A Howl In The Night by Lorelei Sutton (life books to read .txt) 📕

Xavier has killed someone? And he speaks of it so lightly. It is as if killing is nothing to him, almost like a friendly hug or pat on the back.

"The council again..." I think aloud, "what is it?"

"Well, think of it as a police force and a judicial court rolled into one. We don't have too many laws, but the ones we do have need enforcing. The first one is no new converts without alerting the council, except cases like mine where someone didn't intentionally convert me, and the other is to not reveal themselves as a werewolf to humans unless they are mates. The latter is not particularly enforced unless it becomes a serious matter, but the first one is very important. We do not want to overrun the human world, especially as immortals, with werewolves. The council consists of a ruling pack, of which a werewolf named Remi is the head."

"What about Yi, then? Why didn't they exterminate him?" I quickly remember that Yi got converted without approval.

"They pardoned him because he shows incredible promise with his Stealth Talent," he comments. "When he becomes fully matured, he will probably be one of the strongest Stealth Talent in the world. Already he is invaluable to the werewolf community."

"Wow," I think of cheeky, skinny Yi... the strongest Stealth Talent in the world? No way. He's too immature to be something like that.

We start up again, and I start to feel more comfortable by Xavier's side. The world blurs slightly around us, and I can sense his alluring presence washing over me like a flood. However, as the school begins to come into view just over the tips of the trees, a strange feeling of cold fear starts to collide with the peace, and I suddenly get shivers running up and down my spine. My knees begin to shake, and my grasp on Xavier's comforting arm gets crushingly hard.

"Ow!" Xavier rips his arm from my grip, "that actually hurt!" He looks as his now-red skin, indented with nails, a slight amount of blood seeping forth. I nearly gape at the pain I inflicted on Xavier's supposedly indestructible arm, wondering exactly what I will be capable of in the days to come. Xavier seems to be thinking along those lines too, being deep in thought.

We continue to travel through the bushes into the narrow pathway leading to school. My breaths become faster, and more frenzied as we go along. "Calm down," Xavier's relaxing, musical voice enchants my senses as it wraps around my innermost fears.

Students begin to merge with us in clumps as our feet pound on the sidewalk. I can feel them immediately latch upon me like lasers, burning holes through my skin. Immediately I try to shrink, wishing I could scurry like a rat into a hole in the wall. I am tempted to use my speed and zoom away from the rude people who only want to gossip and stare. I feel as if I am under a microscope, being scrutinized at every second.

As the crowd grows thicker with interested observers, I begin to hear what immediately comes after an intense gaze. "Who's she?" whispers erupt all around me. I can hear almost everything now, and I can easily overhear their words.

"Who knows. Maybe she's new."

"Look at those long legs! She's like a model!"

"Who is that hot chick by the blue-haired guy?"

"She looks like that ugly girl that always used to walk around scrunched over with a pissed off expression on her face except prettier!"

"Much prettier."

"Even Sidney is not as gorgeous as this girl!"

"Who the crap is she?" I hear Sidney's shrill, whispering voice as she walks a couple feet away from me. I shudder slightly.

We entered the school, Xavier reaching to hold my hand. I look at the amused people around us, suddenly flushed with embarrassment, and snap my hand away. "Not here!" I whisper angrily, though what I really meant is not ever. I am not going to let him disarm me again. The wall to my heart shall not tumble to ruin.

However, he is making it shake, and that is what is scaring me so much. I don't like to be vulnerable, and Xavier is doing an awful good job of making me feel that way. I am independent. I can't lean on anybody, for all they do is leave. My mind flashes back to that time, and my blood runs cold.

One more hammer to my heart, and it will fall to pieces forever.

Xavier frowns at me slightly. "What's up with you?" he says, staring into my soul with bright emerald eyes, "penny for your thoughts."

"I'm sorry, Xavier," I sigh, "but right now, they are worth much more than that."

"Name your price." I look up from the floor into Xavier's serious eyes, at the absolute certainty of his words. All I do is just gently shake my head, unable to give them away. I am not ready.

I wince inwardly as his hand touches mine, and then retreats as if he had committed some sort of crime.

Our classroom stands before us, reeking with boredom. This was the class with that uber-lazy teacher who just types on his computer all day long. Also... the only one I have with that vicious serpent named Sidney.

And this one just has to be first.

"Let's just get it over with," Xavier says, propelling me into the room to find our desks. The stares are worse here, people openly scavenging me, scanning my new appearance. It is just like before, except that I am practically imprisoned in here with them until the mischievous bell rings.

Sidney flounces into the room, her long, blonde tresses flowing past her upper back. She is adorned in a light pink baby doll dress, one a bit too short to be decent, and five inch wedges. Her baby blue eyes scan the room for a moment, then focuses on my form. She walks over to my side, a light, happy smile on her face.

