Nightshade Academy (BoyxBoy)

Chapter 15

Dakota's POV

"This is bad."

"Bad? That's a masterpiece of an understatement Dakota." Raven snapped, staring down at Ollie who was curled up in a ball on his futon. His face was the palest I'd ever seen with a glistening sheen of sweat spread across it. Underneath his eyes were dark purple circles, almost making it look like he had two black eyes. He hadn't been sleeping at all lately. His cough kept him awake through most nights, and the other half of the time he's running down the hall to throw something up, not that he's really been eating anything these past few days. It was already Friday and with no sign of him recovering any time soon, our hopes at performing tomorrow we're looking slim. Right now Ollie was trying to sleep at least, his eye lids twitching every few seconds like he was having a bad dream. He was taking in heavy, ragged breaths as if he were having trouble breathing. The mucus building up in his throat probably had something to do with it.

"What should we do?" Megan asked, biting her nails and looking uncertainly between the both of us. I shook my head.

"I have no idea. I don't even understand how he got this bad."

"My potions should've worked! I performed them perfectly and even had Professor Heart double check them to make sure I wasn't about to accidentally poison him or anything. She said they were the best she'd seen from a student in years so why?" Raven stomped her foot down in frustration. Ollie's eyes fluttered open for half a second before immediately closing again. His body was too tired to be bothered with our outbursts it seemed.

"I made him my fairy blends as well. We even gave him normal medicine and it didn't work." Megan added with her continuous gnawing of her nails. She never handled stress like this too well.

"I was sure my pack's remedies would work. They always have before." I replied, dejected.

"And even fucking June and Keegan performed multiple incantations that should've cured him!" Raven fumed. She turned to my desk and roughly curb stomped my chair into the ground.

"Hey." I whined. She already threw everything off my desk the second she walked into the room. Even if she was upset, she could be a little more delicate when handling my things.

"Oh bite me!" She yelled.

"Sorry but you're not my type." We both turned to find June giving us an amused stare as he strolled into the room like he owned the damn place. Keegan wasn't far behind him and of course as if called to me by my ever growing irritation, Josh had to waltz in right after. At least he was accompanied by his beta this time. Dawson glanced over at me and nodded his head. I nodded back in our usual silent greeting. He never said much anyway. Despite Josh's hatred for me, Dawson had always been nice enough to stick up for me when the jackass felt like fucking up my day.

"How's Ollie?" Josh asked, pushing past June and not even caring to glance my way as he knelt down beside him.

"Not good. His fever just keeps getting worse and the head nurse said if it gets any higher they'll need to evacuate him to the closest hospital so he can be in professional care." Megan replied, choking back tears. Honestly I wasn't far from doing the same. It was obvious how much pain he was in and not being able to do anything for him was killing me. Josh balled his hands up in tight fists as his eyes scanned over Ollie's frail body.

"Isn't there...something we can do?" He demanded glancing up at us.

"If you've got some magical way to make him better then please, by all means use it." Raven jeered, still clearly pissed off. He narrowed his eyes at her, then stood up.

"Hey." He said, his eyes sliding over to mine.

"What?" I snapped.

"You really used everything from the pack? All you're mom's medicines?" He gave me a suspicious look like I seriously didn't try everything I could to help Ollie.

"No, actually I thought this would be a good opportunity to screw Ollie over and watch our band fall apart when we aren't able to perform tomorrow. Just felt kinda right to let Jay win you know?" He growled clearly unamused by my sarcasm and I growled back pissed off at his accusing tone.

"Alright fur bags, turning on each other isn't going to help the situation." June cut in. Josh whirled around and got so close to him their noses were practically touching.

"And what about you huh? I bet it was your fucking incantations that made him worse!" He fumed. June pressed his lips into a hard line and glared dangerously up at him.

"Better watch your mouth you fucking flea hotel before I accidentally mistake your stupidity for a threat."

"And what's that's supposed to mean?"

"It means use your fucking brain, or is that also as small as a flea's?" I could see Josh was about to blow up and for a second there I really wished he would do something stupid like hit June. I raised a hand to my cheek as I remembered the last time we butt heads. Even if he was a lame ass vampire, he's still a pureblood. He would rip Josh a new one before he had time to think.

"Alright guys, just calm down." Dawson intervened, stepping between the two of them. He put his hand on Josh's chest, probably trying to sway him through the pack's link. I noticed while this was going on that Keegan had eased his way forward, looking tense and watching the two of them carefully in case they decided to attack. Really the tension in this place was making it hard to breath.

The door suddenly opened and we all swiveled our heads around as Anthony and Mimi walked in. Anthony paused for half a second, taking in the heavy atmosphere before continuing.

"Well? Is he doing any better?" He asked.

"Does he look like he's doing any better?" Raven snapped, her words as cold as ice. Anthony took in her anger with a calm face as he examined Ollie's state. He frowned.

"I was sure my prayers would be more effective than this. I was precise in my every step, wishing for Ollie's returned health the entire time." He sighed, disappointed. Raven was shaking all over, looking like she wanted to strangle him.

"Maybe next time inside of wishing for a miracle, you could actually try to do something to help the situation!" She shrieked.

"I was! I was praying to the great warlock Az-"

"You say his name one more time and I swear!" The two then continued to fire off insults at each other, turning our poor dorm room into a battle field for their verbal war. Ollie coughed and I glanced back over at him. He seemed so small the way he was hunched over like that. His brows creased and his lips morphed into a grimace. I frowned and walked over to him. He was probably in a lot of pain. I ran my fingers through his hair, brushing it out of his face. I wish there was something I could do...

As I slid my fingers down to the ends of his hair, I noticed something peeking out from beneath the collar of his shirt. I tilted my head to the side as I pulled it down to reveal a dark spot forming on his shoulder. Was that a...bruise? I stared at it, noticing it's odd shape. It looked almost as if he'd spilt ink on himself the way it was spread across his skin. I pulled his shirt down further and noticed the mark continued to twist down his back. I furrowed my brows as I gently pulled his body forward and lifted the end of his shirt. I felt my eyes go wide.

"Guys."

"And further more how can you blame a person's belief for such an illness!" Anthony yelled.

"I'm not saying your beliefs are the problem! What I'm say is-"

"GUYS!" I shouted over them.

"WHAT?" Raven shouted back, turning to glare at me.

"This." I turned back to Ollie. His entire backside was dyed midnight black. I couldn't even say this was a bruise anymore. Looking at his sides I could see the ends of this, whatever it was, did look like a bruise. It took on a purplish hue that could definitely be mistaken as one. However, you couldn't deny that it somehow looked as if Ollie's body had been dipped in black paint.

"What in the...?" Raven trailed off as she moved closer.

"What is that?" Megan asked.

"I don't know...but I can sense something off about it." I replied. I wasn't sure why, but my inner instincts were telling me not to touch the mark. I could almost sense something malicious coming from it. June moved forward and shouldered pass Raven. He knelt down beside Ollie and cautiously raised his hand. He let it hover above his lower back. He creased his brow and just barely brushed his fingertips against his skin. In an instant, there was a loud, crackling sound like lightning whizzing through the air before June brought his hand back with a hiss of pain.

"June!" Keegan rushed forward but June held his hand up.

"I'm fine, but Ollie..." We glanced back over at his back. My eyes widened as I realized the dark spot had vanished where June had touched. In its place was Ollie's usual fair skin, but there was also the inky outline of something else. A half circle with a line cut through it was visible for a moment before the dark blotch swallowed the mark, and Ollie's cleared skin, once more.

"Umitus." Anthony gasped.

"What?" I asked, confused as to what the hell was going on.

"Umitus is a type of curse. Someone has placed a hex on Ollie. There's no mistaking it with that rune..." Raven answered, taking on a serious tone.

"A curse?" I squeaked, feeling my voice raise an octave. Curses were no joke. To have a curse placed on you could mean death. Which also meant-

I whirled around to face Ollie.

"No wonder he had gotten so sick..." I murmured, feeling anger boil up inside me.

"Umitus is a curse that takes away a person's strength." Raven explained, "The dark spot on his back is called a blite and it's what's sucking Ollie's energy away from him and making him sick. It'll continue to spread until it consumes all of Ollie's power and then..." She didn't need to finish her sentence. We all knew what would happen if the blite spread across his entire body. June suddenly pulled his fist back and punched the ground so hard the stone beneath it cracked.

"Dammit! I knew that wasn't a bruise on his back! I knew it from the first moment I laid eyes on it, but I doubted myself and now..." He glanced back over at Ollie with a look of regret, sadness, but most of all anger.

"We have to do something!" Megan cried.

"I'll go tell the head nurse! We can get someone to remove it." Mimi tried, turning towards the door.

"That won't help." June snapped. I narrowed my eyes.

"And why not?" I spat.

"Because, the only way to remove the curse is to have the person who placed it on him take it back them self."

Raven nodded her head.

"That's right. Only the person who placed the hex on him can take it back."

"But how are we going to find them? Who could've possibly placed it on him?"

"Think real hard fur face. Who would want to curse Ollie this badly, and especially this close to Home Coming?" He asked, turning to face me. My eyes widened.

"Jay?"

"Oh so you do have a brain somewhere in that big head of yours." June gave me a look of mock praise and I wanted to murder him his remarks were so fucking annoying.

"But it couldn't have been Jay. Jay is an incubus. The only ones who can place curses on someone are witches, wizards, warlocks, and sorcerers." I retorted.

