academy to begin their education. There, they will be safe, respected, and have friends whose differences are also strengths.” I glanced at Stix. “It’s time we realize that our actions have a far greater impact than in just our small piece of the world. I know it’s not easy to let your children go, but I will do everything in my power to keep them safe.”

  “Don’t go,” a woman with gray hair urged. “Stay with us. You’re our Alpha.”

  “Yes, stay,” a man with a thick blonde beard urged. “We need your guidance.”

  I could see the loss of everything they had known on their faces. I had just changed their lives completely. Their foundation that was based on Meg, the Gauntlet, and the walls that kept them safe, had been broken down. They were so used to following that taking their leader had left them in shock.

  “I’m only sixteen,” I said apologetically. “I don’t know any more about a leading a pack than any of you.”

  “But you’re an Alpha, the Alpha,” the first woman said.

  “You don’t need an Alpha,” I replied. I lifted a shoulder and said, “In fact, you don’t need werewolves in your lives.” At their astonished protests, I said, “I lived the first sixteen years of my life without other werewolves. I thought I was alone. My best friends are a vampire, an empath, a Grim, a warlock, a witch, and a dragon. Imagine my surprise when I was kidnapped and brought here to meet all of you!” At my grin, a few of them chuckled.

  “You have each other,” I told them in a more serious tone. “That’s more than I had starting out. Worry more about being a family than a pack. Hierarchy is only there for protection, and you already have safety here.” I looked at the teenagers who waited behind me. “When your children come back, they’re going to have a whole lot of insight into this world to share with you.” I turned back to their parents. “Learn from your children and teach them what you know. Together, your pack will be much better off.”

  The rumble of vehicles caught my ear. I glanced over my shoulder to see a string of cars and trucks heading our way at a far faster pace than they probably should have
been traveling.

  “That’s our ride,” I told Stix. “Watch over this place. I’ll have Kiyah call you when she’s feeling better.”

  Stix nodded. “Thank you, Finn.” His eyebrows pulled together and he gestured toward the teenagers and then the other werewolves. “For all of this. We have a lot to learn, but you’ve given us a start.”

  I smiled at him. “I have a lot to learn, too. Maybe someday I’ll be a good leader, but for now, what I don’t know is a lot more than what I do.”

  Stix smiled back. “Spoken like a true leader.” He nodded at my forearm. I turned it over to look at the wolf head brand. “You’ll always be a part of our Pack, Finn.”

  “Thank you,” I replied.

  Chapter Seven

  I turned to face the approaching vehicles. The first one, a big black SWAT-looking truck, was very familiar. It skidded to a stop in front of the students. When Don and Donessa Ruvine left their vehicle with the grace and elegance of their vampire race, the teenagers around me fell back.

  “Where’s Vicken?” the Don demanded without formality.

  Used to his straightforward ways, I replied, “He’s here.” At my push, the bears made their way through the werewolves and stopped in front of me. Vicken’s unconscious form on top of the biggest one looked even paler in the sunlight.

  “My boy,” the Donessa said with a gasp.

  At my motion, the bear lowered. The Don helped me ease Vicken off the bear’s back. As soon as we were clear of the animal, Don Ruvine picked his son up in his arms and carried him to the truck.

  “Thank you for bringing him back to us,” the Donessa said with tears in her eyes. She set a hand on my cheek. “You’re a good kid, Finn.”

  “Please have him call me when he wakes up,” I said. The thought that I couldn’t go to the mansion with Vicken and see to his recovery made my heart hurt. He had put everything on the line to rescue me from my kidnappers, and he had paid heavily because of it.

  “I will,” the Donessa promised. Her gaze turned to Kiyah who was being helped from one of the other bears by Rhett. “This is the girl who gave him blood?”

  I nodded. “She’s suffering from the effects. She needs liquids and rest.”

  “We can see to her care,” the Donessa replied, surprising me.

  I stared at Vicken’s mother. “She’s a werewolf.”

  The Donessa nodded. “I’ve learned to be a bit more openminded when it comes to werewolves.”

  That made me smile. “Thank you.”

  Rhett followed the Donessa to the vehicle. I walked around to the other side where Don Ruvine was busy ensuring the comfort and safety of his son. An I.V. had already been placed in Vicken’s arm by another vampire and the bed he was strapped to in the ambulance-like SUV appeared secure. It hurt to see Vicken unresponsive even to his father’s care. The fear that his head wound could be lethal pressed against my mind. I shied away from the thought. If anyone could help Vicken, it was his family.

  “Take care of him,” I told the Don needlessly before I was able to stop myself.

  Don Ruvine straightened from checking the straps and faced me. “I will. You take care of yourself.”

  “I will.”

  His gaze sharpened as he looked me up and down. “Are you sure you don’t want to come back to the mansion for some care yourself? You appear to have had a rough time here.”

  Rough didn’t describe the half of it, but I didn’t want to get into the details. The fact that Vicken’s father was speaking to me in a fatherly, concerned tone told of how much our relationship had progressed.

  “I’m fine,” I told him. “But thank you.” I looked back at the teenagers who watched us. “I have some friends to introduce to the Academy.”

  “Are they all werewolves?” the Don asked levelly.

  I nodded. “How do you think that’ll go over?”

