Werewolf Academy Book 2: Hunted (23 page)

“So you’re saying that they have a way of identifying Alex’s individual heat signature in whichever form he is in even amid all of our students at the Academy?” Jaze asked.

Mouse nodded. “It seems that way.” He took Lyra’s hand. “We’re already looking for a way to counteract it, but it may take us a while.”

Alex felt sick. “If they know where I am, then I’m a danger to everyone here. No one’s safe around me.”

“We’ll figure it out,” Jaze reassured him. The dean looked at Vance. “Christmas break starts next week. We have to assume Drogan has the Academy scoped out and will be ready to try again. Alex isn’t safe here until they can figure out a way to thwart the missiles. Can he go to your place?”

Vance was quiet for a minute as he thought it over. He finally shook his head. “While I understand your consideration of the overwhelming security at my mom’s house, I couldn’t put Alex through that.
Mom insisted on rebuilding the guest wing and it’ll be difficult to keep the crews tight.” He gave Jaze a searching look. “We also know the place is being monitored by more than just our allies since she funded the repairs here last year. I don’t think it’s a risk we should take.”

Jaze nodded. He
was about to suggest something else when Kalia spoke up.

“What about my house?”

All of the professors look at her. She shrunk a little bit in her chair, but kept her gaze on the dean. “You know my mom and dad. Our house always has like thirty security agents all over the place. I can’t even sneak out of my room without someone running to my mom. It’s ridiculous.” She looked at Alex. “But ridiculous might be what we need right now.”

“You want me to go
to your house during Christmas break?” Alex asked incredulously.

Kalia nodded. “Mom and Dad won’t care. They barely know I’m there anyway.” She seemed embarrassed that the admission had escaped her, but she turned her unwavering gaze back to the dean. “Alex would be safe.”

Jaze looked at Mouse and Lyra. Mouse lifted one shoulder. “It’s not a bad idea. When the vehicles come to pick up the students, Alex could escape through them to the car. It’s impossible for thermal imaging to pick up through the tinted glass. If we got him out of here, he could be safe until we figure out how to defend against the missiles.”

“I’ll make the call to Mrs. Dickson,” Nikki offered. “I have a feeling she won’t be thrilled about us sending another werewolf to her house.”

“Just don’t mention that he’s a werewolf,” Kalia suggested. At Nikki’s confused look, Kalia explained, “Tell her he’s in danger, that I offered for him to come back with us, and that he’ll be returning after the break. You can even tell her I’ll return to school without a fight.” She flushed with embarrassment at everyone’s attention and lowered her gaze. “That may actually be the selling point.”

Jaze nodded. “
We’ll try it. Thank you, Kalia.” He looked straight at Alex. “Until then, stay within the walls. The full moon won’t be until the break, so you can practice some discipline until then, alright?”

Alex nodded.

Jaze rose. “It’s settled. Nikki will call Kalia’s mother, Mouse and Lyra, continue searching for a way to thwart these things, and Vance and Kaynan, I want an exact location of where they were shot. We need to know the distance from which we can expect further attacks.”

“Will do,” Kaynan replied. He and Vance left through the side panel.

“How’s your headache?” Meredith asked Kalia quietly.

“Better,” Kalia replied. She waved a hand, indicating the room. “This is all a bit overwhelming.”

Meredith nodded. “Trust me. I understand. Why don’t you two go get some food? Dinner is over, but I’ll call over to the kitchen and ask Cook Jerald to warm something up.”

Kalia and Alex looked at each other. “Are you hungry?” they both asked at the same time.

Alex grinned and nodded. “Starving.”

“Me, too,” Kalia replied. “Who would have thought getting shot at would make me have such an appetite.”

“I would,” Alex told her. “Last time, I think I ate more than Trent and Don combined.”

“No way,” Kalia said with a laugh.

He nodded and led the way to the door. When he pulled it open, he glanced back to see Meredith, Jaze, and Nikki watching after them. Alex let the door close.

