- Caleb -
- How did you manage to convince the alpha? How did you manage to convince me? - Maya complained as usual.
- I didn't, Nymeria did. – I answered.
- I still don't understand why I needed to come. – she was being difficult.
- Because we're friends with them, remember? Besides, they think we are dating. It'd be weird if I showed up without you. – I said starting to get upset about her constant bickering.
- This fake relationship is starting to be a drag. – she sighed, giving up.
We are walking through the forest on our way to the football game. It would be much more practical to have stayed at school and waited it out. However, we still needed to get some pack training done. It was part of the deal with the alpha. Nymeria and Alaric are finally going to talk about her possible suitor. So that's a conversation I'm looking forward to hearing, she'll come and visit me tonight to catch me up.
- I don't know why you're complaining. You said you were bored and wanted to go out. – Luke chimed in.
- Yes, but not to school. I can only tolerate domestics so long. – she nagged.
- But I thought you'd be happy to see your human best friend, Nadia. – he mocked his sister. She glared at him; shooting knifes at him with her eyes.
- Shut up. – she simply shot back.
- Well, you are friends, are you not? – I asked calmly. She faced me with the same look she just gave Luke. – I'm just saying you act a little more friendly and tolerable around her. I've seen you smile, like a genuine smile. – I say. She sighed.
- Well, yeah. We're kind of friends. I mean, I don't feel like kicking her face whenever I see her. Which is more than I can say for the rest of the domestics. – she said, making me smile. – What? – she asked.
- Nothing. It's nice to see you making friends. – I said.
- What's that supposed to mean? – she said starting to get defensive.
- Relax, I'm happy you're trying to get along with humans. That's it. – I said casually and turned forward.
We kept walking, and Maya and Luke bickered to the school. Sometimes I'm amazed at how much they can complain. I have siblings as well, but our relationship is completely different from theirs. But it's only normal, they are twins; have the same age, and love bothering each other.
I'm not going to lie, being here this late is weird. School's basically empty, everyone is at the football stadium. It's almost 8:00 pm and the sun starting to set, so the field lights are on, illuminating the field perfectly. There's so much noise coming from the crowds. The game hasn't even started but everyone was already cheering for their teams. The scent is so strong and intoxicating that my head started to hurt a little from the mixture of emotions. Tension, adrenaline, nerves; I could smell it all this far away. This is exactly why we normally stay away from humans. They don't know how to control their scent and we have to deal with all kinds of smells and hormones. Coming to school here has been a challenge for reasons like this one. However, right now is different. It doesn't just reek, the stench is so much that I'm starting to feel lightheaded. Maya and Luke must feel the same.
- Goddess... could it smell any worst? – Maya said, covering her nose.
- Just wait until the game starts and they start sweating. That'll freshen your nose. – Luke joked.
- Uughh. – Maya made a sound of disgust which made me laugh.
- Come on, we promised Nathan we'd come. – I said.
- You promised him. – Maya contradicted.
- And you accepted to come, quit complaining. –
We walked up to the football field, where the scent is at its peak. Honestly, the amount of hormones and testosterone in the air is so much I might need to take a bath just to get rid of the stench. Putting the intoxicating scent aside, the place is full. I don't think we'll manage to find a place to sit, everything looks occupied. I tried searching for a place, where the three of us could sit, if possible, as far away as possible. I was so concentrated that I didn't someone walking up to us.
- You came. – a male voice said, making me turn around.
It's Nate. He's wearing his football uniform, making him look bulkier. The jersey and pads are black with white letters on them. He's wearing number 11, has two stripes of black paint on his cheeks, and has a sports bag around his shoulder. He looks good and ready for the match.
- Yeah, you invited us. – I casually said, making him laugh.
- Yeah, I just thought you wouldn't be able to make it. – he scratches the back of his neck with his left hand since the right one was holding his helmet.
He looked straight into my eyes meaningfully. He's happy we could make it; I can tell from his scent. Seconds pass and an uncomfortable silence grows. I can tell that he wants to tell me something, but he stops himself. Luke coughs breaking the moment.
- Luke, and Maya, so good you guys could come as well. – Nathan greets them friendly.
- Thanks for inviting us, man. Who are you up against? – he asked, making a small chat.
- A private school nearby. – he answers.
