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Previous: "Redemption"
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Next: "Luna Llena"
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Series 1 Episode 3
"After Effects"
Having the time of her life, Lily was thrilled at how much of a success her party had been. Her parties were renown for being the best in Crystalshaw.
Even Jono’s mates seemed to be having a good time. She was concerned about allowing him to invite a few of them, but that girl, Yasmin, seemed to be having a particularly good time. A girl after her own heart – dancing with the fit boys. The other lad, whose name she didn’t know, seemed to be stood in the corner not really doing anything though. Perhaps she could show him a good time.
“Whatcha drinkin’ fella?” she queried, trying to sound as casual and cool as possible.
“It’s Drew. And I’m not thirsty,” he bluntly replied.
“Oh, come on, a little beer can’t hurt anyone,” Lily persuaded.
“I said no,” Drew scowled, before walking off.
“Rude,” Lily called after him. The cheek of it. She allowed him into her home and was nothing but polite. Still, he was better off gone. She had no time for rudeness.
All of a sudden, Lily heard screaming from the kitchen, pounding through her eardrums. In a panic, people were rushing away, and out through the front door. What had happened? Probably somebody throwing up. People were so squeamish. She was the one who had to clear it up too. The one downside of hosting parties for teenagers.
Pushing through the crowds, Lily noticed the volume of people on the run. The kitchen was emptying out rapidly – this was too big a reaction to be caused by vomit. The force of everyone rushing out was like swimming against the tide for Lily, but she pushed through, not afraid to shove people to get to her own kitchen.
She stumbled into the kitchen and was horrified by the sight lying on the tiles of her kitchen. A girl her own age, with beautiful blonde hair and an expensive-looking dress, covered in piles of blood, with horrific scratches and bite marks all over her once-perfect skin.
Even Jono’s mates seemed to be having a good time. She was concerned about allowing him to invite a few of them, but that girl, Yasmin, seemed to be having a particularly good time. A girl after her own heart – dancing with the fit boys. The other lad, whose name she didn’t know, seemed to be stood in the corner not really doing anything though. Perhaps she could show him a good time.
“Whatcha drinkin’ fella?” she queried, trying to sound as casual and cool as possible.
“It’s Drew. And I’m not thirsty,” he bluntly replied.
“Oh, come on, a little beer can’t hurt anyone,” Lily persuaded.
“I said no,” Drew scowled, before walking off.
“Rude,” Lily called after him. The cheek of it. She allowed him into her home and was nothing but polite. Still, he was better off gone. She had no time for rudeness.
All of a sudden, Lily heard screaming from the kitchen, pounding through her eardrums. In a panic, people were rushing away, and out through the front door. What had happened? Probably somebody throwing up. People were so squeamish. She was the one who had to clear it up too. The one downside of hosting parties for teenagers.
Pushing through the crowds, Lily noticed the volume of people on the run. The kitchen was emptying out rapidly – this was too big a reaction to be caused by vomit. The force of everyone rushing out was like swimming against the tide for Lily, but she pushed through, not afraid to shove people to get to her own kitchen.
She stumbled into the kitchen and was horrified by the sight lying on the tiles of her kitchen. A girl her own age, with beautiful blonde hair and an expensive-looking dress, covered in piles of blood, with horrific scratches and bite marks all over her once-perfect skin.
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Desperately trying to ignore the scent of the alpha, Dylan simply couldn’t resist Jono’s body. He adored the feel of his own bare chest over Jono’s. He felt like he was in heaven as their tongues collided together. Any chance of Dylan’s hair being remotely tidy was long since lost now that Jono’s hands had ruffled it to within an inch of its existence. It was bliss.
What’s more was that his own wolf urges were controlled, more than they ever had been up to that point. He was proud of himself, and no alpha could take that away from him.
He broke the kiss and shifted himself gently down Jono’s body, savouring the taste of his nicely toned chest. It was evident that he worked out a little, but not excessively so. Just how Dylan liked it.
As he began to unzip Jono’s trousers, he heard terrified screams coming from downstairs.
“What was that?” Jono queried, hearing it too.
“Let’s find out,” Dylan said, snapping out his enjoyment immediately and flinging his shirt back on as quickly as he could. The screams didn’t frighten him the most though. Not more than the unmistakable scent of blood from below.
Worried about all of the chaos around her, Yasmin had feared the worst. It was her immediate instinct to assume that Dylan had shifted. She hadn’t heard from him all evening, and now everyone had fled. She’d had no choice but to follow the crowd, or risk getting trampled to the ground. She didn’t fancy the idea of that.
While everyone had continued to run once they were outside, Yasmin couldn’t do the same. Dylan could be in trouble, and she wasn’t going to leave without him. She hadn’t seen him rush out, nor Jono for that matter. She had to get back inside.
The route was now clear, as everyone had filtered out and were busy spreading gossip elsewhere. Yasmin ran into the corridor and checked the living room first – not a soul in sight. The kitchen was next, and to her horror, she saw Lily, soaked in the blood of a young girl.
“Call 911,” Lily commanded as she saw Yasmin in the doorway, “Now!”
Following his nose, Dylan led Jono down the staircase cautiously. The commotion had stopped and it had gone worryingly silent. It was the alpha. It had to be. He had smelt that indescribable smell that he’d picked up two nights back. When the alpha bit him. What if he had murdered everyone and that’s why it was silent? He was almost too scared to find out. Nevertheless, he took step after step on his way downstairs, praying Jono couldn’t see how much he was shaking.
In contrast, Jono seemed relatively calm. He was breathing at a regular pace, and Dylan could even hear his heart beating. It didn’t sound particularly unusual. He wished he was that cool about everything, although he had more back knowledge than Jono did. Swings and roundabouts.
“Where is everyone?” Jono whispered, also noticing the dead silence that covered the atmosphere like a blanket.
“I don’t know,” Dylan replied. He wasn’t lying, but he felt like he was by not telling Jono about his suspicions. He couldn’t though – what would he think of him if he knew his love interest was a werewolf?
“Oh my god. Lily!” Jono panicked as he remembered his sister was downstairs. Now his heartbeat had sped up significantly. Dylan’s did too, as if the sense of terror was contagious.
“She’ll be fine, don’t worry,” Dylan squeezed Jono’s hand, offering as much comfort as he could. He sure hoped she was fine, but he wasn’t believing his own words.
Dylan continued to follow his nose, and it took him to the kitchen. Immediately, he was relieved to see Yasmin in the doorway. He rushed to her and flung his arms around her shaken body.
“What’s going on?” he asked.
