Werewolf Academy Book 6 Read online

  “Alex!” Siale called.

  The sound of her familiar voice warmed Alex’s heart. He turned in time to catch her when she ran down the stairs. Laughing at her enthusiasm, he stumbled back against the banister and received a kiss.

  “I’ve missed you,” she exclaimed.

  “I’ve missed you, too,” he told her. “Seeing you made my day about a hundred percent better.”

  “I’m glad,” she said. She slipped her hand into his. “Let’s go eat.”

  “I’m not sure I’m allowed to eat with you,” Alex replied, letting her pull him down the stairs.

  Siale smiled up at him, her gray eyes bright in the morning sunlight that spilled through the windows of the entryway. “I’ve already cleared it with Jericho. He says you can be our pet.”

  “Pet?” Alex sputtered.

  “Don’t worry.” A hand fell on his shoulder. Alex glanced back to see Jericho. “We’ll make sure you have food and water like any good pet.” He led the way into the Great Hall.

  Alex laughed. “You guys are ridiculous.”

  “You can have treats,” Trent said, coming up behind Jericho, his Alpha, when they stopped in the line for food. “But only if you’re good.”

  “Then he’s not going to have any,” Jordan told them. She grinned at Alex, her spikey red hair skewed from the night’s sleep. “Maybe we should reward you for bad behavior instead.”

  “That’s not a bad idea,” Alex replied, feeling immensely happy by the ridiculousness of their teasing. “Unless I get fat.”

  “I’d still love you,” Siale told him. “You’d still be cute.”

  “So you only love me for my looks?” Alex queried.

  Siale’s smile deepened. “Oh no! You know my secret. It’s your eyes, so dark and mysterious, like the depths of the ever-changing ocean. What are you thinking, Alex Davies?” she asked teasingly.

  He took a step closer to her and lowered his voice. “That I need to kiss you so much right now it’s the only thing I can think about.”

  Her eyes widened.

  “Oh man,” Trent said, stepping between them. “You’ll get suspension for too much public affection in school. You know that’s not allowed.”

  Alex blinked, Siale’s hold on him broken. He smiled. “Don’t worry. I have some constraint.”

  “I don’t believe that for a moment,” Trent replied.

  Alex chuckled. “Maybe you know me too well.”

  His friend laughed. “I’ve been telling you that for years.”

  Alex took Siale’s hand again and walked with her through the food line. It felt so good to have her at his side after the crazy Choosing Ceremony and the night alone in the strange quarters. He smiled at the sight of the engagement ring on her finger. He wouldn’t have to last without her much longer.

  “Thank you,” Alex told Cook Jerald when she handed him a tray laden with waffles and cheesy eggs.

  “We missed you over the summer,” she replied. She winked. “We had way too much quiche after you left.”

  Guilt filled him at the egg and cheese pie he and Cassie had snuck before they left to Red’s.

  “Sorry about that,” he apologized.

  She shrugged and scooped a spoonful of eggs onto Siale’s plate. “If you had asked, I would’ve told you it was a month old and should have been thrown out.”

  Alex sputtered. “We ate the whole thing!”

  “Seriously, Alex?” Cassie said from behind him. “You’ve got to learn when someone’s pulling your leg.”

  She and Cook Jerald broke out laughing.

  “It was fresh,” the cook amended with a grin. “And worth losing to see your expression!”

  “It was the best month old quiche I’ve ever had,” he replied with a laugh. “Thank you.”

  Pack Jericho insisted that he join them at their table. Feeling the glances of the other werewolves around the room, Alex took a seat between Siale and Cassie. He proceeded to pile the eggs on his waffles and took a bite of the sandwich. A glance down the table showed nearly everyone in Pack Jericho doing the same. Alex held back a smile at the thought that he had at least left a small mark on the pack.

  Jaze walked through the lunchroom with Nikki beside him. Little William held his father’s fingers as the dean carried a tray in his other hand. Alex focused on their conversation.

  “I just don’t think any college, no matter how obscure, will be open to the idea of werewolves within their student body,” Professor Mouse was saying from behind them. “Every dean I’ve called hangs up before I say two sentences. They’re afraid.”

  “We can’t blame them,” Nyra said from Mouse’s side. “Tolerance is difficult to achieve, especially when fear is involved.”

  “But we can’t let our students graduate from here with no prospects for the future,” Nikki replied, setting her tray on the far table the professors used when they ate together in the lunchroom instead of in their separate quarters.

  Gem smiled at little William and he scooted over to sit by the green haired werewolf.

  Alex thought of his conversation with Flynn after their first game of football on the beach.

  “I’ll be right back,” he told Siale.

  He jogged over to the professors’ table.

  “Good morning, Alex,” Jaze said with a warm smile. “Is it good to be back?”

