Gray Valley

t h r e e

"MR MOONSTONE, YOU ARE LATE." A man stood with his arms crossed over his chest, reading some sort of list with his gaze.

His hair was dark; almost black and fell in messy curls. And unlike most history teachers, he wasn't particularly old. He seemed to be in about in his late twenties and looked nothing like a regular teacher.

"I will not let this go. Stay after class to organise detention."

He glanced up from the paperwork on his table and my eyes widened with shock. It was his eyes. They were the colour of raging storm clouds and made an icy shiver run through my spine.

"And who are you?"

It took me a second to realise that he was addressing me. Even when I did, I found that I couldn't reply. My whole body was filled with unjustifiable fear and my voice had disappeared.

One of the students snickered and I spotted the other boy from the bus, Bryan, smirking at me. I remembered exactly what Liam had said about him...

"You deserved that," he sniggered loudly.

"Mr Mitchell, shut up," Mr Grayson roared. "Mr Moonstone, who is this little girl?"

Little? What was it with people at Gray Valley calling me little? I wasn't even that small.

"This is Weslyn Grayson, Mr Grayson," Liam filled in for me.

This was Mr Grayson? His eyes narrowed at me and his mouth was set in a straight line. I subconsciously felt myself mirror his expression.

There was something about him... Painful... I tried to recall where I recognised him from, only for intense force to bury itself into my head from both temples. My teeth bit down on my bottom lip to suppress the yelp that was threatening to surface.

"I'm going to ask you to stay after class, as well, Miss Grayson," he gritted out. Even in the midst of extreme anguish, I couldn't help but notice how angry he sounded. "Now both of you sit down."

The second he turned away to write on the board, the pain evaporated, perplexing more than I could manage.

"Is he like that... all the time?" I asked, my voice still shaky from the aftermath of the pressure on my skull.

Even my usually flawless vision was hazy. I slipped into a desk in the last row after Liam and dropped my head on the table.

"More or less," he retorted. "But we should probably shut up. He has the better hearing then most people think."

"Thank you for complimenting my hearing, Mr Moonstone." My mouth fell open. My Grayson was all the way on the other side of the classroom and yet he heard every word we said.

"See?" he mouthed.

"For the love of Luna..." I whispered.

"Excellent, Miss." I looked up to meet the gray eyes, unsure whether or not he was talking yo me. "Yes, you, Miss Grayson. You knew our discussion topic even though you're new and arrived late. Would you like to repeat what you said for the rest of the idiots who don't pay attention in my class?"

"For the love of Luna?" I repeated uncertainly.

"And do you by any chance know who this infamous Luna is?"

"Some kind of celestial being?" I took a guess. His eyebrows shot up and a low growl escaped his mouth. "I think..." I trailed off.

Like I had told Liam, before, I had no idea where my catch phrase came from; only that my mother had often used it.

"The Angel of the full-moon," Liam interrupted from beside me. I shot him a grateful smile. "She was cursed by the wolf guardian and became part wolf; the original lycanthrope."

"Well, except for the fact that I asked Miss Grayson and you answered for her, thank you, Mr Moonstone. At least now I know someone pays attention to Mythology," his voice loudened. "As for the rest of you morons, why aren't you taking notes?"

A hush went through the class, as the students leant over their books to make notes.

"Thanks," I told Liam. "How did you know that?"

"It's like Mr Grayson said," he responded. "I was brought up with the local legends."

"But I don't get it. Why-" The school bell rang cutting me off and dismissing the class. Why was Gray Valley so into werewolves?

He stood up and glanced at me. "We have to go second lesson, what subject do you have?"

"Senior Latin," I frowned. "In Room 15."

"Room 15 is just across the corridor. I've got Senior Hebrew, so I'll see you later, yeah?"

"Er... yeah."

He gave me one last smile and left the room, leaving me alone. By Luna. This school was getting worse by the second. Why did I have to move to Gray Valley in the first place? Grabbing my exercise book off the table, I made my way outside.

"Where do you think your going?" Mr Grayson's voice was full of authority as he stepped in front of me, blocking the doorway. "I thought I told you to stay after class."

"You let Liam go," I pointed out. "Besides, I have second lesson, Mr Grayson."

I ducked under his arm but he clasped his fingers around my wrist, forcing me to stop. The contact made a prickling sensation creep up my spine and I bit my lip.

I sensed it. I sensed it from the very beginning. The rush of emotions I felt at his touch made it obvious.

We had a connection.