Verdant II

Three

Grace's POV

When my dads came home last night I was delighted to see them and gave them both a big hug. They brought us presents from their trip to California, where Sophie Dawson and her mate Julian lived with their small pack.

Jack and Joy got skateboards, Sky got a paint set and I got a snowglobe with the golden gate bridge.

Over breakfast the next morning they told us all about the trip. Dad made coffee and tea while listening to Jack talk about everything that had happened while they were gone. Sky sat silently next to me and ate his breakfast while Joy was already outside trying out the skateboard. Once Jack realized what his twin was up to, he also ran out there so she wouldn't learn before him.

"So anything new with you?" Dad asked me, and I smiled while considering if I should say something. Before I had the chance we heard a loud crash from outside, and both of my dads jumped up and ran outside. I shared a look with Sky, we could both hear Joy saying she was fine and sorry for bulking the car. Sky chuckled to himself.

I cleared the table and started the dishwasher, before grabbing my stuff and heading to school. Now that my dads were home I didn't have to walk my siblings to school, so I made it earlier than planned. I grabbed my stuff out of my locker and sat down in my English class.

There was only one other student in the room, as it was 20 minutes until class began. Silas.

He was sitting in the same spot as yesterday and looked just as cute. Dark curly hair, vibrant blue eyes, and cheekbones you could cut glass on. I realized I was staring at the same time as he looked up and caught my gaze. I blushed.

"Morning," I said, my voice coming out a bit squeaky. Silas looked around the room, noted that we were the only ones in there, before responding with a quiet hello.

"How are you liking it here so far?" I asked him and he looked up from his book again. His piercing blue eyes met mine quizzically. "It's fine," he said before looking back down in his book.

Okay then.

I found my English notebook and looked over my notes for the essay we had due next week. I turned around to ask Silas if he needed any help with it, seeing as he had just started here and caught him staring at me. He blushed and looked down into his book again.

"What book are you reading?" I asked because I loved books and hoped to bond with him about something. Maybe it was aunt Kassidy's words, about meeting my mate, but looking at Silas I thought to myself: I would be happy if it was him. Which I of course could not tell anyone. The elders would never accept a human into the pack.

"Around the world in 80 days" Silas answered, and I smiled at him. "Ah, I've read that one. Do you like it? And does it inspire you to go travelling through Europe or Asia or anywhere else?"

Silas chuckled and I grinned to myself. I made him laugh. "I'd like to see the -". The rest of his sentence was drowned out by Lizzie and Alex coming into the classroom and sitting down in front of me. The two of them were pack members and immediately turned around to ask me about my parent's safe return last night. 

I smiled and mouthed sorry to Silas, who nodded and went back to his book. Class started, and I didn't see him for the rest of the day. But I did think about him. Aunt Kassidy's words were ringing in my head. He was the only newcomer I had met that day, so if she was right that meant that he was my mate. 

But Aunt Kassidy wasn't always right. 

And Silas was a human. I was a werewolf alpha in line to take over the biggest pack in America. 

So I tried not to think about it, and instead focus on my classes and my friends. 

After school I went to the packhouse to shadow dad for the afternoon, sitting in on meetings. He was talking to the elders about the trip to visit the small Dawson pack in California. They were about 20 wolves, our allies, led by my dad's ex-wife and her new husband.  Sophie and Dad were friends now, and very happy to be with their true mates. It was still weird to think that Sophie had been the luna of this pack once. 

After the world's longest and most boring meeting finally came to an end, I was able to go home and have dinner with my family.  Halfway through Maggie rang. I got up to answer and walked outside to sit on the balcony chairs while we chatted. 

Maggie sounded nervous. "So, I was talking to Ronan, who has gym last period, and your new friend might already be in some trouble." 

"Silas?" I asked worriedly. "What? What happened?" 

"I don't know exactly, all I know is that Silas came to PE late and stayed until everyone else had gone. Ronan, that idiot, somehow forgot one of his shoes in the locker room and went back to get it. Silas was coming out of the showers when he got in there, and..." 

I held my breath. 

"Apparently he was covered in some pretty nasty bruises. One on his ribs, the other on his shoulder. Ronan said Silas didn't say anything when he asked if he was okay, just threw on his clothes and hightailed it out of there." 

"Someone beat him?" I asked shocked. The picture my mind created made no sense. Who would do that to someone as soft-spoken and quiet as Silas? 

"He wouldn't say what happened, and since he's not a member of the pack, Ronan wasn't sure what to do. He only told me since he heard that you two were friends and he wasn't sure if you knew or wanted to know." 

"Thanks for telling me, Maggie, and tell Ronan thanks for me." I said slowly. "Regardless of his status, Silas is my friend, and if someone is doing this to him because of me I have to know. If they're doing this for any other reason, it's still wrong." 

"Maybe it was a one-time thing?" Maggie asked. "Like maybe he got mugged or into a car accident or something." 

"Maybe, but I don't think so. The way he was acting - hiding until everyone left the locker room - it sounds like he was bullied. Can you help me spread the word, I'm invoking a hands-off rule?  The next person who hurts him will face me." 

"That's dramatic... are you sure? You barely know him." Maggie responded. 

"I'm sure. Even if I didn't know him, I wouldn't let any member of my pack assault a human. And if another human did it, I want to know who is doing it so that I can stop them." 

 "Okay." She agreed. We chatted some more before I went inside and helped dad with the dishes. He asked me about my day and the phone call, but I didn't tell him about Silas.

Until I knew for sure I wanted to keep it to myself.