The White Wolf

Chapter 1

A twig snapped under my paw as I chased the deer. I didn't bother trying to be quiet. I had been stalking my prey now for a solid ten minutes. It couldn't escape. It jumped over a fallen tree, hitting its hind leg and stumbling. I was closing in. I could faintly sense the presence of another wolf behind me, but I did not pay it any mind. My full attention was on the deer ahead. A few more feet... I leapt.

I tackled the deer to the ground, quickly clamping my jaw around its neck. I bit down hard and it let out a short whine before falling silent. I opened my jaw, letting the deer slump to the ground. Satisfied with my hunt, I lay down beside the deer and began to eat. My ears perked at the sound of rustling leaves. The other wolf had finally caught up.

He let out a small growl in greeting and promptly lay down across from me, not indulging in the deer between us. This was my kill. He would find his own.

It was a few hours later when I finally finished my run and returned to the two story cabin in the woods, the other wolf still hunting. I padded up to the stairs leading to the front door and shifted. Gone was the large brown wolf. Now I was human, crouched down on the ground, naked as the day I was born.

I quickly made my way into the house and upstairs to my room. I shut the door behind me and walked into the adjoining bathroom. I turned on the shower and waited for the water to warm up, looking at myself in the mirror as I did so. My dark brown, curly hair was a mess. My blue-grey eyes were tired; the usual after one of my runs.

At the sight of steam rising from the shower, I stepped in. I let the hot water cascade down my body, relaxing my muscles. I lost track of the amount of time I spent in the shower. Sometimes I swear I could just stay in there forever. I was brought out of my relaxing daze by the sound of the front door opening and closing downstairs.

I shut off the water and stepped out of the shower, grabbing the towel off the rack next to me. I quickly dried off and went back into my room. I picked up some random clothes on the floor and put them on. I then threw the towel in the corner and made my way downstairs.

I walked down the stairs and through the living room to the kitchen, where my dad stood making a sandwich. He looked up at me as I entered the kitchen and gave me a nod. He was wearing a pair of basketball shorts and an old t-shirt with a tear in it. I raised my eyebrow at him as I sat down in front of him.

"Did you not find anything out there?" I asked him.

He gave me a small grin. "I did," he replied. "But I'm still hungry."

I rolled my eyes. Of course he was still hungry. He was always hungry.

"How was your run?" He asked me as he finished making his sandwich.

I shrugged. "It was good. Same old, same old."

"Good. Are you ready for school tomorrow?" He asked between bites.

Tomorrow was the first day of senior year. I was pretty excited, and ready to see all my friends again. Summers were pretty isolated for my dad and I. Living in the middle of the woods kept us away from people most of the time, which in its way I guess was a good thing. It allowed us to spend time in our wolf forms more freely.

My dad was the English teacher at the local high school, so with no school and no job to do during the summer, we were able to spend the time training. My dad was hell bent on making sure I could hunt, fight, and just overall hold my own as a wolf, which, when I thought about it, was a little strange.

I had spent almost my entire life here in the little town of Wahya, North Dakota, having moved here when I was just a baby. And, in all those years, I hadn't met a single wolf aside from my dad. With no other wolves, and nothing even remotely threatening around here, it was hard for me to understand why he took my training so seriously.

"Liam?"

I jumped slightly as I was brought out of my thoughts. My dad was looking at me funny, his halfway eaten sandwich in his hand.

"What? Oh," I said, having momentarily forgotten what he had asked. "Yeah, I'm ready. It's my last year of high school. It should be good."

"Good, but I heard that English teacher is pretty hard," he warned me before shoving the sandwich in his mouth.

I rolled my eyes. "I heard he was full of shit."

My dad chuckled. "We'll see," he said and walked out of the kitchen, sandwich still in hand.

My dad was a complete dork. I stood up from the island and made my way back up to my room. I closed the door behind me and flopped down onto the bed. I stared blankly up at the ceiling for what seemed like forever, thoughts of tomorrow running through my head. Finally, after who knows how long, I drifted off, ready to start the next year of my life.

Chapter 2: Liam

I was woken up by an incessant banging noise. I sat up groggily in my bed and rubbed my eyes. I looked over at the window to see that it was still dark out. The banging noise came again, and this time I could hear my dad calling my name from the other side of my door.

I groaned as I got out of bed and walked to the door to open it. I opened the door to see my dad standing in a nice pair of slacks and a button up dress shirt. Someone wanted to look nice on the first day.

"You rang," I said after opening the door.

He chuckled slightly. "It's time to get up," he told me. "I have to be at school early today."

I sighed. Of course he did. But I had to be up before dawn? Really?

"Alright, alright," I yawned. "I'll be down in a bit."

He left and I closed the door. I went into the bathroom and stripped down, hopping into the shower to let the water wake me up. Thoughts about the day ran through my mind. I was so ready to see real people again.