"Hey Mona," she greets me, "Hey Xavier." I slightly smile back, unconvinced by her friendliness. "Nice" and "Sidney" are two words that do not mix.

"Hey Sidney," I speak, once again amazed by the prettiness of my voice. It is like an orchestra, a melodious harmony of notes coming together to create a few words. Sidney notices this, her smile growing a little tight-lipped. She obviously misses the time when my voice sounded grainy and weak.

"That is such an adorable outfit!" she practically squeals, "I love that top."

"Thanks," my smile grows a little wider and more rapturous, I pleased that someone likes the attire I so carefully selected. Maybe she is thinking along the lines of "if you can't beat 'em, join 'em!" I honestly have no clue why she is like this.

Xavier flashes her one of his golden grins too, causing Sidney to melt into a puddle on the floor. He seems very happy that Sidney is being nice to me. Sidney senses this, and craftily slinks to her seat as the fat teacher finally gets up from his perch on the swivel chair.

"Hello, class," he emits with a voice like a geek, assuming and haughty. "Today you need to turn to page 787 in your textbook..." He rambles on for a minute, then quickly concludes his daily two minute speech. "Read chapter 14, section 9, and answer all the following questions. What you do not finish is homework." He shuffles from the front of the classroom to the back of it, plopping down on his favorite plush chair. He never actually teaches us anything, just telling us to read. No one ever does homework in his class either, because he never checks.

Except me. I'm the only one that gets annoyed with my teacher because I actually want to learn something.

I quickly flip the textbook open to the correct page, while the others all whip out their phones and start texting and shouting to their friends across the room. Sidney starts whispering to Ian, and Xavier turns to me with a reassuring smile. "You're going to do the lesson?" he asks innocently. I nod slowly, beginning to sink into the paragraphs of knowledge, delving completely into the foreign lands I love to explore.

I can feel a set of emerald eyes focus on my face as I read, interest clearly shown. "You're so beautiful when you are like this," he says softly, almost mumbling to himself.

"Like what?" I almost shiver at his words, so full of caring and devotion.

"When you are reading, you seem so peaceful. Serene." He closes his eyes, leaning back against his chair, "like an angel. I met one once, you know." He is speaking barely above a whisper, so soft that only I can hear.

"When?" I ask eagerly.

"Well, right before I was converted, I was dying. The werewolf had practically torn me to pieces, and the pain was... well, no words can describe it. I was floating between delusions and reality. Then, right before his blood touched my skin, I had a dream," his eyes turn glassy as time ticks back for him, "it was about heaven and hell."

"Tell me about it," I demand, leaning towards him. I can sense his closeness, his dizzyingly attractive smell that nearly forces me to attack him with my heavy desire.

"I was on an island, completely alone. It was basically just a patch of sand, surrounded by miles and miles of ocean. A beautiful angel descended out of the clouds, heading my way. Along with her, a set of stairs appeared, pure white and leading into the clouds. However, when she extended her long, pale white hand, I could not take it. I reached as hard as I could, but right before I could even get within a foot of those stairs and the woman, they would seemingly get farther away.

Right beneath me, however, it was a different story. The sand rumbled and turned as hot as coals. Fire was immediately dancing beneath my feet. I howled in pain, running around the island to escape the burning. Finally, though, I was trapped in a circle, fire surrounding me at every angle. The woman was right outside the circle, and I felt that if I could only escape this prison, I would finally be able to reach her. But just before I ran through the fire, the whole island began to sink. Water began to creep up at every angle, waters so red that it seemed stained with blood. When I peered into the ocean as it nearly swallowed me, I saw that beneath me was a boiling pit of fire, and I was about to sink into it. Before long, the island would disappear completely, leaving me at the mercy of whatever was below.

It was then that the woman stared at me and gave a short little smile, disappearing into the mist like a ghost. The stairs went away too, leaving only me, the ruby red ocean, and the cauldron below."

I lean forwards, spellbound by his story. The way he speaks makes the story seem so real, as if it happened to me instead. "What next?"

"Nothing. I woke up, and found that I was a werewolf." Xavier says laughingly, "otherwise, I think I would have sunk into the pit." There is a buzzing sound, and he grabs his top-of the-line phone out of his pocket. Many people turn their heads to look at the expensive limited edition luxury item in his hand, Xavier casually lifting it to his head to take the call.

"Yes, Wes?" His face is first of excitement, then melts into fury. After a moment of listening, he nods solemnly. "I'll help out," he says reluctantly, "just send someone to get me. At this school, you have to do this strange thing called checking out..."

Within a few minutes, a robotic voice echoes through the hallways.