Better Than Revenge

I was so exhausted that I couldn’t even get up to run patrol with Leah the next morning. My mom had to wake me up for breakfast and before I knew it I was running late for school. Training had been a nightmare. Edward could read every move I was about to make and Emmett was just so big. Jasper barked orders at me during the whole thing and I wasn’t allowed to shift. We’d trained well into the night and even with my wolf healing I was still pretty bruised up.
“Wow, you two look like crap,” Dylan greeted.
“Thanks,” I replied sarcastically. “You don’t look much better.” That much was true. Dylan was handsome with the dark skin of the Quileutes but today he looked sallow and there were huge bags under his pitch black eyes and his short raven black hair was in disarray.
“I’m not feeling that great but my mom made me come to school anyway. What’s your excuse?”
“I’m tired. Nessie and I were up all night studying.”
“My parents and cousins are back in town so we were over at their house until really late,” she added to the lie that we’d constructed. Dylan was like our best friend but he didn’t really need to know about the vampire threat until he actually shifted.
By lunch I was feeling a little more awake thanks to a short catnap in history. Our teacher was Leah’s younger- older?- brother Seth Clearwater and he knew all about the vampire stuff so he let me get away with it. He’d been in love with a witch before I was born but she’d been killed by a vampire so he didn’t really get involved with wolf stuff except when it was absolutely necessary- like covering for me and Ness to the other teachers. Anyway, I met up with Nessie and Dylan at our usual table and was halfway through my meal when I felt it. My skin crawled and my nose felt like it was burning.
“Ugh, do you smell that?” Dylan whined. “Something stinks a lot.”
I took a little sniff and glanced toward the door. There was a huge commotion but I couldn’t really see what was going on. I listened closely but it didn’t seem like anything was really out of the ordinary. The only thing I was hearing was about a new transfer student and the gossip as he walked into the cafeteria. “Oh my god. He is so cute!” Amanda Cutler gushed from a few tables away. “Look, he’s coming this way!”
My eyes snapped in the direction of the boy that she was pointing out to one of her minions. Okay, I’ll admit: he was more than cute. He was about 17, about my height and athletic with short brown hair that was swept into his eyes. He had a serious look on his handsome face but I kept getting drawn to his eyes. They were hazel with a reddish undertone.
I gasped sharply and shared a look with my cousin. He was the one that had been on our land. He was a vampire.
“Hello,” he said coolly as he stopped at our table with a tray full of food. “May I sit here?”
Dylan arched his thick brows. “Here? I’m sure that there are plenty of other seats open to you.”
He met my wide eyes. “Yes, but I think that I would enjoy the company present at this table much more.”
Dylan shot to his feet. “Well we don’t want you,” he barked harshly.
I jumped up and put my hand on his arm to stop him from doing something stupid. It took me a moment to realize that his temperature matched mine and he was shaking like a leaf. “Dyl, it’s okay. Calm down. C’mon, let’s get you outside to get some air. Ness, you coming?”
Her eyes darted between me and the vampire frantically. “Y-yeah.” I’d never seen her so anxious and it was definitely weird that I was the one acting cool calm and collected.
Once in the fresh air Dylan calmed slightly but not enough. He walked to the nearest tree and punched it, splintering the wood easily and barely scratching his knuckles. “Sorry. I don’t know what’s wrong with me. I think I need to go home.”
“No,” I said quickly. “You can’t go home. Come with me. We’re going into the woods and I need to show you something. Renesmee, you should stay here.”
Her already huge eyes grew more. “Here? You mean with that vam-”
“You’re not talking about me, I hope,” the new boy said easily gliding up behind Nessie.
I narrowed my eyes. “Don’t flatter yourself.”
He let out a chuckle. “You’re just like your mother I see. How is dear Lizzy? My sister sends her deepest regards.”
I let out a deep growl in the back of my throat. “You’re kind isn’t welcome here.”
“Oh really? The company you keep would suggest otherwise.” His gaze flickered to Renesmee before it settled back on me. “You do know that Tony used to be a member of the Volturi clan, don’t you?”
I licked my lips nervously and took a step toward him. “Who I hang out with is none of your concern. Leave. Now. You don’t want to push your luck with my temper.”
I stepped toward him and my hands were shaking. “Drea, don’t,” Renesmee warned.
“Hmm, Drea, is it? And where are my manners? I’m Alec. I think I’ll take my chances with your temper. You’re just a puppy. You might want to be careful before you start believing that you could really beat me.”
Dylan growled and I remembered how volatile he was at the moment. I turned away from the vampire and dragged my friend into the woods. “What just happened? Why did you say that I shouldn’t go home?”
I pushed Nessie away from him before I answered. “Stop fighting it, Dylan. You have to let the change happen. Just breathe,” I said as I tugged my tee-shirt over my head and stripped off my jeans.
His eyes widened. “Drea, what-”he started before he was cut off by a whimper and a howl as his body shifted from boy to wolf.