Wynter's Bane (On Hiatus)

Chapter 12

Edited with Grammarly: 5/3/2020

For the next several day's things are tense at school. My baring teeth at Myth got around pretty quick, so the bullies that had been with that girl, Jesse, decided to try and get their licks in, wanting to show themselves tougher than her by not backing down to a Runt. I became the center of attention real quick and that isn't where I want to be.

I told Markus to leave things be, that his meddling is making things worse. Don't know if he listened or not, since I haven't stuck around anywhere long enough to overhear anything else. Marie's been helping me dodge them when she can.

As it turns out, she'd been a favorite of the popular girls to pick on, so getting teased isn't news to her either. Now that she's been feeling better, she's put all her piercings back in, several in each of her ears, an eyebrow, and her belly button. She plans on getting her tongue done once she hits 18, which will be in a few months. Since wolves heal so fast, piercings don't work on us, and any tattoos have to be done with a special ink.

I dread going in today, but it's the last day before the Full Moon, so I have to gather up work that I'll be missing out on. This is also going to be the first moon spent with a new Pack, so there will be a gathering to celebrate. Everyone is to attend, even me.

Don't know why they bother, not like I'll be included in anything. I'll be pushed to the back of everything, from a run to any type of hunt or kill. My position is on the sidelines, lower even than the Omegas. I harbor no ill will, at least none towards any that don't go out of their way to make my life miserable.

The only place large enough to hold our numbers without going up further into the mountains is the forest near the lake, and I know the area pretty well by now. Not as well as the native wolves of course but probably more than my siblings at least. I rarely see or hear of them shifting.

Running to school is the easy part, jumping over legs is the norm, but running into a solid body made of muscle definitely wasn't on the schedule for today. Bouncing off, I barely keep my feet as I stumble back, even then, I still crouch down, clutching my head. There's a ringing in my ears, and when that fades, the laughter of those around me filters through just fine.

It's such a common sound anymore, it's like regular everyday background noise that I barely even react to. Feeling something on my face, I reach up. My nose is bleeding. Blinking in amazement, I look up at the tree I ran into.

Well, not a tree, but might as well be. Crouched down the way I am, I have to crane my neck up to actually see his face before I just stand and step back. Standing at least six-foot-six, the male is looking at me as if I'm some kind of special.

His eyes remind me of Alpha Kristos', a bright emerald green, while thick, chestnut red hair frames his face in waves. Darkly tanned, he has scars poking out from under his shirt at his collar and sleeves.

"Hello? Would you mind not breaking your face on me?"

Scowling, I touch my face once more. The bleeding had stopped, but I'd hit him hard enough, and he'd been hard enough to cause the damage is a bit startling. Muscular and toned, he smells strongly of wolf and it makes my stomach flutter.

Annoyed, I shoot a glare at him and go around, holding the back of my hand to my face while I jog to meet up with Marie at the front doors. She's standing there gaping, and when seeing the red on my hand she gasps.

"Are you alright? Did he hit you? I'll kill him!"

Smiling at her before chuckling, I shake my head.

"Naw, he does have a body like a tree though. Definitely recommend going over and not through, will make much better progress."

She fumes for a few more seconds before she laughs, then whispers 'uh oh' under her breath. Giving her a weird look, I'm stopped abruptly once more, this time an elbow going into my sternum with the force of a baseball bat. My lungs protest as a pair of female wolves go by, acting as if nothing but an accident just happened.

Lowering once more, this time to relearn how to breathe, Marie is throwing curses. When I think things can't get any worse, I hear my sister's voice coming in from outside with her group of sheep. My friend's litany of 'no's has my eyes closing, waiting for it.

Not disappointed, my already protesting lungs scream when I hiss as ice cold water is dumped over my head.

"Seen you had a little mishap with your nose outside Runt, thought I'd help you out. Aren't I nice?"

My rapid breathing is only matched by my rising anger. Seeing Myth's feet in front of me, I stand abruptly, swinging my heavy, wet mass of hair up, directly into her face, then back so I'm staring right at her surprised and very wet expression.

"Why yes, Mythine, very nice. Let me return the favor."