Series 9 Episode 7
"Territory"
Feeling the bright sunlight shining on his face, Jono began to stir. He’d slept like a baby, and after the day he’d had, that was no surprise. Emotions ran high and he was emotionally and physically exhausted, but not half as much as Dylan.
The night they’d spent together was all kinds of wonderful, though. They’d snuggled for most of the night, talking about anything and everything. If Jono had his way, he’d spend every day just like that. Dylan was all he needed.
Dylan was still fast asleep. Jono gently twirled his finger around Dylan’s untamed locks of hair. It was the most relaxing thing to do, and after all, Dylan barely had his hands out of Jono’s curls usually. It was a surprisingly therapeutic thing to do, and it eased any of Jono’s concerns.
After all, he was somewhat concerned. Concerned about Dylan. He had so much on his plate. Not only the grief of losing his dad all over again, but the whole situation with Summer. Making sure Freddie was okay. College work. Anybody would find that overwhelming, and Dylan was no different. Jono couldn’t help being protective, and he knew Dylan would feel just the same in his shoes.
Jono glanced at the time on his phone. Eight o’clock. They had a lecture at nine. Unfortunately, he had to break Dylan’s slumber, but gently. Jono slid out of bed and glanced out of the window. They had a gorgeous view of the campus from their bedroom. He knew Freddie had hacked the system to ensure the pack had a dorm together, but whether he purposely picked such an idealistic location, Jono wasn’t sure. He had no complaints to make, though.
Cracking open a window, Jono enjoyed the gentle breeze against his skin. Fresh air did wonders for his mood. It immediately placed him into a better mindset, ready for the day ahead. However, it wasn’t just fresh air that wafted in. Black smoke found its way in, but it was no ordinary smoke. It moved into different shapes, as if it were travelling, with a clear direction planned.
Jono was freaked out. He backed off, but the smoke followed. It was following him. All Jono could think about was what Yasmin told him. Her vision. The alpha that began to form. It was in their world. It had found Jono.
Before he could act, the smoke zoomed up Jono’s nose, giving him no choice but to breathe it in. Immediately, his insides felt strange. His mind was shutting off. He was losing control.
His body wasn’t his any longer.
The night they’d spent together was all kinds of wonderful, though. They’d snuggled for most of the night, talking about anything and everything. If Jono had his way, he’d spend every day just like that. Dylan was all he needed.
Dylan was still fast asleep. Jono gently twirled his finger around Dylan’s untamed locks of hair. It was the most relaxing thing to do, and after all, Dylan barely had his hands out of Jono’s curls usually. It was a surprisingly therapeutic thing to do, and it eased any of Jono’s concerns.
After all, he was somewhat concerned. Concerned about Dylan. He had so much on his plate. Not only the grief of losing his dad all over again, but the whole situation with Summer. Making sure Freddie was okay. College work. Anybody would find that overwhelming, and Dylan was no different. Jono couldn’t help being protective, and he knew Dylan would feel just the same in his shoes.
Jono glanced at the time on his phone. Eight o’clock. They had a lecture at nine. Unfortunately, he had to break Dylan’s slumber, but gently. Jono slid out of bed and glanced out of the window. They had a gorgeous view of the campus from their bedroom. He knew Freddie had hacked the system to ensure the pack had a dorm together, but whether he purposely picked such an idealistic location, Jono wasn’t sure. He had no complaints to make, though.
Cracking open a window, Jono enjoyed the gentle breeze against his skin. Fresh air did wonders for his mood. It immediately placed him into a better mindset, ready for the day ahead. However, it wasn’t just fresh air that wafted in. Black smoke found its way in, but it was no ordinary smoke. It moved into different shapes, as if it were travelling, with a clear direction planned.
Jono was freaked out. He backed off, but the smoke followed. It was following him. All Jono could think about was what Yasmin told him. Her vision. The alpha that began to form. It was in their world. It had found Jono.
Before he could act, the smoke zoomed up Jono’s nose, giving him no choice but to breathe it in. Immediately, his insides felt strange. His mind was shutting off. He was losing control.
His body wasn’t his any longer.
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Nerves wrecked. Anxiety sky high. Paranoia up to the max. Jeremy was simply terrified. School was a dangerous place and he didn’t feel even slightly safe. Sammi was by his side, and she could win any argument she wanted, but she wasn’t a werewolf like he was. She couldn’t fight, and quite honestly, neither could he.
Sammi was convinced they didn’t need to fight, though. Mrs. Johnson had spoken to every class about the importance of not believing vicious rumours, and how bullying would not be tolerated, but Jeremy didn’t believe it would work. Not after the number of strange stares he received the morning before.
Ultimately, Sammi believed staying at home would be admitting defeat, and Jeremy understood the sentiment – he’d spent most of his lifetime in the shadows, and he wasn’t ever going back to that. However, being an open target had no sense of pride or strength. It was dangerous, and he was the one at risk, not Sammi.
“Remember, it’s all in the body language,” Sammi coached. Jeremy begrudgingly listened, because it was still preferable to the overbearing, inane chat around them as they slipped through the crowded corridors, “If you show weakness, they’ll suspect something.”
“Confidence, okay,” Jeremy went along with it. It was the best idea either of them had. He focused himself, got himself into the zone, but it was easier said than done. All he could hope for was that his anxiety wasn’t showing on the outside.
Reaching the biology lab, all Jeremy felt was déjà vu. Just twenty-four hours earlier, he’d rushed out of class and spent the day in the newsroom. He felt so tempted to do it again. Nevertheless, he sat on his usual seat, next to Sammi, and lugged the heavy textbook out of his bag. At least he had her, and Mrs. Johnson too.
“Settle down please,” Miss Asahd summoned. Hold on – Miss Asahd? Jeremy was baffled. This was biology, not maths. Mrs. Johnson was the one teacher who was in-the-know, “Mrs. Johnson’s sick but she’s left plenty of questions to answer. Please turn to page sixty-four of your textbooks.”
Confusion turned into panic. Jeremy felt somewhat at ease knowing Mrs. Johnson was around. She knew his secret, and she protected them. Not having Mrs. Johnson around was bad news.
“Looks like your mom’s not here,” Tommy turned around to tease. Tommy was the biggest guy in the classroom, never seen without a girl on his arm. From what Jeremy had overheard, he was also the biggest idiot in their grade. Arrogant, rude and narrow-minded.
“Leave him alone,” Sammi immediately defended.
“Yeah? Says who?” Tommy stood up.
“Says us,” Felix leapt up from his desk at the front of the room to stand beside Jeremy. Sammi followed suit, standing to the other side. Jeremy gulped, though. This couldn’t end well.