***

An hour later my dad and I pulled into the school parking lot. He shut off the old Chevy pickup truck and I climbed out. I told him I would see him later, and I headed towards the school to find my friends.

I walked up the steps and through the double doors of Wahya high school. The halls were mostly empty as I made my way to my locker. It was too early for most of the kids to actually be here, but I had texted Alissa and Dylan earlier and told them I had to be here early. They both texted my back and told me they would come early so we could catch up.

I walked up to the second floor and through senior hall. I stopped at the end of the hall where my locker was. I opened the narrow locker and placed my bag inside. As I did I caught two familiar scents, Alissa and Dylan. A few seconds later and I could hear them whispering. I smiled a little, and just as Alissa was about to try and scare me, I whipped around and shouted.

She jumped a bit and an angry look crossed her face.

"Damn it, Liam!" She cursed. "How do you always know?"

I shrugged innocently and then pulled her into a hug. "I missed you too, Alissa," I chimed.

She scoffed, but wrapped her arms around me and squeezed. Dylan chuckled beside her and then joined the hug, squeezing Alissa between us. She let out a little squeak and we let go. She sighed in relief and gave me a dirty look.

"You're still an ass," she marveled.

"You're still a bitch," I fired back.

She smiled. "Let's go to homeroom so we can catch up," she suggested as she locked arms with me. I nodded and let her drag me to Mr. Ricardo's history class, Dylan on our heels.

The door to the room was open, but the classroom was empty. Alissa pulled me through the rows of seats and plopped down in the back corner. I sat down in the seat next to her and Dylan took the seat in front of her.

I was always surprised when Dylan sat in one of the chairs and managed not to break it. He was big and muscular, not to mention over six feet tall. I guess that's what you look like when you spend all of your time in the gym in order to kick ass on the football field. His mid-length black hair was starting to fall in his face, covering his bright blue eyes, which meant it was time for a haircut.

Alissa though, was pretty much the exact opposite of Dylan and almost seemed to be swallowed up by the chair. She was petite, and her long blonde hair curled down past her shoulders. Her hazel eyes were simple, yet hard not to get lost in. And while Dylan, although big, was a pretty lovable person, Alissa was a firecracker. She was loud and fierce, and she didn't take shit from anyone. That's what I loved about her.

"So...," Alissa drawled, staring at me. "What did you do this summer?"

I shrugged. "Nothing new," I told her. "I just stayed at home mostly with dad."

She rolled her eyes. "You are so boring!" She exclaimed.

I huffed. "Well, Miss Queen of excitement," I mocked. "What did you do all summer?"

She smirked at me, and I knew I was in for it. She let loose, talking nonstop about every little thing she did over the summer, from her family vacation, to staying up late thinking about a guy she liked. I looked over at Dylan, and from his expression I could tell that he'd already sat through this once today. Eventually, I just tuned her out and let my mind wander.

Alissa was sort of right. My summer was pretty boring. I mean, all the wolf stuff was cool, but my dad and I trained every summer, over and over again. Sometimes I wished I could spend my summers like a normal teen, hanging out with friends, or going out to parties...

My fantasies of a normal life were interrupted when I heard someone enter the room. I looked up towards the doorway and I felt my breath catch in my throat.

Standing in the doorway was a boy I had never seen before. His face was rugged and handsome, with high cheekbones and a strong jaw. His eyes were dark brown, and his long, black hair was pulled up in a ponytail that swung from side to side as he moved.

My eyes went from his face and trailed down his body. He was wearing a black v-neck that gave hints of the muscles underneath. His dark jeans were tight fitting and hugged everything the right way. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath, capturing his scent. It was a mix of earthiness and something else that I couldn't quite place.

When I opened my eyes, I saw that he had taken a seat in the front row. I could feel a pull in the pit of my stomach, and without hesitation I knew it was directed towards the boy up front. I wanted to stand up and go over to him, but I shoved the urge away and remained seated.

I felt a nudge on my shoulder and looked over to see Alissa with a knowing look on her face.

"He's really hot," she whispered so only we could hear. "You should go talk to him."

I shook my head. I wanted to figure out who he was before I talked to him and ensure that I made a good impression.

It was hard, but I eventually turned away from the boy and back to Alissa and Dylan. Alissa started the conversation back up where she had left off, something about a guy who had texted her the other day, and I focused my full attention on her. At least I tried to anyway, but it wasn't long before I zoned out and my earlier fantasies of a normal life were now replaced by ones that were much more...erotic.

As the day went on, I chatted with my friends and others who hadn't seen since the previous school year, but even with all the distractions, every now and again my mind would revert back to the boy sitting in homeroom.

Sadly, I didn't see him at lunch and I hadn't had any other classes with him since this morning. As I walked to my final class of the day, I was trying to think of how I wanted to introduce myself to him. If we only had the one class together, I was going to have to make my move there.

It wasn't until I was halfway into the classroom that I looked up...and there he was. I was completely caught off guard, thinking that I wouldn't get a chance to see him again, and I stopped in the middle of the doorway like an idiot.

