by Cheree Alsop
Jaze nodded. “It appears that way.”
“But why?” Alex asked. He felt lost, adrift. He had figured that his parents were killed by Extremists exacting revenge on all werewolves. The fact that the General’s son was the one who had performed the murder made it personal.
“We’ve got to find out,” Jaze replied. He gave Alex a serious look. “And we have to believe that he is seeking out you and Cassie to finish the job.”
“Did he try to kill you after he murdered your parents?” Mouse asked. The professor’s tone was gentle as he probed for information.
Alex nodded. His chest was tight when he answered, “He would have, but he was distracted.”
“By what?” Vance demanded, his tone a bit harsh as his patience for the conversation ran thin.
“By Jet,” Alex replied softly.
The professors looked at Jaze. The dean nodded, and swallowed with some difficulty. “Jet brought Alex and Cassie to Two. He didn’t mention Drogan, but we didn’t know Drogan and Jared were connected at the time. Now that we know Drogan is Jared’s son, we’ve been trying to track him down.”
“But he disappeared off the grid,” Brock concluded, spinning back around with a popcorn ball in his hand. “Until now, that is.”
Alex looked at the man. He realized by the scent that Brock was human. “Until now?”
Brock ran a hand through his spikey hair. “Our sources spotted Drogan in Haroldsburg just before you and Cassie were attacked. With the information you’ve given us about the attack, we assume he’s the one who sent the men.”
“What? The whole ‘Drogan said you wouldn’t be far behind’ tipped you off, did it?” Vance stated in irritation at the obvious.
“But why do it himself?” Nikki asked, ignoring Vance. “He didn’t have to go to the city to order the attack. Why not just send his men?”
“Maybe he didn’t trust that they’d get the job done,” Vance answered. “And apparently he was right.”
“Thank goodness,” Lyra said, setting a hand on Alex’s arm. “We’re so glad you’re okay.”
Alex gave her a warm smile, aware that she was partially the reason he was still standing. “Thank you.” He shifted his attention to Jaze. “So what do we do?”
Jaze’s expression was firm. “You will go back to class when you are rested and do your studies with the rest of the school. We will work on Drogan location and find out what we can about the attack on you and Cassie.” Alex opened his mouth to argue, but Jaze shook his head. He put a hand on Alex’s shoulder. “I’m glad you’re alright, but it was too close. The last thing we need is students taking security into their own hands. I need you and Cassie to stay within the Academy walls for the next few days while we do what we can to increase security and ensure that our student population is protected. Will you do that?”
Alex didn’t want to agree. After what he had seen and heard, he wanted to do everything he could to find Drogan and end the threat once and for all. Yet he was being asked to sit back and let others do it.
“Alex, you’re in no shape to go running after shadows,” Jaze said quietly. “Let us do our job and we’ll find Drogan.”
Alex nodded against his will. “Okay.”
Jaze smiled at him. “I think you’d better get up to bed. Stairs weren’t made to be rolled down, especially on a leg like that.”
“Tell me about it,” Alex replied. He was already dreading the climb back up to the storage closet. He kept his expression carefully calm as he limped to the first step.
“Take care of yourself, Alex,” Brock called.
Alex waved a hand without looking back. He eased up the first step. A glanced over his shoulder showed that the professors were already in deep discussion again. He breathed out a sigh and slowly climbed up another step.
The door shut behind him and he leaned against it to catch his breath. He couldn’t help overhearing the conversation below.
“We have got to find out why the General and Drogan want to kill Alex and Cassie,” Jaze was saying.
“Isn’t it enough that they’re Jet’s siblings?” Nikki asked.
“I don’t think so. Why Alex and Cassie, and why now?” Jaze replied. “There must be more to it than we know if he’s going so far out of his way to get to them. I need information on this fast.”
“I’ll get on it,” Brock said.
Alex pushed away from the door and limped to the stairs.
