by Cheree Alsop
“Yes, as well as the storage sheds. They’re nowhere,” Terith protested.
“Did you check the tunnels?” Alex asked Cassie.
She nodded. “Every one of them.”
Alex looked around. He had personally checked pretty much the entire distance around the Academy. There were only two other options. “Either they’re in the Academy, or they’re in the forest.”
“We can’t go in the forest,” Trent said, his voice tight.
“The Academy is off limits,” Pip replied. “They’d have to be in the forest. We should look.”
“But it’s night,” Terith protested. “That’s a bad idea.”
“Rafe’s wolves keep the forest safe,” Alex pointed out. “If the Alphas were inside the walls, we would have found them by now.”
“They wouldn’t give up without a fight,” Sid agreed. “They’re out there somewhere.”
“What do we do?” Parker, Boris’ Second asked.
Alex smiled. “We find them.”
Chapter Nine
Alex ran beneath the trees. He wanted to phase to wolf form and follow their trail, but that would have been cheating. The sound of the others following him died away as he ducked under boles and jumped over fallen trees. He loved the forest even more at night with the sounds of the crickets and other night insects creating a tapestry of sound that wove beneath the trees. An owl called above. Alex grinned and ran on.
Cassie was just as comfortable within the midnight forest as he was. He didn’t have to worry about her getting lost or being afraid. She had even led him home a time or two when he was too stubborn to follow his own trail. He would be the first to find the others. The thought urged him on.
A scream tore through the air. Alex’s heart skipped a beat at the sound of fear in Cassie’s voice. He turned in the direction of the sound and phased, leaving his clothes in tatters beneath the trees.
Alex ran faster than he ever had in his life. He leaped a lightning struck tree, darted around a grove of aspens, and jumped the stream without slowing. His heart thundered in his ears in time to the beat of his paws on the earth. Her scent grew stronger. The smell of strangers flooded his nose. They were everywhere.
Alex burst through the trees. A gunshot ran out. Fire tore through Alex’s hind leg as he skidded to a stop in front of Cassie. His sister cowered in human form against an evergreen’s trunk. A growl tore from his chest as he faced her attackers.
“Drogan said you wouldn’t be far behind,” a man dressed in black said. He levered the gun so that it was aimed at Alex’s head. “Shall we see if I can kill two birds with one stone?”
A black form darted behind the man. Yells rang out along with growls as wolves appeared from all directions.
“There’re too many of them!” the first man shouted. “Regroup at the road!”
The men ran. Alex’s first instinct was to chase them and pull them down like wolves on the hunt, but Cassie cried behind him, and the pain in his leg was breathtaking.
The other werewolves fell back as the men retreated. They circled around Alex and Cassie, protecting them. Alex sniffed Cassie all over, making sure she hadn’t been hurt.
“Alex,” she said, her voice quivering. She threw her arms around his neck and held him as she cried. Alex wanted to hold her tight and tell her everything was alright, but he was afraid of how much phasing would hurt with the bullet in his leg.
“What happened?” Torin demanded, appearing through the trees in human form.
“We heard a scream and a gun shot,” Boris said, following close behind.
Kalia appeared behind her brother. Her eyes widened at the sight of Alex and Cassie in the middle of the wolves. Several of them slipped away to find their clothes and phase.
“They attacked me,” Cassie said. “They appeared out of nowhere. I didn’t even smell them.” Her voice shook. “They were going to shoot me when Alex appeared.”
“You were shot?” Jericho asked, appearing again through the trees in his human form. His shirt was still only halfway pulled down as he ran to them. He dropped to his knees beside the siblings.
Blood ran down Alex’s leg. Pain stole in a numbing path from the wound. It was getting harder to breathe.
Dean Jaze appeared with many of the other professors close behind. It was obvious by their state of apparel they had all dropped whatever they were doing, which was probably sleeping, and ran straight from the Academy. “Is everyone alright?” Jaze asked. His head turned at the smell of blood.
“Alex got shot,” Cassie said with tears streaming down her cheeks.
