Chapter 15 - The Red Wolf

  Benji immediately got up and lifted me beside him, taking a defensive posture. I was unsure where this newfound courage came from, but I appreciated it, even though I saw his arms trembling. And after my own encounter with these two fuckers, I wasn't sure just how well Benji would fare against them alone.

  “That was an interesting trick you pulled off, rogue,” snarled Jake, leaping closer to us using preternatural strength. His feet hit the ground with a loud thud, snapping a few twigs and branches. I supposed it was too much to hope he’d fall on his ass or something. He wore a snarl on his face, and I couldn't help but feel a sense of pride at seeing him try to hide his own limp from our earlier fight.

  Behind Jake, Evan stepped out from the trees and came into view. His eyes quickly surveyed the area, landing on me a few times before settling on Benji with curiosity. "Benjamin? Why are you here?"

  "I should be asking you two the same, Delta. Beta." Benji's voice was weak, betraying the confidence of his words. "Ky is my friend. Why are you hunting him?"

  Jake's eyes narrowed. "Are you betraying the pack by defending this rogue?"

  "He's not a rogue!" countered Benji. "At least... he wasn't until this weekend."

  Thanks, Benji. I'm sure that was convincing.

  Jake hesitated a moment before looking toward Evan. "And?"

  "He's not lying," Evan said, his tone suspicious.

  There was a moment of silence here as we all just stared each other down. I took the chance to lean forward and whisper, "Benji, is he like... a lie detector?"

  Benji shuddered. "I...uh... He's just very good at judging people."

  "What does that even mean?"

  "It means," smiled Evan, "that even though we obviously can hear you with our werewolf hearing, I can judge if someone is lying by tiny fluctuations in your breath. Your heartbeat. Many things."

  I gulped. Not like I was lying or anything, but I didn't want to get bogged down in interrogations either.

  The blonde's obviously the muscle here, Bleddyn added. He'll be easier to deal with, but other than observing, the Delta is probably the most dangerous one here.

  If that was the case, then I knew I had to take initiative here. It wasn't that I didn't trust Benji. I did. But in this situation, I would rather none of us got hurt. It was my turn to take a defensive posture. I extended my arms out, palms outward. Silvery light swirled around both Benji and me, quickly encasing us inside a translucent dome. Benji yelped at my sudden use of magic, but as soon as the light vanished, he gave me a worried glance and turned his attention back to the other two wolves.

  "What the fuck was that!?" demanded Jake, rushing toward us. Either he wasn't the brightest crayon in the box, or he didn't pay attention to what I'd done. He ran face-first into the barrier. There was a hollow thud on impact, and Jake stumbled backward clumsily. I smiled, seeing him fall on his ass this time.

  "You...you really are a mage," he growled. "What is this trick, then? Using a rogue scent to lure us out?"

  "That's not what I was doing," I snarled back.

  "Then lower the barrier!"

  "Like hell I will!"

  "Calm down, both of you," growled Evan. "We're just here to talk."

  "Bullshit. I don't believe you." I turned my attention back to Jake. "And especially you!"

  Jake bared his teeth at me. "Do it, or I'll kick your ass again!"

  I scoffed. "Now that I know you're both supernatural too, I won't be holding back. I'd like to see you try!"

  "You're forgetting something important, then," Evan said calmly, forcing my attention back at him as he stepped forward, circling where my barrier's perimeter was. "Even if we couldn't get to you, there are other ways to draw you out."

  What on earth could he be talking about? There's no way I was lowering my shield.

  He must be referring to your stamina. It takes mana to sustain your spells. Neither of us knows how long you can keep up a focused barrier yet, Ky...

  Fuck. Bleddyn was right. But there was no better time to test it than now, right? I wasn't going to let these two fuck me up again, anyway. It was my turn to take the offensive...or... try to... Shit. I just took the defensive, and now I've limited my options. Staying here with the barrier made me no more than a sitting duck. And I had no training on being a walking shield yet. Hell, it never crossed my mind before.

  And if I did switch positions and go on the offensive, I'd have to lower the barrier. I looked back at Jake and... yeah, he was eager to jump me the moment my spell faded. Oh, holy magic, what do I do, what do I do?

  "You're probably thinking about your options now. I can tell by how your breath and heart rate picked up," smirked Evan.

  Yeah, that's getting annoying fast.

  "It is," I muttered back to Bleddyn, but I guessed the others heard me since they gave me a curious look back. "Well, I can hold this up as long as I need to. Are you two actually going to sit here all day and wait for me?"

  "It's their job..." muttered Benji beside me, shoulders sagging. "They're our future enforcers, Ky. They're being trained for this kind of thing."

  Well, that's not assuring at all. I bit my lip. I'll have to think of a way to go on the offensive after all.

  "We can make you come out sooner," added Jake, folding his arms.

  "Like you can, meatwad," I sneered.

  I swore the veins on his neck started ticking. "Release the barrier, or your friend gets punished for helping you. He and his family will be punished and brought to justice for harboring a rogue."

  Shit.

