I grabbed Nick by the arms,, turning him so I could see his eyes. They were narrower, the pupils compressed to pinholes. The first symptom.
"Shit! You're shifting early. Of all the times." I lifted him under the shoulders as I prepared to get him the hell out of there. "Did you text Anya when we got here as you promised?"
Nick might have shaken his head, but it was hard to tell. He looked like a patient with the flu. The thin blush of blood in his face was beginning to spread to his neck and ears. If I hadn't been there, I don't think he could've walked without passing out.
"Sorry about this," I whispered as we descended the bleachers. The eyes of everyone in the school were on us. "I should have prepared for this, assembly or not."
"Fine," he garbled, but he was not fine. This was possibly the worst place in the world for him to shift.
Mrs. Harris and Officer Reese approached as the students continued to stare. I ducked my head, eyes boring into my shoes like they held the answers.
"Are you alright?" It was the kind voice of Officer Reese. "He doesn't look too good."
"I think my friend is sick, maybe having a panic attack."
"Hey, kid, are you alright?"
Nick shook his head and one of his knees buckled as his bone cracked slightly His body bent at an odd angle, and I strained to hold him upright.
"He needs help," I pleaded. "I'll get him to the nurse's office."
Mrs. Harris looked suspicious, her eyes studying the both of us. The timing was ironic, and we were running out of it.
"I'll take care of them, ma'am." Officer Reese's offer surprised all of us. "You just get back to your lecture. I can give them a police escort to the hospital."
He took Nick's other arm and led us out of the gym. I kept my head down, my guilt blooming as this man continued to help.
"I need to call someone," I said. "We need to stall a minute."
"Hurry. He's not doing well."
Nick, as if proving a point, let out a gutted growl, his back bending over as his body prepared to assume a four-legged stance.
I pulled out my phone, fingers pressing random buttons until Anya's image appeared on the screen.
"Anya, get to the first place you and Nick met. It's happening, now. We've got an extra hand." I looked to Officer Reese who was trying to comfort Nick and seemed oblivious to me. "I think we can trust him, but I'll try to shake him."
"I'll be there in ten. Get him out of there."
"I will." I stuffed the phone back in my pocket, lifting Nick once more. "I think you should get the car. We'll meet you out there."
Officer Reese looked ready to comply, but Nick had other ideas. His face began sprouting thick, black hair.
"What is that?" Officer Reese leaped back, his arm outstretched as the other went to his waistband.
I stepped in front of Nick, pushing him toward the exit. "I don't have a lot of time, but I need you to trust me. He's not a danger to anyone, but he needs help. Please, help us," I begged.
"Lexi." the word was barely recognizable as canine teeth protruded from Nick's mouth.
"I have to go," I told Officer Reese. "Please, you don't have to help, just don't tell anyone what you saw."
Nick and I limped out of the building, the boy growing smaller as his arms and one leg became wolf-like. It was a miracle we made it into the trees before his last leg shifted, throwing both of us into the mud.
"Nick, we're almost there. Can you make it?" I pulled him along the ground, knowing the shrubs and twigs were tearing into him.
His response was too mutilated to make out.
I had to leave soon. It wouldn't be safe for me to stay much longer. Just a few more minutes and Anya would be close enough to sense him, whether he was in the grove or not.
"Nick, I need to leave." The same eyes looked at me from behind a canine face, but I didn't see any recognition from him. "I don't know if you understand me, but Anya is coming. I'll be waiting for you tonight. There's something I need to do, but I'm here for you."
I pulled my hand away from his furry shoulder, the warmth disappearing. He would be okay, he had to be. If anything, he'd be better after the shift.
I trudged back to the school, Nick's howls and yaps fading as his pain and proximity lessened. He'd be lonely before Anya found him, lonely and scared.
The real problem was damage control. The students would likely buy that Nick was sick, he had looked sick all day, but Mrs. Harris and Officer Reese were a different story, especially Officer Reese.
When I reached the edge of the woods, I saw a man pacing in front of the back doors, his face in his hands. At least it didn't seem like he had reported anything to the principal or called in a swat team.
"Officer Reese." I approached quietly, and the man jumped, his eyes scanning the space around me.
"Where is he?" His voice was more composed than earlier, but I could still hear panic. "I should have done better. Is the boy, okay?"
