His Mate, His Enemy

Episode 05

Alfred breathed hard as he stared at the window and the rain that slid down the panes. His chest rose and fell as he sat there, sweat on his forehead. The door was open and Michael stepped through it.

"Is this all you do?" He asked.

"I need to keep my body strong," he said.

"You need to…oh damn. What was I expecting someone with a parent such as your father to do?" He muttered to himself then rubbed his forehead.

"Don't you have anything going on for you at all back there at school? No science clubs? Sports or anything? He asked. Alfred just stared at him then the man sighed and leaned back against the door

"It is strange here," Alfred said. Michael raised an eyebrow.

"What is?" He asked

"I just…there are no packs. There are no familiar faces. There are no people that I can…understand," he said quietly then realized that it seemed like he was complaining, so he shut his mouth and shook his head.

"We can make accommodations for you to take up a sport, you know? You seem properly built for it and all those years of training have made you nothing short of a physical specimen. I think that you can do it. I would suggest football, volleyball or basketball," he said.

Alfred nodded but said nothing else as he went back to his push-ups. Michael stared at him for a while then sighed and walked away.

*****

Alfred walked into the basketball court, staring up at the roof for a while with a slight frown for a while. It was a vast area and when he looked at the other boys, he could see they were lean, healthy and were applying themselves to training. They seemed like the kind that would be able to understand him at some level, at least.

"Hey you, what's up?" A tall boy with hair cut low to his head said, walking to him.

"Hello. How can one join the team?" Alfred asked. The boy shrugged.

"Two people in one day, huh? That is cool. You just have to meet the assistant coach and prep yourself for tryouts. It's nothing major. It's just a test of your ground skill. Name's Jason," the boy said. He was taller than anyone Alfred had ever known, even taller than Frederick. It was a good thing. Alfred nodded at him, liking the boy already.

Alfred walked to the assistant coach who took his height, weight, reach and wingspan then asked him to wait with another boy who was dark and lean, about an inch shorter than Alfred but with a body built like that of an athlete. He thrust his chin out to Alfred who nodded in acknowledgement. This was something he could understand, at least. It was a contest he could understand. He had seen basketball highlights and rules on his phone, so he knew what to expect, but the assistant coach had been a little skeptical when he said he had no experience.

The drills started with suicide runs, and he breezed through them, wondering if this was standard, or they were lowering it for the sake of a newcomer. The other boy did not seem even slightly winded.

After a while, they were asked to do sit-ups and push-ups. They did the required amount and were still unshaken. Alfred looked at the other boy, mildly impressed at his endurance. They continued until they were asked to shoot from the free throw line.

Alfred looked at the ball then at the hoop. He let loose some of his senses, letting the precision of a werewolf come over him then he shot, and it went through the hoop effortlessly. The other boy did the same thing, and they continued until the other boys were standing around, watching them. They continued until he saw the head coach himself come to watch them. He could sense aggression from some boys and wonder from the others.

They were soon asked to perform a one on one challenge with some other boys and Alfred found them slow and clumsy. After the challenge was over, the other boy called out to him. He turned and found the boy idly dribbling the ball.

"Care for a one on one?" The boy asked him, sweat slick on his bronze skin. He gritted his teeth and nodded, feeling his strength swell in his arms. He was given the ball and when he moved, he saw the boy matching his speed. Furthermore, he tried to dribble past him, depending on sheer speed, but the boy matched him and even when his speed tapped a little into his supernatural abilities, the boy also matched that. Moreover, he went in for a dunk and the boy leaped into the air at an impossible height and knocked the ball from his hands.

Alfred landed on his feet, his breathing even but his eyes wide as he stared at the boy who was also giving him a strange look. When they went again, he was able to dunk but barely, and he blocked the boy twice but was dunked over another two times. After a while, it was over and the both of them were accepted into the team and were to begin training as soon as possible.

Alfred chased after the boy who was walking to a bicycle.

"Hey!" He called, and the boy turned around to look at him.

"Mm? Oh. You're the guy from the court today. You are perfect, you know?" He said and Alfred nodded.

"Oh. You're very good as well. My name is Alfred," he said then stretched out his hand. When their hand met, the boy tensed briefly then relaxed. Alfred almost did not notice it because it happened in an instant.

"Darren. Nice meeting you but I have somewhere to be. Talk later?" He asked then got on his bike and rode off. Alfred stood there, his hand still hanging. The boy was not a werewolf so… what was he?