Jaze checked Alex quickly. Gasps sounded from the students who had phased back to human form when Jaze’s hand came away bloody. “Don’t phase,” Jaze told Alex. “It’ll only make the damage worse.”
Jaze met Kaynan’s gaze. “Bullet wound. We have to assume it’s silver. Get the medical ward ready.”
“Silver?” Pip replied, his voice tight.
“I’ve got him,” Vance said as he knelt beside the dean.
Alex felt the humiliation of being picked up in the huge Alpha’s arms.
“Meet us at the school,” Jaze told Kaynan. “Tell Nikki and Lyra to be ready.”
Kaynan phased into his wolf form. His deep red fur and red eyes made him look like a creature out of a nightmare. He vanished before most of the students were even sure what they had seen.
“Vance, Chet, and Dray, get Alex and Cassie back to the Academy. Mouse, stay with me; we need to make sure everyone makes it back inside safely.”
Professor Mouse nodded, his eyes huge behind his big glasses.
Jaze met Rafe’s gaze. The wild werewolf’s eyes glinted gold in the moonlight. “We need to find out where they came from and how they got past the wolves. Rafe, you and Colleen check the perimeter and the scents going in and out. I want to make sure this forest is clear.”
“Got it,” Colleen answered.
Pain surged through Alex’s leg. A whine escaped his gritted teeth at the burning sensation.
Vance and Jaze exchanged a look. “Hurry,” Jaze said.
Vance took off running through the trees. Alex struggled to look back and saw Chet pick up Cassie as easily as if she was a rabbit. Dray shifted and loped past them, checking the groves for unfamiliar scents.
Alex’s thoughts numbed. The pounding of Vance’s legs as they ran through the forest pulsed within him, sending his thoughts into a whirlwind as his blood system worked the silver from the bullet through his body.
“Stay with me, Alex,” Vance growled in a low voice without slowing. His shirt was loose, having been barely fastened when Cassie’s scream reached the Academy. Alex realized dazedly that the black whip scars that covered the Alpha’s arms also tattered his chest in cruel black streaks. He wondered where they came from and if they hurt.
The gate creaked as it was thrown open. Vance ran across the yard and into the Academy.
“Lyra, Nikki,” he called; the sound of his deep voice echoed up the stairs and through the hallways.
A door opened on the opposite end of the hallway from the student classrooms. “We’re ready,” Nikki replied. “Bring him in.”
Vance entered the room and set Alex on a rolling bed with white sheets.
“Check the perimeter of the school.” Nikki’s voice was muffled to Alex’s ears. “Make sure we don’t have a security breech.”
“Got it,” Vance replied.
“And have Mouse check the cameras when he gets back,” Lyra called before the door closed.
“How you doing, Alex?” Nikki asked, her voice kind as she checked his leg.
Alex winced at the pressure. He clenched his teeth and shut his eyes.
“Is it silver?” Lyra asked.
“There’s only one way to find out,” Nikki replied. She leaned closer to Alex. He heard Lyra wheeling a cart of supplies over. They chinked together gently. “This is going to hurt just a bit,” Nikki said. “We need to get the bullet out.”
Alex nodded. He exhaled as something was injected into his leg.
“It’d be easier if he phased,” Lyra said. “You wouldn’t have to worry about fur.”
“Yes, but phasing with a wound pulls at the muscles and could make it worse,” Nikki replied. “I’d rather have him wait. We’ll work with what we have.”
Two more injections followed. The muscles around the wound began to ease, but Alex’s lungs felt tight.
“He’s having a hard time breathing,” Lyra said.
“Give him the oxygen. His body’s reacting too quickly to the silver,” Nikki replied. “Hold on, Alex.”
He felt pressure as she worked on his leg. Lyra slipped an oxygen mask over his nose.
“Take deep breaths,” she instructed, her voice gentle. “It’ll be over soon.”
Alex tried to ignore the sensation of Nikki digging for the bullet. He took a deep breath, then another. He had to fight the pressure in his lungs. His heart stuttered. He willed it to calm. It stuttered again.
“His eyes are rolling back,” Lyra said. “His pulse is weakening.”
“Almost there,” Nikki replied. “Just one more push and. . . got it!”