"So since you guys used to be friends, can you think of Jay knowing anyone that fits that description who could've hexed him?" He asked. I paused and glanced down at the ground, chewing my bottom lip in thought.

"Maybe...I don't know if he was the one who did it, but there was a sorcerer that Jay used to associate with." I finally said.

"Who?"

"Casey Grey. When we all first formed Skrull, Jay used to talk to him to help get some exposure for the band." I replied, meeting his gaze.

"Casey Grey...I've heard that name before." Keegan suddenly cut in. June glanced up at him.

"Know anything about him?" He asked. Keegan nodded.

"Yeah, he's supposedly a pretty well known member of Nightshade's underground society. He has a lot of influence on what happens around here that administration disapproves of. Apparently he's big on information trade, but also pretty well known for buying and selling illegal items. I've heard rumors that he's been making a fortune selling spikes to people lately."

"Spikes? What's that?" Mimi asked, looking confused.

"Spikes refer to narcotics right? Here at Nightshade it usually refers to high quality potions or elixirs that have been band by administration because of their negative affects on the mind and body." I replied. Keegan nodded.

"That's right."

"And you said Jay used to go to him to help expose your band?" June inquired, turning back towards me.

"Yeah. Casey comes from a family of noble sorcerers and because of his parents money, he's always been pretty popular and influential on people. He started his little information trade when we were in the middle school division. He had a lot of informants and if you wanted to know about anything, or have information put out, he was the guy to go to. Jay went to him on several occasions when we were first starting out, asking him to spread the word about our talent. After we hit it off he kept going back to him to promote our upcoming performances. He even got him to donate some equipment to the Music Club to help aid us and make us more popular."

"Somehow I doubt he did all that for free, judging from his status." June remarked, stitching his brows together in thought.

"I don't know what they worked out but Casey has always supported Jay with whatever he did. He even got Falling Angels a lot of attention when he left the band, and went around making it sound like the rest of us were trash without him." I clenched my fists at the memory of the ridicule we received because of him.

"He's probably the one he did this then." June concluded, standing up. "Where can we find him?"

"Probably the Rowe. He practically owns the place and that's where he conducts all his business." I replied, standing up as well. June whipped out his cell phone.

"Give me a description of him." He demanded, rather than asked. I twitched my brow in irritation.

"Sure, if you give me the magic word." I chimed. June glanced up and narrowed his eyes at me. I'm not taking orders from a damn leech so if he wants something from me he's going to have to be a little nicer than that. I smiled sweetly over at him and batted my eyelashes.

"Dakota, I don't like you."

"Aw, that's sweet. I don't like you either June." I replied, my smile widening.

"He was a big guy with dark brown hair and mismatched blue and green eyes wasn't he?" Raven suddenly cut in. "I remember I always got a creepy vibe from him, but Jay always insisted he was Skrull's most formable ally so I never said anything."

"Blue and green eyes?" June repeated, tapping away at his phone. My smile turned into a pout. Stupid Raven, ruining everything.

"Yeah, now that I think about it he's pretty hard to miss." She replied. I heard the little whoosh of June's phone sending out a message before he slid it back into his pocket.

"What was that for?" I asked, nodding towards his phone.

"None of your business." He imitated my chime and smile before smirking as he brushed passed me and headed for the door.

"Why you...! Where do you think your going?" I growled.

"I'm going to have a little chat with Mr. Grey." He replied, turning the handle. I blinked.

"Wait, you mean you're going to the Rowe all by yourself?" June turned back to me with a sigh.

"I'm not alone now am I?" He replied, impatiently gesturing to Keegan. I set my jaw in determination.

"Well if you're going then I'm-"

"I'm going too." Josh quickly stated, cutting me off and heading for the door. June cocked a brow at him.

"Oi wolfy, don't you have a game to get ready for?"

"It doesn't start for another two hours. As long as we're back in the locker room before then we'll be fine." He replied, meeting Dawson's gaze and exchanging a silent agreement.

"Well I'm-"

"We're going too!" Raven exclaimed, interrupting me again. I growled as she and Megan marched forward.

"Look, this isn't some class field trip we're taking here. The Rowe is a seriously messed up place." June snapped.

"And I'm a seriously messed up person so I should fit right in." She smirked.

"Exactly!" Megan cheered beside her.

"And I'll be damned if I stay behind while there's still something I can do to help a friend." Anthony claimed, also taking a step forward. "Plus, if we can heal him today we can still win this!" We all turned to give him a flat look. At this point none of us cared about the competition, we just wanted to return Ollie to normal.

"Well I'm going too!" I yelled before anyone else could talk over me. June sighed.

"Well someone has to stay with Ollie."

"I could-" Mimi began just as Ollie started coughing again. The sound was loud and strained, almost as if he had something stuck in his throat. I rushed over to him and turned him on his side. I patted his back until he finally stopped. He winced in pain and my eyes widened as the blite began to spread, extending up his neck and partway down his arm.

"It's spreading fast...we're running out of time." I murmured. I stood up and headed for his wardrobe. I grabbed a coat and his shoes before returning to his side.

"Uh, what're you doing?" June demanded as I tied his shoes and slid his arms through his coat, rolling the sleeves up for now.

"We're taking him with us." I replied, sitting him up and then grabbing beneath his legs so when I stood he was slumped over my back.

"Excuse me? You're just going to piggy back Ollie all the way through the Rowe while he's in such a state?" He fumed.

"Yes." I answered, meeting his gaze. "The blite is spreading fast and we don't know how much time we have left. The faster we can get Casey to remove it the better we'll be. Bringing Ollie to him is the surest way to do that." June bit his lip, glancing over at Ollie.

"Even so...it'll be dangerous. This is Nightshade Academy. On the surface this might seem like a fun go lucky place to be, but this is still a school for mythical beings. The Rowe is a place for all the creatures of the night. It's set deep underground and filled with some pretty nasty people. I wouldn't be surprised if they tried to pull something while we're passing through."

"What's this? Is Juniper Sterling the next head of the Sterling Clan afraid? Think all that pureblood power you have isn't enough to protect Ollie?" I smirked. He glared over at me and clenched his jaw. Satisfied with his reaction, I strutted confidently towards the door. He held his arm out to block me.

"Honestly, dealing with all you howling bitches is pissing me off." He sighed, "Alright look, if we do this we're doing it my way. Got it?" The tone of his voice left little room for negotiation, but I wasn't about to submit to this fucking Dracula wannabe.

"And who the fuck put you in charge?" Josh growled.

"Exactly." I agreed, the two of us being on the same page for once. June smirked.

"Listen Scooby Doo," He began, turning to Josh, "This place we're going to is on my turf. In case you've forgotten, vampires are the kings of the night. There's going to be a lot of my kind there and I doubt they're gonna be real happy to see werewolves about. So you're gonna leave everything to me. That means do what I say when I say it. Got it?" Josh clenched his fists and I could hear the low rumble of a growl building up in the back of his throat.

"Joshua," Dawson grabbed onto his arm and forced him to look at him. "Calm down. Although it may be frustrating, it's best to leave June in charge. He's right, vampires practically control all of the Rowe and having the head of the Sterling Clan lead us through it might be the only way to reach Casey Grey. Just for a little while let's do what he says. For Ollie." I don't think I've ever heard Dawson say so much at one time before. I was a little shocked. Josh must've felt the same way but quickly shook it off as he glanced back at Ollie.

"Fine...just this once." He reluctantly agreed through clenched teeth.

"Good, now here's what's going to happen. Josh, send out a message to all your pack members telling them to watch out for Casey Grey. Have them contact you if they do. This way we'll have even more eyes on the look out for him." Josh nodded and closed his eyes. I felt the connection of our pack's link as he began to send word out to all our pack members in the area.

"Why don't you do the same and notify your clan members?" I asked. June sighed and rubbed his temples like my voice was giving him a headache.

"I already did half whit." He replied, gesturing to his phone. My eyes widened. Oooooh, that's what he was texting.

"That was...pretty smart I guess." I grumbled, not wanting to admit it.

"I don't need praise from a dog obsessed with licking his balls all day, mutt." He huffed.

"You son of a-"

"Mimi, be on stand by to alert the head master of what's going on." June swiftly cut me off as he shifted his gaze over to Mimi, "If something happens and we can't get Casey to cooperate, or if he's not the person who placed the hex on Ollie, we'll need to get someone with more authority involved."

"Right." She nodded. He turned to face all of us next.

"Keegan and I are gonna take the lead. Let us handle the talking. Don't speak to anyone or make eye contact with anyone, just keep walking forward. Flea bag squad!" My brow twitched in irritation as he pointed to Josh, Dawson, and I. "Try not to let anything happen to Ollie. Although you don't have to worry. Keegan and I can protect him, but if something happens to you though you're on your own." Josh snorted.

"Don't worry parasite. We'll be just fine, but you might wanna watch your back." He snapped as he stormed through the door. June smirked and followed his lead until all of us were headed out the dorms.

"I'll go wait at the head master's office!" Mimi yelled over her shoulder as she raced off in the opposite direction as us.

"This way." June instructed as we fell in step behind him.

"You know June, I'm a little pissed that you didn't acknowledge us in there." Raven pointed out with Megan and Anthony nodding their heads at her side.

"Raven Firebird. Out of all the witches here at Nightshade, you're the only one who holds the ability of a high priestess, despite your young age. You come from a family of long standing witches and the Firebird clan's reputation is well known throughout the world. I trust in your abilities." He glanced back at her with an approving nod and I could feel my mouth gap open when Raven actually blushed in response.

