Chapter 4 Agitation

The bell for the next period finally rang. I let out a sigh of relief because I could finally leave the bathroom.

I dashed to the fourth-floor bathroom as soon as our physical education class ended and I was announced as one of the tournament participants. It was the furthest away from the gym, and I doubted Alexa would follow me here.

My situation had gotten worse, and I knew that confronting an angry she-wolf would mean trouble for me. And I don’t just mean physically. Somewhere in my gut is telling me to stay away from Alexa in the meantime because there was no telling what she would do. She already warned me to stay out of her way, but my panther just had to be a shithead and run. Everyone knows that female wolfs are easily provoked!

Usually, I could handle her harassment, but I feel like she would scare my panther again with her mood, and I am afraid I would shift to protect myself. And that is something that could never happen!

I got out of the cubicle I was hiding in and listened to my surroundings. I could hear receding footsteps in the room, and I took that as a good signal for me to leave. I was still in my gym clothes. It was going to be a long way from here to the gym.

I carefully made my way around the school hallway and ensured that I wouldn’t see any hall monitors lurking around. I don’t want to get caught in my gym clothes and dragged into class. That would be humiliating.

I finally made it to the gym room and had just gotten my clothes out of my locker when I caught a scent in the air. I felt my fangs extending and immediately covered my mouth with my clothes as I turned back. Standing by the door was Alexa. She had her arms crossed over her chest as she glared at me murderously. 

“I don’t get it.” I heard her whispering the words carefully. “How…” She breathed out and took slow and careful steps towards me. “How can a reject like you can run like that?” The glint in her eyes caught my attention and made me stiffen. Her eyes usual dark brown pupils got more prominent and darker. She was morphing.

My heart began to palpitate, and I lowered my head so my eyes would be covered with my hair. I felt my vision slowly beginning to change as my panther was emerging. 

“How can a nobody like you gets to ruin and embarrass me among my peers!?” My reflexes kicked in, and I moved out of the way the moment I saw her lunging at me.

The locker door was bent up pretty badly from her punch. The damage on the door looks like it was a crumpled piece of paper at this point. My fear was starting to become overwhelming, the I felt my claws starting to appear. I dug my nails into my clothes to hid them. Right now, I have to deal with a certain she-wolf.

“M-maybe I can still ask the coach to reconsider.” It was hard to speak with my fangs in the way, but at least I managed to sound normal. A normal and shaken up person rather. 

Alexa lets out a guttural laugh. “You intend to hand over your position voluntarily to embarrass me?”

“That’s not what I want!”

A loud crash was heard the moment she punched the locker to the side once again. This time, she punched a hole through it. “You’re just a reject. You never really belonged to the pack, so you don’t have a pride to protect. Someone like you wouldn’t understand.”

“I know. I’m sorry.” I said. “I am just a reject. I am not a wolf, and I know that I will never be one.But I do know that it is illegal to kill someone when they are a member of your pack! I am not a werewolf, but I am still in the pack until I leave at 18.” It was a long shot, but I was still trying to reason out with her. We were nearing a full moon, which meant that most wolves were beginning to become agitated. I doubt that Alexa has any control over her wolf at the moment. I don’t even think that she’s the one in power right now.

“No.” She smiled menacingly. “But I don’t think that an Alpha counts you as a member of the pack knowing that you can’t even morph.” The moment that she dropped to the ground, I began to run towards the door.

I fumbled over the knob, trying to open it as I heard the twisting and breaking of bones behind me. Alexa was morphing, and I am here stuck with an enraged wolf. This isn’t going to end up well.

The doorknobs kept twisting under my paws, and as much as I wanted it to return to my normal hands, I couldn’t. My panther was panicking at the situation. I have no choice. I raised my right paw and used my claws to break the door open. 

As the door opened, I instinctively dropped to the floor when I heard Alexa’s claws leaving the tiled floor. She flew over my head and hit the wall opposite the door. I heard her whimpering and falling to the ground at the impact. Seeing her auburn wolf form up close rattled my nerves. I scrambled on my feet and began to run while hiding my still present claws under my clothes.

When I looked back, I saw that she was starting to get back on her feet. When she’s on her human form, I have no doubt that I can outrun her. But when she is on her wolf form, I don’t think that I would even stand a chance if I don’t morph as well.

Sadly, it wasn’t an option that I should take.

My shoes made a harsh skid as I stopped to make a turn around the corner when I heard her bouncing once more. I felt the wind rushing behind me as she darted past me. My body shook at the thought. 

Holy shit. That was too close for comfort!

Everyone has now heard her loud growl from the school that I saw a few professors and kids peeking out from the door.

“What was that?”

“What’s going on?”

“Is that Alexa?”

“Hey, I think this is bad. Someone call the teacher to stop them!”

I got back onto my feet and began to run blindly. “Help! Please stop her.” As pathetic as it sounds, I cried out. I don’t even know what to make out of this situation. I was relieved that people were starting to notice so that they could stop her. But at the same time, my panther was shaking at the number of wolves having their eyes cast onto me.

I heard a few students screaming in fright when Alexa ran past them. But it sounds like none of them has any intention of stopping her. I gritted my teeth as I remembered that I was an outcast and no one was probably going to help me because I was a reject. And if they do, it would make them look bad.

Some of the teachers tried to, but Alexa, with her agitated wolf, bounded past them.

I bit my lips at this point as angry tears began to roll down at the side of my face. I know that I am not one of them, but it doesn’t mean that my life has lesser value than theirs!

I hate them. I hate all of these people. If the prophecy were true that I would one day destroy the pack, then I would gladly do it. 

None of these assholes deserves to live. 

I was beginning to worry about the dark thoughts in my head, but at the same time, I somehow welcomed them. Who can blame me when they are just looking at me while I run for my life.

I buried my eyes in my clothes as I began to run faster. I swear it. When I do figure out why that prophecy exists, I would-

My thoughts were cut off when I hit a soft wall. As I fell backward, I felt strong hands grasping my shoulders. I tried to look at who it was, but my tears were overflowing, that it was hard for me to see through them. He gently moved me behind me, and I caught a whiff of his scent. “I’m sorry. Hold on for a bit while I handle this.” 

I hastily whipped the tears from my eyes to clear my vision. 

That voice and that scent...I recognize them. 

Once my vision was cleared, I finally looked up and found myself staring at a man’s back.

“I swear, all these wolves are becoming restless just because the full moon is near.” He sighed tiredly and stood his ground even as Alexa jumped at him.

“Look out!” I yelled.

I saw him raising a hand and ramming the incoming red wolf to the ground with such force that it made her whimper. “You attack a member of the pack. And you even dare to bare your fangs at your next alpha? Stand down!” He yelled in such authority that everyone within range started to quiver. And even the previously enraged wolf began to relax and dropped to the ground submissively.

Once the wolf began to behave, he got on to his feet. Before he even turned around, I already knew who he was just by seeing those dirty brown locks on his head. When he turned to me, his cerulean blue eyes softened as he offered me a comforting smile. “I’m sorry about that.” He says. His tone of voice made a complete turn from the one he used when he made a command to Alexa. “Were you scared?”

“N-No,” I feel like I swallowed my tongue with all of the tension going on. Atticus Strigon, the wolf I had met yesterday and the specific guy I was trying to avoid, was right in front of me.