The Unknown Alpha

Chapter twenty-five

Despite Bailey's late night, she met Emily at the school gates early the next morning. As she watched Emily zoom into the near empty parking lot, the morning air cutting deep, Bailey couldn't help but stifle a yawn.

Even when the alphas had left her home last night, Bailey had spent a while warding off her parents, until eventually she just collapsed onto her bed. She had waited eagerly for sleep to consume her wretched mind, but after the first hour or two, tossing and turning beneath the heavy duvets, Bailey had given up and just laid motionless the rest of the night.

Mind full of thoughts, her conversation with Ariana, her newfound power, Mae. Too much. If she slept, she surely would dream anyway. Maybe it was best she hadn't managed to get a wink all night.

But now, As Emily parked the car and leaped out with a spring to her step, Bailey couldn't help but glower at the energetic nature Emily had this morning. Maybe she needed some coffee.

"You know, I could have just picked you up?"

Bailey shook her head and climbed the steps to the front door. "I felt like a walk. I needed some air."

"Yeah, I bet." Emily pulled opened the door and led Bailey take the lead. "I tried calling you last night."

"I know. Mum told me." Her parents had been hesitant to let Bailey go back to school so soon, but for once, bailey agreed with the Supernatural Council. There was no need to postpone her return to school. It would still be awful, no matter if she started back today or next week.

Bailey cast a worried look at her friend. She hadn't seen her friends since the hellhound incident. She didn't think the creature went after anyone else, but she wasn't so certain. "Are you okay? After yesterday . . ."

Emily only hushed her. "Nah. We're all good. That creature seemed to have a thing for you."

Bailey snorted, her fingers tightening around the straps of her bag. "Hellhound. It was a hellhound." She couldn't get the crazed eyes of the beast from her head. Yeah. Those eyes definitely would haunt her dreams for a while.

"Whatever it was, it was nasty."

Bailey couldn't disagree. She had spent most of last night wishing she would heal faster. At least she had managed to ditch the bandages this morning, but her body still ached and groan with each breath she took.

Emily stopped at her locker, swapping the books in her bag for new ones. As Emily was filling Bailey in on the rumour-mill that had swept the school since yesterday, Bailey found herself drifting out of the conversation. Suddenly, the school gossip wasn't as invigorating as it used to be. Especially now that all the new tales seemed to be centred on her.

"Are alpha's empaths?" Bailey asked, cutting off Emily's tale on the gossip Madison's been spilling. Apparently, Madison didn't like that another werewolf was the centre of attention.

"Dunno." Emily shut the locker and they headed down the hallway.

Slowly, the school as filling up with students. A couple students stopped and stared as Bailey walked past. A young girl stared open mouthed at Bailey, before bristling off to most likely announce to the school that the new trainwreck alpha was back in classes.

"I think they might be." Bailey stopped and ignored the stares she was getting. She lowered her voice as she turned to Emily. "Ariana was telling me last night about how alphas can develop these really cool powers. Empathy has got to be one of them." It would explain a lot. It was the only thing that made any sense.

Emily just shrugged. "Seems like a story to me." It was common knowledge that alpha's became strong and fast in human form, but the messed-up crap Bailey's been doing seems to be on a whole different level.