"Well good. Glad you know how strong I am and how much I'll seriously kick your butt if you ever mess with me." She replied, running her hand through her short hair with a pleased expression. June smirked.

"If you don't I imagine your two friends there would. Megan Casari, a direct descendant of Queen Serene, the fairy queen of old. I know your fairy magic is just as powerful as Raven's abilities. Anthony Reed, the majority of your family is made up of crowned knights. All possess honed skills and top notch abilities to serve your King. I imagine that knight's blood runs very potentate in yours as well. I have no doubts that you three can handle yourselves."

"You're pretty knowledgeable." Megan commented after a moment. June shrugged.

"It's my job. As the future Rege of the Sterling Clan, it's important to keep tabs on noteworthy people while I'm here at Nightshade. Even if I'm still in high school, every day is spent in preparation to take over the clan one day." For the first time since meeting him, I caught a glimpse of something other than the obnoxious vampire I always knew. For a second, with his back turned to me, he seemed much greater. He seemed taller for some reason, with a different air around him. It kind of reminded me of the way Josh seemed sometimes...

I peeked over at Josh and noticed the hard stare he was giving June. Was he feeling challenged? Exactly what was it that Josh was doing in preparation to take over the pack?

"Then again," June suddenly continued, "Maybe we should've left you behind Dakota. You're probably the most worthless person here." That son of a bitch! Just when I was thinking something nice about you! I had a sea of insults pooling at the tip of my tongue, ready to dowse June, when he suddenly came to an abrupt halt. I glared at his back before looking past his shoulder.

We had been walking down a worn trail, veering off to the east of the school. I realized now we had come to a small clearing in the forest. There was a giant boulder sitting in the middle of the clearing. Carved into the face of the boulder was a stone door. Eloquent engravings filled with different creatures framed the space. Wolves raced through a jagged forest towards a crescent moon that was resting just above the door. Other creatures lurked within the woods, all looking up to the same moon. The carvings were so precise and smooth. The amount of detail that went into creating them was phenomenal. Even the door itself had a beautiful, twisting design etched into it's smooth, grey surface.

This was the entrench to the Rowe.

"Mmm..." Ollie groaned and I glanced back at him. He lifted his head and his eyes slid open for a moment. He blinked slowly and glanced around us. His gaze drifted over to the door before he slumped back down on my shoulder. Looking down, I could see the blite was slowly creeping past his elbows. June also noticed this and started forward.

"Come on." We followed him to the door and waited in anticipation as he grabbed the stone handle. He roughly jerked it back and the door eased open with the grinding sound of stone against stone. Inside, I could see a spiraling staircase leading into the depths of the earth. Lit torches lined the way, providing a softer light so we could still see. June stepped down onto the first stair and then seemed to glide effortlessly down into the darkness. I hesitated for half a second, tightening my grip around Ollie before continuing. The door closed immediately after us, blocking out the sun. I glanced cautiously around as we continued our descent into the Rowe. There was nothing to be seen besides brick walls and torches. Eventually we reached the end of the stairs. Looking around, we found ourselves in a circular entryway with three separate corridors branching off around us. Above each entrance was another symbol carved into the stone. The entrance to our front had a crescent moon. The one to our right had a weeping willow and to our left was the outline of a mountain face. I glanced through each opening. All of them looked exactly the same.

"Which way?" I asked, my gaze landing on June. He looked over each symbol before his eyes settled on the crescent moon.

"This way." He started down the hall and we all shuffled forward.

"How do you know this is the right way?"

"The crescent moon is the mark of Nocte kind. Casey Grey would most likely be down this hall." He explained.

"Why wouldn't he be in either of the other two halls?" Megan asked curiously.

"The sign of the weeping willow would attract incorporeal beings. So your ghosts, phantoms, wisps--things like that. The mountain face is for Opacare beings like trolls, orcs, goblins and the sort. The crescent mood would be for Nocte kind, more humanoid beings, like vampires and necromancers. I doubt Casey Grey would be in any other part of the Rowe besides here."

"God this place is creepy as fuck." Raven suddenly exclaimed. I glanced around. It was pretty creepy. The stone passage was unchanging as we continued along. There was again only grey brick and torches to look at. The flickering flames cast shadows all around us, warping the narrow space. The corridor was cold and brought with it a damp, earthy scent. Despite the dim setting, I could still see fairly well. Wolves did most of their hunting at night after all so our sight adjusted accordingly.

"Seriously, why does this place even exists?" Raven continued as she eyed our surroundings suspiciously and rubbed the goosebumps forming on her arms.

"Because it's Nightshade Academy. The headmaster created this institution so all of us would have a place we felt we belonged to." Keegan explained, seeming a tad bit annoyed, "There are plenty of locations on campus meant for specific races. The Rowe is the same way. It was created for nocturnal beings so we could relax away from daylight." He was right. The academy had tons of different features for it's many different races. The waterways surrounding the school accommodated Aquan kind like mermaids and syrens. Cliff faces just beyond the football field were present for Ares kind like harpies and succubi. Lava pits and sun spots entertained Wyrm kind like dragons and reptilian beings. Fields and forest plots were put away specifically for Chimera kind like werewolves and centaurs. There were even great gardens for Fey kind like fairies and pixies--and so much more.

"I knew that already!" Raven snapped, "I mean why does the Rowe have to be here? Why some creepy underground setting? Why not a building with blacked out windows?"

"Because most nocturnal being originate from within the earth and find comfort here. The sun is completely blacked out so we don't have to worry about someone breaking a window and fucking the place up." Keegan retorted.

"Plus the other two wings differ in size and dimension so Opacare beings for example can shift to their original forms instead of staying in their human ones like they do for class." June added.

"You know, I've always wondered this," Megan began, "Why doesn't Nightshade have a day and night class? Like close to half the school is made out of nocturnal beings so why not have classes during the night just for them?"

"Well again it's because the headmaster created the school with a certain image in mind," Anthony replied, pushing up on his glasses, "She wanted to create a place where all of our kind could co-exist and live peacefully together, without the worry of being discovered by humans. She created specific locations for certain races to enjoy, yes, but her overall goal was to create an institution where we could all be together harmoniously. Instead of separating us into night and day classes, she wanted us to all come together and learn under the same roof. She wanted us to live beside one another, to company ourselves with races besides our own, and to ultimately draw strength from each other. The humans are a common threat for all of us so we need to get over our previous prejudices and help each other when in need. Of course the school was also created to help us learn how to live and survive in the human world. Which is another reason why classes are held during the day, since humans are diurnal beings, and why we are required to remain in human forms during class."

"Hmm...I guess that makes sense." She said after a moment. As we continued down the hall, I noticed the space began to expand a little. Looking forward I could see we were slowly approaching a massive door. The door looked like it was made from white pine and had circular emblems curving through the wood. It was twice as tall as I was and three times as wide. Glancing down, I noticed the door handle was a silver snake. Glowing sapphires took the place of it's eyes and they flashed eerily up at us.

I glanced over at Ollie as he groaned and rolled his head around my shoulder. The blite had extended down his forearm now. June wasted no time reaching for the snake's head and pulling the door open.

"What in the...?" I mumbled to myself as we stepped inside. I wasn't sure what I was looking at. The room we were in closely resembled a large ballroom that was configured into a giant lounge area of some sort. Gas lamps lined the walls, casting dim light all around to appease the sensitive eyes of its occupants. However, an impressive chandelier hanging from the ceiling provided most of the light. It was fitted in a shining gold cast that matched the golden banners hanging between each set of gas lights. Red velvet couches were circled all around with small tables placed in front of them. Taking up the right hand side of the room was a massive bar. The bar tender was handing out snacks and drinks, but none of them looked appetizing. Most of the drinks were obviously different ensembles of blood, and the snacks were the same way. I watched as one girl dipped a spoon into what looked like an ordinary glass cup of pudding with maybe a red raspberry glaze on top. She brought the spoon up to her mouth and flicked her tongue out at the red substance. Her eyes flashed red and her fangs extended as she quickly encircled her lips around the rest of it. She shivered and closed her eyes in pleasure at it's taste. Disgusting. Blood seemed to be the theme around here. I could smell it all over the place. It hung in the air with the stench of raw iron and earth. Students littered the couches by the hundreds. Some of them were being normal teenagers and either talking with friends or finding entertainment with their electronic devices. The majority of them, however, seemed content not only drinking blood, but feeding from each other as well.

I heard a shout of excitement and turned towards the noise. I watched as a rather built jock lifted a girl off of one of the couches and spun her around in the air. She shrieked in startled delight, enticing laughter from her friends. He finally stopped and fell back on the couch. He pulled her down on his lap as he did so and buried his lips in her neck. I felt my eyes widened as I watched his suddenly glow red before he quickly slipped his fangs into her neck.

"Johnny!" She gasped, clutching his arm and glancing around her friends in embarrassment. Before she could put up too much of a struggle though the boy dug his fangs even further into her skin and she moaned in pleasure. Her grip loosened and her eyes rolled back in her head as he fed from her. The whole time the boy had a pleased glint in his eyes and snarky expression on his face. He must think he's hot shit. I looked away, repulsed. God damn vampires.

I glanced back around the room. Music hummed through the air, quietly adding to the background noise. Everyone seemed quite content and laid back as they chatted happily among themselves. It was an interesting space to say the least. Everyone here was a vampire and held a different air around them. Werewolves were wild and energetic. The pack house was always full of noise and vibrant energy. Here the people were calm. Their inner selves were more subtle with a flash of scarlet eyes and glistening fangs instead of our loud howls and clash of claws. We were all teenagers and could be crazy at times, but everyone here seemed so mature. It was like they were too sophisticated to wrestle in the dirt or go on a hike through the woods.