“You sure you’re going to be okay here?” Alex asked for the thirtieth time.

Cassie nodded. “I’m sure. I’ll stay inside and play with baby William.” She glanced over her shoulder to where Tennison was waiting on the steps. “Besides, I don’t dare leave Tennison. If he starts sleepwalking again, it could be bad.”

Alex decided not to point out the fact that Tennison hadn’t slept walked since the night they had followed him. It was clear that leaving Tennison would be extremely difficult
for her. Drogan’s men hadn’t shot at Cassie as of yet. He kept telling himself that if she stayed inside, Jaze would make sure she was safe.

“Promise me you’ll be careful,” he said.

“I promise, Alex. You be careful, too.”

“I will,” he promised.

Cassie wrapped her arms around his neck and gave him a tight hug. “This is our first Christmas apart.”

“I know,” Alex replied. His throat was tight as he held out the little box he had kept especially for her. “Merry early Christmas, sis.”

Her eyes lit with astonishment. “Really, Alex? When did you get this?”

Alex shrugged, happy to see that he had caught her by surprise, a hard thing with a twin. “Open it so I can see if you like it.”

She quickly undid the paper and opened the tiny jewelry box. Inside was a necklace with a little golden wolf hanging from a chain. The wolf had a small blue gem for an eye.

“It’s beautiful!” she exclaimed, giving him another hug. “How did you get it?”

“Nikki helped me,” he replied. He chose not to mention that Mouse had put a tracking device inside the wolf so they could make sure Cassie was inside the Academy at all times. If she left it would set off a warning signal on one of Brock’s computers. He felt slightly bad for impinging on her privacy, but he was willing to do whatever it took to keep her safe.

“Thank you so much,” she said, hugging him one last time. “I love you, Alex. Be careful.”

“I love you too, Cass. Take care of yourself.”

“I will,” Cassie promised. She stepped back and looped her arm through Tennison’s.

“I have a gift for you, too,” Professor Mouse said quietly, appearing from seemingly out of nowhere.

Alex stared at him. “A gift?”

Mouse gave a small smile. “I guess it’s not as cheery as a necklace, but it could save your life.” He opened a plain gray box to reveal a tiny piece of metal.

“What is it?” Alex asked, accepting the box.

“It’s a tracking device as well,” he said quietly, tipping his head meaningfully toward Cassie, though there was so much commotion in the hallway she couldn’t hear them.

“How does it work?” Alex asked, eyeing the object curiously.

“It has an adhesive on the back. Stick it to one of your molars, then be careful not to eat on that side. If you get caught, chomp on it. It’ll send a signal traceable from the next country if needed.”

“You want me to stick it to my tooth?” Alex repeated.

Mouse nodded. “It’s harder to find that way. So many people have fillings that’ll set off a tracker that most don’t scan the mouth. There won’t be a signal to pick up unless you bite it, so it’ll be pretty much untraceable. Trust me.”

Alex did as instructed
and stuck the small device in the crevice of his last top molar. He bit down carefully to make sure he had the device in a good place. It was back enough to miss his normal bite, but if he shifted his jaw slightly to the left, he could hit it.

“How’s that feel?” Mouse asked.

“Good, I guess,” Alex replied. “Thanks.”

“Take care of yourself,” the professor said with a small smile.

“It’s time,” Jaze called from near the door.

Termer students were hurrying out to the waiting cars. Jaze held out a coat. Meredith had sewn a heat-reflective blanket inside. If he kept to the middle of the mass and wore the coat only long enough to reach the cars, it would hopefully hide his heat signature until he was securely in the vehicle.

Kalia stood next to Jaze with a small suitcase in each hand that contained the possessions and clothes each of them would be taking home for the break.

“Ready?” she asked.

Alex nodded. “Let’s do this.”

