Werewolf Academy Book 1: Strays (31 page)

As the silver wreaked havoc on Alex’s body, his found his ability to do more than walk hampered. He stumbled and Jaze righted him. At the werewolf’s question, he shook his head though he was only vaguely aware of what the dean
had asked. The minutes dragged on until he felt like they had been walking through the snow for hours and days. As the daylight faded and darkness stole through the trees, he began to believe they would never reach the walls and halls he thought of as home.

“Look,” Jaze said.

It was the first word Alex recognized after what felt like hours in a foggy haze. He lifted his head and saw the Academy spires just visible through the darkness. Hope filled his chest. He was almost there.

The pounding sound of a helicopter cutting t
hrough the air reached them.

“
Can we make it?” Kaynan asked, falling back to join the group.

Mouse shook his head. “It’s too far.”

“You’ve lost,” Drogan said with a humorless smile. “Give up.”

“Pull together. Guard the prisoner and Alex. We can take them,” Jaze replied, his tone confident.

The pounding grew nearer. They couldn’t see where it hovered, but a few seconds later, men appeared between the trees armed to the teeth with guns and ammo. Their black outfits shone dully in the sunlight, letting Alex know they were made of the same Kevlar Drogan wore.

Alex’s heart fell.
“They’re bulletproof,” he said.

“Don’t worry,” Kaynan replied over his shoulder. “We’re not exactly helpless.” He pulled the wristband from his wrist and snapped it open. The blade caught the afternoon sunlight.

“A knife?” Drogan asked with humor in his tone. “That’s supposed to save you?”

Kaynan grinned at him. “In a manner of speaking, yes.”
He pushed something black on the top of the knife. A little blue light began to flash.

“Let
Drogan go,” one of the men surrounding them called out.

No one in Jaze’s group spoke. There was a tense silence as each waited for the other to act. Jaze’s h
ead tipped slightly to the side and a smile spread across his face. “It’s here,” he said.

Bullets tore through the air. T
he men around them scattered and shot back at the drone that hovered above the trees. It looked like the werewolves were winning until the sound of a louder gun began to pulse. The drone was hit twice. It spun in a half-circle, hovered for a moment, then exploded.

“Run!” Kaynan yelled.

Gunfire peppered through the trees. Jaze ducked under Alex’s arm and the dean practically carried him away from the men who swarmed forward. Bullets hit the bark around them, chipping away pieces that stung the werewolves’ arms and faces. Alex glanced back in time to see Drogan trip Vance. They rolled against a large boulder. The silver knife flashed in the moonlight.

Alex put his hands to his mouth and howled. Before his voice even died away, answering howls echoed through the forest as though the werewolves had been waiting for his signal.
Shadows began to appear, gray and black forms that blurred past them, intent on the strangers that attacked in their forest. The students were fast, darting between the trees and taking down the men.

“You good?” Jaze asked.

At Alex’s nod, the Alpha tore off his shirt and leaped, phasing to the form of the black wolf before his paws touched the ground. He loped through the forest in pursuit of the attackers.

Alex leaned against a tree with his hands on his knees, fighting to keep standing as he searched through the
trees. Drogan was nowhere to be seen. Screams of the men being pursued by the werewolves reached Alex’s ears. He wanted to be there with the rest of the students, to drive away the men who dared to attack. Instincts demanded that he keep those who looked to him for protection safe from men like Drogan. He didn’t want to fail them, but he couldn’t focus through the pain enough to put one foot in front of the other, let alone phase and attack with the rest.

The sound of a wolf’s quiet huff made him glance over his shoulder. The sight of Cassie in her wolf form made him want to cry. Until that moment, he hadn’t been certain he would ever see her again. He dropped to his knees. She ran to him, butting her head softly against his chest. He hugged her, entwining his fingers in her soft cream-colored fur.

“I tried to stop him,” he said. Tears broke free. “I wanted to avenge Mom and Dad. I wanted him to pay for what he did to Jet.” The tears were lost in Cassie’s fur. She gave a quiet whine. “But I didn’t want to leave you,” he concluded. He sat back on his heels, but the pressure was too much on the wound across his side. He sat down in the snow.

Cassie gave a worried whine at the smell of blood.

“I’m okay,” Alex reassured her. “It’s just a bit of silver. Nikki and Lyra will get it out.” His tongue felt thick. He wanted to talk to her more, to promise her that he would never leave again, that they would be safe and he would make sure no one could ever hurt her, but his mouth wouldn’t obey. He had to content himself with listening to the helicopter as it pulled away.

He wondered how many men had survived. He hoped Jaze would come back with the news that
Drogan was among the casualties, but deep down, he knew it wasn’t true. After all the man had done to him, and all Drogan had taken from him, he knew Drogan wasn’t gone. The fist around his heart was still strong. He had to live to fight again.

“Come on, Alex,” he heard a voice say. Strong arms lifted him up.

“I can walk,” he said past his thick tongue.

“Yeah, but I need a workout. They left too quickly,” Vance replied.

Something licked Alex’s hand. His head lolled back and he saw Cassie padding beside them in her wolf form. He smiled and closed his eyes.

Alex and Cassie watched the Termers load into the buses.

“Good riddance,” Cassie said, though there was a hint of question in her voice.