My muscles relaxed at his words. He wasn't running for the hills and seemed genuinely concerned for Nick. That was better than I had anticipated.
"He's fine. I owe you an explanation. If you want one, that is."
Officer Reese nodded, his eyes still not meeting mine. "I need one, yes."
"Then let's walk."
We walked to the opposite end of the school before Officer Reese was breathing normally, and I began to explain.
"I know what you saw was unexpected, but I implore you to keep that between us. Nick is a werewolf, and he is no threat to the school or the town, but they are to him. That's why I'm here, to keep him safe."
"You're one of them?"
I laughed. "No, I'm not a werewolf. You could consider me human."
"Then why are you here? If you're not a werewolf, how do you know him? How do you know what to do?" Officer Reese studied me, his eyes boring into my side profile. "You're calm, scary calm about this."
"It's my job to help Coth. I've trained for it since I was a child."
Officer Reese stopped at that, his hands trembling as he held a strained stance. "Who are you?"
I was the girl who lied to you and used your kindness for my own means. It was for the greater good, but it didn't erase my lies. Uncle always said lies were justified when they were used in this line of work, but it didn't ease the weight on my stomach.
Maybe the truth would let me breathe again. "I lied to you last night, and I'm sorry about that. My name is Alexis Morill."
His blank face greeted me. "Is that supposed to mean something?"
"Have you heard of the Morill's?"
"They're a mythical family that runs the supernatural world. But they don't really exist." His eyes froze, slowly meeting mine. "They do, don't they?"
"I'm one of the mythical Morill's. We're like the police force of the supernatural world. I thought law enforcement was aware of us, at least."
"You're myths, legends," Officer Reese defended. "How are we supposed to know of your existence?"
"We try to stay secret for a reason," I explained, my throat going dry. "We used to be more out there, but it didn't end well. I am the only direct descendent, and there's a reason for that."
"What happened?"
"Human fear and distrust." That was the truth. My mom's brother had been killed when he was young. Her cousins too. It was the reason I had very little direct family. "We learned and adapted."
"I'm sorry. I didn't know."
"That's the idea."
We walked for a moment in utter silence. It was always an awkward topic, even at the manor. But the awkward conversations were the most important. To look at other's needs and find the abhorrent truth that so similarly reflection your own conscious was a necessary pain.
"What happened with the kid? I've never seen anything like it, so it can't be that common."
"Nick is young, and he is a special situation. Normally, he would shift with his pack, surrounded by a support group, but he doesn't have that. He is stuck here among humans, so I was sent in to help with his transition."
"Why doesn't he have that?"
"The understanding?" My tone came across as bitter, and I watched the grown man slouch behind me.
"Yes. And the pack. That's like a family for wolves, right? Does he not have a family?"
"He has a human mom who doesn't know, and it's up to him whether to tell her. As for the pack, his father died before he could tell his pack. Nick grew up alone."
"Can I do anything to help?"
"Just look the other way, and try to remember that we are no different than you, not really. As for the attacks, I'm going to take that case under my wing and help you." I thought for another moment. There was a lot I could have said, but only one thing that seemed relevant. "And the Children of Man, watch them. They're dangerous."
"I'll keep my eye on them, but I want you to keep me informed. If you want me to stay out of your way, we still need to help each other. I have a duty to protect the citizens of this town."
I smiled at his words as a warm feeling spread through my chest. "You know, you're the second person to tell me that this week. I didn't think I'd ever hear it coming from a human."
"You said it yourself, we're not too different."
"I will keep you up to date." I extended my hand, and he took it, his dwarfing mine. "I look forward to working with you."
"Likewise, kid. You'll let me know how the boy is doing?"
"I will," I assured him. "Could I ask you one favor to save me time?"
"Depends on what it is."
"This is going to sound bad, but can I continue logging into your police account to view the case files? It's easier than me tracking down the witness or having you send me documents outright."
Officer Reese's face went slack, his face going redder as his chest filled with air. For a full minute, he stood paralyzed as the last school bell rang. It seemed to stir him as he took a deep, shaky breath.
"I won't ask, just keep your tracks covered."
"I won't be caught. I have a call to make, so I'll talk to you later?"
He offered a vague wave then trudged away with his fingers pinching his brow. In the span of an hour, I had turned his world upside down. But he would be better for it.