Werewolf Academy Book 2: Hunted (9 page)

“I lost everyone,” Meredith said in a voice so quiet Alex wasn’t sure she knew she had spoken out loud.

He let out a slow breath as the realization hit him hard. He hadn’t really thought of the fact that no one came for her or looked for her after Jaze rescued her from Drogan. Even though his parents had died, there might have been someone else who cared. “Did you ever get married?” he asked.

Something flickered in her gaze, some spark of emotion that she smothered quickly before it burned out of control. “I’m not the
marriage type,” she answered.

“I wished we’d known you when we were younger,” Alex said.

Meredith nodded. “Me, too, but it wasn’t to be.”

The sadness in her expression
made Alex ask, “Why not?”

She gave him a small smile, her eyes sad. “When the werewolves first started getting killed off, it wasn’t safe for us to be in big packs. We split up and
my sister and I visited each other only once in a while. Then Jet was taken.” She took a shuddering breath. “Mindi and Will were beside themselves. They looked everywhere. I had never seen my sister look so lost. I tried to help in any way that I could, but he had vanished.”

She rubbed her eyes as if the memories were painful.
“So many werewolves were being killed. It was a dark time for our race, and nobody was safe. There were a lot of horrible things that happened. When you and Cassie were born...” She swallowed and continued, “Mindi and Will decided the best thing was to move away. I couldn’t go.”

The pain in Meredith’s voice held Alex.
His heart gave a slow thump. “Why not?”

She opened her mouth to speak, then shook her head. After a minute, she tried again, blinking back tears that she refused to let fall. “
It wasn’t safe. Bad people were looking for me. I couldn’t let them find my family.”

Alex nodded. With Drogan’s attacks, he knew exactly how she felt. “I’m glad we’re together.”

She gave him a watery smile. “Me, too.”

Familiar footsteps walked to the door. Alex and Meredith both looked up with expectant expre
ssions. Cassie appeared from the hallway. Surprise colored her expression at the sight of both of them.

“I, uh, just...
”

“Wanted to see how Aunt Meredith’s first day went?” Alex guessed.

Cassie nodded, her cheeks touched with red.

Meredith crossed to the door and gave Cassie a big hug. At her motion, Alex joined them. “All I know,” Meredith said. “Is I couldn’t have a horrible day with you two checking on me.”

“I’m glad,” Cassie replied.

“Me, too,” Meredith said.

When the howl sounded, Pack Jericho was the last to the courtyard. Per their Alpha’s instructions, they hung back near the north wall away from the other packs who jostled each other for space.

“I don’t like this at all,” Cassie whispered. Her nervousness at the crowd showed in the way she couldn’t stop moving her feet. Alex knew she wanted nothing more than to dart into the forest and not look back until sunrise. He felt the same way.

“It’s okay,” Alex reassured her. “Jericho will work things out.”

“Don’t be so sure,” Kalia muttered.

Alex glanced at her. She pointedly ignored him.

“About time,” Boris commented when Jericho joined them on the steps.

Alex clenched his hands into fists. He hated uncertainty, and it felt as if everything was changing again. The night games had once been just for fun, the way students blew off steam and relaxed after long hours of school. Last year, with Drogan’s attacks on the Academy, Alex had made the suggestion to change the night games into training sessions so that the students would be prepared if the Academy was ever attacked again.

Their training had paid off several times before the term was through. Apparently, Boris
’ creativity had gone to his head during the summer months that the Termers were away from the Academy. He barked out orders as though he was in charge of every pack.

“Termers, to the
steps, Strays,” he grinned and corrected himself, “I mean Lifers, to the gate. Torin is going to take charge of the Lifers.” He turned to the Alpha and said in an undertone, “Good luck.”

Torin lifted his lips in a silent snarl even though he was still in human form.

Boris glanced at Jericho. Annoyance showed in his expression. “Since we have one pack that is neither Lifers nor Termers, the mutt pack,” several members of Pack Boris laughed. “We’ll have to split you up.”

Whispers of ‘mutt pack’ traveled through the packs with laughter.

“I don’t want them on our team,” Alex heard Shannon say to her sister Shaylee where the Alpha twins stood near the gate.

“I know, right?
” Shaylee replied. “Any student who hangs out with a Stray for so long must have something wrong in the head.”

“We’re not splitting up.” Jericho’s answer carried across the courtyard.

Boris glared at Jericho. “We talked about this.”

“No,” Jericho corrected him. “You talked and I listened. You never once asked for my opinion.”

“I didn’t feel like I needed it,” Boris replied. “I’m in charge of the night games, and now we’re at night games. Split up your pack.”

At Jericho’s silence, the Termer Alpha leaned closer. Alex heard him say in a lower voice, “
Look, man. It’s only a couple of Lifers. I already got rid of Amos.”

Alex followed Boris’ gaze to the Lifers gathered near the gate. Amos towered above them, but he refused to look in Boris’ direction. Instead, the huge Gray stared at his feet, a sulking giant who clearly wasn’t happy about the arrangements.

“If you choose to abandon your pack mates, that’s your choice,” Jericho replied. His gaze roamed over his pack who watched the discussion from near the wall. “But my pack is not splitting up.”

“Do we need to fight about this?” The deadly tone in Boris’ voice said he wasn’t messing around.

To Alex’s relief, Torin set a hand on the Alpha’s shoulder. “Let him take charge of the mutts,” Torin encouraged him. “I don’t want to deal with them, and neither do you.”

“Jericho would be a big asset on a team,” Boris
argued.

Torin nodded. “Yeah, but is it worth babysitting the rest of them?
They’re worthless.”

Neither Alpha bothered
to lower their voice. Alex glanced at his pack. Hurt showed on several faces. There were tears in Cassie’s eyes that she refused to let fall. She and Terith held hands, leaning on each other. Alex couldn’t take it anymore.

