04.

AXEL

Seven years. 

That's how long I've been away from Greystone. And yet with each passing second, it feels like I never left at all. Everything is exactly how I remember it: The same houses in the same neighborhood, with the same people. 

Then again, this town was never big on change. 

  As I stare in the mirror, readying myself for the first day of junior year, nerves roil under my skin. Starting school would mean social interaction. And after the events of this summer, I’m not sure I’m quite ready for it.

  Lucas senses my hesitation from where he stands. “Ax, you’ll be fine,” he encourages, tossing my bag into my arms. Glancing at him, I force a small smile.

  He throws an arm around my shoulders as we head to the front door. “I know you're having first day jitters, but trust me buddy, there’s nothing to be worried about.”

 His expression shifts into a mischievous, sly smirk. “Besides, you're with me. Anyone tries to mess with you, they'll get these hands,” he sniggers, gesturing at his balled up fist. 

  The irony in his joke—so familiar from our childhood—makes me laugh. Lucas, smaller and leaner than me, would always run his mouth and get into trouble. When trouble eventually showed up, I would always do the protecting.

  Lucas grins, then gives me a small nudge on the shoulder. “You’ll love Greystone High.” He turns the doorknob, then glances back at me. “And you should try out for the football team. Honestly dude, you're ripped.”

  “Yeah, you wish,” I laugh, accompanying him out of the house. As we step out the door, I stare at Hayley's house just opposite us, and a sudden thought strikes me. 

  “Hey Luke,” I stop to ask. “How about we wait for Hayley? Y’know, seeing as we're all going to school now?” 

  Lucas cranes his neck, trying to catch a glimpse of the school bus approaching from down the street. “Nah, don't bother. She's probably already at school,” he answers, before turning to me. “She’s an early bird. Proper straight A student,” he adds with a cheeky grin. 

  Of course. Hayley was always the smart one amongst us. 

  When the bus reaches us, we climb in and ride all the way to school. On arrival, I find Greystone High to be way bigger than anything I could have imagined. A tall, regal building draped in the town's traditional colors of blue and gold, the school stands at an imposing height, its rooftops serenaded with flags and banners that cascade downwards. 

  The moment we step off the bus, there’s a buzz of activities all around us, as students rush past in every direction, yelling greetings and bumping into one another with reckless abandon. 

  Suddenly, I feel my insides tense and a familiar sensation stirs in my guts…

A sensation I should only be feeling when the moon is full. 

 My wolf is stirring. 

Goddamnit. I place a hand on the bus to steady myself, drawing in slow breaths. 

  “Woah, dude. Are you alright, Ax?” Lucas asks, stepping closer and placing a hand on my shoulder. 

  “I'm alright,” I lie, forcing a nod. Finding my feet, I stand properly. “I'm good, pal. Let's go,” I beckon to him, clutching at the straps of my bag across my shoulder. 

  But something doesn't feel right.

 In the one month since I became a werewolf, I've only ever shifted twice. The first was on the night of my first full moon, and the other was in a moment of danger. 

It's a summer morning right now, so there's no full moon. Which can only mean one thing…

Danger is near. Shit. 

Of all the times to shift, this would be the absolute worst. Not now, and definitely not today. 

  Lucas starts to walk ahead of me when we hear the engine of a car roar to a halt in the parking lot. The attention of everyone is instantly drawn to a white, elegant vehicle parking at a reserved spot, far from the school's bus. Its doors swing open and two girls step out. 

  As they waltz towards the school's gate, students whisper and make clear a path for them. When they get closer, I realize that they're identical. 

  “Hold on,” I murmur. “Are they… Is she—”

  “Yep,” Lucas cuts in. “They're twins. The Watson twins. Ivy and Roxanne.” 

  He gestures to me to keep on walking, and slowly, the crowd of students who stopped to glance at the girls break apart, returning to their usual rush. 

  “They're billionaire kids,” he continues. “Their father owns the biggest business firm in all of Greystone. Some say Mr Watson's also the richest man in town, but I don't know about that. Fact is, both his kids are essentially goddesses out here.”

  I raise a brow. “So they're proud and snobbish then?” 

  Lucas shrugs. “Well, kinda. I mean, Ivy is. As leader of the cheer team, she's essentially the pomp queen of the school, that one. But Roxanne is… she's different.” 

  My heightened senses pick up on the switch in Lucas's pulse as he talks about Roxanne—how his heart rate surges for a few seconds. 

A coy smile slithers across my lips. “You’re in love with this Roxanne, aren't you?” 

  Lucas stops in his tracks and turns around to face me, an incredulous look etched on his face. 

  “Dude!” He hisses, glancing around and holding a finger to my lips. “No. I mean, yeah. Sort of.” 

