Chapter 0006

“I really do want to know how you got that fast. And your moves are better than I have seen at some of the warrior camps back home.”  My eyes snap to hers, eyebrows furrowed, she’s just being nice now.

“Umm, okay.  I really just train a lot, that’s all.” I didn’t know her enough to tell her about getting my wolf so early, which is part of the reason I am so fast.  

Most kids get them sometime between Sophomore and Junior years.  The young Alphas and my brother and the rest of the guys all got theirs in the middle of their freshman year, which is typical for powerful high ranking wolves.  I got mine at the end of my 8th grade year though, which is rare and had me freaking out, since it wasn’t that long after the guys and even though I have beta blood, I’m not really a ranked member, nor am I likely to be one.  When I told Delta Kyle he brought me to Luna Ava and she has been helping me ever since.

“Hey, Sky, here.” I look over to see Delta Kyle slow jogging toward us with something small in his hand.  “Your shirt rode up a bit in the back, I think you opened up one of your more recent injuries.”  He looks at me expectantly and I give him the same look back.  I’m not having this conversation in front of the first non-adult to talk to me in years. The new girl doesn’t know me and I don’t want to freak her out.

I take the small container. “Thank you Delta, is there anything else?” His look tells me he doesn’t appreciate my attitude and yes, he has plenty more he wants to say. He crosses his massive arms over his chest trying to look intimidating.  The problem is, it works on everyone  but me.

“Not now, okay? I promise I will explain later.” I mindlink. I have to give him something or he will keep hounding me.

“Fine, when I figure out who is doing this, there will be hell to pay.”

“Which is why you won’t find out.  You have bigger things to worry about than petty school bullies who are so weak they have to resort to silver powder to actually cause pain.”

He lets out an audible growl and I can feel his Delta aura flow out from him.  Everyone stops and looks at us. I should not have let that bit of information out. Everyone that is not an Alpha, Beta, Gamma or Delta rank tilts their heads down and to the side in submission.  My wolf feels the power and recognizes that he, as an adult with full rank, is more powerful than me, but my Beta blood allows me to fight it. I do not break eye contact.  He has no idea how strong my wolf makes me, but I can’t submit.  My wolf and my pride won’t let me. I do notice that Sierra is also able to fight the full submission. Her chin is still raised, but her eyes are lowered in respect.  I wonder what rank she is in her pack?

“What are high schoolers doing with silver powder?  That is used as a more gruesome interrogation tactic and torture.  You need to tell me who this is, Sky, NOW! This is no longer a game.” He is seething, I can feel it radiating off of him in waves.

“No! I handled it and I won’t have you causing more trouble by stepping in.  It makes me look weak and I am already a target, you’ll just make it worse. Every time someone tries to help, it only makes things worse.”

Before he could respond I turned around and headed into the locker rooms to shower and get ready for school.  Sierra just followed me and said nothing about the staring contest I just had with our head trainer.  

I went to my locker and grabbed my shower stuff. I take all of my things to the furthest cubicle and close the outside curtain.  I set my clothes and towel on the bench in the little changing area just outside the shower stall before turning on the water as warm as my body could handle it and step in closing the shower curtain.  I like having the double barrier, I never change out in the open, I don’t want anyone seeing the bruises and cuts on my body, especially now with the lashes on my back that are taking forever to heal because Kaley rubbed silver powder in them after they whipped me.  Kyle was right though, I could feel the sting of the hot water on the open wound and watched the blood flow down the drain tinting the water pink.

Once I was done showering I reached my hand out of the curtain to grab my towel, not taking any chances at being seen and wrapped myself up nice and tight. Once I felt like I was completely covered I opened the curtain only to jump and yell “Oh, damn! Don’t do that!”  

Sierra just laughed at me leaning against the wall like it was the most normal thing to invade someone’s privacy in stealth mode.

“You forgot this, and you may need help putting it on, some of those cuts are in hard to reach places.”  She whispers at me and then twirls her finger motioning me to turn around as if the discussion is over. I don't move, just stare at her. “I am going to help you whether you cooperate or not, so it would save us some time, if you just willingly let me help you.” She just stares unblinkingly. “I am not going to ask questions, yet.”  Her determined look doesn't waver.

Okay, help it is then.  I loosened my towel and exposed my back where there were fifteen lashes.  The oldest five were from the fifteen minutes of time I wasted asking a question in history class, causing us to take extra notes and have a pop quiz. Even though our teacher mentioned the quiz the day before making it a ‘known’ quiz.  There was no negotiating with a fuming Kaley. The newest ten happened at the end of last year, right after the guys got their wolves.  I guess that upped their celebrity factor and me asking my brother a question while standing next to the rest of them was too close a proximity. Apparently it is a punishable crime to be in the personal space of people that are better than you.

If Sierra was surprised or grossed out she didn’t say anything.  She was super gentle, applying the cream to every cut on my back.  “There are a few here that are older, but the cream might help get rid of some of the scar tissue.  I’m sure my parents could give us something more powerful –”

“No!  I am handling it, I promise.  You don’t need to tell your parents. Thank you though.” I didn’t want to be rude, she was just trying to help, but I was not going to give Kaley the idea that I was too weak to take her so-called punishments and if I let Sierra talk to her parents about this, the possibility it gets back to the Alpha and Luna and who knows who else. The less people who know the better it is for me.

“If you say so.  Anyway, I need someone to show me around the school, you up for it?”  She changed the subject so abruptly that I almost got whiplash.

“Uh sure, let me get dressed then we can head over and get your schedule.”  She didn’t take the hint to step out and I was forced to awkwardly get dressed under my towel. I'm pretty sure she knows she's making me uncomfortable.

We headed to the school which was just a block away from the training grounds.  I took Sierra to the main office and introduced her to the secretary who got her all set up with her schedule, locker and combination, then we headed out to tour the school since we were still about 45 minutes early. Most of the kids went home after training. I just found hanging with Delta Kyle or in the locker room kept me safe from Kaley for a little while longer.  I found out Sierra and I were in a few classes together, she’s a year older than me, like the guys, but I was taking some advanced classes, which in my school just meant ‘the next grade up.’ 

“So our first two classes are together at least, that will make things way more fun.” She says with a little happy chirp in her voice. “You’ll have to point out all of the people to know and who to stay away from.”

“Uh, I don’t think I’m the person to do that.  I tend to keep to myself and blend into the background as much as possible. I am not popular at all and avoid the social scene like it is my job.”  I said as we made it to the first class of the day and walked to the back of the room to take my usual seat.  She just huffed in response, but didn’t say anything and followed me back.