- Private school. That sounds fancy. Are they any good? – Maya chimes in.
- Yeah, but we're better. – Nathan says cockily, making us smile.
- You better, we didn't come to see you lose. – Maya plays around.
- Oh, that reminds me. I brought you something. - He says fishing for something in his bag.
- Here. – he says handing us something.
- A key ring? – Luke asks confused.
- It's the team's key ring. That way you can cheer for us. – he says with a big smile on his face. – I dipped them in coffee. You guys have better senses so hopefully, it will help with the smell. I'm used to this, but I thought the smells might bother you guys. It won't get rid of sweat and odor, but you can focus on the coffee to ignore the other scents. It's an old trick my father taught me. –
The key ring's nothing fancy, just a big circle with the team's logo engraved in it. But just like he said, the coffee's deep scent is very characteristic and does help block all the rest of scents and emotions. This is very thoughtful of him.
- Thanks. I was beginning to get upset. – Maya said, taking a deep inhale of the key ring's coffee fragrance.
- Beginning? You've been a pain in the ass since we got here. – Luke teased his sister. She hit him on the shoulder, hard. – Ouch. – he complained making Nate and I laugh.
- Thank you for the key ring. It helps a lot. – I thanked him.
- No problem. Come, I'll take you with Nadia, she's setting aside some seats for you guys. – he says.
We follow him towards the stairs. Nadia is waiting for us in the front row, with empty seats on her side just like Nathan said. I wonder what would've happened if we decided not to come. Would she have sat alone? Nah, probably some cheerleaders would come and sit with her.
- Hey! I'm so glad you made it. I didn't want to sit alone. – she said standing to greet us.
Of course, the first one was Nate, she gave him a quick peck on the lips. Then they proceeded to greet us individually. She's wearing a nice outfit that matches the school's color and has the letter N written with makeup on her right cheek. N for Nathan? Humans have such weird traditions I don't understand.
- Come, sit. The game's about to begin. – she said signally to the seats.
- Hey babe. Could you take care of my things? – he asked.
- Yeah sure. – she accepted and he handed her his backpack.
- Gotta go, wish us luck. – Nate said and headed to his team.
- So, are you guys excited? – Nadia asked us with a friendly smile, sitting next to Maya.
- I'm going, to be honest, I don't know anything about football. – Maya said
- Uhhh, yeah. I understand. The first games Nathan invited me to, I felt the same. Don't worry, I'll help you through it. – she said cheerfully.
I said it once and I'll keep repeating it. Nadia's nice. Despite her being human, she has grown on us. Even Luke, who hasn't spent so much time with her, admitted to liking her.
It wasn't long before the game started. I must admit, football is everything but boring. There's so much violence, everyone is tackling everyone, I don't even know what's going on. Besides, the stairs are so loud and filled with excitement that it rubs on you. The game was tense, we were winning by 14 points, but the opposite team wasn't giving an inch. They were giving their best on the field, but the out team was better. The game marker sounded, signaling that the time was up. The crowd erupted in cheers; they were so loud I had to cover my ears slightly.
- We won? – Maya asked, confused.
- Yeah! – Nadia exclaimed thrilled.
- Wooooooooooh! – Luke joined the commotion by screaming. He was like this the entire game. I think he might be trying out for the team.
The players were hugging each other in a big circle, aroused from their victory. I tried spotting number 11 to see if I could see Nathan, but they were on top of each other which made it difficult to see. The game ended, but Nathan and the rest were having a team meeting to discuss what they did right and wrong. Meanwhile, we started chatting with Nadia about our day and stuff like that. After a while people started to leave, leaving the football field a lot less crowded. I heard nature calling, so I left for the bathroom.
After getting out of the bathroom I look at the phone. It marks 9:40, wow, we've been here for quite a while. I don't worry since we have permission to come back late. I stare at the phone some more. Nathan gave it to us. I bring out the key ring from my pocket and smell the coffee scent still impregnating it. I grab my collar by the pendant. Nathan gave it to me. I sigh deeply. He's given us so many things to try and make us feel welcome. He's so... my thoughts are quickly interrupted by a voice.
- Here you are. – Nathan deep voice sounded.
- Hey, I thought you were at a team meeting. – I said, a little shocked.
- It ended a couple of minutes ago. – he clarified.