"Remember, don't say a word. Keep your gaze to yourself and your tongue between your teeth." June warned as he started forward. We crept through the lounge, weaving in and out of couches, causing quite the scene. Everyone seemed to stop what they were doing to give us curious stares. I tried not to look around too much, but felt on edge being in a room full of vampires. Josh and Dawson looked like they felt the same way. They were tense and shifted their eyes around the room warily. Raven and Megan seemed fascinated by the space, while Anthony seemed indifferent. June and Keegan, however, were marching forward like they were kings and everyone here were just mere peasants. I noticed that although we were receiving a lot of attention, mostly disgusted stares and wrinkled noses, June was like a goddam celebrity as we continued along. Girls who not even two minutes ago were curled up against another guy and whispering sweet nothings into their ears, were now casting them aside and staring over at June with love struck eyes. Even some of the men in the room were fawning over him, elbowing their friends and looking him up and down hungrily.

"Oi June...where are we going?" I asked.

"I don't see anyone that looks like Casey Grey here." Josh added as he glanced around. "Is he in another part of the Rowe?"

"Shh." Was all of June's response as I noticed people were standing up and starting to surround us now.

"Well, well if it isn't the great Juniper Sterling." A voice called out from behind us. We stopped and glanced back as someone stepped out from the crowd. The boy was extremely hot I'll give him that. He had fair hair that matched his light blue eyes and ivory complexion. The red accents in his uniform depicted him as a second year. He gave us a pretty egocentric grin as he swaggered forward. I noticed as he smiled that his fangs were encompassed by silver cuffs. They had aquamarine colored stones embedded in them that matched his eyes.

AN: So I did a doodle up top to kind of show you what I mean by the cuffs around their fangs. Hope it helps lol

"Come to grace us commoners with your presence have you?" He continued.

June's gaze slid over to the boy. He slowly dragged his eyes up his body before sighing and shaking his head with a pitying look. Without another word, he turned around and kept moving forward. We stared after him, confused, while the boy's mouth gaped open in shock.

"Wha..? Hey!" The boy snapped, stomping over to him. He reached out a hand, but in an instant Keegan had twisted his arm around his back and brought him to his knees. Everyone gasped and took a step back in surprise, including me. Holy shit. Keegan didn't even skip a beat taking this guy to the ground. The boy's face contorted in pain as he hissed violently up at Keegan, glaring at him with blood red eyes full of hatred.

"Keegan." June called in a bored drawl, "Let the hyena go. Even if he is a weak scavenger grouping together with even weaker scavengers, he's still nobility." Keegan looked reluctant to let him go, but nonetheless followed his master's command and released him. He pushed the boy forward and swiftly stepped back to dodge the angry punch he tried to send his way. He hissed again, baring his fangs, while Keegan met his fury with a calm composure. I could tell though by the way he narrowed his eyes and inched his sharpened nails forward that he'd rather just fight this kid.

"Ha! Of course you'd be that way June." He spat, looking pass Keegan to glare over at him, "You always think you're so much better than everyone just because you're the next head of the Sterling Clan. All you have is your family's name, so don't go around pretending like your something so fucking great when you haven't even done a single praise worthy thing in your life!" He was shaking with anger, his face turning an unattractive shade of red. It closely resembled a squished tomato at this point. Such a waste with that handsome face of his. June sighed and met his gaze steadily.

"Please, enlighten me Allen. When have I ever said I was better than anyone? When have I ever pulled my family's name on anyone or went around bragging about how great I was when all I have is the title of future Rege?" The boy, Allen, paused looking taken aback.

"Exactly." June breathed in annoyance as he turned back around and continued forward.

"Well going around calling others weak scavengers is clearly thinking your better than someone!" He quickly shouted before June could get too far. June paused, keeping his back to us.

"No, calling you a weak scavenger is just pointing out what you are. You're a weak, lowly nobleman who groups together with other clans instead of having enough pride or faith in your own to reach your goals. You can't even call yourself a Rege now, not when the majority of your people don't even originate from the Hertzberg Clan. And for what? All you want is money, status, and power. You think by combining a bunch of misfit groups of vampires together that call themselves clans will you give you just that, but it won't. It takes hard work and a natural affinity for leadership to be that way. If you want to be on par with the Sterling clan you're going to have to do a lot better than that." Allen lifted his lips in a wicked smirk.

"Ha! Be on par with the Sterling Clan? I don't think so." He retorted, "You think you can insult me just because I'm not a pureblood, or think my clan is 'lowly' because they're not all noblemen, but that doesn't mean you're higher than us. It's obvious the Sterlings have lost their edge. I mean, what's their future Rege doing walking around with a bunch of werewolves huh?" His eyes darted over to Josh, Dawson, and I. He glared viciously in our direction. "To associate with such trash. This seems like an act of treason to me. Are the Sterlings into betraying their own kind now? Huh, traitor?"

June never turned his back away from us. Instead I watched as he sighed, shook his head and continued forward as if talking to Allen would just be a waste of time. Keegan followed after him and the rest of us tentatively moved forward.

"Does your silence mean yes then?" Allen called in a victorious voice. I could see the people around us seemed uncertain as they glanced at June with inquiring looks. They backed away from him as he approached.

"Don't make me laugh." Josh suddenly said as he passed by him. He paused and met Allen's stare with malice. "Don't even joke about something as sick as being friends with that filth, leech." He growled at him, snapping his sharp teeth in his direction, before continuing after June. Allen glared over at him and I could see he was about to do something, until Dawson stood in front of him. Dawson was easily a foot taller than this guy, and twice as built. He didn't say anything, but the warning was there in his eyes.

"What? Gonna hit me now you fucking animal?" Allen snapped. Dawson just continued to stare at him until Josh called his name. He turned, keeping his gaze trained on Allen, before hurrying over to Josh's side. We had reached the edge of the lounge area where an identical door to the one we had come in through stood.

"Yeah just keep walking you fucking disgusting mutts! And your rein is about to come to an end, you hear me June? I'll make you regret the day you ever crossed paths with me!" June completely ignored him and reached for the door handle. He yanked the door open and quickly crossed through it's threshold. Once on the other side, we closed the door and the silence quickly filled us. We were back in another cold, torch lit hallway.

"This way." June stated as he began to walk down the hall.

"Well?" Josh said after a moment. June cast a sideways glance at him.

"Well what?" He asked, cocking a brow.

"Are you going to explain what that was about?"

"There's nothing to tell." He replied as he returned his gaze to the front.

"Bull shit." Josh fumed, "Who was that guy and why was he picking a fight with you?"

"Why so curious?" June inquired, smirking over at him.

"Because, it's annoying seeing you let that guy call you a traitor without defending yourself. I don't want a bunch of vampires spreading around rumors that we're friends now." Josh made a disgusted face while June rolled his eyes.

"There was no point in arguing with him. That guy is just pissy because he's low standing within the vampiric community. He hates any big clans because he finds us all to be corrupt power junkies, but the real power junky is him. All he's ever done is try to make himself more well known within the court because he's obsessed with being at the top. His action are equivalent to a cat puffing out it's fur to make itself look bigger. No one takes him seriously, not when all he's doing is grouping together a bunch of weak, no name clans and calling himself a Rege. Such a fucking waste of space, and don't worry. No one's going to think we're friends. People know better here than to make such a ludicrous mistake."

Josh seemed a little peeved, yet nonetheless satisfied with his answer for now. He glanced back at Ollie, a frown tugging at his lips. I looked down and saw the blite had curved up his neck and was peeking over his jawline now. We needed to hurry.

"Where are we going?" I asked June.

"To where Casey Grey most likely is." He replied simply, though I could see he was hurrying his steps.

"And where would that be?" Raven asked, "I thought he would've been in that last room."

June shook his head.

"No, the lounge is where the majority of vampires like to go. It was originally designed as a welcome area where we could all gather, but as you can see our kind felt the need to claim it as our own. Pass the lounge area are even more halls and rooms, like an intricate maze, all meant for other species besides vampires. There's a place in the exact middle of everything called Spade. If Casey Grey is in the illegal trade business, that'd be the best place to set up shop." He explained.

"Know what June? You really are smart." Raven smirked. June snorted and turned right down the next hall. Ollie's breathing was becoming labored and he squirmed around in my arms.

"We're almost there Ollie." I whispered to him, "Just a little longer." As we came into another circular passageway with more halls branching around it, there was a sudden gust of ice cold wind. It rushed past us with tremendous force, blowing out some of the torches.

"What in the..." I began to say but trailed off as I turned back toward the hall we had just come through. The hair on my arms stood up and my senses sharpened. Something was coming. Tylas, my inner wolf, howled in warning of an approaching enemy. I crouched low to the ground, ready to defend myself and Ollie from whatever was coming. Two glowing eyes pierced through the darkness before a shadowy figure stepped forward. What looked like a giant bear had appeared, it's smoky figure looming over us. It had no solid body. Instead, black billows of smoke outlined it's form. It bared it's teeth at us, which looked quite solid and sharp against it's misty body.

"A whisper..." Anthony murmured, taking a step back.

"Allen!" Keegan hissed.

"Goddamn him!" June cursed, running in front of me. He spread his arms out clearly ready to protect Ollie.