There was a metallic clink as the bullet was set on a tray.
“It’s silver,” Nikki noted. “They’re designed to splinter. He might have some in his bloodstream. Alex?” she called.
He couldn’t get his eyes to open. His heart gave another stutter, and darkness swarmed his thoughts.
***
Alex awoke to the sound of steady beeping. His head felt like it had been wrapped in cotton. He forced his eyes open. He was in a room he didn’t recognize. The lighting was dim, and though there were other beds, his contained the only occupant. He squinted up at the monitor near his head. It showed a rhythm of jagged spikes. He focused inward; a slight smiled touched his mouth. The spikes were his heartbeat. It appeared to be stable.
He tried to remember what had happened. Memories of running through the forest came to him. He had been searching for the Alphas, and had left the rest of the werewolves far behind. Cassie knew the woods. He didn’t have to worry about her.
The sound of her scream echoed through his mind. His heart gave a stutter and the monitor’s beeping was thrown off for a moment before it regained its steady rhythm. He had run as fast as he could. The images slowed.
He entered the clearing and saw Cassie backed against a large tree trunk. Moonlight reflected off of many guns. The man in front was pulling the trigger. Alex leaped in front of Cassie. The gun fired. His leg gave an answering throb. He turned, placing himself in front of Cassie. He could hear her sobbing behind him. Her terror tore through his heart.
Alex met the gaze of the man wearing black. He half-expected to see the man with the mismatched eyes that had killed his parents, but this man’s eyes were brown and cold. The only emotion in them was humor at the siblings cowering in front of him. He spoke, his words harsh and grating. His gun lifted, aiming at Alex’s head. If the bullet went through, it would hit Cassie as well. His finger tightened on the trigger. Alex didn’t know what to do to protect Cassie. There wasn’t time to react. If he leaped at the man, she could be shot by the other guns.
Howls reached him, the sounds of his pack as they charged through the underbrush to protect him and Cassie. They were a true pack, putting their life on the line for their members the same way he had seen Rafe’s pack do in the wild. The thought made his heart calm. He took a slow breath and let out the tension that filled him at the thought of Cassie in danger. They had protected her when he couldn’t. She was safe.
Chapter Ten
Alex looked around the room. He found the camera in the corner of the ceiling and held up a thumb’s-up. A few seconds later, the door opened.
“You gave us quite the scare,” Dean Jaze said, entering. He smiled down at Alex. “It was a bit of touch and go there.”
Alex tried to find a comfortable position, but his leg throbbed. He looked down at it, surprised that it hadn’t healed.
“Wounds from silver bullets take a lot longer to heal,” Jaze said, following his gaze.
“You know this from experience?” Alex guessed.
Jaze nodded. He leaned against the counter. “At least Nikki has her nursing degree. Professor Thorson removed a bullet from my side with only a pair of pliers and a bottle of whiskey.”
“The history teacher?” Alex asked, amazed.
Jaze chuckled. “How do you think we met?” He pulled up his shirt and showed Alex the scar. There were other scars as well, but Alex knew better than to ask about them.
“Do I have to stay here?” Alex looked around. “It’s nice, but. . . .”
Jaze smiled. “Not at all. If you’re feeling up to it, I know there’s a pack waiting up there that hasn’t slept yet because they’re too concerned about you.” He held out a hand.
Alex took it and pulled himself slowly to a sitting position. He was amazed at how weak he felt.
“Take your time,” Jaze warned. “Nikki suspects that some silver got in your bloodstream, which was causing your heart to beat irregularly.”
Alex chose not to tell the dean that his heart had beat that way ever since his family was killed. He stood slowly. His legs wobbled, but Jaze kept him steady.
“You want a crutch?” the dean asked, pointing to one that had been propped in the corner.
The wolf’s instinct to never show weakness made Alex shake his head. Jaze smiled as if he guessed exactly why Alex refused.
“It’s okay to take time to heal,” the dean said.
“I’m already healing,” Alex replied tightly as he tested his weight on his leg. The wound about halfway up his thigh ached and he could feel the pull of the muscles that had been damaged by the bullet.