- Good game, you played well. – I congratulate him.
- Thanks, did you enjoy it? – he asks.
- More than I thought. Even Maya got pumped at some parts. It's a good sport. – I admit.
- Hahahaha, thanks. Maybe you could try it out next time. – he said kindly.
- Thanks, but I'll pass. I already see you too much. - I joke, making him smile.
- Too bad. We could use someone like you on the team. – he says.
- Luke did seem interested though, maybe he'll give it a shot. – I add quickly.
- Great. I have a feeling he's going to love tackling people around. – he jokes as well, making me laugh.
- How'd you find me? – I ask.
- I followed the coffee scent all the way here. – he answered.
- You've gotten better. – I comment politely.
- Well, I have a great teacher. – he compliments back.
- Yeah, Jeremiah has done a great job. – I play dumb.
- Hahahaaha, thanks for coming. – he changes the subject.
I didn't know what to answer so I just nodded my head and offered a kind smile. There's that look again. He wants to tell me something, I know he wants. But he's overthinking things. Tension starts to grow between us, neither saying a word. No one's around, so there's a big silence in the hall just outside the bathrooms. I moved uncomfortably in my place, thinking of what to say. I open my mouth to speak but was quickly interrupted by Nathan rushing in to hug me.
I quickly warm into the hug and start hugging him as well. He's very warm and sweaty, and there's still grass and dirt all over his uniform, but I don't mind it and hug him stronger, it just feels right. The smell coming off him isn't pleasant either but for some reason, it doesn't bother me. He breaks the hug, but we're still very close to each other.
- What is it? – I chuckle.
- Huh? – he says dumbfounded.
- You've been wanting to tell me something all night. Go ahead. – I say catching him by surprise.
- How'd you... - He bends his head like a little puppy, so cute.
- Just tell me. – I insist almost commanding him to tell me.
- I.... I don't know how to say it. - he admits getting nervous, which starts making me worry.
- Just say it. – I tell him, trying to sound as normal as possible.
- You've really... - he stopped, thinking of the right words. This paused for dramatic effect. – you made an impact on my life. You've helped me so much, and I learned so many things from you. You changed my life, I'm just happy you're in it. – he said.
- Thanks Nathan, I... - I was about to say something nice in return but his lips smashed with mine.
I am so nervous that I didn't sense him leaning in to kiss me. I'm shocked and I pull back quickly, I wasn't expecting him to kiss me. I look at him, his cheeks are blushing. His heart is beating fast, extremely fast, even for a werewolf. He's extremely nervous, as am I. He's looking at me expectantly, waiting for me to say something, but I don't know what.
- I'm sorry, I shouldn't... - this time I interrupt him by kissing him.
As soon as my lips touched his, he kisses me back. Our lips are moving in perfect sync. What started like a sweet innocent kiss soon turned more passionate. We are full-on making out in the hallway, where anyone could easily pass by and see us, and I couldn't care any less. I don't care that the entire school could see us, it didn't even cross my mind that Nadia and Maya are outside waiting for us. All I could think of is Nathan and how much I'm enjoying his lips.
I didn't even know how much I needed to kiss him until now. It's like my body's been longing for this for so long and now that's happening I no longer have control over it. I'm acting on pure instinct and it's yelling at me to kiss him. The more we kiss the less I want to pull away. We do eventually, pull away to catch our breaths. Our foreheads are still connected with our eyes closed. We are agitated, and I can feel our hearts beating in sync.
- I've been wanting to do that all night long. – he says, breaking the silence.
- Haha, yeah. I'm glad you did. – I reply, catching my breath. He chuckles.
- Yeah. – he says content.
I don't need to see him know how he feels. I can smell all kinds of emotions coming from him. He's thrilled, happy, relieved... All those emotions create a mixture that smells so fresh and pleasant. He smells so perfect that it sends shivers down my spine.
- You smell so good. - he says. What?
I was so caught up in the moment that I stopped covering my scent to hide my presence. My cheeks immediately start to blush at his comment. I regain some control over my body I start disguising my scent once again.
- Wait. – he stops me. - It's the first time I can smell you. Don't cover it so soon. – he says breathing agitated as well. – Your scent is so soothing. – he says taking deeper breaths.
- Yours too. You smell amazing. – I admit.
