Chapter 6 - Wyatt

Oh, Brenda, she is too cute when she is thinking really hard.  I should say Katelyn instead.  I know she gave us a fake name when she first got here.  We have given her so many hints to try and slowly let her know that we have special abilities. 

As the alpha of the pack, even though my gender is beta, I can see people’s abilities.  My father, who was the former alpha, has the ability too.  We have passed it from each generation to the next one.  Other members of the pack have special abilities too. 

However, everyone in our pack has the ability to see into other people’s minds and see their thoughts.  We still don’t understand how we have formed this ability, but it is also one reason that we have secretly hidden ourselves for many generations. 

According to our elders, other packs learned of our abilities and began to try to use them for their benefit.  However, it didn’t take long for us to run in order to save ourselves.  Plus, it took us a long time to feel comfortable again and to rebuild our pack, but we did. 

There weren’t that many that survived, maybe 50 or so, but those few were able to find our current location.  Through the years, our ancestors began to mingle with the humans once they learned how to hide our scent.  We started out slowly, but over time, we have managed to form some of the largest companies in the country, and we have become rather wealthy in the process. 

Some people will think we have used our powers to make us successful, but that isn’t true.  Instead, we used our business knowledge and our own brains to get ahead in the world of humans.  All the while, with no one knowing our secrets. 

One thing that our ancestors wanted to improve on is our education.  Instead of only a few pack members having the privilege of going to college, they have wanted all of us to go and benefit from advanced learning. 

Since my family owns the college, I can easily get Katelyn admitted into the school, even without her transcripts from her previous college. 

However, I won’t tell her that or that I’m able to get her transcripts with no one knowing.  Well, technically, there is someone who knows, because they are the ones that gave me the information, but they won’t say anything to anyone.  After all, they are one of my pack members.

A soft chuckle escapes my mouth as I continue to look at Katelyn’s confused face.  I guess it is about time that I should solve a few of her questions, but first I need to know what she is feeling about our pack.

I lean back in my chair and chime, “Okay.  Stop thinking about it.  You are too cute when you are confused. 

I’ll first let you know that I actually have all your transcripts from your previous university, and before you ask, I didn’t hack the system.  Well, I could have, but I don’t need to.  One of our pack members works in the administration office there and he gave me the information that I need with no one knowing.  So, you can relax.  Your father won’t find out where you are at.”

Another soft chuckle escapes from my mouth.  Oh, I could sit here all day and just watch her facial expressions change like this. 

Her confused look is now gone and is replaced with sheer surprise and maybe a little shock.  The cute creases along her forehead makes her look so adorable, but it is when she smiles and flashes those amazing dimples I can’t help but to smile too. 

I lean forward in my chair and rest my arms on my desk, while I lightly tap my finger on the top of my desk.  “Katelyn, before I tell you anything else, I need to know what you are thinking about joining our pack.  You have been here for a month.  I think it is about time for you to decide.”

Her face once again morphs to one of sadness and longing.  I can’t help myself as I peek into her mind and find her thinking about her family and her best friend, Bridget.  In addition, I see she can sense that Bridget is heading towards us. 

I softly add, “Bridget will be welcomed too when she gets here.”

Katelyn instantly whips her eyes up and on me.  The crease along her forehead is back. 

Once again, I have confused her.  I’m still amazed that she hasn’t figured it out already.  Well, I guess it isn’t every day that you run across a pack that can read people’s mind. 

I quickly add, “I have mind linked with Gus, and I have told him to look out for her.  I have a feeling that she will be on a bus soon, if not already, heading this direction.”

Katelyn’s crease on her forehead slowly fades as she nods.  “Yes.  Don’t ask me how, but I can sense that she is heading this direction.”

I nod my head, too.  “That is her ability.  She can sense where people are at, which also is a reason why she will be welcomed here with open arms even without you being here.”

She tilts her head.  “Are you going to tell me how you know all this?  I have never told you any of it.”

I point to her.  “You, first.  Do you want to be enrolled at our local university this next semester?  And become a part of our pack?  Those two go hand in hand.  If you want to go back to school to learn something that you want, then you have to join the pack.  I hate to be like that, but that is how I feel.”

She hesitates for a moment. 

I force myself not to look into her mind and see her thoughts.  I don’t want to force her to make the discussion that I want.  I want her to decide on her own. 