“I was hoping you’d know,” Yasmin responded, her eyes gesturing to her right. Dylan glanced and saw Lily, lying on the ground with a young girl in her lap, soaked in blood.
“Lily!” Jono exclaimed, relieved she was alright. He rushed to her aid.
“Who did this?” Dylan worriedly questioned.
“I don’t know, I was worried you had,” Yasmin admitted.
“Me?” Dylan was offended by her insinuation.
“Everything Drew said earlier, and the way you’ve shifted with Jono before. Let’s face it, it’s not that unrealistic,” Yasmin reasoned.
“I guess,” Dylan hated to admit, but Yasmin had a point and he’d worried about it non-stop all night, “Is an ambulance on its way?”
“Yeah, I called 911. The sheriff will probably want to talk to us all, witnesses and everything,” Yasmin explained.
Dylan sighed. The last thing he wanted was to talk to the police. What if there were any other clues around? He had to find them before the police did.
He paid attention to his nose again. The smell of blood was strong, but he focused – it wasn’t just coming from the kitchen. It came from outside too. The same blood. He ran towards the front door, with Yasmin in pursuit.
“Dylan, what’s up?” she called after him. He didn’t respond. He just kept running, following the trail left for him, up to Jono’s treehouse. He climbed the ladder rapidly, and immediately saw the message on the wall. Cruelly written in the blood of the girl who was murdered, Dylan’s name was clear a day on the wooden wall. Next to it, a symbol had been carved. It was a circle, with a plus sign in the middle, both shapes connected directly.
“It’s him,” Dylan identified, a tone of dread in his voice, “It’s the alpha.”
School was the last thing Dylan needed the next morning. It was the last thing he needed every morning actually, especially in recent times, but more so today.
He and Yasmin were sat at their usual bench before lessons started, reflecting on the night before. Despite a reasonable night’s sleep, Dylan was struggling to piece the evidence together.
“So, the alpha was at the party? That narrows it down, we could just ask Lily for a list of everyone who attended,” Yasmin was thinking aloud.
“I don’t think Lily’s in the right frame of mind right now. Jono texted me this morning, they’re staying at a hotel down town as the house is a crime scene. Lily’s barely said a word apparently,” Dylan explained.
“What about Drew then? He knows more than he’s letting on about the alpha, I’m certain,” Yasmin suggested.
“Where did he vanish to last night? If the alpha was there, I’d have expected him to stick around. To be honest, he’s the prime suspect in my eyes,” Dylan considered. It was the most suspicious thing of all to him. Drew was there to look out for him, in a creepy-stalker-type way, but he vanished at the first sign of trouble. Why?
“Did the sheriff say anything to you?” Yasmin wondered.
As predicted, both of them had been asked to write a statement for the police, but Dylan wasn’t convinced it would help. The injuries on the girl were obviously caused by an animal, but who would believe a werewolf? The rumours going around were about mountain lions, coyotes, or even normal wolves, but nobody seemed to see whatever it was clearly. “It all happened so fast,” was all anyone was saying.
“Not really. Just that it was a serious issue and all that. I overheard a deputy on the phone to a vet though, a specialist in unusual animal attacks apparently,” Dylan recalled.
“That sounds suspicious. Like all those overly specific correspondents they have on news channels. Werewolf correspondent, here we come,” Yasmin joked.
“What if the authorities know about werewolves though?” Dylan considered, “Maybe it’s all a conspiracy.”
“The only person we know who can tell us this is Drew, and he’s AWOL,” Yasmin regretfully said, before a cheeky glint in her eye, “I know someone who could help.” She stood up, grabbing her bag. Dylan was stumped. Who could possibly help them out here?
“Where are you going?” Dylan queried.
“You’ll find out, come on!” Yasmin yelled back, not stopping to answer his questions.
First lesson had started, and Jono was struggling to focus. Thankfully, for biology they were using the computers in the library for the lesson. He could at least disguise his lack of focus.
However, despite her seemingly stone-cold exterior, Mrs. Johnson was understanding. She was aware of the police investigation and had spoken to Jono on his way in, to say that if he needed a moment outside, he could have one. Jono appreciated the kind thoughts, but he just wanted to be at home.
The night before was extremely eventful, for better and worse. He’d loved every single second with Dylan, and as far as he was concerned, the night before that was history. He was convinced that they had a real shot with each other, and he was quite sure Dylan agreed.
However, what happened afterwards was horrible. Seeing his sister soaked in the blood of one of her classmates was horrendous. Understandably, she hadn’t really said a word to him since, but that was alright. All Jono had to do was show his support for Lily. Just as she did when he came out to her a year ago. When all was said and done, he and Lily grew closer than ever, and Jono hoped it would be the same here. He was hoping she would be back to her usual self soon. She was strong inside and out.
This meant nothing when he was at school though. Lily was at home, and he couldn’t help her. Sighing, he focused back onto the project on his computer screen. An email pinged up, from account number 8467. Irritatingly, the school email system used these individual numbers only – no names involved for students. If someone forgot to write their name as they signed off, the recipient would likely have no idea who it was from. This was the subject of many teachers’ frustrations when they asked for homework to be emailed to them.
This particular email had no name at the bottom, which Jono suspected was not accidental. The message itself sent a feeling of dread through his stomach. It simply said “don’t trust your boyfriend.” At first, he felt confusion. Technically, Dylan wasn’t his boyfriend yet, they weren’t official, but furthermore, why shouldn’t he trust him? Dylan seemed very genuine.
He looked around the class to see if someone was trying to have him on, but it was hard to tell. He glanced back at the screen again and pressed the ‘x’ button in the top right-hand corner. More hassle was the last thing he needed.
Taking a left turn into the library, Dylan darted backwards all of a sudden, dragging Yasmin back too.
“What?” she asked in confusion.
“Our class is in there. Must have been a room change,” Dylan explained, “If Mrs. Johnson catches us, we’re dead.”
“You’re not in her good books right now either,” Yasmin unhelpfully reminded.
“Who do you need anyway?” Dylan still hadn’t figured it out.
“You know that sophomore who got charged for hacking his ex’s phone?” Yasmin recalled, “I think he can help us understand more.”
“That’s very optimistic of you,” Dylan was not convinced by the plan.
“Would you expect anything less?” Yasmin grinned, “Anyway, I’m sure he has had a study period at this time before.”
“You remember that?” Dylan was impressed by her recall skills.
“I have a good memory. Especially for good looking boys,” Yasmin joked.
“How the hell do we get to him then?” Dylan wondered. The basics of the plan made sense but the logistics still lacked, even he could see that.
