Chapter 1

~ELLIE~

"Thank you, Principal Carter. I'll be there shortly."

I put the phone in my pocket and pinched the bridge of my nose in frustration. By the moon goddess, this boy was going to be my death.

 I had just received a call from Eric's school, and it wasn't a good one. My little brother had once again gotten into a fight. The only problem this time was that he managed to cause his opponent severe and gruesome injuries.

 As much as I knew my brother had a short fuse sometimes, I couldn't help but wonder why his aggressors were so boneheaded. Eric was one of the few werewolves that attended that school among the multitude of humans. His bullies, if I guessed right, happened to be humans.

 Obviously, it was going to be a mismatch if either of them was stupid enough to cause a fight. Eric might be an omega werewolf, but a fight between him and a regular human would be a piece of cake to him. I don't care how agile or physical that person may be. As long as he was human, Eric would make mincemeat out of him. Figuratively speaking, of course. To top it off, Eric was a member of the school's football team and had the physique to match, thanks to his genes.

I groaned aloud and pulled the apron off. This was the third time this month that I was getting calls because of Eric's brashness. He had been warned the first two times, and this time I was afraid they wouldn't go easy. It was hard enough for me with the job at the restaurant that was meant to keep us afloat. Now my hothead of a brother was just about to add to my troubles.

Beside me, Daisy, my coworker, spared me a concerned glance.

"Eric?" she asked.

I nodded.

 Daisy and I were waitresses in the restaurant, and we had a sister-like friendship. She was always ready to lend a listening ear to many of my troubles and offer the best solutions for me. She was always a bubble of joy and the perfect cure for the constant troubles life sent my way. Her long, curly hair always bounced on her shoulders when she laughed or talked in excitement, and her deep blue eyes shone when she had an idea. She was a bit shorter than me and had a more slender build than I did.

 To make our friendship more dynamic, she was a human. Just like most of the staff in the restaurant. She never knew who I was. But even if she did, I doubt she would freak out. Well, she might, but I had a feeling it would wash over. I wasn't going to take the risk, though. I had more pressing concerns in life than my werewolf identity.

"So what's going to happen now?" She placed her hands on her hips and gave me a concerned stare.

"I don't know." I tucked one strand of my dark hair behind my ear. "But I would have to make it to his school. My prayer is that he doesn't get a suspension."

I leaned against the table and muttered under my breath, "The one time he is finally doing well in his academics, he wants to mess the whole thing up. Honestly, I wonder if his brain is sometimes made up of molten lava."

Daisy giggled and steadied herself at the table. "Come on, go easy on him. He's still a kid. I'm sure he will get through this phase soon."

"At the age of seventeen?" I raised an eyebrow. "What the hell am I even saying? He will be eighteen in a month. An official adult. He's supposed to keep his emotions in check."

My gaze softened a bit, and I stared at the ground. Maybe I was being harsh. It could be that the stress was starting to get to me. Eric was never like this. He was always a sweet and gentle boy. Until that fateful day a few years ago. The day that news was brought to our house. I could never forget the look of pure shock in his eyes, followed by sadness. From then on, it seemed like his wolf took control, and he became a completely different person.

I shook my head back to the present. Now was not the time to reminisce. Daisy was still staring curiously at me. The chicken soup by the gas was bubbling, and I knew it would be a matter of time before I would be called to action to serve the customers. 

"I have to go to his school," I finally said.

She turned her head sideways and gave me a pitiable look. I understood what that meant. I would have to see the owner and get permission first.

 Mr. George was the head chef and owner of the restaurant I worked at and was known to be one of the most irritating cheapskates I've ever seen or met. The character 'Mr. Krabs' from the cartoon Spongebob Squarepants would bow in adoration if he ever met this man. He found an excuse to cut costs and underpay for the silliest of reasons.

"I have no choice." I gave Daisy a pat and headed out of the kitchen.

 Fortunately, the customers were not many, and Daisy wouldn't have a tough time till I got back.

I walked out into a small hallway and made my way to the door with the word 'MANAGER' inscribed in silver at the top. Taking a deep breath, I knocked.

"W…what?" I heard his gruff voice stutter. "Come in."

I opened the door and walked in. Mr. George, a portly and balding middle-aged man with brown hair streaked with grey, was counting his money behind his desk. I held on to the urge to roll my eyes.

"Yes, Miss Cortex," he said. "What do you need?"

"I need to take a leave for a few moments. It's an emergency," I replied.

"And what kind of emergency is that?" His face was marred with a huge frown.

"Family," I said. "My brother's school called, and they need my presence."

"Again?" he exclaimed. "This is getting out of hand. What exactly is wrong with your brother?"

How the fuck was I supposed to answer that?

"Anyway, never mind." He thankfully spared me the hassle. "This is the third time, and it's interfering with my business. Your impromptu leaves are affecting me here. I don't know how you want to sort this out, but you have to. This time again, I'll allow you to go."

"Thank you," I said, sighing in relief. At least he still had a heart in there.

"But this time, you have to be back within thirty minutes." He looked at the wall clock. "If you're even a minute later than that, I'll deduct from your pay."

Scratch that; he was still a fat asshole. I gaped in disbelief. How the hell was I supposed to do that? Even if I drove the fastest car in the world, there was still the issue of finding out and sorting out the issue in school.

'We should tear this fat fool into pieces," my wolf, Celine, growled from within. 'Such a waste of meat.'

'No, we can't do that,' I snapped. 'Are you trying to get me into bigger trouble? It's bad enough that my brother is giving me enough worry. Plus, you and I know that we don't even eat humans!'

'Speak for yourself.'

'Celine!'

