Werewolf Academy Book 6: Vengeance (11 page)

His troubled soul calmed slightly. Alex turned away from the crowds and began to jog down the beach. The sound and the masses died away as he left the light of the city behind. The beach became darker, welcoming.

His footsteps slowed at the mouth of an empty wooden pier reaching out into the water. The crowd was gone, and with it, the chaos of indecision. Alex walked along the pier, following it to the end. His footfalls sounded lonely; the only answer to their echo was the slow push of the ocean onto the sand below.

Alex reached the end of the pier and sat down, letting his feet dangle. Leaning on the wooden crossbeams, he stared out at the ocean that looked as though it traveled on forever, ebbing and flowing in a soothing, numbing rhythm as steady as his newly repaired heart.

His soul connected with the ocean. He felt like it was a part of him even though he had never seen it before. It called to him like the moon. He took a deep breath and let it out. His tension eased, but the guilt that filled him refused to go away.

He had almost hurt someone Siale cared about. He thought had been protecting her, but away from the pandemonium, he could think clearly. He realized he had acted rashly and almost cost a human his life. Jerry didn’t deserve that; nobody did.

About an hour later, footsteps sounded down the pier. Alex didn’t have to look back to know who was there.

“How did you find me?”

“I could find you anywhere,” Siale replied. She sat down next to him and looked out at the ocean. After a moment of silence, she said, “Did you know that you smell like cedar and clover?”

Alex glanced at her, bemused. “Clover? That’s not very manly.”

Siale smiled. “When I was little, Mom and Dad took me on a trip once to my grandmother’s farm. They had fields upon fields of clover.” Her gaze took on a wistful look. “The sun was so warm and the clover filled the air with a rich scent I had never smelled before.” She looked at him. “I thought it was one of the most wonderful things I had ever smelled, until I met you. Now you’re it.”

Alex watched her, the way her eyes twinkled like the moonlight on the waves as she spoke, how her cheeks flushed with a touch of embarrassment when she smiled.

“I guess that’s a strange thing to say to someone,” she admitted, ducking her head.

Alex shook his head. “Not really.” He was silent for a moment, then said, “You smell like sage with lavender.”

Siale looked at him in surprise. “Is that a good thing?”

Alex nodded, failing to keep back a small smile. “Have you ever crushed sage between your fingers? It’s vibrant and alive, and awakens the senses. Add a hint of lavender to it and it is definitely my favorite scent in the whole world.”

Siale gave a little thoughtful huff. “And here I thought I smelled like vanilla.”

Alex shook his head. “Nothing so normal for you. It would never fit.”

Siale smiled and looked back at the ocean. “So, when are you coming back to hang with my friends?”

Alex stared at her. She kept her gaze on the dark expanse that stretched before them. “Siale, I can’t. There’s no way.”

She glanced at him out of the corner of her eye. “Of course there is.”

Alex shook his head. “Did you see me? I almost killed your friend.”

“But you didn’t,” she pointed out.

Alex let out a breath. “Only because you stopped me,” he admitted. He felt Siale’s silence as much as heard it. He kept talking to fill the void he was afraid would settle between them. “It’s not them, it’s me.” He spoke quietly. “I was filled with panic with all those humans around. I wanted to run or fight, or I don’t know what. I felt like they were dangerous, but I’m the dangerous one.” His voice dropped quieter. “I can’t trust myself anymore.”

Siale touched his arm. He lowered his gaze. “You were betrayed by a human, Alex. It’s understandable.”

Alex shook his head. “It’s not Officer Dune, or Drogan, or the General. It’s nobody but me. I’m broken, Siale, and there’s no way to fix it.”

He rested his head against the wood. The faint scent of pine touched his nose, memories of forest meadows and grass waving in the wind. He wanted to go there, to be as far away from civilization as he could possibly get.

“You can’t run away,” Siale said, her voice just above a whisper. “You’re here, Alex. Be here.”

“What if I can’t?” Alex asked. He turned his head toward the ocean so she wouldn’t see the pain in his gaze. He had become the beast they feared. Perhaps humans were justified to keep werewolves away from their society. Maybe everything he fought for was wrong.

“I told them who you are.”

Alex’s heart slowed. He stared at her. “Do you think that’s a good idea? It might be dangerous for them. I’m not sure—”

Siale stopped him with a kiss. When they parted, Alex’s breath caught in his throat. He blinked, trying to remember what they had been talking about. “What was that for?”

