Six Dustin

The locker room was a deafening echo chamber of victorious voices as I pulled my letterman jacket on. It had been that way ever since the game ended. My teammates congratulated me, slapping me on the back and rustling me up a bit. A few of them even dumped massive cans of beer over my head as I was trying to rinse off in the shower. I just laughed it off, the beer swirling down the drain with the hot water.

It was always like this when we won a big game. And to be honest, I loved the energy. Most of the guys were friends I'd had since my first practice here at the academy. They were the reason I loved being captain of the team. Sure, they were a bit rowdy and more than a few of them did stupid shit on occasion. But that was just boy stuff. It was to be expected. The important thing was that they kept their noses clean, and they gave it their all on the field. I couldn't ask for anything more.

I finally managed to tear myself away from the majority of them with promises that I'd join them at the parties later. It took some convincing for the last couple to let me through the doors. They already had shots ready in the locker room, assuming we'd win the game and need to celebrate. They wouldn't let me go without doing one. So I took the glass, and when they all tipped their heads back, I threw it over my shoulder into one of the shower stalls. Thankfully, nobody noticed.

However, before I got out of the room, the other two werewolves on the team stopped me.

"Not running out on us, are ya?" the red-headed one asked, throwing himself between me and the door.

"Captain of the team has to go to all the parties!" the dark-haired one next to him grinned. "I'm sure you'll have your pick of the litter tonight. Girls will be throwing themselves at you."

"And us, hopefully," the redhead added.

"Pfft. Obviously. Wolf pheromones always win."

They were Travis and Leroy, and they were just as redneck as their names sounded. Travis, the redhead, was a burly dude with a rough scar across one cheek. He liked to tell the girls it was from fighting off a rogue werewolf that had attacked his pack. But really, he'd gotten it freshman year when he decided that jumping off the bleachers for a dare was a good idea. He'd hit his face so fucking hard on the way down that even his werewolf healing couldn't heal it completely.

Leroy was the dark-haired one and had a more lithe build. He definitely couldn't claim Alpha heritage in his family line, but he claimed pretty much everything else. The guy could whip up a tall tale in a matter of seconds. Several times, he'd done it right before my very eyes. And the worst part was, he was oozing with so much charisma that you couldn't help but believe him, even when I knew better. That, combined with his werewolfish charm, meant he pretty much got whatever he wanted when he wanted it.

The pair of them were my closest friends. And, being the only other wolves on campus, we had formed a sort of tiny pack. It was rare that we went anywhere without at least one of the others. Now if I could just stop them from egging each other on into stupid shit all the time, we'd be fine.

"You know how it is," I replied, resting a hand on their shoulders. "My parents come up for the homecoming game every year and take me out to dinner afterward." I gave both of them a shove, pushing my back against the door as I slipped out of the locker room. "But I'll be back for the party. Promise!"

"Don't take all night, or the good pussy'll be gone!" Travis shouted.

"Bring more booze!" Leroy added.

I gave them a wave as the doors shut. Out of the unending noise at last, I breathed a sigh of relief as I made my way down the long, tiled hallway. I wouldn't be bringing any booze back with me, and honestly, I wasn't sure I had the energy for sex tonight. After working myself up all day and playing as hard as I could, most of my energy was spent. What little I had would be used out with my parents and just getting to the party tonight. Chances were I'd get about one beer in before I found a place to pass out for the night.

"Sure took you long enough to get a touchdown in," I heard a familiar voice say as I stepped through the last set of double doors.

"Oh, don't give him such a hard time, Gerald."

I looked up to see my mother and father standing in front of me. My mother was smiling, her hands held out as she pulled me into a big hug. However, my father had his arms crossed over his chest, and he wasn't smiling.

"You did such a good job, baby," my mother said, pulling away from me. "And you won the game!"

"Thanks," I said with a half-smile.

"Yeah, but he only got one of the touchdowns," my father added, not looking any less irritated with me. "You aren't gonna go pro with numbers like that. It looks lazy."

I just nodded, knowing it was futile to argue with him. If there was one thing my father wasn't shy about, it was telling me how disappointed he was in my numbers. He was extremely invested in my future and my dreams. Not that he'd ever stopped to ask what I wanted. No, I'd been told from the age of six that I would be a pro footballer. So that's what I was going to be.

"You need more practice, boy."

"We run practice eight times a week," I replied. "I can't ask any more of the guys when they have classes to keep up with, too."

"I didn't say they needed practice," he snorted. "I said you do."

"Gerald, please. I'm sure he's exhausted. Give him a break just for this one time, huh?"

There was my mother, always sticking up for me.

"I'll give him a break when he gets drafted."

And there was my father's usual response. Although both Mom and I knew it was a lie. If I got drafted into the NFL, Dad would be on my case more than ever. I'm sure I'd get a call after every single recorded game with a play-by-play of all my mistakes. That's what he always did. If I had a nickel for every time he'd given me praise, I'd have maybe three nickels. And honestly, that was a lot considering where they'd come from.

"Gerald, I'm putting my foot down," she replied with a low growl. "You're not gonna talk about football for the rest of the night. Do you hear me? I want to have a nice meal with our son."

He grumbled but nodded his head. Even my father knew not to get between a she-wolf and her pup. That was asking for trouble.

"So," she said, linking her arm in mine and pulling me back toward the stone circle in the middle of the quad. "Do you have a girlfriend yet?"