- I'm all sweaty and dirty. – he laughs.
- And you smell great. –
We smile at each other. He grabs my face with one hand to bring closer me for another kiss. I rested my hands on his torso, bringing him closer to me as well. The instant our lips touched I could feel a jolt of electricity pass through my body. This feels so right. This kiss is deeper and more passionate, but only lasts a couple of seconds. He hummed in to complain when I pulled away.
- I want to keep kissing you as well. – I say, trying to ease the mood.
- Then why'd you stop? – he complains.
- Because anyone could see us here. Besides, don't you want to talk about it? –
I've looked into his eyes plenty of times before, but this one's different. I always like the green of his eyes, but now it's much easier to get lost in them. They are filled with so much intrigue and joy it makes me want to investigate them all night.
- Yeah, you're probably right. – he accepts, looking back at me with those beautiful green eyes.
We take a step back, getting some distance between us. I'm so happy I can barely control myself at this point. I regain control and mask my scent so no one can notice me. He gives me a complaint look not liking not being able to smell me anymore, which I find adorable. We smile at each other, not knowing where to begin.
- So, that just happened. – he said comically, making me chuckle.
- Yeah. It was nice. – I say suddenly feeling extremely nervous.
I can feel my body getting agitated and flustered, but I do my best to control myself and prevent any scent from coming off. Why am I feeling like this? After a while of neither saying a thing, an uncomfortable silence started forming.
- So, what does it mean for us? – Nathan finally asks, releasing some of the tension.
- Well, I... - I cut myself when an uneasy feeling passes through my body.
- What? – he asks starting to get worried.
- Something's wrong. - I say shortly focusing on my senses to try and perceive Maya and Luke.
My reaction causes Nathan to focus as well. He's trying to sense if something's off. They're in trouble I can feel it in my bones, although I can't quite know exactly where they are. I concentrate more on my hearing, there's a heated argument taking place behind the stadium. I turn to look at Nathan again, he gives me a worried look.
- Luke. – I simply say.
- Come on, this way's faster. – Nathan tells me, and we both rush toward them.
We run as fast as we can, skipping through the hallways at werewolf speed. It takes us a couple of seconds to go all the way to the back of the stadium. Please let them be okay, that way I can kill Luke myself. Nathan opens the exit door, revealing an angry Luke surrounded by four figures. They're the fowlers, Dakota, Mathew, Carter, and Violet. Luke's claws and fangs are out, ready to shred them into pieces. His eyes are shining electric blue. I rush towards him, pushing the hunter out of the way.
- Calm down Luke. – I say in a peaceful calm tone, trying to get on his good side. Instead, he snarks at me, he's furious. – Put the claws and fangs away. – I command in a firmer voice.
- I'm going to kill them. – he shines his eyes at me, in a threatening manner.
He's particularly looking at the tall strong guy, Mathew. I can feel so much anger and disdain directed toward him. Whatever he did, really got under Luke's skin. He only gets like this when they mess with his sister, but Maya's nowhere to be found. Which means, they're messing with him directly. Luke tried to make a move on Mathew, but I quickly intervened, shining my eyes, and growling at him. The growl was powerful enough to force him to step back, but not so loud to cause a commotion. Maya must've heard it though.
- They ambushed me. – he spat, his claws are still out, but his fangs and eyes went back to normal.
- We didn't come here to fight. – I started, with a still threatening and strong tone. Luke started calming down. – Let's go find your sister and leave, we'll talk about it later. –
- You should probably listen to your babysitter, pup. You don't want to get hurt. – Dakota said mockingly, trying to provoke my friend even more, and judging by Luke's heartbeat she was doing it.
- Quit it, Dakota. – Nathan said abruptly defending us.
- Or what? You're going to tell daddy? You're not the alpha, kid, we don't have to listen to you. – the girl hunter said condescendingly. – They are rogues, scum. They shouldn't even be here. I'd be more than happy to take care of them. –
- She's right Nathan. – the male hunter added. – They are not worth it. Hey boy, maybe I'll go for your sister next. She looks like she's a screamer. – he spat disrespectfully.