Dylan was really growing to hate early lectures. It was a big ask to expect him to be particularly attentive or focused so early in the morning. If he had his way, all lectures would happen from the late morning at least, if not early afternoon.
That said, the journalism course had been just what Dylan had hoped. He’d taken so many notes and kept on top of all assignments so far. He knew he’d be motivated when studying something he truly wanted. One step closer to his dream with Jono.
Speaking of Jono, he’d been strangely quiet that day. Barely a word since he woke up. Jono was never that quiet. He was much more of a morning person than Dylan. Comforting small talk, Facebook memes, anything to put a smile on Dylan’s face when he woke up. That morning – absolutely nothing. It was strange, and Dylan was immediately worried.
“He’s staring very intensely,” Oscar whispered to Dylan. For a change, Dylan was sat in the middle of Jono and Oscar, because Jono had nabbed the aisle seat. Jono knew Dylan preferred that seat and, in fact, always insisted he took it. Something was up.
“I know, he’s not been himself,” Dylan whispered back.
“Was he okay last night?” Oscar wondered.
“Fine,” Dylan answered truthfully, “Great, in fact. Something’s up.”
“Okay everyone,” Professor Turner summoned. Though she was only their short-term supply lecturer, Dylan had grown to enjoy her teaching style. She made things relevant to young people, perhaps helped by being pretty young herself, “Today we’re talking editing. Editing is one of the most important skills you can learn as a journalist. Creating content is one thing, but making it look professional and checking you’re actually making sense is vital. Otherwise, let’s be real, it’ll leave you looking like a complete turnip.”
Dylan raised a smile. Professor Turner was being her usual engaging self, but Jono seemed distant still. Not a smile raised. Not a glimmer in his eyes. Dylan was concerned.
“Hey, Jon,” Dylan whispered, keeping his voice low so he didn’t disturb any of his peers, “Everything okay?”
“Fine,” Jono replied. That was even stranger. He was never that blunt. Not even once had Jono been that blunt to Dylan. He was really concerned.
Freddie low-key hated the Bestiary. Though it was informative, it was an old-fashioned, long-winded mess of a book that contained way more words than he would ever have the time or attention to read.
Annoyingly, the Bestiary was actually a necessary tool, though. It had been compiled by hunters, and ironically, nobody knew more about the supernatural world than those who wanted it completely eradicated. It was comprehensive, and every time they were up against something new, the Bestiary would be their most valuable tool.
Freddie couldn’t help getting stuck on one particular page. They were looking for a particular type of alpha, but Freddie was reading something else. He wanted to know more about the siren. He was the only one who didn’t know what Summer really was. She was no nix like Yasmin. She was something else. Something worse, and she lied about it.
The fact that Summer was sat opposite Freddie in the café made him uneasy. She had wormed her way into the pack, using Freddie to get what she wanted. He could have died, and it would’ve been her fault. Freddie couldn’t help feeling somewhat resentful to Dylan as a result, either. He could’ve said no. He should’ve said no, or, at least, he should’ve asked Freddie’s opinion first. They were meant to be a pack, after all.
“I swear to god, I’m on page sixty-seven of this Google search and I’ve still yet to see anything worth reading,” Josh groaned, “I mean, these people think we break every bone in our body to transform every full moon, then go around eating rabbits. It’s a lost cause.”
“Don’t pretend you haven’t developed a taste for rabbits,” Freddie joked.
“Hey, that only happened once,” Josh played along.
“You’re disgusting,” Lily remarked. She had her head buried in a textbook, ignoring the supernatural drama they were facing.
“They are pretty tasty,” Summer casually chimed in. The whole group fell silent. Freddie began to feel sick. She wasn’t doing anything to win him over. A few moments of silence passed, “I’m joking, come on guys, don’t take me so seriously.”
“Oh,” Lily exaggerated a laugh, “Of course.”
“Oh my god,” Yasmin strutted in with purpose, slamming a pile of books down on the table, “I’ve never met a more uptight librarian. She looked me up and down and properly judged me for the books I was checking out.”
“Yasmin,” Josh observed, “You’ve literally checked out fifteen books about werewolves and the supernatural, and they all need to be returned within a week. I’m judging you too.”
“Coming from the boy who hasn’t read fifteen books in his life,” Yasmin smirked.
“Hey, that’s not fair,” Freddie interjected, “He’s not a boy anymore.”
“Oh, you’re both so funny,” Josh shook his head, a huge smile painted across his face, “Seriously, Yasmin, are you okay? You’re looking kinda pale.”
“I feel fine,” Yasmin insisted. Freddie raised an eyebrow. Yasmin never spoke about her feelings so openly. Her answer may as well have been silence for all it meant.
“He’s right,” Lily mentioned, “Take a seat.”
Almost on cue, Yasmin’s eyes snapped shut. Her balance was lost. She collapsed harshly to the ground. Freddie leapt out of his seat in worry. Yasmin was out cold, and he was worried. He lifted her hand, trying to take her pain, but it wasn’t working.
“Call an ambulance,” Freddie demanded, “Now!”
The moment had come. Oscar was excited. He’d been waiting for this moment for a couple of days. With all that had been going on among the pack, this was his ray of sunshine. The pack had given him some sound advice, and he had nervously but keenly followed it.
The truth was, Oscar had so little experience in the world of dating. He’d been too shy to pursue anyone before. Well, anyone except Jono. The one guy that actually seemed to like him back, too. Everything changed the minute Dylan returned. While Oscar wasn’t bitter, and he had so much time for Dylan and the amount of time he’d invested into teaching him werewolf skills, he couldn’t help wondering “what if?”.
Now Oscar wanted his own Dylan. That one guy that he’d just click with, like it’s destiny. Oscar wasn’t sure he believed in stuff like destiny, but he liked the idea of it enough to buy into it somewhat. That was another thing he’d learnt from Dylan – the importance of optimism.
Running just a couple of minutes late, Oscar finally arrived. He spotted the picnic blanket laid out a few metres back from the river. The sun was glistening and it was the perfect temperature too – hot, but not so hot that he’d be embarrassed by sweating. However, as lovely as the scenery was, there was only one thing catching Oscar’s eyes. His vibrant ginger hair radiating in the sunlight, his smile widening as Oscar approached. Cody was waiting for him.
“Hey,” Cody greeted confidently, tapping the picnic rug next to him, offering Oscar a seat.
“Hey, this is so lovely,” Oscar took him up on the offer.
