Wolf Moon (Alpha Wolf Academy Book 2)

by JJ King

“She’s burning up,” I said quietly, keeping my voice low even though she was unconscious and hadn’t so much as moved in the hour since we’d found her.

  “She needs to shift,” Connor muttered, squatting down across from me. His face was strained and a little blue from the cutting wind. We were all cold and it was only going to get worse.

  Daniella cocked an eyebrow at him and tilted her head, ever the imperious Queen. “And how exactly should she do that? Being unconscious and all.”

  I held back a satisfied laugh. Daniella’s brazen sense of humor was kind of funny when it was directed at Connor.

  He didn’t respond, just stood up and walked away, joining the other group who had started gathering anything of use and putting it in the fuselage. They’d decided the remaining metal walls of the plane would be their best option to cut the wind and maintain warmth once the sun went down, which was looking more and more likely given the fact that they hadn’t been rescued yet and dark clouds were encroaching on the once blue sky. It would get colder before the sun set based on the incoming weather.

  I smoothed back a lock of Ms. Morgan’s hair then pushed to my feet and rubbed my hands together. I hadn’t bothered bringing gloves this morning on the plane, let alone a scarf or hat. Even my boots felt like scraps of useless fabric against the biting cold.

  “We need to get a fire going,” I said, thinking aloud.

  “Should have thought of that before the fire went out,” Daniella’s sharp retort reminded me of why I found her attitude annoying when directed at me. I ignored her and began gathering up splintered wood.

  She was right, though, I thought sourly. The fires from the plane had gone out over the last hour, clearing the air of the thick disgusting smoke, but also stealing the last bit of warmth from the air. It would have been a lot easier to transfer some of it than to make a new one from scratch. I hated when she was right, so I kept my face straight and tried my best to ignore her.

  I was used to making fires at my Nan and Pop’s house, but this one took forever with my shaky hands and lack of kindling. Still, I got it going a few feet away from Ms. Morgan, just close enough to warm her while her body worked on healing itself.

  The first member of the group to shift was Benson. I wasn’t surprised. He’d been the least helpful since the crash, had done almost nothing, and had complained the entire time. He was cold, poor boy, I thought. We were all cold, we just couldn’t all shift and leave Ms. Morgan alone.

  “You need to shift, too,” Connor said from over my shoulder, startling me. I gritted my teeth and ordered myself to remain civil as I turned and moved past him to the group where, I noticed, Grey was still too pale for comfort. I squatted down next to him.

  “Hey,” I waited for him to look up and notice me before continuing. “You’re not looking so good.” The irony of his name and pallor struck me as sad and a bit funny.

  His voice came out thin and wheezy with a bit of a gurgle that instantly sent off warning bells. “I’m not feeling so good.”

  “Can I listen to your chest?” I spoke softly, as if to a child and waited while he reluctantly pulled his arms away from his chest, then leaned close to listen. What I heard wasn’t encouraging. “I think you broke a few ribs and at least one of them has punctured a lung.”

  His eyes flared wide then went alarmingly flat for a moment, then he slowly wrapped his arms around himself again and closed his eyes. “It hurts.”

  My heart pained for him and for what he’d have to do next. “I know,” I murmured, touching his hand lightly. “But you know what you need to do to start healing.” I knew what I needed to do to start healing, too.

  Grey shook his head and the effort made his eyes go dim. “I can’t.”

  “You can,” I urged, hating to do this, but it was for his own good. He needed to shift, or his body would quickly lose the strength it needed to heal his injuries. It was hard enough to have lost the others, I didn’t want to think of losing him, too.

  I could tell the others were watching but tried my best to maintain this little world where only Grey and I existed. He needed to focus, to call his wolf, and let him take over.

  “Grey,” I said firmly, balling my hands into fists until my nails pressed painfully into my palms. “Look at me.”

  His eyes opened.

  “You will die if you don’t shift and we’ve already had enough death today.” I leaned in until I was an inch from his face, then barked, “Shift right now.”