***
Alex found Cassie curled in a ball on his bed. She was covered in the red blanket Nikki had given her, and the blanket shook with her sobs. Alex set a hand on her shoulder.
“Are you okay?” he asked, though it was obvious she wasn’t.
Cassie sniffed and pulled the blanket down enough to look at her brother. “We’ve got to stop him, Alex.”
“We do?” he asked, surprised at her train of thought.
“Yes.” She sat up and pulled the blanket around her shoulders. “If we don’t stop him, what’s to keep him from doing to other parents what he did to ours?”
Alex sat on the bed next to her. He held up his arm and she scooted beneath it. “Jaze’s team is working on it. He said he’ll take care of it.”
Cassie sniffed again. “It’s not enough,” she said. She used the corner of her blanket to dry her tears. “They probably have thousands of bad people on their list. We have one.”
“Two,” Alex corrected her gently.
She watched him with wide eyes. “What do you mean?”
Alex let out a slow breath as he debated what to tell her. “It turns out that the man with the mismatched eyes is named Drogan Carso.”
A shudder ran down Cassie’s spine as if giving the man a name made him more real. Her eyes flitted around the room as she thought. “You mean Carso, like Jaze?”
Alex nodded. “Like’s Jaze’s uncle, General Jared Carso. Drogan is his son.”
Cassie rubbed her eyes, then she nodded slowly. “After all Jet did, it makes sense that he’s trying to kill us. Jet helped free the werewolves he was planning to murder. Because of him, a lot of the students at the Academy and their families survived.”
Alex gave his sister a searching look. “We’re just kids. How are we supposed to make a difference?”
Cassie met his look with one of strength that surprised him. “We’re not just kids, Alex. We’re Jet’s siblings. Take what he did and times it by two. That’s what I want to do.”
Cassie’s words filled Alex with meaning. He hadn’t realized until that moment that he had been searching desperately for some way to avenge his parents. He had always told himself the same words, that they were just kids, and that they had no way to stand up to someone with the entire Extremist force at his back. Yet Cassie was right. Look at all Jet had done. Jet’s strength ran through their veins. They could do it.
“I have an idea,” Alex said.
Chapter Twelve
“You sure this is a good idea?” Cassie asked.
“Definitely,” Alex replied. He cupped his hands around his mouth and howled.
Lights flew on around the Academy. Alex stretched out his sore leg on the top step of the Academy courtyard and waited.
“You want to go after the General and Drogan, right?”
Cassie nodded.
“Then we’re going to need an army,” Alex told her.
Werewolves began to pour out of the school.
“Night games!” a few of the younger students yelled excitedly.
The Alphas followed at a more sedate pace. Alex caught their confused looks. It was customary for an Alpha to make the call for night games, yet all of the Alphas left the school together.
Jericho spotted Alex. “Shouldn’t you be in bed or something?” the Alpha asked with a bemused smile on his face as if he guessed Alex was up to something.
“I probably should,” Alex replied. He attempted to rise. The Alpha reached out a hand and helped Alex up. “Thanks,” Alex told him quietly.
“
Who called the night games?” Boris demanded. Kalia leaned against the building next to her brother. She had her arms crossed and looked disgruntled at the fact that Boris had required her to participate.
“I did,” Alex said, limping forward to the curve of the steps. The werewolves milling below looked up in surprise. The Alphas crossed to him.
“Skipping protocol?” Boris asked, though he didn’t look as angry as he first had.
“Good to see you up and about,” Torin said, holding out a hand.
Alex shook it in surprise. “Thanks. Can I have a minute?”
Torin nodded. Alex shifted his gaze to Boris. The Termer Alpha finally nodded. “Go for it.”
Alex glanced at Cassie. She waited near the school, her expression worried as if she wasn’t sure what reception they would receive. He gave her a reassuring smile and turned to the crowd of students.
“As you know, Cassie and I were attacked in the forest a few nights ago,” he began. Heads nodded at his words. He looked at the Alphas behind him. “What you don’t know is that it was a planned attack.”
