Demonic Regime

Chapter 15: M-Word

My dad took my hand and led me out of the school. "Rudy?"

I wiped my nose.

"What happened?"

"Nothing. I don't want to go to school anymore." I ran to the car.

My dad caught up with me. "Rudy, you can tell me." He took my bookbag, stuffed with everyone I could fit in it, from my desk.

"The kids are mean." I rubbed my eyes as I started to cry again. "Even Case doesn't want to be my friend anymore. Everyone is so mean to me. I don't have any friends."

He hugged me. "It's okay. I'm not going anywhere. You'll always have your family and they love you just as you are."

"I don't want to go to school anymore. I want to stay at home and be with Mommy."

"We'll talk about it, okay." He used the bottom of my shirt to wipe my face. Opening the passenger door, he helped me in.

"Mom said I'm not supposed to sit in the front."

My dad gave me a grin. "We won't tell her. I think you're big enough." After doing up my seatbelt, he put my bag in the back seat and climbed behind the wheel.

We started down the road but made a stop at a fast-food place. I perked up in my seat as we entered the drive-through.

"Chocolate, vanilla, or swirl?"

"Swirl."

My dad smiled. "Two swirl ice creams."

My excitement was building as my dad paid the man, and soon after, I was handed a large ice cream cone that had been flipped over into a cup. A spoon sticking out of it. After pulling into the parking lot, my dad stopped the car.

"This is one of the few places with chocolate."

Nodding, I took a big bit. "Most werewolves think it's gross."

"It's my guilty pleasure." He licked the side that was melting. "So, what exactly have the other kids been saying?"

I frowned. "Mean stuff. No one will play with me."

"Not even your friend, Case?"

"He was playing with the third-graders. He wouldn't talk to me. Everyone thinks I'll get them sick. They said I'm a dirty human."

I jumped when the car horn went off.

My dad shifted. "Sorry, my arm hit it."

"They run away," I muttered. "I don't want to go to school anymore. Not until I can shift, too, so they can't make fun of me anymore." I sniffed and continued to eat my ice cream.

"Home school won't be as fun. You'll be all alone with your mom and Sasha all day. Drake won't even be there."

"Doesn't matter," I replied. "I'm all alone at school. I'd rather be at home."

My dad reached over and pulled me closer. He nuzzled the top of my head. "I'll talk to Mom, okay?"

"Will she make me go back?"

He shook his head with a scoff. "No, but I worry about her finding out the names of the pups who thought it was okay to bully her little boy."

***

"What the hell do those little brats think they're doing, bullying my son."

The cupboards slammed shut.

"Calling my baby names, I should have Andreas marched down there and given them a lesson about respect."

Drake and I peeked over the couch. He started to laugh.

I eyed him. "Shut up," I whispered. "Mom and Dad will hear."

"Marcy, that's not going to help," said my dad.

"Rudy is a dominant," she stated. "I'm hundred percent sure when my son does learn to shift, and he will, he'll be solid red, and I won't say a thing when he proves his rank to anyone who opens their goddamn mouth."

I touched my hair. It would be cool to be a solid red werewolf. Something slammed onto the counter, making me jump.

"If we were in Northern Ridge, the teachers would have set those kids straight," said my mom. "It doesn't matter that Rudy looks different; those pups would've known they better respect their packmates."

"I plan to go to the school tomorrow."

"Good," stated my mother. "Pack up the rest of Rudy's things. I'm not letting a bunch of nine-year-olds bully my son. Nine-years-old," she snapped. "They don't even have toxins yet, and they should be thanking god; Rudy doesn't have his yet."

I grinned. "Yes." I pumped my fist and turned to my brother. "I get to be home school."

"What about me?" asked Drake.

"You still have to go because you can shift. Pups aren't mean to you."

"Yeah," he sighed. "Mom is upset."

"The kids were mean to me." I leaned into my brother's ear. "They called me a mutt."

He tensed up. "That's a bad word."

"Yeah, that's why I cried."

Drake frowned. "Mommy!"

"Drake, Rudy," she said firmly. "I told you to stay in the playroom. Did you leave Sasha in there all alone?"

"I'll get her," said my dad.

"She makes too much noise," I replied.

"Mommy, kids called Rudy the bad word."

Jumping on him, I covered his mouth. "That was a secret." My eyes started to burn as I wrestled with my brother.

"Bad word, what bad word?"

"It was a secret. Drake wasn't supposed to tell," I muttered. "I'm never telling you anything again."

"They called him a mutt," stated my brother. "That's a bad word. My teacher said never to call anyone that, or they'd call your parents."

The tears started to fall as my mom looked furious. I didn't get why she was mad at me. I didn't call anyone a bad word.

My dad set Sasha on the couch with us. "Marcy, what's wrong? Rudy, why are you crying?" He picked me up and rubbed my back.

"They called him a mutt," she said under her breath. "They called my son such a filthy word." She marched off.

I hid my face in my father's fur. "Mom is mad at me."

"No, no, Rudy. She's mad at those kids. She's upset that they were being so mean to you."

"Andreas," said my mom. "You are going to the school tomorrow with Fallon and putting some fear into those brats. They called Rudy a mutt. A mutt, how dare they call my child a dog."

My dad picked up Sasha in his other arms. "Let's go, Drake. Mom needs to let off some steam."

Drake jumped down and followed us to the playroom. My dad placed my sister and me on the couch. He went to get my furry blanket. I wrapped it around my shoulders and curled up in the corner. After turning on a movie, he tousled my hair.

"Stay in here until I come and get you for dinner, got it?"

We nodded. The door shut. I slumped over and chewed on my thumbnail. My mom's voice could still be heard from the kitchen. I knew she'd get mad if I told her. I glared at my brother. That was the last time I told Drake anything.

***

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