Werewolf Academy Book 5: Lost (19 page)

Chapter Twenty-three

“Drogan’s gone,” Chet announced as soon as they cleared the door.

“No,” Alex said. He shouldered past the Alpha and hurried down the hall.

“Alex, wait!” Siale called.

“Stay here,” Alex replied. He forced his body to morph. As he ran down the hall, he realized it was the first time he had been able to make himself morph. His strength was failing with the blood loss. He could feel it as he made his way around debris, following Drogan’s scent. Footsteps ran after him. A glance back showed Jaze catching up.

“I can’t let him go,” Alex called, his voice thick and low. “He’s taken too much from me.”

He ducked out of a hole in the wall where Drogan’s scent fled. A forest touched with spring took up the back side of Drogan’s base. Alex’s keen ears picked up the sound of a helicopter. He crashed through the trees and the impartial side of him wondered just how many choppers the Extremist had at his command.

Jaze ghosted beside him, the dean’s footsteps soundless compared to Alex’s brute smashing through small stands of trees and bushes. He appreciated that Jaze didn’t try to stop him.

They reached a clearing just as the helicopter rose into the air. Drogan grinned down at them, his mismatched eyes wild and leering.

“No,” Alex growled. He grabbed a trunk that looked like it had been struck by lighting and tore it from the ground. With a roar, he threw it as hard as he could.

Drogan’s eyes widened when the tree hit the helicopter blades. Sparks flew, then flames. The helicopter careened toward the ground. It disappeared beneath the trees. The impact shook the forest floor. Jaze and Alex exchanged a look and took off running.

Smoke billowed from the aircraft. It had torn up trees and lay on its side.

“Alex, be careful,” Jaze called.

Alex ignored the flames and jumped onto the side of the helicopter. He glanced at the slain pilot and searched the back seat.

“Drogan’s gone,” he told Jaze, jumping back to the ground. His knees buckled. Jaze caught his arm, steadying him as the morph faded, leaving him in his human form. Alex pressed a hand to his stomach, trying to staunch the sticky blood that coated the wound. The bandages had fallen off somewhere in his crazed run. He could feel the raw edges of the wound where the silver coated it, keeping it open.

An impression in the dirt caught Alex’s attention. He dropped to his knees next to it.

“That’s a wolf print,” Jaze said, crouching beside Alex.

Alex nodded. “Drogan’s a werewolf.” At the dean’s stare, Alex continued, “He said he phased after I killed his father.” He swallowed, then corrected, “I mean
our
father.”

Jaze put a hand on his shoulder. “The General was not your father.”

“Yes, he was.”

“Alex, look at me,” Jaze insisted. When Alex finally complied, the dean’s gaze was adamant. “The General may have contributed to you having life, but that’s all. He didn’t raise you, and there is nothing in you that is of him. You aren’t Jared, and you aren’t Drogan. Drogan killed your parents.” Jaze blinked, his eyes damp. “Will and Mindi were your real parents. They were wonderful people, full of the same love and understanding that I see in you. You have Jet’s stubbornness. He could never turn away from those who needed his help and strength. He gave everything to save us.” Jaze’s voice choked off.

Alex wiped his eyes with the back of his arm. “Drogan deserves to die.”

Jaze nodded. “I’ve been where you are. When Mason killed my father, I did everything I could to avenge his death.”

“And you killed him,” Alex said quietly.

Jaze’s eyes tightened as memories of the past darkened his gaze. “I had a hand in his death. I thought it would help me feel better.”

“Did it?”

Jaze gave him a straight look. “No, because the hole was still there. I still missed my father. Mason’s death didn’t do anything to help it go away. My father was gone and nothing could bring him back.”

“But at least Mason couldn’t hurt anyone else.”

Jaze nodded. “Yes. In that, there was justice. Drogan has hurt far too many people. We will make sure he pays.”

“Then go after him,” Alex said, pointed to the tracks in the rich earth.

Jaze gave him a fatherly smile. “And leave you to bleed out here in the dirt? No way. There will be time to go after Drogan later. We need to get you to the hospital.”

He ducked under Alex’s arm and was helping him stand when a growl rumbled through the forest.

