That was enough to get me running for the door. Pulling on my shoes, I glanced at the clock: 2 pm.
“Where are they?” I loudly asked as Lathen scampered behind me, stuffing his phone into his pocket.
“School Courtyard. They can’t do anything-” I didn’t wait to hear the rest of his sentence. Luckily, it was a 5-minute walk away; running made it less.
Before even getting through the gates, the chanting was evident. Teachers scrambled to get past the students, squeezing themselves through the tight circles. It was a free-for-all. Lathen caught up behind me.
“Fuck,” he whispered breathlessly.
I could see the top of Devan's mop in one of the centres. It seemed Alex wasn’t the only one fighting. The chants drowned out the shouting from within.
“Oi! MOVE,” I screamed at the top of my lungs, panting.
I don’t know what caused them to even listen to me, but a banshee scream would make anyone freeze. The chanting continued, yet those who heard it began whispering and parting like the Red Sea.
Getting closer to Devan, I saw a glimpse of my brother. His nose dripped in blood, a scuff on his lip and a cut on his brow. Devan was holding him back, but he was struggling.
“Move it!” I pulled and pushed the bodies away.
The whispers grew, and two teachers finally broke through to the other fights breaking out.
I stared at my brother and the other pupil. Both were focused only on each other, huffing and grunting to break out of the hold of other, older pupils who had them locked.
I stood before my brother, making him break eye contact, but what I saw made me pause.
Dark amber eyes stared back at me.
Those weren’t human.
“Alright! That’s enough! Entertainment is over!” The principal shouted over a megaphone; it squeaked and whined. It forced Alex to stop struggling against Devan, instead clutching his ears.
Alex grumbled, and Devan didn’t move away from him, clasping his shoulders. I could see Devan panting.
Gulping, I stepped closer to Alex. Only for him to be bombarded by a teacher and, by the scruff of his shirt, marched to the office.
“Lexandria…” Coach touched my shoulder, making me turn to her, “We need to chat about your absence.”
I groaned; this was the last thing we needed.
I sat in the coach's office; the smell of sweat and teenage BO was stifling. She said nothing for a reasonable amount of time. Instead, she typed away on her computer.
My anxiety rose as the ticking clock and mechanical clack of her typing became louder.
“Stop shaking your leg,” Coach lectured; she didn’t look up from her screen, but my leg continued to bounce.
She clicked on a few things before pushing away from her mouse and keyboard and leaned back in her chair. I shifted in my seat.
“Your mum said you were sick, but you and I know that is a lie.”
I nodded sheepishly, “A lot has been going on at home.”
“Hm, I can imagine,” she said, “Whatever is happening, it has affected your brother. His sweet demeanour has vanished.”
Before I could reply, there was a knock at the door behind me. Coach waved her hand to the person and allowed them in.
“Sorry, Coach. Lexi’s mum is here and is asking for her daughter.” The receptionist popped her head around the door and looked towards me.
Coach nodded and stood up, prompting me to get up.
Before I left to follow the woman, the coach whispered in a low voice, “Speak to the wolves. They will help.”
I did a double take before leaving. As far as I was aware, Coach Reily was human. How long has she known about the wolves?
‘What else did she know?’
The car ride was silent and awkward as hell. My mum said nothing more than, ‘We will talk when we get home’. I cleared my throat as we pulled up. Alex had his arms crossed the whole time, and as soon as the car stopped in the driveway, he fled into the house and upstairs.
“Alex!” Mum pleaded from the bottom of the stairs.
“I’ll try to talk to him.” Luke patted Mum’s shoulder, “I’ll act as a third party.”
Mum sighed and collapsed onto the sofa; she looked tired, and her fine lines deepened, making her look older. On the table was Grandma Greenwood's book of shadows. It was open, showing the jagged edge of the ripped pages, and she stared at the open book.
I sat opposite her and waited.
Feet thundered the stairs. Luke had coaxed Alex out of his room, although Alex didn’t look happy. Luke forced him to sit next to me.
After the stroppy teen was sat, Luke gave a nod and left.
Mum sighed, touching the missing pages, “We should’ve told you. Your dad and I decided to wait until the time-”
“He knew?” Alex interrupted.
She nodded, “He did… We were trying for you for months and decided to do a spell…”
Nick and Isobelle spun in the forest, their little circle for Imbolc, hoping and praying to the goddess for fertility.