“Leave it to me,” Yasmin looked confident in herself. Someone had to be, Dylan guessed.
Minutes later, much to Dylan’s surprise, the plan had actually succeeded. Rushing out of the library and almost into him was six-foot tall basketball player Chase. He had light shaggy blonde hair, similarly messy like Dylan’s. He didn’t stop and continued to run down the corridor.
“Wait, Chase,” Yasmin called after him.
“What? You just texted me to say my car alarm was going off. I gotta go sort it,” Chase was flustered.
“Your car is fine, for now at least. It’s you we need,” Yasmin smiled smugly. Chase’s face was a picture. He was completely baffled, and Dylan was finding it tough not to laugh.
The night kept repeating itself over and over in Lily’s mind. How she was draped in Shona’s blood. She hadn’t really spoken to her before. A different type of person ultimately – one that studied hard and never really went to parties. Lily managed to convince her to come to this party. To her death.
Lily was having such a good time partying away. How could some kind of animal even get in to her kitchen? If it were in that creepy, dark forest, it would be more understandable. It all seemed very convenient and well-timed. The creature must have been lurking. Would a wild animal really do that? Lily didn’t know. Hopefully Sheriff Taylor would get to the bottom of it.
She glanced around her hotel bedroom. It was nice, and her parents could afford a posh hotel room, which was like a mini-apartment anyway, but it didn’t mean anything to her. It wouldn’t ease her conscience. However, she did need to shower.
Lily reluctantly dragged herself out of her bed – determined to do something vaguely productive – and grabbed the silky white towel robe from the dresser opposite. Luckily, she had an en suite bathroom, so could keep her head down. Her dad insisted on working from home, to keep an eye on her, but she didn’t want to discuss it.
She slipped her nightie off, and carefully stepped into the shower. As the hose began to drip, Lily felt relaxed for the first time in a short while. The gentle stream of water felt exceptionally calming, and finally, she felt a little more like her usual self.
She glanced up to look at her reflection in the glass shower door. Horrified, she jumped back against the wall. She saw a terrifying pair of red glowing lights facing her. Eyes. She shut off her vision, convincing herself she was daydreaming.
“It’s not real Lily,” she whispered to herself. Cautiously, she opened them again. The lights had gone. What a relief. She prayed that she was right and they were a figment of her imagination, but her gut didn’t believe her…
Utilising the library down the road instead, Dylan was unsure they would convince Chase to help them out. He had been cautioned for the same action before, and Dylan had doubts that he would risk a greater punishment.
Yasmin had explained on the way, and she used her brilliant way with words to make it sounds like the offer of a lifetime, not to be missed. Chase didn’t look convinced though, and Dylan could hardly blame him.
“You know this is illegal, right?” Chase tried to worm his way out.
“Yup but needs must. You’re doing us and many others a favour. If he is hiding something, then we need to know about it,” Yasmin debated.
“Can’t you just ask him?” Chase continued.
“You think we haven’t thought of that?” Yasmin gave as good as she got, pulling a sad, despaired face. Chase sighed and pulled up the web browser.
“What’s the phone number?” he asked attentively.
Sprinting out of the shower as she wrapped her towel robe around herself, Lily knew she had to get out of there. She was more than just a little freaked out by what she had seen. She wanted to tell someone. Dad was outside, but no, he wouldn’t believe a word of it. As much as she was “daddy’s little angel,”, even at eighteen years old, he would never believe something so strange.
Jono would, though. She picked her phone up from the bedside table and quickly called Jono.
“Hi, I need you to come here, now,” she spoke fast – panicked and very flustered.
“These are all his texts?” Dylan spoke with a tone of disappointment.
“Yup, did you see what you’re looking for?” Chase questioned. Dylan read the list of texts on the screen again, and then a third time. There was absolutely nothing of note. No mention of the alpha, or anything werewolf related at all. Only texts to and from his basketball friends at school.
He kept re-reading the list, in case he had missed a detail, as if something would magically appear.
“Well, we can rule some stuff out,” Yasmin phrased Dylan’s disappointment diplomatically.
“He must have a spare phone. This is way too clean,” Dylan wasn’t accepting what was before his eyes.
“We’re done here,” Yasmin stood up and yanked Dylan by his t-shirt, “Thanks Chase.” She gave a charming smile to him. Dylan was irritated though. He wanted the scoop, to finally have the upper hand on Drew, but the texts gave him nothing to go on.
“Calm it down,” Yasmin whispered harshly on their way out. This wasn’t helping Dylan. The more he thought about it, the more frustrated he got. He felt his claws dig into his hands. He’d shifted again.
“Oh boy,” Yasmin was scared. She hadn’t seen Dylan shift whilst on her own before. When he had shifted last time, he wasn’t himself. He was much more vicious and didn’t seem to recognise her. While she hated to admit it, she found Drew’s words believable. Dylan could kill.
She took action immediately and shoved him into the toilets behind him. Nobody could see this, that’s all she knew for certain. Dylan had fully shifted now. His eyes were that fearsome shade of yellow, and he was much hairier than normal, which was saying something. He bared his fangs at her, as if he were eyeing her up for lunch.
“Dylan, I know you’re in there,” she tried to win him over, much like Drew did the day before, “It’s me, it’s Yasmin, I know you don’t wanna hurt me.”
He didn’t take any notice. He lunged for her, as Yasmin instinctively backed herself against the wall and shielded her face. She braced herself for pain, but shockingly, the next thing she heard was “New Rules,” by Dua Lipa. She peeked through her hands. Almost like magic, Dylan had shifted back, and had answered a call.
“Woah Jono, slow down,” he said, listening carefully. It all made sense to Yasmin suddenly. Jono had brought him back again.
“Alright, we’ll be right there,” Dylan finished the call. Yasmin stared at him, regaining her breath.
“Saved by Dua Lipa. That’s a new one,” Yasmin laughed.
“I’m sorry, I lost control. I didn’t want to hurt you, I just…I couldn’t help it,” Dylan looked disheartened, before considering the song, “That’s my personal ringtone for Jono. I knew he needed me, so I managed to snap out of it again.”
“Progress,” Yasmin commented, “What’s the issue?”
“I’ll tell you on the way. Let’s go,” Dylan proactively responded, as he rushed out of the toilets. Yasmin followed – relieved she made it out in one piece. Almost being torn apart in the boys’ toilets was not her finest moment.
When Dylan and Yasmin arrived at the hotel apartment, Jono was relieved. He had been worrying all day about Lily, and she had just confirmed that his fears were not unfounded. Coming home after a distressed phone call to hear her complaints of seeing glowing red eyes? That was a cause for concern to say the least. If nothing else, he needed Dylan for moral support.