Alex saw Drogan at the edge of the clearing. He was in wolf form and his coat was black. “Drogan’s an Alpha,” Alex said quietly.

Jaze was about to reply when beasts stepped from the forest on either side of Drogan. There were at least a dozen of them. They were misshapen and hulking, huge wolves with patchy fur, human-shaped heads, and teeth sticking out in all directions. Their muscles were colossal and their arms ended in wicked-looking black claws. One in particular towered above the rest. It had black patchy fur and a huge scar that tore through one ear and an eye.

“What are they?” Alex asked. He leaned against a tree, his strength waning. He had pushed his body too hard with the last run and throwing the tree.

“I think they were trying to create something like you,” Jaze replied.

“The mutants,” Alex said. At Jaze’s quick look, he explained, “Jenkins told Drogan that the mutants were out of control.”

“We need to get back to the others,” Jaze said, his voice tight as the mutants advanced on either side of Drogan.

Alex shook his head. He could barely stay standing. Blood pooled beneath his fingers and dripped to the forest floor. “I don’t think I can make it. I’ll distract them. You go.”

Jaze tore off his shirt and phased. He raised his muzzle to the morning sky and let out a howl that reverberated through the trees. The great black wolf then turned his attention to Drogan and the mutants. He growled, flattening his ears against his skull. A shudder ran down Alex’s spine at the sheer vehemence in the dean’s voice.

Drogan gave a sharp bark and the mutants attacked. Even as an Alpha, it was clear the mutants were too many for Jaze. He fought right and left, attempting to push them away from Alex. Alex tried to force his body to morph, but it refused. Spots flashed in his vision. He tried to keep his eyes open.

A growl sounded directly in front of him. Alex looked up to see Drogan a few feet away. The black wolf bared his teeth in a snarl. He gathered his legs and leaped.

Alex caught the wolf by the throat. The werewolf’s claws scratched Alex’s chest as he fought to keep the animal from latching onto his throat. Alex’s arms shook as the Alpha struggled to close the gap. Drogan’s weight and strength forced him closer. Alex’s heart skipped a beat. The wolf’s hot breath brushed Alex’s face as his teeth snapped shut inches from Alex’s throat. One of the werewolf’s front paws scraped down Alex’s stomach and caught in his wound. Alex let out a yell of pain.

A grey and white form struck Drogan’s side so hard the wolf was thrown from Alex. Alex stared at Siale in wolf form as she placed herself between Alex and Drogan.

There was no way the little werewolf could defeat the Alpha.

“Run,” Alex said, his voice barely a whisper.

Siale growled at Drogan, ignoring Alex’s request.

Alex tried to stand, convinced he was about to see one more of his loved ones slain by Drogan, and this time it would be the love of his life. He couldn’t phase or morph. His body refused to respond either way, but he could throw himself between Drogan and Siale. Maybe it would give her a chance to get away.

Alex stumbled forward, and suddenly more wolves were there. Cassie and Tennison stood on Siale’s right, with Terith and Trent on her left. Alex realized with a start that the gray and brown wolf next to Trent was Jordan. The impartial side of him noted that perhaps his advice had helped the couple.

Two more Alphas joined them. Jericho and Torin’s growls merged with the others. Chet and Dray appeared with Vance and Kaynan close behind. The werewolves attacked the mutants with the force of a battering ram, pushing them away from Jaze.

Drogan took a step back, then another. The werewolf students from the Academy fell back around Alex, protecting him. Drogan gave a low bark. The mutants stopped fighting and rejoined their leader. The Alphas who had fought beside Jaze watched them, their sides heaving and blood streaking their shoulders and chests. For a moment, nobody moved. The mutants were strong, very strong. If they attacked again, the Alphas would be hard pressed to hold them back.

Drogan would be Alex’s target. He stood, leaning heavily on the tree, his gaze locked on Drogan’s. If the pack fought beside him and the professors distracted the mutants, they could reach the Alpha. They might have a chance.

As if Drogan reached the same conclusion, he gave another bark. The mutants around him faded back into the forest. Drogan was the last to leave. He glared at Alex, his mismatched eyes narrow and cold. He ducked beneath the trees and vanished with the others. Alex sank back to the ground, happy just to be sitting without mutants or Alphas trying to tear him apart.