  For a moment, his eyes stayed locked on mine, startled and a little weary, then they went wide and dark as his wolf surged to the surface. His arms flew out and grabbed me as his spine arched and bones that were already broken cracked further. I bit back a cry as his fingers shifted, growing nails that sliced into me before he let go and fell to the ground to complete the shift. I scrambled back and panted for breath with fresh blood running down my arms as he sprouted thick brown fur and howled.

  He stayed on the ground when the shift was complete, his body exhausted from the process of healing and changing. I blew out a deep breath and reached for his head, offering a quick stroke before backing away and calling to my wolf.

  She came like a wave of cool water on a hot summer day, bringing relief and release along with the usual sharp bite of pain as my bones shifted and reformed into something new, something more. It was over in a moment and I sank into her and let the magic of our existence knit my torn muscles back together and clear my rattled mind. The cold melted away inside her fur and, for a moment, I found the balance I’d been craving.

  Then the scent of death and destruction hit my nose and I whined as the thick taste of it coated my tongue. I loped into the trees, hoping the evergreens would offer fresher air and peace.

  The forest was quiet, devoid of birdsong and animal chatter because of the crash. Animals sensed the danger and now the predators the crash had brought to their homes. It was only temporary, I wanted to tell them. We’d be gone soon enough.

  Rescue would come.

  I heard the distant sound of shouts followed a moment later by snarls and sagged with the weight of having to leave this peaceful place. I could leave them to fight it out, I supposed, then turned with a sigh and trotted towards the disturbance.

  I was not shocked in the least to find Benson facing off with Daniella while Adeline screamed for them to stop.

  Daniella had shifted and was standing in the middle of the area we’d cleaned out, sleek with shiny black fur and emerald eyes that sparked flames at the moment. Benson’s shoulders lowered and his stance widened in an aggressive posture.

  He was bigger than Daniella, wider in the shoulders and taller, but her body language screamed confidence while his was all fury and desperation. I could practically smell it coming off him. There was no doubt in my mind that Daniella would be the victor if Benson attacked.

  Still, a fight would just escalate the already heightened emotions of the group and level heads would be needed, especially if they were forced to spend the night. Already, I could hear angry stomachs, which always led to cranky wolves.

  Daniella stepped forward, keeping her chin high and her gaze locked on Benson’s. He growled louder, trying to intimidate, and crouched lower. Those still in human form called out pleas for them both to back down. It seemed no one wanted more blood spilled today.

  I saw the moment Benson decided to attack. There was a shift to his eyes, from agitated to mean. He wanted blood.

  Daniella, unfortunately, didn’t see the change in his eyes because she was too busy dismissing him to really look.

  I threw myself forward just as Benson’s muscles bunched and released, launching him into the air and straight for Daniella’s pretty neck.

  Chapter 16

  Connor’s body came out of nowhere and slammed into Benson, shoulder first, just as I tackled Daniella and took her to the ground.

  Snarls and snapping teeth sounded just inches from my face as Benson whirled on Connor, twisted away from his bigger form.
He leaped again, faster than I thought possible for a spoiled brat like Benson, and caught Connor by surprise. They rolled, teeth bared and dangerously close to ripping into flesh, as I covered Daniella with my body and watched with a wary gaze.

  I felt her begin to shift beneath me and adjusted my defensive stance, knowing she’d be a bigger, softer target in her human shape. I was prepared for her to join me in putting Benson in his place. I was not prepared for the slap of her hand on my fur and her sharp snap of, “What the fuck do you think you’re doing?”

  I pivoted to gape at her.

  Daniella’s face was flushed bright red, which made her flashing green eyes stand out even more. Her lips were pulled back in the human equivalent of a snarl. I backed up a step and cocked my head to the side, waiting for some explanation for her behavior.

  I didn’t have to wait long. Daniella leaned in so that her breath heated my nose and hissed, “No one asked you to step in, asshole. I can fight my own battles.” Venom practically dripped from her lips.

  I held my ground and curled a lip back, showing my teeth. I wanted to bite her, hard, or shift and shout that she’d be on the fucking ground with a severed neck if I hadn’t stepped in, but that would result in exactly the same situation I’d been trying to avoid. So, I narrowed my eyes, then turned and walked away from the drama.