“Who’s this?” Jono’s dad questioned as he escorted Dylan and Yasmin through to Lily’s room.
“Just some friends,” Jono flippantly responded. He wasn’t technically lying, but obviously he and Dylan were more than that. He didn’t want his dad to know anything like that though. They weren’t as close as they used to be. Perhaps it was part of being a teenager, but his secret about being gay was like a huge barrier between him and his parents. He heard Dylan awkwardly say “hi,” to his dad. That was a nice sign – a good first impression was important.
Once they were all inside Lily’s room, Jono gently closed the door for privacy.
“Lily, I brought Dylan over, I hope that’s alright,” Jono spoke softly. He was careful to be gentle, without being patronising.
“I guess, although I don’t know what anyone can do,” Lily answered pessimistically.
“Lily, you said you saw red eyes,” Dylan began, “Did you see anything else?”
“No, just the eyes. The condensation blocked anything else,” Lily replied, “Do you believe me?”
“Yes,” Dylan replied without hesitation. This brought a smile to Jono’s face. It was heart-warming to see Dylan being so gentle with Lily.
Although he was making the effort to appear calm, Dylan was anything but. Red glowing eyes? That rang massive alarm bells in his mind. His own eyes glowed just like she described, only in yellow. Maybe this was the alpha? Maybe every werewolf had a different colour eyes? He hadn’t seen Drew’s yet to confirm or deny.
Regardless though, he had to put on a front for Jono. Any slight slip that might suggest he knew more could mean he loses Jono for good. That couldn’t happen. He didn’t want to lie though. He did believe Lily and didn’t want to make her out to be crazy, like most would in his place.
Jono tapped him on the shoulder, and curled his index finger, commanding him to follow. Jono led the way into the en suite and closed the door after them both.
“Thank you,” Jono said, keeping his voice low.
“What for?” Dylan knew he was just doing what any friend would.
“For confirming I’m not crazy for believing Lily,” Jono explained, “She doesn’t lie to me. She saw those eyes, I know it.”
“I know. We’ll get to the bottom of it,” Dylan reassured Jono. He smiled in return, appreciative of the comfort.
“Oh, while we’re here. This may seem like a weird time, but I don’t want to put it off any longer. I’ve been thinking,” Jono changed the topic, “About us. I might be alone in this, but I want to be with you. Long term, not just a fling.”
“I want that too,” Dylan smiled with glee.
“You do?” Jono almost seemed surprised, “Did you wanna…you know…make it official?”
Dylan’s heart was pounding with excitement. This is all he had thought about since he first laid eyes on Jono.
“I do,” Dylan grinned, “I hate all this official nonsense, when did things become so complicated? But yes, I want nothing more.” He leaned in for a kiss. He missed the feel of Jono’s lips every time they were apart. This was a welcome break from the chaos elsewhere in his life recently.
“Oh, I almost forgot,” Jono broke the kiss, with something urgent on his mind, “I got this weird email earlier. I don’t know who it was from, they left their name out.”
“Why does this not sound like a random act of kindness from a stranger?” Dylan sensed the tone.
“He said not trust you,” Jono gravely said.
“Me? Why?” Dylan was baffled, but not for the reasons Jono would suspect. Sure, he was keeping something from Jono. Something massive. But nobody else knew about this.
“I don’t know. You’ll be glad I’m not taking any notice of it,” Jono laughed.
“Too right,” Dylan awkwardly giggled, “Look, I know where we can find out who sent it. Let’s go.”
Left alone with Yasmin, Lily was feeling more reserved. She hadn’t really met Yasmin before the party, when she rang 911 for her. She was very grateful for that but wasn’t really sure how to break the ice.
“They’re cute, don’t you think?” Yasmin gossiped about the boys. Lily smiled. Good approach. Ignore last night entirely and get to the actual important stuff.
“Mega cute. Dylan is Jono’s first boyfriend, I feel so proud,” Lily felt the ache of her heart fade and be replaced with immense joy.
“When did he come out to you?” Yasmin asked curiously.
“About a year ago. He burst into tears and told me he had a secret. I said I was happy for him, but less happy that he’d cried a river all over my favourite top,” Lily reminisced, giggling at the memories. Yasmin appreciated the anecdote too.
“Dylan only told me a couple of days ago,” Yasmin added. Lily noticed that she sounded disappointed.
“Hey, people come out at different times. You’re all still very young,” Lily felt like Yasmin was the younger sister she had never had in that moment.
“I suppose, but I get the sense that he knew long before. I just wish he didn’t feel the need to hide it from me,” Yasmin confessed.
“I get it,” Lily noted, “As long as you’re there for him now though, that’s what matters.” Yasmin smiled a friendly smile. She appreciated the chat. Lily was always great at giving advice, she felt like the agony aunt of her friendship group.
The en suite door then clicked open, and Dylan rushed off, not stopping to explain.
“We’ll be back soon,” Jono justified as he followed behind, “Just need to check something out.” The door slammed shut behind them.
“Well that was a thing,” Lily laughed at the abruptness.
As soon as Jono’s car pulled up outside the school, Dylan raced out of his seat and into the reception area. He knew Mrs. Langston, who worked there in the mornings, very well. She was friendly to him as he arrived every day and brought him a cup of tea when he felt like throwing up a couple of weeks back. Would that even happen again? His body could heal, maybe this applied to infections and viruses too.
“Good morning Dylan, how can I help you?” Mrs. Langston smiled kindly, just as she always did.
“Hi Mrs. Langston. I was wondering if you wouldn’t mind doing me a favour please?” Dylan ensured he was as polite as possible.
“Anything for you, my dear,” she responded.
“I got an email from someone and they left their name out, could you please tell me whose number it is?” Dylan kindly asked, “It’s 8467.” Mrs. Langston typed the number into the school system, where all their records were kept.
“Ah, that belongs to one of your classmates, Drew Marsden,” Mrs. Langston announced.
“Thank you,” Dylan said, trying to hide the pure shock and confusion he felt. He ferried Jono out of the building.
“What does he want with us?” Jono was baffled too.
“Leave it with me,” Dylan masked his frustration, putting on a brave front, “I’ll sort it.”
Yasmin was enjoying getting to know Lily better. She had assumed they would never really get along – two very different types of people, separated by two years – but they were talking like best friends. All of the usual things anyone would gossip about. Mutual friends, celebrities, teachers at school, though it always looped back to Dylan and Jono. It was natural, she guessed, as they were the glue between her and Lily.
“Do you think they’ll last?” Yasmin pondered.
