Werewolf Academy Book 6: Vengeance (14 page)

“It wouldn’t be a life poorly spent,” Jerry said from behind them.

Both of them looked back, surprised to see him following them.

Alex winked at Siale. “No, it wouldn’t.”

Chapter Eighteen

That night, they helped Jassa prepare spaghetti and garlic bread for dinner.

“I think I know why they say vampires are allergic to garlic,” Tennison said, holding the potent-smelling herb as far away from him as he could.

“You’ll notice that we don’t have a problem with vampires here,” Mick replied.

“You have a point,” Alex told him. “Maybe we should use more of it.”

“No, thank you,” Tennison said with a grimace. He put the lid on the container and set it into the refrigerator, shutting the door with a bang.

Behind his back, Cassie took a bite of one of the pieces he had just spread. When he turned around, she gave him a big kiss. Tennison kissed her back for a second, then his face twisted. He pulled back and stared at her.

Cassie laughed. “Like my new lipstick?”

Tennison shook his head. “At least I won’t have to worry about you getting attacked by vampires, either.”

Cassie giggled and wrapped her arms around him. “I love you, my garlic-sensitive boyfriend.”

Tennison laughed and hugged her back. “And I love you, my stinky little girlfriend.”

“Aw, what a cute couple,” Mick replied. He rolled his eyes with a grin.

“Let’s get this food out there before the troops mutiny,” Jassa told them.

The other werewolves in the kitchen picked up the pots of spaghetti, sauce, salad, and garlic bread. Alex followed behind with two jugs of red juice and a container of parmesan cheese under each arm.

The tables were already two-thirds full of werewolves. Jassa said that with the full moon coming in the next few days, the warehouse would fill up even more. The fact that the warehouse was a safe place to phase away from the dangers of Extremists or hostile humans appealed to families as far as a few hours away. Alex was grateful Red had created such a place.

“I can’t have butter,” a woman with red hair and a green sweater said. “It doesn’t mesh well with my figure.”

“I would stay away from the bread,” Siale recommended with a warm smile as though she was familiar with the woman’s needs, “But Jassa used coconut oil and salt in the spaghetti, so you should be fine.”

“Thank goodness,” the woman replied.

Alex was in the middle of pouring her a generous helping of punch when a bellow rang through the warehouse.

“Alex Davies!”

Alex took a steeling breath. He set the cup back down, careful not to drip any punch on the woman’s khaki-colored pants. He turned slowly.

“How dare you?” Boris demanded from the steps that led to the warehouse floor. He stormed down them with the fury of an entire wolf pack. “This is my city. You have no right—”

Red stood in Boris’ path, barring his way to the tables and Alex.

“Boris, you know the rules. There’s no fighting here. If you have a dispute, you can take it outside. It’s up to Alex whether he chooses to follow,” Red said, his voice level and firm.

“But he shouldn’t...”

Five other Alphas left their places at the tables and stood behind Red. Even angry, there was no way Boris could reach Alex.

His blue eyes, the same color Kalia’s had been, flashed with rage. “I’ll be waiting in the alley,” he growled, his gaze locked on Alex. “You better follow.”

Boris stormed back outside and slammed the door shut behind him.

Everyone looked at Alex. The carefree atmosphere of the warehouse had vanished, leaving only discomfort. The scent of Boris’ wrath lingered above the aromas of tomatoes and pasta. The children who had been playing found their mothers and fathers, climbing onto their laps with the confused worry of the young confronted with an unknown situation.

Alex handed Tennison the jug of punch. “Take over, will you?”

“Alex, you don’t have to do this,” Siale said, touching Alex’s arm.

“I do,” Alex replied. “I understand what he’s gone through. Please don’t follow me out.”

Siale shook her head. “You can’t ask that of me.”

Aware that everyone was watching them, Alex put his hand over hers. “Siale, I need you to trust me. If I don’t take care of this now, Boris can cause problems here for the rest of the summer. It’s better not to draw it out, and he’s easier to work with if he doesn’t have an audience.”

