CHAPTER VIII

"You have to tell me your exercise plan Matt" was Lewis babbling with his mouth full of what looked like potatoes? I don't know.

"I just go for a run every morning and afternoon."

'And I have enviable genetics that make me always 100% physically fit to protect humans from any danger' I added in my head.

"Can I have some?" asked Sarah pointing to the cookie that was still intact on my tray.

"It's all yours" I said as I pushed my tray close to her.

Silly face? The one that stuck with me when Sarah left a kiss on my cheek as a thank you for the cookie.

"Thanks handsome."

""Handsome? Are you already in the phase of affectionate nicknames?""

Tony.

I kicked my best friend in the shin that made him jump off the chair a little bit, luckily he hide it enough so that nobody notices anything.

The Fisher's males are the first to finish their meals; just because we're wolves doesn't mean we don't have manners at lunchtime.

"What do you do now?" Lewis asked his brothers.

"I think it's time for 'Foundations of Surgery' with Professor Evans, isn't it?" Ryder asked Sarah who nodded as she held the cookie in her mouth.

"Micro-robotics," said Lewis as he stood up with his tray in hand, emptying the remains of his food into one of the bins that were set up all over the cafeteria.

We finished our meal and picked up the trays before heading off to our respective classes.

"What is Evans like?" asked Ryder as we entered the classroom and all four of us stood on the last row of the chair stand.

"He's the youngest of all the teachers in the class; and the coolest," explained Mike as he looked at himself in the small mirror he always carries in his bag.

I played with the pen between my fingers, waiting for Professor Evans, Noah; to appear in the class.

Noah Evans was a tall man, about 5'10" and not much older than 30. With dark blond hair that was practically brown and green eyes, he was the delight of more than one of the students I was teaching.

I had known him all his life, he was a member of the herd community, but he had not been gifted.

"Is that Evans ?" they asked on my right. Sarah.

I held on without letting my mouth utter a sound.

"He is cute."

I grunted. Both my wolf and I did it.

Mike elbowed me as a warning.

I was jealous ? Obviously I was. Figuring Sarah with someone other than me by her side was blowing my mind.

"But it's not my style" She commented again on the cause of my jealousy.

The soul returned to my chest after that comment, and the wolf, who was anxious to tear Evans' head off, seemed to be calming down.

Evans made his class enjoyable as always, focusing on offering the contents in an appealing way, drawing the attention of all his students by slipping in the odd funny comment.

Only one more hour and that day would come to an end, academically speaking.

Professor Hale had always been my favourite teacher. She was a former cardiologist who was forced to retire after being involved in a trial for apparent negligence by her team in supplying blood to a 'Jehovah's Witness' after an accident; in the end it was proved that the patient did not have the legendary plate that said he was a member of that order and Dr. Hale was cleared of all charges but her reputation was never the same and she preferred to retire rather than teach medicine - sharing all her knowledge with us, future doctors.

Her classes had always been my favorite since day one.

The last bell of the day rang to end this day of classes. Some of them were in a hurry to pick up their things, others like me preferred to be more patient and pick up everything without forgetting anything in the rush.

I said goodbye to the Fisher brothers and Mike and I went to my car, where Tony was already waiting for us leaning on the front bumper reading what seemed to be a book on engine dynamics?

"Entertaining?"

"You don't know how much" he replied by looking out of his book and putting the latter in his bag.

I unlocked the car with the key and we got in, setting off for home.

The first one to get out was Mike, thanking me again for taking him to the University that morning.

I put the car in the garage, making sure to leave enough space for my father's Mercedes to fit easily next to my car.

"Are you staying for a snack?"

"If you insist" replied Anthony amusingly as he entered the house, he dropped his rucksack next to the coat hanger and threw himself on the sofa and I stretched out on the recliner that my father normally occupied.

That's how my father found us when he came home, an hour after we did.

"Hi guys" he waved as he came in, taking one of the many bottles of juice that were in the fridge "Are you staying for dinner Tony?"

"If you don't mind," said my friend as she sat down on the sofa.

"You know there will always be room at the Dunbars' table for you, I'll be downstairs," he said as he lost his way down the hall.

"Let's go upstairs," I said as I got up from my armchair and walked up the stairs to my room.

The top floor of the house was divided into four bedrooms, my father's office, a bathroom that at the time belonged to my sister and me, and my parents' private bathroom that was attached to their bedroom.

Entering my room was always a bit of a struggle as I could still hear the laughter coming from the room across the corridor, from my sister's room, and as I passed by my room remembering that this was the last project that my mother, Marie, had designed before the incident.

"You miss her, don't you?" asked Tony once we entered my room; he paid special attention to the letter R that predominated on the side shelf of my wardrobe.

"Every second of the day T" I answered as I lay back on my bed.

"I want…"

"Don't even think about going on there Anthony Diaz. You are not to blame for absolutely nothing that happened that night, you're welcome. If anyone is to blame it would be me, who delegated to you the only task my father had given me to make it seem that I was no longer a child and could defend the members of the pack; you almost lost an eye that night Tony for protecting my sister and my mother."

"You were a kid, Matt."

"I was a werewolf with too much desire to assert himself and I lost the most important thing, my family; and I almost lost you too; my best friend."

Tony settled down next to me, putting his arm around my shoulders as we had done so many times when the other one was sad.

"You have me here for whatever you need Matt, anything."

"And you have me."