There’s nothing worse than getting stuck in detention on a Friday afternoon—especially if it wasn’t your fault.
I twisted around in my seat to pin Luca Greene with a glare, promising all kinds of wrath on him. In exchange, he ruffled the obsidian rat nest on his head and grinned at me.
The audacity!
I bared my teeth and flipped him the bird.
"Hailey Woods," Mrs. Whit barked. "You just earned yourself another Friday afternoon with me."
I groaned and turned to face the front, catching a last glimpse of Luca's punch-me grin. I held on to either side of my wooden desk, mapped out in doodles. Most of them were my handiwork, such as cute animals and blossom designs etched in a ballpoint pen to pass the time.
Tilting my head up, I offered the old woman a phony, sad look. A long chestnut curl fell into my face and tickled my nose. I blew it away, my facade giving way to a frown for a split second. With my fingers, I swept my hair back and resumed my misery act.
With my large, honey brown eyes, I knew I was good at pulling it off.
It is a pity that the one teacher immune to it happened to be the one who was hosting detention today.
Mrs. Whit had a stern, pinched expression on her face, her russet-painted lips set in a tight line as she looked at me through her spectacles.
"Go on, and we can make it every Friday for the next month," she continued. "You’ve gotten away with your nonsense for way too long."
I bit back the retort that threatened to escape and forced a smile instead. "I’m sorry, Mrs. Whit. I’ve had a bad day."
Mrs. Whit sneered. "Haven’t we all?"
"It’s my birthday today, and my parents forgot." That part was true.
Her brows shot up. "As much as that sucks, and, as much as I empathize with your unfortunate circumstance, I’m not responsible for your happiness, Miss Woods. Nor is it in my control how you decide to act during class and what you choose to do with the school rules. What counts for one student counts for everyone else, whether it’s their birthday or not."
I sighed, leaning back in my seat. "I wasn’t looking for a way out of detention," I lied. "Just wanted you to know I’ve had a bad day."
Luca snorted a laugh.
My hand curled into a fist. I was so going to ruin him. It was his fault that we were in detention.
I minded my own business in English class when he, out of nowhere, decided to stop by my table and gawk at me like some freak.
No, seriously. He didn’t say anything. He just stood there and stared at me, looking like he was possessed or something.
Then, out of nowhere, he grabbed my arm, dragging me against him and sunk his teeth into my neck. He bit me. I didn’t do anything to him. I’ve never talked to him before today, and he decided to attack me. I tried to defend myself and got in trouble for it. How unfair was that? Wasn’t the school supposed to protect its students against bullies?
Ugh.
Kelsey, my nemesis since kindergarten, shot me a smirk. Unlike me—who never had detention before in my life—her favorite pastime was trouble and gossip. I was hoping to evade her this session, but of course, luck wasn’t in my favor today.
The second Mrs. Whit glanced down at the trashy romance novel clutched inside her hands, Kelsey tossed a crumpled piece of paper at me. I picked up the note and straightened it.
She wrote: Guess whose mommy I saw getting into the car of a married man? Does she pay you her shares? Or do you too take part in her crimes?
I sighed and picked up my pen. I should have seen this one coming. Mom had a drinking problem and an even bigger problem when it came to men. Dad was the male version of her and couldn’t care less what she’s up to.
They never fight. It should be a good thing, but to me, it wasn’t. Their lack of care was what bothered me the most.
I never got scolded for being late or lectured for skipping dinner. Mom signed my detention slip without batting a lash, waving me off and telling me to stop interrupting her chat session with her bestie on her phone.
Yeah.
I pressed the tip of the pen to the paper and began writing: Is your life so uneventful you just need to meddle in other people's lives?
I peered over my shoulder to pin Luca with a warning look before passing the note back to Kelsey. If he was going to rat me out, I made sure he knew he was in for some trouble.
I was no one’s pushover.
I still couldn’t figure out what provoked him to get physical like that with me. Whichever stupid excuse he had—or didn’t have—I was so going to get my revenge.