"You mean that vampire from before sent this?" Josh asked. I could see his eyes were flashing a dangerous gunmetal blue and he was on the verge of shifting.

"He might be a lowly vampire, but the Hertzberg clan is said to have made a contract with the whispers of the north. The bear tribe will follow his command and appear whenever summoned by their master. The fucker must have sent him after us after our exchange back there."

"I'll fucking kill him." Keegan seethed. The bear took a step forward, roaring loudly over at us. I winced as the sound thundered through the corridor, echoing loudly off it's walls. With out warning it suddenly charged forward. I lunged to the left as it headed straight for us. June quickly held both his hands out in front of him.

"Metsa!" He yelled and a shield of blinding light instantly appeared. The bear crashed into it and quickly jerked away with an angry cry. It shook it's head before locking onto Keegan, who now stood in front of it, and ran forward. Keegan held his right hand up before swiftly bringing it down diagonally across his body, snapping his fingers in the process. Flames suddenly burst from his hand and followed the trail of his figure tips. I gasped as the blazing fire that danced through the air suddenly took the shape of a shinning, silver sword. I didn't have much time to examine the detail in it as Keegan brought it back and stabbed through the air at the charging beast. The bear ducked to the side, but Keegan still managed to graze it's shoulder with the blade. Light exploded from the spot and the bear stumbled back as the smoke around where the light had touched began to disappear. It growled at him, stomping it's paws against the ground before pushing itself up on his hind legs. It towered over Keegan with intimidating force. He didn't even looked phased as he tightened his grip around the sword's hilt and surged forward, aiming for it's heart. The bear fell forward, but instead of landing on the awaiting blade, the smoke taking up its body split in half. It raced past Keegan before quickly swirling back into the form of the bear directly behind him. He didn't have enough time to counter as it swiftly slashed it's claws through his side. The force launched Keegan across the room and his body banged across the stone floor before he smacked into the wall.

"Keegan!" June screamed as he ran over to him. Josh had used the momentary distraction to quickly shift and suddenly had his fangs tearing through the bear's neck. There must've been something solid there because the bear howled in pain and thrashed it's head around, trying to shake him off. Dawson had also shifted and was right behind Josh as he swiftly jumped onto the bear's back. He quickly sank his teeth into it's shoulder and jerk his head around, digging his sharp fangs even further into it's flesh. The bear growled and threw itself into the air. It ran backwards and rammed into a wall, crushing Dawson between them. It stepped forward and I watched in dismay as Dawson crumpled to the ground before the bear spun around and threw Josh from him. He soared through the air but managed to land on his feet. He didn't even pause to catch his breath as he sprinted forward again. He jumped into the air, attempting to grab hold of its neck once more, but the bear didn't give him the chance as it smashed its head into his stomach and sent him flying backwards. Josh hit the wall with a loud crack before slumping to the ground. I watched in horror as the bear charged forward, snarling angrily at him.

"For the love of!" I quickly set Ollie down and dashed forward, running as fast as I could. My arms pumped at my sides as I willed the change that would turn me to my wolf form. I felt the fire ignite in my chest that quickly spread throughout the rest of my body. My bones ground together and popped out of place as they took on a new shape. I howled loudly successfully grabbing the attention of the bear as I crashed into it's side. We both flew to the ground and skidded across the stone floor. I quickly got to my feet, crouching down on all fours as my body completed the change. I snarled and snapped my fangs at the bear as it slowly got to it's feet. The bear definitely looked pissed now, it's glowing eyes blazing even brighter. Suddenly, a hail storm of fireballs flew into it's side. I jumped back in surprise and looked to my right where Raven and Anthony were lighting it up, bringing a barrage of fire down on the thing. The bear roared and ran at them. The fire seemed to just skid off it's smoky body and they both careened to the side as the bear flew between them. They quickly got up and scattered as it ripped it's claws through the air at their bodies.

"Magic doesn't work on whispers!" Megan screamed. I whipped my head around and saw she had made her way over to Ollie, standing defensively between him and the bear. June was using an incantation to heal Keegan, who now had a large gash running across his forehead to match his wounded side. June looked beyond pissed as he glared viciously over at the bear. The bear growled and stampeded over to them.

Oh no you don't!

I ran after it and managed to throw myself at it's legs, tripping it in the process. We rolled on the ground before I felt a spike of pain in my side. I yelped and clawed at the bear's head, who now had me trapped between it's razor sharp teeth. It squeezed it's jaw together, sinking its teeth further into my skin. I cried out and thrashed around but it was no use.

Ah hell!

I groaned, waiting for it to snap me in two with it's powerful jaw, when there was suddenly a blinding light slicing through the air. It pummeled into the bear's side and it shrieked in pain as it quickly released me. I hit the ground hard and glanced up to see a giant hole in the side of the bear's body. It stumbled back growling over at whoever just shot it. I followed it's gaze and felt my eyes widen as Ollie stood there, panting and looking extremely pissed off. His right hand was raised and his left grasped the elbow of his right arm to steady it as he fired off whatever that was just now.

"No one...messes...with my...friends!" He huffed between breaths. He grit his teeth and I watched in amazement as a tight ball of hellfire energy spun into the palm of his hand.

"Fuck you!" He yelled before releasing the energy into a beaming column of destructive light. It nailed the bear right in the head, dead center between its eyes, and it roared one last time before it's body sprayed out in a wall of smoke that quickly disappeared.

Holy shiiiit.

I grinned over at Ollie but my smile immediately left my face as I watched the blite climb pass his jaw and up his cheeks. It bled down his arms and circled around his hands before he collapsed on the ground.

Ollie!

I raced over to him and skidded to a stop. I began to whimper as I nudged his shoulder with my nose. That was awesome just now, but unfortunately it had just accelerated the spreading of the blite. His brows bunched together and his lips turned down into a grimace. He coughed and groaned in pain while sweat dripped down his forehead.

Fuck!

I circled around him, unsure of what to do. I nuzzled my nose into his cheek and licked his temple. Suddenly June was there shoving me out of the way.

"Move." He snapped and I growled over at him. He turned Ollie onto his back and held him carefully in his arms. He cupped his face with his hand and gingerly ran his thumb across Ollie's tainted cheek. June bit his lip and looked beyond furious, but even more than that he looked scared. He looked genuinely frightened that the blite might actually consume his body now. Ollie twitched in his arms and slowly blinked his eyes open.

"June..." He breathed as their gazes met. He reached up and weakly grabbed a fistful of his shirt. June smiled softly down at him.

"Yeah, I'm here." He murmured. He carcasses the back of his head and closed his eyes before gently kissing his forehead. Anger flashed through me and I was about to throw him off of Ollie, until a white light appeared beneath his lips. Spindles of energy streaked across the space between them, like sparks from a firework. It was soft, just barely there, and Ollie relaxed at his touch.

"June." He whispered before his eyes slid close and his body went limp. June pulled back, opening his eyes and staring down at him with such love it made my stomach turn. He leaned his forehead against his and brought him even closer to him. I felt antsy watching them. It made me uncomfortable seeing how close they were, but for some reason it felt like they were somewhere beyond my reach even though they were less than a foot away. I quickly looked away and took account of our group. Megan was sitting beside Keegan checking over his wounds while he waved her off. He seemed extremely upset and clutched his sword at his side so hard his knuckles turned white. Glancing back, I saw Dawson had managed to limp his way over to Josh. Raven and Anthony were offering to perform healing spells on them, but they both turned their offers down. We were weres after all. These feeble wounds weren't enough to bring us down. I glanced over my own wounds now and frowned. I had taken more damage than I had thought. Now that the adrenaline rush was over, the pain in my side was becoming unbearable. Blood pooled on the floor beneath me from the large gashes riddling my body. That fucking bear had one hell of a bite I'll give it that.

Hey.

I glanced up just as Josh and Dawson stopped in front of me.

What?

I asked, addressing Josh as he glanced over my matted fur covered in blood. He paused and met my gaze.

Lay down.

I felt my body go rigid as my inner wolf compelled me to obey my Alpha's command. I glared over at him refusing to budge.

Why?

I growled as I willed my body to stay in place.

Just do it.

He barked. I clenched my teeth and reluctantly got down on the ground. I absolutely hated it when he used his status against me. As kids, he'd order me to do the stupidest shit and I couldn't disobey him because he was my Alpha. I ended up eating worms in front of the other kids and shoving fire ants down my pants. I even started punching myself all because Alpha thought it's be oh so hilarious to test the limitations of his command on me. The fucker.

Josh moved in front of me and scanned over my side. He crouched down low and started licking at my wounds, causing my eyes to go wide. I snarled at him and clawed at his face as he jumped back. He growled as I struggled back up into a sitting position.

What the hell are you doing?

I demanded as I glared over at him.

What does it look like?

He snapped. I paused, keeping my eyes narrowed suspiciously over at him. He shook his head.

Lay back down.

He commanded. Again I felt my body stiffen as the overwhelming urge to follow his orders took over.

Why should I?

I yelled in an attempt to remain in control.

Look, I'm just trying to help you out here.

He replied in a tired tone.

Why? So you can use it against me later?

I spat.

No-

Oh so you think I'm weak then and need you're fucking help huh?

I quickly interrupted. He growled.

