accepted.”
Maggie blinked. “You’re Alpha Pack?”
“I’m a Stratego. Do you know what that is?” Maggie shook her head. “It’s like a general in the army. Most of these guys are at the same level of Shifter hierarchy I am, but no one outside of this group is above me.” She didn’t know what to say. Was he trying to scare her? Let her know he wasn’t really on her side after all? “Maggie, I’m an Immortal, and I’m one of the top ranking people in the Alpha Pack. This ain’t your mama’s Alpha Pack. Things really are different.” He looked around and Maggie did the same. No one was paying attention to them. They were all too busy talking and laughing… and in the case of Jase and Scout, arguing. “You could be a part of this,” Joshua said.
“I’m not a Shifter, and I’m not a Seer,” she said, her attention caught by the older lady who was giving a man a firm talking-to. He was a good four inches taller than her and had at least fifty more pounds of muscle, but his expression was a blend of chagrin and fear. “I don’t have a place here.” And she didn’t want one. Not really. Her place was at Sanders College. Her future was at Sanders. That was more important than a place where she might be able to breathe and be her true self.
As people began to finish their food, Maggie could tell something was wrong. She caught Jase, Joshua, Liam, and Scout all checking their phones with regularity. Conversation at the table where she was sitting started dying off, everyone’s attention somewhere beyond the horizon. Even though she didn’t possess enhanced hearing or sight, she knew the moment something changed because everyone else got to their feet at the same time. About ten seconds later, a boy popped over the hill behind the pavilion. He looked young, maybe thirteen, but he was running like an Olympian. He skidded to a stop a few steps in front of Liam and Scout. Maggie had never seen him before, but she felt certain his face wasn’t normally such a sickly shade of white.
“The gym. Dead.” His words came in whooshing pants. “He’s dead.” And then he broke down into tears.
Maggie decided she must have reached her shock quotient for the day because her only thought was that of all the reactions she was considering, taking off all her clothes wasn’t one of them. Scout, on the other hand, tore off her tank top and shorts before the boy had even stopped speaking. Her underclothes quickly followed, and before Maggie could mentally note how her lines differed from the selection of other naked bodies she’d seen over the last week, Scout was gone and a wolf stood in her place.
The horizon dipped and wavered in front of her.
“Deep breaths.” Joshua’s voice came to her from the other end of a tunnel. “Breathe in through your nose for four counts, and then out through your mouth for eight. Come on, Maggie. Stay with us.”
Maggie tried to breathe. She really did, but there was a wolf standing where Scout was supposed to be.
“You Changing, too?” Jase asked.
“No, it’ll waste too much time,” Liam said. “I’m still not as fast as she is. I’ll run down with you guys. If she needs backup once we’re down there, then I’ll Change.” He grabbed onto the hair at the back of Scout’s neck and crouched down in front of her. “We’re coming behind you in the truck. Don’t do anything stupid until we get there.”
She growled and the sound went straight to Maggie’s spine where it crawled around like a million little ants. And then Scout broke out of Liam’s hold and was off, sprinting across the field.
“Jase. Talley. Joshua. Truck. Now.” Liam’s face and voice were completely devoid of emotion. His eyes, on the other hand, couldn’t hide the fear and anger raging inside him.
Jase pulled on Talley’s hand, but she stayed rooted to the spot.
“Tal, come on. Liam needs us.”
Talley’s eyes were filled with tears when they met Maggie’s eyes. “I’m
Maggie blinked. “You’re Alpha Pack?”
“I’m a Stratego. Do you know what that is?” Maggie shook her head. “It’s like a general in the army. Most of these guys are at the same level of Shifter hierarchy I am, but no one outside of this group is above me.” She didn’t know what to say. Was he trying to scare her? Let her know he wasn’t really on her side after all? “Maggie, I’m an Immortal, and I’m one of the top ranking people in the Alpha Pack. This ain’t your mama’s Alpha Pack. Things really are different.” He looked around and Maggie did the same. No one was paying attention to them. They were all too busy talking and laughing… and in the case of Jase and Scout, arguing. “You could be a part of this,” Joshua said.
“I’m not a Shifter, and I’m not a Seer,” she said, her attention caught by the older lady who was giving a man a firm talking-to. He was a good four inches taller than her and had at least fifty more pounds of muscle, but his expression was a blend of chagrin and fear. “I don’t have a place here.” And she didn’t want one. Not really. Her place was at Sanders College. Her future was at Sanders. That was more important than a place where she might be able to breathe and be her true self.
As people began to finish their food, Maggie could tell something was wrong. She caught Jase, Joshua, Liam, and Scout all checking their phones with regularity. Conversation at the table where she was sitting started dying off, everyone’s attention somewhere beyond the horizon. Even though she didn’t possess enhanced hearing or sight, she knew the moment something changed because everyone else got to their feet at the same time. About ten seconds later, a boy popped over the hill behind the pavilion. He looked young, maybe thirteen, but he was running like an Olympian. He skidded to a stop a few steps in front of Liam and Scout. Maggie had never seen him before, but she felt certain his face wasn’t normally such a sickly shade of white.
“The gym. Dead.” His words came in whooshing pants. “He’s dead.” And then he broke down into tears.
Maggie decided she must have reached her shock quotient for the day because her only thought was that of all the reactions she was considering, taking off all her clothes wasn’t one of them. Scout, on the other hand, tore off her tank top and shorts before the boy had even stopped speaking. Her underclothes quickly followed, and before Maggie could mentally note how her lines differed from the selection of other naked bodies she’d seen over the last week, Scout was gone and a wolf stood in her place.
The horizon dipped and wavered in front of her.
“Deep breaths.” Joshua’s voice came to her from the other end of a tunnel. “Breathe in through your nose for four counts, and then out through your mouth for eight. Come on, Maggie. Stay with us.”
Maggie tried to breathe. She really did, but there was a wolf standing where Scout was supposed to be.
“You Changing, too?” Jase asked.
“No, it’ll waste too much time,” Liam said. “I’m still not as fast as she is. I’ll run down with you guys. If she needs backup once we’re down there, then I’ll Change.” He grabbed onto the hair at the back of Scout’s neck and crouched down in front of her. “We’re coming behind you in the truck. Don’t do anything stupid until we get there.”
She growled and the sound went straight to Maggie’s spine where it crawled around like a million little ants. And then Scout broke out of Liam’s hold and was off, sprinting across the field.
“Jase. Talley. Joshua. Truck. Now.” Liam’s face and voice were completely devoid of emotion. His eyes, on the other hand, couldn’t hide the fear and anger raging inside him.
Jase pulled on Talley’s hand, but she stayed rooted to the spot.
“Tal, come on. Liam needs us.”
Talley’s eyes were filled with tears when they met Maggie’s eyes. “I’m
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