Secrets From My Mate

Chapter One

No Running in the Hallways

There is nothing worse than waking up on your first day at a new school. Especially when you're going to attend a school for freaks. Well maybe calling them freaks is a little harsh, but they are freaks of nature.

"Hurry up!" Colt yelled, banging on my door. "You're such a slow poke!"

"Pipe down, dill weed!" I barked back as I finished braiding the last of my dark curls. I wrapped the end in a white hair tie. I took one final look at myself in the mirror. I wore dark skinny jeans and a black hoodie over a white singlet. Did I look normal enough? At a human school everyone just assumed that you were human. This school is different. The kids here aren't human. At least not all of them. Most of them are werewolves, fairies, or part vampire. The few humans that are there know about the supernatural and are trained in spotting someone who is not human.

I sighed at my reflection. No matter what I do I'm going to seem odd. My black hair contrasted vastly with my pale skin, but that could be overlooked. My eyes couldn't. They were silver, so silver they almost glowed. Maybe I should wear my hair down, at least use it to hide my face. I shook my head. Why bother?

I pulled on my grey knee-high boots and grabbed my bag. I ran down the stairs and caught Gran giving Gabriel a bowl of what smelled like apple oatmeal. "Morning," I greeted bending down to kiss the top of my nine-year-old brother's head. "Lane! Colt!"

Gran glanced at my outfit and nodded her approval. "Have you eaten yet?"

I shook my head. "No time. We've gotta bail. School starts in like thirty minutes."

She clicked her tongue against her teeth. "Nikita, eat. You're too thin."

I rolled my eyes and kissed her cheek. "You would say that if I weighed three hundred pounds, Gran."

She smiled but didn't deny it. "Go on, get your brothers before you're all late."

Just as I turned to do as she said Colt popped up. "Hey sis, ready to go?"

"I've been waiting on you," I replied in a smartass tone.

He stuck his tongue out at me in response. Colt and I were actually fraternal twins, which means genetically speaking we're like regular siblings but it was almost frightening how similar we looked. Lane and Gabriel too. We all took after our maternal grandmother in looks. Us and our youngest sibling Tessa. There are actually nine of us. The eldest of us, Sage, lives in California where she attends college. Lane and Kyle, fraternal twins like Colt and me, were born next. A year and a half later Colt and I were born, Lucy was born two years after us. Sarah recently turned eleven. Gabriel came after her and Tessa was the baby of the family. The others live in New York with our parents.

Unlike the four of us. Soon to be five once Tessa moves out here. We all have what Gran calls the Gift. I call it the family curse but no need to split hairs. My mother has hated the Gift for as long as I can remember and when we all started showing signs of it she shipped us out to North Dakota to live with her mother. I maintain that we are better off without her but I tend to be alone in that opinion.

"Lane!" Colt yelled out, pulling me from my thoughts. "Hurry up!"

"Looks like I'm driving," I said casually.

Colt paled. "Seriously, Lane! Unless you want Nikki driving we have to leave now!"

I winced at my older brother practically came crashing down the stairs, nearly colliding with the opposing wall.

"I'm good, I'm good," he said gruffly, looking haphazardly dressed.

"Nice hair," I commented. His black locks were imitating a bird's nest.