Dakota-

I'm not the fucking weak little omega you like to make me out to be. I can handle myself. I completed the third level of warrior's training before you did! Sorry I'm not as buff as you but that doesn't mean-

He snarled and lunged at me, biting down hard on my ear. He jerk it to the side and I yelped as I thrashed my head around to break from his hold. Fucking...using such dirty tricks to put me into submission! It was no secret that one way to display dominance over a wolf was to bite their ear like this. He growled lowly into my ear while exerting a powerful aura that depicted him as Alpha. It was too strong for me to resist, especially in this state, so with a feeling of self loathing I stopped struggling and laid motionless against the ground. Satisfied with my response, Josh released me and took a step back. I refused to look over at him as I felt tears sting my eyes. I hated him.

Look.

He began, coming around in front of me.

I know you're not weak, ok? I am well aware that you're one of the strongest fighters in our generation. You might look small, but you use your light body to your advantage. You're quick and when people least expect it, you hit them hard with a powerful attack. You showed a fantastic example of that just now when the whisper was attacking us.

He laid down on the ground in front of me, bringing his face close to mine. I hesitated, but slowly met his gaze with a weary eyes.

I don't want to help you to use it against you later.

He continued.

I want to help you because I owe you one. You rammed into that bear and brought it's attention to yourself right as it was about to do some serious damage to me. You even took some serious damage yourself in the process. So just...let me help you...please.

I blinked not sure how to respond. I don't think I've ever heard Josh say something so nice to me before. I've certainly never heard him say please, to anyone, especially me. The word sounded awkward and foreign on his tongue, like he was speaking another language. He stood up and dropped his gaze seeming embarrassed to have just said all that to me. He must've taken my silence as acceptance as he wondered back over to my bleeding side and resumed trailing his tongue across my wounds. Our saliva would help speed up the healing process.

I cautiously glanced over at him. His breath was hot against my skin, but every so often his cold wet nose would graze my side. He was so close that his silver fur would brush against my chocolate colored one as he went along sealing my wounds. Even though I hated him, I did admire his wolf form. Only the alphas in our pack inherited such beautifully colored fur, like shining moonlight. I observed his blue eyes next. They would change color each time the flickering light of the lit torches would flash across them. His eyes came from his mother. That distinct blue was as deep and dark as the ocean. He suddenly looked over at me and our eyes met. I paused as I noted the dancing flecks of gold in them. We continued to stare at each other for a moment before I felt myself flush and quickly looked away. If I was in my human form I was sure there'd be a nice pink tint in my cheeks from being caught staring at him like this.

Turn over.

He instructed as he pushed gently against my side. I did as he asked, only because he wasn't commanding me to, and could've sworn I saw him smirking over at me as I did so. He continued to treat my injuries, working my opposite side now. He stood over me, angling his head down to reach the cuts garnishing my hips. I felt extremely awkward as he started going lower. When he reached the marks above a certain no no region I began to squirm uncomfortably beneath him.

I think you got them all.

I tried, desperate to get him to stop.

No...there's still some.

I swear if he moved his head a fraction to the side he'd totally be hitting it. Oh God this is so awkward. He slowed his movements, his tongue trailing unbearable close to me and at such a gradual pace. His hot breath fanned over me and I squeezed my eyes shut, willing myself not to get turned on by this. I mean, I'm still a hormonal teenager and when you start breathing on and licking around down there my body is bound to react. Even if he was my sworn enemy. Eventually it became too much to take and I quickly scrambled to my feet.

Ok, I think I'm good now.

I quickly said. He chuckled and I glared over at him. The bastard was probably doing all that on purpose just now to mess with me. I huffed and shouldered pass him, roughly bumping into him as I did so. I glanced back over at Ollie and growled lowly to myself as I saw he was still being held by June. He at least looked better now. June must've used some sort of incantation to put him into a relaxed state. His face was calm and he was sleeping peacefully while nestled into his chest. However the blite was spreading fast and since I looked away it had slowly crept up to his temples. Keegan was standing now, his sword poised dangerously at his side while Raven, Megan, and Anthony stood by idly.

We should go.

I said, but realized only Josh and Dawson had heard me. I cursed as I glanced over at my shredded clothes. I couldn't very well shift back and waltz around the Rowe completely naked. At least Josh and Dawson were in the same boat. The three of us would just have to continue on like this.

"We should go." June said, repeating my words. He stood up with Ollie still held in his arms. I growled, but at least he understood we had to move. I trotted over to him and leaned into his side. I came up past his waist in this form and was easily a couple feet longer than he was if he laid down. He glanced down at me and raised a brow.

"What?" He asked. I nodded my head towards Ollie then turned around, motioning for him to lay him down on my back. He seemed to get the message and glanced uncertainly over at Ollie who was leaning his cheek against his shoulder. He bit his lip in debate before sighing and gently placing him down on me. Ollie's head rested against my neck and his arms were tucked under his body securely. I walked carefully forward, making sure he wouldn't fall off. June glanced around to make sure everyone was accounted for before strutting forward.

"This way." He instructed as he sped down one of the halls. He was only walking, and quite fucking gracefully might I add, but I had to nearly jog to keep up with him. Ollie swayed back and forth on my back and I had to do this little awkward trot to keep him steady. Josh and Dawson kept on either side of me, glancing around wearily for any more threats, while Raven and the others covered our rear. June and Keegan took the lead, guiding us through the mass of stone hallways and doors. Finally June slowed down and we eventually came to a stop. I glanced over at another wooden door, only this one was a dark cherry red. There was nothing particularly notable about this door, only that it had a black iron handle and above it an iron outline of a spade had been nailed into the stone. June stepped forward and threw the door open with such tremendous force it smacked into the stone wall with a loud crack and rattled against it's hinges. He stormed forward and the rest of us followed cautiously behind.

Inside this room was another mass of people. I could tell there were quite a few different races mingling here, vampires included. There were lounge chairs about with people sprawled across them, eyeing us suspiciously as we passed by. In the dead center of the room was a boxing ring of some sort. Two brawny guys were dancing around in it, sending jabs and punches at each other. There were some old fashion arcade games covering the left wall with more people gathered around. They too stopped what they were doing to watch us. On the right hand side of the room was a series of closed doors. A few people quickly shuffled in and out of them, carrying some pretty suspicious looking boxes, and inside even more shady acts were going on. I spotted a giant caldron with some boiling purple substance in it before some guy slammed the door shut and glared over at my prying eyes.

Once we had made our way past the boxing ring, we came across the real focal point of the room. There was a raised platform with a black love seat displayed on top of it like a throne. Some pretty buff looking guys stood on either side of it, like body guards. Their arms were crossed, faces hardened into a permanent sneer and their eyes were as cold as ice. Sitting sideways on the seat with his legs kicked up was a pretty handsome guy. He had dark brown hair that ran in messy waves across his face. He had strong features to match his muscular body, but what I noticed most about his appearance were his shining blue and green eyes. A low rumbled started in my chest as we approached him. A line of people stood in front of him. Some were carrying a few objects in their hands. I wasn't sure if they were here to sell them to him or use them as collateral for information. The guy currently addressing Casey Grey was a short, scrawny looking kid with dirty blonde hair and shifty eyes. He was clutching a clear bag of what looked like black stones. Casey was holding one of these stones up in the light, examining it's gleaming surface. He snapped his fingers and the guy standing to his left walked over to a small table resting behind them. He returned a second later with a pocket sized magnifying glass. Casey held it between him and the stone before pursing his lips in thought. Finally he sighed and chucked the stone back at the kid.

"You know, you got me all exited when you said you had genuine black onyx from the Styx for me. Unfortunately, it's a little too obvious how fake these are." He sighed. He shook his head and snapped his fingers again. A guy who had been staring blankly at a random spot on the wall to our left suddenly stood up. He was wearing the remnants of a school uniform with gold lining, a sign he was a fourth year here. A gold bandana was tied across his face so we could only see his deep brown eyes through his black fringe. He was pretty buff and tall as fuck, easily towering above us at a solid 6'4. He started toward the scrawny kid who looked absolutely petrified by his presence.

"W-Wait!" He stuttered, backing away from his advancing assailant. "I swear these are real! I swear it! Casey come on, you know me. I've brought you plenty of good merchandise before!"

"Yes, yes you have," He replied in a board drawl, "But I know you're kind. You come to me bringing different goods and accurate information to pass around. However, after a few good turn ins you believe you've won my trust so you try to sneak me false shit. You see my poor feeble minded friend, I'm not stupid and I run a business here. A business with a reputation of producing only the highest quality of goods. I can't very well keep a good name for myself if people start coming in here giving me bullshit now can I?"

Bandana face had crossed the space between them at this point and seized the scrawny kid by the collar of his shirt. He hauled him into the air and the poor guy started kicking his legs around. He wriggled about trying to break free while clutching his attacker's massive arm for support. Without another word, bandana face jerked his body upwards and slammed him down into the ground, hard. I watched as the kid's eyes widened in shock, his mouth agape in a silent scream as all the air left his lungs. He wasn't even given a second to recover as bandana face started roughly kicking at his sides. He smashed his foot into his gut, causing him to cough and groan in pain before his face was assaulted next. He held his arms up, trying in vain to guard himself against this guy's powerful kicks. His feeble attempts at protecting himself weren't doing any good as bandana face continued to stomped all over his body. The whole time the kid whimpered and yelped, crying out for him to stop. I growled, my claws digging into the ground as anger consumed me. The guy crashed his foot into the poor kid's nose and blood gushed out of like a busted pipe. The toe of his shoe connected sharply with his temple next and the kid's head whipped to the side before his body went limp. Despite losing consciousness, banana face continued his attack. He hit anywhere he could, his eyes completely void of emotion.

