Dark Solstice

2. School

Morning came faster than I would have wished.

My Aunt was bustling around the house, throwing together breakfast as quickly as she could. When Sadie and I got downstairs, the kitchen table was adorned in various platters of food. My Aunt was standing at the base of the stairs, smiling at us.

"You're going to have a good first day," she said to me.

"Hopefully." I laughed nervously. "I didn't think school could get worse than British literature."

"I'm sure once the Alpha recognizes that your skills are so similar to your parents', he will come around."

She was right. My parents had taught me everything they knew, even though I was a human. They had taught me just about everything other than shifting—which, of course, was impossible for me. Still, I was more than aware that I was no match for the strong, young lycans training at Shadow Moon. I feared they would tear me apart the moment they could. Wolves were protective...of their pack, their lands. They wouldn't be content to let a human roam about without putting me in my place first.

But I didn't want my Aunt to see me as weak.

"Yeah," I said. "Maybe I won't have to go for more than a couple of days."

She patted my shoulders. "Stop worrying. You'll be great."

***

Because I wasn't able to shift and travel in lycan form, Sadie had to drive us both the way to the field that the Shadow Moon pack had designated as their school. Of course, I was gaping by the time we arrived.

Sadie looked over at me as she parked her dad's old pickup a short distance from where a group of leather-clad teenagers were gathering in the field.

"What is it?"

"This is what you guys count as school?"

"I told you. It's mostly shifting and brawling." She opened the driver's door and slid out of her seat. "You don't exactly need a stereotypical brick building with classrooms and desks for that."

Sadie led me across the field to the group of intimidating kids, most of them looking far older than they were. That was another perk of being a lycan—growing up faster, then being a beautiful, ageless adult for hundreds of years. It was almost sickening.

As I approached, keeping myself slightly behind my cousin, I watched as some of the other sniffed, their eyes darting to me.

"You brought a newbie, Houser?" One of the male lycans looked her way.

Sadie rolled her eyes. "She's my cousin. Don't get all fake-Alpha.  She's harmless."

One of the others cocked her head, smirking devilishly. "No kidding.  She's kind of a runt, isn't she?"

"Not a runt," I said, "just a human."

"A human." The lycans all grew quieter, their gazes drifting over to me as they connected the dots. "How is that possible?"

Sadie opened her mouth to explain, but not before a dark figure cast a shadow against the field and called, "Alright, pups. Let's line up."

~AUTHOR'S NOTE~

Surprise!  A new chapter early for Easter.  Hope you guys are getting interested in the story.

When do you think Alpha Malcolm will make his appearance?  How do you think he and Olivia will react to meeting?

Happy Easter to those of you who celebrate!  Chocolate in egg-form always slaps.

-Lola <3