Chapter 10: Lessons - (Makai's Point of View)

The celebration was in full swing, and there was plenty of food and drinks to go around. Many of the women had baked pastries and brought home-cooked meals to share with anyone interested. I'm mildly curious about what the sweet ladies would say if I approached them and asked for a cupcake or two.

Cupcakes. I wonder if Storm made cupcakes today.

When my thoughts inevitably go to Storm, I close my eyes in frustration. I didn't want to think about Storm at all. Thinking about him made my heart ache and a lump grow in my throat, I need to remain calm today.

I am on the roof of the Pack Training Arena, looking down on the party that was going on below me. Couples and groups went hand in hand, laughing and playing mini-games to win prizes, creating a happy and easygoing atmosphere. I wonder how it would feel to roam around aimlessly, conversing with strangers and eating sugary bakes from the stalls that had been set up.

When I was younger, I used to accompany my mother to celebrations, and while some people had being wary, they tolerated my presence.

It wasn't until after the incident that I stopped going to pack events. It was an experience I would never forget because it taught me two very valuable lessons.

My mother usually stayed with me at the celebrations until we went home, but that day, she was called in at the clinic for an emergency. I had assured her I would be fine by myself, so she had left me there. I strolled around quietly until my attention was drawn to the Dart Booth. I stood there for a while, contemplating whether to go in when some boys arrived and asked me if I wanted to have a go at it.

The boys were from the pack school my mother had enrolled me in. Even though we didn't talk there, I was happy that they had approached me and challenged me to a game of darts. I had hoped that if they saw how good I was, they would be impressed and want to be my friends.

I had a dartboard at home that Mom had bought me the year before, and I had been practising for some time. So maybe if they saw how good I was, they might want me to teach them to be good too, and then I could have some friends over at home.

I was so excited about the prospect. As I kept hitting the bull's eye each time, I thought about how happy and proud Mom would be that I had made the effort to talk to people.

I didn't realize my mistake until after the fifth round of me trouncing them.

One of the boys had angrily wrenched the board from the wall and spat at me, "Freak!"

I remember blinking in surprise, not understanding what I had done wrong.

"What happened?" I asked warily. "Did I do something wrong?"

The other boys had looked on nervously, also unhappy they had lost so badly but not nearly as angry as the one who looked like the leader of the little group was.

"Kane, maybe we should just go," the shortest one, Timmy, said nervously when "Kane" started to advance on me angrily.

"Freak! What did you do to it?! What did you do to the board?" He demanded in a rage that I couldn't understand.

I cocked my head in confusion, not understanding how this had suddenly turned sour. I flicked my eyes to the board that was now lying on the ground with the darts scattered all around it and glanced back at him.

"I don't understand what you mean," I told him honestly, wracking my brain to understand what could have possibly gone wrong.

"Kane, come on, let's leave", the other boy, whose name I remembered from class to be Mark, urged, trying to pull Kane away. I just watched quietly with a blank but watchful expression as Kane wrenched his arm angrily from Mark's grasp and reared back to punch me.

"He must have rigged! I need to teach this freak a lesson!"

I moved back quickly to avoid the blow, my eyes widening in fear. "Please don't hit me. I'm sorry, please don't."

He grinned maliciously, happy to see me cowering in fear. When I took a step further back, he laughed mockingly. "Would you look at that! The little wild freak is a big chicken coward after all."

"Kane, come one. Leave him alone."

"No. I'm enjoying this," he said, still coming closer with his fists raised.

"Please I'm sorry," I pleaded again, hoping to mollify him into leaving me alone while my eyes looked for a way out of the booth that would allow me to leave without touching anybody.

"Please, I'm sorry," I begged again, hoping to persuade him to leave me alone while my eyes searched for a way out of the booth that would allow me to leave without touching anyone.

I was terrified, but not for the reason Kane suspected. I wasn't afraid of him in the least. I was more worried about him and what the beast would do to him if he hit me.

When the beast decides to protect me, I couldn't control it. I could only stand by and watch through its eyes as it tore and ravaged. It had happened before when I had gone outside the Pack lands to explore.

I hadn't even told Mom about it because I was afraid she'd become afraid of me and start looking at me like everyone else.

So now I was terrified of doing irreparable harm to this boy who was frothing at the mouth over something I still didn't understand.

"Kitai please," I begged my wolf, asking him to keep the beast at bay.

"I'm not going to lift a paw to help if he touches you. He deserves what's coming to him," Kitai answers without any care. Kitai didn't care about people being afraid of us, but I did. I also really didn't want to hurt anyone.