“Well, I don’t like to do things by halves,” Cody smirked, opening a biscuit tin he’d brought along, “Help yourself.”
“Don’t mind if I do,” Oscar chuckled.
“Alora said you’d like these,” Cody mentioned.
“My visits to the snack table at the society meetings aren’t going unnoticed, oops,” Oscar blushed.
“It’s not the only thing, either,” Cody swerved to a new topic, “I saw you the other day. You and two of your friends.”
“Right?” Oscar wasn’t sure how to react. He’d been out most days since he arrived on campus. Being spotted with his friends, nine times out of ten, wasn’t anything unusual.
“Yeah, you were more-or-less in this very spot,” Cody continued. Darn. Oscar knew exactly what this was. He was with Yasmin and Josh. The day they got trapped in Yasmin’s vision.
“Oh, sure, I remember that,” Oscar tried to play it cool. After all, he had no other option.
“I tried calling your name but you were frozen solid, but I kept watching from afar. You just snapped back to life,” Cody recalled. Oscar was unsettled. There was no easy way to explain that. He had no reply, “I think you need to tell me what’s going on.”
“Trust me, you wouldn’t believe me,” Oscar brushed it off.
“I think I would,” Cody replied as his bright blue eyes glared into a harsh red. The eyes of an alpha. Oscar was taken aback. What was he meant to say?
Feeling extremely vulnerable, Jeremy didn’t know what to do. Though it was reassuring to have Sammi and Felix either side, there were twenty-five other people in that room. Too many people blocking the only way out. Though they meant well, Felix and Sammi wouldn’t be able to get him out safely, and using any werewolf skills would only confirm what he is. The flame had to be extinguished.
“What the hell is going on?” Miss Asahd demanded, storming over from the teacher desk.
Jeremy’s anxiety continued to rise. He squeezed Sammi’s hand so tightly. He had to remember that he had super strength, and Sammi didn’t have healing powers. The last thing he wanted to do was hurt the one person he definitely had on his team.
“Why don’t you ask the werewolf?” Tommy replied, not looking away from Jeremy. He was angry, furious in fact. It was like Tommy detested Jeremy’s mere existence.
“Sit down, Tommy, we’re leaving that cruel prank outside my classroom,” Miss Asahd continued. Her words weren’t resonating, though. Tommy didn’t move. That same glare, packed full of hatred, continued to stare Jeremy down.
“It’s not a prank,” Tommy spoke back, “And I’ll prove it. Stand up.”
“Don’t do it,” Felix whispered.
“It’s okay,” Jeremy took control. He was the one at risk, and he was the only one who could do something about it. He was fed up of other people taking stuff away from him. He stood up, looking Tommy directly eye-to-eye. What happened next was Tommy’s move, but Jeremy was ready. He wasn’t going to show weakness.
WHACK!
Tommy’s fist hurtled towards Jeremy’s face, slamming against his nose. It hurt like hell, but Jeremy wasn’t going to react. The wolf inside was raging and ready to fight, but Jeremy was in charge. He wasn’t going to react. He couldn’t afford to react.
Another punch came his way. This time, it flung into his jawbone. He was almost definitely bleeding, but Jeremy was focused more on keeping composure. He thought about his anchor, though he wasn’t sure what that anchor was anymore. His dad always taught him to think of home, but the shadows were hardly a comforting thought.
“Get the principal, now,” Miss Asahd yelled, but no students left the room. Nobody was fighting Jeremy’s corner, other than the tight grips in each hand. Sammi was as amazing as always, but Felix had really stepped up to the post too. He was living up to his promise, and Jeremy could only respect that.
Tommy primed another punch, but Miss Asahd stood in the middle, breaking it up. She was angry, like Jeremy had never seen before. She was always such a calm teacher, after all.
“Sammi, please escort Jeremy out,” Miss Asahd took back control, “Felix, please fetch Mrs. Harding. The rest of you, sit down on your own chairs unless you all want to be punished for being complicit.”
Sammi did as directed, and Jeremy managed to slide out of the room without any more violence. His face hurt in so many places, but he couldn’t help feeling proud of himself. He was determined to keep his composure, and he did just that. He’d succeeded. He’d won.
There was nowhere Dylan hated more than the hospital waiting room. Nothing positive ever happened there. Time seemed to move slower and every moment dragged out. It was dead time, but strangely, there was nowhere else Dylan would rather be.
Receiving the call from Josh about Yasmin’s collapse had put the frighteners into Dylan. She’d been overexerting herself the past couple of her days. Her visions weren’t supposed to be as vivid as they’d become. Ghosts and dead people shouldn’t have been able to come and go so easily. Yasmin’s connections were intensified, and it was obviously tiring her out.
The issue was that Dylan didn’t know of any solution. The abilities of a nix were already pretty difficult to suss out. Dylan wasn’t even sure whether Yasmin had conquered all of her abilities or not. Harbingers of death seemed like the black sheep of the supernatural world; the taboo subject that nobody wanted to talk about.
Most of the pack were waiting for an update. Oscar hadn’t answered his phone, and Dylan didn’t want to bother Sammi and Jeremy while they were at school, so this didn’t need to be their problem too. Autumn was by Yasmin’s bedside; only immediate family were allowed in, and Autumn was the only relative Yasmin had. Well, the only one not in jail, but Dylan wasn’t dwelling on Forsyth. Yasmin had more than done enough to shed the horrific history of her family name. Dylan was so proud of how far she’d come. She was strong, intelligent and loyal – the perfect ingredients of a best friend.
Beside Dylan was a slumped Freddie, gazing blankly ahead. He hadn’t said a word since they arrived. Dylan knew how close he and Yasmin were. Heck, they even dated once, but their friendship was what prevailed. It warmed Dylan’s heart, because interestingly, they were polar opposites. Yasmin was studious, reserved and organised, while Freddie was messy, a keen joker and more of a video-gamer than keen learner. Somehow, they gelled together perfectly.
Dylan sussed something more was up, though. Freddie hadn’t spoken to him since the rescue. The chemo-signals coming off him were obvious. He was furious, and Dylan knew why. After all, he’d made a deal with the siren that seduced and manipulated Freddie without actually asking him. Dylan understood how Freddie felt, but he needed to make his stance clear.
“Tell me how you’re feeling,” Dylan pleaded with him, keeping his voice low. This was between them and nobody else.
“I think you know,” Freddie brushed it off. He didn’t want to talk about it, but Dylan wasn’t letting this simmer any longer. Nothing good came of keeping quiet, he’d found that out himself.
“I want to hear you say it, talk to me Freddie,” Dylan encouraged.
