Chapter 2 — Lesson Learned

David.

“Dude, so there I was, just minding my own business at Burnham's party last weekend, when Nicole Winters walks up to me totally wasted,” I said, to my audience of football teammates at our cafeteria table.

A few of the guys hooted, the wolves among them giving me knowing smirks. They knew where the story was going. I wouldn’t touch a human. Not even for 50-yard line tickets to the Super Bowl.

“She starts hitting on me hard, going on about how she's had a crush on me forever. I'm trying to let her down easy, but she won't take a hint. She moves in to kiss me… lips puckered, eyes lashes down. Fam, I said a Hail Mary, ducked, and ran.”

My buddy Chris shook his head, laughing. “Leave it to David to have drunk girls… hell, all the girls throwing themselves at him.”

“What can I say? It's a gift and curse.” Curse because I had a limited number of she-wolves I could date. According to my dad, humans and wolves didn’t mix. As the next Alpha to our pack, he expected me to follow that rule.

I did mainly because I didn't see the appeal. Human girls, fine as some of them were, were weak. They couldn't take the rigorous life of being in a pack. The daily grind to stay on top. The constant battle of proving yourself, over and over. Hell, it was hard enough for me and I grew up in the life.

“Why didn’t you hook up with Nicole? She’s hot,” Liam Jones, a wide receiver, said.

I smirked. “I had my sights set on another honey that night.” My eyes drifted to Jasmine. Our gazes met and she blushed, probably remembering how our hook up went down. We fooled around from time to time, but were not exclusive. She was a witch, so it was all cool. “Besides,” I said, my focus on my boys, “Nicole was like an octopus with a mission, her hands were all over me. I like to be the one who chases, not the one who gets caught.”

Fergus, my best friend and future Beta, said with a hard gaze over everyone’s laughter, “Yeah, you’re lucky you got away.” He knew the hell my dad would raise if I merely touched a human.

I tipped my head in his direction, acknowledging the warning, and plastered on my usual cocky grin, fronting like I always did.

Inside, my smile faded, brow furrowing. Time and time again, I sold myself short, hiding my secret no one knew: that one day, I wanted to peace out of this played out town.

After lights out, I’d grab a tattered paperback from my secret stash in the closet. Running my fingers over that worn cover, I’d dive right in, thirsty for adventure. Those pages took me places, far, far away from home. I'd read, till eyes heavy, then dream about all I wanted to do and see...

Reality never matched those vivid dreams. Come morning, I’d lock it down tight. I didn't have time to fantasize. My father was already giving me pack duties to handle. Along with football practice and schoolwork, I barely had a minute to myself.

But that yearning never left me. It gnawed on me like a dog at a bone, fierce as ever. Begging to chase the open road, find something realer... deeper.

As my friends laughed and cut up around me, my jaw tightened, a storm brewing in my eyes. As future Alpha, my path was already carved out for me here leading the pack. I could never escape this town. At least, not for long. Never pursue my own dreams of traveling the world… living in a bigger city.

If my father… hell, the pack sensed my discontent, they might see it as a weakness. A doubt to my commitment. So for now, I kept the mask firmly in place. Only in my most private moments did I let my gaze linger on maps, making plans I knew would never happen.

A lone wolf dreaming of the impossible.

After a little more ribbing, the conversation moved on to rehashing plays from our last game. I tuned it out, smiling and nodding when expected, stowing my thoughts of the open road for later. My gaze drifted. Jasmine gave me a flirty smile. I ignored her and moved my eyes across the cafeteria... landing on a girl sitting alone in the corner.

Violet.

She was in my math class, always got the right answers but only spoke when called on. Whisper-quiet, she read more than she talked. Her long chestnut hair fell like a curtain around her face, hiding her from view. But I'd caught glimpses of sharp, intelligent brown eyes and graceful features. She had a subtle beauty to her that drew me in.