Suddenly Josh lunged forward with blurring speed and rammed into him. He bit down hard on his arm as the guy stumbled back, drawing blood. He didn't react. The was no cry of pain or emotion of any sort as he stared down at Josh's bared fangs seeping further into his flesh. Josh growled threateningly at him. He paused tilting his head back at Casey as if asking for instruction. Casey immediately snapped up into a proper sitting position, his eyes wide in surprised.

"Hey." June called. Casey's head whipped around to meet him. June glared up at him before casting a glance at Josh.

"Oi, wolfy. Try and be civilized." He didn't sound like he really cared if Josh tore the guy's arm off, but nonetheless gave him a stern look. Josh growled some more before literally tearing his fangs from bandana face's skin. I could hear his clothing rip apart and watched as blood poured out from the new cuts in his arm. The entire time he stood stock still, just staring at Casey. It was like he was a robot and couldn't function without someone there telling him what to do.

Josh wondered back over at us, glaring around at all the astounded stares he was receiving from everyone in the room. He glanced down at the unconscious kid as he passed him. I could tell he wanted to do something, but hurried back over to us in case Casey tried to sick his terminator subordinate on us next. I had faith Casey wouldn't let him die here. Even if not for the sake of being a good person, he would for the sake of his business' survival.

We glared up at Casey as he stared back at us with a surprised expression. He quickly shook it off and a sly smirk soon filled his lips. He propped his elbow up against the the arm of the chair and dropped his face into his palm.

"Well, well. Look at this circus act going on here." He laughed, glancing over us with amusement. June took a step forward.

"Casey Grey." He said his name with such a calm face, but the words sounded like they were full of scorn and animosity. "I'm going to keep this short and to the point. Remove the hex you placed on Oliver Scott. Now." There was a clear threat in his voice but Casey merely snorted.

"Sorry but I have no idea what you're talking about."

"The hell you do!" Raven shrieked as she started forward. The same second June reached out a hand, Keegan had grabbed a hold of her and shoved her back behind him. She turned to yell something at him but June quickly cut her off.

"There's no point in denying it. Jay already told us everything." His cool demeanor gave nothing away as he met Casey's gaze with a level stare. Casey paused for a half a second before letting out a short laugh.

"Excuse me?" Was his response.

"Like I said, you don't have to pretend. Jay already admitted to having you hex Ollie in order to ruin his chances during tomorrow's performance. Right now we couldn't really give a fuck. I'm just asking you to kindly remove it now." He was completely relaxed. He expressed only a hint of irritation, like the kind you'd face when dealing with a minor inconvenience. He was being so nonchalant about the whole thing I almost believed his lies. Almost.

Casey hesitated as he chewed the inside of his cheek uncertainly.

"I think you're lying..." He trailed off, narrowing his eyes at him. June shrugged.

"Even if I was, does it matter? If you're not the one who did it, you can prove it to us by attempting to remove the hex. If it stays then oh well, but if it goes..." He shrugged again as if it didn't really matter. Casey smirked.

"Sorry, but I don't have time for that right now. I have more important matters to deal with." His eyes slid over to the line of people from before who were now looking back and forth between us nervously. He waved his hand through the air, gesturing for us to leave.

"Pfft!" I glanced up at June as a small laugh suddenly escaped his lips. He glanced down, causing his silky black hair to fall in his eyes as he laughed even more. He began to laugh so hard that the sound echoed eerily off the room's silent walls. We all stood by and watched his hunched figure, completely baffled.

Why the hell is he laughing?

I glanced over at Josh who in return shook his head looking just as confused. Finally June sighed and straightened himself out.

"Oh Casey, that wasn't a suggestion." I froze as the air around June suddenly changed. I instinctively took a step back as a pounding pressure filled the space between us. It was even stronger than the head Alpha's presence. I could literally feel the danger and authority that spiked through the air, like shards of glass pelting down on my spirit. Josh growled beside me and I glanced over at him. His ears were slicked back on his head and his teeth were bared threateningly at June. At that moment I felt Tylas howl deeply, warning me to stay away. Suddenly June looked up and the pressure intensified.

"Cure Ollie...now." His voice didn't even sound like his own anymore. It was cruel and colder than ice. His words were sharp, like a keen knife piercing through your very soul. If words could kill then his certainly would, but probably not as badly as his stare right now. His eyes were a fiery red that burned brighter than a thousand suns. The look of intense hatred smoldering behind his scarlet gaze was terrifying beyond belief. He smiled, flashing his elongated fangs that gleamed dangerously in the semi-dim lighting. Every single one of my hairs stood on end as an involuntary shiver ran down my spine.

"I'll give you to the count of three."

If he wasn't scared before, Casey definitely looked panic stricken now. He jumped to his feet as he glared down at June.

"Don't you threaten me-"

"One." June took a step forward and as he did so, I noticed the light layer of dust covering the ground swirled up around him. The energy he was exerting to create his powerful aura was affecting the space near him.

"Two." He took another step forward, then another. He was slowly but surely closing the gap between him and Casey. With each step he took, the overwhelming force he was exerting weighed down on me more and more. I felt like I was being crushed beneath hundreds of heavy boulders. He was releasing his ancestors' sealed blood within him. When Josh ordered me around I felt a similar sensation. The worst of which was when I was in the presence of our Alpha when he was in a bad mood. But this? This was something else entirely. It was pure rage and bloodlust. I could understand now the full weight of his bloodline. Even someone like me from a different race could sense the difference in our status. June was a pure blood, a direct descended from one of the most powerful vampires to have ever walked the earth. There was a reason he was the next head of the Sterling clan. I looked back up at him in awe.

Tylas clawed anxiously at the surface of my mind. He demanded I flee and seek refuge with other pack members, to fight as a group like wolves do. However, above running and ensuring my own survival, I had the overwhelming sense of duty to protect my alpha. Without even thinking I stepped in front of Josh. I backed up slowly and got down on the ground. Keeping my eyes on June, I slid Ollie gently off my back and carefully onto the floor. I quickly glanced down at him to ensure he was fine before snapping my eyes back over to June. He had reached the spot right in front of Casey now and I watched as his mismatched eyes suddenly widened.

"Three..." June reached out his hand and gently ran his index finger across Casey's cheek.

"Time's up." He whispered. From where June had touched, a thin scarlet line had appeared. Blood slowly dripped down the side of Casey's face, courtesy of June's sharpened nails. He balled his hand's up in fists at his sides and began to shake a little. Pretty pathetic for such an infamous guy.....

I glanced up at his eyes expecting to see fear, but was surprised to see them void of any such emotion. Instead he looked genuinely pissed off right now. Then it dawned on me that he wasn't shaking because he was scared. He was shaking because he was under June's influence, trapped beneath his powerful gaze, and was trying to break free from it while not being able to move or look away.

"So, now I'll give you a choice," June continued. "Either you cure Ollie, or..." He leaned in and ran his tongue across Casey's cheek, lapping up the small stream of blood. His eyes flashed even brighter, and before my mind could process anything, blood was suddenly spewing from Casey's neck. He stumbled back as he grabbed at his bleeding throat, temporarily free from June's hold. I glanced over at June and saw that his fingertips were now dyed red.

"I make you cure him before tearing you apart." He flashed him a wicked grin that told how much he'd enjoy it before flicking his tongue out at his bloodied nails. Holy shit. Remind me to never get on June's bad side. Casey gave him the dirtiest look I'd ever seen while pressing his hand to his bleeding throat. He closed his eyes and took several deep breaths before his body relaxed and his face lapsed into a blank expression. When he opened his eyes next, he smirked.

"Well, you're not the next Rege of the Sterling Clan for nothing." He joked. June looked unamused as his hands twitched irritably at his sides. He looked like he wanted to just murder the guy and dig his nails back into his soft flesh. Casey chuckled and held his hands up.

"Alright, you win." He began, flashing us a cocky grin, "It takes effort to grab my attention so congrats, you have all of it now." June rolled his eyes which were still set in a deep crimson red.

"However, I don't do anything for free. Not even if you threaten me." June narrowed his eyes at him just as Casey held a finger up. In an instant, a soft glowing ball of light appeared at his finger's tip. He brought the illuminating orb to his damaged throat and held it there carefully. After a moment he dropped his hand and used his other to wipe the blood away from his now healed skin. There wasn't a mark or any trace of the previous injury at all. He must've used a healing spell.

"I'll cure Ollie if--and only if--you give me some of your blood." He smirked. All of us paused, taking a mental step back.

"Excuse me?" Keegan suddenly blurted.

"You heard me guardsmen." He jeered, meeting Keegan's gaze. "If you want me to cure your master's little pet, then he better share some of that powerful blood of his." He returned his gaze to June and I could tell from the cold stare he was giving him that he had no intention of following his demand.

"You're insane if you think I'd do something so ludicrous." He finally said.

"Is that so? Then..." He raised his hand and snapped his fingers.

A horrifying scream suddenly filled the room. I whipped around to face Ollie who was wreathing in agony on the floor.

"Ah, ugh!" What, what is happening? Panic swept over me as his face contorted in pain. I watch in horror as the blite slowly inched it's way up his forehead.

"Bastard, what do you think you're doing?!" June demanded as he grabbed the front of Casey's shirt. He laughed and glanced down at Ollie with a pitying look.