“I’m angry,” Freddie replied harshly, though still keeping his voice low, “I’m angry that you made a deal with her. I’m angry that you didn’t ask me first. Did you not think I’d deserve to get a say? Now she’s sitting with my friends, pretending to get along when she’s not wanted.”
A moment of silence passed. Dylan was pleased Freddie had finally opened up, and he was careful not to turn it into a slanging match.
“I’m sorry,” Dylan admitted sincerely, “You’re right. You deserved a say. This is your pack as much as it is mine. However, I hope you can see it from my perspective. I’m the alpha, I’ve got to make tough decisions, and for all I know, an alliance with Summer could have saved lives. It could have saved your life, and for that, I’ll never apologise. You’re like a brother to me, Freddie. We’ve been through this whole journey together, at the same time.”
“I wouldn’t have made it this far without you,” Freddie smiled, “Please, just promise me that we’ll cut her at the first sign of trouble?”
“Without question,” Dylan nodded, “You’ve got my word.” Freddie nodded, much to Dylan’s relief. They were able to move on, and as a pack, they were always stronger together.
Though they were living under the same roof for the first time in months, Lily felt strangely distant from Jono since they moved to college. Perhaps it didn’t help that they lived with six others – Lily felt she was somewhat diluting herself to spend time with everyone – but she hated how little time she and Jono had spent together.
That said, she and Jono had been somewhat forced apart when she went to her first college the year before. At least they had an excuse to be talking less – Lily was a whole flight away, but now their rooms were side-by-side. Perhaps distance didn’t matter as much?
A hospital waiting room wasn’t the place Lily had in mind for some quality family time, either. Everything about a hospital was so mundane. The plain white walls. The atmosphere. The emotions she could sense from everyone around her. Being part-werewolf was both a blessing and a curse. Chemo-signals allowed her to read the room, but when there was so much misery and anxiety, it was hard to block it out. Her own anxiety levels were high enough.
“Hey, how was your lecture?” Lily made conversation. Anything to take her mind off Yasmin.
“Fine,” Jono replied bluntly, staring straight ahead. Lily was taken aback – that wasn’t like him. He was never that vacant. Jono was generally incapable of giving one-word answers. One thing they had in common was their ability to chat.
“Is something up?” Lily wondered. There had to be a reason he was acting so unusually.
“No,” Jono replied. He was clearly lying. This wasn’t right. Jono was never this quiet for no reason, and he never kept secrets from Lily. They trusted each other more than anyone else – that’s the way it was and that’s the way it’ll always be.
“Come on, tell me,” Lily encouraged.
“I said no,” Jono growled. His voice deepened, way more than what sounded natural. Dylan looked up from across the corridor, noticing Jono’s unusual behaviour.
“What’s up with him?” Lily queried to Dylan.
“I don’t know, he’s not been himself,” Dylan replied. Lily was growing more and more concerned. This wasn’t like Jono at all.
“Summer,” Jono mentioned, still growling, like the inner wolf had taken over.
“What about her?” Lily quickly interrogated.
“Where is she?” Jono questioned.
“Why do you need to know?” Dylan kept quiet.
“Tell me,” Jono yelled, his voice deepening by the second. Lily was growing from concerned to scared. Something was up. Something bad.
A dark smoke began to surround Jono. He stood up, baring his fangs, but most worryingly of all, his eyes were glowing. Without another word, Jono sprinted off. Lily didn’t know what to do, but she couldn’t forget the sight of his eyes.
They were glowing red.
Curled up against the far newsroom wall, Jeremy’s heart was pumping so fast. He couldn’t focus. His mind was racing like nothing he’d felt before. He was feeling such a mix of emotions that he couldn’t even begin to describe them. Was it a good or bad sensation? He truly had no idea.
After all, emotional support was what Margaret had taught him, and after she left, Jeremy’s dad was hardly a role model on managing emotions. All he knew was that emotion caused transformations, and Jeremy knew exactly how to harness that. The difference was, he couldn’t fight back in school. He had to control himself and take everything that came his way. His dad’s advice was useless.
Sammi slammed the door shut behind her. It was just the two of them now. Jeremy didn’t have to hold back any longer. Sammi immediately came and sat next to him, placing her hand on Jeremy’s knee. She didn’t have to say anything for Jeremy to start feeling calmer – her presence was enough.
“This is what I was so worried about,” Sammi sighed, “I should never have trusted Felix.”
“Don’t you dare,” Jeremy instantly corrected, “You are not to blame here. Tommy is the idiot who deserves all the blame.”
“And Felix,” Sammi groaned. It was obvious she hadn’t forgiven him yet. Of course, if Felix hadn’t opened his big mouth, they wouldn’t have been in that situation in the first place, but Jeremy didn’t want to play the blame game. Actions spoke louder than words.
“He stood up for me in there. He could have sided with literally everyone else, but he chose us. He chose me. I’d rather have him with us than not,” Jeremy reasoned.
“I just don’t want you to get burned, Jeremy,” Sammi justified, “Things are difficult enough as they are. I won’t let things get worse. You’re in danger.”
“I know, and I can protect myself. If there’s one thing dad taught me, it was control,” Jeremy explained.
“Okay, Mrs. Harding’s dealing with Tommy,” Felix breezed in casually, “She said it might be best for you to go home, Jeremy.”
“No,” Jeremy instantly said, like a reflex, “That’s what they want. I’m sticking around.”
“Nice one,” Felix smiled, “She got me to write a statement about hat happened. Evidence and all that. She asked me to send you next, Sammi.”
“Shout if you need me,” Sammi mentioned to Jeremy, before bouncing upwards and out of the newsroom. Felix took her place almost instantly.
“Dude,” Felix began, “I don’t know how I can make this up to you, but I swear, I will keep trying.”
“I know,” Jeremy assured, “You proved yourself today. Thank you.”
“I outed you, though. I’ve been thinking, if anyone did that to me, I’d never forgive them. You’re too kind,” Felix confessed.
“Outed?” Jeremy noticed his word choice.
“Exposed,” Felix clarified.
“No, I know what it means, but I don’t get why it applies,” Jeremy explained. An awkward silence followed. Jeremy had caused it unintentionally, “I’m sorry, that was so insensitive, ignore me.”
“No, not at all. I’ve not told anyone this. I’ve never needed to. I thought being with Sammi might mean I never have to talk about it,” Felix opened up, “I’m bisexual, Jeremy.”
Jeremy’s insides felt warm and fuzzy, like a radiator in December. Felix was cutely vulnerable, in a way Jeremy had never seen before, and he liked that. What he felt he didn’t know, but there was clearly a lot of good in Felix.
