Thanks to his promise to Aiden that he’d seriously try to graduate, Dylan had to drag his stupid books and notebook with him. Pulling out his gym clothes, he jammed his bag into the narrow locker.
“Hey, good match yesterday.”
Turning, he saw the tall kid he’d faced off against. “Thanks. You too.” Dylan liked to be challenged, and being put in with the tenth graders was promising so far.
“Hope we can do it again soon.” He smiled and headed for the door.
Aiden came in and passed the boy with a nervous nod. “Who is that?” he asked Dylan in a whisper.
Ms. Yang had said his name yesterday but Dylan hadn’t been paying much attention. “I don’t remember.”
Leaning close, Aiden asked in an even quieter whisper, “Do you know what he is?”
Dylan nodded. “Impundulu.” The scent of his power tingled in Dylan’s nose. The sharp ozone of lightning and the soft, light smell of feathers.
“What’s that?”
“A bird with lightning powers.”
Aiden frowned. “Like a thunderbird?”
The boy had been doing his monster research. “A little bit, yeah. Not as big. They’re human-sized, even in bird form.”
“Hmm. Impa… What did you say it was again?” When Dylan opened his mouth to answer, Aiden held up a hand and set his books on the bench. “Wait. Let me write it down.”
Dylan wasn’t sure how to spell it, but he sounded it out. “Im-pun-du-lu.”
“Okay. I’ll look it up after school.”
“Remember that most of what you read online is crap.”
“I know, but what else am I supposed to do? Asking him directly would be rude.”
Dylan shrugged. “If you say so.” He changed and headed out while Aiden was still dressing. Walking in, he saw the targets set up and made a little noise of disappointment.
“We can’t have matches every day, Dylan,” Ms. Yang said with a note of amusement.
With a sigh, he sat on the bench. Aiden came in a moment later and a look of relief crossed his face. At least someone was happy. When Ms. Yang told them to line up across from the targets, Dylan expected him to choose one next to him, but Aiden went down to the other end. Dylan moved to follow him, but the impundulu met his gaze and gave him a challenging grin.
If he couldn’t fight, at least he could show off a little.
Trying to do more and more elaborate things with his fire while the impundulu did the same with lightning was enough to distract Dylan during class. But when it was over, he caught up to Aiden as they left the gym.
Dylan opened his mouth, got self-conscious, closed it, then forced himself to ask, “Why’d you pick a target so far away?”
Aiden glanced over, not quite meeting his eyes. “I thought maybe I should meet some new people. I mean, I don’t know anyone in this class except you and the fox sisters.”
First Hanna and now this. Dylan supposed he couldn’t keep Aiden all to himself. “So who did you meet?”
“Paige, the girl I had a match with yesterday.”
“You mean the one that kicked your ass?”
Aiden cleared his throat. “Uh, yeah. Her.”
“I thought you liked Hanna.” He pushed open the door to the locker room.
“What? No! I mean yes.” Aiden held up his hands. “It’s not like that. I just wanted to meet her. I don’t like her.”
Dylan shrugged. “Okay.” He considered teasing him just to see the reaction, but being in the locker room was always a little awkward.
Dylan used to have a row to himself. Being the scariest kid at school had benefits. After becoming friends with Aiden, he’d asked him to use his row. Aiden had said no at first but eventually agreed. When they changed, he turned away from Dylan, looking at the walls, the lockers, the floor… anywhere but at Dylan. He understood not wanting to look at another guy’s junk, but Aiden did that even when Dylan just had his shirt off.
They changed in silence, Aiden doing it with his usual super speed. A day without matches meant they didn’t need to shower, so they were spared that awkwardness at least. Even Dylan didn’t like showering in public.
“Did you say something to Hanna yet?” Would having a girlfriend mean that Aiden spent less time with him?
“No.” Aiden blushed. “I like her, but I’m not sure if I want date her, and I don’t even know if she likes me that much.” He shook his head. “It’s confusing and complicated.”
The way she looked at Aiden and kept finding excuses to touch him didn’t seem confusing to Dylan. Those were the kinds of things Indira had done just before they went out. Of course, Indira had been a bit more… direct. And she’d taken it badly when Dylan dumped her.
Dylan wondered about that sometimes. The only girl in school who wasn’t afraid of him— well, except for the fox sisters— and he’d dumped her. But Indira was just so full of herself he couldn’t stand it. Listening to her talk about herself got old real fast. That and the way she hung all over him.
When they got to the lunchroom, Hanna was waiting for them at their usual table. That was another perk of being the scariest kid in school. Nobody sat at the table unless Dylan wanted them to. They took their seats and Hanna practically cuddled up to Aiden. Could she be any more obvious about liking him?
“Hi.” Aiden smiled at her.
Had he ever looked that dopey with Indira? Dylan tuned out while they chatted about school. For some reason they stared poking each other and giggling. Dylan sighed and rolled his eyes.
Aiden caught her hands and the giggling stopped as they stared at each other. Dylan could practically see the tension crackling between them. Hanna leaned closer. Aiden leaned closer.
Then a deep growl rumbled through the lunchroom and the other noises faded as everyone turned to look.
Conner ran between the tables, his packmates right behind him. “Get away from her!”
Dylan got up so fast he banged his knees, turning to face the werewolves with his fists clenched. “Try it. I dare you.” Anticipation hummed through him.
Conner, several inches taller, leaned down and glared. “He almost kissed my girlfriend. I won’t—”
“She’s not your girlfriend anymore.” Dylan wanted to fight, right there in the middle of the lunchroom. Where everyone would see. Yes. But he wasn’t going to start it. He was going to wait for Conner to touch him or try to hurt Aiden or Hanna. Let everyone see that too. Dylan wouldn’t start fights, but he would damn sure finish them.
Conner’s eyes shone bright yellow as his teeth lengthened into fangs. This would be even better if he wolfed out. “She’s mine. I won’t stand by and let that scrawny elf bastard touch her anymore.”
Dylan watched the other werewolves too, making sure they didn’t sneak around to attack from behind. “Oh, but you will. Unless you’re desperate to get your ass kicked.”
“You got lucky last time,” Conner growled.
Dylan laughed. “Is that what you think?” Please, please take a swing at me.
“Dylan, please don’t,” Aiden said in a shaky voice. He sounded terrified.
“Don’t worry. I can take all of them.”
Conner lifted a hand, his fingers tipped with sharp claws.