Werewolf Academy Book 2: Hunted (3 page)

“Just changing my clothes,” Alex replied, giving his twin sister his most convincing smile.

She reached up and pulled a twig from his hair. “This is from a blueberry bush.”

“Huh,” Alex said. “They aren’t very tall, are they?”

“What does that have to do with anything?” she asked, frustrated.

“Shh,” Alex told her. “Jaze is talking. You don’t want to be rude.”

Cassie sputtered at him for a moment. She finally gave a shake of her head and turned back to the proceedings. “Boys,” she muttered under her breath.

Alex smiled. He wanted to point out that he doubted human boys would have any success racing a train or buses, but decided not to press his luck. Instead, he folded his arms and leaned against the base of the huge black wolf statue. Jet guarded over the courtyard, watching the proceedings from his vantage point. If he had been alive, Alex knew no one would dare to go into the Academy with malice in their hearts; as it was, the Academy had been breached last Christmas. Alex was determined to never let it happen again.

“Mingle among yourselves,” Mrs. Nikki Carso,
the dean’s wife, encouraged the students. “Get to know each other. We’ll have the Choosing Ceremony in a few minutes, and the contacts you make now may very well determine how the rest of your term here goes.”

A tall seventeen year old with brown eyes walked up to Alex and Cassie.

“Ready for another year?” Jericho asked, holding out a hand.

“I didn’t think you’d take me back,” Alex replied with a grin. “We had quite the year.”

Jericho nodded. “Yes, we did. But I think that if you’re not my Second, this next year is going to be quite boring in comparison.”

“We wouldn’t want that,” Alex said
with mock solemnity.

“
No, we wouldn’t,” Jericho replied.

Both boys looked over the crowd of students.

“Fifteen more this year,” a voice said beside Alex.

Alex smiled down at Trent. “Really? It looks like more.”

“That’s because they’re extra loud,” Terith proclaimed, standing next to her brother. She shook her head and her blonde curls bounced on her shoulders. “Don’t they know Alphas like Grays who are quiet?”

Alex and Jericho exchanged a look. Terith was the most talkative of their pack. For her to be pointing out the noise was either ironic or showed how truly rambunctious the students were.

“Has anyone seen Pip?” Cassie asked quietly.

Alex shook his head. He had been searching the crowd for the small student with big ears who had almost cost them their lives. They had stayed friends until the end of the year, but it looked like the young Second Year hadn’t returned.

“Too bad,” Jericho noted. “He was handy at the first full moon challenge.”

Cassie and Alex glanced at each other. Only a few others at the Academy knew Pip was the one who had been
Drogan’s contact. They planned to keep it that way and protect the little werewolf’s name in case he returned.

“
Time to go to the Great Hall for the Choosing Ceremony,” Nikki announced.

Everyone filed into the Great Hall. As usual, Lifers and Termers sat on opposite sides of the hall, but this time the werewolves who had made up Pack Jericho stayed together. There really wasn’t much doubt who was going to be in their pack. Alex didn’t see any reason to mess with the camaraderie they had created, and everyone seemed content to stick together. With the addition of fifteen more students and Pip’s absence, there might be two more spaces to fill, but the rest was pretty much settled.

“Sid Hathaway,” Torin announced, choosing his Second for the year. Sid was always the Lifer Alpha’s Second, so it came as no surprise.

Boris, the Alpha leader of the Termers, stood up next. Alex glanced at Kalia. She glared at her brother as if daring him to say someone else’s name.

“Parker Luis,” he called. Kalia gave a visible wince. Alex felt bad for her. It had to be hard getting chosen third by family.

The other Alphas took their picks. Jericho was last; even though he was seventeen, it was only his second year at the Academy.

“Alex Davies,” Jericho called when it was his turn.

Alex took his place beneath the dais.
If Trent’s information was correct, the ten Alphas had one hundred and sixty-seven werewolves to choose for their packs.

Torin
walked forward again. “Amos Jones,” he called.

Alex stared. The huge Gray
rose slowly from his seat with Pack Jericho. His expression was confused as he looked from Torin to Jericho and Alex. Alex nodded encouragingly, but his heart sank at the thought of losing the hulking Gray.

Alex glanced back at
Torin. The Alpha smirked at him as Amos took his place below the dais. Alex clenched and unclenched his hands. He wanted to do something, but as a Gray, it wasn’t his place. Jericho met his gaze and gave a minute shrug. There was nothing they could do.

Boris cleared his throat. “Matthews
Johnson,” he said.

Alex
glanced at Kalia. She looked ready to cry or scream. Instead, she crossed her arms and glared at the floor as the other Alphas chose their pack mates.

“Cassie
Davies,” Jericho called.

Cassie hurried up to join Alex. She was excited to get out of the anxious crowd of students waiting to be picked. It was only the second year both she and Alex hadn’t
been chosen last. She stood next to him with a small smile on her face.

At the next round, Boris called Kalia’s name. She stood up, but didn’t move toward the stage.

To everyone’s shock, she took a deep breath and said loud enough for everyone to hear, “I refuse the choosing.”

Whispers erupted through the students.
Professor Kaynan stood up from his seat with the rest of the Academy staff near the back of the stage.

“What are you doing?
Don’t be stupid.” Boris growled, not caring that the rest of the students watched.

Kalia ignored the statement, her attention on Professor Kaynan.

The professor’s red gaze traveled over the crowd. “It is Kalia’s right to deny the choosing,” he stated.

Kalia nodded and sat back down. She pointedly ignored her brother as h
e glared at her from the stage.

“Zach
Mitchell,” he finally called.

Maliki, Shannon, and Raynen made their normal choices. Drake hesitated. He glanced at Jericho, then out at the students.

“What’s up?” Jericho asked the other Alpha quietly.

