The Lycan's Little Tutor

Chapter One Blood. It was the first thing Katherine tasted. It was warm, salty, and thick, splashing across her lips and the bridge of her nose just as she opened her mouth to scream. The sound died in her throat and she almost gagged. She scrambled backward, her worn-out sneakers, the ones with the holes in the soles she’d tried to superglue twice, slipping on the greasy pavement. She hit the damp brick wall with a thud that rattled her teeth. Her heart was trying to punch its way out of her chest. She looked down and saw the man who had just had her pinned to the wall of the damp smelly alley, ready to assault her. He was now curled in a pathetic ball on the concrete, clutching his jaw. “What’s happening?" He was making this awful, wet, gurgling sound as if he was choking on something. When she looked closer, she saw a couple of white chunks on the ground. Teeth. Those were his teeth. "Oh god," she choked out, her stomach doing a violent flip. She wanted to run, but her legs felt like overcooked noodles. Being 5”4 and barely a hundred pounds on a good day didn't exactly give her much of a physical edge, especially since her diet for the last week had consisted mostly of tap water and half a granola bar she’d found in the back of her bag. She didn't have the muscle to fight a toddler, let alone knock a grown man’s teeth out. How was he on the floor? She hadn't even managed to swing at him. She had just been closing her eyes and waiting for the nightmare to start. "Get up." The voice didn't come from the man on the ground. It was a deep, low baritone and sounded like it came from some version of Vin Diesel. Katherine jumped, her head snapping toward the edge of the alley. Three guys stood right behind the drunk on the pavement now crying for his lost teeth. And a few feet from them, a guy was sitting on a matte-black motorcycle. Before she could process that he was even there, he hopped off the bike and walked toward her. He didn't ask if she was okay or offer a hand. He just grabbed her by the arm and hauled her toward the bike. "Wait…what are you—" He didn't give her a chance to finish. He basically hoisted her onto the back seat like she weighed like a feather. And maybe she did. "Hold on," he growled. Katherine didn't want to, but she felt the bike rumble and almost fell off. Quickly, she gripped the back of his leather jacket, her fingers trembling so hard she could barely hold on. She wanted to ask a thousand questions, but as soon as he kicked the bike into gear, the wind slapped the words right back down her throat. He rode like a lunatic through the small town and she clutched his leather jacket like her life depended on it. When he finally slammed on the brakes, Katherine realized they were sitting right in front of her tiny apartment building. Shocked, she scrambled off the bike, her knees buckling as soon as her feet hit the sidewalk. She looked up at him, her face still smeared with the blood of a man she didn't even know. “Did he hurt you?" He asked and that was when she noticed that he was about 19 years old too, just about her age. "How did you know where I live?" she gasped instead, trying to find her voice. "Who the hell are you?" He didn't answer. He just revved the engine, loud enough to probably wake up her entire floor, and roared off into the night again. Katherine stood there, shaking, covered in someone's blood and wondering if she’d finally just lost her mind. “I'm never taking the night shift again. Ever!" The next morning, the "lost her mind" theory was looking more and more likely. Katherine had scrubbed her face until it was beet-red and got ready for school after tending to her brother and watching her aunt rush out of the apartment after serving them a miserly breakfast of cereal and stale milk. Today, she would be having an early shift at the cafe thankfully and she planned to discuss making that a permanent arrangement. But first, she had to survive Blackwood High. Sweating from her long walk from her, Katherine walked into Blackwood High feeling like a zombie. Between the hunger cramps and the lack of sleep, she was barely holding it together. She just needed Caleb. Caleb was her anchor and basically the only good about high school. She saw him by the lockers, looking as perfect as a high school movie lead, and she felt a tiny spark of hope. "Caleb!" she said, hurrying over. Her voice was thin, but she was so ready to just collapse into a hug. "Oh my god, I had the worst night. On my way back from the cafe after my shift, there was this guy in the alley, there was so much blood, and then this biker—" "Katherine, stop," Caleb said. He didn't reach for her. He stayed leaning against the locker, his arms crossed over his chest. He looked... annoyed. Katherine stopped dead. "What? What’s wrong?" "We’re done," he said. Just like that. Like he was telling her he was out of gum. Katherine stared at him, her mouth hanging open. "Done with homework?’ "Don't act dumb, Katherine. It doesn't suit you,” he rolled his eyes. “I mean I don't want to be your boyfriend anymore. I'm breaking up." “What do you mean done? Is this about the report? I told you, those guys were breaking school rules by smoking in the locker room, I couldn't just—" "It’s not about the rules, Katherine. It’s about everything," Caleb said, sighing. "I’m the captain of the swim team. I have recruiters coming and I need to be in the best headspace.” “Caleb, what are you talking about? Of course I support you." "That's not what I want. And honestly? Dating you is a chore. You’re always broke, you’re always stressed about Leo, and you’re still holding onto that virginity like it’s made of gold. It’s exhausting." Katherine felt the blood drain from her face. "You’re breaking up with me because I won't sleep with you? You said you’d wait. You said it didn't matter." "I was being nice," Caleb shrugged, his voice completely casual. "But let’s be real. I’m moving to a university next year. I have a real life waiting for me. You’re going to be stuck here, in this tiny town, with no plans and no money. We aren't in the same league. We never were." "I thought you loved me," she whispered, her voice breaking. "Yeah, well, things change," Caleb said. Before Katherine could even process the cruelty, a girl stepped out from behind the lockers. It was Maya, the head cheerleader. The girl Caleb always told Katherine was "just a friend" whenever she felt insecure. Maya didn't even look at Katherine. She just walked up to Caleb, wrapped her arms around his neck, and kissed him like she was trying to swallow him whole. Caleb didn't fight it. He leaned into her, his hands sliding down to her waist in front of everyone. When they finally broke apart, a small crowd had gathered and Katherine wished the earth would open up and swallow her. Maya looked over Caleb’s shoulder at Katherine and gave her a smile that was pure mockery. "Come on, Caleb," Maya cooed with fake sweetness. "The team’s waiting. We don't want to be late forclass." Caleb nodded, not giving Katherine a single backwards glance as they walked away. Katherine stood there, her locker open behind her, feeling like the entire world had just stepped on her. She was hungry, she was tired, she was covered in a stranger's blood just last night, and now the one person she loved had just traded her in for a "better model" right in front of her face. As if being a human in a school full of lycans and werewolves wasn't enough!