Oscar felt like he had been sucker-punched. Being so completely gobsmacked was becoming more of a regular occurrence since he became a werewolf, but this took the biscuit. Everything about Cody seemed so sweet and unassuming that he surely couldn’t have been corrupted by the world of werewolves.
That said, the werewolves Oscar knew best were his favourite people to be around. He looked up to Dylan and Jono. They were his role models, and they never forgot how to be kind.
Despite that, Oscar knew the way alphas were created. For most, they took the power from the previous alpha by killing them. Dylan’s situation was very much a loophole – not many would have avoided the inevitable.
“Tell me, what were you doing?” Cody continued to probe.
“It’s a long story,” Oscar sighed. Perhaps Cody was trustworthy, but he didn’t know for sure. Oscar wasn’t planning on taking any chances, “She was showing us a vision.”
“A harbinger of death,” Cody identified, “You’ve got quite the pack. I could tell you were a werewolf from our meeting in the café. I just had to follow you.”
“There’s a few of us, I’m quite new to all this,” Oscar shyly explained. The last thing he wanted to do was mess anything up for Dylan within months of knowing him.
“Where are you from?” Cody enquired.
“Portdown, but I moved to Crystalshaw town a few months ago,” Oscar replied truthfully.
“So you’re all away from home, then,” Cody mentioned. Oscar found it a strangely pointed thing to say. So far, he was finding Cody very difficult to read, “My pack and I are very local, this campus is practically on our doorstep.”
“How many of you are there?” Oscar wondered.
“Four including me. Trained fighters, every one of them,” Cody continued to big himself up, “And after what came out of your friend’s mouth that day, you’re going to need us.”
“What do you know?” Oscar was intrigued. This could answer every question the pack had.
“I’ll tell you, but nothing comes for free,” Cody held back, “I need something from you, too.”
“Tell me, I’ll try and sort it,” Oscar keenly offered. Surely this had to be worth anything?
“I want you all gone. This is my territory, and your pack isn’t welcome here,” Cody demanded.
That sucker-punch feeling returned to Oscar’s stomach. What kind of request was that? It was beyond unreasonable. However, before he could argue, Cody stood up and left. So much for that date.
Sammi was convinced they didn’t need to fight, though. Mrs. Johnson had spoken to every class about the importance of not believing vicious rumours, and how bullying would not be tolerated, but Jeremy didn’t believe it would work. Not after the number of strange stares he received the morning before.
Ultimately, Sammi believed staying at home would be admitting defeat, and Jeremy understood the sentiment – he’d spent most of his lifetime in the shadows, and he wasn’t ever going back to that. However, being an open target had no sense of pride or strength. It was dangerous, and he was the one at risk, not Sammi.
“Remember, it’s all in the body language,” Sammi coached. Jeremy begrudgingly listened, because it was still preferable to the overbearing, inane chat around them as they slipped through the crowded corridors, “If you show weakness, they’ll suspect something.”
“Confidence, okay,” Jeremy went along with it. It was the best idea either of them had. He focused himself, got himself into the zone, but it was easier said than done. All he could hope for was that his anxiety wasn’t showing on the outside.
Reaching the biology lab, all Jeremy felt was déjà vu. Just twenty-four hours earlier, he’d rushed out of class and spent the day in the newsroom. He felt so tempted to do it again. Nevertheless, he sat on his usual seat, next to Sammi, and lugged the heavy textbook out of his bag. At least he had her, and Mrs. Johnson too.
“Settle down please,” Miss Asahd summoned. Hold on – Miss Asahd? Jeremy was baffled. This was biology, not maths. Mrs. Johnson was the one teacher who was in-the-know, “Mrs. Johnson’s sick but she’s left plenty of questions to answer. Please turn to page sixty-four of your textbooks.”
Confusion turned into panic. Jeremy felt somewhat at ease knowing Mrs. Johnson was around. She knew his secret, and she protected them. Not having Mrs. Johnson around was bad news.
“Looks like your mom’s not here,” Tommy turned around to tease. Tommy was the biggest guy in the classroom, never seen without a girl on his arm. From what Jeremy had overheard, he was also the biggest idiot in their grade. Arrogant, rude and narrow-minded.
“Leave him alone,” Sammi immediately defended.
“Yeah? Says who?” Tommy stood up.
“Says us,” Felix leapt up from his desk at the front of the room to stand beside Jeremy. Sammi followed suit, standing to the other side. Jeremy gulped, though. This couldn’t end well.
Dylan was really growing to hate early lectures. It was a big ask to expect him to be particularly attentive or focused so early in the morning. If he had his way, all lectures would happen from the late morning at least, if not early afternoon.
That said, the journalism course had been just what Dylan had hoped. He’d taken so many notes and kept on top of all assignments so far. He knew he’d be motivated when studying something he truly wanted. One step closer to his dream with Jono.
Speaking of Jono, he’d been strangely quiet that day. Barely a word since he woke up. Jono was never that quiet. He was much more of a morning person than Dylan. Comforting small talk, Facebook memes, anything to put a smile on Dylan’s face when he woke up. That morning – absolutely nothing. It was strange, and Dylan was immediately worried.
“He’s staring very intensely,” Oscar whispered to Dylan. For a change, Dylan was sat in the middle of Jono and Oscar, because Jono had nabbed the aisle seat. Jono knew Dylan preferred that seat and, in fact, always insisted he took it. Something was up.
“I know, he’s not been himself,” Dylan whispered back.
“Was he okay last night?” Oscar wondered.
“Fine,” Dylan answered truthfully, “Great, in fact. Something’s up.”
“Okay everyone,” Professor Turner summoned. Though she was only their short-term supply lecturer, Dylan had grown to enjoy her teaching style. She made things relevant to young people, perhaps helped by being pretty young herself, “Today we’re talking editing. Editing is one of the most important skills you can learn as a journalist. Creating content is one thing, but making it look professional and checking you’re actually making sense is vital. Otherwise, let’s be real, it’ll leave you looking like a complete turnip.”
Dylan raised a smile. Professor Turner was being her usual engaging self, but Jono seemed distant still. Not a smile raised. Not a glimmer in his eyes. Dylan was concerned.
“Hey, Jon,” Dylan whispered, keeping his voice low so he didn’t disturb any of his peers, “Everything okay?”
“Fine,” Jono replied. That was even stranger. He was never that blunt. Not even once had Jono been that blunt to Dylan. He was really concerned.
Freddie low-key hated the Bestiary. Though it was informative, it was an old-fashioned, long-winded mess of a book that contained way more words than he would ever have the time or attention to read.
