Maxine sat at the cornermost part of the bleachers in the gym, her heart racing from observing the other girls warm up. She was tugging fidgety at her P.E. uniform, which seemed to be too tight, hence very uncomfortable. Sports had never been her thing, nor was volleyball. She'd been dreading this class all week, especially since Sarah wasn't here. She had a friend in PE, Sarah, the only person who hated it as much as her. Today, though, Sarah was home sick, and Maxine had to face the class alone.Across the gym, the boys couldn't help but stare at Coreen as she demanded attention without effort. You couldn't deny the athleticism of Coreen—her toned body moved with confidence that Maxine only dreamed to have. Everything seemed to fit her, from her fitted uniform down to the admiration she got from everybody else. Except, of course, her attitude—a constant reminder between what a great divide lay between them.Maxine listened as the coach told her what he wanted her to do, but her atte
Alph stepped into the locker room, the familiar scent of sweat and liniment filling the air. The clamor of the gym had faded, replaced by the quieter sounds of teammates unwinding after the game. Trevor and a few others were casually loitering around, pretending to organize their gear but clearly more interested in chatting.As Alph approached his locker, Trevor looked up and grinned. “Hey bro, what’s going on between you and Maxine?”Alph’s fingers paused over the lock. “What do you mean?”“You know, the fat girl from Coreen’s section,” Trevor clarified with a smirk.Alph’s expression remained steady, his gaze steely. “Nothing. Why do you ask?”Trevor shrugged, still smirking. “Just curious. Saw you giving her a jacket and all. Didn’t seem like something you’d do.”Alph closed his locker with a firm clunk. Maxine had been an unexpected focus today, a deviation from his usual routine. He shook his head slightly. “It’s not a big deal. Just thought she needed help.”Trevor raised an eye
Chapter 10 Maxine got home from school, her day chaotic from being one big ball of frustration and exhaustion. The library visit she had planned was scuttled by Coreen's whims; she had been relegated to carrying Coreen's bag and following her to the football field, where she had felt out of place and insignificant. A stressful day pressed from some distance away, and she sighed, somehow relieved as she swung their front door to the delicious aroma of food wafting from their kitchen. Scarcely unnoticed by her sights as she passed by her, Maxine's mother was humming a tune that was loud to her ears as she settled near the back door. "Maxine, here you are! I am just preparing for snacks," she said, cheerfully, her voice loud, the afternoon's overwhelming heat nowhere could dampen her resolute welcome. Maxine trudged into the kitchen, an aroma of fresh bread and savory fillings enveloping her like an embrace. Her mother was standing at the counter, in her flour-dusted apron, making s
Maxine sat at her desk in the classroom, an open notebook of the book before her and an infinite distance in her thoughts. Beside her, Sarah babbled away about the upcoming vacation. The two of them had been talking about the break for weeks, but something today was sending Sarah to new levels of excitement. Maxine felt as if her fake smile of excitement was being strained by Sarah's energy. "So, Maxine, have you decided what you're going to do over the break? My family is heading to that new resort in the mountains, and you should totally come with us! It's going to be amazing!" she went on, with her eyes glistening with excitement. Maxine sighed. "I haven't really made any plans. I don't know what I'll do yet. Maybe just stay at home and catch up on some reading." "'Aww, c'mon! You gotta come with us. It'll be loads of fun, and you need a break from school. Besides, it'll be good to get off campus away from all the drama," she persisted, her voice full of real concern. Before
Alph strode to the length of his room; his mind was in a whirl. The words had spread like wildfire—there had been a death near the university, a body found in the forest just at the outskirts of the campus grounds. It wasn't a student, and with that, an unknown person made it even more dangerous. Howling City managed to hide the existence of wolves from the human population for decades, and Hampton University was the only institution of its kind, where wolves could live and learn away from human eyes. There was a lot at stake. If news about the death were to get out, or worse still, if the wolves were suspected, no one knew what would probably ensue. What might unravel in an instant had taken decades of careful balance. Earlier that morning, his father—the pack's current alpha—had called him into his study. The room was lit with dim light; the heavy curtains were drawn to block out the morning sun. The air had hung heavy with the weight of the responsibility, as his father—a tall, im
**Maxine POV**I burst through the gates of the university, my breath coming in short, panic-laden gasps, my heart still pounding from the confrontation in the woods with Alph, his harsh words merging into my mind with the terrifying recollections of the attack of the Frey. The blood, the violence; it was all too real, too close. I'd never been so close to death before, yet it left a heavy weight upon my chest.I slowed slightly, nearing the main building, to try to slow the pace of my thoughts. My hands still shook, and I could already feel the adrenaline withdrawal, becoming lightheaded and weak. I didn't know what to do or where to go. All I knew was that I needed to steer clear of Coreen at all costs.But fate was playing another hand, as I rounded the corner. "Hear that, darlin'? The players want their muse back!" That laugh—Coreen's mocking, still irritating laugh—wrapped my stomach in knots as, walking near the entrance, I spotted her and Fiona leaning against the wall, their v
**Maxine Pov**It had grown darker, and I was working my way back home, my mind knotted with all that happened out in the woods earlier. The dark streets were little comfort, and the chill of the air only seemed to intensify this eerie feeling that clung to me. I could hardly believe what I had seen, what I had barely escaped from.My mind was on rerun with the scenario, but a dark figure just filled my line of vision, the overwhelming feeling of being in grave danger, and then… Alph. He showed up at just the right time, but why was he there? The question just gnawed at me, but I couldn't piece together some sort of meaning.I stood at the front door and hesitated. It seemed I was a different person than the one who had left this house that morning. I opened the door, took a deep breath, and stepped inside into the dark hallway. The house was quiet, holding its breath, so to say. No signs of anybody—no Alph, no Mother, nor the maid.Relief washed over me, yet it was short-lived. The m
The water cascaded over Alph's skin, the rhythm of droplets pelting the shower floor was oddly soothing. But his mind was anything but at ease. Every drip seemed to resonate with the worry gnawing at him, a reminder of what had transpired in the woods. He knew the truth of it—this wasn't just some random act of violence. It was one of them. Cevillian pack.The Cevillian pack had always been a thorn in the side of any wolf who sought peace. Unlike his own pack, which had learned to live with humans, the Cevillian pack had never accepted the arrangement. They abhorred them, thinking of them as nothing but a threat, an element that needed to be wiped off the face of the earth. They had waited a long number of years just for the opportune moment to strike, which would soon ignite a war and disrupt the delicate balance they had worked so hard to maintain.Alph rubbed a hand over his face, and the moment pressed in all the more. All of the years spent trying not to be noticed, all those yea