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
Maxine trudged toward the university gates, trying to scrape off the remnants of fatigue from her inside the way one does grime. It was early, far too early for her liking, but the brightness in the air and the buzz of energy around the campus were unmistakable signs that summer was just around the corner. As she got nearer the gate, she heard a familiar voice call out."Maxine!" Sarah waved with zeal, almost hopping on the same spot. She was excited, and her excitement blazed, even if Maxine couldn't catch it.Maxine plastered a smile on her face, hoping it would look convincing, and said, "What's with that energy?" She kept her tone light, and inside, she wished she had a fraction of the enthusiasm Sarah seemed to have."Why wouldn't I be energetic? We've only got two days left, and then it's summer!" Sarah said with a grin, excitement reflecting in her eyes about the break that would soon be at hand.Maxine nodded, though her heart wasn't in it. "Well, that's true," she agreed. "Bu
The school day had been long and uneventful, and as the final bell rang, Maxine collected her things, the weight of the day's mysteries still pressing on her mind. Sarah was chattering excitedly beside her about plans for the summer."See you later, Maxine!" Sarah called as they came to the spot in the road where they had to split off toward their homes.There was a wan aspect to Maxine's smile; it didn't really reach her eyes. "Yeah, see you," she said, then watched Sarah walk away. She looked toward Leo, who was hanging around the gate with a very serious look on his face.Without conscious thought, Maxine found that she was slowing, her feet moving of their own volition as they began to trail behind Leo at a safe distance, the one that wouldn't make her conspicuous. He was striding left on campus, near the forest, taking a path that Maxine rarely took because it led to the fringes of the town—a place she had little cause to see.Leo set the pace, and soon Maxine was standing near t