Page 20 of Forsaken (The Nightwolf Pack #3)

CHAPTER 20

S erafina

“You’re scaring the kids,” I whisper, none too politely, to Noah at the back of the classroom.

He’s been sitting here since we arrived almost an hour ago at the beginning of the school day.

The third-grade class needed a new teacher’s assistant since the last one recently went out on maternity leave.

The Nightwolf pack didn’t have a school within the pack’s grounds. The pups went to a local public school. They obviously just weren’t allowed to tell the human students about what they really were.

The Blackclaw pack has managed to create their own school, which is still partially funded by the state.

“I’m not doing anything,” Noah says, frowning up at me.

I try to fight my smirk that threatens while looking at his huge body crammed into the elementary student desk. Even with the larger sizes of the desks over those made for human, elementary students, he looks crazy in one of these.

It’s useless though. I have to cover my mouth as I giggle at the sheer ridiculousness of the sight. Noah’s frown deepens, which only aids in making me laugh louder.

A few of the students, who’re quietly taking a test, have to shush me.

Ms. Suzie, the teacher, looks over at us from behind her desk. Her eyes go to Noah, and she gives him a small smile of respect. But it’s written all over her face that she is also uncomfortable by his presence.

He’d made some excuse about checking out the school as part of his alpha duties. Though Ms. Suzie would never question one of her alpha’s out loud, she’s uneasy with his presence.

“Let’s go.”

I tuck my arm underneath Noah’s until he raises out of his seat. He almost takes the entire desk with him.

“You’re a distraction,” I whisper to him as soon as we’re in the hallway.

His eyebrows narrow, forming a ‘V’ in between them as he gives me a surprised expression.

“I’m merely sitting there.”

“Which is a distraction,” I reply. “The kids can’t stop peeking at you and giggling. Poor Ms. Suzie is obviously uncomfortable with your presence and the kids are picking up on that.”

He opens his mouth but doesn’t say anything while his gaze travels over my shoulder to the now closed door.

With my arm wrapped in his, I pull him farther down the hallway so that the children and Ms. Suzie with their sensitive wolf ears won’t overhear us.

“I know with a pack your size, there are a million other things you could do besides watch a classroom of nine year olds.”

“They aren’t the ones I’m watching,” he says, looking me in the eye.

I roll mine. “Have you forgotten about this?” I wave my wrist with the new bracelet on it. This is one of the additional conditions Ronan imposed before leaving on his business trip this morning.

The bracelet has a tracker in it that will go off the minute I try to remove the damn thing. I don’t know where he got it, but he had it ready for use even before I mentioned working at the school, apparently.

“It’s not like I can get far with this and between the three of you,” I tell him.

Oddly, while others around me seem to have trouble catching my scent, Ronan, Montgomery, and Noah don’t.

It’s always been another oddity of mine, even when I grew up among the Nightwolf pack.

A muscle in Noah’s jaw ticks. He’s contemplating. Something prompts me to run a hand over his jaw, lightly massaging it to ease the tension. His hand wraps around my wrist, holding my hand in place as he closes his eyes and rubs his cheek against my palm.

The move reminds me of the way puppies run their faces against your hand or leg when they want you to continue petting them.

Puppies or wolves.

When Noah opens his eyes again, they’re glowing.

I gasp when he suddenly pulls me into him. I look down the hallway. Thankfully, it’s empty.

“We’re in public,” I whisper.

“Do you think that would stop me?” The gruffness of his voice brushes against every one of my senses.

Still, I manage to remind him, “There are children around.”

“Then I’ll make it quick.”

Less than a second later, his lips cover mine. It doesn’t take me long to melt into the kiss. Whereas Ronan’s kisses are often demanding and heated, Noah tastes and savors before moving in for more.

Both brothers are possessive in the way they kiss me, but totally different styles.

I sigh into Noah’s kiss, enjoying the difference.

Noah eventually pulls back while he runs his tongue along his bottom lip. “That gets better every time I do it.”

It’s on the tip of my tongue to agree with him, but I don’t want to admit it.

Noah cups my chin. “We have eyes all over this school,” he warns.

“I’m sure you do.”

“Don’t try to?—”

“I won’t.”

“I’ll pick you up at the end of the day.”

“It’s only a short w?—”

“Or I can take you home right now.”

I bite my tongue. “Fine.” I’m not in the mood to fight with him.

For now, I have what I want. The chance to be in the classroom.

He squeezes my hip before releasing me.

I inhale to regain my composure before telling him, “See you later.”

I feel his eyes on my back until the moment the door closes behind me.

Ms. Suzie pushes out a breath, appearing relieved to notice that I’m the only one who’s come back into the classroom. I give her a conspiratorial smile, which seems to make her relax even more.