  I found my clothes and shifted, careful to stay far away from Daniella and Benson, who was back in human form now, too, and complaining loudly that he’d pay “the bitch” back when they got back to civilization. I wasn’t sure which bitch he was referring to, me or Daniella, but I didn’t care. I was too pissed off with life right now to care about that fuckwad.

  The fifth time my stomach growled, I decided it was time to do something about it. Obviously, tempers were high, higher still now that it had started snowing. A hunt was exactly what we needed to distract us from wanting to maim one another. I reluctantly made my way over to where Connor was speaking with Joaquin.

  They looked up as I approached and nodded. “Hey, we were just saying that the group needs to eat, and soon,” Joaquin said with a weary look.

  I nodded. “Agreed. But we also need a shelter that’s going to stand up to this wind and the cold that’s coming in.” I glanced up at the darkening sky and prayed it didn’t mean a blizzard or, Olds Ones forbid, wet snow. We didn’t need to be wet and cold. Hypothermia was the real bitch.

  We decided to put it to the group and asked if anyone wanted to stay behind to set up camp. Unsurprisingly, Benson and Adeline volunteered to be in charge of keeping the group alive. Jared and Rachelle joined them with imperious glares for the rest of us. I kept myself from rolling my eyes, but barely. It was obvious they were spoiled, the lot of them. In my opinion, they’d had all the wild bred out of them. Pity.

  We set out into the unfamiliar forest, spread out and silent on the freshly fallen snow. I purposefully made my way to the outside of the pack, opposite Connor. Beyond getting me as far away from him as possible, it made sense to have two strong hunters flanking the pack. Joaquin took up the rear with Daniella in the center.

  The crisp chill in the air was invigorating to my wolf. She loved the vast freedom of the forest, even if it had come at the price of tragedy. I’d run the entirety of Alpha Wolf Academy land repeatedly over the holidays, getting to know every inch of the property, but this was different. This was wilderness, just like back home.

  I ached for home, for my friends and family. Fuck, I even ached for the takeout at Donny’s, which had too much batter and not enough chicken. But this was no time to lose focus. I sharpened my gaze and lifted my nose into the wind.

  And caught the scent.

  My gaze darted left to meet Connor’s. His head was held high as he tasted the wind, figuring the direction of the deer. The wind was coming in from the north-east, sharp and bitter, and blowing downwind towards us from higher ground. That meant our prey would never see us coming.

  I grinned and bobbed my head to the right. Connor nodded and went left with Joaquin on his tail. Daniella followed me.

  We moved through the snow like ghosts, circling around the deer but staying downwind so it wouldn’t catch our scent and run. Although, I thought with a lolling grin, I could use a good run.

  This wasn’t for me, though, I reminded myself. Like it or not, those of us who’d survived the crash were a pack now, and we needed to think like a pack. We needed to stay strong.

  In case of what? A niggling voice asked at the back of my mind. I ignored it and crept closer to the deer.

  Daniella moved up beside me and tilted her head, taking my lead. I, in turn, turned to look through the dense trees to where Connor was waiting and watching. He caught my movement and looked up, then nodded.

  The muscles in my legs bunched and exploded forward, thrusting me into the chilled air as a growl ripped from my throat. This wasn’t the time to stay silent anymore.

  The deer froze for a split second, its face going blank with shock and confusion, then its lithe body was sprinting away from us as it ran for its life. We charged towards it, intent on the kill.

  I leaped over ancient rocks and fallen logs, blood pumping wildly through my veins, and shot across the forest floor towards my prey. My eyes narrowed and the world faded away until the deer and my pack were all I knew.

  The deer skirted a wall of jagged rock and disappeared into a dip we hadn’t seen coming since we hadn’t had the chance to scout the area first.

  Smart, I thought, knowing this would split us up, giving the deer a better chance at survival. But, not smart enough. I let loose a howl to lead the others in and pushed every scrap of raw speed in me through my hind legs.