He was sitting in a seat, eyes focused on the open book on top of his desk, and I just stood there staring. It wasn't until someone ran into me from behind that I finally snapped out of it. I apologized and they walked around me and towards the back of the room.

Finally out of my stupor, I took the opportunity to scan the room for an open seat. Alissa waved to me, Dylan next to her, and that's when I realized they were sitting behind the new guy, and that the only open seat was next to him.

Shit.

I didn't know whether to be excited or scared, but I think I settled on a mixture of both. I slowly made my way to the empty seat and sat down, letting my bag slide to the floor. I turned my head slightly to the side to get a good look at the new guy. His ponytail was thrown over the front of his shoulder and brushed against the side of his face. I ended up staring again without realizing it, that is, until he turned to look at me. He raised his brows at me questioningly and I just gave him a small smile before turning my head back to the front. Smooth.

A deep "Good morning class" sounded from the doorway and I immediately started cursing on the inside. With all my attention centered on the new guy, I had forgotten the class that I was in.

My dad walked up to the chalkboard at the front of the room and started writing his name across it. As soon as he finished scrawling Mr. Daines across the board in an ugly cursive, he turned to the class and his eyes quickly found mine. He smiled, but I didn't return it. All I could think about was how much he was going to embarrass me in front of the new guy.

"Alright class," my dad began. "My name is Mr. Daines, and this is English IV. I'm sure you all finished the summer reading list that was assigned, so I thought we should start the semester off with a nice little quiz."

There was a collective groan from the class and I think my dad secretly reveled in it. Luckily, I actually inherited my dad's love of reading had read everything on the list. It was one of the few things that kept me sane during the long, secluded summer.

The new guy raised his hand and I found myself wondering if he too liked to read.

"Yes..." my dad called, pausing for a moment. "Oh, I'm sorry. I don't know your name."

"My name is Will Summers," the new guy replied. "I just moved here, and I never received the summer reading list."

Will. I finally had a name for this guy. His voice was soft, but firm and it had a roughness to it. It was a sound that I could get used to hearing.

"Well, Will, it's nice to have you with us," I faintly heard my dad say. "As for the quiz, you may be excused from taking it, so no worries."

"Thank you," said Will

My dad circled around the room, passing out the quiz. I looked down at it and saw that it was an easy multiple-choice set up. I breezed through it and then took it up to him once I finished.

"Did you fail?" He asked as he took it from me.

"Probably," was my response.

He smirked and I went back to my seat. The rest of class flew by, and I managed to keep thoughts of Will to a minimum. When the bell finally rang, I stood up and waited for Alissa and Dylan to do the same. We walked out of class together and headed to our lockers, which were all in the same vicinity.

"That quiz was brutal," Alissa whined as she leaned against one of the lockers.

"Maybe if you spent more time reading and less time texting every boy in the state, you would have done better," I scolded.

Dylan laughed and Alissa feigned a hurt expression.

"What do you take me for?" She asked.

"A whore."

It earned me a punch to the arm, but it was worth it as Dylan and I bent over in laughter. Eventually our laughter subsided, and that's when I noticed the new guy, Will, was standing at a locker a few down from mine.

He was focused on trying to cram all of his books into the narrow locker, so he didn't notice that I was staring. Unfortunately, Alissa did.

"Somebody's got the hots for the new guy," she teased, a devilish smirk on her face.

"Not true," I mumbled inconvincibly while continuing to stare.

All of a sudden, as if his locker decided to throw up, all of Will's belongings spilled out onto the floor. He let out a loud "fuck" and then bent down to retrieve his books and papers. In an instant, and without a second thought, I was kneeling beside him and helping him to pick them up.

I didn't look at him until we were both standing again and I had handed him the items I had picked up. He had one eyebrow raised in a quizzical manner. I decided that I liked the way that he did this, mainly because it was the only expression that I had seen on him.

"Thanks," was all he said before turning back to his locker to attempt to fit everything in once more.

"No problem," I replied.

I made to turn back to my locker, but decided that now was as good a time as any to introduce myself to him.

"I'm Liam by the way," I said, feeling a little nervous.

He looked over his shoulder for a second as if he hadn't realized I was still there.

"I'm Will," he replied.

"It's nice to meet you."

He didn't say anything for a moment, but finally replied with a simple "you too."

He didn't necessarily come across as cold, but he definitely didn't seem to be in the mood to talk, so I decided to leave it at that and return to my friends. I noticed that Alissa was the only one standing at the lockers. Dylan must have already left for practice. As soon as I reached her, she grabbed my arm and led me to the stairway. Once Will was out of earshot, she bombarded me with questions, all of which I happily answered.

On the ride home from school I contemplated what it would be like trying to get to know Will. From our conversation earlier, it seemed like he wasn't one to talk much, and that may make getting to know him more of a challenge. I smiled. It was a challenge I was more than willing to accept.