“I’m not so sure,” Alex replied. The Lifers who lounged around them on the Academy front steps looked at him in surprise. Alex shrugged. “It wasn’t really that bad this year.”

“Say that again and I’ll make you eat your words,” Torin threatened from where he leaned against a pillar.

“I’d like to see you try,” Alex replied. It was stupid to say, but he had done his share of stupid things
this term and he figured why break the habit.

Torin merely lifted an eyebrow, surprised at the Gray’s bravado. He eventually sat back against the pillar again. “I heard Boris gave you a pretty good beating.”

“We both bled,” Alex replied, his attention on the buses.

Torin snorted, but didn’t reply.

Alex watched the brother and sister with white-blond hair as they walked to the limousine at the front of the circular lot. The woman who waited appeared to be talking animatedly on a cellphone despite school policy that they not be used within the grounds. She merely waved Boris and Kalia into the car, then climbed in after them.

Alex felt horrible for
the way things had ended up with Kalia. She had barely spoken to him the rest of the school year. Though Kalia and Cassie hung out on occasion, as soon as Alex appeared, Kalia found a reason to be elsewhere. When Alex asked Cassie, his sister said to give the girl time to recover. She had been hurt by someone she trusted. They both knew how that felt.

“Think Pip will be back next year?” Cassie asked quietly.

“I hope so,” Alex replied. He was surprised to find that he meant it. He had actually missed the little werewolf when he went home with his family. He wished he could have been there for the reunion, but Jaze had suggested it would be best to give them space because it was for Cassie and Alex that they had been imprisoned.

Alex fought back the guilt that filled him at the thought of what everyone had gone through to protect the twins. The entire Academy had been in danger, and still was. Though
Drogan’s base had been destroyed, he had indeed vanished in the forest, and Brock hadn’t been able to locate Drogan or the General. Alex knew deep down that he hadn’t seen the last of the man with the mismatched eyes.

“He’s here,” a quiet voice said from behind Alex.

Alex and Cassie both turned to see Jaze’s smiling face. The pride that shone in his eyes said everything.

“The baby!” Cassie exclaimed.

Both twins darted through the doors and took off running down the hall. Jaze was right behind them. He caught the door that Alex threw open and walked beside them more sedately through the medical wing. The door at the end led to the huge private rooms reserved for operations and, apparently, deliveries.

Alex hesitated near the last door.

“Go ahead,” Jaze urged.

He pushed it open and stepped quietly inside with Cassie close behind. Lyra turned to them dressed in purple scrubs with gloves on her hands and funny blue socks around her shoes.
To Alex’s surprise, his aunt Meredith was there as well. She was dressed like Lyra and had apparently been assisting her in the delivery.

“Come on back,” she said, waving for them to step around the curtain.

Alex felt completely out of his element. The sterile scent of cleaners and soap crowded out any other smell. His sneakers squeaked on the linoleum. The air was a bit colder. Since his prolonged exposure to the silver during the walk back from the cabin, he had become a bit more sensitive to changes in temperature. A slight chill ran down his spine.

“Faster,” Cassie whispered excitedly.

Alex bit back a smile and stepped around the curtain. The smile he held back spread completely across his face at the sight of the little baby in Nikki’s arms. The baby had Jaze’s blond hair and Nikki’s blue eyes.

“He is so cute!” Cassie exclaimed.

“Do you want to hold him?” Nikki asked.

Cassie’s eyes widened. She looked from Jaze back to Nikki. “Can I?”

Jaze nodded. “He’s your little brother.”

Cassie held her arms the way Lyra showed her and gave a huge grin as Nikki positioned the baby within them.

“He’s perfect,” she said softly.

“What’s his name?” Alex asked.

Nikki and Jaze looked at each other. “William,” Jaze said.

Alex’s heart gave a little stutter as he looked from Cassie to the baby. William had been Jet’s name before he had been taken away from their family. Jet and Jaze had been more than friends. They
had been brothers who had fought together through more dangerous situations than Alex even knew. It felt right that the baby would carry on Jet’s name.

William gurgled and looked up at Cassie. “Hello, William,” she said, smiling down at him. “I’m your sister Cassie, and I’m going to take care of you.” She looked up at Nikki. “With your mom’s help, of course.”

Nikki smiled. “No brother has ever had such wonderful siblings.” She looked up at Meredith. The twins’ aunt gave her a warm smile, her eyes sparkling.

“We’
ll protect him,” Alex said. He looked at Jaze and Nikki; they held hands and smiled adoringly at their new son. Alex’s gaze traveled to Aunt Meredith who watched lovingly over Cassie and baby William. Alex’s heart burned with the need to keep them safe, to protect them, to always make sure they were happy. A smile spread across his face. He had a pack, and he would fight for it.

Cheree Alsop is the mother of a beautiful, talented daughter and amazing twin sons who fill every day with joy and laughter. She is married to her best friend, Michael, the light of her life and her soulmate who shares her dreams and inspires her by reading the first drafts and adding depth to the stories. Cheree is currently working as an independent author and mother. She enjoys reading, riding her motorcycle on warm nights, and playing with her twins while planning her next book.

Cheree and Michael live in Utah where they rock out, enjoy the outdoors, plan great adventures, and never stop dreaming.

Check out Cheree’s other books at
www.chereealsop.com

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Look for Werewolf Academy Book 2:
Hunted