  He groans, then glares at me with a sheepish look. “Look, she's smart, okay? And she's pretty, and she's—Wait. How could you tell?” He asks, his cheeks now bright red. 

  A soft voice cuts in from behind us. “I'm pretty sure everyone in Greystone High knows you've got a crush on Roxanne, Lucas.” 

  We turn around to see Hayley, who's wearing a pink T-shirt tucked into a mini denim skirt. Her silver hair falls over her shoulders gracefully, and the smile she wears lights up the brown of her eyes. Damn. How is she this pretty after all these years? 

It takes forever before I pull my gaze from her, noting that she's got company. Along with her is a brown-skinned, tall, bespectacled girl with curly hair. She's dressed in black jacket and matching jeans.  

Lucas feigns a mock face of annoyance at Hayley’s tease, and she casually sticks out her tongue at him before turning to me. 

  “Hey, Ax.” She greets with a smile that makes my knees go weak. “First day at school. What'd you think of Greystone High?” 

  I glance around, taking in the frenzy of movement around us. “I think it's huge,” I admit. “Way bigger than my school in Ashbrae.” 

  Her eyes sparkle with excitement. “Wait till you see the football field. I think you should try out for the school's team.” 

  Lucas shoots me a look. “You see? Same thing I said.” 

  The idea of football never appealed to me at my previous school. I was too frail for it. Football at the time would have been suicide for me. 

But in the past month, everything's changed. My body's stronger and faster, almost like I'm an enhanced human. Technically, I am.

  I drag a deep breath, feeling a surge of confidence. If they think I look good for it, I might as well give football a chance. 

I lift my chin, grinning. “Alright. I'll go for tryouts.” 

  Hayley’s smile deepens, and I find myself smiling back at her. As we hold each other's gaze, I sense a spike in pulse rate, similar to what I felt with Lucas moments ago. But I'm not sure if it's just mine. Or hers. 

Or both. 

  The tall girl next to Hayley clears her throat dramatically. Hayley turns to her, and then to me, looking a bit flustered. 

  “My bad, sorry. Axel, this is Corey—my best friend.” She turns to Corey. “Corey, this is Axel,” she raises an eyebrow, “the one I told you about.” 

  “Mm,” Corey hums, stretching out a hand to shake me. “It’s good to meet you, Axel.” 

  “You too,” I reply, taking her outstretched hand. 

  Right then, the bell rings out through the corridor. 

  “That’s our cue to be in class,” Hayley announces, taking my hand and leading the way, with Lucas and Corey trailing behind us. 

  As we approach the classroom, my wolf stirs again, signaling danger. The hairs on my arm start to rise on end as my wolf seeks control. 

  We step into the classroom and settle down, forming a small quartet: Hayley and I sitting behind Lucas and Corey. To the edge of the classroom, I spot the Watson twins seated next to each other, one texting on a phone and the other bent over a textbook.

  A middle aged man with a broad frame, standing at the front of the class, steps forward and greets everyone. 

  “Morning guys, and welcome to junior year.” 

  His eyes land on me. “Ah, it seems we have a new face in class today.” He gestures for me to stand. “I figure you're one of the few transfer students we're having this year. Go on and introduce yourself.” 

  Great. Just when I hoped to slip into school like any random kid. 

  “Good morning. Name's Axel,” I answer, rising to my feet. 

  The man smiles. “Great to meet you, Axel. Where did you transfer from?” 

  “I transferred from Ashbrae—ugh”. 

  Pain tears through my skull, and I lift a hand to my head. My wolf thrashes wildly on the inside of me now, and I will every muscle in my body to stay in control. Turning my head around, I try to push down the discomfort…

And that's when I sight them—three fierce looking boys seated at the back of the class. 

One in particular, dark haired and stoic has his gaze fixed on me. His glare is heavy, boring into me like he can see right through me. 

  I force the pain aside. “I've just transferred from Ashbrae High,” I finish. 

  “Well, welcome to Greystone High. I hope you'll enjoy your time here,” the man says, still smiling. “I'm Paul Miller, the Calculus teacher for this class. And just so you know, there might be a pop quiz in a week's time. So, heads up.” 

  I nod, though only half of my attention is on his words. 

  As I take my seat, Hayley places a hand on my shoulder. “Are you alright, Ax?”

  I turn around again and all three boys are now staring at me. The dark haired one leans forward, his elbows resting on the desk. His gaze narrows on me, like a predator sizing up its prey. 

I look away and turn to Hayley. “I'm fine. Who are those guys at the back?” 

  She follows my gaze briefly, then shrugs. “Oh, that's Shane O'Connor and his group. They're basic jocks, not your cup of tea,” she says assuredly. 

  But as I settle back into my seat, I feel a knot coiling in my belly. There’s something off about this Shane. 

The throbbing in my head and the sense of danger I've felt all morning; it's all connected to him. 

  I can smell it.