Celine growled again but went quiet. My wolf and I were polar opposites, and she had this tendency to mess with my head and almost get me into trouble sometimes. One thing we had in common was the fact that we both disliked my manager. That should count for something.

"Alright," I said to the manager. "I'll try to make it."

"You can go." He dismissed me without sparing me a glance and went back to counting his money. I rolled my eyes and left his office.

###########

For the past thirty seconds, my mouth has been open in shock.

I had just listened to what the principal had said earlier and still tried to make sense of it. The principal sat opposite me with the most blank expression I had ever seen.

 On the chair beside me, Eric sat with his gaze focused on the desk before him. His curly red hair, which he inherited from my mom, danced in the breeze from the fan above, and his dark blue eyes narrowed to slits.

 Sometimes I was envious of his appearance. Why would he get our mother's hair and eyes while I got my dad's black hair and gray eyes? It just wasn't fair.

 Dad told me it was very rare for male werewolves to take after their mother in appearance and females to take after their father. He also said it was what made the both of us unique. We may have been omegas, but he always said we should never be ashamed of our appearance. It was a blessing from the moon goddess.

But now it was time to focus on the present.

"Suspended?" I finally found my voice.

Principal Carter nodded. "I'm afraid so."

"Master Cortex here," he nodded towards my brother, "has been given several chances for an opportunity to turn to good behavior, but I'm afraid he did not utilize it. His assault on Jaime cannot be overlooked this time, as the victim suffered severe injuries. Both internal and external-"

"Victim?" Eric raised his head, his blue eyes flashing with unbridled rage. "That's a good one. If anything, I'm the victim here. That fucker had it-"

"Master Cortex, I would advise you to watch your language." Principal Carter narrowed his eyes. "It is bad enough that your offense is grave. A foul mouth will not placate your situation."

Eric scoffed, and I felt the urge to slap him upside the head.

"How long is the suspension?" I sighed.

"Three weeks," the principal answered.

"Three weeks?" Eric exclaimed. "Come on! I'm going to miss training and"

"Shut up, Eric!" I snapped. "That's what you're worried about? Not, What is the cause of your suspension?"

Eric turned sideways to glare at me, and I narrowed my eyes. He seemed to forget who was the older sibling, and I think he needed a reminder. Our wolves growled within, but Celine, being more experienced and older, managed to shut his wolf down. Eric turned his gaze back to the table.

"Whatever," he muttered.

"Unfortunately, I cannot reduce the severity of the punishment," Principal Carter said. "To be fair, three weeks is me being generous. If it was another school, this happened, and he would be expelled."

I nodded and looked at my watch. Damn it, I was going to be late for work if I didn't end this meeting now. I quickly stood up and offered my hand to the principal.

"Thank you, Mr. Carter."

"It's alright, Miss Cortex." He accepted my handshake. "I do hope your brother will be on better behavior when his suspension has been lifted."

Eric was already by the door, ignoring us.

"I do hope so," I said more to myself.

There was no conversation between Eric and me after we left the office until we got into the car and I started the ignition.

"Eric, what the hell got into you this time?" I said this as soon as I stepped on the brakes. "This is the third time this month, and you've managed to get yourself suspended. As much as I'm happy it wasn't something worse, I'm still pissed at you."

Eric stared at the dashboard. His frown from earlier had vanished, and he looked crestfallen.

"I know," he said. "Trust me, I know."

"So what happened this time?" I prodded.

"That asshole had it coming a long time." Eric's eyes narrowed. The rage was back. "Jabs against me, I can handle. But no one mocks my family and goes home intact."

"What." I raised an eyebrow, my anger shifting to confusion. "What happened?"

"He called you names." Eric ground his jaw. "He said unspeakable things. He called you a slut and asked me what you were worth for him to spend a night with."

My fists clenched around the steering wheel, and I swore I could feel my claws protrude from my fingers. I wasn't the only one who just got pissed. Celine was also there, and she was trying to emerge. It took a lot of deep breathing and control to keep her calm.

 I worked two jobs. One as a waitress and the other as a job I wasn't proud of.

A stripper.

I was a stripper at the city's biggest club, and, as much as I hated it, it was a damn good one. I had the body for it. Despite my werewolf physiology, I had curves in the right places. DD cup breasts and a killer ass with a heart-shaped face and button nose to match.

 I knew how many times the perverted men who patronized the clubs had lusted for more when I performed. Their desperation reeked to the heavens. Eric knew of my second job, and as much as he hated it, he respected my decision.

Mom and Dad died five years ago during the supernatural war, leaving me with Eric. It was tough at first with only my work as a waitress, but after getting the second job, I was at least able to pay the bills.

 I knew Eric never blabbed about it in school, but on several visits there, I caught some of the male students staring at me with disgusting lust in their eyes. That must have been where this whole issue stemmed from. Part of me was happy Eric finally put one of them in their place, but the other part was worried for him. His uncontrollable acts of fury could land him in trouble in the future, and it would be against a werewolf with a higher status than us.

"Eric," I said. "I really appreciate you sticking up for me, but remember, I'm a grown woman. People will talk one way or the other."

"I know." He folded his arms. "But it doesn't make it less hurtful to hear it to your face. Sometimes, the only language these fuckers need is fists."

"And look where those fists got you." I laughed.

"Totally worth it." A sly grin slowly appeared on his face. "At least he will learn not to put his foot in his mouth next time."

I shook my head in amusement. We fell silent for the rest of the ride until I dropped him home.

"Find a way to keep yourself busy," I said as he stepped out of the house. "Don't trash the house."

"I hear you, sis." He waved behind him and entered the house.

I sighed and stared at my watch. Great. I was late. That fat slob will have one hell of a swell time deducting from my pay.

Today was the worst, and the day had not even started fully.