NightStar Summit

8. Pack Rules

COLTON

I spent the weekend living with Kat and her dad as my wolf, but there was only so much of that that I could take, so as soon as she let me outside on Sunday night, I escaped.

I wanted to go back to school. I knew a lot more about Kat now and I felt like I could use that to my advantage.

I was never right on time for this stupid class and usually ended up being the last or one of the last people to walk in. It never really bothered me but it drove Miss Hewitson insane.

I needed to ask Noah some things but I noticed he wasn't here yet so I walked to the back of the classroom and sat down in my spot next to Kat just as the bell rang.

She didn't look as put together today as she normally did. She wore an oversized purple hoody with leggings, her hair was thrown sloppily on top of her head.

Her face was down in the desk but she slowly looked up as Miss Hewitson started talking. I couldn't help but notice how swollen and dull her eyes looked. "My dog ran away," she whispered. It almost sounded like she was going to break down and cry right then and there. "I mean, I haven't had him long, but it's still really sad."

Goddammit.

Not knowing what to say exactly, I resorted to the very first thing that popped into my head, "What kind of a dog was he?" I whispered back to her.

She shrugged at the question, "Everyone said he looked like a wolf, but I'm not an i***t. No wolf could be that tame. I let him come right in and he didn't try to kill me," a single tear slid down her cheek.

"...He probably wasn't a wolf than."

She nodded and we both listened to Miss Hewitson for a minute.

Even as a wolf, she couldn't forget about me.

The classroom door creaked open quietly and Noah came crashing in. He gently placed a note on Miss Hewitson's podium before turning to walk to his seat. We made eye contact and he mouthed the words, "I need to talk to you," urgently.

It was obvious that whatever he had to say, it wasn't going to be the best news I've heard in my life.

I couldn't wait.

"Do you have pets?" Kat's soft voice pulled me away from the Noah drama quicker than I could even realize it.

I had a pack of wolves, but I didn't think that was the answer she was looking for, so I shook my head, "Never."

"I don't want one ever again. It hurts when they leave you."

It was sad to see her so sad and I knew what I had to do to fix it. God, my wolf was going to be so happy. He was already over the moon excited.

"What did you name him?" Even though I already knew the answer to this awful question, I asked anyway to keep the conversation alive. I probably should have been listening to Miss Hewitson but it wasn't like I was going to use this stuff ever again.

Her face lit up at the question, "Ok, don't think I'm crazy or anything-"

"Already did," I cut her off, smiling to show that it was a joke.

"But...I gave him a full name. It barely all fit on his tag. Chewbacca Rufus Lennox," she ended with a proud nod. "He was a huge dog, so I figured it fit him."

God, it was so cringy. I was completely dead on the inside.

She probably wasn't going to be very good at naming kids.

"That's...nice," I forced the word out but I just knew that she could see just how much of a lie that was.

She didn't say anything else to me and I didn't bother her for the rest of the period. It went by so agonizingly slow I thought I was going to commit m*********r.

The bell rang and Noah was the first one to his feet, nearly launching himself right at me.

"Kat," he said with a nod.

"Noah," she said back with a disheartened smile before getting up and leaving.

"Where've ya been, buddy?" He asked as we both left the classroom. "You don't look like s**t so that means you must have been staying somewhere nice, right?"

"Or I can just take care of myself better than you can," I added as a joke but he didn't find it very funny. "I was with Kat."

"As your wolf?"

"Yeah. Now she thinks she's lost her dog though. She's way more sad than I expected her to be."

"Well that sucks. Are you going to go back there?"

"If I can't go home than yes."

"Well, to my knowledge, your dad hasn't even talked to Alpha Sam yet, so you and your wolf should probably patch things up with Miss Lennox."

I rolled my eyes. I knew my dad wasn't going to get on this super quick, but he didn't have to wait longer just to teach me a stupid lesson, "If I have to eat another bowl of dog food..."

"You're gonna be ok, Colty-Boo. Now get to class."

I didn't want to go to class. I had chem next and it was gonna be one long ass hour if Connor was here.

I walked in and wasn't totally surprised to see him sitting there. He looked terrible and I couldn't help but laugh at the fact that I did that.

I sat down in my assigned seat and totally ignored every single death threat he whispered my way.

"I'm gonna f*****g kill you and everyone you love, McGregor! I'm going to tear Kat's heart right out of her chest and f*****g force feed it to you! I hate you..."

He was such a sore loser.

"My father's meeting with yours tonight. You're dead meat, McGregor."

It was highly likely that I was going to walk out of this situation a bruised man, but I wasn't going to die. I knew that much at least.

"I'm not even living there anymore," I said and the words obviously caught him off guard, "You don't understand how our pack works, f**k head. I messed up and now I'm dealing with the consequences. You don't need to take your little puppy anger out on anyone other than me."