“Hard to tell with young love. None of mine did, but this seems different,” Lily considered, “I don’t think Jono is the type to have a run of boyfriends.”
“Nor Dylan, he’s always kept himself to himself,” Yasmin noted.
Instantly after she finished her sentence, something huge smashed through the windows. Yasmin jumped back, startled and trying to cover her eyes from the shards of shattered glass.
Gathering itself, the creature eyed them both up. Yasmin got a good look at it – brown, almost double her size, ad it had those fearsome red eyes that Lily described. She looked to Lily, who was trying to open the door, but in all the commotion, the dresser had been knocked over and its heavy weight was blocking any chance of escape.
“It’s back, oh my god,” Lily cried out. Yasmin stared it back in the eye, “Come on then alpha, show me what you got,” she spoke confidently, hiding the fear inside. She watched as it raised its huge arm, ready to attack.
Chucking his bag onto his bed, Dylan was not wasting time. There was one way he could summon Drew. It was risky, and other people were bound to take notice too, but it was a special skill only he, Drew and the alpha could do.
He stood at his window, and without a second thought, he attempted a howl. As he did it, he felt pathetic. The howl was a damp squib, barely audible fifty feet away let alone wherever Drew was. He was just pleased nobody was around to hear that. He needed to channel the wolf inside.
The problem was, he still didn’t know how. He seemed to shift when he was angry, that much was clear, but he had also shifted when making out with Jono. What caused it that time? This is why he needed answers from Drew. Wherever he was, Dylan had to summon him.
He closed his eyes and concentrated. The wolf was inside him, he just needed to focus.
Please, he begged himself, please help me. He then opened his eyes, and emitted a deep, loud growl. The vibrations ripped from his mouth out to the forest below, and they kept going.
He did it. Dylan was delighted and felt a sense of pride rush through his body. Now he had to wait.
What’s more was that his own wolf urges were controlled, more than they ever had been up to that point. He was proud of himself, and no alpha could take that away from him.
He broke the kiss and shifted himself gently down Jono’s body, savouring the taste of his nicely toned chest. It was evident that he worked out a little, but not excessively so. Just how Dylan liked it.
As he began to unzip Jono’s trousers, he heard terrified screams coming from downstairs.
“What was that?” Jono queried, hearing it too.
“Let’s find out,” Dylan said, snapping out his enjoyment immediately and flinging his shirt back on as quickly as he could. The screams didn’t frighten him the most though. Not more than the unmistakable scent of blood from below.
Worried about all of the chaos around her, Yasmin had feared the worst. It was her immediate instinct to assume that Dylan had shifted. She hadn’t heard from him all evening, and now everyone had fled. She’d had no choice but to follow the crowd, or risk getting trampled to the ground. She didn’t fancy the idea of that.
While everyone had continued to run once they were outside, Yasmin couldn’t do the same. Dylan could be in trouble, and she wasn’t going to leave without him. She hadn’t seen him rush out, nor Jono for that matter. She had to get back inside.
The route was now clear, as everyone had filtered out and were busy spreading gossip elsewhere. Yasmin ran into the corridor and checked the living room first – not a soul in sight. The kitchen was next, and to her horror, she saw Lily, soaked in the blood of a young girl.
“Call 911,” Lily commanded as she saw Yasmin in the doorway, “Now!”
Following his nose, Dylan led Jono down the staircase cautiously. The commotion had stopped and it had gone worryingly silent. It was the alpha. It had to be. He had smelt that indescribable smell that he’d picked up two nights back. When the alpha bit him. What if he had murdered everyone and that’s why it was silent? He was almost too scared to find out. Nevertheless, he took step after step on his way downstairs, praying Jono couldn’t see how much he was shaking.
In contrast, Jono seemed relatively calm. He was breathing at a regular pace, and Dylan could even hear his heart beating. It didn’t sound particularly unusual. He wished he was that cool about everything, although he had more back knowledge than Jono did. Swings and roundabouts.
“Where is everyone?” Jono whispered, also noticing the dead silence that covered the atmosphere like a blanket.
“I don’t know,” Dylan replied. He wasn’t lying, but he felt like he was by not telling Jono about his suspicions. He couldn’t though – what would he think of him if he knew his love interest was a werewolf?
“Oh my god. Lily!” Jono panicked as he remembered his sister was downstairs. Now his heartbeat had sped up significantly. Dylan’s did too, as if the sense of terror was contagious.
“She’ll be fine, don’t worry,” Dylan squeezed Jono’s hand, offering as much comfort as he could. He sure hoped she was fine, but he wasn’t believing his own words.
Dylan continued to follow his nose, and it took him to the kitchen. Immediately, he was relieved to see Yasmin in the doorway. He rushed to her and flung his arms around her shaken body.
“What’s going on?” he asked.
“I was hoping you’d know,” Yasmin responded, her eyes gesturing to her right. Dylan glanced and saw Lily, lying on the ground with a young girl in her lap, soaked in blood.
“Lily!” Jono exclaimed, relieved she was alright. He rushed to her aid.
“Who did this?” Dylan worriedly questioned.
“I don’t know, I was worried you had,” Yasmin admitted.
“Me?” Dylan was offended by her insinuation.
“Everything Drew said earlier, and the way you’ve shifted with Jono before. Let’s face it, it’s not that unrealistic,” Yasmin reasoned.
“I guess,” Dylan hated to admit, but Yasmin had a point and he’d worried about it non-stop all night, “Is an ambulance on its way?”
“Yeah, I called 911. The sheriff will probably want to talk to us all, witnesses and everything,” Yasmin explained.
Dylan sighed. The last thing he wanted was to talk to the police. What if there were any other clues around? He had to find them before the police did.
He paid attention to his nose again. The smell of blood was strong, but he focused – it wasn’t just coming from the kitchen. It came from outside too. The same blood. He ran towards the front door, with Yasmin in pursuit.
“Dylan, what’s up?” she called after him. He didn’t respond. He just kept running, following the trail left for him, up to Jono’s treehouse. He climbed the ladder rapidly, and immediately saw the message on the wall. Cruelly written in the blood of the girl who was murdered, Dylan’s name was clear a day on the wooden wall. Next to it, a symbol had been carved. It was a circle, with a plus sign in the middle, both shapes connected directly.
“It’s him,” Dylan identified, a tone of dread in his voice, “It’s the alpha.”
School was the last thing Dylan needed the next morning. It was the last thing he needed every morning actually, especially in recent times, but more so today.
He and Yasmin were sat at their usual bench before lessons started, reflecting on the night before. Despite a reasonable night’s sleep, Dylan was struggling to piece the evidence together.
