The Alpha Curse

e the biology lab, heart still hammering from Mr. Powell's icy glare, wh

r face. "Hey." Her voice was soft, measured,

rward. "Hey.

a loose strand of hair behind he

sometimes. He rubbed the back of his neck. It's like my he

earm. The contact sparked a warmth that startled him

f them: the distant echo of lockers slamming, the rumble of teens

miles. "Ethan." She paused, as if gauging

r voice. Only she could twist him into som

media center, arms burdened with a stack of wild

early toppling. "Check this out. He slapped a volume onto a nearby bench,

chedules, animal reports, even geotagged photos of wildlife sight

Prija, whose brow creased. "

. Besides, we need footage. If this supernatural stuff

ook cover. "Detective Ramsom spec

The same guy who can't catch the beast in ten year

d. I don't kn

red, nerd? You have been dying

It's... it's just that, what

up close. Don't chicken out now. He bounce

ssed. You are really going? Her

careful. We will stick to the edges, record tra

een her promise to keep him safe and her own curio

ed. "We go. Wh

me. But the pull was irresistible. The more

grounding her. "I promise I will

se." He realized his heart was racing,

eeling himself. "Fine. T

! Operation Wolf W

mind half on homework, half on the plan they had just made. He

lab wall, the warmth of her hand

to his pocket and felt the smooth curve of the locket Liam had found a family heirloom P

at cut into Ridgewood Woods. Jake carried the camera like a trophy, Liam lugged a b

against a bruised sky. Ethan hesitated, recal

asked, nudging hi

tangled air. His instincts b

. Each footfall whispered in the hush. Jake raised his ca

rd anything... we gotta be ready t

him, so close it felt as thou

inged on his locked phone:

as cool, alive. His senses flared: the thrum of sap, the faint trail of mu

ks." He knelt and traced a paw print half-submerged in moss. The

ed. "Even bigger th

of the print. His heart hammered, an echo of something dee

th excitement. That's exa

t he fell in besid

rst stars pricked the sky. Night had a life of its own here: silver moths flicking ar

. He felt the forest

m his reverie. He spun toward the sound

ra, throat tightenin

undergrowth. Nothing but t

ran out from the bush, s

n Ethan