Her eyebrows pulled together as she watched him. “Alex, I need you to trust me. You’ve been betrayed by so many people, but not me, never me. I love you because I see everything that is inside you, the love, and the demons. I know what drives you and why you try so hard to protect everyone else, but you forget about yourself. That’s my job. Let me take care of you. Put your trust in me, all of your trust, and I’ll never let you down. I promise. Can you do that?”

Silence hung between them. Alex blinked back tears, his chest so full of loss, guilt, anger, and heartache that he could barely breathe. He had to do something or he felt like he would jump off the pier into the unknown depths below. He took a shuddering breath and turned to her.

When he nodded, the love and care in her eyes was so great that the tears he had fought to keep at bay broke free and trailed down his cheeks.

Siale leaned against him, holding him, her silky brown hair brushing against his wet cheeks. “I love you, Alex,” she said in a voice that left no doubt about the truth to her words.

Alex held her close. “I love you too, Siale.”

They sat in silence until Alex was able to gather himself. He watched the flow of the ocean until they were just a boy and a girl at the end of a pier, in love with each other and the way the moonlight danced beneath their feet on the waves.

Alex pushed away the guilt and fear that he wouldn’t fit into society, and he placed his trust entirely in the girl at his side. She held his heart, and so he gave her his soul, too. Whatever his fate, he had chosen for her to be the one with him. For some reason he couldn’t fathom, she had chosen him as well. He would trust her, no matter what she asked.

Siale rose to her feet and held out her hand. He took it and stood beside her. The steady rhythm of the waves filled him with peace as he walked with his one to the shore.

Chapter Fourteen

When they reached the crowded beach, something caught Alex’s eye. He turned in time to see a seven on the sleeve of a black hoodie.

“Did you see...” Alex’s voice died away as two more teenagers passed them, one in a green hoodie and another in a red one, both with sevens on the sleeves. “I must be going crazy.”

“Not really,” Siale said. “Look.”

He followed her finger to the sight of two girls in the crowd wearing matching blue shirts. Each had the seven on the shoulder, and when they turned, the word ‘Werewolf’ was emblazoned across the back like a sports jersey.

“You’ve got to be kidding me,” Alex said.

Siale grinned at him. “You have a few supporters. Well, the Demon does, at least.”

“I wore the hoodie Terith made me when I was in the Saa,” Alex said, remembering. “It got destroyed when I phased during one of the fights.”

“It was on the news,” Siale reminded him. “You were wearing it when you saved those girls.”

“So they want to be werewolves?” Alex asked, trying to understand.

“People emulate those they look up to,” Siale replied. “You just happened to do a few things that were hero worthy.”

Alex shook his head. “That’s ridiculous.”

“Is it?” his girlfriend asked, her gaze on the teenagers.

Alex followed Siale through the streets. He saw two more hoodies with the seven on the shoulder. Instead of ‘Werewolf’ on the back, they both said, ‘Demon’.

“This city’s crazy,” Alex whispered.

Siale glanced at him with a warm smile. “It’s not limited to this city, Alex. Werewolf acceptance is growing. You started something when you went to Greyton, and it’s not stopping.”

Alex hesitated at the sight of Siale’s friends hanging out on the edge of the block where he had left them. A few others had joined the group. Cassie and Tennison conversed with the humans as though they fit right in. Alex felt a pang of jealousy when Cassie said something and the girls around her laughed. He shook the feeling away. It was good that his sister felt comfortable with the humans. She deserved to have more friends.

Alex, on the other hand, had to force down his own feelings of panic. He owed it to Siale to give her his trust, but crossing the street felt like climbing a mountain.

Siale spoke softly. “My friends have known I’m a werewolf since we were little. We grew up together on the beach and on these streets, and we were in the same classes at school until things got too dangerous. They’re trustworthy.” She looked up at him, her gaze saying how important it was to her.

“Okay,” Alex replied, pushing down his uncertainty. “I’ll give it a shot.”

Siale led him to the waiting group.

“Derek said you were back,” one of the girls said, crossing to give Siale a hug. “It’s been way too long!” She glanced at Alex, then did a double-take. “Who’s the hottie?”

Siale smiled, taking the question in stride. “Sam, this is Alex. He’s my boyfriend.”

The rest of the girls hurried to join them. Alex felt all of their eyes on him. He gave what he hoped was a confident smile. The girls immediately smiled back.

The first girl twirled a strand of her long red hair and smiled at him. “Hi, Alex.”

