by Jen L. Grey
"Fine." He straightened up and ran at me.
At the last second, I bent down, causing him to fall over me and land on his back. When he hit the ground, a loud groan left him.
"What the hell?" He rolled over on his hands and knees and jumped back onto his feet. "Where did you learn to fight this way?"
"Evan is my trainer." I held my hands up, ready to go again. As I charged him, I remembered how to throw the right punch. I punched him directly across his chin like I did the punching bag back at school, and he landed with a thud.
When he dropped to the ground, he moaned, "I'm out."
That's when it hit me that I'd learned more than I'd realized from my training. I still needed more coaching, but I wouldn't be a pushover any longer. I was a true alpha.
Chapter Fourteen
When I woke up Monday morning, I didn’t immediately comprehend where I was. I glanced around the room, and the familiar silver walls and blood-red sheets told me I was in Liam’s room at the academy. I still felt exhausted though. Yesterday had been a long, hard day of training, but the one bright spot was that all my work with Evan was paying off. I was getting stronger and more confident.
It had been nice to spend some time with my parents before we headed back to school, but it was hard leaving them. The council was suspicious, so in the back of my mind, I always wondered if this would be my last time to ever see them.
Liam groaned as he pulled me against his chest. Let's pretend that your alarm clock didn't wake us up.
That thought was way too alluring. We're trying to stay off your dad's radar. That means we can't be late. I turned over so I faced him and placed my lips on his. Now, I’ve gotta go take a shower and try to at least look like I'm not a zombie.
Never knew the zombie look could be such a turn-on. He deepened our kiss.
My body responded to him despite my mind's protest. It couldn't hurt to kiss for a few minutes longer.
A loud knock sounded on the door. "Get your asses up!" Evan yelled, but there was a trace of humor in his voice. "I can smell your arousal all the way out here, and we can't be late today."
It was like cold water had been dumped over me. I wasn't sure how I could face Evan after that. The longer it took to get out there, the more awkward it would be. I kissed Liam once more and pulled myself out of his hold.
"He's not the boss of us." Liam frowned as he watched me go into the closet and grab some silver tights, a black and red checkered skirt, and a red blouse with the Wolf Moon logo.
"No, he's not." I pulled out my drawer in the dresser and grabbed a bra and panties. "But he's right. I said the same thing to you before you tempted me with your body."
"And it was working, too." He winked at me. The sheet was at his waist, giving me a direct view of his chiseled abs and muscular chest. His body was so damn delicious, worthy of being licked.
He raised his hands, placing them under his head, which caused his muscles to flex even more alluringly. "I'm willing to take one for the team and piss Evan off."
My body warmed at his words, and a huge shit-eating grin filled his face. He knew I wanted to do just that, which made me even more determined to not fall for his cocky, sexy charms.
"Nah, I'm good." It took every ounce of my willpower to head into the bathroom and shut the door. Damn, I had better lock it too. Since, in all honesty, if he joined me in here, there was no chance in hell of getting out of here on time.
The door clicked as I locked it, and I heard him burst out into laughter.
"I knew you were struggling to deny me," he said the words triumphantly.
I placed my clothes on the sink and grabbed a towel from the closet. It didn't take long for me to take a cold shower and blow dry my hair. After putting my clothes and makeup on, I opened the door to find Liam dressed.
"Give me a minute to get ready, and we can head out." He walked past me into the bathroom, and I headed out toward the kitchen.
The sweet smell of pancakes and the savory smell of bacon greeted my nose as I made my way down the hallway and into the living room. When I turned into the kitchen, I found Evan filling up three plates with food on the dark granite countertop.
"Wow, what's the special occasion." I entered the kitchen and took two of the plates.
"Nothing, just struggling to sleep." His gray eyes were darker than normal as he gave me a tight smile and took his own plate to the four-seater wooden table that was open to the living room.
I sat across from Evan and put Liam's plate next to me. I was surprised to find a hot cup of coffee already brewed and waiting for me. "Everything okay?"
"Yeah..." He leaned back, looking down the hall. "No, not really."
"What's wrong?" Obviously, he didn't want Liam to overhear the conversation.
"It's Willow." He scratched the back of his neck. "I tried talking to her when they got back the other day, but she walked past me like I didn't exist."
"Why did you want to talk to her?" I'd noticed how Evan had been watching her, but she didn't seem to return whatever attention he gave her.
"I think she's..." He took a deep breath, and his eyes locked with mine. "My mate."
"Really?" She was an arrogant hard-ass who hadn't been thrilled with our help. Could that be the reason why?
"Yeah, but I don't want anyone else to know." Evan took his fork and stabbed at the pancake. "Please."
"Your secret is safe with me." I smiled. "And she'll come around. She seems to have grown up as a rebel and hating us. It only makes sense that she isn't warming up to us."
"You're right there." Evan took a bite and chewed.
Liam's footsteps were heading in our direction, and when he saw us sitting at the table with a plate of food waiting for him, he grinned. "I'm starving."
"Well, you came to the right place." I patted the seat next to mine. "And it's delicious too." I took a huge bite and grinned. "Thank you for making it."