Slowly, Katelyn nods.  “Yes.  I want to go back to school, and I will join the pack.”

I couldn’t control myself as I jump up from my seat and dash around my desk.  I engulf her in a hug as I chime, “Yes.  Thank you so much, Katelyn.  You have made me the happiest person today.”

She wraps her arms around me and hugs me tight.  “Thank you for everything, Wyatt.  You don’t know what this means to me.”

Oh, I have an idea, but I will not say anything. 

With my arms still tight around her, I add, “We will wait for Bridget to get here to have the ceremony.  We don’t want to send her into a panic.”

With Katelyn’s head on my shoulder, she nods.  “Thank you.”

Well, one big decision down.  Now, it is time to address the other big choice. 

I let go of her and take a small step back.  I gently wipe the few tears, which I’m hoping are happy tears, from her face as I softly say, “So, what are you going to study at college?”

She slowly brings her watery eyes up to look at me.  “I’m going to study medicine instead of business.”

A smile instantly spreads across my face as I nod my head.  Yes.  I think she will be better suited to be a doctor than a businessman or an accountant or whatever else her old pack had wanted her to be. 

I can’t wait to see her in a doctor’s coat.  I bet she will look gorgeous.

“I’ll let the university know to go ahead and process your admission as Brenda into the department of medicine.  You just missed this semester, so you will have to wait until the next one, but I think it is for the best.  By then, you should have your fighting skills mastered and I’ll feel safer about letting you go.” 

She doesn’t protest and nods his head. 

***

Bridget doesn’t how Katelyn has managed to go this far on her own.  Bridget has been traveling for a couple of days now and she knows that she’s going in the right direction, but Katelyn is still rather far away from her.  There aren’t even any werewolves in this part of the country.  Well, now that she thinks about it, that is pretty smart on Katelyn’s part. 

Bridget assumes her friend is planning on living and blending in with the humans.  However, her friend should also know that she can’t hide her scent.  Any werewolf that would come within even a short distance will know immediately that Katelyn is a werewolf. 

Bridget sighs as she sits down on a bench at the bus terminal.  She glances down at her watch.  The next bus heading in Katelyn’s direction won’t leave for another 45 minutes.  This would be a good time to call Beta Malcolm.

She pulls her phone out of her pocket.  She turns it on and quickly dials Beta Malcolm’s number.  She bites her lower lip as she hopes Beta Malcolm isn’t busy right now.  She usually calls him at night after he has gone home for the day.

This is a little risky doing this right now. 

Ring…..ring…..ring…..

Just about when she thinks he is going to get the Beta’s voice mail, he answers, “Hey, did you find anything?  Is that why you are calling me early?”

She glances around the bus station and then to the parking lot outside the window.  “No.  I have about 45 minutes before my bus leaves, so I decided to call you now.  I don’t know if I’ll even have phone reception as I keep going.”

There are a few seconds of silence on the phone before he asks, “Where are you going?  Why wouldn’t there be any signal out there?”

She glances down at her bag and begins to absentmindedly play with the zipper.  “Well, where I’m going, there aren’t that many towns and it is mostly farms and country.  However, if I go all the way to the end, there will be a big city there, and I’ll be fine.  I still don’t really know how far I have left to go.”

Beta Malcolm sighs.  “I still don’t understand how you know where to go, but I’ll believe in you for now.  I’m hoping that I’ll have good news soon.”

A small smile spreads across her face.  “Me too.”

However, what she hasn’t told him is that she won’t give Katelyn’s location until Katelyn says it is all right.  She has a hunch the Beta may have an idea that is what she plans on doing, but she isn’t sure.  He did buy her a burner phone, which is hard to trace, so he couldn’t get her location from her phone’s GPS. 

He chimes, “I have to go.  I stepped out of a meeting to talk to you.  I’ll wait for your next call.”

She looks out the window at the buses and mumbles, “Bye.”

As soon as she ends the call, she turns her phone off again and glances down at her watch.  It is only another 35 minutes now before the bus leaves. 

As she looks back out of the window towards the buses, a middle-aged bus driver is standing next to a bus and is looking at her.  A sudden wave of fear washes over her as the bus driver waves at her and yells, “BRIDGET!”

How does he know her name?