Not A Mate

School Daze

  "Why do I have to go," came the whining voice next to me. It was the third time in the car Greg had asked this, he had pelted Maahes with it almost a dozen times at breakfast. I sigh and say for the third time before opening my door to get out of the truck, "because just due to you being a shifter does not mean you don't learn about normal things. Maahes travels the world studying other shifters, but he couldn't without attending schooling of some kind". Greg nods his head as he jumps out of the truck, I really hoped he wouldn't ask again.

We were at the local grammar school, thankfully no teens about so I won't have to worry about the teen girls pelting me with questions about my next book. Sometimes I really wonder why I never skinned Doug for telling his sisters about me being Dixon Hill. We walk inside the door and head to the office, the secretary was suppose to be expecting me, but you never know with these people.

I walk into the office and almost walk right back out the secretary was reading a copy of "His Submissive Beta", a book written by a woman from New York who wanted to see adult versions of all my books out there. I roll my eyes, the worst part is the writer of these tell her readers exactly which books they were stylized after. It gave me more royalties, but I also get fan mail I don't want to answer due to it.

The woman had apparently hear the door open and close and she looks over the book and then does a double take and squeals. "Oh. My. God! It's Dixon Hills!" She plasters a giant grin on her face and drops the book she was reading and pulls out a copy of "The New Alpha", one of my early books written about a family of wolf shifters who move into a new territory that of course didn't have a resident Alpha for their local Pack. However the teen-aged son was an Alpha and was meant to take the spot. "Can you sign this for me?" I mentally roll my eyes and sign it anyway.

A voice comes out of the open principle's office, "are you harassing my friend Samantha?" The secretary suddenly looks worried. "no Ma'am, I was just asking Miss Hills if she could sign my book." I see an older woman with a pointed face come to the door of the office, and I see Greg scrunch up his nose. I mentally chuckle, seems this was the first time he had smelled a herbivore shifter. Mrs Frendel waves me and Greg into her office, "I will handle this Samantha. Go on and get back to your work," I'm sure the emphasis was to refer to the fact that she knew that 'Samantha' had been reading on the job.

We enter her office and she waves to the chairs in front of her desk. Greg pushes one of the child chairs forward so he wouldn't have his legs hanging down. She sits at her desk, and types something into her computer. "Greg will be the youngest in the class room Nancy, there are no other shifters in his age group aside from Sammy and they have tutors for wolf children." I nod my head understanding this, normally shifter kids enter school a year behind their human counterparts. However based on my father and Mrs Smaten's opinions, Greg needed it now.

Mrs Frendel levers Greg with a look, "young man do you know the punishment for letting Zipper out while at school? Greg's eyes go big and he shakes his head scrunching his nose again and rubbing it. "I will tell Mrs Smaten you were a naughty boy before we send you to her house in the afternoon." Greg sits up straight, "yes Ma'am; um. Why do you smell like a barn?" My mouth drops horrified that he said that, she just smiles. "Well Greg, that is because I am a goat; and yes. I am an old goat so if you get me angry I might try to chew on your hair."  Greg looks shocked and I mentally chuckle, Mrs Frendel pushes a button on a phone. "yes principle Frendel?" Comes a voice over the intercom. Mrs Frendel answers, "Jamie; your new student is here. Can you send someone here to show him to your classroom?" there isn't a reply from the intercom, and Mrs Frendel looks to Greg. "Now young man, you will be picked up by a bus at the end of Nancy's drive way at promptly six am every morning. After school you will be dropped off at the Smaten house so you get your shifter lessons." Greg nods his head as a knock is heard at the door.

A young girl is standing at the door after it opens and she has blonde pig tails, "Mrs Frendel I was asked to escort the new student." Mrs Frendel nods her head and waves her hand at Greg. "This is Gregory Hills," she gives Greg a pointed look upon saying the last name and he nods his head. "Please take him to class and show him about, he is transferring in from Springfield." The little girl nods her head and waves to Greg who looks at me and when I nod he hops off the chair and follows the girl out of the room.

Once the children leave the room Mrs Frendel leans back in her chair and gives me an once over, "how're you doing kiddo?" Mrs Frendel was a century old, and she had only found her mate thirty years ago, they have a child together that is much like she is; but is living in Washington DC working on the shifter council. I sigh, "I'm as well as I can be. I have a lot of things on my plate now." She nods her head, and speaks. "I hear Seamus has gotten protective over you," I nod my head and respond with a hand wave. "I am sure it is because I am Lobo's niece, he is a wolf after all." I see her nod her head briefly and frown, "why don't you ask your father for his studies he has done on cursed shifters?" I tilt my head, "why? Am I missing something?" She chuckles at me, "yes my dear you are. You could say it is going over your head, and that your father isn't pacing a hole in your cabin floor tells me a great deal about what he thinks."

She then looks out of the window, "a lot of scavengers are gathering in town the last couple of days. Tell me how is Doug's future wife doing?" I squirm in the chair and sigh. "Dr Peter says he'll wake her up in a couple of days. Mrs Smaten is petitioning the council for permission for them to get married right away. It seems based on her interactions with her parents they might cause a problem."

She frowns, "child  I don't want to ask more than you can handle. However I must ask that you poke at their family to get them to spread the word that they need to unseat the wolves on the council. We need a new path ahead, or we'll have more of the same behaviors constantly repeating forever. From what I have heard and seen Doug and Brenda are working out well." I nod my head and she continues, "that needs to be rewarded. I have a feeling that the parents prefer the views of that child that is locked up. Have you heard anything about her other sister?" I shake my head, "no. It's almost as if this group of triplets only has two in it." Mrs Frendel nods her head, "I have heard something. Her other sister partnered with a stag, and their parents disowned her." My mouth drops open again, Deer shifters were as rare as any herbivore shifter was. To have your child be disowned because of a mating was unheard of. Even Doug's cousin is still counted as family. Even if the family thought he should have worked it out with his mate.

She nods her head, "I will give a push. I have as much influence as Mary in some cases. If we can work this out I will arrange for her sister to attend the ceremony. I heard you might have a solution for June?" I nod my head, "the Canadian Pack." Mrs Frendal nods her head, "good idea; they should be used more often in my opinion. They are very good at troubling cases. Well I'll let you get on with your day Nancy. If Greg causes any issue I'll call Mary, she'll handle it."

I nod my head and thank Mrs Frendal as I leave to go and visit the tribe of raccoon's.