Then the Wolf Step In

Chapter 11

Joy’s POV

The name list on the Honor Roll changed after the mid-term. Like what Mr. Martin had said, the competition in Groton is fierce and this school is full of ambitious students.

I wasn’t surprised to see Ryan secure his place. He ranked top like always. Neither his photo nor his stupid motto below changed a little. What I didn’t expect was that my name was placed on the roll, rightly next to Ryan.

That position had been Diana’s.

“Now you’re in great trouble. Diana could be extremely pissed off.”Daisy stared at the board and sent me a worried look, “You’d better explain to Diana what is going on before she comes to you.”

“What should I explain to her? I didn’t ask anyone to put my name there. It was the teacher’s decision.”I shook my head and refused to take Daisy’s advice, “If Diana isn’t happy about this arrangement, she should talk to the teacher.”

“Oh you must be that dark horse!”a boy exclaimed. He looked at my face and then glanced at the photo on the board. The way he identified me made me feel I was a suspect wanted by FBI.

His cries attracted a lot of attention and students started to throw curious looks at me.

It wasn’t long before another girl tried to strike up a conversation,“I heard that you’re a transfer student. Where did you come from?”

“The Twilight Town.”

“Cool. Never heard of that place before, though.”She let out a half laugh and continued, “What made you transfer to Groton? The old school could no longer provide the education you want?”

“No. My parents got divorced and I lived with my dad. I moved here to live with my mom after my dad passed away months ago. My mom wanted me to study here. Guess I don’t have other options.”

The girl blinked and said quietly, “Oh I am sorry.”

“Your face looks so familiar to me. Would you mind giving me your number?”Another voice appeared.

“Familiar? Like whom? Your ex?” Daisy said sardonically, “You should drop those cliche, young man.” She stood in front of me in a protective manner and warned the approaching students, “Back off, and no more questions.”

“You look like my agent.”I mused.

“Do I?”Daisy laughed and winked at me, “Then don’t let me down, celebrity.”

We hurried to our class and eventually had a moment of peace.

“It is my first time to be surrounded by so many people,”I told Daisy.

“How do you feel?”she asked.

“Overwhelmed.”I paused for a while and added, “And happy. I feel like I am noticed.”

“Only an i***t would overlook your pretty face.”

“I am flattered. Thank you. But what I am saying is that I make them see what I am capable of. It is a kind of inner power.”

“I don’t get you. Why do you insist on showing this power to them when you already have that lovely face?”

“I don’t know. Maybe I don’t think beauty can last forever. To me brainny is the new sexy.”

“I see.”Daisy nodded and concluded, “You’re looking for something eternal.”

“Maybe I am.”

“That won’t be easy.”Daisy giggled, “Maybe you should marry a archaeologist. And the ring he uses to propose will be a fossil.”

“You bet.”I smiled.

After school, I passed by the Honor Roll again and I stopped to watch it closely. I remember the first day my mom accompanied me to school. She pointed at Ryan, wishing that someday I could be one of the students on the roll, and it made her proud. Since then I had been thinking that I would meet her expectations. It would be better if I could surpass Ryan and took his first place.

Maybe next time.

I took a picture of the roll and sent it to my mom, hoping this would make her happy.

Ryan’s POV

“Joy did well in school. She is on the roll! Look at this, honey. Joy is right behind Ryan.”Ivy Morgan danced around the table, bragging about the achievement her daughter made.

“That’s awesome!”My father smiled. He was genuinely happy about the progress my step sister made.

I doubt if my father would eventually acknowledge his stepdaughter to be a member of his pack. Probably not. He wouldn’t dare because our pack consists of a number of important figures coming from my mom’s side. They would spar against my father if he did something improper.

When my mom was Luna, she earned admiration and respect from all her pack members. She was known for her beauty, caring feature and independence. The pack thrives with her leading. She loved to wander in human cities and study their customs. Then she would tell me about her adventures. For example, she attended a Helloween Party in wolf form and won the first prize because everyone thought she was cosplaying. When she found that human beings like animal furs, she convinced my father to start the business. She called on the pack to collect the furs and sent them to human to exchange cash. We made a lot of money and got our first house in the suburb. We hunt in night and make deals with human in day, which could be the most interesting days in my life.

Everything changed on a cold winter night when a neighbor in our community saw mom in her wolf form. The woman shrieked and shouted, “Wolf!” People panicked and someone pulled out a gun and aimed at my mom, ending her life with a bullet.

After the accident, our pack had a fight. Some wolves were afraid that they would end like my mom so they wanted to move back to the forest. Others had got used to the comfortable life and they refused to live in jungles again. My father, as the Alpha of the pack, decided that we should stay, so we stay. The next morning, an uninvited journalist called Ivy Morgan turned up out of the blue, asking for permission to interview my father about the dead wolf in our yard. Though my father was angry, he politely declined her request and threw her out. Days later she appeared on our front door again, pleading with my father to give her some clues because she was desperate to write a report or she would lose her job, which would be catastrophic because she had a daughter to feed. Out of mercy my father let her in and it turned out that she was his second mate.

A human being who has already had a husband and a daughter.

Life is ironic, isn’t it?

“Ryan.”My father called me and I snapped out of my thought. He asked,“How is school going?”

“It is fine.”

My father asked again, "The mid-term results are out?"

“Yes.”I nodded.

My father sighed, “If I don’t ask, you would never tell me?”

“Since when were you interested in my studies?"I replied.

My father frowned. I ignored him and turned to Ivy Morgan. Slowly and meaningfully, I said,"It didn’t matter how much I scored. I am satisfied as long as I am better than your daugher."

The smile on her face was frozen and I was amused.

I hated her smile and her happiness sickened me. I would love to tear apart her happy face into pieces and it is such a pity that my father would never allow me to do this

Anyway, my hatred against this woman will never change.

My father seemed to feel awkward in such a situation, caught between his wife and me. He rubbed his forehead and said, "Ryan, behave yourself."

“Is this fair, father?”I asked, “She could brag about her daughter’s glory yet I can speak none of what I’ve achieved?”

“No, Ryan. Joy is my daughter and I’ve always considered you my son. I am happy no matter which of you have achieved.”

The hypocritical b***h.

“How generous you are, Mrs Davis. No wonder you earned my father’s favor.” I said mockingly. Before she said anything, I smiled at her, "Never mind. It was my fault. I shouldn’t have said those words. After all, we’re family and I shouldn’t consider Joy as a rival."

With that I walked to the door and my father called behind me, “Where are you going?”

“To have some fun.”I trailed off and waved them goodbye.

I went to Joy Morgan’s place.

The decision was made in a split second when I saw Ivy Davis smile.

Taking a deep breath, I knocked on the door.