I barely twisted to face toward the front when a ball of paper hit me on the forehead. Kelsey spat out a laugh, which she tried to muffle behind her palm.
Mrs. Whit momentarily glared up at Kelsey before her eyes narrowed onto her book.
I shot Kelsey a scowl, unwrapped the paper ball, and read the note: No. But going home with other students’ married parents is disgusting. She must be paid much less than your basic hooker, considering the state of your trashy clothes. FYI: I’m outing you and your mommy. I've got a lovely surprise in store for you.
I couldn’t hold back a scowl and wrote: Knock yourself out.
I threw the note at her.
What I didn’t write about was that I didn’t care about my social standing. I didn’t have a social status in this school, period. Kelsey already made sure of that. I didn’t have any friends here, and I didn’t have anything else to lose. Well, except for my dignity, but she didn’t need to know that.
This time as Kelsey turned, I lifted my hands to catch the ball of paper. However, Kelsey froze and stared at me with a mortified expression. “Holy crap,” she shouted, drawing the attention of the entire room, including Mrs. Whit, whose mouth dropped open.
“What?” I blinked, confused.
“Your eyes. Face...neck Freak!” She lifted a hand and pointed at my neck. “You’re turning into a freak!”
Mrs. Whit blanched. “Oh my.”
I frowned, touching the spot against the side of my neck. The exact place where Luca had bitten me. It was hot and tender. “What?”
“Woods is turning into a werewolf! Oooh!” A boy—Pete, I think—called out from the back of the class. “Think we’re going to see her shift right here?”
“Look, the mark is glowing!” Another boy shouted.
“Her eyes are glowing!” A girl joined in.
“Wait, what?” The world around me became a blur, and I was sucked into a bubble of panic.
No. No. No! I stuffed a hand into my backpack and rummaged shakily for my compact mirror. When I found it, I pulled it out and flipped it open. When I glanced into it, it felt like the floor was about to give in beneath me. My eyes were glowing. A horrendous, unearthly blue had taken over the earthy browns of my irises. My neck, where Luca had bit me, was now marred with an ugly crescent moon tattoo that kept pulsing with a blue glow as inky veins crept across my skin. .
I had the mark of the wolf.
This could not be happening.
No matter how many times I tried to wipe off the formation imprinted on my skin or how I rubbed my eyes, the appearance of doom didn’t go away.
The werewolves called ‘the gift’ from the huntress Diana. We, the normal people, called it the end.
It was my end.
When I finally composed myself, I found my nemesis staring at me as if I’m a monster. The room had fallen silent to a point where you could hear specs of dust hitting the table. Maybe it was my imagination?
My eyes flicked toward the golden specs illuminated by the sunlight. Each time a tiny particle bounced against my desk, I could hear it.
What. The. Heck.
There was an audible intake of breaths when I bounced up onto my feet, legs shaking. I half-stumbled toward Luca’s desk. “What did you do to me?”
He blinked calmly. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“This,” I cried out, lowering myself and tilting my neck toward his face, then pointing at my eyes.
“Whoah,” he leaned away from me. “That’s one heck of a tattoo you’ve got there. Nice contacts, too.”
I scowled, straightening back up. “Don’t play dumb. It wasn’t there earlier. It showed up right after you practically manhandled me in English. You’re one of them, aren’t you?”
He shrugged. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
“Get rid of it. Now.” I grabbed his arm. “And don’t pretend like you know. Everyone knows about them. Everyone knows what happens when…” I sucked in a sharp breath, unable to form coherent words. I tried again, the words leaving my mouth in a whisper. “Everyone knows what happens when you get...marked.”
“Well, that’s unfortunate,” said Luca, pulling his arm out of my grip. “I can’t do anything about that. You’ve been chosen, Hailstorm.”
“Stop calling me that,” I snarled. “And don’t give me that chosen crap. Undo this, now.”
“I can’t,” he shrugged. “The spell was sealed by our great ancestors.”
“Ancestors?” My brows furrowed, and I shook my head. “What crap are you even babbling about? Whatever, I don’t care. Get rid of this ugly thing on my neck!”