“So, the alpha was at the party? That narrows it down, we could just ask Lily for a list of everyone who attended,” Yasmin was thinking aloud.
“I don’t think Lily’s in the right frame of mind right now. Jono texted me this morning, they’re staying at a hotel down town as the house is a crime scene. Lily’s barely said a word apparently,” Dylan explained.
“What about Drew then? He knows more than he’s letting on about the alpha, I’m certain,” Yasmin suggested.
“Where did he vanish to last night? If the alpha was there, I’d have expected him to stick around. To be honest, he’s the prime suspect in my eyes,” Dylan considered. It was the most suspicious thing of all to him. Drew was there to look out for him, in a creepy-stalker-type way, but he vanished at the first sign of trouble. Why?
“Did the sheriff say anything to you?” Yasmin wondered.
As predicted, both of them had been asked to write a statement for the police, but Dylan wasn’t convinced it would help. The injuries on the girl were obviously caused by an animal, but who would believe a werewolf? The rumours going around were about mountain lions, coyotes, or even normal wolves, but nobody seemed to see whatever it was clearly. “It all happened so fast,” was all anyone was saying.
“Not really. Just that it was a serious issue and all that. I overheard a deputy on the phone to a vet though, a specialist in unusual animal attacks apparently,” Dylan recalled.
“That sounds suspicious. Like all those overly specific correspondents they have on news channels. Werewolf correspondent, here we come,” Yasmin joked.
“What if the authorities know about werewolves though?” Dylan considered, “Maybe it’s all a conspiracy.”
“The only person we know who can tell us this is Drew, and he’s AWOL,” Yasmin regretfully said, before a cheeky glint in her eye, “I know someone who could help.” She stood up, grabbing her bag. Dylan was stumped. Who could possibly help them out here?
“Where are you going?” Dylan queried.
“You’ll find out, come on!” Yasmin yelled back, not stopping to answer his questions.
First lesson had started, and Jono was struggling to focus. Thankfully, for biology they were using the computers in the library for the lesson. He could at least disguise his lack of focus.
However, despite her seemingly stone-cold exterior, Mrs. Johnson was understanding. She was aware of the police investigation and had spoken to Jono on his way in, to say that if he needed a moment outside, he could have one. Jono appreciated the kind thoughts, but he just wanted to be at home.
The night before was extremely eventful, for better and worse. He’d loved every single second with Dylan, and as far as he was concerned, the night before that was history. He was convinced that they had a real shot with each other, and he was quite sure Dylan agreed.
However, what happened afterwards was horrible. Seeing his sister soaked in the blood of one of her classmates was horrendous. Understandably, she hadn’t really said a word to him since, but that was alright. All Jono had to do was show his support for Lily. Just as she did when he came out to her a year ago. When all was said and done, he and Lily grew closer than ever, and Jono hoped it would be the same here. He was hoping she would be back to her usual self soon. She was strong inside and out.
This meant nothing when he was at school though. Lily was at home, and he couldn’t help her. Sighing, he focused back onto the project on his computer screen. An email pinged up, from account number 8467. Irritatingly, the school email system used these individual numbers only – no names involved for students. If someone forgot to write their name as they signed off, the recipient would likely have no idea who it was from. This was the subject of many teachers’ frustrations when they asked for homework to be emailed to them.
This particular email had no name at the bottom, which Jono suspected was not accidental. The message itself sent a feeling of dread through his stomach. It simply said “don’t trust your boyfriend.” At first, he felt confusion. Technically, Dylan wasn’t his boyfriend yet, they weren’t official, but furthermore, why shouldn’t he trust him? Dylan seemed very genuine.
He looked around the class to see if someone was trying to have him on, but it was hard to tell. He glanced back at the screen again and pressed the ‘x’ button in the top right-hand corner. More hassle was the last thing he needed.
Taking a left turn into the library, Dylan darted backwards all of a sudden, dragging Yasmin back too.
“What?” she asked in confusion.
“Our class is in there. Must have been a room change,” Dylan explained, “If Mrs. Johnson catches us, we’re dead.”
“You’re not in her good books right now either,” Yasmin unhelpfully reminded.
“Who do you need anyway?” Dylan still hadn’t figured it out.
“You know that sophomore who got charged for hacking his ex’s phone?” Yasmin recalled, “I think he can help us understand more.”
“That’s very optimistic of you,” Dylan was not convinced by the plan.
“Would you expect anything less?” Yasmin grinned, “Anyway, I’m sure he has had a study period at this time before.”
“You remember that?” Dylan was impressed by her recall skills.
“I have a good memory. Especially for good looking boys,” Yasmin joked.
“How the hell do we get to him then?” Dylan wondered. The basics of the plan made sense but the logistics still lacked, even he could see that.
“Leave it to me,” Yasmin looked confident in herself. Someone had to be, Dylan guessed.
Minutes later, much to Dylan’s surprise, the plan had actually succeeded. Rushing out of the library and almost into him was six-foot tall basketball player Chase. He had light shaggy blonde hair, similarly messy like Dylan’s. He didn’t stop and continued to run down the corridor.
“Wait, Chase,” Yasmin called after him.
“What? You just texted me to say my car alarm was going off. I gotta go sort it,” Chase was flustered.
“Your car is fine, for now at least. It’s you we need,” Yasmin smiled smugly. Chase’s face was a picture. He was completely baffled, and Dylan was finding it tough not to laugh.
The night kept repeating itself over and over in Lily’s mind. How she was draped in Shona’s blood. She hadn’t really spoken to her before. A different type of person ultimately – one that studied hard and never really went to parties. Lily managed to convince her to come to this party. To her death.
Lily was having such a good time partying away. How could some kind of animal even get in to her kitchen? If it were in that creepy, dark forest, it would be more understandable. It all seemed very convenient and well-timed. The creature must have been lurking. Would a wild animal really do that? Lily didn’t know. Hopefully Sheriff Taylor would get to the bottom of it.
She glanced around her hotel bedroom. It was nice, and her parents could afford a posh hotel room, which was like a mini-apartment anyway, but it didn’t mean anything to her. It wouldn’t ease her conscience. However, she did need to shower.
Lily reluctantly dragged herself out of her bed – determined to do something vaguely productive – and grabbed the silky white towel robe from the dresser opposite. Luckily, she had an en suite bathroom, so could keep her head down. Her dad insisted on working from home, to keep an eye on her, but she didn’t want to discuss it.
She slipped her nightie off, and carefully stepped into the shower. As the hose began to drip, Lily felt relaxed for the first time in a short while. The gentle stream of water felt exceptionally calming, and finally, she felt a little more like her usual self.