"Why, I'm just helping him out. It really is painful to go through such a tormenting curse such as Umitus. His fragile spirit must be going through such torture having it slowly eaten away at, bit by excruciating bit. I figured I'd just put him out of his misery and have the blite consume his body now if you really can't find it in you to give me just a smile vile of your blood. Enough to fill this so to speak." He reached into his pocket and produced a small glass bottle with a clear cap. June glared at the bottle before turning his hate to Casey.

"Why you-" He raised his fist and was about to connect it with Casey's face, when he was suddenly thrown from the stage.

"June!" Keegan sprung forward and managed to catch his airborne master before they both tumbled to the ground. Keegan grunted as his back smacked into the stone floor, taking most of the blow, as June settled on top of him, unharmed. I swiveled my head back towards the stage to find bandana face standing protectively in front of Casey.

"Oi, you didn't think I was just going to let you come in here and beat me up in front of all my friends now did you? Come on now June. Use that big brain of yours." I stiffened as I watched the angry faces of Casey's lackeys slowly close in on us. Some had grabbed weapons on were tightening their grip around baseball bats and other various objects. Others puffed out their chests and started to shift to their original forms. I growled at the sneers and hisses we were receiving from these night stalking pansies. One suddenly raised his wooden bat and lunged at Josh. I snarled and caught it between my teeth. I bit down hard and snapped it in two like it was nothing more than a tooth pick, sending splinters of wood flying into the air before pouncing on the guy. I roared in his face and stabbed my claws through his chest, drawing blood. I have no idea why but I was sincerely pissed that this guy had tried to attack my stupid alpha.

Dakota, watch out!

I glanced up at the sound of Josh's voice in time to see another guy swinging a metal pipe in my direction. I yelped as someone snatched my tail between their teeth and yanked me back. Suddenly Dawson flew forward and head butted the guy with the pipe. He groaned and fell back on his ass with a thump! I glanced behind me at Josh who still had my tail between his teeth. I growled and jerked it out of his mouth as I spun around to glare at him.

"Hey, now's not the time!" Raven snapped. I glanced over at her and noticed she, Anthony, and Mimi were slowly being backed into a semi circle around us as more and more people joined the crowd. Casey laughed and I bared my teeth at his annoying, self satisfied expression.

"What do you think now June? I could just force you to give me your blood as you watch your friends bleed out around you. Of course this includes your pretty pet." His gaze focused back on Ollie and he smirked as he began to scream again.

"Ah! H-Hurts!" He cried as he grabbed at his chest and rolled over on the floor.

Ollie!

I raced over to him and frantically tried to comfort him. He peered up at me with tears in his eyes. He gasped and began to take in ragged breaths. He opened his mouth to say something, but looked as if he was in too much pain to get the words out before he clenched his jaw. Casey began to cynically laugh and I growled fiercely up at him.

"See June? He looks like he's really hurting, but you know what? I can be nice too. If you promise to give me your blood I'll remove the hex and allow you to leave here unscathed. What do you say?"

I paused as I shifted my gaze back over to June. I watched as he seemed completely fed up with this whole situation. He stood up slowly with Keegan doing the same. Their eyes met and some silent agreement was made.

"I say that you're a thousand years too early to be threatening me." Suddenly Keegan swung his sword around and a pillar of fire followed it's wake. It swam through the air in a crackling wave as a sudden wall of flames separated us from Casey's followers. A good majority of them jumped back, some even ran away, as the fiery barrier prevented them from moving forward. Casey narrowed his eyes at him and bandana face sprung into action. I was surprised when Josh intercepted his attack and latched onto his arm once again with his powerful teeth. He growled and suddenly Dawson was doing the same, pulling him to the floor. While the two of them kept him busy, June started for the stage. Casey didn't hesitate to release a sudden surprise attack. Lightning shot from his palm and through the air, headed straight for June. Without even flinching June raised a hand and flung a lightning strike of his own forward. The electric glow showed a quick flash of scarlet as it collided with Casey's attack and canceled it out. Before Casey could do anything else, June appeared in front of him with blinding speed. He grabbed onto his throat and smashed him into the wall behind him. He gasped, but still held onto his determination.

"You think...just because you've separated me from help...means I can't handle myself?" He struggled to say under the pressure June held against his throat. "I still have your cute pet under my control...even if you beg me not to I'll still take his life. My father has a nice and cushiony spot on both the Council's and Academy's board. Don't think for one second...I can't get away from punishment." He smirked again and glanced back down at Ollie as another scream ripped from his throat. This time it was much more intense and I watched in shock as his hair also turn charcoal black. The curse was almost complete now. I looked frantically up to June hoping beyond all hope he'd be able to do something. He tightened his grip around Casey's throat and he coughed as his airway was almost completely closed off.

"You're a filthy piece of trash who will never be anything but the scum of the earth. If you think your father's position can save you then I'd love to prove you wrong. However, I don't plan on losing my friend today and you're being too much of a bitch to deal with." He suddenly reached into the pocket of Casey's jeans and pulled out the vile. He stepped back, releasing Casey, and watched as he slumped to the floor and gasped for air.

"Cure Ollie and I'll give you what you want." He raised his wrist to his lips and bit down carefully into his skin with his sharp fangs. He pulled back and raised his arm for Casey to see as blood dripped onto the stage. He held the vile in his other hand and gestured to Ollie. Casey gave him a suspicious look before slowly standing.

"Fill the vile first." He instructed. June gave him a hard look before bringing the lip of the clear bottle up to his bleeding wrist. He managed to fill a good portion of it and held it back up for Casey to examine.

"Now give it to me." He smirked.

"Cure Ollie first." June retorted.

"How do I know you won't smash that to the ground the second I do?"

"And how do I know you won't run and hide the second I give this to you?"

They had a mini-stare down as June held the bottle delicately between his fingers. He was barely hanging onto it and I could tell from the antsy looks Casey was giving him that he wanted to securely hold in his own hands.

"Alright how bout this? I'll cure Ollie and remove the entirety of the blite, except for the rune. He'll be fine for the moment if I do decide to run until the blite starts to grow out from the rune again, same as it did last time. That'll give you time to catch me if I do escape, which I'm promising you now that I won't. When you hand me that vile I'll remove the curse completely and Ollie will go back to being as healthy as a horse. What'd you say?" It still seemed sketchy to me, but there really wasn't much of a choice here. June must've felt the same way as he gave him a reluctant nod. Casey grinned and strutted over to Ollie. I growled as he flipped him over onto his stomach. Ollie's gaze was unfocused, his breathing had slowed considerable and I could tell he was just barely hanging onto conciseness. Casey placed his hand on the small of Ollie's back and creased his brow in concentration. Slowly, the blite began to retreat and Ollie relaxed as his usual skin and hair color began to show through. I sighed in relief when all the black was gone. However, the rune of Umitius was still there. I glanced down at the half circle and slash just as Casey smiled expectantly up at June.

"If you try anything," June began as he slowly extended his arm, "I'll kill you." As if on cue Keegan was there, holding his blade to Casey's throat. Casey's smile widened as he took the bottle from June.

"Oh, I wouldn't dream of it." He slid his hand across Ollie's back. When he removed it, the rune was gone and Ollie quickly slipped into unconsciousness. He laughed as his body suddenly exploded into a barrage of white flower petals. Our eyes widened and we looked frantically around for him.

"Besides," His voice called from somewhere within the shadows, "I wouldn't want to kill such a cute looking guy. Never planned to from the start." He laughed even harder until his voice completely faded away.

This guy...

I could feel my aggravation bubble up inside me.

Well, I thought as a glanced down at Ollie. At least it all worked out.

Ollie always looked cute when he was sleeping. He seemed younger somehow, almost like a child. I smiled. Although a child definitely didn't have the same body as he did. His shirt was still lifted from when Casey was curing him and I could see the slight muscle in his back. Speaking of muscle...

Josh.

I suddenly said. He glanced curiously over at me.

What?

Don't you and Dawson have a game to go play in?

He paused.

Shit.

None of us wanted to stay in the Rowe any longer, but with Josh and Dawson realizing they only had fifteen minutes to make it back to the locker room, let's just say we made it to the surface like we were bats out of hell.

Take care of Ollie!

Josh yelled as he and Dawson stampeded through the forest back towards the school.

"It's a shame we didn't run into that coward Allen." Raven commented as we started forward.

"Yeah I'd love to give him a piece of my mind." Megan fumed beside her. I looked up at Ollie who was slumped over June's back. He was carrying him carefully forward like he was the most precious thing on earth, staring protectively around him.

"Well let's focus on one enemy at a time." Anthony suddenly cut in. "I think it's time to repay Jay for all the trouble he's put us through. Don't you?" I growled in approval beside him. Jay Winters you better prepare yourself. You're gonna wish you never crossed swords with us.

Man I suck at updating...and I write really long chapters...and I never know how to end them...you guys are some amazing readers to be able to put up with me :') I'm sorry, I really truly am >.< It's hard sometimes to write when you have so many other things going on in your life. I promise I'll try harder from now on to regularly update. I want to thank you guys though for your continuous support. It means the world to me to see how enthusiastic you guys are about reading this story ^_^ I especially appreciate all the comments and messages you leave me letting me know how much you love Nightshade. There are so many of you I could name, and trust me I know who each and every one of you are, but I want to give a special shout out to ForeverEnthralled for the message you sent me regarding this story. It really helped me get through my writers block, even if this chapter is a little late -_-' but thank you! I hope you guys will continue to VOTE and COMMENT on my works and even FOLLOW me to keep up with the latest updates. I LOVE YOU ALL SO SO SOOOO MUCH!!!!!!