“Chill, Sam,” another girl said. “Siale said ‘boyfriend’, remember?”

Sam shrugged, batting her eyes flirtatiously. “It doesn’t hurt to get to know someone else’s boyfriend, right? I mean, what if it doesn’t work out? He’ll want other options.”

“Sam!” Siale exclaimed, but she didn’t appear the least bit offended. She slipped her arm through Alex’s and smiled at her friend. “Flirt all you want, but he’s mine.”

“Yet again, all the cute ones are taken,” a girl with curly black hair said with a dramatic sigh.

“I heard that,” one of the boys called from the group.

“Oh, Raven, you’ll find a guy someday,” Siale reassured her.

Alex found Jerry, the boy he had pinned, standing near the street corner. Several other teenagers waited with him. Alex left the girls talking about cute boys. He forced himself to keep calm, reminding himself that he was far stronger than the teenagers around him, but the detached part of him said that was what he should be worried about.

He felt all of the boys’ eyes on him when he stopped a few feet from Jerry.

The teenager smiled. “Hey.”

“Hey,” Alex replied. “I’m sorry for reacting the way I did. Are you okay?”

Jerry nodded. There were still red marks on his neck, but he acted as though nothing had happened. “It’s okay, bro. You needed an outlet.”

Alex was caught off guard. “An outlet?”

“Yeah, man. You needed to vent, to rage, you needed an aperture for your emotional escape. I understand the necessity of diffusing a burgeoning fury before it turns into an explosion of epic magnitude. I’m happy I could be the focal point for your necessary dissipation of fervent wrath.”

Alex stared at him. Jerry smiled back, shoving a strand of dreadlocked hair behind his shoulder.

One of the other boys laughed, taking pity on Alex. “Don’t worry. Jerry’s got a college vocabulary with a surfer mindset.”

“A surfer mindset?” Alex repeated.

Another boy nodded. “You know, the waves contain the secrets of life and all that.”

“If you don’t live on a board, you don’t live,” a boy with a Mohawk said.

“Hang ten until the world ends,” another crowed.

The first boy jostled him. “A bad day surfing beats a good day working.”

Mohawk grinned at the challenge. “When in doubt, paddle out.”

His friend replied, “The board is mightier than the sword.”

Mohawk laughed and said, ““A wave is better than a rave.”

“Toes to the throes,” a girl called.

“The thrill is worth the spill,” another said.

Alex fought back a smile at their enthusiasm. He had no idea what they were talking about, but the fact that Jerry seemed to forgive him gave him room to breathe.

“You got it all wrong,” Jerry said. The entire group fell silent; even the girls stopped their conversation near the sidewalk. Everyone listened to what Jerry wanted to say.

The teenager didn’t appear to realize or care that he had such an attentive audience. Instead, he looked toward the ocean as though he saw it despite the blocks of buildings in the way. His voice was almost musical when he said, “It’s not that the ocean wants the surfer to descend to the depths of its ebony waves, or that the surfer is compelled to struggle to stay upon the fluctuating surface. Instead, the ocean and the surfer share a symbiotic soul, the ocean to be ridden and the surfer to throw his life upon a polished tree to ride the breaking tides of the moon’s compulsory pull. Together, they create a beauty unmatched by the swell of dawn or the scintillating sound of the seagull before a storm. The surfer and the sea, heart and heartbeat, each seeking the perfect ride where the soul becomes the wave and the water becomes the blood.”

Silence fell after Jerry was finished. Someone clapped from the back of the group. Jerry blinked and he focused on his friends, his expression showing his surprise at seeing them there.

“Good words, Jer,” a teen with long black hair braided in beads said.

“Come on, Preacher,” another told him. “Let’s grab some grub and get down to the beach.”

“Sustenance for my stomach would be most appreciated,” Jerry replied, allowing himself to be led away.

Alex watched them go.

“Don’t worry about it,” the boy with the beaded hair told him. “Jerry forgave you the second you slammed him. He doesn’t have a vindictive bone in his body.”

“Vindictive, Brooks, really?” Sam asked.

He laughed. “I’ve been hanging out with Jerry for too long.” His smile faded and his expression became serious. “But honestly, Alex, when Siale told us who you were, we understood.”

“You shouldn’t have to understand,” Alex replied.