  The hint of a smile touched the Don’s face. “I just wish I could be there to see it.”

  I smiled. “You’re the lucky one.” My smile fell. “Please let me know how Vicken’s doing.”

  “I will,” he reassured me with a stately nod. “He will hopefully be fit to call you soon.”

  “I hope so,” I replied.

  Other vehicles slowed behind the vampires. Professor Briggs stepped out of the first car.

  “Don Ruvine,” he said with a respectful bow of his head.

  “Trace Briggs,” the Don replied. He glanced at the werewolves behind me. “You’re going to have your hands full, Professor.”

  “You just wish you were the one teaching,” Briggs shot back.

  The Don gave a regal nod. “As much as I’m sure they’re afraid of you, they would be terrified of me.”

  Briggs’ grin deepened, highlighting his scar. “You say it like that’s a bad thing.”

  The Don smiled a true smile before he climbed into the back of the SUV with Vicken and his wife. A vampire shut the door, then drove them away.

  Professor Briggs used his cane to limp to me. “Are you alright?”

  The last time I had seen the professor, his anger at me for defending Uncle Conrad had made me wonder if he would ever forgive me. That thought vanished at the concern in his voice.

  “I’m fine,” I told him.

  His eyes narrowed. “Finn,” he said in a tone that let me know he guessed more than I had told him over the phone.

  “I’m alright for now,” I hedged. “But my friends need a ride to the Academy.”

  His gaze flickered over my shoulder and his eyes widened. “These are all werewolves?”

  I fought back a laugh at the fact that it was everyone’s first question. “Yes, all of them. And they’re coming back to Haunted High with us.”

  The professor studied the group who waited nervously near the huge front door of the Den. The unease that wafted from the werewolves filled me with sympathy.

  “Professor, they’re choosing to leave everything they know to go to the Academy. They need a little compassion,” I told Briggs.

  The professor narrowed his eyes at me. “When have I been lacking in compassion?”

  At my look, he gave a smile that twisted the scar down his cheek. “Fine, Finn. I can have compassion, believe it or not.”

  “I’ll believe it when I see it,” I replied.

  “Finn!”

  “Dara?”

  I turned at the sound of her voice. Dara practically flew from a car driven by Mercer. The empath didn’t slow and instead ran into me full force so that I had to catch her in my arms to avoid being bowled over. She kissed me soundly.

  “I was so worried about you!” she said when her feet touched the ground again.

  Professor Briggs cleared his throat.

  Dara threw him a knowing look. “Don’t even pretend to be appalled at our kiss, Professor. I can feel that you’re more amused than anything.”

  Briggs actually chuckled. “I never thought Finn would find a girl that could put up with him.”

  Dara grinned as she stepped away from me. “He might surprise you, Professor.”

  “He already has,” the professor replied.

  Headmistress Wrengold reached us. The older woman’s gray curls were tamed by a red and gold shawl. Her simple housecoat with the pocket watch on a gold chain and the matching brown dress pants made her appear modest but dignified. She stopped near me, gave a nod of welcome, and turned her attention to the werewolves.

  “My name is Headmistress Wrengold, and I am in charge of the students that attend The Remus Academy for Integral Education,” she introduced.

  The smile she gave the teenagers was kind. I could see them warming to her and remembered feeling the same trust toward the Headmistress the first time I met her. The realization that she was far more equipped to lead them than I was eased some of the anxiety I felt about their wellbeing.

  “I don’t know if Mr. Briscoe mentioned that we have had a rocky relationship with werewolves in the past,” she continued, “But we have since sur
vived that hardship and have learned enough about each other to ensure that our relationship is a good one. That being said,” she opened her arms in a sweeping gesture. “The Remus Academy for Integral Education would like to welcome you as students of our esteemed school.”

  The werewolves cheered along with some of their parents, which surprised me. Perhaps not everyone had been thrilled about Meg’s leadership.

  The Headmistress gestured behind her. “Please choose a vehicle to ride in. We look forward to showing you our Academy.”

  “Should we tell them it’s haunted?” Dara whispered.

  I grinned at her as we watched the students rush past us. “They’ll find out soon enough.”

  “Professor Briggs, Mr. Briscoe, I request your company on the trip back,” the Headmistress said in a tone that left no room for argument. She smiled at Dara. “And you are welcome to join us, Ms. Jade.”

  “We need somewhere the bears can ride,” I said.

  The Headmistress looked from me to the bears that lounged near the students.

  “The bears are coming with us?”

  I nodded. “They can’t stay here. They’ve been starved and used to eat werewolves who fail the Gauntlet. They deserve a peaceful life.”

  “In the forest?” the Headmistress guessed.

  I was grateful she didn’t ask about the eating werewolves part. I nodded. “I thought they would be alright there.”

  She considered it, then nodded as well. “They will, but I don’t know how well the animals will ride in a vehicle.”

  “They’ll do just fine,” I replied. I lifted a hand to the animals. “Come on, bears. Time to go home.”

  I felt the surprised stares of my professor, the Headmistress, and my girlfriend when the bears rose and crowded around me. Each one appeared eager to get his or her head scratched, and I was happy to oblige.

  When Rhett opened the door to the moving truck I had ridden in to the Gauntlet, the bears needed only a slight push to climb inside. They seemed as eager to leave the Den as the teenagers were.