Werewolf Academy Book 2: Hunted (20 page)

“I, uh.” Alex was caught off-guard by the werewolf’s concern. “Um, okay?” he said as more of a question than an answer.

Tennison nodded as if everything was decided. He sniffed the air. “Smells like waffles or pancakes today. Have a preference?”

“Um, waffles,” Alex replied, trying to regain his bearings.

“And scrambled eggs,” Cassie told Tennison. “He likes cheese on them.”

“Waffles and cheesy scrambled eggs.” Tennison nodded. “Got it. Get some sleep, Alex.”

The trio left Alex standing by the stairs wondering what had just happened. Part of him was grateful for the chance to sleep while the other was still trying to catch up with everything he had experienced in the past few hours.

Meredith looked back at him when they reached the door to the Great Hall. She lifted a hand with a warm smile on her face as if she guessed his confusion.

Alex waved back and started wearily up the stairs, still trying to figure out what had just transpired.

The chill that cut through the air made Alex glad he was in wolf form. The cold breeze couldn’t get beneath his dense undercoat. He glanced back at Kalia. She pushed her way through the trees after the pack looking miserable. She pulled her white coat closer around her body. Her face was barely visible through the fur-lined hood and the light blue scarf that set off her eyes like shards of ice amid the white world around them.

Cassie padded next to Kalia. Her big paws allowed her to walk over the snow while Kalia had to struggle with each step. Sympathy filled Alex’s chest. He allowed the rest of Pack Jericho and Pack Torin to pass him while he waited for Cassie and Kalia to catch up. Caitlyn pranced at Cassie’s side, her white fur nearly blending in with the snowy landscape. Tennison walked behind the trio, his gray coat a dark shadow as he followed in their wake.

With the coming of winter and the restlessness of the students, Jaze couldn’t keep them inside the walls any longer.
The greenhouses had been completed, and there wasn’t enough plant identification in the winter for Dray to keep them occupied. Jaze had reluctantly agreed to continue sense training with Colleen as long as they brought additional protection with them.

Professor Gem loped along the perimeter of the packs, her light gray coat easy to identify with its black stripes. Dray ran next to her, racing his wife as they enjoyed the chance to stretch their legs outside the Academy. Kaynan and Grace ran on the other side. Grace’s small gray shoulder brushed Kaynan’s huge dark red one as they traveled. Somehow, it allowed the blind werewolf to see as
they loped across the ground at speeds she otherwise wouldn’t have been able to meet without her husband.

The werewolves gathered around the cave Colleen and Rafe used as a go-between from their home further in the forest. Rafe’s wolves already lounged around the cave. Alex sat down near them. Kalia hung back, eyeing the
wild wolves nervously.

Colleen came out of the cave in her human form dressed in warm clothes. “Okay, class. Today we’re going to learn scents associated with
tracking in the snow. As you know, many of the animals we’ve become accustomed to in the summer vanish in the winter, and a variety of creatures with affinity to the snow take their place. Migratory paths...”

Alex’s attention drifted. He watched Kalia lean against a tree and cross her arms. A second later, a clump of snow fell from the branches and landed o
n her head. She stomped angrily and shook her head in an attempt to dislodge the snow from her white-blonde hair. The werewolves ignored her as they concentrated on Colleen’s lesson.

Kalia looked completely out of her element. She wasn’t
able to phase to wolf form, so the lesson didn’t apply to her, but Jaze had asked her to accompany her class in case she ever did phase. His suggestion had riled her to the point that she glared at anyone who dared to look her way. Even Colleen pointedly gave Kalia space as she taught.

Kalia brushed the last of the snow from her hair, then shoved her hands into her fur-lined pockets and stomped away. Everyone let her go. They were deep
in the forest and activity from Drogan and the General had quieted enough that it was no longer a huge concern, at least for someone who wasn’t Alex or Cassie.

