19

Thursday morning during Spell Circles 101, a distant howl cut through class, chilling the blood of everyone there. It had only one meaning since natural wolves would stay far from a place that had such large familiars, knowing they wouldn’t be top of that food chain.

Werewolves.

It meant there were werewolves close, and we were all in deep trouble. Really deep trouble if the school didn’t have the proper defenses and ability to keep us safe.

“All right, let’s get to the auditorium as quickly as possible,” Dr. Haskins said loudly, seeming to snap out of it. “You remember what you were told at orientation, and that is where all underclassmen head if there’s a problem. Leave your belongings and let’s make haste.”

We all stood, and I was the first to the door since my seat was right there, but as I looked at the open door, horror filled me, overriding the fear. The familiars. They were all locked in pens. They would be sitting ducks to the monsters.

Without a thought in my head, I took off, ridiculously glad I was wearing cute slip-on sneakers and jean shorts instead of a skirt and heels. The class was a few buildings away from the auditorium, but the familiar housing was a ways behind that. I couldn’t waste a second worrying if this was a smart move because the monsters were faster than any of us.

Much, much faster.

I pushed my magic into my connection with the familiars I knew and ordered them to break out of their pens. I knew Bubba could jump over his and that would help as he could easily bust down some doors. I told them to get as many free as they could and I would pay for any damages.

That seemed to be the only permission they needed as familiars never wanted to bring problems to their masters.

Yeah, but if they didn’t right now, they could get dead.

We didn’t know as much about werewolves as we probably should, but it was understandable given we weren’t friends and they hunted us. There were theories about how they blended in their human form so they couldn’t be without some brains or humans would know about them. But when they shifted into monsters that weren’t far off from horror movies, they were more beasts than people.

And beasts were creatures of instinct. It was a wolf’s instinct to be the best and the strongest. Granted, in nature, that was so they could win the Alpha female, and we didn’t think werewolves were a matriarch society. They still wanted strength and power and that was why they hunted us.

Just like we gave power when we lost our purity, werewolves believed they gained power anytime they fornicated with a witch or warlock. Raped them because they were never willing, but monsters didn’t care about something silly like that.

We had no idea if it was true or simply their crazy ideas for power and bullshit reasons for acting like monsters… And most of us didn’t care.

It didn’t change what they did to us. I could gain power using blood magic or sacrificing people, but I didn’t because it was wrong and would kill my soul. There was no justification for what they did, especially when we didn’t hunt them. This wasn’t some way of gathering power to keep their people safe. No, they were monsters who preyed on us because we weren’t as strong as them.

“Get inside!” someone bellowed as I got near the auditorium, focused on a group of students who seemed too scared to function. I realized the older students were forming a line around the auditorium so they were ready in case the werewolves broke through whatever else the school had set up.

I kept running past the building, almost tripping over my feet when not far behind it I saw my first monster up close. Drawings and pictures didn’t do them justice and the real thing was much more terrifying. The one grabbing a witch was at least nine feet, half man and half wolf and all fucking scary monster.

Rage pushed out the fear when I saw several warlocks race right by, not giving one fuck for their caught classmate.

“Hey!” I shouted, drawing the monster’s attention so he stood fully. It worked, and I let loose an energy blast that sent him flying off of her. Her arm got clawed up, but that was better than her getting carried off. I grabbed a fleeing warlock and shoved him towards the witch. “Help her!”

He gave me a look like I was crazy but then glanced to the downed werewolf I’d taken out when I raised my hands like I might blast him next. He cussed at me and went for her, gathering her up and forcing her to run.

Asshole. He needed to be threatened into doing that?

“Grab her for the Alpha,” someone snarled from my left.

My eyes went wide when I saw another monster further off point to me . I kept running, glancing back to see four werewolves chasing after me. I saw others go right for witches and ignore any warlocks they came across, even if they passed right in front of them.

Oh great, so our society was crazy sexists and even the monsters were a bigger threat to us.

So lovely the warlocks were helping us then.

I reached the first barn and slid the door open, focused on the doors. “ Break! ” I ordered in Latin with my magic, relief filling me when all the latches broke and pens opened. But then the werewolves were almost on me when I turned to head to the next barn. I focused on them and pulled the same trick I had on the guys who’d beaten on Nigel. “ Freeze. ”

I didn’t have time to celebrate when it worked, racing to handle the next two barns. Fortunately, I was able to manage it.

Unfortunately, it had taken long enough that more werewolves had arrived. That couldn’t be a coincidence. If their goal was witches, there were way better places on campus than the familiar houses.