“What’s not to understand?” Brooks asked. “Werewolves have had it bad for years. You fight for your life and spend your time with Jaze Carso freeing others of your race from fates worse than death. The rest of us are riding waves and chillin’ on the beach. You’re bound to be on edge, especially with the whole officer betrayal thing.”

“She told you that?” Alex asked, glancing at Siale.

The girls had gone back to their conversation, but Siale met his gaze with her warm smile before turning to answer one of her friends.

“If someone I trusted turned me over to someone else intent on killing me, I think I’d have issues, too,” Brooks said. “I’d probably want to hit every human I saw.” His eyes lit up and he glanced at one of the other boys. “That gives me an idea. Hey Reko?”

“Yeah?” a teen with spacers in his ears answered.

“Are the Wharfers playing tonight?”

Reko nodded. “I saw Flynn by Docker’s. They’re probably already warming up.”

Brooks glanced up at the waning moon hanging within the stars above. “Plenty of light. Let’s give them a game.”

“You sure that’s a good idea?” Reko asked, glancing meaningfully at Alex.

Brooks nodded. “Our boy needs to hit someone. Let’s give him someone to hit.”

“I don’t know if that’s a good idea,” Alex said.

Reko’s face lit up and he nodded with enthusiasm as if Alex hadn’t spoken. “I’ll spread the word.”

Alex watched the boy run to the rest of the group. “Is there something I need to know?”

Brooks shrugged. “Only that we play the Wharfers every couple of days down at the beach. We’re pretty well matched except for Flynn, their quarterback.”

“You mean football?” Alex asked, grateful to finally be on familiar footing.

“Yeah, you play?” Brooks replied.

Alex nodded. “I’m the quarterback for my school.” He caught himself and said, “We have just a school league is all, nothing serious.” If word got out that a werewolf football team was making the rounds through school tournaments, Alex didn’t want to imagine the investigations that would follow.

“Great,” Brooks said. “Let’s go.”

Alex threw Siale a questioning look. She laughed. “Oh, no. Don’t look at me. The girls aren’t getting involved in this one. You guys have fun and we’ll cheer from the sidelines.”

“Yeah,” girl named Sariah said to Cassie. “The boys are crazy.”

“Crazy for a good time,” Mohawk replied.

“That was super lame,” Sariah told him.

Mohawk laughed and took her hand. “You like it when I’m lame.”

“I like you,” Sariah said. “The lameness, not so much.”

She laughed when Mohawk picked her up and carried her across the street toward the ocean. “As long as you say you like me, that’s all that matters,” Alex heard him say.

Everyone made their way to the beach. Alex followed Brooks and the others north when they hit the sand. Siale’s friends jumped around and jostled each other, their excitement contagious. Alex couldn’t help getting caught up in it when Brooks grabbed the ball Reko had brought from who knows where and motioned to him.

“Go long!”

Alex took off running up the beach. Brooks threw the ball and he grabbed it, spinning at the last minute to dodge around a group of girls cooking hotdogs over a driftwood fire. He took several steps back and threw the ball in a tight spiral. It zipped past Brooks and two other boys right into Tennison’s ready hands.

Brooks looked from Tennison to Alex. “I think we know who’s playing quarterback.”

Tennison nodded. “Just wait. He’s got skills.”

Alex smiled at his friend’s compliment. “Only because my receivers are awesome.”

Brooks grinned. “Flynn’s not gonna know what hit him.” He nodded over Alex’s shoulder. “Looks like they’re ready for us.”

Alex glanced back to see a group of boys tossing a football a short distance away. Soda bottles filled with sand marked the end zones. The moonlight overhead was bright enough to light the beach without a problem. Spectators already lined the makeshift field.

A tall boy with long blonde hair eyed him down when Alex and the others met them in the middle of the sandy field.

“Who’s the newbie?” Flynn asked.

“This is Al...uh, Al,” Brooks replied. He turned slightly and winked at Alex. “Al’s from inland.”

“Living without the depthless oceans is unfathomable,” Jerry said with a hint of worried confusion. “Without the knowledge of the perceptive waves, how is one to know the actuality of existence?”

“No one knows,” Flynn replied with good humor as if he was used to Jerry’s ways. He tossed the football in the air and caught it again. “Ready for a game?”

“Are you ready?” Reko asked in challenge.

Flynn grinned. “Born ready.”

Mohawk pulled a coin from his pocket. “Call it in the air.”

“Heads,” Flynn replied.

When the coin landed with the tails side up, Brooks called, “Our ball.” He motioned for his friends to join him in a huddle.