My Mate, My Bully

= DIXIE =

Sweat plastered my hair to my forehead as I pushed through the overgrown bushes. Grandma had warned me a million times about exploring this part of the woods, but boredom was a relentless beast. Besides, who knew what cool stuff I might find? Maybe a hidden cave full of pirate treasure… okay, maybe not pirate treasure, but something cool nonetheless.

As I stepped into a clearing bathed in an ethereal glow, a shiver ran down my spine. The air crackled with a strange energy, making the hairs on my arms stand on end. It was like stepping into some fantastical movie scene. In the center stood a massive oak tree, its branches sprawling like gnarled fingers reaching for the twilight sky. A strange pull, almost magnetic, drew me closer.

Just as I reached the base of the oak, a guttural growl echoed from the shadows beneath it.  My heart hammered against my ribs as a monstrous figure jumped out from literally nowhere. It was a wolf, unlike anything I’d ever seen in a cheesy monster movie. Its fur was as dark as a moonless night, its eyes glowing like fire orbs. Its size was unreal and its muscles rippled under the thick pelt. 

Terror turned my feet to lead. I stopped screaming when the wolf crept closer, each step quiet and scary. I closed my eyes tight, waiting for it to attack.

A sharp yelp pierced the air. I opened my eyes cautiously, squinting at the scene in front of me. The wolf snarled at something else hidden behind a large rock.  Curiosity, a dangerous companion to fear, tugged at me.  Taking a deep, shaky breath, I peeked around the rock. 

There, sprawled on the ground, was Trix Wilshire. Yes, Trix Wilshire, the bane of my existence since preschool. But this wasn’t the Trix I knew. This Trix wasn’t sporting his usual smirk and perfectly styled hair. He was injured, his face contorted in pain. And he was… changing?

His bones twisted, popping unnaturally. Fur sprouted from his skin, replacing his clothes. His teeth grew into fangs, his nails into claws. In a horrifying display of transformation, the guy was morphing into a monstrous wolf just like the one before him.

My stomach lurched. No way. Werewolves were just a stupid myth… weren't they? 

When the transformation looked complete, the two wolves faced each other, snarling and snapping their jaws. My breath caught in my throat as the fight started. Fur flew, claws scratched, and blood splattered onto the clean grass. I tried to scream, but the sound caught in my throat as I watched the terrifying fight. 

Suddenly, the bigger wolf — the one that used to be Trix — stumbled back with a big cut on its shoulder. The other wolf jumped at it, its jaws wide open.

Without thinking, I did something incredibly stupid. I screamed, "Leave him alone!" 

The sound seemed to distract the larger wolf. It turned its glowing eyes towards me and I could see its heavy body vibrating with a low growl. Time seemed to freeze as our gazes locked.  Then, with a deafening roar, the wolf began to run towards me.

A burning pain erupted in my leg as razor-sharp teeth sank into my flesh. I cried out, thrashing wildly. The wolf let out a yelp and released its grip. I stumbled back, clutching at my bloody leg. 

The two wolves locked eyes for another tense second before the larger one disappeared back into the woods. The remaining wolf, Trix-wolf, let out a low whine before limping towards me.

Panic clawed at my throat. He wouldn't… he couldn't…

Pain shot through my leg like a burning fire, making me scream out loud. Everything around me started spinning, and the clearing became a blur. Even through the haze of pain, I noticed the wolf – no, it was Trix – flinch when I screamed. He let go and quickly turned his head toward the sound of footsteps coming closer.

A woman appeared from the shadows, and her eyes widened in shock when she saw me lying on the ground. She was dressed in dark clothes that seemed better suited for climbing mountains than walking through the woods, and she looked both worried and something else I couldn't quite figure out.

"Alpha," she whispered sharply, her voice sounding urgent, "what's going on here?"

Trix let out a harsh growl that sent shivers down my spine. Even wounded, he still had a wild strength that made me want to crawl into the nearest hole and hide. He glanced back at me, and for a brief second, I thought I saw fear or maybe regret in his eyes. Or maybe I was just seeing things.

"This human wandered onto our territory," he growled, avoiding my gaze.

"A human?" The woman's gaze flicked back to me, her eyes narrowing. "And you… you bit her?"

Trix hesitated. "It was an accident," he finally muttered.

The woman snorted. "An accident? Since when do you accidentally attack humans, Alpha?" Especially ones marked with such a… curious symbol."  

Trix quickly turned his head towards me, looking a bit scared. He reached down and almost touched the bite mark on my leg, but then he quickly pulled his hand back.

"What symbol are you talking about?" he asked, sounding really tense.

Alvera didn't answer directly. Instead, she stepped closer to him and whispered. "The mark of the Blade. The same mark that stained the fur of the ones who took your brother.”

Trix’s face seemed to twist and different emotions flickered past it. 

He didn't answer. He just let out a low growl that seemed to rumble deep in his chest. My head was spinning as the rush of adrenaline started to fade, and I felt sick and really scared all at once.

This guy, Trix, the jerk who'd made my high school life a living nightmare, was a freaking werewolf. And he'd just bitten me.

Trying to keep my cool despite the panic creeping up on me, I took a shaky breath and glared at them. "Well, this is just peachy."

The woman's eyes popped open again, this time because she was surprised. Trix, on the other hand, looked really annoyed by what I said.

"You shouldn't be here, Dixie," he growled, "this place is dangerous."

Alvera squinted at him and asked, "You know her?"

"Dangerous?" I let out a laugh, trying to sound tougher than I actually felt. "Well, getting bitten by a giant wolf is super dangerous, if you ask me."

Trix shifted uncomfortably, clearly in pain from his hurt leg. He was about to say something, but the woman interrupted him.

"Just leave her to me, Alpha," she said sternly. “Take care of your wound."

Why the hell was this woman calling him ‘Alpha’? The hell?

Trix paused, looking at me for a bit longer, then he turned and vanished into the woods. The woman knelt next to me, worry showing in her eyes.

"Are you alright?" she asked in a gentler voice.

I felt like laughing, or maybe crying. But instead, I just looked at her, trying to process everything. Werewolves, bite marks, angry alphas – this was definitely not what I had in mind for my summer vacation.

Finally, I managed a shaky nod. "Yeah, I think so. Aside from being bitten by a giant werewolf and finding out my high school bully is secretly a monster."

The woman's lips twitched into a small smile. "Trix can be… difficult at times," she admitted. "But he wouldn't have bitten you on purpose. There's more going on here than you think."

"More?" I whispered. "How much more?"

She didn’t answer. She just looked at me for a while, then finally said, "Let's get you out of here first. There's a lot we need to talk about."

She helped me to my feet, her touch surprisingly gentle on my trembling arm. As we walked out of the clearing, I couldn't help but glance back at the massive oak tree.t stood there, quiet and towering, a sign of the weird new world I'd just stumbled into. A reality where werewolves existed, and somehow, I was now a part of it.

"Summer break is gonna be long as hell this time," I had heard Trix mutter before he left. He wasn't wrong. But long wasn't even the half of it. It was going to be… well, completely insane.