like steal the flag.
“That’s a sissy game,” Boris argued.
“Are you admitting you’re too sissy to play, then?” Torin asked.
Alex felt a rush of gratitude for the Lifer Alpha whose side he was usually on.
Boris grimaced. “Wolf tag. Fine. You’re on. I’ll be the first wolf.”
Everyone started to run.
“What’s the goal?” Jericho asked, sprinting beside Alex.
“If you’re touched, you have to phase, then you’re one of the wolves and you join in the chase. Last one in human form wins, then it flips,” Alex explained.
“Easy enough,” Jericho replied. He glanced over his shoulder. “Uh-oh.”
Alex’s heart pounded at the sight of a huge black Alpha chasing them down. Jericho took off one way while Alex ran around the statue. He glanced back to see the Alpha follow Jericho, and ran hard into someone hiding behind Jet’s statue.
He rolled on the grass and ended up on his back gasping for air. He chuckled as he rose onto one elbow to see who he had hit.
“Sorry about that. I think Boris was going to—” He paused at the sight of Boris’ sister glaring at him.
Kalia stood back up and brushed the grass off the knees of her pants. “Boris was going to what?” she demanded.
“Uh, tag me?” Alex said as more of a question than a statement.
“Kill you, more like,” Kalia grumbled.
“Probably,” Alex agreed. “Night games are sort of open territory.”
Kalia blew out a frustrated breath and leaned against the statue with her arms folded.
Alex fought down a rush of anger at how casually she treated the statue. “What are you doing back here?” he asked.
Kalia looked like she was going to brush him off, then she hesitated. She glared up at the starlit sky and admitted, “I don’t exactly belong here.”
Alex let out a humorless laugh. “None of us belong here. It’s just where we’re stuck.”
She glanced at him. “But you’re a Lifer. This is your home.”
Alex avoided her gaze. “Is it? Or is this where they stuck us because they didn’t know what to do with the genocide Strays ?” He spat out the last word.
She didn’ t have an answer.
Alex felt bad for the way he had responded. “Sorry. I don’t normally vent on total strangers,” he paused. “Or anyone, for that matter. Let’s start over. Hi, my name is Alex Davies.”
“I’m Kalia James.” He was surprised when a slight smile crossed Kalia’s face. It was the first he had seen. “I can’t imagine being stuck here.”
He smiled. “It’s not really that bad. I kind-of like it.” He met her gaze. “So why don’t you belong here?”
She hesitated as if debating whether to trust him. She studied his face as if she searched for something in particular. Her head tipped slightly to one side, and something lightened in her icy blue eyes. “I’m not a werewolf.”
Alex lifted an eyebrow skeptically. “Yet here you are.”
She nodded. “Yes, here I am. Ironic, isn’t it?”
“Is it?” he pressed.
She let out a breath, allowing true loss to touch her face. “I’m not supposed to be here. I never phased like Boris did. I’m not a werewolf.”
“Then why are you here?” Alex asked. Werewolves usually phased for the first time when they turned seven. It wasn’t uncommon for parents to send their seven and eight years olds so that if they phased, they would be at a safe place to do so, but Alex hadn’t heard of someone Kalia’s age being sent even though she hadn’t yet phased.
Kalia grimaced. “My eyes.”
Alex found himself searching them. They were a pale icy blue that hid her true emotions well. Her eyes flicked to his and dropped his gaze. “What about them?”
Kalia ground the toe of her shoe into the grass. “When I get mad, they turn gold, so people tell me. My parents thought it meant I was going to phase.”
“They might be right,” Alex said, though he had never heard of such a thing.
“I’m not like Boris,” Kalia protested. The aversion with which she said her
“That’s a sissy game,” Boris argued.
“Are you admitting you’re too sissy to play, then?” Torin asked.
Alex felt a rush of gratitude for the Lifer Alpha whose side he was usually on.
Boris grimaced. “Wolf tag. Fine. You’re on. I’ll be the first wolf.”
Everyone started to run.
“What’s the goal?” Jericho asked, sprinting beside Alex.
“If you’re touched, you have to phase, then you’re one of the wolves and you join in the chase. Last one in human form wins, then it flips,” Alex explained.
“Easy enough,” Jericho replied. He glanced over his shoulder. “Uh-oh.”
Alex’s heart pounded at the sight of a huge black Alpha chasing them down. Jericho took off one way while Alex ran around the statue. He glanced back to see the Alpha follow Jericho, and ran hard into someone hiding behind Jet’s statue.
He rolled on the grass and ended up on his back gasping for air. He chuckled as he rose onto one elbow to see who he had hit.
“Sorry about that. I think Boris was going to—” He paused at the sight of Boris’ sister glaring at him.
Kalia stood back up and brushed the grass off the knees of her pants. “Boris was going to what?” she demanded.
“Uh, tag me?” Alex said as more of a question than a statement.
“Kill you, more like,” Kalia grumbled.
“Probably,” Alex agreed. “Night games are sort of open territory.”
Kalia blew out a frustrated breath and leaned against the statue with her arms folded.
Alex fought down a rush of anger at how casually she treated the statue. “What are you doing back here?” he asked.
Kalia looked like she was going to brush him off, then she hesitated. She glared up at the starlit sky and admitted, “I don’t exactly belong here.”
Alex let out a humorless laugh. “None of us belong here. It’s just where we’re stuck.”
She glanced at him. “But you’re a Lifer. This is your home.”
Alex avoided her gaze. “Is it? Or is this where they stuck us because they didn’t know what to do with the genocide Strays ?” He spat out the last word.
She didn’ t have an answer.
Alex felt bad for the way he had responded. “Sorry. I don’t normally vent on total strangers,” he paused. “Or anyone, for that matter. Let’s start over. Hi, my name is Alex Davies.”
“I’m Kalia James.” He was surprised when a slight smile crossed Kalia’s face. It was the first he had seen. “I can’t imagine being stuck here.”
He smiled. “It’s not really that bad. I kind-of like it.” He met her gaze. “So why don’t you belong here?”
She hesitated as if debating whether to trust him. She studied his face as if she searched for something in particular. Her head tipped slightly to one side, and something lightened in her icy blue eyes. “I’m not a werewolf.”
Alex lifted an eyebrow skeptically. “Yet here you are.”
She nodded. “Yes, here I am. Ironic, isn’t it?”
“Is it?” he pressed.
She let out a breath, allowing true loss to touch her face. “I’m not supposed to be here. I never phased like Boris did. I’m not a werewolf.”
“Then why are you here?” Alex asked. Werewolves usually phased for the first time when they turned seven. It wasn’t uncommon for parents to send their seven and eight years olds so that if they phased, they would be at a safe place to do so, but Alex hadn’t heard of someone Kalia’s age being sent even though she hadn’t yet phased.
Kalia grimaced. “My eyes.”
Alex found himself searching them. They were a pale icy blue that hid her true emotions well. Her eyes flicked to his and dropped his gaze. “What about them?”
Kalia ground the toe of her shoe into the grass. “When I get mad, they turn gold, so people tell me. My parents thought it meant I was going to phase.”
“They might be right,” Alex said, though he had never heard of such a thing.
“I’m not like Boris,” Kalia protested. The aversion with which she said her
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