I shook my head, annoyed at myself. I didn't have time to be distracted by some random human girl. That race wasn’t for me. Dad expected me to find my future Luna when I turned eighteen. In fact, he was adamant about it.

“Son, you're becoming a man soon,” Dad had said, placing his good hand on my shoulder with an alpha's firm grip. “It's time you start thinking about taking a mate and the future of this pack.”

I shifted uncomfortably. “Isn't it a little soon for that?”

Dad's eyes hardened. “David, we talked about this. I can maybe hold off for four years while you go to community college the next town over, but after that, it is time for you to step up. Prepare to become Alpha.” He gestured to his bandaged limb, a painful reminder of the scars accumulated defending our territory.

Three towns over, in Pebble Quarry, was the home to our rival pack. They wanted what we had, a stable, organized community. Those bastards would do anything to tear it down. A few of their pack even jumped my father as he ran alone one night. Some kind of witchcraft was involved as his arm has been janked up since.

Guilt gnawed at me. Dad was right - it was my duty to lead someday. But the thought of being tied down so young made me feel trapped.

“I know, Dad,” I said quietly. “It's just...I figured I'd go away to college… play football, have some fun. I'm not ready to settle down yet.”

He frowned, unmoved by my protests. “I know I agreed you could go away, but that has changed.” He pointed to his injured arm as if I didn’t remember the impact it had on my life. “You have responsibilities here. When you turn eighteen next month, you will choose your mate. Your Luna will be an asset... or a curse if you choose unwisely.”

I left the conversation still dreading the path expected of me. My life was already mapped out, never truly my own...

The shrill sound of the bell jolted me back to the present. I gathered my things and headed to math class. With my thoughts conflicted, I slid into my desk just as the late bell rang.

Mr. Ruff began his lecture, chalk squeaking monotonously across the board. I slumped down, chin resting on my palm, already tuned out. My gaze fell on Violet again, two rows up. She copied the equations diligently, focused as ever.

Jasmine, my wannabe girlfriend, and her flock of giggling cheerleaders lounged nearby. When Violet slowly raised her hand to answer a question, Jasmine smirked and muttered something that made her friends titter. Violet’s hand sank back down, face reddening.

I frowned, an unexpected anger rising in me. Jasmine caught my eye and preened, no doubt hoping I approved of her antics. I looked away, mouth set in a hard line. Why was she so intent on humiliating Violet?

“David.” Mr. Ruff's sharp voice broke my concentration. I jerked my head up.

“Since you seem so engaged, let's see if you absorbed today's material. Come work this problem on the board.”

I rose and swaggered to the front, garnering some muffled laughs. Staring at the equations, I suddenly realized I had no clue how to solve them.

“This is why daydreaming in class was a bad idea,” I scolded myself.

After an awkward minute of my fumbling, Mr. Ruff intervened. “Do you need some help, David?” The class stayed silent. They knew better than to laugh at me. The last person who dared was Bart Rivers in the third grade. Everyone remembered what I did to Bart.

Jaw tight, I shook my head and managed to muddle through the equations well enough to swagger back to my seat. Hands clapped me on the back as Mr. Ruff reluctantly claimed my answer was correct.

He called on someone else to do the next equation. Bored, I flit my gaze around the room.

Violet was watching me. For a brief moment our eyes met, then she ducked her head and looked away.

For some reason, I was disappointed that she had.

At the end of class, Mr. Ruff asked me to stay behind. After the room cleared out, he leaned against his desk with a sigh.

“David, I know math isn't your strong suit, and it shows. If you don't get at least a C on the next exam, I'll have no choice but to flunk you.”

My chest constricted. “You gotta be kidding me! If I flunk, Coach will kick me off the team for sure!”

All my plans - football scholarship, college, escaping this town - would be destroyed if I couldn't play. My dad might have ideas about me becoming an Alpha at eighteen, but I still clung to my own.

Mr. Ruff held up a hand. “Then I suggest you study… find a tutor. But if you don't pass the next test, there's nothing I can do.”