Annoyingly, the Bestiary was actually a necessary tool, though. It had been compiled by hunters, and ironically, nobody knew more about the supernatural world than those who wanted it completely eradicated. It was comprehensive, and every time they were up against something new, the Bestiary would be their most valuable tool.
Freddie couldn’t help getting stuck on one particular page. They were looking for a particular type of alpha, but Freddie was reading something else. He wanted to know more about the siren. He was the only one who didn’t know what Summer really was. She was no nix like Yasmin. She was something else. Something worse, and she lied about it.
The fact that Summer was sat opposite Freddie in the café made him uneasy. She had wormed her way into the pack, using Freddie to get what she wanted. He could have died, and it would’ve been her fault. Freddie couldn’t help feeling somewhat resentful to Dylan as a result, either. He could’ve said no. He should’ve said no, or, at least, he should’ve asked Freddie’s opinion first. They were meant to be a pack, after all.
“I swear to god, I’m on page sixty-seven of this Google search and I’ve still yet to see anything worth reading,” Josh groaned, “I mean, these people think we break every bone in our body to transform every full moon, then go around eating rabbits. It’s a lost cause.”
“Don’t pretend you haven’t developed a taste for rabbits,” Freddie joked.
“Hey, that only happened once,” Josh played along.
“You’re disgusting,” Lily remarked. She had her head buried in a textbook, ignoring the supernatural drama they were facing.
“They are pretty tasty,” Summer casually chimed in. The whole group fell silent. Freddie began to feel sick. She wasn’t doing anything to win him over. A few moments of silence passed, “I’m joking, come on guys, don’t take me so seriously.”
“Oh,” Lily exaggerated a laugh, “Of course.”
“Oh my god,” Yasmin strutted in with purpose, slamming a pile of books down on the table, “I’ve never met a more uptight librarian. She looked me up and down and properly judged me for the books I was checking out.”
“Yasmin,” Josh observed, “You’ve literally checked out fifteen books about werewolves and the supernatural, and they all need to be returned within a week. I’m judging you too.”
“Coming from the boy who hasn’t read fifteen books in his life,” Yasmin smirked.
“Hey, that’s not fair,” Freddie interjected, “He’s not a boy anymore.”
“Oh, you’re both so funny,” Josh shook his head, a huge smile painted across his face, “Seriously, Yasmin, are you okay? You’re looking kinda pale.”
“I feel fine,” Yasmin insisted. Freddie raised an eyebrow. Yasmin never spoke about her feelings so openly. Her answer may as well have been silence for all it meant.
“He’s right,” Lily mentioned, “Take a seat.”
Almost on cue, Yasmin’s eyes snapped shut. Her balance was lost. She collapsed harshly to the ground. Freddie leapt out of his seat in worry. Yasmin was out cold, and he was worried. He lifted her hand, trying to take her pain, but it wasn’t working.
“Call an ambulance,” Freddie demanded, “Now!”
The moment had come. Oscar was excited. He’d been waiting for this moment for a couple of days. With all that had been going on among the pack, this was his ray of sunshine. The pack had given him some sound advice, and he had nervously but keenly followed it.
The truth was, Oscar had so little experience in the world of dating. He’d been too shy to pursue anyone before. Well, anyone except Jono. The one guy that actually seemed to like him back, too. Everything changed the minute Dylan returned. While Oscar wasn’t bitter, and he had so much time for Dylan and the amount of time he’d invested into teaching him werewolf skills, he couldn’t help wondering “what if?”.
Now Oscar wanted his own Dylan. That one guy that he’d just click with, like it’s destiny. Oscar wasn’t sure he believed in stuff like destiny, but he liked the idea of it enough to buy into it somewhat. That was another thing he’d learnt from Dylan – the importance of optimism.
Running just a couple of minutes late, Oscar finally arrived. He spotted the picnic blanket laid out a few metres back from the river. The sun was glistening and it was the perfect temperature too – hot, but not so hot that he’d be embarrassed by sweating. However, as lovely as the scenery was, there was only one thing catching Oscar’s eyes. His vibrant ginger hair radiating in the sunlight, his smile widening as Oscar approached. Cody was waiting for him.
“Hey,” Cody greeted confidently, tapping the picnic rug next to him, offering Oscar a seat.
“Hey, this is so lovely,” Oscar took him up on the offer.
“Well, I don’t like to do things by halves,” Cody smirked, opening a biscuit tin he’d brought along, “Help yourself.”
“Don’t mind if I do,” Oscar chuckled.
“Alora said you’d like these,” Cody mentioned.
“My visits to the snack table at the society meetings aren’t going unnoticed, oops,” Oscar blushed.
“It’s not the only thing, either,” Cody swerved to a new topic, “I saw you the other day. You and two of your friends.”
“Right?” Oscar wasn’t sure how to react. He’d been out most days since he arrived on campus. Being spotted with his friends, nine times out of ten, wasn’t anything unusual.
“Yeah, you were more-or-less in this very spot,” Cody continued. Darn. Oscar knew exactly what this was. He was with Yasmin and Josh. The day they got trapped in Yasmin’s vision.
“Oh, sure, I remember that,” Oscar tried to play it cool. After all, he had no other option.
“I tried calling your name but you were frozen solid, but I kept watching from afar. You just snapped back to life,” Cody recalled. Oscar was unsettled. There was no easy way to explain that. He had no reply, “I think you need to tell me what’s going on.”
“Trust me, you wouldn’t believe me,” Oscar brushed it off.
“I think I would,” Cody replied as his bright blue eyes glared into a harsh red. The eyes of an alpha. Oscar was taken aback. What was he meant to say?
Feeling extremely vulnerable, Jeremy didn’t know what to do. Though it was reassuring to have Sammi and Felix either side, there were twenty-five other people in that room. Too many people blocking the only way out. Though they meant well, Felix and Sammi wouldn’t be able to get him out safely, and using any werewolf skills would only confirm what he is. The flame had to be extinguished.
“What the hell is going on?” Miss Asahd demanded, storming over from the teacher desk.
Jeremy’s anxiety continued to rise. He squeezed Sammi’s hand so tightly. He had to remember that he had super strength, and Sammi didn’t have healing powers. The last thing he wanted to do was hurt the one person he definitely had on his team.
“Why don’t you ask the werewolf?” Tommy replied, not looking away from Jeremy. He was angry, furious in fact. It was like Tommy detested Jeremy’s mere existence.
“Sit down, Tommy, we’re leaving that cruel prank outside my classroom,” Miss Asahd continued. Her words weren’t resonating, though. Tommy didn’t move. That same glare, packed full of hatred, continued to stare Jeremy down.