Murmurs of surprise rushed through the students.
“Are you sure?” Torin asked.
Alex nodded. “Positive. Dean Jaze confirmed it.” As much as he wanted to reveal Jaze’s secret den for monitoring werewolves beneath the Academy, he felt it was better to keep it to himself for the moment, as well as the fact that Jaze was related to Drogan. The last thing he wanted was for the students to mistrust their dean. He figured leaving out Drogan’s last name for now wouldn’t be a bad idea. “Drogan is the man who killed my parents and attempted to kill Cassie and me a few nights ago. We need to stop him.”
“How do you plan to do that?” Jericho asked quietly behind him.
Alex met the Alpha’s gaze. “Drogan men got through the security at the school, so I plan to create my own.”
“With night games?” Boris asked.
Several members of the Termer Alpha’s pack laughed, but Alex found the other Alphas watching him carefully. He addressed them. “I plan to use night games to train the students.” Talking ran through the crowd. He held up a hand. “We’re already divided into packs. Each pack has an Alpha and a Second. It will be the Alpha’s job to see to the training of his pack members.”
Boris’ gaze darkened. “Are you telling us what to do?”
To Alex’s surprise, Torin crossed to the Termer Alpha. He lowered his voice so only those on the steps could hear. “We were useless when those men attacked. I, for one, would like to know we aren’t sitting ducks if they come back.”
“How do we know they’re coming back?” Boris demanded.
Torin met his gaze directly. “Did you like feeling as if our school and our packs were in danger? Because I didn’t. Don’t you think it’d be smart to be more prepared if there is a next time?”
Boris met Torin’s glare. It was obvious the Alphas were on edge. Alex worried a fight would break out at any moment and destroy what he was trying to accomplish.
“I think it’s a good idea.”
Everyone looked at Kalia in surprise.
“You do?” Boris asked.
She nodded at her brother. “I do. Strength in numbers and all that. If you guys are united, they’re less likely to get through. They failed last time, so they’ll probably try again. It wouldn’t hurt to be ready.”
Her gaze flicked to Alex, then back to her brother. Alex was surprised to find Kalia on his side. She had declared her disgust for werewolves and admitted that her parents used to be Extremists. Maybe she was trying hard not to follow in their footsteps.
“Fine,” Boris said. He blew out an angry breath. “But that doesn’t change anything.”
“What, that you’re an idiot?” Torin asked.
Boris’ hand clenched into a fist. Alex thought the Alpha would hit Torin, but instead, he turned to face the crowd of students who waited eagerly below.
“We train,” Boris declared. “Each pack is a subgroup. The Alphas will meet together separately for battle strategy, and then train you according to what we have decided. A call to night games is a call to train. Be prepared.”
Boris met Alex’s surprised gaze. He shrugged with a hint of self-consciousness. “My dad was in the army.”
“Army brat,” Torin replied.
Boris ignored him, his attention still on Alex. “So what’s your plan, Jericho’s Second?”
There was a moment of complete silence. Alex knew the question was much more than what had been asked. It was not his place to tell Alphas what to do, and he didn’t know enough about battle strategy to do the job justice. He could either defend the position because it was his idea, or choose the path that would be best for the students’ safety.
Alex swallowed his pride and met Boris’ gaze. “It sounds like you’re the one with the most experience. I concede to your leadership in regards to the training unless someone else can prove more knowledge on the matter.”
It was clear the Alpha had expected anything but that. He stared down at Alex with shock on his face, then looked at the other Alphas. Small nods went around the circle. Everyone accepted Boris as the leader. A glimmer of pride touched the Termer Alpha’s gaze. He said gruffly, “I accept.” He looked at Alex and Alex was surprised to be addressed as an equal instead of a Gray. “So how do we find out information on Drogan’s whereabouts?”
“I have that covered,” Alex said.
