Hope Kenner

13 - Without Choice

"Left. Right, right, left. 4," he took a few paces around the punching bag, breathing heavily. "Left, right. Left, left, right. 9." The punching bag swung back hard with the last punch. Henry continued in rhythm, sending in punch's with each directory word, "Left. Right, right, left. 13." Again he stepped into a new position by the punching back, "Left, right. Left, left, right. 18."

"Gonna keep counting your punches, Benoit?" Jed, not exactly a friend, walked into the school gym where Henry was all alone.

The werewolf glanced over at Jed, then continued punching the bag, "Well, when the only person who actually likes you just leaves, you need to blow off steam." He caught the bag when it swung back. It caused him to shift his stance.

"The witch? Whatever. Never thought she'd be here long. And you're never gonna blow of any real steam or actually get better if you keep punching a still target." Jed walked up onto the mat in the middle of the gym.

The werewolf dropped his arms away from the prepped punching position they were in, "As if you would care how much steam I'm capable of blowing off. You just want someone to beat up." He rolled his eyes at Jed.

"Not someone. You," Jed corrected confidently, "In order to be alpha, you need to be best, and you're my only competition." The werewolf added, letting out a slight laugh, "Not that you're much of a competition at all."

"Then have it? Be the alpha," Henry gestured his arms at Jed. He shook his head, "I really don't care." The werewolf walked past Jed, towards the doors leaving the gym.

"Don't lie to me, Henry. You want to be alpha as well. You are the only other werewolf in this school who's ever wanted the title. That means I have to fight you for it," Jed said with his eyes on Henry's back.

Henry turned around and walked up to Jed, feeling an anger stir, "Want-ed. past tense. I don't want it anymore, so just crown yourself alpha, Jed. I don't care."

"Well, it doesn't matter how much you say it, Henry. If I want to earn the title of alpha, I have to fight you and win," Jed elaborated. Jed suddenly swung his arm to punch Henry in the face.

Henry managed to move away just in time, then he tried to hit Jed in the side with his predictable movements. Jed caught Henry's arm before it hit his side, then he kicked Henry's knee, causing him to stumble to the ground.

Jed bent down and lifted Henry slightly off the ground by his shirt. He punched him in the face with enough force to cause bleeding. Then he dropped the werewolf to the ground and walked off, "Now I'm the alpha. And that means you do as I say from now on." He said before he left the gym, "It's past curfew, Henry."

The werewolf spit out blood. He slid his hand into his pocket and pulled out a photo. It was Hope Kenner. "I just don't get why you'd just leave..." He dropped his arm, with the photo in his hand, to the side and just laid there the rest of the night, lacking the energy to move.

•*•*•*•

"C'mon girls," Caroline walked into her daughters' dorm. They were both snuggling together in Lizzie's bed. It's always adorable how much they stick together. "Time to get up for school. Lizzie. Josie." The vampire walked up to them with a smile. She shook them and said in an urging voice, "Time to wake up."

"Can we just stay here forever?" Lizzie groaned from under the covers. "So comfy."

"Liz bear, I wish, but class awaits for you two," Caroline said, disappointing the twins. "C'mon!" She shook the covers.

Josie rolled over, "I can't wait until we graduate. Then Lizzie and I are gonna sleep in all the time." She closed her eyes and smiled, thinking about the heaven. The siphon slid out of the bed, not happy to, "We gotta get up, Lizzie."