She glanced up to look at her reflection in the glass shower door. Horrified, she jumped back against the wall. She saw a terrifying pair of red glowing lights facing her. Eyes. She shut off her vision, convincing herself she was daydreaming.
“It’s not real Lily,” she whispered to herself. Cautiously, she opened them again. The lights had gone. What a relief. She prayed that she was right and they were a figment of her imagination, but her gut didn’t believe her…
Utilising the library down the road instead, Dylan was unsure they would convince Chase to help them out. He had been cautioned for the same action before, and Dylan had doubts that he would risk a greater punishment.
Yasmin had explained on the way, and she used her brilliant way with words to make it sounds like the offer of a lifetime, not to be missed. Chase didn’t look convinced though, and Dylan could hardly blame him.
“You know this is illegal, right?” Chase tried to worm his way out.
“Yup but needs must. You’re doing us and many others a favour. If he is hiding something, then we need to know about it,” Yasmin debated.
“Can’t you just ask him?” Chase continued.
“You think we haven’t thought of that?” Yasmin gave as good as she got, pulling a sad, despaired face. Chase sighed and pulled up the web browser.
“What’s the phone number?” he asked attentively.
Sprinting out of the shower as she wrapped her towel robe around herself, Lily knew she had to get out of there. She was more than just a little freaked out by what she had seen. She wanted to tell someone. Dad was outside, but no, he wouldn’t believe a word of it. As much as she was “daddy’s little angel,”, even at eighteen years old, he would never believe something so strange.
Jono would, though. She picked her phone up from the bedside table and quickly called Jono.
“Hi, I need you to come here, now,” she spoke fast – panicked and very flustered.
“These are all his texts?” Dylan spoke with a tone of disappointment.
“Yup, did you see what you’re looking for?” Chase questioned. Dylan read the list of texts on the screen again, and then a third time. There was absolutely nothing of note. No mention of the alpha, or anything werewolf related at all. Only texts to and from his basketball friends at school.
He kept re-reading the list, in case he had missed a detail, as if something would magically appear.
“Well, we can rule some stuff out,” Yasmin phrased Dylan’s disappointment diplomatically.
“He must have a spare phone. This is way too clean,” Dylan wasn’t accepting what was before his eyes.
“We’re done here,” Yasmin stood up and yanked Dylan by his t-shirt, “Thanks Chase.” She gave a charming smile to him. Dylan was irritated though. He wanted the scoop, to finally have the upper hand on Drew, but the texts gave him nothing to go on.
“Calm it down,” Yasmin whispered harshly on their way out. This wasn’t helping Dylan. The more he thought about it, the more frustrated he got. He felt his claws dig into his hands. He’d shifted again.
“Oh boy,” Yasmin was scared. She hadn’t seen Dylan shift whilst on her own before. When he had shifted last time, he wasn’t himself. He was much more vicious and didn’t seem to recognise her. While she hated to admit it, she found Drew’s words believable. Dylan could kill.
She took action immediately and shoved him into the toilets behind him. Nobody could see this, that’s all she knew for certain. Dylan had fully shifted now. His eyes were that fearsome shade of yellow, and he was much hairier than normal, which was saying something. He bared his fangs at her, as if he were eyeing her up for lunch.
“Dylan, I know you’re in there,” she tried to win him over, much like Drew did the day before, “It’s me, it’s Yasmin, I know you don’t wanna hurt me.”
He didn’t take any notice. He lunged for her, as Yasmin instinctively backed herself against the wall and shielded her face. She braced herself for pain, but shockingly, the next thing she heard was “New Rules,” by Dua Lipa. She peeked through her hands. Almost like magic, Dylan had shifted back, and had answered a call.
“Woah Jono, slow down,” he said, listening carefully. It all made sense to Yasmin suddenly. Jono had brought him back again.
“Alright, we’ll be right there,” Dylan finished the call. Yasmin stared at him, regaining her breath.
“Saved by Dua Lipa. That’s a new one,” Yasmin laughed.
“I’m sorry, I lost control. I didn’t want to hurt you, I just…I couldn’t help it,” Dylan looked disheartened, before considering the song, “That’s my personal ringtone for Jono. I knew he needed me, so I managed to snap out of it again.”
“Progress,” Yasmin commented, “What’s the issue?”
“I’ll tell you on the way. Let’s go,” Dylan proactively responded, as he rushed out of the toilets. Yasmin followed – relieved she made it out in one piece. Almost being torn apart in the boys’ toilets was not her finest moment.
When Dylan and Yasmin arrived at the hotel apartment, Jono was relieved. He had been worrying all day about Lily, and she had just confirmed that his fears were not unfounded. Coming home after a distressed phone call to hear her complaints of seeing glowing red eyes? That was a cause for concern to say the least. If nothing else, he needed Dylan for moral support.
“Who’s this?” Jono’s dad questioned as he escorted Dylan and Yasmin through to Lily’s room.
“Just some friends,” Jono flippantly responded. He wasn’t technically lying, but obviously he and Dylan were more than that. He didn’t want his dad to know anything like that though. They weren’t as close as they used to be. Perhaps it was part of being a teenager, but his secret about being gay was like a huge barrier between him and his parents. He heard Dylan awkwardly say “hi,” to his dad. That was a nice sign – a good first impression was important.
Once they were all inside Lily’s room, Jono gently closed the door for privacy.
“Lily, I brought Dylan over, I hope that’s alright,” Jono spoke softly. He was careful to be gentle, without being patronising.
“I guess, although I don’t know what anyone can do,” Lily answered pessimistically.
“Lily, you said you saw red eyes,” Dylan began, “Did you see anything else?”
“No, just the eyes. The condensation blocked anything else,” Lily replied, “Do you believe me?”
“Yes,” Dylan replied without hesitation. This brought a smile to Jono’s face. It was heart-warming to see Dylan being so gentle with Lily.
Although he was making the effort to appear calm, Dylan was anything but. Red glowing eyes? That rang massive alarm bells in his mind. His own eyes glowed just like she described, only in yellow. Maybe this was the alpha? Maybe every werewolf had a different colour eyes? He hadn’t seen Drew’s yet to confirm or deny.
Regardless though, he had to put on a front for Jono. Any slight slip that might suggest he knew more could mean he loses Jono for good. That couldn’t happen. He didn’t want to lie though. He did believe Lily and didn’t want to make her out to be crazy, like most would in his place.
Jono tapped him on the shoulder, and curled his index finger, commanding him to follow. Jono led the way into the en suite and closed the door after them both.