“Nope will have to do, Hailstorm.” He casually pushed back his chair and began gathering his things. He didn’t say anything until he slung his backpack over his shoulder. “Would you look at that?”
I turned around to see what he was looking at. The clock, I think. It was a quarter past four.
“Looks like detention is over,” he smirked. He lifted a hand, patting my shoulder. “Looks like the Academia of the Moon is howling your name, little pup.”
Just like that, he spun around and walked out of class.
Mrs. Whit was the first one to say something. “Hailey,” she croaked. “Would you like me to phone your parents?”
I swallowed down the ginormous knot forming inside my throat and shook my head. “No,” was all I managed.
Ignoring all the stares, I rushed to my desk and gathered my belongings with shaky hands. I dropped my pencil case twice. The third time I tried to shove it into my backpack, I dropped it again.
This time I didn’t bother with it. I left it there, zipped my backpack shut, and flung it over my shoulder.
“Hey, wait up. I want to see you turn into a wolf!” I heard Kelsey call out after me, but I kept running. I didn’t stop until I locked myself inside a cubicle inside the girl’s bathroom and burst into sobs.
I tried to silence them with my hands, but anyone could still hear my cries.
I found Mom in the kitchen slumped over the table, an empty bottle of whiskey in her hand. She kept mumbling to herself and stared glassy-eyed at the space in front of her. It was apparent she had more than just whiskey this time. A lump grew inside my throat, and I wondered how she would react to what I was about to tell her. That was if she even would react. I used to think my life was terrible. Uncaring parents, no friends, and I went day by day clinging to the hope that when I turned eighteen, I’d get to start a new, better life for myself, away from all this unfairness. It was all that kept me going. I clung firmly to my optimism, writing down my daily gratitude and convincing myself that there were people out there living off worse than I did. My perks were: I get to go to school. We had a roof over our heads, even if the atmosphere beneath it was dead as a graveyard. My parents never fought, even as broken as their relationship was. I had good grades. Good enough to get a s
Mom left me staring after her as she sped off in her car—alone on a paving spotted with old gum. I held a duffel in each hand, containing clothes, toiletries, and my most prized possessions. A photo album and a dolphin necklace my grandmother gave me before she died. I couldn’t believe Mom had done this to me. I reached down and withdrew the sunglasses from the side pocket of the duffel and perched it on my nose to hide my eyes. In a rushed attempt, I covered my face with a thick layer of foundation and powder in hopes of covering the worst of the veiny look. No doubt I looked like a ghost. I supposed it was better than people seeing me for what I really was. Fighting back the tears, I turned and began walking. The train station was dark and empty, except for an elderly man sitting by the ticket booth reading a newspaper below a flashlight. The coffee and souvenir shop was still open. Since I hadn’t had dinner yet, I headed for the coffee shop for some food. I ordered a hot dog an
“What’s your name?” I asked, stepping out from the motel’s lobby. “And how do I know you’re the real deal? Not some random guy who's trying to lead me into the woods and do something devious?” He reached for one of my duffel bags, taking the strap out of my hand and throwing it over his shoulder. “I’m Elijah. Elijah Ledger, but my friends and family call me Eli.” “Right. So, Elijah?” Elijah sighed, putting down the duffel beside his feet, and rolled up the sleeve of his navy shirt, revealing a geometric-like moon symbol with a print in the center that looked a lot like a wolf paw. “Happy?” A dark brow quirked. “Mine is a little different from everyone else’s marks, considering my dad is the alpha.” “Alpha, as in leader?” I enquired. “Yeah, pretty much.” “Not sure how this works, but he’s like a king to wolves?” Elija sputtered a laugh, shaking his head. “I guess you can say that.” “So.” I gave him a sideways look. “Why is the prince out looking for a peasant?” “I’m part of the