“You could stay here, or I could carry you,” Jaze offered. At Alex’s dismayed look, he chuckled. “We’ll just go slow.”
Alex limped with his arm over Jaze’s shoulder. By the time they reached the door, he had broken out in a sweat. He gritted his teeth and refused to say anything, but Jaze shifted his grip, holding more of Alex’s weight.
“Your pack showed bravery attacking those men,” Jaze said in an effort to distract Alex from the pain.
Alex nodded. “They did.” His voice caught in his throat as he stepped. He took a steeling breath and continued, “I didn’t expect that.”
“We didn’t expect any of it,” the dean replied. He tried to stifle the hint of frustration in his voice, but Alex heard it. “Here we are trying to protect werewolves, and the Extremists come attacking at our front door.”
“They wanted me and Cassie,” Alex said.
Jaze paused and looked down at the young werewolf. “Are you sure?”
Alex nodded. “The man in front was holding the gun on Cassie as if he was waiting for me. When I appeared, he said, ‘Drogan said you wouldn’t be far behind.’”
“Good to know.” The dean’s tone said the information surprised him. He helped Alex continue walking. When they reached the stairs, Jaze asked, “Did he say anything else?”
Alex grimaced at the pain of the first step. “Yeah,” he replied tightly, “He said, ‘Shall we see if I can kill two birds with one stone?’ That’s when Jericho attacked him. If the werewolves hadn’t come, Cassie and I wouldn’t be here right now.”
Dark emotions rushed through Jaze’s eyes. Alex could tell the dean was fighting to keep his anger in check. He had never seen Jaze so upset.
“Rafe has his pack running the perimeter. Dray and Chet are monitoring the road, and Mouse is setting up extra cameras,” Jaze said aloud. “I need to ask Brock about the drone.”
“Who’s Brock?” Alex asked. The name sounded familiar but he couldn’t remember where he had heard it.
Jaze looked as if he just remembered Alex was there. He shook his head. “Don’t worry about it. You need to get some rest.” He helped Alex to the top of the stairs and down the hall.
“It seems a l
ot further than I remember,” Alex said, forcing his muscles to hold. His legs were shaking. He wondered how much the silver was affecting him, and how much was the rage that coursed through him at the thought of the danger Cassie had been in.
Jaze nodded. “Of course you guys had to have the last room,” he joked. They paused at the door.
Alex grinned. “The pecking order doesn’t take bullet wounds into consideration.”
“It should,” Jaze replied. He ducked from under Alex’s arm. “Time to give your pack something to smile about.” The dean turned the doorknob.
“Alex!”
Cassie’s arms were around her brother’s neck before he could even move. He was grateful for the door frame behind him that kept him up under her tight grip.
“I was so worried!” she said. “They wouldn’t let me into the room, saying that they had to monitor you. I didn’t know if that meant you were dying, even though they said they had taken out the bullet. I was just so worried.”
“I’m alright,” Alex tried to reassure her.
He glanced over the top of her head. Warmth flooded him at the relieved expressions on his pack members’ faces. Everyone stood waiting for Cassie to let him go. Alex met Jericho’s gaze. “Thank you,” he said. “Thank all of you. You saved our lives.”
Cassie stepped back, but kept a firm grip on Alex’s hand to reassure herself that her brother was really there.
“That’s what packs are for,” Jericho replied. His gaze shifted to the dean. “Have you found any information on the attackers?”
“Some,” Jaze replied. “Our students’ security is our biggest focus. We’ll get to the bottom of this.”
“Let us know if there’s anything we can do to help,” Jericho said. He met Alex’s gaze. “Our pack almost lost two members tonight. We’d like to get to the bottom of this.”
Jaze nodded. Instead of being perturbed by the Alpha’s persistence, there was a hint of humor in the dean’s gaze that battled the anger Alex had seen on the stairs. “I’m glad Alex and Cassie have such a good pack,” the dean told them all. “I’d recommend you get some sleep. We’ll hold classes an hour later tomorrow so you can get the rest you need.” He met Alex’s gaze. “Don’t think about going to class. You need to rest so that wound will fully heal.”