  “It’s great,” Alex told him honestly. “Though a bit different.”

  Jaze nodded knowingly. “Being different takes courage, and you’ve got no shortage of that.”

  “That’s why I’m here,” Alex said. He glanced at Professor Mouse. “I overheard your conversation about colleges.”

  “You don’t have to worry about it,” Nikki told him. “We’ll figure something out.”

  “It’s already figured out,” Alex replied. At their curious expressions, he said, “Someone I met while at Red’s told me that college applications don’t ask whether you’re a werewolf or not. I feel like that’s a sign. We can go to college without getting clearance for our race. We have names, addresses, and grades. As long as we can transfer our diplomas, nothing else should matter.”

  Nyra gave him an understanding smile. “We wish it didn’t, but it does. It’s too dangerous for you there if you have to hide your nature.”

  Alex shook his head. “Hiding what we are doesn’t help anyone.”

  “What are you saying?” Jaze asked. There was a hint of steel in his gaze as if he had already guessed.

  “We don’t need to hide anymore. The best thing we can do is to let the nation know we exist just as they do, students and professors who are trying to make the world a better place in which to live. Tolerance is there, but it has to start with us.”

  Alex watched Jaze closely. Something flickered in the dean’s eyes. Alex’s chest tightened when he realized the emotion Jaze tried to suppress was fear.

  “It’s not safe,” the dean said. “We can’t protect our students beyond these walls, and if the Academy is known for what it is, they’ll tear it down around us.”

  “They won’t,” Alex replied. “They can’t. They’ve seen what we can do.” He hesitated, then said, “They’ve seen what I can do. They know we exist. We can pretend to be ghosts, telling ourselves that wolves can live happily behind walls, or we can embrace our heritage and be strong enough to live outside of them.”

  Jaze shook his head. “We’re not ready.”

  Alex met his gaze. “You might not be ready, but we are.”

  He realized that silence had fallen over the lunchroom.

  Jaze rose to his feet. “Alex, you’re in over your head. We can’t protect our students if we make them a target.”

  “We’ve been targets our whole lives,” Alex replied. “The only way to take the gun away is to force the world to accept that we deserve to exist.”

  “I’ve tried,” Jaze replied, his tone heartbroken. “It doesn’t work like that.”

  “It does,” Alex told him firmly.

 
“Alex,” Siale said his name quietly and touched his arm.

  Alex kept his gaze on Jaze. “It’s time, Jaze. We need to reveal the Academy to the world. They might not have accepted werewolves years ago, but we’ve shown them that we’ll put our lives on the line to defend humans. We sacrificed to save Greyton and the hospital. We made ourselves targets for the curs to help end their threat. We gave the humans their lives back. Now is the time to ask the nation to return the favor.”

  “I won’t let you risk this Academy,” Jaze said, his voice laced with steel.

  “Then I’ll fight you for it.”

  Gasps spread across the Great Hall at Alex’s challenge.

  “What?” the dean asked.

  Alex’s heart thundered in his chest. He kept his focus on Jaze. “I challenge you for the right to reveal the Academy to the world.”

  “It doesn’t work like that,” Jaze began.

  Alex motioned toward the student body. “You taught us that rank duels separate those who lead from werewolves too weak to be the leader. I am ready to lead, Dean. I challenge you for that right.”

  Jaze’s gaze traveled around the room, then back to Alex.

  “Fine. I accept your challenge,” he said shortly.

  The dean’s jaw clenched and his right knee bent slightly. With an outlet of breath, Jaze threw the first punch.

  About the Author

  Cheree Alsop has published 29 books, including two series through Stonehouse Ink. She is the mother of a beautiful, talented daughter and amazing twin sons who fill every day with joy and laughter. She is married to her best friend, Michael, the light of her life and her soulmate who shares her dreams and inspires her by reading the first drafts and giving much appreciated critiques. Cheree works as an independent author and mother, which is more play than work! She enjoys reading, traveling to tropical beaches, spending time with her twin boys before they start school, and going on family adventures while planning her next book

  Cheree and Michael live in Utah where they rock out, practice Krav-Maga, enjoy the outdoors, and never stop dreaming.

  You can find Cheree’s other books at www.chereealsop.com

  If you liked this book, please review it so other readers will be able to find it. Keep an eye out for Cheree’s new werewolf series with some of your favorite characters from the Silver Series and the Werewolf Academy Series. The first book in The Seven will be released by the end of 2015. Cheree’s next book release, Monster Asylum Book 2: The Scales of Drakenfall, is upcoming along with the Stonehouse Ink release of Shadows. To be added to Cheree’s email list for notification of book releases and for sneak excerpts, updates, and giveaways, please send her an email at [email protected]