“Hey, Alex.”

It took most of Alex’s strength just to open his eyes. He found the dean kneeling on the forest floor looking at him. Alex gave the dean a weak smile. “Hey, Jaze.”

Jaze’s eyebrows pulled together worriedly. “Stay with me, okay.”

“I’m not going anywhere,” Alex promised. He leaned his head against the tree.

A soft nose pushed against his arm. He lifted it and Siale ducked underneath, letting him rest against her.

“That was crazy, you know,” he told her. “And they say
I
have a death wish.”

She snorted as if to say he still did.

“I guess as comfortable as sitting here is, we shouldn’t wait for Drogan to get more of his mutants and come back.” Alex took a steeling breath and tried to rise.

Jaze helped Alex to his feet and Vance took the position on Alex’s other side. The huge werewolf carried most of Alex’s weight as he made his way back to Drogan’s building. The going was slow and every step hurt. By the time they made it to the vehicles, Alex was semi-conscious. Jaze helped him inside the first SUV while the others left to phase.

“You do have a death wish,” Jaze said as he put new bandages over Alex’s wound. The dean smiled. “But so did I at your age. And no fear, apparently. When I think back to the things we did, I wonder how I even survived.”

“Yet here you are,” Alex said, his words slurred together.

Jaze nodded, pushing the hair back from Alex’s forehead in a fatherly gesture. “And you, too. We’ll get through this together.”

“Yeah,” Alex said. He let his eyes close.

“Get some rest. We’ll drive to the jet and get you to the Academy. Meredith and Lyra are already on standby.”

“Tell Mom I’m sorry I cause so much trouble,” Alex said without opening his eyes.

Jaze chuckled. “I’ll tell her.”

“I get to drive,” Trent called.

“I’m driving,” Mouse said from the driver’s seat.

“Don’t let Trent drive,” Terith said. “We might all die.”

“Have a little faith,” Trent replied.

“There’s no way I’m getting in a car with Trent driving,” Torin said.

“I’m driving,” Mouse repeated.

“Boys.”

Siale’s voice cut through the haze in Alex’s mind.

He opened his eyes to see her climb into the SUV.

“You doing okay?” she asked, her eyes filled with worry as she took a seat at Alex’s side.

“Better now,” he replied. It was true. With her next to him, his wound hurt less and his thoughts were clearer. He knew it could have been just that he was so enraptured with her that everything else was pushed into the background, but if that was the case, he would gladly stay by her side for the rest of his life.

She took a rag from Jaze and began to wash Alex’s face. He closed his eyes. The feeling of the clean dampness removing the sticky blood from his body was wonderful.

“Maybe I should get hurt,” Jericho noted, climbing in the back.

“I’m sure Cherish would help,” Alex said, glancing at the Alpha.

A faint blush ran across the older werewolf’s face. “She’s probably had enough of werewolves for now.”

“I’m not so sure,” Alex replied. He closed his eyes, but not before seeing a light of hope shine in the Alpha’s eyes.

Chapter Twenty-four

Alex saw the memory as though he was watching it from a distance. A little boy and a little girl climbed down from the bus. They held hands, afraid of the new place filled with strangers. Adults hurried in every direction. The smell of werewolf permeated the air along with the scent of wood and cement, mortar and paint from the construction of the Academy.

“Don’t worry, Cass. I’ll take care of you,” Alex heard his young self say.

Someone shoved past them, knocking Cassie against him. Protective anger flooded through Alex. He spun with his fists out. The boy was a full head taller than Alex, but Alex swung anyway. His little fist connected with the boy’s shoulder.

Torin turned, his green eyes flashing. He threw a punch back. It hit Alex’s face. The young boy didn’t feel it through his anger. He swung again and again until arms caught him from behind.

“Slow down, champ. You don’t want to fight.”

At the time, Jaze had been an acquaintance to the twins, a friend of Jet’s who visited from time to time. To see the dean protecting him from his first moments at the Academy filled Alex with warmth.

Jet’s last words to Alex had been to never stop fighting no matter what. Alex had taken those words to heart.

“I don’t want to stop fighting,” Alex heard his younger self say.