Boris nodded without pressing him for more information. The Alpha turned to the others. “Let’s begin by practicing sweeps through the yard. If the professors look out, it’ll appear that we’re playing Steal the Flag. Each Alpha needs to work on commands; use barks and yips in wolf form to break and bring back to formation, and make sure your pack follows. We fight together, or not at all.”
Alex fought back a smile as the Alphas hurried down to their packs. Excitement filled everyone’s faces. It looked as if he wasn’t the only one frustrated by the attack. Having a way to fight back was also a chance to push away the fear. If everyone could keep the same goal, they might actually have a chance.
“Nice plan,” Jericho said, pausing on the step. “Did you think to tell me before you brought out the entire school?”
Alex felt a hint of guilt. “I should have. I figured it would be best if everyone had a say.” He lowered his gaze. “I’m not so good at the whole pack protocol thing.”
“A bit of a loner like your brother, I hear,” Jericho said. When Alex looked at him, there was humor on the Alpha’s face. “The dean told me. He figured it would help me understand you.” He nodded toward the statue. “I don’t hear anybody complaining about what Jet accomplished.”
Alex smiled. “Me, neither.”
Jericho gave him a stern look. “I don’t want you running on that leg, and that’s an order from your Alpha. Take it easy this week. You can join in the next.”
“Yes, sir,” Alex replied with a hint of sarcasm.
Jericho rolled his eyes. “You’re going to be trouble, aren’t you?”
Alex shrugged. “Guess you’ll have to wait and see.”
Jericho looked at Cassie who hung back against the Academy wall. “I have no reason to leave your sister out of the training.”
“Cass,” Alex called.
She walked over slowly as if reluctant to hear what they were talking about.
“Jericho needs you in training,” Alex told her.
Her eyes lit up. “I thought you’d see us as a security threat and leave us out.”
Jericho studied her. “Should I?”
She shook her head quickly. “Nope. I just have a tendency to overthink things.” She ran down the stairs before he could change his mind. Terith smiled when Cassie joined the rest of Pack Jericho.
“She’s a sharp one,” Jericho noted.
Alex grinned. “You have no idea. Have fun, Captain.”
Jericho chuckled as he ran down the stairs to lead his pack.
“I didn’t see that co
ming.”
Alex turned at Kalia’s voice. He gave her a smile. “Thanks for the support.”
She shrugged. “I think Boris was ready to kill you.”
He nodded and leaned against the wall to ease the weight from his leg. “Yeah, me too. Why’d you do it?”
She was silent for a few moments. When she spoke, her voice was quiet. “My parents hid the fact that Boris was a werewolf from me for years. They sent him away here during the school year and said he was at the military academy. He was always so angry when he came home, and I realize now it was because he could never speak about what he was. He was always forced to hide it, to be ashamed of it.” She smiled. “You gave him something today when you turned the training over to him.”
The thought made Alex feel a bit better about his decision. He eased carefully down the wall so that he could sit with his leg out. “Yeah, but you stood up for me before you knew what I was going to do.”
A small smirk showed on her face as she sat down beside him. “Maybe I have my own form of rebellion.”
Alex snorted. “So you were trying to cause dissension?”
She raised her eyebrows. “Now who’s using big vocabulary words?”
He grinned. “Let’s just say that being a Lifer at the Academy comes with its share of perks.”
She laughed. “If that’s a perk, I’m glad I’m not a Lifer.”
He chuckled and rested his head against the brick wall. A pack of wolves rushed by in a tight formation. He recognized Drake leading them. Pack Jessilyn was close behind. “Looks like training is going well,” he noted.
Pack Torin came loping by. Alex sat up when he saw Pack Boris rounding the opposite corner. They ran straight at each other.
“Oh, great,” Kalia muttered.
Torin and Boris veered to either side at the last moment. Each Alpha snapped at the other while the packs broke through with growls and a few snarls.
“Guess you can’t change everything,” Kalia said.
“Who says I want to?” Alex replied.
Kalia laughed. “So you approve of dissension?”