Wild and Free

(I’ve gotten a few questions about it so Auden’s name is pronounced like ODD-IN)

(Auden’s POV)

“More werewolves? Are you crazy? That’s so cool!” Holden said excitedly.

“That’s not the way I would describe it but yes, there are more werewolves in White Chapel now,” I looked over at Cassie, “Their scent hasn’t gone away since I caught it on Saturday.”

“Look, it’s only Monday, if they are leaving then-”

“Then they would’ve done it by now!” I cut her off, slamming my locker closed, accidentally catching the eye of a couple students nearby.

“I was going to say then they might be leaving soon,” Cassie went on, “you don’t just take a one day vacation do you?”

I gave her a look, “And who have you known to ever take a vacation to White Chapel?”

She bit her lip, “Yeeeaaahhh now that I think about it our motel has hardly been used since the stone age.”

We walked slowly to our first class, “Have you seen any of them?” Holden asked.

“A few just around town,” I admitted, “And you know those guys we told you to watch out for on Saturday?”

He nodded, “The group with the guy you got tangled up with?”

“Yeah well they’re part of the pack,”

“Did he, you know,” He looked around us, “Catch your scent?”

Cassie and I almost laughed at his antics, “No I don’t think so. He would’ve called me out, maybe even killed me.” her eyes widened, “But he didn’t, I’m fine for now. He did seem like he recognized me though.”

“Have you met before?” Cassie asked.

“Not that I know of,” I replied.

“With a face like that, how could you forget?” Cassie joked, pretend fanning herself.

I grinned and the two of us waved goodbye to Holden before we stepped into the classroom, still giggling.

But sadly our laughter was cut short when we walked in to see three guys and a girl, hovered over our seats. Our seats. It was the same guys as Saturday but the girl that was with them was new. Speak of the devil.

So I guess they are staying… Cassie mindlinked me, making me groan.

The dark haired one that I ran into was sitting on my desk, only half listening to what his friends were saying. Then there was a the tall dirty blonde one that kept making jokes and goofing around. The other boy had chestnut brown hair and was too busy arguing with the girl about something to listen to the blonde’s conversation. The girl however looked very similar to the guy from Saturday, almost enough that they could’ve been related.

Cassie and I stood near the doorway awkwardly, not really knowing what to do. We had assigned seats and ours were being occupied. Neither of us were the kind of people to force them out so we just chose whichever chairs were left and sat down.

As our teacher Mrs. Bradford came in, she began to take roll. She didn’t do the classic name listing aloud but instead just looked at her seating chart and crossed off the absent students. When she got to the row that Cassie was forced to sit in, she knit her brows.

“Miss Carlyle? Correct me if I’m wrong but that is not your seat,” she said to Cassie before searching for me and meeting my eyes “Miss Wilde, you either.”

The guy from yesterday whipped his head around in my direction. I knew he was looking directly at me but kept my gaze forward and my face free of any sign that I felt his eyes on me.

“We’re sorry Mrs. Bradford, we didn’t want to be rude but our seats were taken when we got here,” Cassie explained, oblivious to the stare down I was getting.

Our teacher’s eyes shifted to our seats in the second row where the wrong people were currently seated.

“Well, sure enough,” she said, looking down at her clipboard. “New students I presume?” she asked the four of them, to which they nodded. “Four of you, wow. We don’t get new students very often, left alone more than one. Please stand up, and you two ladies as well,” she instructed the six of us.

“Thank you Cassandra, you and Auden may return to your seats,” she said. We did as we were told.

Then Mrs. Bradford turned her attention to the pack wolves, trying to match names from her clipboard to faces of the four strangers. The dark haired one had stopped staring at me but I could feel the tension coming off of him in waves, as he was itching to look back.

“Who is Riley Anderson?”

The one who was arguing with the girl raised his hand and was directed where to sit.

“Greyson Blackwell?”

The blonde, also seated.

“And the twins I assume? Mackenzie and Mason Royal,”

So that was the diner guy’s name.

“Nice to meet you Mrs. Bradford,” greeted the girl, holding out her hand for our teacher to shake. Sure it was kind of a kiss up move but Mackenzie didn’t seem to mean it that way and Mrs. Bradford couldn’t care less, she was just overjoyed to have a polite student.

