Phantom had Alfie drop me off. The backyard hums with motion—Gaston and his pack locked in combat drills, sweat glistening under the late sun, the thud of fists against pads echoing like war drums. “Keep going,” Gaston commands, his voice slicing through the clash of bodies. Then he strides toward me, eyes steady, and gestures for me to follow him inside.
“I have something for you.”
The kitchen rattles with the sound of cabinets opening. He reemerges with a book in hand, its cover worn, the title stark: Werecreatures Among Us.
“I need you to read and study this. Start with chapters one through eight. We’ll go over it later.”
I take the book, drop it onto the couch with a sigh heavy enough to rattle the air. “I already know this stuff. I didn’t sign up for summer school.”
His