Cassie touched his shoulder. “It’s okay, Alex,” she said, innocence in her voice. “Uncle Jaze will take care of things.”

Jaze sat back on his heels. He had tears in his eyes as he nodded. “I’ll take care of everything, I promise.”

A steady beeping brought Alex back from the memory. He took a deep breath, aware that the pain in his stomach had eased a great deal.

“Alex?”

He opened his eyes and was rewarded with the sight of Siale looking down at him, her wavy brown hair falling around her shoulders and her gray eyes soft as she watched him. When she saw that he was awake, her eyes creased at the corners with her smile of relief.

Alex lifted a hand and touched her cheek. “If I could wake up after every surgery and see you like this, I’d get hurt more often.”

Siale’s smile deepened. “I’m hoping that someday you’ll realize you have a lot to live for and stop getting yourself into such bad situations.”

“I fight because I have so much to live for,” Alex replied.

“Good answer,” Siale said. She leaned down and kissed him gently on the lips.

Alex’s heart monitor gave a loud beep, skipped two more, and sounded an alarm.

Siale leaned back. “We really need to get that taken care of.”

Alex shrugged as the sound of footsteps hurried down the hall. “I can’t say I blame my heart. You make everything in my life more complicated.”

Hurt brushed across Siale’s face. She turned away.

Alex sat up so quickly pain knifed through his stomach. He caught her arm with a gasp. “Siale.”

“Alex, you should be lying down,” Siale said, easing him back to the pillow.

“I didn’t mean to hurt your feelings,” Alex said, closing his eyes for a moment to steady himself. When he opened them again, she was still there, waiting for him to speak. He held her gaze, willing her to understand. “When Cassie and I first arrived here as orphans, this was all we had, four walls, professors, and a struggle to fit in with the packs that were created.” He took her hand again. “Life was simple, too simple. My whole purpose was to find Drogan and the General and end their reign of terror for werewolves.”

“And now?” Siale asked after a few moments had passed.

Alex gathered his thoughts. “Now my life is filled with things like love, laughter, waiting to hear your voice each morning, hoping to walk with you in the woods, missing you.” She smiled down at him and he smiled back. “I’ve been gone from you way too long, and every moment apart is harder than the last. My life is far better complicated.”

“Mine, too,” she agreed, touching his cheek.

The footsteps up the hall reached them. Meredith and Lyra hurried into the room.

“Is everything okay?” Meredith asked breathlessly.

“He’s awake,” Siale said, stepping back so Meredith could see her son.

“Oh, thank goodness,” Meredith said. She crossed to Alex’s side. “We were so worried.”

“The surgery was more complicated than we thought it would be,” Lyra explained. “The silver had encroached into your organs.”

“Meaning?” Alex asked.

“Meaning that your body absorbed a lot more of the silver than was good for you,” Meredith explained. “We cleared out what we could, then we had to wait and see if letting you bleed would clean out the rest. You needed a transfusion.”

“You should have seen everyone clamoring for the chance to donate blood,” Siale told him.

“Of course, Cassie was the best pick,” Lyra said. “She insisted.”

“We’ve been waiting for three days for you to wake up.” The shadows beneath Meredith’s eyes told Alex how little sleep she had gotten. “I’m so glad you’re okay.”

“Thanks to you both,” Alex said. He pushed up gingerly to a sitting position. Siale helped him when she saw what he was doing.

“I think you should rest...” Meredith began, but Alex was already sitting up.

“I feel a lot better,” he said. “Besides, I’ve spent far too much time in hospital beds for one lifetime.”

“Take it easy,” Siale reminded him.

He swung his legs around and stood. A smile spread across his face. “See, just fine.”

He took a step forward and his legs gave out. Meredith and Siale caught him before he could fall. They helped him to the chair Siale had been sitting in.

“Maybe I should listen a bit better,” Alex admitted.

Meredith just shook her head with a smile. “No reason to start now.”

“Hey,” Alex said.

She chuckled. “We’ll go let the others know you’re awake. It’s up to you if you want to get dressed or get back into that bed.” She winked at him. “I’d recommend the bed.”

Alex listened to their footsteps fade back down the hall. “That means she thinks I should get dressed.”

“Alex,” Siale chided.