“I need a brainiac on my pack,” Alex heard Drake reply. “Some of my guys are barely passing classes.”

“Alex, what do you think?” Jericho asked.

Alex thought about it for a second. “Take
Nate Smith. He’s usually last on Shannon or Maliki’s packs anyway. He’ll be grateful for the bump up and probably become a strong member of your pack.”

“But he’s a Stray,” Drake protested.

The word sent a surge of anger through Alex.

Even though he wasn’t an Alpha, the expression on
Alex’s face made Drake quickly amend his word choice. “I mean a Lifer.”

“It doesn’t matter,” Jericho replied quietly. “My pack was the
most well-rounded last year. Can you argue against that?”

Alex could tell by the look on Drake’s face that the Alpha wanted to, but he had no legs to stand on. All of the students were watching them, and with a room full of werewolves, there was no doubt everyone was listening. He finally nodded. “I choose Nate Smith.”

The relief on the Lifer’s face made Alex smile. The boy practically ran to Drake’s area below the dais. He turned around with a big grin on his face, revealing the big gap between his two front teeth that gave him a bit of a lisp.

“Thanks, man,” Nate whispered, leaning over to Alex. “I appreciate it.”

“Anytime,” Alex replied.

Jessilyn, Kelli, and Miguel made their selections from the normal members of their packs. It was Jericho’s turn again. The Alpha
asked quietly, “Who’s next, Alex?”

Cassie spoke up, surprising them both. “Kalia,” she pleaded.

Alex and Jericho both stared at her. “She hates me,” Alex replied in a whisper. “That’d be a horrible idea.”

“Please?” Cassie pleaded. “She needs a pack.”

Jericho looked from Cassie to Alex. When the Gray met his gaze, the Alpha gave a slight shrug, leaving the decision up to his Second.

“Okay,” Alex replied. “I hope I don’t regret this,” he muttered under his breath.

“You won’t,” Cassie promised with a huge smile on her face.

“Kalia Dickson,” Jericho called.

Gasps ran through the crowd. Alex dared a glance sideways and met Boris’ furious glare. Maybe it was worth it after all.

Kalia
walked sedately to the front of the Great Hall. She stood next to Cassie, ignoring Alex entirely. While he felt relieved that she hadn’t turned down their choosing, he wondered how the term would go with Kalia as a pack mate.

“Shaking things up again?” Jericho asked as students left the Choosing Ceremony in packs.

Alex and Jericho walked slowly behind their new pack mates. The group was made up of mostly their regulars from last year, along with a new seven-year-old named Caitlyn, a Fourth Year named Steph, and Kalia. There was also a new fifteen-year-old Lifer named Tennison that Jericho had chosen at the end of the ceremony. It was unusual for new orphans to come to the Academy, but it was no secret Drogan and the General still waged their war on werewolves. Tennison had come in on the buses and nobody knew much about the werewolf, except that he wasn’t an Alpha and he was going to be staying at the Academy with the rest of the Lifers.

Seventeen members made for a huge pack.
Alex watched students stormed up the stairs anxious to get to their new quarters. Pack Jericho would be at the end of the hallway again because Jericho was the newest Alpha. They were in no hurry to fight the rush down the hall. Alex shook his head. The professors were going to have to figure something else out the next year if more Termers came in; the Alphas were going to have a hard time managing so many Grays.

“Could I share a room with you?” a small voice
asked.

Alex glanced back to see
Caitlyn, their new seven-year-old, clinging to Cassie’s hand.

Cassie smiled down at her. “Actually, we all have our own rooms.”
Caitlyn’s wide green eyes filled with tears. “But I’ll make sure your room is next to mine, and you can visit me whenever you want,” Cassie concluded quickly.

“Really?”
Caitlyn asked.

Cassie nodded
and the answering smile that broke out across the little girl’s face filled Alex with relief. His sister was making new friends. Besides Terith, himself, and Kalia, she hadn’t really branched out over the last year. Perhaps Caitlyn was the beginning of something new.

“Alright,
Pack Jericho, find your rooms, get situated, and let’s head down to dinner. For those of you here for the first time, your belongings will be brought up while we eat,” Jericho told his pack. He grinned at Alex. “Ready for another food fight?”

Alex laughed. “Always ready.”

Alex held back as the packs hurried back down the stairs to the Great Hall. He wanted to make sure Cassie was alright because his sister hated crowds, but he spotted her in the midst of the stampede holding Caitlyn’s hand and helping the little girl down. Apparently his twin had forgotten her own fears while assisting Caitlyn.

The door opened and Kalia ran straight into him.

“Oh, um, sorry,” Alex stammered, even though he had only been innocently standing by when she practically bull rushed him.

“Sorry,” Kalia mumbled, hurrying for the stairs.

“Kalia, wait,” Alex called.

She paused with her fo
ot on the top step. She didn’t turn around. Reluctance to be up there with him showed in every line of her body.

Alex took a steeling breath. “I don’t know how to apologize more than I already have. I was wrong and I’m sorry.”

Anger flashed in Kalia’s light blue eyes when she turned back around. Her blonde hair swished above her shoulders with the snap of her head. “Maybe you can’t fix this, Alex.”

“But you’re in my pack,” Alex pointed out.

She shook her head. “I’m in Jericho’s pack, or have you forgotten that you don’t own it?”

Alex held up his hands. “Whoa. Slow down. I’m not trying to fight with you. I’m just saying that since we’re in the same pack, we should probably try to get along.”

“Does that include accusing your friend of sending someone to murder you?” Kalia asked with true hurt in her voice.

“No, it doesn’t,” Alex replied quietly. “It doesn’t at all. I was way out of line, and I am truly sorry. I hope you might be able to forgive me someday.”

“I doubt that,” Kalia replied. She walked slowly down the stairs.