Free Me From the Wolves

[1] Packs Aren't Cliques

This entire summer being in Tyriette was so overwhelming that I hadn't even given a thought about school. My aunt Cassandra had handled everything for my enrollment and it's not like I didn't know anyone, but I was still delayed in the actual interpretation of being at a new school. Even though I had a group of friends and a pack of support I had met throughout the summer, I was behind on social hierarchy, college applications, what clubs to join, or even stressing about the mundane traditions that came with senior year.

"Welcome to your first day at Tyriette High!" Bailee, my best friend here, greeted when my brother and I had made it to the front of the school grounds. I noticed that instead of her boyfriend Evan at her side, it was a familiar boy with jet black hair and stormy gray eyes.

"I'm going to go to the office to finish my registration," Andrew muttered to me before leaving my side. Even though he was older than me, the age gap between us was so miniscule that we were in the same grade as each other. I was left with Bailee and the young boy who not only resembled Bailee, but also a boy I had seen at the pack meeting just last night. One sigh and I smelled the pack's claim on him.

"Oh!" Bailee said, excitedly before gesturing at him. "This is my brother, Brett. I don't think I've mentioned him." No, but I remembered Ryder saying his name and I remembered him chastise Miles Cameron about his mate. Before I would fake an introduction since he already knew my name, Brett looked past me and smiled brilliantly while a curly haired, Latina girl walked up. Even before he grabbed her hands and kissed her, the brightness in his smile and eyes were all I needed before understanding that the "Maya" he called out to was his mate.

"I'll see you after school," Brett told Bailee absent-mindedly while he put his arm around Maya's shoulders. They walked about three steps while I heard her ask who "that girl" was with Bailee and he responded with "that's Ashlynn." But then, she paused the hold she was in to turn and smile to me.

"Nice meeting you," she giggled as if knowing something I didn't. I wanted to ask if she knew about Brett and the pack and me but I allowed them to walk off towards the main entrance to the grand building.

"They're cute," I commented to Bailee and wondered if Brett would smirk at the sound of that, even at a distance.

"Not as cute as me and Evan," she countered. I frowned and noticed that's why it felt weird.

"Where is he, anyways?" I asked. I wondered if he found out about his best friend Aaron Hinley coming back to life—or maybe he caught Miles sneaking into his sister's room at night. Even though Bailee questioned the whereabouts of her boyfriend, I questioned his involvement in whatever it could have to do with the pack now.

"He's weaning himself off of opening the café every morning, but he should be here soon, I hope," she answered and I sort of nodded in relief. She noticed that I was just as alone as she was though. "Where's Ryder?"

I honestly didn't know. My wolf wasn't whining out of concern or excited by his presence, so I assumed he must be fine, but I truly didn't know where he was. Last night, after Zander made an appearance, Ryder was furious. I didn't know why I expected him to be lenient for the fact that his brother returned for their father's funeral, but Ryder didn't know the feeling of forgiveness as soon as Zander arrived. He didn't even want to let him in the house, but if I was correct, I knew that Zander was a good son and a good brother, so I had to physically open the front door for him and wake up Merida. She was in tears at the return of her eldest child to say the least.

But when I went back outside, Ryder was still glaring over at Zander, who didn't follow me into his own home. I hadn't focused on listening to them from inside the house, but I wondered what he said because the Zander who was a malicious alpha werewolf didn't exactly seem so menacing as much as Ryder did. After Merida came out, Zander finally broke the silent conversational gaze with Ryder and went inside to hug and talk to his mother, without so much as a question of who I even was or why I was even there. Maybe he got the picture when I had understood Ryder's paralyzed state by grabbing his hand and driving him back to my house. He said absolutely nothing, but me pulling him out of that situation seemed as simple as breathing.