Chapter Fifteen

During the next three weeks, there was no sign of Fred. I’d heard Samantha telling Strider and Apollo that Greg and Brom were with him on some important Alpha-of-the-Millennium mission. It appeared there were complications in one of the northern countries, as far as I understood, and that a group of humans was trying to launch a rebellious attack on werewolves. I didn’t understand why they even bothered; last time humans started a war against werewolves, it ended with two horrible World Wars and the human population percentage dropped to less than ten percents.

But that’s besides the point. The issue was that I felt unsafe with Fred being away. Apollo and Strider ignored me as if I was air, and the training sessions with Harley made me lose ten pounds in total. In three weeks, it was terrifying. I actually went down one size in three freaking weeks - and it started to scare me.

Charlotte continued ignoring me, just like Strider and Apollo. Jane tried to be nice, but she was busy with Ethan most of the time. Hazel declared herself Switzerland, and while she was still on speaking terms with me, she was more Charlotte’s friend than mine, and so we didn’t get to talk that much.

It made me feel very lonely.

I continued reading “The Tales of England and Magnus” and at the beginning of the fourth week ever since my life turned upside down, I finished reading the five volumes. I almost cried at the end of the last volume, in which Maxwell England died, and Magnus was left all alone. It was heartbreaking reading from Magnus’s point of view about how much he loved his friend, and how much he knew he would miss him. I could relate with him so much so my heart squeezes every time I thought about that terribly sad ending.

One day, during the fifth week, I found myself checking my weight with Harley, and stared at the digits with shock. “How come I didn’t lose even one pound?” I asked in pure disbelief. “I’m training day and night and eating healthy shit!”

“Your body has now become accustomed to the drastic weight loss and change in diet,” Harley explained with a grimace, “Apollo won’t be happy when he hears this…”

“Apollo can bite me!” I said hotly. “He’s the one causing me future health issues! Asshole!”

“Don’t say that,” Harley said with sudden anger, “Apollo isn’t an asshole, and he might not be perfect and he makes mistakes, but he’s a good guy.”

“Good guy?!” Was he serious? “Yeah, right!”

Harley was about to say something in response but he didn’t get to, because at the same moment Samantha and Cora walked into the room. I turned to look at the them, annoyed, but the two weren’t looking at me but at Harley. “We need Wayne,” Cora drawled, her voice dripping with boredom.

Harley nodded and I stepped away and toward them. The two wore identical disgusted face when they scented the smell I emitted after training. “Go shower first,” Samantha said with a scowl, “the Alpha won’t be happy to get you like this.”

I tensed at once, my eyes widening and anticipation made my skin grow goosebumps. “Fred is here?” I asked, unable to hide my excitement.

“Of course he is,” Cora rolled her eyes, “go shower, girl.”

It was the fastest shower I’d ever taken. When I got out, I put on a new pair of jeans - a needed purchase, thanks to my weight loss - and a simple tee. I didn’t even bother doing my hair; I couldn’t wait to see Fred. Samantha and Cora chatted among themselves when they took me in a car into the city, ignoring me like I wasn’t there - but so what else is new? It wasn’t like anyone paid attention to me in the last few weeks.

Samantha parked next to a nice-looking inn and we got out of the car. Two Guards stood at the inn’s entrance, and nodded toward us as we walked into the building. Only a few people were there, and at the end of the room sat the Alpha of the Millennium, Frederick Rhodes, with Greg and Brom. Cora and Samantha took a seat next to the other men, and I was left to sit on my own before Fred. A shiver went through my body when I saw him so close, with those mesmerizing eyes of his. But Fred wasn’t looking at me, but at Samantha, and he asked, “Where are Apollo and Strider?”

“On their way,” Cora was the one who answered, “they needed to take care of something first.”

The Alpha nodded and turned to look at me, and I shivered once more. “Angela,” he greeted, “how are you?”

I blinked a few times in confusion. “Um… I’m okay?” I muttered hesitantly.

His already-slanted eyes narrowed farther. “What have you done to her?” his voice was suddenly an octave lower. The threatening undertone was evident, and I saw Samantha and Cora freezing in their place.

“We didn’t do anything,” Samantha piped up, “why would we do anything to her?”

“Yeah,” Cora agreed, her voice placating, “why would we do anything?”

“So explain to me why she’s isolated from everyone,” the Alpha’s voice echoed in the room, full of power and dominance. Silence spread through the place.

“I-Isolated?” I was the one who broke the silence. “Why would you think that?”

Fred studied me for a quiet moment. “There things you just know. I can smell your feelings, and you’re stressed, excited, and… lonely.” He sounded a little sad about it.

“I’m not,” I said, stubbornness entering my voice, “I’m fine.” Maybe if I kept telling myself this I would start believing it.

He wants to help you, Angie, Tempest murmured inside me. He wants to know what’s wrong so he can cut off some heads. Why won’t you?

Because it’s not any of his business - or yours, I informed her.

Everything concerning you is also my problem, Tempest argued.