Cassie was occupied entertaining Caitlyn who had a hard time concentrating on Colleen’s lesson with the fun of snow filling the clearing. The little wolf stuck her head into a drift, then pulled it back out. Snow covered her nose and eyelashes. Cassie gave a snort of laughter. Caitlyn wiped her head against Cassie’s side.

A few minutes later, a tingle ran down Alex’s spine. He rose soundlessly, his thoughts still on the path Kalia had taken. She couldn’t have gone far. Even Kaynan and Mouse didn’t appear too concerned. Kaynan nodded at Alex as he passed; he and Grace turned their attention back to Colleen. Alex padded softly down the trail Kalia had left.

She was apparently making her way back to the Academy. Deep boot prints showed where she had stumbled off their path into snow drifts. He imagined her muttering about the ridiculousness of a class in the
middle of the forest at the beginning of November. Her honey and clover scent clung to the snow and the trees she had touched.

Alex’s ear caught a faint sound. He paused with one paw in the air. He scented the breeze, but it was blowin
g in the opposite direction than he needed. His senses strained and his ears perked forward as he attempted to hear it again.

There it was. A tremor
ran down his limbs at the shuffle and grunt. Two heartbeats later, Kalia screamed.

“Alex!”

He was already running. His paws barely touched the ground before they lifted again. He flew over a log and rounded the bend where the trees were so close they obscured any sight beyond. He burst into the small clearing near the partially frozen stream.

Kalia’s face was white and eyes wide as she stared at the massive grizzly bear. A half-eaten fish lay at its feet. She must have startled
the bear in the middle of its lunch when she reached the clearing. The grizzly rose onto its back legs and let out a roar. The anger in its beady eyes was unmistakable. It was a hungry animal, trying to finish what might be a final meal before hibernating, and the small human had interfered. The bear dropped back down with a massive thump and charged.

Alex was between the bear and Kalia in an instant. A growl tore from his throat so loud the bear slowed in its charge. It stared from Alex to Kalia. Alex could smell the sharp, mossy scent of the fish behind it. He willed the bear to go back to its meal and forget them.

The bear let out a deafening roar. Kalia gave a little cry of fear behind Alex.

Alex
took a step forward, his gaze locked on the bear. Every inch of his fur stood up. His teeth were bared, his eyes unflinching. He growled again, softer this time.

The bear didn’t move.

Alex’s heart pounded. A hum sounded in his ears. He willed the bear to listen. He knew he didn’t have a chance against a hungry grizzly, but there was no way he would back down with Kalia’s life on the line. That was never a choice.

He took another step forward. His paw crunched in the crust that had formed along the top of the snow from the repeated heating and cooling of the tempestuous winter days. The bear grunted, its shovel face swaying from side to side. The massive hump above its shoulders moved back and forth as it picked up its paws.

Alex couldn’t tell if it was about to charge or retreat. He hoped the animal had the sense not to attack a wolf and risk possible wounding before seeking its den for the long winter’s rest. He hoped the scent of fish would lure it back.

The bear gave another grunt. Alex answered with a snarl. There was no way the bear was going to get past him.

The bear swung its massive head around and ambled with its great, rolling walk back to the half-eaten fish. It scooped the meal up and swallowed the fish down in one gulp before continuing its trek along the stream.

He heard Kalia fall to her knees. In seconds, Cassie was there. Kalia threw her arms around
Cassie’s light gray form and cried into her fur. Cassie gave Alex a searching look. He lowered his head and raised it again, indicating that he was alright. She closed her eyes for a brief second in gratitude.

A quiet huff caught Alex’s attention. A glance to his left showed the entire class on the edge of the clearing. Professors Grace and Kaynan stood at one end with Professors Dray and Gem on the other. Colleen and Rafe watched from the middle. Alex knew he couldn’t have stopped the bear if the animal had chosen to charge, but it was reassuring to know
that he wouldn’t have been the only one to try. More than a dozen wolves might have given the animal a reason to second-guess such a foolhardy decision. At least Kalia might have survived.

“You realize that was a grizzly bear, right?
”

Alex glanced at Kalia.