“It’s not a prank,” Tommy spoke back, “And I’ll prove it. Stand up.”
“Don’t do it,” Felix whispered.
“It’s okay,” Jeremy took control. He was the one at risk, and he was the only one who could do something about it. He was fed up of other people taking stuff away from him. He stood up, looking Tommy directly eye-to-eye. What happened next was Tommy’s move, but Jeremy was ready. He wasn’t going to show weakness.
WHACK!
Tommy’s fist hurtled towards Jeremy’s face, slamming against his nose. It hurt like hell, but Jeremy wasn’t going to react. The wolf inside was raging and ready to fight, but Jeremy was in charge. He wasn’t going to react. He couldn’t afford to react.
Another punch came his way. This time, it flung into his jawbone. He was almost definitely bleeding, but Jeremy was focused more on keeping composure. He thought about his anchor, though he wasn’t sure what that anchor was anymore. His dad always taught him to think of home, but the shadows were hardly a comforting thought.
“Get the principal, now,” Miss Asahd yelled, but no students left the room. Nobody was fighting Jeremy’s corner, other than the tight grips in each hand. Sammi was as amazing as always, but Felix had really stepped up to the post too. He was living up to his promise, and Jeremy could only respect that.
Tommy primed another punch, but Miss Asahd stood in the middle, breaking it up. She was angry, like Jeremy had never seen before. She was always such a calm teacher, after all.
“Sammi, please escort Jeremy out,” Miss Asahd took back control, “Felix, please fetch Mrs. Harding. The rest of you, sit down on your own chairs unless you all want to be punished for being complicit.”
Sammi did as directed, and Jeremy managed to slide out of the room without any more violence. His face hurt in so many places, but he couldn’t help feeling proud of himself. He was determined to keep his composure, and he did just that. He’d succeeded. He’d won.
There was nowhere Dylan hated more than the hospital waiting room. Nothing positive ever happened there. Time seemed to move slower and every moment dragged out. It was dead time, but strangely, there was nowhere else Dylan would rather be.
Receiving the call from Josh about Yasmin’s collapse had put the frighteners into Dylan. She’d been overexerting herself the past couple of her days. Her visions weren’t supposed to be as vivid as they’d become. Ghosts and dead people shouldn’t have been able to come and go so easily. Yasmin’s connections were intensified, and it was obviously tiring her out.
The issue was that Dylan didn’t know of any solution. The abilities of a nix were already pretty difficult to suss out. Dylan wasn’t even sure whether Yasmin had conquered all of her abilities or not. Harbingers of death seemed like the black sheep of the supernatural world; the taboo subject that nobody wanted to talk about.
Most of the pack were waiting for an update. Oscar hadn’t answered his phone, and Dylan didn’t want to bother Sammi and Jeremy while they were at school, so this didn’t need to be their problem too. Autumn was by Yasmin’s bedside; only immediate family were allowed in, and Autumn was the only relative Yasmin had. Well, the only one not in jail, but Dylan wasn’t dwelling on Forsyth. Yasmin had more than done enough to shed the horrific history of her family name. Dylan was so proud of how far she’d come. She was strong, intelligent and loyal – the perfect ingredients of a best friend.
Beside Dylan was a slumped Freddie, gazing blankly ahead. He hadn’t said a word since they arrived. Dylan knew how close he and Yasmin were. Heck, they even dated once, but their friendship was what prevailed. It warmed Dylan’s heart, because interestingly, they were polar opposites. Yasmin was studious, reserved and organised, while Freddie was messy, a keen joker and more of a video-gamer than keen learner. Somehow, they gelled together perfectly.
Dylan sussed something more was up, though. Freddie hadn’t spoken to him since the rescue. The chemo-signals coming off him were obvious. He was furious, and Dylan knew why. After all, he’d made a deal with the siren that seduced and manipulated Freddie without actually asking him. Dylan understood how Freddie felt, but he needed to make his stance clear.
“Tell me how you’re feeling,” Dylan pleaded with him, keeping his voice low. This was between them and nobody else.
“I think you know,” Freddie brushed it off. He didn’t want to talk about it, but Dylan wasn’t letting this simmer any longer. Nothing good came of keeping quiet, he’d found that out himself.
“I want to hear you say it, talk to me Freddie,” Dylan encouraged.
“I’m angry,” Freddie replied harshly, though still keeping his voice low, “I’m angry that you made a deal with her. I’m angry that you didn’t ask me first. Did you not think I’d deserve to get a say? Now she’s sitting with my friends, pretending to get along when she’s not wanted.”
A moment of silence passed. Dylan was pleased Freddie had finally opened up, and he was careful not to turn it into a slanging match.
“I’m sorry,” Dylan admitted sincerely, “You’re right. You deserved a say. This is your pack as much as it is mine. However, I hope you can see it from my perspective. I’m the alpha, I’ve got to make tough decisions, and for all I know, an alliance with Summer could have saved lives. It could have saved your life, and for that, I’ll never apologise. You’re like a brother to me, Freddie. We’ve been through this whole journey together, at the same time.”
“I wouldn’t have made it this far without you,” Freddie smiled, “Please, just promise me that we’ll cut her at the first sign of trouble?”
“Without question,” Dylan nodded, “You’ve got my word.” Freddie nodded, much to Dylan’s relief. They were able to move on, and as a pack, they were always stronger together.
Though they were living under the same roof for the first time in months, Lily felt strangely distant from Jono since they moved to college. Perhaps it didn’t help that they lived with six others – Lily felt she was somewhat diluting herself to spend time with everyone – but she hated how little time she and Jono had spent together.
That said, she and Jono had been somewhat forced apart when she went to her first college the year before. At least they had an excuse to be talking less – Lily was a whole flight away, but now their rooms were side-by-side. Perhaps distance didn’t matter as much?
A hospital waiting room wasn’t the place Lily had in mind for some quality family time, either. Everything about a hospital was so mundane. The plain white walls. The atmosphere. The emotions she could sense from everyone around her. Being part-werewolf was both a blessing and a curse. Chemo-signals allowed her to read the room, but when there was so much misery and anxiety, it was hard to block it out. Her own anxiety levels were high enough.
“Hey, how was your lecture?” Lily made conversation. Anything to take her mind off Yasmin.
“Fine,” Jono replied bluntly, staring straight ahead. Lily was taken aback – that wasn’t like him. He was never that vacant. Jono was generally incapable of giving one-word answers. One thing they had in common was their ability to chat.