My blood started to heat, I'm getting upset at his comment. Luke was about to lose it too. His eyes started glowing again, and looked like was about to attack him, but I beat him to it. I turned around, rushed up to Mathew, and punched him straight in the face. The punch was strong sending him back. He quickly draws a silver hunting knife to defend himself. He swings it at me, but I block the hit and punch him again. I'm way faster and have better senses, he doesn't stand a chance. He tries swinging his knife again, but I grab him by his wrist first. He drops the knife, smoothly catches it with the other one, and stabs me in the left side of the abdomen. He smiles at himself, content to have landed a blow.
I grab his hand currently holding the knife with my left hand to keep it in place. My other hand goes to his shoulder and so does his. He looks surprised that a didn't let go, probably expecting me to grunt or show any signs of being hurt.
- You're not going to do anything you're going to leave us alone. – I say menacingly.
- Why would I listen to you? – he spats with a smug on his face.
- Oh, I wasn't asking. – I say, bringing out the claws of my hand on his shoulder and sinking my thumb into his shoulder. He grunts in pain. – You think yourselves to be so strong and capable. You're just kids who don't know whom you're dealing with. - I say while burying deeper my finger into his flesh.
Blood starts tarnishing his shirt. I can feel his muscles under my thumb. So rigid and hurting, the more he struggles the deeper I cut him. He pressures my right shoulder with his hand, trying to harm me as well, but he's not strong enough to pierce through the flesh with just his fingers; and even if he did, I've dealt with worst pain than that. He, on the other hand, looks like he's suffering. So, so I start moving my finger in circles, causing him to scream a little.
- Stop it. – Dakota orders me.
- Just foolish kids that are out of their league. You're nothing. – I spat out.
- You're just animals waiting to be killed. I'm going to kill you rogue. – Mathew says in between grunts.
- Yes, you're right. We're rogues, but not just any rogues. We're from the Lazarus pack, the strongest rogue pack to have existed. And you thought you could take on us? – I laugh and pull my thumb out quickly just to insert it back in. – Have you ever hunted before? – I ask ridiculing them.
The older hunters look at each other concerned. Dakota's worried for her comrade, her scent gives it away. She's extremely nervous and upset, but mostly worried. I knew it, they haven't even killed before.
- No, huh? So, what made you think you could kill us? Maybe you're even more stupid than I thought. – I mocked them.
I can feel Mathew's hand trying to dig the knife deeper into my abdomen, but I'm not letting him. He also tries vigorously to get out of my grip, but all his efforts are in vain, I'm far stronger than him. I have him exactly where I want.
- You're the idiot here. The knife's poisoned. – Mathew spat.
- Haha. – I laughed. – I already knew it was laced with wolfsbane. But here's the thing about wolfsbane, after getting poisoned a lot with it, you start to develop a certain tolerance. Didn't your parents teach you that wolfsbane takes time to take effect? I have more than enough time to kill you all before needing to worry about the poison. – I say shining my eyes blue to intimidate him even more.
- What about a bullet in your head? - Dakota says, bringing out a small gun from her jacket. It's so small it looks like a children's toy. - Does that give you enough time? –
I can smell the lead coming off the small pistol. She looks firm and confident, but his scent says otherwise. She reeks of nerves and her hands are trembling slightly. I smile at her little attempt to intimidate me.
- You're bluffing. – I call out.
- You wanna find out? – she says dangerously, pulling back the barrel to prove her point.
- Dakota pulls the gun away. You're not firing it at a public school, are you crazy? You'll become the most wanted criminal in the state. - Nathan tries reasoning with her. – Calm down and put the gun down. – he says in a calm tone, careful to keep his distance.
- Shut up. – she simply snarks.
- Listen to him. – I tell her.
- Or what? – she exclaims angrily.
- Or she gets it. – another female voice joins in, causing the hunter to turn around.
It's Maya, she's holding the younger female hunter by the throat with claws out. It's a terrifying situation. Everyone was so caught up in me that they never saw Maya coming. I knew she had heard my growl from earlier. It was only a matter of time before she showed up. Violet's face is pale in fear, her scent is all messed up. She's not only scared but she's also terrified.
- Drop the gun or she dies. – Maya threatens, tightening the grip on her neck. The poor girl squeaked at this.
- Guys, stop. No one has to get hurt. – Nathan tries calming the situation.
- Then drop the gun. – she demands.