“Let go of me!” my voice bounced off the walls of the cavernous hallway. We were inside a cathedral-like building, where we appeared after wolf Elijah dragged me through the portal. When I turned to punch him, he was human again. Before my fist could land in his face, he grabbed hold of it. “You need to calm down.” “I told you I didn’t want to come here,” I shouted. “Take me back, now!” “So you could run in front of another truck?” “Anything is better than being here,” I cried out. “Please, just send me back. I won’t be a problem, just—” There was a long whistle and then laughter. “Another pup, Eli?” I turned to pin a mean glare at the boy who said it. Holy, living crap. He was a giant of a person. He towered double my size over me, peering down at us with an amused expression. “Let me guess, you got this one from the suburbs?” the boy asked. “A motel,” Elijah sighed. “It’s not what you think.” “Forgot to use your enchantment?” the boy smirked. “I did use it on her. She someh
“I still don’t understand how she could favor me.” I sat down on a comfy chair across from Mrs. Humphrey. “There’s literally nothing special about me. I suck at school. I never had friends...Luca marked me and now everyone thinks—” I paused, remembering where I was and in whose company I was in. I doubt they’d appreciate me referring to them as freaks. I peered at Elijah before my gaze settled back on Mrs. Humphrey. Elijah seemed decent. I have yet to decide how I felt about the high priestess. “People back home aren’t exactly fond of werewolves. Everyone used to tell me scary stories about your people.” Mrs. Humphrey sat forward in her seat. “Your people?” She arched her brow. “You mean, our people? You’re one of us, now, dear.” I breathed out a long sigh. “It all feels so surreal.” “I understand. I’ve been there myself.” She waved a hand toward Elijah. “Unlike him, who was born into this world, I was just like you. I grew up in a nice little neighborhood with very religious paren
“This is your room.” June turned her back to the cherry-red door decorated with postcards from across the world. A few faux sunflowers were stuck haphazardly in between. “You’ll be sharing it with another girl. Ariah Winter. I think you should get along quite well. She’s a bit shy, but a sweet girl, non-the-less.” I nodded, stepping toward the door. “I see you only brought this.” June pointed at my two duffel bags. “We have a store room filled with second-hand goodies for those who come over empty handed. You know, not everyone’s parent’s, especially those coming from human ones, are exactly keen on helping their young ones settle in and make their stay as comfortable as possible.” “Yeah, well…” What could I say? I was still having a hard time processing the fact that my mom did this to me. I wondered how Dad was going to react. I shook the thought from my head—not that he cared, anyway. “The point is.” June rested a hand on my arm. “You’re welcome to visit me and take a few things
“You’ve never been to the moon festival before?” Ariah’s eyes bulged. “I’m not from a werewolf family,” I explained, placing my neatly folded clothes into our shared closet. Ariah had moved her clothes to her side to make space for mine, but it was a tight fit. Where her side was overflooded, mine was mostly empty. I wasn’t sure how werewolves worked for money, but it was at the top of my list of things to do. “Like I said, humans don’t go out of their way to take part of anything out of the human norm.” “Hmm,” Ariah responded. “I’ve seen a lot of humans partake in our festivities.” “My parents are anti-werewolf.” “Oh, you’ve got one of those.” Ariah remained silent for what could be a minute. “I’m sorry, Hailey. That must really suck.” “Things happen, I guess.” “Hey, you can always join mine during the holidays,” she perked. “Then you don’t have to be stuck here in old people’s company.” I offered her a smile. “You barely know me.” Ariah tapped the tip of her nose with a fore
The dining hall carried a happy vibe interwoven with color and the aroma of baked goodies. Ariah grabbed me by the wrist, practically dragging me across the room. Slowly, heads turned and took notice of me. Few nudged their friends, while others pointed shamelessly. I think it might be because I had my neck fully exposed, with my hair tied in a high ponytail, and everyone could see my mark. It became painfully clear that I was an anomaly. Not a single other student had a mark like mine. Theirs were all a smaller version of the one Elijah had, minus the paw-like print. And, minus the hideous veins—which Elijah claimed went away eventually. “I’m introducing you to our friends. I just know you’re going to love them,” Ariah exclaimed, steering me to the left side of the room toward a table where two other students waited. There was confetti scattered across the table, with two large bowls; one filled with candy and the other with potato chips. In the center of the table was a plate sta