"One way to thank me is to not talk with your mouth full." Evan chuckled as he shook his head.
It wasn't long before we were done and Liam and I headed toward the education building.
As we reached the stairs that led up to the education building, Mr. Hale came into view.
"I see you two are heading to class," Mr. Hale pulled at his usual black suit jacket as he arched an eyebrow. His eyes flickered from Liam to me. "I'm surprised you are on time, considering how late you all got back last night."
We should've known he'd be made aware of our arrival. The guard at the gate probably called them as soon as we had rolled in.
"We'd been hanging out and lost track of time." Liam shrugged his shoulder like it wasn't a big deal. "Did everything get straightened out? You four took off in a hurry."
"The rebellion is getting more and more arrogant." Mr. Hale shoulder’s stiffened. "We're going to have to take drastic measures and make a point. They were even brave enough to leave a symbol behind this time."
"A symbol?" We'd talked about using one, but I hadn't realized one had been made.
"Yeah, it's obvious they want to overthrow The Blood Council." He pulled out his phone and tilted it so we could see the image. It had one large ruby paw print with four smaller paw prints all the same size surrounding the larger one. "It has to be some sort of joke. Our logo doesn't have a red paw print." His face was lined with worry, but he held his head high. "Just another reason why an experienced council needs to be the one handling it."
"Are you saying you aren't handing the council over to us?" Liam was direct and stared at his father.
"Not right now, we aren't. You know it’s still several months before we even need to address this." He evaded the question and took a deep breath. "I don't want to hold you two up. I'm sure I'll be seeing you soon." He smirked as he headed toward the gym building, probably meeting up with the other members.
Does he mean they aren’t handing it over now because it’s not your turn yet or that they don’t plan on handing it over at all?
; He’s saying for now, but we both know they don’t intend to. However, we can’t react. We have to let him assume they’re still in complete control. Liam took my hand and tugged me up the stairs. "Let's go."
When I walked into Shifter History, I was surprised to see Professor Johnson already there. Normally, he came in at the last second and jumped into his lecture.
I paused, unsure how to proceed. “Should I wait a few minutes in the hallway?”
“No. Actually, I got here early, hoping to have a moment alone with you.” The professor smiled.
Okay, I wasn’t expecting that. As I made my way to my usual spot, which was the middle seat in the first row, the professor glanced around scanning the room.
"I wanted to warn you." He took several steps toward me so that we had only inches between us and lowered his voice. "That all of you heirs should be very careful. The council members are getting suspicious of you. I'd hate to lose my only living family member right after finding her."
Holy shit. He knew who I was which meant that he had to be tied to the rebellion in some sort of way. "You know?" For some reason, it meant more to me than I realized. Now that I thought about it, he was the closest to my biological dad that I'd ever get.
"Of course, I know." He ran a hand through his hair. "However, I have to be careful with my actions and words. They’re always watching. You should be aware. But there is so much more going on that I haven’t told anyone."
Something cold settled under my skin. "What do you mean?"
"I can't tell you here." He huffed. "I'll allow you to see it some time, but you all need to be very careful. They are putting more than guards on your trail." He forced a smile as he turned to the door as Sherry walked through it.
"Hey." She smiled at me and stopped in the doorway. “I’m sorry for interrupting.”
“Come in.” The professor motioned for her to come into the room. “We were catching up. That’s all.”
“Oh, okay.” She hurried over and took her normal seat beside me.
As each student entered, they were surprised to see the professor already there. They hurried in and settled into their seats. Usually, there were multiple conversations going on, but with the professor here early, it was silent.
Moments later, Professor Johnson clapped his hands and smiled at the class. "Let's begin." He walked over to the board and wrote the word The Blood Council. "I know we've deviated from talking about the council itself, but it's time to talk about bonds."
"Like pack bonds?" The guy asked in the back.
"Yes, but also the other bonds … Specifically the ones elite packs have." The professor nodded his head.
"Wait, you can have something other than a pack bond?" Sherry's brows furrowed.
"You can." The professor nodded. "You all are familiar with the pack bonds, but there are relationships beyond that. For instance, the council members can form a bond of mutual respect."
Yeah, I was pretty sure the current council didn't have that.
"It means that they can link to each other despite them not being each other's alpha. Back in the day with the original council, they respected each other so much that they formed a connection. Even though the Overseer is technically the strongest, he or she can't be the alpha over all; otherwise, one region could be favored over the other. That's why the council is independent. They were able to forge a unique relationship so that in times of duress, they could speak to each other like pack members. Even though the Overseer is the strongest, the four council members could take the Overseer on if needed. For instance, if they become biased."
"What happens if one of the members of the council is the mate of the Overseer?" The question left my lips before I even processed what I'd said.
A guy in the back laughed. "There won't ever be an Overseer again, so what a stupid question."
"No, it's a good one. We are here to learn our history." Professor Johnson gave me a sad smile. "Then, that particular council member isn't allowed to sit in that seat. That would cause a conflict of interest to the Overseer regardless."
Holy shit. His words hit me right to the core.
