Cassadee was over with Lessa, I was working with Cass and my dad on some offensive spells and Lessa was the target. Much to my protests of course, I didn’t want to practice my magic on her, but she insisted. But I did want to beat the Synfires at their own gam, thus I needed practice.

“Try it again,” my dad encouraged, “Only focus on making her stop in her tracks.”
Lessa charged at me again and I managed to make ice appear on the ground and she slid into a wall of ice I made, crashing her muzzle into the wall.

“That was incredible, Mills,” Cass cheered.

That’s when I saw Alex come into the backyard. We forgot that Lessa can’t control herself around humans. Alex was human. We had no time to react before Lessa charged him. Just as Cass and I got close to them, Alex was on the ground and Lessa had bitten into his arm. Fuck.

“Get it off me,” Alex screamed in pain as Lessa tore into his arm. He had no clue it was Lessa either.

“Lessa get off him,” Cass snapped at Lessa. She released him and sauntered off like a wounded puppy.

“Lessa,” Alex was confused, “Not as in the Lessa.”

“Yes, that was Lessa,” I told him as my dad came over.

“Then what the fuck is she,” he asked.

“I’m a werewolf and so are you now,” Lessa snapped at Alex, “I can’t control myself around humans, Alex. That’s why I bit you.”

“So what’ll happen to me now,” Alex asked as my dad checked his bite.


“You have to go through your first turning on the full moon Friday night,” my dad explained as he began healing Alex’s bite.

“Alex, I’ll stay with you Friday night. I might be able to suppress the pain,” I told him.

“He and I have to go into the woods outside town. When weres turn on full moons, we’re very unstable. You shouldn’t come, Camille. You’re magic isn’t focused enough to handle keeping Alex or I at bay,” Lessa warned.

“I’m coming. Alex came by to see me and I feel that I should be there when he turns. I’m more powerful than you think, Lessa,” I told her.

“Prove it,” Lessa challenged me.

I took a deep breath in and focused. I wanted to cause Lessa to feel pain without having it done to her. I focused my energy on her and I made her start to scream as I applied the idea of pressure on her brain.

“Okay Mills you’ve made your point,” Cass tried to break my focus.

“Camille stop,” my dad snapped at me and I broke my trance and Lessa slumped onto the ground, panting.

“Okay I was wrong. Not making the same mistake twice,” Lessa breathed as she rubbed her temples.

---

I knew Alex was scared shitless for Friday. I had my chemistry class with him and we were lab partners, so I was able to help him relax before Friday. But today was Tuesday; Friday was pretty far off right now, which added to Alex’s stress.

“Hey relax,” I placed a comforting hand over his tight fist. I knew he was feeling his body warming up, his body adjusting to being a werewolf, “We have to play this cool. I can relax you if you’d like.”

“Don’t use your magic on me. Those girls that you told me about might pick up on it,” Alex placed his other hand over mine, “I’m not going to be able to help fend them off.”

“I know,” I whispered, “But I had to offer it.”

---

It was Friday at last, Alex was a nervous wreck and we had skipped school with Cass, Melody, Lessa, Jack, and Rian. Zack didn’t know anything and Lessa was keeping it that way for his safety. Alex wasn’t supposed to find out anything about those of us that were different, but Lessa ruined that.

Alex sat on the edge of my bed and I was on my knees behind him, my arms wrapped across his shoulders. Alex and I were pretty close due to this happening. I was like his person to go to for comfort with all of this and I welcomed it. I liked being the person he could count on to help him relax.

“Do you need me to do anything,” I asked him as I rubbed his arms softly.

“Not right now,” he replied as he played with his fingers.

I knew he was so scared. I could feel it due to my magic. I felt so bad for him. He never wanted this, but Lessa gave it to him. Not that I’m blaming her, but she is the one that spread her family’s curse to him. The only thing I could really do right now was comfort him. I guess just my presence did that for him a little.

“Lessa, how bad does turning hurt,” Alex asked.

“Don’t do this to yourself, Alex,” Lessa warned, “You wanting to know how it feels won’t make it any better.”

“Alex,” I spoke quietly as I moved to sit next to him, “Let me relax your thoughts. You’ll thank me later.”

Alex sighed and gave in. I hovered my hands over his temples and I focused on his nervousness and anxiety, calming it immediately. When it was done, Alex laid back on my bed and played with the ends of my hair in idleness.

“It’s time for us to head to the woods,” Lessa spoke up as she saw it was five in the evening now.

“Alright, everyone can pile into my dad’s van,” Alex said as he led our troop out of my room.
Once everyone was loaded up into the van, I sat in the passenger seat as Alex went behind the wheel. I had packed a bag of spare clothes for Lessa and Alex so they’d be covered when they became human in the morning. I also brought along a couple tents so those of us not being wolves during the night had shelter to sleep in.

This was going to be a long night for sure. Not just for Alex, but for all of us.