Dakota was feeling cornered, just some seconds ago they were in complete control of the situation and now everything slipped from their grasp. She is fuming, angry, and powerless, we have the advantage. Carter was about to rush to help his sister, but Maya saw it coming.
- I wouldn't do that if I were you. – Maya said, facing him.
- Dakota. – Mathew called and she turned. He nods, accepting defeat.
- Fine, let her go, please. – she gave up, putting her hands up in surrender.
Luke quickly rushed in and took the gun away from her, breaking the barrel and taking out the ammunition, rendering it useless. He then threw the pieces away in different directions and padded Dakota just to check if she had another gun hidden somewhere. Anguish and nervousness fill the air, and the hunters are scared. Good.
- She's clean. – Luke affirmed.
- Okay you proved your point, now let her go. – Dakota said worriedly.
Maya looked at me for confirmation. After I nodded, she withdrew her claws and set Violet free. The young hunter ran to her older brother who embraced her in a deep hug. They all then turned toward me, waiting for me to do the same with Mathew. I smug at his face, pale in fear. He's trying not to show he's scared but inside he's terrified.
- I hope this is the last time we meet like this. – I say.
- It won't happen again. – Dakota guaranteed us. I can't tell if she's lying or not since her heart is beating like crazy.
- You've been messing with us since you got here. Adding mistletoe to our food, spying on us during and after school. You even tried smuggling a piece of silver into Luke's backpack. But you messed up and instead put it in Marcus's backpack, and he ended up almost killing Noland. Yeah, you messed up big time there. – they looked at me surprised, impressed. – What? You thought we didn't notice your little scheme? What would happen if alpha Nathan found out? – I add cunningly, with my grip firm on Mathew's shoulder.
As soon as the words came out, Dakota and the others turned to face Nathan. Worried expressions covered their faces. Whether they were following directions or acting alone, a domestic got hurt. I'm sure Nate's dad will be pissed at whoever is responsible.
- Mess with us again and you'll regret it. – I threatened, getting my claws out from Mathew's shoulder, and pulling the knife out of my abdomen.
He sighed in relief, immediately bringing his hands to his shoulder to stop the bleeding. The wound isn't big enough for him to bleed out, but there is still a lot of blood coming out. He's breathing a bit agitated but trying his best to appear stoic. I turn around and start walking away. Maya and Luke soon follow me. Nathan stays behind. There's blood dripping from my right hand's fingertips, especially the thumb and index. I can also feel the wolfsbane in the wound, burning.
- Pull your shirt up, and I'll heal you. – Maya directs and grabs the hem of my shirt.
- No, not here. I can't risk them finding out. – I say, stopping her hand.
- It's wolfsbane, we need to do something about it. – she insists, trying to pull my shirt up.
- Maya, no. – I command in a more serious tone, covering the wound with my left hand.
I applied some pressure to prevent the blood loss and begin calming myself down, so I don't get agitated. I concentrate to stop myself from bleeding and preventing the poison from spreading.
- He's right sis. – Luke agrees with me.
- What should we do then, huh? – she snarks.
- Guys, hold up. – Nathans's voice sounds in the back.
We turn around to see him running towards us. He still looks flustered from the argument. This might be the first time he's seen a gun. On top of that things really got heated back there. I can smell worry coming from him.
– Are you okay? – he asked me, and I nod.
- Yeah, I'm okay. I've dealt with way worst. – I give him a reassuring smile.
- For now. We need to neutralize the wolfsbane before it reaches his heart. – she tells him.
- That could take hours. – I point out.
- Or minutes depending on the wolfsbane. I need to take him home to heal him. – she says a little more intensely starting to pull as she walks faster.
- Maya, wait. - I try calming her down.
- There's no medicine here, how else do you want to get rid of the wolfsbane? – she says a little upset.
- Burn it. – I say.
- Cal, some matches won't just do it. We need a bigger flame. –
- How about the laboratory's burner? The flame can get pretty big if you open the gas. – Nathan suggested and Maya nodded, it will work.
- It's going to hurt. – she warns me.
- I know. –
It's not the first time I've had wolfsbane burned out. It hurts like hell, but it's the fastest way to get rid of the poison and jump-start the healing process. I can't go back home with a wound infected with wolfsbane, it will raise questions and I don't want to worry the pack.
- Let's go then. – Nathan says.
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Picture of Mathew at the top