Wolfbound

Chapter 3: Zane

Chapter3

Though I wouldn’t admit it freely, I owed the new girl for saving me from Mrs Salazar’s wrath. That batty, old teacher had it out for me.

“Now, where were we?” Mrs Salazar returned to the front of the classroom. “Ah yes...”

I sunk deeper in my chair and watched the clock. I wasn’t sure how much longer I could stand this school. I didn’t know how much longer I could keep up my pretence. The next person to stand on the back of my shoe could quite possibly be the next person gone, dead, mysteriously disappeared.  I took things one step at the time lately. Doing the simplest of things slowly but surely, trying to remember who I am. It wasn’t easy. Some days more than others I battled for control over my inner beast; tying myself down with my conscience. For what? To be hunted down by the Crescent Pack? It hit me like a tonne of rocks then; that I had hardly lived. At just 17, I’d never been kissed, never had a girlfriend, never. I’d never ridden a rollercoaster, never played paintball, never been rock climbing.

Some might argue that I didn’t know for sure I was going to die, that the Crescent Pack would find me. After all, in their quest to extinguish all other ‘wolves, they might overlook this place. I flicked a misplaced hair from my eyes. Who was I kidding? Who would overlook a town with such a large forest? It’s perfect for werewolves to hide in. Not to mention the fact that Oakridge reeked of wolf.

The girl in front of me twirled her hair between her fingers, sending a whiff of scent at me. Wow. It was a nervous gesture, no doubt influenced by the pairs of eyes gawking at her, and it sent a heavenly scent of raspberries and vanilla right up my nostrils. It smelt delicious. The smell was refreshing in contrast to the stench of dog that clung to the school. It still stunned me, the scent of pure humans, untainted by the wolf gene. It almost made me regret half turning the rest of these students. But then I remembered why I did it and the protection they provided. Maybe the Crescent Pack won’t kill me after all. My preparation had to count for something. Like most of the ‘wolves across the globe, I’d been anticipating them for several years.

In my human form it was easier to think about the power I possessed in the palm of my hand, without it overtaking my brain like a drug. It was impulsive and addictive, the power of creating an army provided. I felt like a King. I felt like someone who could take on the world.

The bell tolled, slapping me back to reality, back to the place my power meant nothing. I watched as Chloe passed by me and walked to the new girl’s desk, intentionally pushing the girl’s books from her desk. She smiled bitter-sweetly as the books hit the floor with a thud. “Welcome to my school,” she said, eyes hard and blazing at the new girl. As if on cue, her pod of minions giggled and escorted Chloe from the room showering the air with mocking laughter. The girl’s shoulders slumped and her head fell to the desk as if her neck couldn’t bear its weight any longer.

I slid my chair back, and picked up her books. As I placed them on her desk, I was suddenly acutely aware of the vanilla and raspberries that flitted around my head. She looked up at me, smudged eyeliner rimming dark ocean blue eyes. Her dark fringe fell over one eye and she let the corner of her mouth twitch up into a brief smile. “You’ll be late for your next class,” I said, pausing before tearing myself away and slipping out the door.

On my way to Math, I caught snippets of conversations. All but a couple were about this new girl. Oakridge wasn’t the most exciting town for humans. This girl was their shiny new toy; a chew toy, to some. Math dragged on, as it always does. I didn’t like math. It wasn’t the teacher’s fault, she actually liked me. I just didn’t see how knowing what x-y = would help me in real life, or what the circumference of a circle would be. The point of math was beyond me. Miss James tried her hardest to get my attention during class, asking me questions and checking that I was okay with the work. She never got through to me. She was pretty and young, probably my favourite teacher. It wasn’t her fault I hated the subject she taught. By the time the bell went, I was sick of being trapped in there with all those rumours about the new girl. They swirled around the room like tornadoes. No one had really focused on their work, except for a few nerds at the front. I couldn’t help but overhear a few rumours. One person said she lived in the back of the Corner Dairy, another person said her family had inherited the mansion on the hill. The most outrageous thing I heard was that she’d killed a guy, that’s why she’d had to move. It all sounded so immature and childish. I needed to escape. I had had enough of this girl already.