Rafael is the Alpha’s son, which makes complete sense now. He carries himself much like the heir to a throne. The position of Alpha isn’t one you can inherit. You have to prove yourself. But Rafael is one of the most dominant youths I’ve ever met. Becoming his Pack’s next Alpha may not be solely based on his parentage, but I’m betting he’s been groomed for the job since he was a little boy. Likely from his very first shift.
Jordy is a Pack Sentry which is a little surprising. Sentry’s are specialized sentinels in a Pack. A Sentinel is tasked with protecting the Pack as a whole. They do perimeter security and stand guard at the gates when necessary. They’re a Pack’s first line of defense similar to an army frontline.
To move from Sentinel to Sentry, you have to demonstrate an ability to think critically and make split-second decisions in real time. It’s a high-pressure position difficult to obtain before reaching maturity. As a juvenile, hormones run haywire. It’s almost impossible to override instinct with reason in the face of violence. But the smiling and charismatic boy beside me has.
I look at him in a completely new light and wonder what other surprises he’s hiding.
Jordy is nice enough to make an effort to include me in some of their conversation. He peppers me with questions about my former Pack but there isn’t much to tell.
The longer I watch these three go back and forth, discussing recent conflicts and strategies for strengthening their Clans, the more similar they seem to my Clan back home. Rafael is a lot like Josué. The leader of the pack, though more arrogant and definitely more of a player. I imagine he’s the type to enjoy skin privileges with any who are willing. Jordy has a carefree attitude like Kai. He’s quick with the jokes and always wears a comfortable smile. And Des is the strong silent type like Damien until he starts talking about risk assessments and then it’s like he’s a whole different person.
I start to feel like maybe today doesn’t completely suck, but I don’t delude myself into thinking that once Rafael’s little punishment ends that any of these guys will want to still talk to me. Jordy already made it clear they don’t mix with the girls of this school. They can’t afford any distractions. And I’m not Pack. Aside from that, it’s evident we come from different social circles. They’re the guys all the girls want and the guys all the other guys want to be. You can see it in the way everyone watches them. And me, I’m the lone wolf that just wants to survive her senior year.
When the bell rings, Rafael dumps his tray and presumably heads toward third period, not bothering to wait for me. I consider calling out for him but immediately decide against it. He seemed to grow more and more agitated as lunch progressed, his wolf rearing its head and a silver sheen rolling over his eyes as he bit out his words. I haven’t done anything to him, so I don’t know why he has such a stick up his tail.
No one talks to me as I wander the halls trying to find my class. Rafael still has my schedule and I have no idea where I’m going. I’d follow his scent if I could but there are too many trails in the halls to zero in on his one. I try and ask a few students if they know where Spanish 4 is but all I get are sneers and eye rolls. No words. No help.
Yes, I’m the new girl.
Yes, I sat at lunch with the cute wolf shifter guys who I’ve now learned are basically Pack royalty given who Rafael’s father is.
But no, I don’t want to cause any waves in the stupid high school social hierarchy. One day in and I already feel like I’ve walked off the set of a human high school TV drama.
I didn’t miss the fact that the guys don’t sit with the rest of the shifters, who are easy enough to spot based on their rowdy behavior and the occasional growls and grunts. But if you’re the Hunter like Des, and the Alpha’s son like Rafael, you can do whatever the hell you want. And, if the guys always stick to themselves, me being there isn’t going to go over well with the rest of the school. Especially the other shapeshifters who likely are always striving for the boy’s acknowledgement and acceptance.
Which was made abundantly clear once I got a new copy of my schedule from the front office and stepped inside my next class.
The teacher doesn’t make me stand and do the whole introductions thing, for which I’m grateful. I hate being the new girl and I hate being put on the spot even more. I already feel out of place with so many non-shifters around me. I’m not used to mingling with humans and witches and the extra attention and scrutiny makes my skin itch and my hackles rise. The girl who sits behind me makes it a point to kick the back of my chair at least four times during class, and then when class ends, she calls me a stupid bitch and knocks my notebook off my desk as she walks past.
I gnash my teeth together and bite back a snarl, fighting the urge to rip her throat out for the offense.
Rafael sees all of it and his only reaction is to smirk. This guy is some piece of work. One minute he’s kind of nice and helps me and then the next he’s openly hostile and encouraging this kind of behavior toward me. I start to wonder