Tennison
and Cassie watched side by side as Alex shrugged into the coat. He zipped it up with the realization that he hadn’t worn a coat for as far back as he could remember. He had always phased when he was cold. Extra protection against the weather hadn’t been needed.

“Good luck,” Jaze said with a warm smile. “We’ll see you after the break.”

Alex turned to go, but the dean touched the arm of his coat. “Be careful,” Jaze said. He gave Alex a fatherly smile. “Make sure you get back to us.”

“I will,” Alex promised.

He took one of the suitcases from Kalia and walked through the door Kaynan held open.

“
Enjoy the sunshine!” the red-eyed werewolf called after them.

Alex waved a hand.

“I can’t believe we have to take you home with us,” Boris grumbled from behind Alex. “I don’t see why you can’t stay here with the rest of the stinkin’ Strays.”

“You know very well why, Boris,” Kalia replied. “So just shut up and accept it.”

“You’re lucky I’m not your Alpha here,” Boris growled. “Or I would make you pay for that.”

“You would try,” Kalia
replied.

Their arguments faded from Alex’s hearing as he passed Jet’s statue rising from the snowbank in the middle of the courtyard. Alex realized that he had never left the Academy for more than a day. The knowledge that the black wolf was always just outside the Academy watching over everything had given him a sense of security. He was leaving that all behind.

Alex set a hand on the statue. The metal was so cold it stung his fingertips. He looked up at the silver seven emblazoned on Jet’s shoulder. His breath made a puff of white fog in the air as he set a hand on the seven.

“Are you coming?” Kalia asked. There was a hint of urgency in her voice.

Alex broke away from the statue with the realization that he was supposed to hurry so the coat didn’t heat up and give him away. He followed Kalia and Boris quickly to the limousine that waited at the front of the courtyard.

“Come on, let’s get moving,” Kalia’s mother said without preamble.

The driver set their luggage in the trunk while Alex ducked after Boris and Kalia into the vehicle. He stared at the spacious interior.

“Scoot over so Mom can get in,” Boris growled with annoyance. “You’d think you’d never been in a limo before.”

“I haven’t,” Alex replied. He ignored their surprised stares and took a seat near the front.

Kalia’s mom slid onto the seat and the driver shut the door. Mrs. Dickson immediately pulled out a phone. She started talking almost before the person on the other end answered.

“Welcome to our lives,” Boris stated dryly.

The limousine pulled out of the courtyard.

Alex didn’t know what to expect, certainly not the sweeping white mansion with huge columns and finely manicured lawns as well as a white wall almost as big as the Academy’s surrounding it. After the long hours of travel, they had left the Academy locked in winter far behind; sun peaked behind clouds and grass carpeted the far-reaching landscape, giving a perfect contrast to the spotless white along with black shutters, a black door inlaid with intricate glass etching, and the low green bushes on either side of the widespread stairs.

Two men stood at the top of the stairs at the door. They wore black suits and white gloves. Two more waited near the curved driveway where the limousine driver pulled in. A quick glance through the back window showed four men walking the perimeter and two at the gate who had questioned them regardless of Mrs. Dickson in the back seat. She seemed perfectly content to ignore everything that went on besides the person talking on the other end of the phone.

“Come on,” Kalia said, climbing out the door as soon as it was held open by yet another white-gloved individual.

Boris was out next. Alex followed more slowly. He glanced back at Mrs. Dickson. She didn’t even seem to notice that the vehicle had stopped. He stepped out and saw that Kalia was already halfway up the stairs. A servant carried her luggage and followed her to the doors that were now held open.

Alex reached for his bag.

“I’ve
got that for you, sir,” a servant replied.

“I can carry my stuff,” Alex told him. It seemed pointless to have two people climb up the stairs when only one needed to.

The servant smiled. He was about twice Alex’s age with short black hair and a small mustache that twitched in humor.

“I could use the exercise,” the man said, though he was thinner than Mouse.