Shut Down Those Thoughts

Alastair Malum is the fourth warlock who steps out of the car. At 5'10", he is only a couple of inches shorter than me. His black hair falls down his back, long and straight, almost touching his perfectly round butt, which is accentuated by tight dark skinny jeans. From this distance, I can see the silver bracelets that wrapped around his lean upper arms and I instinctually think about the arms wrapped around me in my dream this morning. I shut those thoughts down quickly.

Even though he doesn't have his tattoos yet, because he's not sixteen, the other warlocks seem to defer to Alastair. They give him space as he makes his way towards the school building, pushing people out of the way as he walks the halls. There is a reason for that. He is future leader of the coven: the high priestess' son.

I have never personally talked with the guy. However, from the rumors, I know I don't want to piss him off by tattling on his lackeys' bullying practices. He's not even a fully realized warlock yet and he already displays incredible talent and versatility. I once overheard Alpha Edmund talking to my father about how he single handed my defeated three rogues at our borders last year. Before the Alpha even sensed the rogues crossing our borders, they were already incapacitated.

Definitely don't want to be on Alastair's bad side. I don't have any solid evidence to suggest that he doesn't like me, but we've been running in adjacent circles for years and I have never seen him so much as smile or nod at me even once. Is he aware of the way his friends treat me? Maybe he agrees with their actions, but just considers himself above actually participating in bullying.

Either way, he just sort of gives me the chills. I'll admit, sometimes the chills are more of the "I think you're dangerously attractive" variety than the "I'm afraid you might kill me without batting an eye" variety. But let's not think too hard about that. He's still super intimidating.

The witch next to him is his sister, I think, but she is several years younger than me, so I don't remember her name. She must just be starting high school this year.

"What ya staring at?" David asks me, pulling me out of my daze.

I don't look away as I answer him, "Um… just trying to remember what Alastair's sister's name is. You know the Malum's girl. I think she must be a freshman this year." I nod in the direction I was looking. Just then, Alastair's gaze flicks to me and I swear I can see his eyes shining a bright purple for the briefest second.

David just shrugs. "I don't know. Why?"

"Just curious," I mumble.

"I think her name is Adeline," Ellie supplies from my side. "She's wicked smart and was in a couple of my classes in eighth grade, even though she was a seventh grader at the time."

I nod, not really caring.

"Who even cares about all that school stuff anyways? Most the stuff they teach in these human schools is completely useless for future leaders of a werewolf pack like us, eh Davy?" a boisterous voice practicaly shouts right next to my ear. I cringe away from the sound.

I hadn't noticed Taylor, David's future Beta, pulling up in his cobalt blue pickup beside us until he squished himself between David and I and practically yelled in my ear. He slings his arms around our shoulders, popping a quick kiss on both of our cheeks. David glares at him disapprovingly. "Don't look so upset Davy-boy! I'm just giving my two best bros in the whole world some lovin'! Goddess knows I didn't get enough of you two this summer. You both were completely MIA and we live right next to each other! How is that even possible?" He leans into Ellie conspiratorially. "Tell me the truth, sista, were they fucking in the woods every chance they got?"

Ellie snickers. "They did spend an awful lot of time together going on romantic 'picnics' in those woods! So, who knows!"

I glare at her while David glares at Taylor. She knew damn well I was still a virgin. Why was she encouraging Taylor's antics?

David just growls in response, "We are waiting until we are mated. I would never disrespect Cammy like that." More like I didn't want to have sex with him unless we were for-sure mates.

Taylor just chuckles in response and Ellie giggles.

"Sorry we didn't get to hang out much Taylor," I say. "Between going on dates with David, training for volleyball season, and summer reading, I guess I've been pretty busy." Despite Taylor's loud personality, I actually really do enjoy his company.

"Don't forget about all the time you've spent hitting the gym," Taylor supplies, much to my surprise. Who else in the pack knew about that? "I see those biceps. Looking good Cam. Looking good." Even though he says it teasingly, I know Taylor is actually being supportive.

He is one of the only people who calls me by my male-gendered nickname and has never made fun of me or shamed me for who I was. He is one of the few people besides Ellie I feel completely comfortable around. Everyone else in the pack thinks I'm either too girly or not girly enough. I either don't know my place as an Omega or I'm the freaky hermaphrodite they all gossiped about behind my back. Not Taylor, he always treated me like just another "bro". I've never even heard him mention my secondary gender to anyone, even in passing.

As the four of us walk into the building side-by-side, I begin to feel more at ease than I've felt all morning. Finally, I have my three favorite people around me and I'm far away from the judging eyes of my pack and my parents. I peak a glance at Taylor, who is now striding next to my sister. He has dark coloring, much like David's, and is another one of those men Ellie would call "objectively sexy". But he doesn't have quite as much muscle or height as David. He is around my height at 6", still taller and bulkier than me, but not quite so "in your face" as my boyfriend. His arms don't suffocate my face when he hugs me like David's. His chest isn't twice as wide with the threat of compressing my lungs when we wrestle and he happens to land on top. I let my mind wander for a moment. He was still dumber than a log, just like David, but at least he doesn't make me feel like a girl. Maybe Taylor could be my mate. I shut those thoughts down quickly too.