So one of their objectives had been the large familiars of powerful witches and warlocks. That would be devastating to some of the strongest students at the best university we had.

Apparently, the monsters did have brains.

“ Freeze! ” I ordered, focused on twenty of them, grunting when my magic came out and made me feel like I’d been punched in the gut with the power it took to hold that many monsters.

Bubba came racing up from behind me and took out a wolf I hadn’t even noticed coming up on me. I’d thought it was a familiar but no, it was a werewolf who could change into wolf form… Meaning a powerful one. It was rare to see them in that form, so they’d brought their best to try this attack.

Shit.

Behind another group further away, I saw one man standing in human form among the monsters. Something was different about him. Powerful. I could see it almost radiate from him.

The Alpha.

Oh fuck .

“Get her,” he ordered, smirking at me as he strolled towards me while the others came racing.

“Cut off the head of the monsters,” I muttered as I gathered power. I launched a power blast right at him, shocking the shit out of everyone that I went for him and not the ones gaining on me. That surprise must have slowed his reaction because he didn’t fully move in time and I still clipped him in the shoulder, smirking when he howled in pain and went flying.

Except that really, really, really pissed off his people.

Really.

Fuck.

I was gathering power to do something when spell circles activated around me. Relief surged through me when I saw council members appearing and not hesitating as they took down the approaching werewolves. I swallowed my power and let the adults handle the situation.

“Retreat!” one of the werewolves towards the back howled.

I locked gazes with the Alpha, far enough away that he wasn’t a threat, but close enough I could see the promised retribution in his eyes.

“What’s the situation?” Councilman Reid asked someone.

I turned to see several of the administration had arrived, recognizing most of them from orientation.

“At least four witches were taken,” one answered. “We’re still gathering everyone at the auditorium to get final headcounts and see how many we lost.”

“Lost?” I interrupted. “You’re just going to abandon them?”

One of the overly sexist men I remembered from my entrance test gave me a withering look. “They were weak enough they let themselves get taken.”

“ You were supposed to protect your students ,” I snapped. “And they went right by your wonderful warlocks who fled and did nothing to help. And you only show up after the council members arrived, declaring the lives of four witches aren’t worth your time.” I didn’t even wait for an answer, whistling to call Loki.

“I agree with her,” Councilman Oliveria stated firmly. “How did they even get through the wards?”

“We don’t know yet, Councilman,” someone else answered.

Loki reached me and ducked enough that I could easily jump up with a running start, yanking his hair a bit hard to make it work.

“Ms. Millen, what are you doing?” Councilman Reid asked, worry in his tone.

“I’m going after my classmates since the big strong men are too chicken,” I answered firmly before glancing at Councilman Oliveria. “Link can circle to Loki and find us.” I told Loki to go and we took off. I ignored the calls for me to come back and shouts for me to stop.

No fucking way. I wasn’t going to stand by and just let four witches be taken by the monsters to be raped until they died and do nothing .

How could they? Were women so truly disposable and worth nothing to them?

I let out a whistle and called every flying familiar close enough to hear me and feel my magic to come help. They might not be able to take out a werewolf, but they could distract and split them up, slow them down even.

Which was why I shouted to every natural animal we passed to send help. Squirrels could never keep up with how fast a werewolf ran, but if we caused a big enough fuss, word would spread fast in the forest around campus and we might be able to get more help.

I could hope at least?

I hung onto Loki for dear life as he raced at top speed, tracking the werewolves somehow. Either he could see their tracks or was able to… I had no idea how a stallion could track, but he seemed confident.

He had it well in hand since moments later we came up on a group of werewolves. I realized there was more that I could do besides dragging Link into this, sending up a magical flare for anyone to circle to once we passed them so they would arrive in front of the group.

If they had the guts to help.

It wasn’t long before we came up on the next group. Interesting. So they might be crazy fast, but they didn’t have all that long of endurance. I filed that away for later to tell the council members as that seemed important before sending another flare. Seconds after, I felt a spell circle appear behind me, so someone was waiting and ready to go.

Nice.

The next group had two unconscious witches with them. I ordered the familiars to split them up so I could handle them better, having Loki slow so I could aim.

But I blinked and another spell circle appeared with Link, his uncle, and a few of the guards.

Link immediately locked gazes with me. “Go! Find the rest. We’ve got this.”

Good.

“Loki, run,” I shouted over the noise of fighting, holding on tightly again. Some of the familiars stayed to help but most of the bigger ones who could fly more and faster came with us.

The next group had five witches, and I threw up a flare because there were a lot of werewolves.