“And you Miss Royal,” she replied taking her hand shake before gesturing to their seats. “Today I was planning on showing a video while I graded everyone’s semester projects so I can fill the four of you in on our curriculum whilst I do so.”

Everyone in the class cheered and sat back in their seats getting comfortable for what most would consider their first period nap. Some took out their phones and scrolled mindlessly while some, namely the girls, just chatted away about nail polish quietly.

The werewolf quartet was called over to Mrs. B’s desk where she probably told them the things they needed for the class. However, the diner guy’s, or I guess I should say Mason’s attention was elsewhere.

And that elsewhere was me.

I tried my best to do what I’d done for years and hide my emotions, but just the concept of other werewolves being around after so long was making Celeste, my wolf, jittery so I had no idea how well I was doing.

The video wasn’t very interesting so I got my notebook out and started drawing. Art was something that I’d picked up a few year back as a kind of stress reliever. In the beginning I was sort of consumed by the feeling of being on my own and in a constant worry of threat or danger. One day I just started drawing and now it just sort of came naturally. Cassie and Holden always said I should go to an arts school and get out of White Chapel but I always have to remind them why I can’t.

I just started doodling and it ended up turning into a drawing of the cliffs outside of town. It was a spot that I went to sometimes to clear my head, sometimes draw.

Feeling a pair of eyes, burning a hole in the side of my head, I risked a glance and instantly regretted it.

A big smirk spread across his face when I met his mischievous golden brown gaze.

I’d like to slap the smirk right off his face, I mindlinked Cassie.

She grinned beside me but didn’t respond, returning her attention to her Chemistry homework that she was rushing to finish before next period.

Can you hear this? A new voice said in my head.

I flinched at first, startled at a different person other than Cassie doing that In years. Then I grew nervous because it wasn’t Cassie. But I knew exactly who it was and what he was trying to do. I recognized the voice. It made me sweat to wonder what might have given me away.

I didn’t meet his gaze but turned to Cassie.

“Ow. What was that for?” I said.

She looked at me confused, “What?”

“You shocked me.”

Mason tried to Mindlink me. He’s on to me, just go with it, I told her.

“Sorry, my chair must be staticky,” she replied, with a small wink.

I didn’t have to look up to know his face was filled with confusion. I’d stumped him. For now.

Before he had the chance to try anything else, the bell rang, jolting everyone out of their tired states inflicted from the lights being turned off. Cassie and I packed up our things and made our way out the door calmly but once we were out of Mason’s view I grabbed her wrist and dragged her into the girl’s bathroom.

“He tried to Mindlink you?!” she whisper shouted, taking into account the other girls in the room. Even if they heard, they’d have know clue what we were talking about anyways.

I nodded, rubbing the scars on my hands nervously, “I jumped when I heard it because the only person I’ve been Mindlinked by is you in the past two and a half years. Thanks for going with my excuse, I think that he believed it.”

“Nice quick thinking. I wouldn’t have known what to do at all.”

“I just don’t understand,” I said, raking a hand through my hair, “How did he know?”

“Well can’t werewolves smell other werewolves?” she whispered, “especially if they’re not in the same pack?”

“Yes but I’ve been on my own for so long I shouldn’t have a scent anymore, and even if I did, it’s masked by my necklace’s charm.” I explained.

She looked at my necklace as if it was the first time she’d really looked at it.

“Is it like magic or something?”

I laughed, “Sort of, I mean my father gave it to me for situations like this and i’ve never taken it off.”

“Maybe the spell or enchantment or whatever has worn off.” she suggested.

“Maybe but I feel like I would know. And what about the rest of them? The Riley guy and Greyson, and Mason’s sister? Surely they’d have smelled me too right?” I asked.

She shook her head and put her hands up in surrender, “You’re the magical creature here, don’t ask me.”

I rolled my eyes and the two of us jumped when we heard the warning bell, causing us both to laugh before we left the bathroom.

But something in my stomach told me that, though we’d seemed to trick him, whatever suspicion that Mason had came from somewhere and was not going to go away that easily.

~~AUTHOR’S NOTE~~

Comment, don’t hate, and read on!

~your Cheshire Cat loving friend