She rises from her seat behind her desk. “Okay, children …” She goes on to end the testing period for the children.

“Everyone on their feet,” she instructs once I’ve collected all of the test papers. “Alpha Queen, please join me,” she suggests cheerfully.

It takes me a beat to realize she’s talking to me. I’m not used to the title, and I know I don’t like it. Her tone holds so much reverence as she calls me that, but it feels uncomfortable wearing it.

Especially since I know the real situation between the three Blackclaw alphas and myself.

Still, I grit my teeth and paste a smile on my face as I join her in front of all of the standing children.

“Hands up,” she instructs and then nods at me to do the same.

I follow along as she instructs the children to move their bodies this way and that, shaking out the anxiety from taking an exam.

“Just like our wolves need to shake out tension, so do our humans, right?” she says, smiling at the children who giggle and enthusiastically agree.

“How about a song to really shake things up?” The suggestion comes from me without my even thinking.

At first Ms. Suzie looks surprised, but soon she’s playing a children’s song and we’re all dancing around the classroom, laughing, clapping, and having a good time.

“Alpha Queen, will you play hopscotch with me during our playtime?” Chante, one of the little girls in the class, asks. A second later, two more girls stand on either side of her, their little faces peering up at me, looking hopeful.

“My brother said you’re really good at hopscotch,” she adds. “He was at the park last week with his class when you played with them.”

I squat down to get closer to the kids. “I would love to play hopscotch with you.” I point at all of them. “But no cheating. I know how some of you like to make the squares too small or hide the stones of your opponents. None of that, huh?” I playfully poke Chante in the belly, making her laugh before I do it to each of the children.

Minutes later, Ms. Suzie starts another science lesson and gives the children the task of trying to pick out as many different types of plants as possible during their recess.

“You can take your break during this time to have lunch,” Ms. Suzie says. “Sheila and Cindy can take over during the children’s recess.”

“Are you kidding?” I ask. “I have a hopscotch game to win,” I tell her before I head to the blacktop behind Chante and about five other girls.

Ms. Suzie laughs behind me, telling me she prefers to eat her lunch outside with the kids as well.

I don’t even think about food as I partake in a riveting first round of hopscotch. Then another, followed by a game of basketball when Donnie, one of the boys in the class, invites me to play with his group of four.

“Nice!” Donnie yells, clapping me a high five when my latest shot hits nothing but net.

“Man! I want Alpha Queen on my team next time,” Jake, a boy on the opposing team, pouts. “You guys aren’t any good.”

“Oh no,” I immediately say, grabbing the ball and stopping the game. “We don’t talk like that to our teammates, do we?”

Unsurprisingly, our little pick-up game turns into a lesson on how to treat our teammates, and by extension our packmates with love and respect. Always.

“Your team is trying their best. We can learn how to be encouraging without being degrading, right?”

“What’s degrading?” Randy, a boy on Jake’s team, tilts his head sideways as he asks his question.

I stoop down, to get eye level with him. By now, the entire class has gathered around us.

“Hmm …” I pause to think of an age-appropriate example of degrading. “It’s like if you saw someone fall or slip on ice, and instead of helping them up, you pointed and laughed, making sure everyone around them saw and laughed.”

“Um, like humil–humiliation,” Shawn, another boy from the class asks, sounding out the word humiliation.

“That’s right.” I smile at him. “Nice job using such a big word.”

He smiles and ducks his head.

“Would it be the same thing as like when a boy hits a girl?” I blink at the question, surprised to hear Raymond ask, “That’s yumil–yumiliating?”

“Humiliation. Well, unless it’s a form of self-defense, anyone hitting another person can be a form of humiliation.”

I press my hands to my thighs as I stand to my full height. “But none of us have that type of behavior, right? We know it’s not nice to hit other people.”

“Yes, Alpha Queen,” they respond almost in unison.

I grin as I peer at the ten or so pairs of bright, youthful eyes looking up at me. But a sense of warning passes through me as I glance over at Raymond. He hasn’t answered as fervently as the other children.

“Wow, Alpha Queen is so smart.”

“She’s pretty, too,” another little boy says. “I can’t wait to see what her wolf looks like.”

Little Shawn’s words are like a punch to the gut. It quickly becomes apparent to me that they’re expecting something that I can’t give.

“Will your wolf come out during our next pack run?” he asks.

I don’t have time to think of a reply before Ms. Suzie blows a whistle.

I grimace from the sound, almost covering my ears.

“Children, playtime is over. Let’s line up to go inside.”

The children scatter to get in position in line to head back to the classroom.

I wave at Ms. Suzie. “I’ll clean up out here and will be inside after you guys,” I tell her.

She nods and waves at me before heading inside with the children. I watch them and smile at a few who wave at me before following their teacher inside.