They sat on the floor of his room, their backs to the walls opposite each other. The rest of the school day had gone by in a blur. Whenever Alex thought of the encounter, a thrill of excitement and fear ran down his spine. Kalia might have been attacked; he might have been killed. For the remainder of classes, everyone was talking about the bear.

He heard Terith say
, “Did you see Alex face down that grizzly? It was the size of a house!”

Her brother Trent replied
, “Its paw was bigger than his head. He would have died for sure.”

The only thing Cassie had said when they got back to the Academy was that it was the most foolish thing she had ever seen him do, but she was glad he
was brave enough to save Kalia. No one had any doubts what would have happened to Kalia if Alex hadn’t been there.

“I knew it was a grizzly,” Alex answered quietly.

He had to look away from her gaze. She kept searching his face as if wondering why he would do such a thing. There was a hint of uncertainty in her eyes. He knew she thought he was crazy. The way she was looking at him, it felt like she could see his soul. He rubbed a hand across his eyes. She didn’t want to see what he buried deep inside.

“Why would you do that?” It wasn’t an accusation; it was said with wonder. “Why would anyone?”

“Cassie calls it my death wish,” Alex admitted.

Kalia tipped her head to one side; he could feel her gaze on him. “That does make sense with all you’ve been through.”

He shook his head. “It’s not like I want to die.” He hesitated, trying to explain how he felt. He was at a loss until he remembered Jaze’s words. “It’s as if in helping others, I find myself.”

She nodded slowly. He looked at her, wondering if she truly understood. “Sometimes I feel like I don’t exist.”

His heart gave a little backflip. “Exactly. I feel like I’m just floating, just surviving, until either Drogan or one of the other freak accidents around here succeed in destroying me altogether. But when I’m with Jaze trying to save werewolves, or with you and the bear...”

“You feel like you’
re real,” Kalia said softly.

Alex nodded.

“You help Jaze rescue werewolves?”

Alex nodded again. He
knew he probably shouldn’t have said it, but it was true, and in that moment, he felt like he couldn’t hide anything from Kalia.

“Is it scary?”

“Sometimes,” Alex admitted. “Sometimes it’s horrible. The things Drogan and the General do to werewolves are completely wrong. That’s why I help. I can make a difference, helping to get werewolves out of their clutches.” His voice quieted. “I can avenge my parents and Jet, if only a little bit.”

“I’ll bet they’re proud of you,” Kalia said.

Her words gripped Alex’s heart. He watched her, willing himself to believe what she said, daring to accept it as truth. “You think so?”

She nodded. “I’m proud of you.”

Tears burned in his eyes. He gritted his teeth and glared at his knees that were bent in front of his chest, willing himself to maintain composure.

Before he knew it, she was by his side with an arm around his shoulders. “It’s okay to cry,” she whispered.

He shook his head, but the tears were already falling. He inhaled a breath, trying not to let it burst into a sob.

“They see everything you do,” she said, her voice gentle. “They know how hard you try.”

“H-how do you know?” he asked.

“You can feel it,” she breathed. “Close your eyes.”

When he didn’t listen, she repeated herself. “Close your eyes, Alex. You have to trust me.”

His defiant heart gave a little stutter. His breath caught in his throat. “Why should I trust you?” he whispered.

“Because I trust you,” she replied as softly.

He inhaled her clover and honey scent as he closed his eyes. For a moment, he was painfully aware of her arm around his shoulders, of the brush of her hair across his neck, and of the soft sound of her breath near his ear.

“Let yourself accept that they are proud of you,” she said.

He didn’t want to. He had put up the walls so firmly, yet they were crumbling with every word Kalia said. Hiding from the pain had been the only way to exist. Pretending he didn’t care if he and Cassie were alone, telling himself it didn’t matter that their home was an Academy in the middle of a forest instead of a house with a living room, pictures on the wal
ls, and memories in the kitchen; it was the way he protected himself. She asked him to let that loose, to allow himself to accept what had happened. He didn’t want to do that.