“Is something up?” Lily wondered. There had to be a reason he was acting so unusually.
“No,” Jono replied. He was clearly lying. This wasn’t right. Jono was never this quiet for no reason, and he never kept secrets from Lily. They trusted each other more than anyone else – that’s the way it was and that’s the way it’ll always be.
“Come on, tell me,” Lily encouraged.
“I said no,” Jono growled. His voice deepened, way more than what sounded natural. Dylan looked up from across the corridor, noticing Jono’s unusual behaviour.
“What’s up with him?” Lily queried to Dylan.
“I don’t know, he’s not been himself,” Dylan replied. Lily was growing more and more concerned. This wasn’t like Jono at all.
“Summer,” Jono mentioned, still growling, like the inner wolf had taken over.
“What about her?” Lily quickly interrogated.
“Where is she?” Jono questioned.
“Why do you need to know?” Dylan kept quiet.
“Tell me,” Jono yelled, his voice deepening by the second. Lily was growing from concerned to scared. Something was up. Something bad.
A dark smoke began to surround Jono. He stood up, baring his fangs, but most worryingly of all, his eyes were glowing. Without another word, Jono sprinted off. Lily didn’t know what to do, but she couldn’t forget the sight of his eyes.
They were glowing red.
Curled up against the far newsroom wall, Jeremy’s heart was pumping so fast. He couldn’t focus. His mind was racing like nothing he’d felt before. He was feeling such a mix of emotions that he couldn’t even begin to describe them. Was it a good or bad sensation? He truly had no idea.
After all, emotional support was what Margaret had taught him, and after she left, Jeremy’s dad was hardly a role model on managing emotions. All he knew was that emotion caused transformations, and Jeremy knew exactly how to harness that. The difference was, he couldn’t fight back in school. He had to control himself and take everything that came his way. His dad’s advice was useless.
Sammi slammed the door shut behind her. It was just the two of them now. Jeremy didn’t have to hold back any longer. Sammi immediately came and sat next to him, placing her hand on Jeremy’s knee. She didn’t have to say anything for Jeremy to start feeling calmer – her presence was enough.
“This is what I was so worried about,” Sammi sighed, “I should never have trusted Felix.”
“Don’t you dare,” Jeremy instantly corrected, “You are not to blame here. Tommy is the idiot who deserves all the blame.”
“And Felix,” Sammi groaned. It was obvious she hadn’t forgiven him yet. Of course, if Felix hadn’t opened his big mouth, they wouldn’t have been in that situation in the first place, but Jeremy didn’t want to play the blame game. Actions spoke louder than words.
“He stood up for me in there. He could have sided with literally everyone else, but he chose us. He chose me. I’d rather have him with us than not,” Jeremy reasoned.
“I just don’t want you to get burned, Jeremy,” Sammi justified, “Things are difficult enough as they are. I won’t let things get worse. You’re in danger.”
“I know, and I can protect myself. If there’s one thing dad taught me, it was control,” Jeremy explained.
“Okay, Mrs. Harding’s dealing with Tommy,” Felix breezed in casually, “She said it might be best for you to go home, Jeremy.”
“No,” Jeremy instantly said, like a reflex, “That’s what they want. I’m sticking around.”
“Nice one,” Felix smiled, “She got me to write a statement about hat happened. Evidence and all that. She asked me to send you next, Sammi.”
“Shout if you need me,” Sammi mentioned to Jeremy, before bouncing upwards and out of the newsroom. Felix took her place almost instantly.
“Dude,” Felix began, “I don’t know how I can make this up to you, but I swear, I will keep trying.”
“I know,” Jeremy assured, “You proved yourself today. Thank you.”
“I outed you, though. I’ve been thinking, if anyone did that to me, I’d never forgive them. You’re too kind,” Felix confessed.
“Outed?” Jeremy noticed his word choice.
“Exposed,” Felix clarified.
“No, I know what it means, but I don’t get why it applies,” Jeremy explained. An awkward silence followed. Jeremy had caused it unintentionally, “I’m sorry, that was so insensitive, ignore me.”
“No, not at all. I’ve not told anyone this. I’ve never needed to. I thought being with Sammi might mean I never have to talk about it,” Felix opened up, “I’m bisexual, Jeremy.”
Jeremy’s insides felt warm and fuzzy, like a radiator in December. Felix was cutely vulnerable, in a way Jeremy had never seen before, and he liked that. What he felt he didn’t know, but there was clearly a lot of good in Felix.
Oscar felt like he had been sucker-punched. Being so completely gobsmacked was becoming more of a regular occurrence since he became a werewolf, but this took the biscuit. Everything about Cody seemed so sweet and unassuming that he surely couldn’t have been corrupted by the world of werewolves.
That said, the werewolves Oscar knew best were his favourite people to be around. He looked up to Dylan and Jono. They were his role models, and they never forgot how to be kind.
Despite that, Oscar knew the way alphas were created. For most, they took the power from the previous alpha by killing them. Dylan’s situation was very much a loophole – not many would have avoided the inevitable.
“Tell me, what were you doing?” Cody continued to probe.
“It’s a long story,” Oscar sighed. Perhaps Cody was trustworthy, but he didn’t know for sure. Oscar wasn’t planning on taking any chances, “She was showing us a vision.”
“A harbinger of death,” Cody identified, “You’ve got quite the pack. I could tell you were a werewolf from our meeting in the café. I just had to follow you.”
“There’s a few of us, I’m quite new to all this,” Oscar shyly explained. The last thing he wanted to do was mess anything up for Dylan within months of knowing him.
“Where are you from?” Cody enquired.
“Portdown, but I moved to Crystalshaw town a few months ago,” Oscar replied truthfully.
“So you’re all away from home, then,” Cody mentioned. Oscar found it a strangely pointed thing to say. So far, he was finding Cody very difficult to read, “My pack and I are very local, this campus is practically on our doorstep.”
“How many of you are there?” Oscar wondered.
“Four including me. Trained fighters, every one of them,” Cody continued to big himself up, “And after what came out of your friend’s mouth that day, you’re going to need us.”
“What do you know?” Oscar was intrigued. This could answer every question the pack had.
“I’ll tell you, but nothing comes for free,” Cody held back, “I need something from you, too.”
“Tell me, I’ll try and sort it,” Oscar keenly offered. Surely this had to be worth anything?
“I want you all gone. This is my territory, and your pack isn’t welcome here,” Cody demanded.
That sucker-punch feeling returned to Oscar’s stomach. What kind of request was that? It was beyond unreasonable. However, before he could argue, Cody stood up and left. So much for that date.