There’s not much of a mess made out here, but I organize some of the sports balls the children used, placing them in the large plastic chests used to hold the sports equipment.

Next, I proceed to the blacktop, picking up the leftover remnants of chalk from the hopscotch board. As I pick up the chalk, the hairs on the back of my neck stand. I peer up in time to find Peter coming my way.

I rise to my feet, knowing this won’t be a friendly visit.

Peter’s dressed in a black T-shirt tucked into a pair of black fatigues, and black combat boots. In other words, he’s dressed like he’s still on the beta team, going out for a patrol of the pack’s perimeter.

“Well, well, well,” he says as he approaches. “Just came to pick up my son from school to see this.”

I resist the urge to scowl at him.

“I didn’t realize our new Alpha Queen was also a custodian.” His gaze drops to the pieces of chalk in my hand.

“Is there something wrong with being a custodian?” I meet his stare head-on.

His eyes narrow on me as if he wasn’t expecting my reply.

Peter quickly recovers though. “I would’ve guessed it’s beneath your status.”

“My status?” I question.

He tilts his head to the side, cockily. “You being the potential Alpha Queen and all.”

“Potential is an interesting word choice.” No, I’m not set on being the Alpha Queen of the Blackclaw pack, but he doesn’t get to be the decider.

“You still have until the Supermoon Ceremony and I’m assuming you haven’t completed the mate bond yet. One can always tell an unmated she-wolf.”

He sniffs the air.

“Though, there is something particularly odd about you and your wolf …” He drags out the last word.

I don’t like the way he’s staring at me, watching me.

“If you have a question, have the balls enough to ask it,” I say, my tone coming out harsher than intended.

His eyes widen and then narrow. “You will never be the Alpha Queen of this pack with a mouth like that. You aren’t worthy of?—”

Before I know what’s happening, Peter’s lifted two inches off of the ground, his legs dangling, voice garbled into a choking sound.

“Montgomery!” I call out.

“Give me one solid reason why I shouldn’t rip your Mother Moon forsaken throat out right now?”

A chill runs down my spine. Montgomery’s incisors have already descended.

“Mine! ” a voice rings out in my head, but I ignore it.

A quick glance over my shoulder shows that from within the classrooms, a few of the children peer through the windows, watching this scene play out.

Peter gags and chokes, unable to reply while he continues to dangle by the throat in Montgomery’s grasp.

“I should gut you right here and leave your entrails for everyone?—”

“Montgomery, don’t,” I plead. “The children are watching. They shouldn’t see this.”

For the first time, Montgomery turns his glowing gaze on me. The glow doesn’t dissipate but it does become less intense.

“Please,” I beg. “Not here.” I shake my head.

His top lip curls as he growls and then releases Peter, causing the man to collapse to the ground.

“You’re done. Pack your shit and get the hell out of Blackclaw territory,” he tells Peter.

“Y-You, c-can’t banish me,” Peter heaves. “The p-pack hasn’t v-voted, and I have a family.”

“Vote or not, you don’t get to talk to my mate, the Blackclaw Alpha Queen, and remain under my pack’s protection. Your family can stay, but you get your shit and get the fuck off our territory. Or so help me?—”

“No.” I grab Montgomery’s arm, stopping him from charging Peter.

“Leave now!”

Peter looks from Montgomery, which causes Montgomery to growl. In a matter of seconds, Peter scrambles to his feet and rushes off.

Montgomery fumes as he watches Peter until he disappears around to the front of the school.

Then he turns to me. “Are you hurt?”

“What?” I shake my head. “No, of course not. He didn’t even touch me. H-He said he’s picking up his son.”

I frown, trying to figure out which of the students is his.

Montgomery’s lips tighten. “Raymond,” Montgomery says as if I asked the question out loud. “He shouldn’t have even been that close to you.”

“I’m fine.”

“It’s time to go home.”

“There’s still another two hours left of the school day,” I call out. I have a sudden urge to go check on Raymond. I hope he wasn’t one of the children who just witnessed this scene. It’s unlikely since the third-grade classroom faces the other side of the school building.

“We should …” I call out and turn away from the school to face Montgomery, only to realize he’s walking away clearly with the intention of me following him.

He turns back, his intense gaze on me before he peers up at the sky. “We’re going home,” he insists. “Or I’m going to rip that fucker’s head off and you don’t need to see that.”

A chill runs down my spine from the venom in his voice.

And yes, I’m also turned on.

It’s probably from the gleam in his eyes.

I try to remind my body this is totally not the time or place for me to get turned on. Especially since just last night, I all but served myself up on a platter to him and he walked out of the door.

Correction. He ran out of the door.

“Serafina,” the way Montgomery calls my name causes something to unfurl inside of me. I give the school one final look before turning and following him.