"Mom…" I whined.

"I'm just asking! Most wolves your age have already found a mate and settled down. I was just wondering if maybe you'd run into yours yet." She glanced over at me. "There's nobody that's given you that strange, perpetual fluttering feeling deep in your gut? A sort of electric shock that you can't stop thinking about?"

My heart skipped a beat.

"No," I replied, my voice cracking. "No, I haven't."

"Of course not," my father added behind me. "There's no fucking werewolves at this elitist heap. Can't find a mate here without that."

My mother shook her head. "I suppose that's true."

"So, where are we going to eat?" I asked, desperately trying to change the subject. We stepped up to the stone transportation circle, a member of the academy staff waiting to take us wherever we wanted. "I'm starving."

◆◆◆

Dinner went as expected. My mother fawned over me the entire time while she asked impertinent questions. Meanwhile, my father made condescending remarks about the school I was attending and my scores. So, you know, typical night out with the fam.

Once I bid them farewell and got back to the school, I was exhausted. I didn't want to go to a party or meet up with the guys like I'd promised. All I wanted was a nice hot shower to relax my aching muscles and a soft bed. Tomorrow, I could party all they wanted me to. But I just didn't have it in me tonight.

So, I headed back to the dorms.

When I arrived, I found Markus already there, curled up in his bed with something in his arms. I left the door open for a moment, afraid that if I latched it shut, the sound might wake him up before I satiated my curiosity.

Unfortunately, looking over him had become somewhat of an obsession. He didn't know it, but I checked on him most nights when I got back from practice. Usually, it was just a quick glance or something like that. But once in a while, I caught myself staring for a couple of minutes, just taking in his features as he slept. That usually meant I spent the next hour or two unable to sleep as I desperately tried to figure out what was wrong with me.

No matter how hard I tried to convince myself that I felt nothing for him, his scent still drove me wild. So, I avoided him at all costs. The only time I ever saw him was when he was like this, asleep and unaware that I existed.

I stepped up to the bed, glancing over him. He always slept like this, all curled up in a little ball like a pup. Usually, he had his arms wrapped around a pillow. But tonight, he was holding something I hadn't seen before. I narrowed my eyes in the darkness, letting my wolf vision sharpen.

It was a stuffed animal. And not just any old stuffed animal, but a ratty-looking wolf that had probably been around nearly as long as Markus had. It was easy to see that it was a childhood toy, probably something deeply sentimental to him. But it was the first time I'd ever seen it. He must always keep it packed away.

"What are you lookin' at?" a voice behind me whispered.

I nearly jumped out of my skin as I spun around, finding both Travis and Leroy standing behind me.

"I… I was just…" I paused. "What the hell are you doing here?" I whispered. I could smell the alcohol on both their breaths. "Get out."

"We saw you teleport in, and you didn't come to the party," Travis said. "Had to come getcha."

"Oooh, what's this?" Leroy added, leaning around my side and staring at Markus. "Is this that stuck-up witch of a roommate you've been bitching about?"

"Yeah. And we shouldn't wake him up."

"Is that a stuffed animal?" Travis scoffed, pushing his way past me. He reached down and yanked it out of Markus' arms, holding it up to the rest of us. "How fuckin' gay is that?"

Markus stirred immediately, roused by the voices and the sudden removal of his toy. He blinked a few times, looking up at us.

"W-What's going on?" he said, rubbing his eyes.

He looked at me, an expression of confusion crossing his features. But a moment later, it was replaced by embarrassment and fury as his gaze fell on the stuffed toy.

"Give that back," he commanded, pushing himself up off the bed. "Now!"

"Aww," Travis teased, holding the little wolf high out of Markus' reach. "Does the little witchy want his stuffie?"

"I said give it back!"

Travis leaned back, tossing the tiny creature in the air.

"You better watch out, Dustin," Leroy jeered, catching the plushy. He held it up, wiggling it back and forth. "It looks just like you!"

The pair of them took turns tossing it back and forth, keeping it just out of reach of Markus at all times. They were bigger and much stronger than him, so it was almost pathetic to watch. But I was too frozen with indecision to intervene. I wanted to help Markus. But if I did that, I'd never heard the end of it from the guys, and they'd tell the entire fucking team. Instead of being the captain who won the homecoming game, I'd be the guy who protected another man's plushy. And that would lead to months of jeering at my expense.

But before I could think of what to do instead, I heard the unmistakable sound of tearing fabric.

"Oops," Travis sneered, throwing the wolf's head at me.

I held the little ratty thing in my hand, the stuffing falling out of it. Travis tossed the body of it to Leroy before he threw it in my direction. I stood there, holding the two pieces of the plushy, horrified by what they'd done.

However, that was nothing compared to what I saw when I looked up.

Markus was standing there. Well, not standing, but floating a full foot off the ground, his arms spread wide. His eyes glowed bright violet, golden magic swirling around him like a tornado. There were words coming out of his mouth, but nothing that I recognized. The shadows around us deepened as the other two drew close to me.

"Let's g-get the f-fuck out of here," Travis stammered.

That glowing violet stare flared, and we found our feet glued to the floor. The scent of magic overpowered all my other senses as a massive tear in reality appeared on the floor below us. A quick glance down showed me nothing but dark, tumultuous water.

"GET OUT!" Markus shouted, his voice deep and booming.

And then everything went black as I was plunged into deep, freezing cold water.