“We’ve got your back, Alex,” one of the Alphas said.

The others who had stood with Red nodded.

“One word and we’ll take care of him,” another called.

Words of agreement rose from the other werewolves.

The thought that so many of them cared touched Alex. He smiled, calming the room. “Thank you, but I’ll be fine. Please eat the amazing food Jassa’s prepared. I’ll probably be back before you’re finished.”

Alex’s forced confidence and nonchalant attitude did the trick. The werewolves around the room relaxed and went back to their meals. At Alex’s nod, Cassie and Tennison resumed serving food with the others.

“Alex?” Siale asked, her voice quiet beneath the regular commotion of so many people eating in one place.

“I’ll be back,” Alex told her. When she continued to watch him with her worried expression, Alex gestured to the little boy who held up a bowl for the spaghetti she had been dishing out. “Luke’s starving. We don’t want him to waste away,” Alex said, winking at the boy. Luke grinned at him.

Siale let out an accepting breath and spooned spaghetti into his bowl. Jassa followed close behind with a scoop of sauce.

Alex was aware of eyes following him as he made his way to back to the kitchen. He was prepared to meet Boris, but he wasn’t going to be stupid about the situation. Heading out the side door would give him the advantage of where to confront the angry werewolf instead of being bombarded the instant he stepped into the alley from the stairs.

“Alex,” Red said from the door to the kitchen. Alex paused and Siale’s father closed the distance between them. “You don’t owe Boris anything.”

“His sister died because of me,” Alex replied. He kept his voice neutral, forcing himself to focus on the matter at hand instead of the pain of the past. “He has a right to be upset.”

Red nodded. Alex wasn’t surprised he knew about what had happened. He was a good father and Siale loved him very much. It was only right that she would tell him the things that affected them at the Academy.

“Fighting you isn’t going to help him get over it,” Red said. He paused, then continued, “Neither is killing you.”

“Knowing I’m here and doing nothing about it won’t help him either,” Alex replied. “There’s got to be some place in the middle where we can both live our lives.” He put a hand on the door that led from the back of the kitchen to outside, but opposite from the alley where Boris waited.

“What if there’s not?”

Red’s question hung in the air.

Alex finally looked back at him. “Then Boris is right. This is his city. I have no right to take whatever peace he has left from him.”

Alex slipped out and made his way around the warehouse. A glance in the alley showed Boris leaning against the wall next to the door. His arms were folded and the anger on his face showed clearly in the light of the waxing moon. Alex spotted a huge two-by-four next to the Alpha. He shook his head, glad he had chosen to go around instead of waiting for the werewolf to clobber him.

Alex moved to the mouth of the alley. “Hey.”

Boris rose immediately and grabbed the board. He stalked down the alley toward Alex.

“What are you doing?” Alex demanded.

Boris’ steps slowed only slightly at Alex’s steady tone. “What I should have done a long time ago,” the werewolf said.

“Murder?” Alex replied, backing away to keep the werewolf from closing too much space. “There’re prisons for actions like that.”

“Then you should be there,” Boris shouted.

To Alex’s surprise, tears showed on the werewolf’s face when he turned toward the moonlight.

Boris threw the two-by-four. The wood flew past Alex and slammed into the building across the street, splintering in the pieces. The Alpha’s breath heaved and he stared at the sidewalk in front of him with his teeth clenched and lips pulled back in a grimace.

“I can’t do this anymore,” Boris growled.

Alex watched him in silence, unsure of what to do.

After a moment, Boris glanced up at him. There was something in the Alpha’s gaze that took Alex by surprise. Within the anger and hatred, he was shocked to see acceptance.

“I need to show you something,” Boris said, his voice quiet. “Wolf up.”

The huge werewolf pulled off his shirt.

