Chương 2: Chapter 1 Thanks, Rana

Present Time

Delilah! Wake up! My mom shouted in my ear. Its time for school!

I groaned in my half sleep. I really, really didnt want to go to school.

Most teenagers dont go to school because they dont want to learn. I dont want to school for a completely different reason. My school was a werewolf-only school, and it was on the borderline of my pack and the neighboring packs boundaries. Tensions were always really high at school, and I hated being part of it.

Ok, mom. I replied drowsily. Im getting up.

After going through my usual daily routine, I headed to school. Werewolf-only schools were different from human schools in almost every way. We had different studies, different athletics, and different drills.

Most people think this sounds exciting, but it really isnt. How can school be exciting when youve been practicing the same battle techniques since the third grade?

Punch, kick, scratch, and biteits all been taught before. The only thing interesting about werewolf high school is the moment youre mated. Which, for me, seems like its never going to happen.

Most eighteen year-olds find their mate in their pack. Eighteen is the age in which weres can begin mating. Not me, though. I havent found mine yet, and its three months past my birthday! Most werewolves I know start planning families by then.

The best I could hope for was that my mate was simply in a pack close to ours. The worst I could think of was that he could be dead.

When I arrived at the school, my best friend, Liana, came barreling toward me. Delilah! she shouted. Jarvis has been looking everywhere for you!

She tackled me down in a hug and started laughing.

Whoa, watch where youre going there, Liana. I might just have to bring out the muscles on you. I said jokingly.

Oh, come on, Delilah! Youve got to think of something better than that! We all know your muscle mass is nonexistent. You should have threatened me with Jarvis instead. And speaking of Jarvis . . . Her lips turned up in a teasing grin.

Jarvis . . . his parents must have hated him to give him that name. And, in fact, they did hate him.

Weakest of all the betas children, he was the black sheep of their family. The beta family was one hundred percent against Jarvis. Their hate for him became so bad that they kicked him out when he was thirteen.

I was fifteen at the time, and took pity on him. He almost reminded me of the Alpha of the Rogues in some twisted, foreign way. So I let him stay with my family until he grew worthy enough to be accepted back into his family. But I regretted letting him live with my family, because now he this strange infatuation with my family and me. He did whatever he could to get back to living with my family again.

Oh, no. Liana, dont tell me hes gotten himself kicked out of the house again. If that stupid boy cant keep his nose out of trouble, why should I help him? I mean, the only reason I help him at all is because he has those puppy eyes I cant resist.

Liana snorted. Delilah, youre such a sucker. And yeah, he got himself kicked out again. But I guess I could have just let him tell you that himself. You guys are sparring partners in third period, arent you?

Since he beats me every time, I think its unfair to say that he and I are partners.

Liana opened her mouth to speak, but was cut off by Jarvis. Jarvis leaped over to us and gave me one of those weird boy hugs. Hey, guys. Guess what?

He didnt even try to hide his excitement.

Hmmm . . . let me think. You got kicked out of your house? I tried to hide every ounce of sarcasm in my voice.

Yeah, can you believe it? My parents must hate me. He chuckled merrily. Oh, well. Who cares? That just means I get to stay at your house again!

Ok, sounds great. See you there. Jarvis left as soon as I accepted his offer.

Liana turned on me and raised a brow. You did it again. You gave in to those puppy eyes he was using at the end.

I was shocked. I didnt even realize he was using the eyes! Ahh, dang it. I moaned. Are you serious?

Liana laughed. Yes. Now, come on, we need to go to class.

My first period class was possibly the most painful class to go through in all of history. While humans have sex ed., werewolves have mating ed. You think sex ed. is bad? Humans have it easy.

When the female werewolf comes in physical contact with the male werewolf, the mating process will start. Mrs. Ferdinand, the teacher, pointed to her representative drawing. The mates will not necessarily complete all mating actions then, but simply start to feel the pull of attraction towards each other.

Mrs. Ferdinands narrow eyes scanned the room, stopping to see if everyone was paying attention. Luckily, she was in the pack that shared this school with my pack, and she couldnt check my pack link. If she could, she would hear the loud debate going on between Liana and me.

Do you think shes so in love with mating because her mate left her? Or maybe her first pup rejected his or her mate and she never got grandpups? Liana asked through the link.

No, I answered back. I heard it was because she asked the Alpha out once and he rejected her. She thought she deserved better than her mate.

