Blackmailing A Werewolf

Chapter 27:

Walter snaps his lips together. He wants to say something more, but the self-preservation instinct stops him. The silence in the bathroom tries to choke the air out of her. Except Tessa won't let it. Not anymore. She wasn't supposed to be the next alpha but she is. That is something they both have to learn to live with.

"I'm sorry Tessa," He can't look her in the eyes when he says it. "I shouldn't have said it-"

"If you ever bring it up again," Standing, she cranes her neck to glower at him. "I'll make your pelt into my bedspread, got it?"

Walter nodded.

The anger has given her a grasp on her wolf. She can feel its fur under her fingers, it bucks against her, she tries to merge them into one again. But the wolf won't calm down. It's like being tangled in an electric fence, everytime she thinks it's over the wolf zaps her again.

"Tessa," Keri's shout is shrill and it makes Tessa wince. "Are you alright? Can I come in?"

"Tessa's not feeling too well." He sighs, looking at her, continuing in a whisper. "We'll finish this later, let's just get out of here." Walter opens the door, the other three are packed around it.

"You look terrible. What's wrong with you?" States Otto.

"Thanks," Said Tessa. "I've been feeling weird all day."

"I think I should take her home, she's probably got that cold that's going around the school at the moment. Mrs Monroe was out sick with it today." Walter grabs her shoulders pushing her through them and towards the stairs.

"Aye, it's desperate , isn't it?" The others follow, Otto's voice too loud in her head in the narrow stairway. "Tell your Ma, my Ma will be more than happy to pop round with some of her soup and home remedies."

"Ah I don't think that'll be necessary Ot." Said Walter.

She makes them pause at the counter, the air in the room is too hot, like it's trying to displace the air in her lungs. Everything becomes fuzzy around the edges for a second, even Walter's hand as it nudges her forward. Why does she feel like this? It's not normal, even for the wolf. It's like someone is trying to pull the wolf out of her by its tail.

"Don't be daft, Ma would relish getting to fuss over a girl. She says my room smells like feet."

"That's because it does." Keri and Walter say in unison. Grabbing their rucksacks, Walter gives them all a forced smile. "We best be off then."

"Going so soon?" Mrs Clare sits in her armchair, knitting cast aside, looking at them over the tops of her wire framed glasses. The look of someone who knows more than they are letting on. The leather book Keri had given Tessa about werewolves is clutched between Mrs Clare's boney fingers. Saliva turns to cement in Tessa's mouth.

"Tessa isn't feeling well." Rye replies, he's leaning against the back of the sofa. He runs his hand through his hair, his fingers trembling. A film of sweat has gathered on his forehead. Whatever is riling her wolf is getting his too. Their eyes meet, she tilts her head, questioning if he is alright. Shaking his head, Rye swallows thickly. Tessa needed to help him.

Butters launches herself across the room, skidding through Keri's legs, she stops in front of the three wolves. Black eyes darker than hell, she releases bark after bark after bark. Each one smacks around Tessa's brain.

"It's odd how animals can sense things we ordinary humans would miss." Mrs Clare cocks her head to the side, studying them like they were cake recipes she couldn't get quite right.