“Uh, wolf up?” Alex asked. “Is that a thing?”

Boris nodded with what looked like the ghost of a reluctant smile. “Yeah, it is. Now wolf up before I leave you behind.”

Alex pulled off his own shirt and phased. He glanced back at the warehouse, knowing Siale would be concerned if he disappeared.

Boris gave an impatient bark. Alex answered with a snort and followed close behind.

It felt strange following the Alpha through the streets. The last time he had done so was when Boris had led him to the warehouse his first time. So much had changed since then. The only reason he followed the Alpha was because he felt like he owed Kalia’s brother at least that much. Where they would end up, he had no idea.

Boris led the way around the back of their huge mansion and through a crack in the gate. The security guards who patrolled the perimeter didn’t bat an eye at the two wolves who crossed the lawn and entered the back door that had also been left open. Boris padded upstairs. Alex followed him to a room down the hall on the right side.

Kalia’s honey and clover scent lingered in the carpet fibers and in the wood that framed the doors. Alex’s heart ached. He shoved the feeling away, reminding himself to stay on guard. At Boris’ low bark, Alex followed him into the bedroom.

Boris phased in the walk-in closet. Alex waited near the door, ready to bolt if the werewolf was crazy enough to come out with a gun or silver weapon.

Boris left the closet clothed in jeans and a black tee-shirt.

“Grab something,” the Alpha said shortly. “I’ll meet you in the hallway.”

Alex stepped into the closet with a surreal feeling. If anyone had told him that day that he would be in the house of the student who hated him the most, putting on the said student’s pants and a shirt that portrayed a heavy metal band, he would have said they were crazy.

He glanced around the werewolf’s room. Boris’ walls were lined with framed and signed concert posters, sports memorabilia, several autographed guitars, and lights that made the ceiling glow orange and green. Everything was signed and no doubt extremely expensive. There was a picture of Mr. Dickson near the door, and one of Kalia and her mother on the nightstand. Kalia looked much younger and was missing her two front teeth. Even Mrs. Dickson smiled, something Alex wasn’t used to seeing.

“Are you coming?” Boris called from the hallway.

Alex jumped as though he had been caught doing something wrong. He stepped out the door and pulled it shut behind him.

Boris looked at his shirt. “Fitting,” he said wryly.

Alex glanced down. The name of the band was ‘Wolfsbane’. When he looked up again, Boris was already halfway down the hall.

“Are you going to tell me why you brought me here?” Alex asked, hurrying to catch up.

“You mean instead of tearing your head off?” Boris glanced back at him, his expression unreadable.

Alex nodded. “I would have put up a fight, but yeah.”

Boris paused with his hand on a doorknob. “I wanted to kill you. Since Kalia’s death, I wanted to end you in every way I possibly could. I dreamed about it, imagining different scenarios.”

The Alpha let that sit for a few moments as he led the way down the hall. He stopped by a door and let out a breath. “I avoided Kalia’s room because it hurt too much. I couldn’t stand to be reminded of its staleness because it meant she wasn’t coming back, so I never went in.” He hesitated, then said, “Until I sleepwalked and woke up in here the other night.”

“You sleepwalk?” Alex asked, keeping his tone carefully neutral.

Boris shook his head. “Never. I haven’t ever sleepwalked. But I kept having nightmares about Kalia.” He glared at the door as if it took an effort to keep his emotions away. “I kept seeing her die and I couldn’t save her.” He let out a shuddering breath. “The other night it was the worst. She kept calling my name, and I ran down this hallway that got longer and longer. Every doorway I checked was empty. She finally said, ‘Wake up’, and when I did, I was in her room.”

He pushed the door open.

Kalia’s scent was stronger this time, flooding out and wrapping around them like a memory that wanted to be so much more because as Boris had described, the scent was stale, old, lingering, reminding them that she was truly gone. Alex’s feet felt glued to the ground. He couldn’t will himself to step forward.