An Alpha? Liana sounded skeptical. Those guys are scary. I cant imagine asking our Alpha out. Even worse, I cant imagine being an Alphas mate. Everyone knows that Lunas basically have no control over their lives. I dont think Id survive.

I guffawed through our connection. I know, right? Lunas must be so bored out of their mind. Most of them just sit at home all day and tend to their pups.

I laughed out loud, not able to hold the laughter in. Mrs. Ferdinands eyes snapped straight to me. I knew from the wicked gleam in her eyes I had interrupted her mid-sentence.

Delilah, do you have something you wish to share with this class? Her voice was dangerously sharp.

No, Mrs. Ferdinand. Im sorry. I squeaked. No avoiding her death rays now.

Mrs. Ferdinand smiled. Sorry doesnt cut it when youre ruining a speech on the glorious art of mating. Get out of my classroom, and see me in detention later!

I groaned and picked up my books. My parents were going to kill me! In the figurative sense, of course. Id never gotten thrown out of a class before.

What vodka did she drink today? I complained to Liana over mind link.

Liana didnt respond. She kept her eyes focused on the lesson. I guess she learned her lesson from me.

I put my books into my locker. Might as well make the most of a free period.

I ran out to the field, where classes were sparring against each other. There were also open mats where people could spar during free time. I took a mat and waited for an opponent to step up.

I was an average fighter. I could take down almost anybody smaller than me, and a few people bigger than me, but I was nothing impressive. Obviously, Rana Greenberg didnt know this.

Yeah, Im nothing impressive, but I could take Rana down any day of the week. Rana was five foot one and extremely skinny. At five foot five and a slightly below-average weight, I was certainly going to win.

Or maybe not. I took my starting position, and she took hers, too. Then in a deadly moment, she lurched for my neck and knocked me to the floor.

Whoa there, Rana. I teased as I tried to pull my body up. You going for the kill or are we just playing?

Rana didnt answer. Her mouth was in hard, thick line. She looked determined to tear me down.

And tear me down she did. The more I struggled up, the more she administered blows.

I felt ready to pass out. No pack mates of mine ran to my aid; werewolves healed quickly, so sparring was never too damaging. But Rana didnt stop. I didnt know why, but I was suspicious that it my have to do with the fact that Id once gone out with her mate.

Just when I thought I was about to black out, I heard loud sirens in my ears. My eyes opened in alarm and I saw Ranas do the same.

In a werewolf school, an alarm only means one thing. Rogue attack.

Rana jumped off me and ran from the classrooms. Students were rushing inside for safety and the doors were locking.

I was the only one left on the field. Shit. This wasnt good. I attempted to get to my feet, but the aches and bruises were holding me down.

Come on, Delilah! I muttered to myself. Get off the floor. If you dont get off the floor right now, Delilah, youre going to be killed by the rogues.

I got to my feet and prepared myself to walk. After one shaky step, I fell to the floor again.

No, no, no. This couldnt be happening. The rogue pack wouldnt get me. I wouldnt let them.

Rogues were vicious and evil. Not one of them was good. The only true purpose the rogues had was to get back the land that once belonged to the rogue Alpha and take over all of North America.

Most werewolves didnt understand how rogues could be rogues if they were in a pack. But it was crystal clear to me.

If a rogue was exiled or willing left a pack, they were instantly admitted into the rogue group. The rogues in pack could run wild as they please, so long as they listened to the Alpha.

He was the Alpha because he was the strongest, most dangerous of them. Id heard stories of the compelling voice he had. Rumors were that his powerful voice could make you do anything, and that the rogues inner wolf would instantly bend to his command.

They said his beta was the same way, just less so. And his Luna? He didnt have one. The werewolves I knew said it was because he was too evil to have a Luna.

This is why the rogue pack was the worst of the worst. The pack ran wild, killing and taking territories. I didnt want to get in their way, and I never thought I would.

It seemed I was wrong. I struggled again to my feet before collapsing. If I get out alive, I growled, Im killing Rana.

I rolled on the ground for a few more seconds before flailing around wildly. I was so dead meat!

Fate seemed to agree with me. I heard the snapping of twigs on the field and turned to see rogues emerging from the corner of my school.

Their inky eyes were trained on me. And even more kept pouring onto the school grounds.

I was going to die. And I hadnt even met my mate yet.

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