He gave an innocent shrug. “What? It’ll just worry everyone to see me still lying in bed like some invalid. I’ve given them enough stress.”

“What about me?” Siale asked.

Alex gave her a teasing smile. “I might need help getting dressed.”

She rolled her eyes. “You’re relentless.”

“And charming?” he asked.

She laughed and grabbed a change of clothes someone had left on the counter, tossing them to him. “Maybe a little bit,” she admitted before she headed to the door. “I’ll be out here if you need some help.” She pulled it shut behind her.

With everyone gone, Alex gave up all pretenses. He took a deep breath, then another, testing the way his stomach pulled strangely at the movement. It felt like things were still healing. He wondered how long it would take for the silver to work its way out of his system completely.

He gingerly pulled the hospital gown over his head. The movement strained his wound. He let the gown fall to the floor. A quick inspection of his stomach showed that the wound had mostly closed. He pressed the clean bandage back against it, glad it felt much better than it had in the forest.

He could hear them coming back up the hallway. The thought of putting his arms over his head to put on his shirt was too much. Alex grabbed the underwear and pants. Leaning over hurt, so he made due with balancing on one foot and trying to slip his other in the pant leg. He finally got it and managed to pull up the zipper and button it before the door opened.

“Alex...” Trent paused at the sight of his friend half-clothed.

“Uh, give us a minute,” the werewolf called over his shoulder.

“What are you doing, Trent?” Alex asked, surprised.

Trent grabbed the shirt from him and shoved it over his head. He helped Alex work his arms through the sleeves.

“Seriously, man. If you’re going to pretend to be okay, you’ve got to do better than this,” Trent said, straightening Alex’s shirt. “If your sister walks in here and sees you pale and with blood still showing through the bandage, she’s going to order you back in that bed for a week. I know you better than to think you’ll put up with that, and this Academy doesn’t need another war right now.”

Alex knew the werewolf was right. “Thanks,” he said.

“Don’t mention it.”

“I won’t,” Alex said.

Trent gave him a steeling look. “I just helped you get dressed. Seriously, don’t mention it.”

“I won’t, really,” Alex said with a laugh.

Trent pulled open the door. “Alright, you can come in.”

Alex was swarmed with well-wishers. His sister was first, followed by Tennison, Jericho, Terith, and what felt like half the school.

“You need more sleep,” Cassie said after giving him a hug. “You look tired.”

Alex smiled, pretending that her hug didn’t just feel like it cost him a year of his life. “I’m fine, Cass. Thanks to you, I hear.”

She shrugged. “What’s a twin for if not blood transfusions? Will you take it easy for a while?”

“I always take it easy,” Alex told her.

Cassie rolled her eyes.

After handshakes, hugs, and many questions about what happened, Trent and Siale practically herded the students out of the room.

“He’ll be back to school tomorrow,” Trent reassured them.

“Glad you’re feeling better,” Pip called.

“Torin’s saved the toilets for you,” Nate said.

“Great,” Alex mumbled as the door closed. “Maybe I should go back to bed.”

Siale ducked under his arm. “You can stop pretending to be so tough now.”

“I am tough,” Alex protested, letting her help him back to the bed mostly just to be close to her.

“I think a kitten could take you on right now,” Trent noted.

Alex sat on the edge of the bed. “Kittens are much stronger than people give them credit for.”

A knock sounded on the door. When it opened, Alex smiled at the sight of Jaze and Mouse standing there.

“How are you feeling?” Jaze asked.

“Oh, you know, one hundred percent,” Alex replied.

Jaze grinned. “Liar.”

“Maybe,” Alex said with a one shoulder shrug.

“We brought you something,” Mouse told him. The professor pulled a screen from the case he was carrying.

“You’re going to show him now?” Trent asked. “I was thinking we could make a bigger production of this, you know, balloons, big screen, fireworks.”

“Fireworks?” Mouse asked.

“I know, not exactly low profile, but maybe that doesn’t matter anymore.”

Trent’s reply perked Alex’s interest. “Okay, what is it?”

Mouse handed Alex the screen. Siale took a seat on the bed next to him. At Alex’s motion, Trent grinned and took a seat on his other side. Alex didn’t know what to expect. He let out a slow breath and pushed the play button.