The night of the full moon was quiet; the wind teased her hair, and Nick gladly followed his wife.
The night grew cold, and howls took over the tranquil moon. The howl made them both pause. That was not the usual pack cry. No, it was one of anger. Yelps and cries took over the forest, and it was a sign the pair knew to run away from and leave no scent behind.
“Nick?” Isobelle whispered, frightened.
“Shh, it’s okay. You go on home; I will clear our scent from here.”
Picking up her burgundy cloak with a short kiss, she waded sky-clad, with a cloak covering her, back home.
Nick stayed slowly, moving backwards, taking the same path his wife did, only slower. The sounds they heard that night was from the local pack, but they had been without an alpha for months.
Fights would break out randomly throughout the months until one claimed the right and proved it. Alphas in a frenzy would not recognise friend from foe.
While Nick was covering their tracks, he heard the footsteps get closer. He still had time and stepped backwards, slowly following the same path his wife had taken.
A howl from his left made him jump. It was closer than expected.
“NICK!” He heard Isobelle’s scream, and dread filled him.
Abandoning his task, he ran towards the sound of his wife’s scream.
Only to be tackled from the path. Nick grasped and clawed at the human form, “Get off-!”
His mouth was covered, and he was silenced by his old friend, Jack. Nick struggled against him, confused. Why was Jack stopping him? He had to save his wife!
“Shh. If he sees you, both of you are dead,” Jack whispered.
“What is going on?” Nick muttered against the hand, slightly calmer now, “Where’s my wife?”
“Nick… I’m sorry.”
Isobelle’s cries took over the forest.
“No,” Nick whispered.
“He caught wind of both your scents. If I had known what you were doing tonight, I would have warned you against it. The alpha isn’t himself.”
Nick struggled again; this time, his magic rose and fire welded; he grasped the wolf's forearm and burned it.
Alpha or not. Nick would not stand by.
Jack let him go with a yelp, and Nick dived through the clearing.
The smell of burning flesh took days to clear from the forest. The scent was forever etched into both of their minds. Jack was not welcome back to the house after that, and the Alpha was not seen around town and moved on to a different pack.
Nick wished he killed the alpha there and then.
Then, a few weeks later, came the bittersweet news.
Isobelle cleared her throat as tears ran down her face. She tried to finish the story.
“The alpha, he… caught me an-and-”
“Stop,” I begged.
She shook her head, “Your father saved me, but what was done…”
“After we waited so long to have you, Alex. After a while, your father and I decided it didn’t matter. We took a chance and prayed you would be healthy. You are his son. You always have been and always will be.”
Alex was silent.
Sniffing, I got up to sit with Mum. Alex’s eyes were red, and the dimple in his chin told me he was trying not to cry.
Still in tears, Mum pulled out several pages under the book and whispered, “Restorignum… We should have never hidden it.”
The pages returned to the book and stitched themselves together. The pages revealed the full story of that night and Alex’s future seen by our Grandma, Vera Greenwood.
I gazed at my brother teary-eyed. I saw him struggling and opened an arm to him, “Alex?”
He slowly and meekly came over to us. We hugged him fiercely and sat together, huddled in the quiet house.
“I-I underst-tand n-now,” Alex hiccupped, “I’m s-sorry.”
“Oh sweetie, I’m sorry too,” Mum coaxed, “We shouldn’t have given you false hope of Enmagica… I don’t know if you will, but you can still use some magic.”
Alex nodded but kept silent. I could tell that was not what he wanted to hear.
I had a feeling we would see more of Alex’s anger.
It explained everything. The weird clumsiness was Alex struggling with random bouts of strength. The amber eyes could be his wolf. We would need the help of the pack.
Half witch and half wolf. Nothing I had read detailed such a person. However, it wasn’t far-fetched. It was possible healer Carl would know.
After the tears stopped, Alex stayed cuddled with Mum and fell asleep. The wheels in my head would not stop turning…
“Mum?” I softly asked.
“Hm?” She continued to pet his hair back softly.
“The son of an alpha always has it tough…” I recited what I had read previously to help Tiffany.
She sighed, “He showed no signs until this past year. I never thought I’d be asking Jack for help again.”
“It doesn’t have to be Jack… Tiffany could help us.”
“Tiffany?”
“A school acquaintance…”
“Ah, of course… I forget sometimes,” she smiled, “You contact her, but it will be best if Alex decides for himself…”
I nodded, ‘This is going to be difficult to explain…’
