His Stray

Chapter 4

Thirteen years prior

“Hey stray!”

Celia didn’t turn around at the taunt. She slowly kicked a stone across the blacktop of the playground. Recess was probably her least favorite part of the day. The other kids ran around playing and laughing, but Celia never got to do those things. No one wanted to play with her. On a good day, they ignored her and left her to entertain herself. But on days like today…

“Did you hear me, freak?” Jared called, coming closer.

“Leave me alone,” she shouted over her shoulder, hoping he might actually listen for once. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw

Teegan and Grant a step behind him, wearing the same cruel smiles as Jared.

“What are you going to do? Cry to mommy and daddy?” Teegan teased.

“She can’t,” Jared laughed. “She doesn’t have a mom or dad.”

“I do too!” She spun around, face red, hands clenched at her sides.

“Really?” Jared crossed his thin arms over his chest and put on an arrogant smile. “How about…”

“Leave her alone!”

They all turned. Lucas, his shaggy brown hair falling into his eyes, was charging across the playground.

Celia almost smiled. He hadn’t looked at her for three days, ever since her parents found him sleeping in her bed, caked in dried mud. She had begged her parents not to send him back to the alpha, but her father only shook his head. She clung to Lucas at the front door, and he hugged her back.

“He’s the alpha’s son,” her mother had tried to explain gently when her father walked him back to the pack house. “He has to stay with his father.”

“But his father hurts him!” she cried, confused why her mother couldn’t seem to understand.

“I know, sunflower,” Lenore whispered, tucking a piece of Celia’s hair behind her ear. “But he’s also the alpha, and we can’t go against him.”

Celia felt helpless. She was relieved to see Lucas at school on Monday, but he ignored her, acting like she was invisible, just like always.

But now he planted himself firmly between her and the bullies. He crossed his arms over his chest and raised his chin in a show of authority.

“Leave her alone,” he demanded.

Jared’s shoulders dropped a little. “Lucas.” He frowned. “Why are you sticking up for the stray?”

“Because…” Lucas didn’t seem to have an answer. “Because I am,” he said finally, nodding as if that settled it.

“Ooooh,” Teegan giggled. “Lucas is in love with the stray!”

Grant and Jared burst into laughter.

“When’s the Luna Ceremony?” Grant jeered.

Lucas’s hands dropped to his sides. His fingers flexed a little. Clearly, as the alpha’s son, he wasn’t used to being teased and had no idea how to respond.

Celia saw the panic in his eyes, but she knew how to handle bullies. It had been the same since kindergarten. Now, as a second grader, she knew exactly what to do. She used all her strength to shove Jared hard with both hands and smirked in satisfaction when he landed with a loud “oomph” on the ground.

“I’m telling the teacher!” Teegan shrieked and ran off.

Grant took a step toward Celia. “Don’t touch my friend, you freak!”

Lucas moved right between them. Grant backed down quickly and pulled Jared to his feet.

“Let’s just tell the teacher,” Jared muttered, and the two of them ran off.

Lucas turned around, his hair lifting slightly in the wind. He looked at Celia, his lips twitching like he couldn’t decide whether to smile or frown.

“You didn’t have to do that,” he said after a moment, scuffing his shoe against the blacktop.

“You didn’t either,” she pointed out.

He shrugged. “Yeah, well. They were being mean.”

Celia hugged her arms around herself. “They’re always mean.”

Lucas stepped a little closer, like he wanted to say something important. Instead, he blurted, “You pushed Jared really hard. That was kind of cool.”

Celia giggled. It was the first real smile she’d had all day. “Yeah. I’ve been practicing.” Then her smile faded. She kicked at the same little stone she’d been chasing earlier. “But you shouldn’t hang around me. People won’t like you if you do.”

Lucas bristled. “I don’t care what they think.”

But she tilted her head and studied him. His eyes darted away, and his mouth pressed into a small, worried line. She could tell he did care. Maybe not about Jared, Teegan, or Grant, but about how everyone else might look at him or talk. Just like they did about her.

Before either of them could say more, a sharp voice cut through the air. “Celia Rockwell!”

They both jumped. Mrs. Willis, the teacher on recess duty, marched over. Her gray hair was pinned tight against her head, her mouth set in a thin line.

“Why did you push Jared?” she demanded.

Celia’s heart sank. “He was making fun of me,” she said softly. “Calling me a freak.”

Lucas jumped in. “It’s true! Jared started it, he was saying…”

Mrs. Willis held up a hand. “Jared is a good boy. And it’s not polite to put your hands on others, Celia. You know better. I’ll have to tell your mother.”

Celia’s shoulders dropped. “Yes, ma’am.”

Lucas opened his mouth to argue again but stopped when he saw Mrs. Willis was already walking away, muttering under her breath about trouble from strays.

Celia let out a little sigh. Lucas glanced at her, guilt and uncertainty written all over his face.

“It’s okay,” she said quickly, giving a tiny shrug. “I’m used to it.”

Lucas didn’t look comforted. He stared at her for a long second, then reached out and awkwardly patted her shoulder, like he wasn’t sure how to give comfort back.

“Come on,” he said, brightening a little. “Wanna see if we can find any worms by the fence?”

Celia nodded. Her chest felt warm, just for a moment, because even if he did care what people thought, right now he was still choosing to walk beside her.