  Shit.

  My ears instantly picked up on a sudden change of rhythm. I wasn't sure where it had come from, but I had grown accustomed to it that I overlooked its relevance to me. My eyes instantly landed on my friend, and I realized the rhythm was his heartbeat, which had grown erratic.

  Benji slowly turned to face me, eyes wide and filled with a mix of shock and desperation. Sweat fell down his brow, and his lips shuddered. He didn't have to say anything. I understood what he needed, and I also understood that he knew it would mean choosing between his family and his own livelihood over... probably my life.

  "Ky," he whimpered. The anguish in his voice gutted me.

  "Don't," I commanded through gritted teeth. "I know, Benji. I know."

  "I'm sorry... I... I..."

  "It's ok... Just... Once the barrier is down, get out of here."

  "Ky, no! I can't leave you."

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  "You HAVE to, Benji. I'll be fine."

  He started to tear up, his hands gripping tightly onto my shirt. "But Ky, he'll... they'll..."

  He had to stop. If he kept going on, I'd lose my resolve. I clenched my jaw, steeling myself, all while feeling Bleddyn at the back of my mind growling quietly. Like me, he must be preparing for a fight.

  Taking a deep and shuddering breath, I told him, "On the count of three."

  "Ky!"

  "One..."

  "Please! Ky! I'm sorry! Stop! I'm sorry!"

  "Two..."

  Jake and Evan both were already rearing back to attack. Their hands were already twisting into clawed form. Long teeth poked out from their lips as their faces grew ferocious.

  This was it. Now or never. If I make it out of here, I... I... Let's try to make it out of here first... Right Bleddyn?

  "Stop! All of you!"

  My body froze, and my breath hitched. Wherever that voice came from echoed in my ears. I felt heavy, as if gravity had focused all its energy on me.

  "Kneel!"

  My barrier dropped. I had no control over it. Instantly, I was on the ground and on my knees. The gravity, or whatever it was, had enveloped my body, keeping it down. I didn't sense or see any magical residue, but this felt very much like a compulsion spell. And the only experience I had with that was when Mom was showing me what one felt like.

  I struggled to look around the surrounding area, trying to evaluate who or what this new threat was. My eyes widened as I saw that this was affecting all of us here. Everyone was knelt over in the ground. Benji whimpered loudly, Jake growled and clenched his teeth, while Evan just looked annoyed. What was going on? What just happened?

  Slowly coming into view was another guy. Taller. Stronger. With red hair that looked ablaze in the dappled light.

  Just like it did at the lake.

  As soon as Rory came into view, he surveyed the other wolves, but when his eyes landed on me, his face blanched. "The rogue," he started, voice low. "It was you?"

  The word echoed in my head again. Rogue. That word was muttered around me all day. But this time, with Rory's voice. And if he knew it, then...

  He's a werewolf, Ky. I can smell him. I mean... WE can smell him.

  Hell if I knew what I was doing, but I sniffed the air, testing to see if Bleddyn was right and...

  The scent of the woods... the familiarity of the forests I would hike in... the mix of rain and pine... Was all that coming from Rory? This... strong, dangerous, and... calming scent? This was new. This was extremely new. I never noticed his scent at the lake. Or was that because Bleddyn hadn't awakened in my mind yet?

  Stop thinking about Biceps and worry about our predicament, Ky! Bleddyn hissed in my head. If Evan was dangerous before, Rory is even more so.

  Rory? Dangerous? But... how?

  "Can someone explain to me what the fuck is going on here?" Rory growled, eyes glowing gold. "Jake? Evan?"

  "We're just doing our jobs, Rory! Damn. Calm the fuck down," Jake said. "Can you take back the alpha command? Shit."

  He hesitated, glaring at Jake a while longer before looking at Evan. "Evan, get up. Status report?"

  Evan's body relaxed, and he exhaled loudly as he stood up. He took a moment to brush off the dirt that got on his pants before answering. "Jake and I were hearing pack members complaining about a rogue at school. The other packs noticed too and were waiting for us to take the lead on the situation."

  There are OTHER packs at school too? Just how many wolves are there here?

  "When Jake and I investigated, we found the rogue-"

  "Ky," growled Rory. The fact that he remembered my name made my heart skip a beat.

  "Ah...Ky," fixed Evan. "Ky was found in the music wing. We set up a trap by putting up closed signs at the bathrooms there so we could corner him elsewhere."

  My eyes widened, and I shot back up. Fluidly. As if the weight around hadn't been there at all. "You set me up?! You fucking assholes!"

  Everyone stared at me. Jake, Evan, and Benji were in surprise, while Rory's face grew paler still. Was what I said really that shocking? Whatever. I was pissed. They lured me away and then attacked me. I wasn't going to let this go. Not without some very, VERY convincing reasons.

  "You really were going to kill me, weren't you?" I growled at Jake.

  "I don't answer to you," he hissed. "Fucking rogue."

  I couldn't get in another reply because Rory's restrained behavior suddenly vanished. He snarled and grabbed Jake by the neck and flipped him over to slam into the ground. "And what were my orders?"

