Sang's Freedom (Original And Rewritten)

Chapter 51: Lone Wolf No Longer!

-Chapter 51-

Matthew Eli's POV:

"...I have been appointed the new leader of Team Blackbourne."

Everyone's cellphones went off at once, receiving confirmation text messages from the Academy.

I can't say I wanted to be the leader of Team Blackbourne, but at least I would have an opportunity to train them before throwing them into the whole people trafficking mission they had agreed to.

When I messaged the Academy, I was just trying to recruit Sang. She needed an out from these overprotective boys. She needed to know how strong she was, and the Academy could give her that.

Instead, since Sang was already considered a family member of Team Blackbourne, the entire unit was shifted under my command.

And the lone wolf gains a pack, I thought miserably, as I maintained my outward bravado. "Any questions with the change in command?"

The big guy pushing eight foot began to yell at me. I didn't know what he was saying, but I recognized the language as Greek.

Most of the blonds looked confused. The boy Sang had spent a great deal of time hugging had managed to grab her hand and was talking to her quietly while Mr. Blackbourne typed away furiously on his phone.

Send all the texts you want, buddy.

"You are not our leader," snarled the other big guy, North. His eyes were dark, and I figured I was going to have to kick his ass some time in the near future. Establish dominance and all that.

"How do you figure?" I asked.

"Because I never said I was willing to have you as my leader, and I definitely won't obey."

Oh, for the love of god. These little boys and their diplomatic group votes.

"You will obey, Mr. Taylor."

I watched as Mr. Blackbourne dusted himself off. The man really was about my age, no more than twenty, though he carried himself like a man well into his late thirties.

"Everyone will obey because we all do as the Academy commands. Won't it be nice for Miss Sorenson to have the same lack of free will."

Sang scowled at him for me. "Mr. Blackbourne, why do you want to take away my chance to give something back to this world?"

"Because the Academy will take over your whole life until it is all you have."

"Your team will become your family," said the doctor. "You won't have friends outside the Academy. You'll never be normal."

Sang simply shrugged, and I was struck again by the amazing amount of inner strength she carried. "I killed two people yesterday. I think I'm past being normal."

"Those weren't people, Sang. They were scum." I muttered, glancing over at the big guy and North to find their mouths hanging open.

"How did someone your size..." One of the blonds asked, tilting his head to the side.

She put a finger to her lips in a way that had me wanting to pull her hand away. What was with this shy shit all of a sudden? Sang's green eyes met mine. "I knocked someone into a cement wall and their head broke open. The other time I had a gun--"

"You fucking gave Trouble a gun?" A short guy with mismatched hair was outraged. "Trouble is trouble enough without giving her a god damn fire arm you stupid ass juke."

"Juke?" asked the big guy.

"Isn't that a maneuver in football?" asked North.

The little guy went an angry sort of red before Sang went to his side. "I like juke as an insult, Gabriel."

The guy softened, only slightly. "No one should be giving you a gun."

"Fucking right, no one should be giving Sang a gun!" A redhead shouted.

"Absolutely no guns!" agreed a boy with a dragon necklace... Why was that pendant so familiar?

The Greek one went English briefly. "...giving Aggele Mou a gun, what the hell is the matter with you!"

"Quiet!" I ordered as their voices began to overwhelm one another. By some fucking miracle, they all fell silent. "Sang, you have three choices."

She perked up, tucking a blonde lock of hair behind her ear as she looked to me.

"You can remain a member of the family, meaning you have our protection, but do not participate in missions. Option two: You join the Academy. You're a full blown bi-- wolf," I corrected. "You are assigned missions. You earn and lose favors. You are one of us."

"And option three?" questioned a boy with glasses and chocolate brown hair. He already knew the final option I was holding out on asking.

"Option three is you walk away, Sang. We take you home. We don't interfere in your life and you don't interfere in ours."

***

Sang Sorenson's POV:

Kota tilted his head to the side as he asked what my third option was.

"Option three is you walk away, Sang. We take you home. We don't interfere in your life and you don't interfere in ours."

It was sweet how worried they all were. Even Mr. Blackbourne had gotten all huffy at the prospect of me leaving the family.

As if I could ever walk away from these guys. As if I could return home and forget them.

I could never forget falling out of a tree only to slam into Gabriel's waiting arms.

I could never forget going with Luke to prank North.

Memories of Victor playing the piano and Dr. Green accidently kissing me flooded my mind. I thought of the way Mr. Blackbourne tried to tame Simba, and the feel of Nathan's arm around me as we took the bus to school.

There were Silas' jokes and Kota's gentleness when he came to visit me in the nurse's office.

And now there was Matt, and the way he taught me how to hold a gun and trusted me enough to fire one. He gave me his jacket when I had no clothes. He kept me safe. He helped me escape and I trusted the guy with my life.

And I suspected he trusted me with his.

Matt wanted me to be Academy. He gave up his lone wolf status to have us all be a team.

Ten pairs of eyes were watching me intently as my lips parted. "I have to choose option two. I want to be a true part of your family, and I really do want to be Academy."