“Thank you,” Jono said, keeping his voice low.
“What for?” Dylan knew he was just doing what any friend would.
“For confirming I’m not crazy for believing Lily,” Jono explained, “She doesn’t lie to me. She saw those eyes, I know it.”
“I know. We’ll get to the bottom of it,” Dylan reassured Jono. He smiled in return, appreciative of the comfort.
“Oh, while we’re here. This may seem like a weird time, but I don’t want to put it off any longer. I’ve been thinking,” Jono changed the topic, “About us. I might be alone in this, but I want to be with you. Long term, not just a fling.”
“I want that too,” Dylan smiled with glee.
“You do?” Jono almost seemed surprised, “Did you wanna…you know…make it official?”
Dylan’s heart was pounding with excitement. This is all he had thought about since he first laid eyes on Jono.
“I do,” Dylan grinned, “I hate all this official nonsense, when did things become so complicated? But yes, I want nothing more.” He leaned in for a kiss. He missed the feel of Jono’s lips every time they were apart. This was a welcome break from the chaos elsewhere in his life recently.
“Oh, I almost forgot,” Jono broke the kiss, with something urgent on his mind, “I got this weird email earlier. I don’t know who it was from, they left their name out.”
“Why does this not sound like a random act of kindness from a stranger?” Dylan sensed the tone.
“He said not trust you,” Jono gravely said.
“Me? Why?” Dylan was baffled, but not for the reasons Jono would suspect. Sure, he was keeping something from Jono. Something massive. But nobody else knew about this.
“I don’t know. You’ll be glad I’m not taking any notice of it,” Jono laughed.
“Too right,” Dylan awkwardly giggled, “Look, I know where we can find out who sent it. Let’s go.”
Left alone with Yasmin, Lily was feeling more reserved. She hadn’t really met Yasmin before the party, when she rang 911 for her. She was very grateful for that but wasn’t really sure how to break the ice.
“They’re cute, don’t you think?” Yasmin gossiped about the boys. Lily smiled. Good approach. Ignore last night entirely and get to the actual important stuff.
“Mega cute. Dylan is Jono’s first boyfriend, I feel so proud,” Lily felt the ache of her heart fade and be replaced with immense joy.
“When did he come out to you?” Yasmin asked curiously.
“About a year ago. He burst into tears and told me he had a secret. I said I was happy for him, but less happy that he’d cried a river all over my favourite top,” Lily reminisced, giggling at the memories. Yasmin appreciated the anecdote too.
“Dylan only told me a couple of days ago,” Yasmin added. Lily noticed that she sounded disappointed.
“Hey, people come out at different times. You’re all still very young,” Lily felt like Yasmin was the younger sister she had never had in that moment.
“I suppose, but I get the sense that he knew long before. I just wish he didn’t feel the need to hide it from me,” Yasmin confessed.
“I get it,” Lily noted, “As long as you’re there for him now though, that’s what matters.” Yasmin smiled a friendly smile. She appreciated the chat. Lily was always great at giving advice, she felt like the agony aunt of her friendship group.
The en suite door then clicked open, and Dylan rushed off, not stopping to explain.
“We’ll be back soon,” Jono justified as he followed behind, “Just need to check something out.” The door slammed shut behind them.
“Well that was a thing,” Lily laughed at the abruptness.
As soon as Jono’s car pulled up outside the school, Dylan raced out of his seat and into the reception area. He knew Mrs. Langston, who worked there in the mornings, very well. She was friendly to him as he arrived every day and brought him a cup of tea when he felt like throwing up a couple of weeks back. Would that even happen again? His body could heal, maybe this applied to infections and viruses too.
“Good morning Dylan, how can I help you?” Mrs. Langston smiled kindly, just as she always did.
“Hi Mrs. Langston. I was wondering if you wouldn’t mind doing me a favour please?” Dylan ensured he was as polite as possible.
“Anything for you, my dear,” she responded.
“I got an email from someone and they left their name out, could you please tell me whose number it is?” Dylan kindly asked, “It’s 8467.” Mrs. Langston typed the number into the school system, where all their records were kept.
“Ah, that belongs to one of your classmates, Drew Marsden,” Mrs. Langston announced.
“Thank you,” Dylan said, trying to hide the pure shock and confusion he felt. He ferried Jono out of the building.
“What does he want with us?” Jono was baffled too.
“Leave it with me,” Dylan masked his frustration, putting on a brave front, “I’ll sort it.”
Yasmin was enjoying getting to know Lily better. She had assumed they would never really get along – two very different types of people, separated by two years – but they were talking like best friends. All of the usual things anyone would gossip about. Mutual friends, celebrities, teachers at school, though it always looped back to Dylan and Jono. It was natural, she guessed, as they were the glue between her and Lily.
“Do you think they’ll last?” Yasmin pondered.
“Hard to tell with young love. None of mine did, but this seems different,” Lily considered, “I don’t think Jono is the type to have a run of boyfriends.”
“Nor Dylan, he’s always kept himself to himself,” Yasmin noted.
Instantly after she finished her sentence, something huge smashed through the windows. Yasmin jumped back, startled and trying to cover her eyes from the shards of shattered glass.
Gathering itself, the creature eyed them both up. Yasmin got a good look at it – brown, almost double her size, ad it had those fearsome red eyes that Lily described. She looked to Lily, who was trying to open the door, but in all the commotion, the dresser had been knocked over and its heavy weight was blocking any chance of escape.
“It’s back, oh my god,” Lily cried out. Yasmin stared it back in the eye, “Come on then alpha, show me what you got,” she spoke confidently, hiding the fear inside. She watched as it raised its huge arm, ready to attack.
Chucking his bag onto his bed, Dylan was not wasting time. There was one way he could summon Drew. It was risky, and other people were bound to take notice too, but it was a special skill only he, Drew and the alpha could do.
He stood at his window, and without a second thought, he attempted a howl. As he did it, he felt pathetic. The howl was a damp squib, barely audible fifty feet away let alone wherever Drew was. He was just pleased nobody was around to hear that. He needed to channel the wolf inside.
The problem was, he still didn’t know how. He seemed to shift when he was angry, that much was clear, but he had also shifted when making out with Jono. What caused it that time? This is why he needed answers from Drew. Wherever he was, Dylan had to summon him.
He closed his eyes and concentrated. The wolf was inside him, he just needed to focus.
Please, he begged himself, please help me. He then opened his eyes, and emitted a deep, loud growl. The vibrations ripped from his mouth out to the forest below, and they kept going.
He did it. Dylan was delighted and felt a sense of pride rush through his body. Now he had to wait.