“
When did students come to regard each other as lesser members of this school?” Alex demanded.

“Alex, no,” Trent whispered behind him. “They’ll kill you.”

“Don’t do it,” Cassie pleaded.

Both Boris and Torin turned to glare at Alex. He felt the full force of the Alphas’ disapproval. It was all he could do to meet their gazes
against his instinct as a Gray. He clenched and unclenched his fists. His heart stuttered. He willed his legs to hold.

“You are a lesser member of this school,” Boris said steadily.

“Boris,” Kalia replied, her tone filled with dismay.

Boris ignored his sister. He took a step toward Alex. “You have no family, no one who cares whether you live or die. You have no real pack but the mutts who make up the pathetic group you dare to call Pack Jericho.” He looked out over the students who watched in stunned silence. “We allow you to stay and play your little games, but you are nothing but dust, waiting to be blown away and forgotten.”

Alex wasn’t sure when he left the pack. The next thing he was aware of, Boris had him flat on his back on the top step with a tight grip around his throat.

Alex struggled
to breathe.

Boris glared down at him. “You are not an Alpha, Alex. You never will be.” His eyes narrowed. “The sooner you realize that, the better for your health.”

The Alpha hefted Alex by his neck and the front of his shirt. He then threw Alex down the stairs.

Alex hit every cement step on the way down
to the courtyard. He lay there stunned for a moment. No one in the courtyard moved. Alex took a ragged breath. His heart skipped, then skipped again. Alex gritted his teeth and willed his body to obey. He pushed up to his hands and knees, then climbed to his feet.

A glance to the side showed his pack. Shock was clear on their faces at the Alpha’s boldness. Cassie met Alex’s gaze. Tears streaked her cheeks. Only Terith’s tight grip on her hand kept his twin sister from running to him. Alex was glad for Terith’s
intervention. He didn’t want his sister involved.

He clenched his hands into fists.
“I am nothing?” Alex’s voice rang within the walls.

The Alphas had been discussing something from the top step, Alex’s presence apparently forgotten. Only Jericho waited at the edge to see what Alex would do.
When their gazes met, Jericho gave a slight nod, willing his Second to continue.

The Alphas turned,
amazed that Alex had dared to speak again.

“I am nothing?” Alex demanded louder. He pointed at the statue near the middle of the courtyard.
“Jet was my brother.”

Gasps and sounds of surprise ran through the crowd. It was obvious with a glance at the Alphas that only Jericho had been aware of the fact.

Alex speared Boris with a look, his passion fueled by the dark statue that watched over the moonlit courtyard. “If it wasn’t for Jet, none of you would be here. He fought and killed hundreds of Extremists intent on wiping out your families.” Alex’s voice lowered. “He sacrificed his life for you.”

Alex climbed slowly up the steps. His knees ached from hitting the cement, but he didn’t let it show. He stopped a few feet from Boris.

“If anyone doesn’t deserve to be here, it’s a bigot who feels that those who lost family members during the genocide are lesser werewolves.” Alex’s gaze swept over the crowd of students. “We’re not Termers or Lifers.” He glared at Boris. “We’re not students with families or Strays.” He met Cassie’s gaze. Her dark blue eyes glistened with moisture in the starlight. “We each deserve to be here for our own reasons.” He looked at the Alphas waiting on the top step. “I may not be an Alpha, but I’m no coward. I’m not going to stand by while you judge my pack mates as inferior and make them feel less than equal. If that’s the way it is going to go, then we’ll hold our own night games.”

Alex
met Jericho’s gaze. It was a bold statement, and would only hold if his Alpha stood behind him.

Jericho gave a small smile. “I agree with my Second.
You all know what Jet did. His sacrifice will never be forgotten, and the hundreds upon hundreds that he saved will forever be in his debt.” He pointed at the Alphas and then at the students below them. “You are in Jet’s debt. Don’t soil the ground dedicated in his name by defiling the very lives he died for. Jet gave up his life to protect our families from those who hated us because they saw us as inferior. I’ll not stand by and watch you do the same thing here.” He joined Alex on the top step. They began to walk down together.

“Come on,” Alex heard Torin whisper behind them.

“Alright,” Boris muttered. He lifted his voice. “Hold up, Jericho. We’ll make it work.”

Jericho turned. Alex stopped beside him on the step, but refused to look back.

“We’ll work it out,” Boris continued. “It’ll end up best if we’re all together on this.”

The silence that filled the courtyard pressed in as the students waited with abated breaths to see what would happen.

“Fine,” Jericho finally agreed.

Pack Jericho walked over to join
their Alpha and Second. Alex was proud of the way they accepted what had happened without a word, though Trent put a hand on Alex’s shoulder, and Cassie leaned against his arm as though the event had exhausted her. He knew how she felt.

“Let’s
begin the training,” Boris said.

After night
games, the Alphas and Seconds met in a classroom to run through strategies. Boris’ new system called for the teams to split so that they would be prepared to face larger groups of enemies if the Academy was ever attacked again. Though the Alpha ignored Alex entirely, the suggestions Jericho gave after listening to his Second had been well received. Secondary leaders were to be trained in case Alphas and Seconds were compromised.

Eventually, Boris dismissed everyone saying that if they stayed much longer, they woul
dn’t be any use the next night. By the time Alex fell into bed, he was exhausted.

He had just closed his eyes when a set of familiar footsteps caught his attention. He
walked to the door and peered out in time to see Cassie close the door to the hallway. Concerned, Alex hurried after her. She was halfway down the stairs when he reached her.

“Where are you going?”

“Look,” she said, gesturing down the hall.

Alex spotted Tennison near the back doors to the Academy. The werewolf pushed them open and went outside.