Page 14 of Witch

“One of the kids peed herself. Two fainted and one ran out of the room screaming. I heard a whole bunch of them didn’t speak at all for the rest of the day, not that I really know if that happened since as soon as the teacher stopped shaking she sent me to the principal’s office, where I spent the rest of the day being stared at by the secretaries.”

“The principal never spoke to you?” Kana asked.

“Hah.” Marc let out another terrible laugh. “Only after he called my dad about ten times, and my dad didn’t pick up.”

Despite knowing Marc really well, Kana had never actually met Marc’s parents. They had to exist, and they had to have some sort of job with the wolves who lived and worked in the pack house, but they were absentee parents as far as Kana could tell. Certainly, Ember and Shannon spent more time parenting Marc, who didn’t sound the least bit surprised that his dad hadn’t answered the phone.

“The principal asked me for a better number, so I gave him Shannon’s cell.” Marc glanced at Kana and his grin was full of mischief. “Of course, no one answered there either.” Shannon was not going to be pleased to find a dozen messages from Marc’s school on his phone when he woke, but Shannon forgave Marc just about everything so Kana didn’t think it would be a problem. “By the time the principal gave up with that number, it was time to go home, and he had to put me on the bus. I had to sit in the spot right behind the bus driver, while the kids behind me made fun of me the whole way. Oh, and I have to give my dad this.” He rummaged in the bag at his feet for a few moments before he handed Kana a piece of paper.

“Notice of Suspension,” Kana read from the header. He didn’t bother with the rest.

“It wasn’t even my fault,” Marc continued, his voice choked as he fought back tears.

“No, it wasn’t,” Kana answered. He put his arm around Marc’s shoulders for a hug and Marc immediately turned and buried his face in Kana’s shoulder.

I’ll go find Ember, Sora said. Kana felt only the slightest twinge from the mental contact, but his magic channels had been steadily healing. Another day or two and Kana would never know he had blasted them so badly. When he returned to work on Monday, he would definitely be back at full power.

He let Marc cry while Sora hunted Ember down. Ember was supposed to be at the pack house today, rather than working with the hunters. As long as he wasn’t busy with something important, he would come when Sora called.

Thankfully, Ember arrived only a few minutes later, just as Marc was reaching the hiccupping stage. He sat on Marc’s other side and picked up the paper Kana had left there.

“What happened?” Ember asked, his voice soft.

“He was being bullied in class and used a touch too much power to ask them to stop,” Kana explained.

“And none of the other kids were reprimanded?” Ember asked with an angry growl.

“One of them peed their pants,” Marc replied. He pulled away from Kana with a sniffle and rubbed the back of his hand under his nose.

Ember grinned at Marc. “I never had anyone do that. Nice job!”

Kana shot Ember a look, unsure that he ought to be encouraging Marc. However, Marc only let out a watery laugh and settled back into his own chair.

“What do I do about school?” Marc asked.

Ember frowned down at Marc’s suspension paperwork. “I think I’m going to have a discussion with the pack lawyer before I make a decision, but I do think it’s time for that parent/teacher conference I’ve been putting off.”

“Can Shannon go with you?” Marc asked. “He said he’d love to have a ‘word with your instructor.’” He lowered his voice and used an Irish accent to mimic Shannon’s.

“We’ll see,” Ember replied. “For now, continue your nighttime studies with Shannon, and I’ll let you both know what the lawyer recommends.”

Marc made a face, no doubt about the fact that he had to continue school even if it was with Shannon, but obediently nodded.

“Go have a snack,” Ember added.

Marc eagerly jumped to his feet. “Thanks, Alpha. Thanks, Kana,” he said before rushing off to the serving area of the dining hall.

Ember sighed once Marc was out of earshot. “That kid’s going to be something when he grows up. If he grows up,” he added with a growl. “I keep finding him wandering around the neighborhood at two in the morning, and one day something not as nice as me will be the one doing the finding. He’s powerful, but he’s still a kid.”

“But he has Shannon and, right now, a dozen hunters prowling around,” Kana said, wishing he could sound more certain of what he was saying. Marc was a good kid who always meant well, but he was far too curious and tended to poke his nose in places it didn’t belong.

“And if he’s not going to school during the day, I’m putting him in a special class with Emily. She can teach him control and how to fight.” Ember shook his head again, but then he turned to look at Kana. He slid over to take Marc’s abandoned chair and reached out to caress Kana’s cheek with the tips of his fingers. “How are you doing? I’m on the night shift again, so this is probably the last time I’ll get to see you until morning.”

Ember took the night shift because it was the most difficult one. He was being a good alpha, and Kana loved that about him, but it was lonely at night without him. Luckily Kana had Mika and Sora to keep him company, but it wasn’t the same, and half the time one of Kana’s familiars went out with Ember anyway so their shared bed was even colder.

“I know,” Ember said, his voice soft as he apparently read Kana’s disquiet off Kana’s face. “Hopefully we’ll figure out this warlock issue soon, and life can return to normal. I miss you.”

“I miss you too. Have the hunters found anything?”

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