Page 22 of Alpha Varsity

“I’ll go with you if you need moral support,” Olive offers.

My lips fall open in surprise. “You would? Really?” Fate, I’m so used to thinking no one in this town supports my art, her offer comes as a shock. Especially considering what a shitty friend I’ve been.

She shrugs. “Sure. I know how to deal with snobby humans. It’s what I do all day at work.”

My vision goes wavy for a moment, and I hold mybreath until it passes. “Amazing.” I bob my head. “That would be absolutely amazing. Thank you.”

“Girl, that’s what friends are for. Pack sticks together.”

Pack sticks together.

That statement tumbles around like a square peg that can’t find its hole. I’mnotsticking with this pack. I’m going back to the human world where I can flourish as an artist. And yet, this taste of support and camaraderie I’ve been missing makes me feel like I can inhale a full breath for the first time in years.

I may only be here for a few months, but I don’t have to push away friendship to survive anymore. I lean forward and snatch one of Brianna’s fries. “So, wait until I tell you what happened to me on the full moon!”

Chapter Seven

Lotta

I shiver against the breeze. In the desert, the temperature drops significantly at night, and I’m still in my shorts and midriff top.

I’m sketching under the soft glow of the Christmas lights I strung up under the roof of my back patio. The front patio of the studio casita my parents rent to me faces the pool and their house which is why I prefer this side. Here I have some privacy. I face the wilderness which inspires the backdrop of my sketch.

In the foreground is a giant she-wolf. It’s not me. This one is an alpha wolf. I see her in my dreams. She’s white like the snow. Sleek. Powerful.

I set the charcoal and sketchpad down and wrap my arms around myself as I stare into the darkness.

Tonight the wild is calling to me.

Shift. Change. Run.

Find your mate.

Perhaps it’s not the wild. Maybe it’s just my wolf itching to be free again.

I haven’t been the same since the full moon run. It’s been impossible to sleep. I lie awake, feverish and full of energy. When I do sleep, my dreams are haunted byhim.

My wolf wants her mate. She wants another round with him. Wants me to figure out who he is. Where to find him. How to get his attention.

I wake every morning sweaty, horned up, and desperate for a release.

I turn my head, listening to what sounded like a soft footfall.

But no. I’m imagining things. All I hear is the sound of car horns blaring in celebration. The Wolf Ridge football team must’ve won their game. Earlier cheers drifted on the breeze from the stadium. The team always puts on a great show for the town.

I didn’t go to the game, despite my wolf’s desperation to get out there and sniff every man in town. There’s something about being home when the rest of the town is gathered that feels juicy. Probably because those were the only times I could focus on my art when I lived under my parents’ rule.

I wonder whether Asher was allowed to play in tonight’s game. He was absent from class for the last three days, but football matters here. I wouldn’t be surprised if Principal Olsen let him on the field tonight. He would consider Asher’s actions in my classroom justified from a wolf perspective. A male wolf defending the honor of a female is part of our culture. It’s just that those actions aren’t allowed at school or in front of humans.

I sigh and stand from the patio chair. I’m too restless to enjoy the beautiful night. My skin is hot and itchy. Maybe I should just shift and try to run it off. Would I sleep better? Or would it compound myproblems?

I turn toward the door and freeze. The gasp is so sharp it hurts my throat.

If this were a horror film, they would have played that jump-scare sound. You know, the angry violin slash?

Because standing on my porch is the hulking form of one of my students.

Not just any of my students. The one who hates me because of a judgment call I made five years ago. The one I just had suspended for fighting in my classroom.

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