Sherry glanced at me with concern written all over her face. We must have been thinking the same thing.
If we took over the council, Liam wouldn't be allowed to take his seat at the table. Something for which he'd trained his entire life. And what about Bree. She had never thought that she would have to lead. The information sat like a rock inside my gut.
Later on, we all met up at Bree and Sherry's apartment where I filled them in on everything Professor Johnson had told me prior to class starting. I'd told Liam earlier, not sure if we should tell the entire group, but he reminded me that we were all together now. It was strange for him to be the one to remind me of that.
Only, the problem was that I still didn't have the courage to tell him what I'd learned about his future. It was so damn selfish, but I wanted to handle one issue at a time. I'd promised myself I'd tell him tonight when we were alone.
Luckily, Sherry had promised me that she wouldn’t tell a soul, including Simon, about what we had learned in class since it was something that Liam, Bree, and I would have to work through.
“Whoa… are we sure we should be trusting that teacher?” Micah held up one hand and shook his head. “I mean he’s here for a reason.”
“Yeah, so our dads can keep an eye on him.” Simon glared at Micah from the corner of his eye. “That should tell you something right there.”
“He’s my only family member from my Dad’s side.” He was sincere, I could tell. “He wouldn't want me to get hurt.”
“Exactly, you’re emotionally tied to the man.” Micah pointed at me. “Maybe we shouldn’t be so trusting.”
“Worst case scenario, we’re more cautious.” Liam shrugged. “How would that work to our detriment?”
“I agree. I think he can be trusted.” Evan leaned back in his seat. “Our dads don’t like him. My dad admitted that he wished he could’ve gotten rid of him, but after Brent died, they couldn’t do anything about it. They keep him here to keep him in check. It makes sense that he’d be part of the rebellion.”
“But then, why didn’t they tell us?” Sherry pursed her lips.
“The less we know about what’s going on here at the school, the less we can narc if we get caught.” That’s how they explained leaving Kai out of things. It made sense they would do the same to us.
"So, who else could be watching us?" Simon asked as he sat in the recliner, pulling Sherry on to his lap.
"Anyone. They’re trying to find any reason not to hand over the council to us when the time comes. They are going to try to get as much dirt as possible on us so that they can justify it to all the packs." Liam sat on one end of the couch with me in the center next to Bree. "Any student would be willing to do it to get in their good graces."
"This complicates everything." Micah paced in front of us, a bundle of nerves. "We're going to get caught."
"If we freak out like this, then yes we will." Sherry rolled her eyes. "Everyone has to stay calm. It's not like we're going to change our minds."
"I know, but..." Micah shook his head.
"What it means is we'll need to train them at night instead of during the day." I hated to say that, but it was fact. Some of us could leave at night and have the rebellion pick us up somewhere as we stuck to the trees. "I mean, where did you get the skunk smell?" I turned my head to Liam.
"You've got to be kidding me." A small smile spread across his face.
"Okay, then cover yourself with mud." Now that I said the words out loud, maybe mud would be the better option. At least, with that, you could wash it off.
"Or we can just get Scent Killer spray." Bree stood and headed to her room.
"What is she talking about?" Simon glanced at Liam.
"Dude, I have no clue." Liam lifted both hands.
When she walked back in, she held up a huge bottle with a spray handle. "Nate gave this to me yes
terday in case we needed it coming back. I hid it in my luggage. It's supposed to hide our scents completely."
"How is that possible?" Micah stopped in his tracks as he looked at the bottle.
"Apparently, humans use something like this for hunting." Bree put her nose to the sprayer. "So, Nate and his family wanted to alter it to work for wolf shifters. He said they tried it once, and it seemed promising. I guess we're about to find out."
"Do you have your phone?" Next time I saw the rebellion, I needed to get my own burner phone from them.
"Yeah, you want me to let them know our change of plans?" Bree reached behind the couch and pulled it out.
Actually, that probably wasn't a bad hiding place.
"Tell them to pick me up tonight around eleven." Evan stood and stretched. "I'll go take a nap and be ready to go. Tell them I'll meet them at the closest abandoned warehouse."
"Okay, I'll do that." Bree typed the message into her phone. "If you receive a text from me, that means don't go. No news is good news."
"Let me bag up some more clothes to take to Liam's, and we can hide the spray bottle in with them." Evan couldn't very well go outside, carrying it around. With our luck, his dad would be near and find out what it was.
"Good idea." Bree placed the bottle on the table and ran off toward her room. "Let me get your bag."
I packed a few more of my things up and grabbed my jewelry box that held my pendant. At first, I wasn't sure if staying over with Liam would work out, but I felt more comfortable with him. Now, he was my home.
After we made it back to the guys’ dorms, Evan went to take a nap, leaving me and Liam all alone. Usually, I loved moments like these, but right now, I was dreading it.
He took my hand and led me into our room. He lowered his lips to mine, and I tried kissing him back, but it felt wrong without him knowing everything. A little bit of me feared he'd reject me now, but I had to keep reminding myself that it was his decision to make; not mine.
What's going on? Liam pulled back, and his eyes turned navy blue. You've been acting strange all afternoon.