Councilman Reid showed up with more people and found me after taking in the situation. “Head back. There were seven missing.”

“I clipped the Alpha. He’s hurt,” I argued.

“Then we can track him later instead of taking on too much when we’re splitting up,” he threw right back.

“But he can always sniff her out if she’s used magic on him,” one of the guards worried.

“Yes, but we can’t risk her,” Councilman Reid declared firmly, making the call. “Head back now , Ms. Millen.”

“Yes, sir,” I agreed, knowing when not to push. If we were rescuing all seven witches, then there was no reason to risk more of us.

And they weren’t willing to risk me.

“Help them and come back,” I told the familiars as the werewolves turned to fight when they realized what was going on. I guided Loki away from the fight when I saw several falcons and big birds dive-bombing the werewolves.

I yelped when a spell circle appeared not ten feet later. The second we stepped on it, the spell circle flared again. I had a moment of panic to worry my parents were taking advantage of the situation, but then I saw Link and Wyatt when we arrived back by the familiar housing.

Link must have brought them there and Wyatt was ready with a different spell circle to take us right back. Nice.

No, really, because I was drained after ordering so many familiars to help along with all the magic I’d used.

“Kill the werewolves she’s holding,” Link ordered as he pulled me off of Loki.

“No, wait, we want them alive,” someone shouted.

“Then you hold them,” he snarled. “She’s a freshman. Don’t rely on her to do what you need. Haven’t you people done that enough already?”

“Pull off her magic and quickly freeze them,” a deep voice ordered, someone sounding like he was in charge. It was probably Headmaster Kerwynn.

“ She chose to involve herself and she will face disciplinary action for it,” that same sexist asshole lectured. “She was to report to the auditorium but failed to do so and instead risked our guards who came after her like idiots.”

I sighed when I felt someone cut off my magic that was holding the werewolves. I really needed to learn how to undo when I did that sort of thing. It would help in multiple ways in my life, so I mentally made it a priority. It also helped when I felt familiars returning to their witches and warlocks, so the fight must be over.

“You want to punish me for saving all the familiars you have locked up inhumanely and were sitting ducks for the monsters?” I blinked at him, trying to figure out how that might even work. “Your attendants fled without releasing them, and the werewolves were headed right for here knowing how many they could hurt by killing familiars.

“I saved a witch that warlocks just ran by, and I had to grab one to help after. You were going to let seven witches be taken that you didn’t protect, blaming them as not strong enough to protect themselves. Will you care if their male family members get upset by your criminal negligence or the warlocks who will be grateful I saved their familiars?”

“You should be thanking her for being powerful enough to hold twenty werewolves that we can question and study which we’ve never had the chance for before,” Link added. “And guards came because she alerted us to their secondary target of the familiars. We had no idea since they hit the front hard and we were focused there.”

“Be that as it may, she not only didn’t listen, but damaged property and—”

“If I was male, you’d be praising me for my quick thinking and bravery,” I sneered.

“Don’t think to put words in my mouth, young la—woman,” he snapped.

Great, he was an asshole who thought me damaged goods since I’d lost my purity too. Awesome. But I didn’t back down.

“I don’t need to . You were there at my entrance test and don’t talk as quietly as you think or you believe women are deaf as you do stupid. You were upset there was another woman who qualified that you couldn’t deny and took the spot a warlock deserved .”

Everyone froze around me except Headmaster Kerwynn who moved into my line of sight. “He said that? You heard it?”

I nodded. “Quite clearly.”

Granted, I heard one of the familiars in the room ranting about it but still, I knew what the man had said.

“We’re going to have a discussion on that later,” Headmaster Kerwynn informed the man before glancing around. “And since none of you seem to read your memos, Ms. Millen has no association with the Shaw family anymore. None of you are to speak to her family or run your mouths about what happened today or you will lose your jobs—tenure or not.”

“She still needs to be reprimanded and—” that guy tried again.

“She should be given a commendation,” Headmaster Kerwynn snapped. “We were protecting the main entrance where the wards went down and the auditorium. She saved hundreds of familiars along with eight witches. Enough. We need to handle the situation.” He turned to a different council member and asked about the frozen werewolves.

I got lightheaded and didn’t realize I was going down until strong arms swooped me up. I blinked up at Wyatt’s grass-green eyes, sighing when he transferred energy to me. “Thanks.”

“You were badass, goddess,” he breathed, his tone praising and eyes dancing with pride.

“I couldn’t let them just be discarded,” I whispered, leaning against him and fainting before I even realized what was happening.