I needed Kitai because he could control the beast, but most times he didn't want to. We have had a big argument about it. As far as he was concerned, the beast only made an appearance when it needed to, so there was no reason to fight it when it came out to help me.

Groaning inwardly in frustration, I leaped towards the entrance when I anticipated Kane about to swing at me again.

The other boys had scrambled quickly out of my way to allow me to leave, and I would have made it if someone else hadn't been coming in while I was going out. I came to a sudden stop and stared frantically at the newcomer, relieved that an adult was now present, certain it would deter Kane.

But Kane was not about to give up, and he crashed into me from behind, sending me crashing down. By the time my body had made an impact on the ground, I was a big, blue-black wolf. I felt relieved that Kitai had taken over and not the beast. Kitai would only scare him.

However, Kane wasn't about to give up, and he slammed into me from behind, knocking me to the ground. In human form, he was much bigger than me, but by the time my body hit the ground, I had transformed into a large, blue-black wolf.

Seeing the blue fur instead of pitch-black filled me with intense relief. I was not in control, but it was a relief that Kitai was in control and not the beast. Kitai would only frighten him.

Kane's eyes widened in terror, and he scrambled away from me while attempting to shift into his wolf. I could see myself approaching him gradually and hear shouts behind me, but they all sounded like buzzing flies in my ear. Kitai was intent on Kane and pretended to pounce on him, stopping just above him with a deafening growl.

I tried to reach Kitai. "Please Kitai. Stop playing with him. I don't want to hurt him." He came to a halt, hovering over the boy, who was now sobbing and cowering, nasty snot streaming from his nose.

"He wanted to teach you a lesson. Let me teach him one."

"Kitai come on!" I screamed internally at my stubborn wolf. Suddenly, through the haze of Kitai's senses, I smelled a very sweet scent that seemed familiar somehow. It had a similar effect on Kitai, who paused to sniff the air, then huffed and turned away from the cowering boy, running out of the booth to get closer to the scent.

Because it was easier to control his actions now that he wasn't angry, I came to a halt when I realized where the scent was leading me and reclaimed control. I was almost at the Alpha's Pavilion, where a long line of people waited to speak with the Alpha family.

Fortunately, there were other werewolves in wolf form mingling around, so I didn't gain any unwanted attention.

Ignoring Kitai's loud protests, I turned around quickly and returned to Mom's little house on the outskirts of the pack property where I felt safe and loved. I was disappointed that I hadn't made new friends like I was hoping to, but maybe tomorrow I could approach Kane and his friends at school and apologize.

I wasn't sure what had riled Kane, but I figured if I apologized again and offered to teach them how to play darts, they'd forgive me. I'd also apologize for Kitai scaring Kane and explain that it was only because Kane had slammed me; if they didn't try to hit me, Kitai would like them and wouldn't attack them.

With that plan in mind, I spent the rest of the afternoon drawing each of the four boys from memory. Mom enjoyed it when I drew her, so perhaps the boys will as well. I was so excited about my project and hopeful about making friends that I ended up making "I'm Sorry" cards as well.

That evening I waited anxiously for Mom to come home so that I could show her my drawings and ask her if she thought I should give them both or just one.

When the front door opened, I dashed towards her, clutching my artwork in my hand. I was about to bombard her with questions as soon as she walked in, but the words died on my lips when I noticed she wasn't alone. She'd arrived with Alpha Ben, and they both appeared solemn.

Mom rushed up to me and gave me a tight hug, which I returned worriedly, wondering what the problem was.

"Mom, what's wrong?"

She shook her head, clearly trying to keep the tears at bay. "Alpha Ben will ask you a few questions, Kai. Please answer him truthfully."

I nodded slowly and looked at the alpha, who was staring at me with an expression I couldn't quite make out.

"Did you attack Kane in the dart booth today, Makai?"

My eyes widened in surprise, confused about the question.

I hadn't attacked him. Kitai had scared him and pretended to pounce on him, but he hadn't even touched him.

Who had reported it? Maybe the adult had reported the issue and Alpha Ben didn't understand what had happened. I wasn't sure if I was in trouble or not, but I didn't want to get anyone else in trouble.

"Makai?"

I didn't hit him. "What did they say, Alpha?" I asked instead.

"Well, Kane and his parents came over to report that you had attacked their son and his friends in a rage because you were angry that they had beaten you woefully at darts."

What?

"He said you lost badly in all six games you played and became so upset that you wrenched off the dartboard and began hitting them, and when they tried to defend themselves, you shifted and attempted to kill them."

I was completely numb, confused and crushed.

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