Fred’s gaze lingered on me, and after a few moments of silence footsteps interrupted. I turned to see Strider and Apollo sliding into two empty seats. Everyone was now staring at Fred, who was still looking at me.

Then Fred glanced at his two friends. “I’m disappointed,” he said quietly, “you promised me you’d protect her. Especially you, Apollo, Strider. But you made me see I should’ve never trusted you.”

Apollo was confused. “I don’t understand what we’ve done wrong, Fred,” he said sincerely, “we didn’t bully her, as you requested, and I’m currently working on her training.”

“Not to mention I’m always by her side to keep an eye on her, remember?” Strider said a little irritatedly, “against my will, I should add.”

“I’m not talking about her physical health here,” Fred said, “I’m talking about her emotions.”

“You said nothing about taking care of her fragile little heart, Fred!” Samantha argued, trying to protect Apollo, I bet. “She’s alive, losing weight, studying - just as you wanted!”

“We’re not her babysitters,” Cora added with a scowl.

“And we don’t especially like her, in case you haven’t noticed,” Apollo stated, “and besides, I’m only following your orders because of our friendship, Fred. I’m not one of your flunkies, I’m much older, and I can easily change my mind about this arrangement.” There was a warning in his tone that made me feel cold.

“You’re just showing me you’re much more selfish and despicable than I could’ve ever imagined,” Fred scolded them, his voice suddenly so loud, it made everyone wince, even Apollo. “You were doing everything in a technical way, thinking yourselves to be older and wiser than her so much so that you ignored everything she’s going through, but Angela needs a guidance in addition to physical protection, and you gave her none of that. You need to be ashamed of yourselves.”

“Let it go,” I said quietly, gazing at the table with flushed face. “It doesn’t matter what I feel. I have the Spirit of Chaos inside me. I have Tempest. I need to learn how to control her and the powers I got because of her. What I feel or what I’m going through is irrelevant. So what if I have no friends? I don’t really need them.” I looked up at Fred. “Friends bring only pain, suffering and agony. I don’t want to feel it all over again.”

Apollo arched an eyebrow, and for once actually looked directly at me, acknowledging my presence. “I thought you and those humans are friend,” he said, sounding curious despite himself.

“We’re friends by default only, because what kind of werewolf would befriend a human like me?” I blurted a short, bitter laugh. “I used to have only one true friend in my short nineteen years of living. That friend is dead.” Because of me, I added inwardly, flinching at the thought. I shook my head and rose from my seat. “I don’t need your pity, Fred, or the disgusting attitude you all gave me, Apollo. I’m strong enough to look after myself. So leave me. I’d rather be ignored than be treated like I’m second rate.”

“We don’t actually think you’re second rate - “ Samantha started to say but I cut her off with a bitter smile.

“All werewolves think humans are second-rate,” I said, “you think we don’t notice you’re not looking at us, but through us? That you don’t care about our existence? Yeah, we do notice all of that. We know you don’t want to mix with us - maybe because we’re less pretty, less strong, less remarkable like you. But that’s not true, for your information. Humans have their own abilities. We’re no less talented, and we have internal strength that is no less important than you wolves’ physical strength. We’re all equal, even if you, you arrogant, condescending assholes, think otherwise.”

I looked each one of them in the eye, narrowing mine. “And don’t even think now that I found out I had a strong Spirit inside me, that I have Tempest, I’m going to look down on everyone like Apollo, because I won’t. And I won’t ever think myself the queen of the world or equal to the Alpha of the Millennium, who could finish me off with one finger. I’m a person, like everyone else, and I choose I’m not going to stoop as low as you wolves. So keep thinking yourself to be superior - because the thing I’m talking about now won’t really penetrate your thick heads anyway, and you’ll continue ignoring my existence or look down at me with disrespect and disgust, and it’s all right, because that’s who you are. People who don’t care about anyone but themselves. And you know what? It’s so fucking ironic, considering you’re always saying how friends and family are above everything else. So humans aren’t part of this utopian society you’re all so on about creating? Just because we don’t shift into wolves? Apparently not.” I turned my back to them. “I’ll be waiting for you outside. Being here makes me angry, and as you know by now, when I get angry, Tempest wants to destroy everything, so I better go out. It was nice seeing you, Fred.”

I left the inn, feeling a grim satisfaction about the little speech I gave back there. I had no idea where I’d found the courage to speak up like that.

You’re stronger than you think, Angela Wayne, Tempest said. Start believing it, and we’ll finally make some progress.

“I can only hope you’re right,” I muttered, leaning against the wall and looking up at the dark, starlit sky. I knew that if Brock was here, he would’ve said the same thing.

You’re the strongest girl I’ve ever met, Rosa! He’d once said. And that’s one of the reasons I love you so much!

I shut my eyes, swallowing the tears that threatened to choke me. Because crying about Brock was something I’d promised him - and myself - I would never do. And promises were meant to be kept, even if they’d been created by dead people like Brock.

And like myself.