  Whatever anger I had dissipated at this sudden show of violence. That handsome face had contorted now, wolfish teeth emerging. Anger painted his face, and his eyes glowed much more fiercely.

  Jake choked out a cry while Evan flinched, looking completely caught off guard for once. "You said... to find... and question the rogue..."

  Rory lifted him and then slammed him onto the ground again. "And if you knew your orders, why did you injure him? Why did you try to kill him!?" He repeated his attack, slamming Jake two... three more times. The woods echoed with the sound of his body hitting the earth over and over. I shuddered as I heard crunching, unsure if it was the twigs underneath the wolf or his actual bones.

  "Rory! Dude, calm down," begged Evan. "We were just doing our job! This is what we always do. You know our questioning methods usually get... tough."

  "What the...hell...is wrong... with you... Rory?!" Jake rasped out. He took a moment to cough, blood splattering onto Rory's face.

  This time, Rory paused. His nostrils flared, and his breathing was heavy. He looked up at Evan, who immediately waved his hands in surrender. A shudder spread through his body as he shut his eyes tightly and grit his teeth. After a few deep breaths, he reopened them and looked at me. His expression softened, and slowly his face reverted back to his usual handsome face. Jake fell freely back to the ground as soon as Rory released his hold on him, the other boy gasping for air.

  "Fuck, Rory. You could've broken my neck," he complained while rubbing his neck.

  "You'll heal," he deadpanned and then approached Benji, who immediately flinched when attention was put back on him. "Benji. You're Ky's friend. Could you gather his things and take them back to his home?"

  Benji gulped. "Y-yes, Alpha."

  "Do it quickly and discreetly. We can't have anymore attention on what we're doing until my father figures something out."

  "I understand. Should I go...now?"

  "Yes."

  Benji's body relaxed, released from whatever hold Rory had placed on him, too. He gave me a sympathetic glance and looked back at the others. "Don't hurt him. Please. He... He's my friend."

  "I won't let anyone else hurt him, Benji," said Rory. "You have my word."

  I don't know what it was, but what Rory said made Benji relax even more visibly. There was obviously some kind of hierarchy here that I didn't fully understand yet. But if I was hearing everything right, Jake and Evan had taken liberties with my questioning.

  "Benji, wait," I said before Benji completely disappeared. "These idiots knocked my phone somewhere in the 9th-grade wing bathroom. Could you get it for me?"

  He looked at Rory first, as if asking for permission. Something about that pissed me off. But he gave me a smile after seeing Rory nod. "I'll get your things. I'll uh... see you later, Ky."

  When I could no longer see my friend, my anxiety spiked once more. My eyes darted back to the three other wolves in front of me, preparing to take another defensive stance if I had to.

  "Evan," said Rory. "Take Jake to the clinic. Make sure he's healing fine."

  "Yes, Alpha," Evan replied. "What are you going to do?"

  Rory hesitated. He looked back at Jake and extended a hand. I had thought Jake would've been more pissed off, but he accepted the hand and got back up. "Dude, you have got to take that kind of power on the field for our next game. We'd win more if you tackled like that."

  "You know I play offense, bro," he smiled. "I'm usually the one getting tackled."

  "Whatever. You have a mean slam. Damn."

  "Do me a favor, and let your uncle know I'm heading to the hospital."

  Jake raised a brow. "Are you sure that's a good idea? Wouldn't they freak out over... him?"

  I narrowed my eyes as he looked at me. He responded by also narrowing his eyes at me. At least he didn't call me rogue this time.

  "Yeah. And if anyone else has any issues, tell them that I'm dealing with it. Understood?"

  "Yeah, yeah. I'll make sure they fall in line."

  Rory slapped him in the back, and Evan moved in to support Jake as they returned toward the school. I couldn't tell if it was just Rory or me, waiting for the sound of their footsteps to silence before either of us spoke. We didn't move, eyes just focused at where Benji and the others vanished. There was an invisible tension between us. I don't know what it was for him, but for me, it was the flood of memories of seeing him the first time at school in front of the doors... of his smiles and expressions at the lake... and even now, seeing his more feral behavior emerge. And of course, knowing that, like me, he was supernatural.

  After what felt like forever, he finally turned to me, his expression a marathon of worry, anger, guilt, and...

  He rushed me, his arms pulling me into a tight embrace. The scent of pine grew stronger, and my body automatically melted into his hold, though my arms were stiff and unsure of what to do. Return the hold? Wrap my arms around him?

  My heart was beating so fast, the sound of it pounding in my own ears. I was sure Rory could hear it too. Hell, I could hear his, and it was beating almost the same as mine. But I couldn't fully understand. He left me at the lake in disgust, right? There was no mistaking his actions. His shock. And the one person who could help me clarify this was Bleddyn, yet he remained silent.

  Rory lowered his head to my neck, taking a deep inhale that left my knees weak. "I'm sorry," he whispered into my ear. "I'll make sure no one ever hurts you again."