  I saw her as she jumped, darting around the huge boulder and down the steep path that led to what I could now see was a valley, thick with forest that she could escape into. I gritted my teeth and growled, wishing I had my real pack, my friends, those who knew me well enough to anticipate the hunt.

  What I had was Daniella, on my heels with emerald eyes trained on our prey. My mate’s sister. My mate’s twin. I hesitated for a moment, then pushed my awareness out…

  … and touched hers.

  It was like touching electricity. Where Bash was strong and steady, Daniella was blazing heat and raw energy. I pulled back in shock and nearly fucked up the hunt when I stumbled, just for a second, over an exposed root. I caught myself mid-air and plunged forward, leaping atop the boulder as I said, “fuck it” and pushed a single thought out with my mind.

  Around the boulder. Lock it in.

  I didn’t wait to hear an answer, I wasn’t even sure this worked both ways. I bounded over the huge rock, sailing through the air with exposed teeth, and landed a few feet ahead of the deer, who skidded to a halt and immediately tried to backtrack.

  Daniella rounded the corner and snarled, trapping the deer in, just as Connor and Joaquin mounted the rock and howled.

  My gaze met the deer’s terrified eyes and, for a moment, the desire for meat and blood waned and I wanted nothing more than to let this life go free. It was scared, and alone, and alive. My chest ached with compassion.

  Daniella hit the deer, knocking it to the snowy ground, and sank her teeth into its neck. Her wild green eyes flashed with impatience when she looked up at me, snout covered in crimson that stained the snow with death.

  My wolf did not turn away.

  We ate some, to chase away the gnawing hunger that had only been exacerbated by the hunt, then ripped the deer into pieces to carry back to our pack, so they could live and be strong.

  However I tried to chase the thoughts away, my mind stayed locked on the similarities between the deer’s life and my own. It had died to give others life and my family, my biological family, had died to give Viktor power. I was an afterthought to him, an annoyance that threatened what he saw as his rightful claim to the Alphaship. He’d killed his family, innocent children and, just months ago, innocent students, to get his way.

  He was a madman a
nd needed to be stopped.

  Deep seated anger that had been brewing in my gut for months bubbled up now and I wanted to scream, to howl, to strike out in fury.

  I wasn’t an unprotected deer in the forest with no ability to fight back. I had teeth and claws of my own and I was learning to fight, wasn’t I?

  My heart sank as my body remembered the pressure of his Alpha power, the way it had wrapped around me and squeezed like a vice, threatening to crush me into tiny, insignificant pieces.

  I gritted my teeth around the flank of deer I carried and felt its blood trickle down my throat. I’d taste Viktor’s blood before this was over, of that I had no doubt. I just needed to get stronger and learn how to fight back on my own terms.

  We were met by howls of relief and a shelter cloaked in thick boughs that would cut the cold and keep us and Ms. Morgan safe during the night. I put the thick piece of deer meat I carried down and backed away to let Grey and Rachelle eat, then crossed to Ms. Morgan to check on her.

  She was pale and shivering, despite her proximity to the fire, and there was a bluish cast to her lips that hadn’t been there before. I leaned in closer and breathed in her scent, catching a sweet, tart smell. The human body just wasn’t made to survive in the wilds, I thought, even as I closed my eyes and willed my change to come.

  I stood, shivering and naked, in the wilderness for a moment, then rushed into the fuselage to hastily pull on my clothes. My lips shivered and my fingertips half numb by the time I zipped up my coat. If I didn’t need hands to make another fire and tend to Ms. Morgan, I’d have abandoned my human side altogether until help arrived. But, since that wasn’t an option, I bent to the task of making another fire on our comatose teacher’s other side. Her body needed to conserve as much warmth and strength if her wolf was going to bring her back from death’s door.

  “I found some elderberries in the forest,” Adeline said softly as I fed the tiny fire and arranged a pile of wood nearby. “That’s what you smell on her breath, elderberries.” She touched the back of her hand to Ms. Morgan’s head and smoothed back a few strands of sweaty hair.