Alma

Chapter Seven: Dante

Dante

After Alma disappeared, the end of school couldn’t arrive fast enough. When it finally does show up, I am racing to get to Alma, knowing in my gut that something is very wrong. I knew that even though the wolf shifters under my authority will not make any move against her, but the males weren’t under my authority and wanted to prove how great they were? I’m sure they are looking for the shifter-Fae just as desperately as I am. Aubrey is following me around as I search all of the academic buildings, looking in at the different club meetings, only to turn up empty handed. The males are missing from most of the clubs too, just like I thought they would be, so I decide to follow where all of the guys are congregating.

“You need to do something about her, Dante. She is getting out of control. Stupid half fae, shifter b***h. Who does she think she is, attacking people? I think you should appeal to get her thrown out, honestly, just like that male that used to hang out with her.” Aubrey sounds so sure of herself in this statement, which is unlike her.

But I’m only concerned about one part of her statement. I stop dead in my tracks in front of the gym hearing this. “What male?”

“He was a half wolf, half tiger shifter. His name was Ro. They hung out together all the time, everyone thought they were mates. Then he went and unprovokedly attacked some other kid and nearly killed him, and he was just plain snobbish toward all of us females, acting like he was better than us. I appealed to have him removed, and he was.”

Her words are matter-of-fact, but have left me reeling, and my wolf fuming. Aubrey continues talking, but I have stopped listening. If they were mates, Alma could be going feral, which would mean we would need to bring Ro back, immediately. My wolf snarls at even the mention of Ro, and tries to take control. I ignore him and march through the crowd that is spilling onto the quad, leading into the gym.

Upon entering the main room, I find a bunch of males catcalling and insulting Alma, who is helping a group of first years, and her sparring partner from this morning, learn some basic defense techniques. She looks like she is ignoring the jabs easily, but her nails keep changing back and forth, accidentally knicking a few of the students she is teaching, telling me otherwise. I hear her mumble a few apologies, and also hear her give praise to a few of the students. I scan the crowd, and seeing a few wolf shifters, I let my dominance reach out to my pack, silencing them and sending them away from the building; for all my efforts, the crowd is only fractionally smaller and no less quiet.

Ms. Anxeki looks like she wants to help somehow, but being a professor she is unable to do anything except tell the students to go home, which does nothing to the massive crowd. I share a helpless look with her as someone shouts out something about Alma’s family hating her so much they have decided to disown her, and something akin to fear slithers into the gaze of Ms. Anxeki. Alma stops what she is doing and turns to face the offender. “What is your name?” She asks sweetly.

The male doesn’t respond, rather walking forward and showing everyone he is a manticore, a creature that has lion, scorpion, and wolf elements to it. He drops into battle stance, gesturing for Alma to attack. Instead of moving, Alma smiles coldly. “Sorry, but I’m not going to fight you. None of you.”

The crowd isn’t pleased, booing and continuing their uproar. I feel movement at my side and remembered that Aubrey was here, and realizing I had forgotten to tell her to leave with the rest of the pack. Knowing Aubrey and Alma don’t get along, and this would be the most public way to try and prove Aubrey’s status, I quickly turn to face the female, only to find her gone. I begin to shove through the crowd to find Aubrey, but I end up hearing her first. “I heard about your grandparents, halfbreed! Sorry they couldn’t even try to find you a decent home before they left you. They really must have hated you. And for your uncle to turn you over to the school? Well, nobody must want you, not even your mate.” Aubrey yells this over the crowd, silencing a good majority as they wait for what will happen next.

Alma looks confused at the last sentence, but says nothing. “How is Ro? You must know. No? Well, he must care so much about you then, huh. Too bad. Maybe if you weren’t such a disgrace to both of your species, you--”

Aubrey doesn’t get to finish her sentence. Instead she is on the ground, pinned in place by the power pouring out across the room from Alma. Now everyone is in trouble, and I’m not sure I can stop the mess that is bound to happen. I continue to weave and push my way through the crowd, looking to Ms. Anxeki for help, but I find the yokka onna is also gone from her previous place, making her way to prepare a sensory deprivation chamber. This isn’t good. I should have acted sooner for sure, stopped Aubrey before she could get started, and the fact that I didn’t eats at me as Alma stalks her prey, her eyes completely wolf, and pretty near feral-bright. I shove through the crowd harder until I reach the front and hope I can make a difference.

“Alma, don’t.” I try to catch her attention using my alpha voice, but it doesn’t make a difference.

“f**k off,” she tells me, never moving her gaze from Aubrey.

“You really think you're the Luna here? Not even close, you mediocre princess. I know you’re why Ro got kicked out, and for your information, I know exactly how he is, and I know he is returning next year, and is currently studying from home.” Alma says this just loud enough to be heard by Aubrey and I. “Also, my grandparents? How are yours, Aubrey? ‘Cause last I heard, they still won’t claim you as theirs. An illegal imprinting, because your father was more powerful? Katira is the lucky one in your family, is she not? The product of true mates, after your family of lies was broken apart? Wouldn’t it be a shame if that information was to get out into the general gossip mill, huh? Poor little Aubrey, created from and living a lie.” Venom is dripping from Alma’s words, but so is a promise.

Aubrey whimpers as Alma pushes her power out once again and turns to face the crowd. “Unless you’re here because you need to work on basic technique, I recommend leaving.”

Everyone scurries out of the gym, disappointed at not getting a fight. Aubrey remains pinned in place and looks at me, pleading silently for me to do something. When I don’t acknowledge her, she huffs and submits; Alma draws in her power and Aubrey climbs to her feet and rushes out as fast as she can while keeping her dignity. Alma stares at me for two heartbeats, her eyes fever bright and her cheeks flushed, then she turns to the first years.

“I’m sorry--”

“Shut up, please. I really don’t want to hear you open your mouth.” She continues what she is demonstrating while she speaks, not even so much as glancing over her shoulder.

“Fine, I won’t. I'll just stand here quietly.” My wolf is pacing in my mind, telling me something is wrong with Alma. I know something is, but I don’t know what.

“What did I just say?”

I only nod. Ms. Anxeki walks across the floor from the sensory deprivation rooms. “You did well, Alma.”

“Thank you. I really didn’t want to get in trouble. You said no more pointless fighting, and I’m trying to listen, I swear.”

“I know. Ro is returning?” Ms. Anxeki offers a small smile.

“Yeah, so I’ll be running with him again, and he’ll help with the other stuff.”

My wolf doesn’t like the idea of Alma going on runs with Ro-- he enjoyed his run with her more than when running with the pack, and he didn’t want to lose that feeling. Ms. Anxeki nods, happy with the response.

"You almost lost control," the snow woman reprimands Alma.

"I know; I swear I'm trying to keep it cool. I just can't seem to...." Alma finishes her sentence with a snarl.

Ms. Anxeki again nods, and gestures toward the sensory-deprivation hall. Alma ducks her head and immediately walks to the dark rooms. I can hear the door to one of the rooms close and know Alma just put herself in isolation.

"Let her calm down, and then go talk to her. I think she was hoping you would do something."

“Ma’am, I did what I could,” I interject, causing the yuki-nna to frown at me.

“I realize this, but she doesn’t. She is a little bit mentally preoccupied. Everything Aubrey said? She just found out this morning, though the pack has been mourning for a week.”

I move my way to the sensory deprivation chamber, but find the timer set on the door for an hour. I sit down and wait for the timer to go off.