Spirit Tales (The Millennium Wolves AU)

I still felt the Alpha - Fred’s - arms around me when I was back in my dorm room on my own, packing my stuff.

After the latest loss of control episode, I didn’t get to ask Fred why the hell he had wings. I knew why he took me out of the room - it was the only way Tempest could be tamed - and I knew he was only doing what was good for me, even if a few shards of the shattered window penetrated my back (they were taken out and the injury was healed by Maria and her healing powers) and I even knew why he spoke those sweet words. He needed to calm Tempest and me down so no one would be hurt.

But why did he call me his angel? Why did he have dragon-like wings? I didn’t get to ask these questions, because the moment we landed, Maria immediately rushed over to take care of me, and Fred disappeared with Apollo and Strider, leaving me at the hands of Maria, Albert and Cora, the she-wolf who was friends with Samantha and was pretty snobby. I didn’t understand why she was there at first until I was told she was waiting for Maria to finish heal me and Albert calm me down to take me back to the college so I could pack up my things while everyone was still in class.

During the short ride to the college, Cora made no effort to small-talk. In fact, she chewed a gum loudly and talked on the phone - which was very unsafe, although I doubt it bothered her. Eventually we arrived, and she let me know she would be waiting outside while I collect my stuff.

And here I was now, in the room that served as my home for a short couple of months. Pictures of Hazel, Jane, Charlotte and me were pasted on the wall; a new picture of Jane and Ethan in one of their many dates down in the city; objects thrown all over in a big mess; notebooks and textbooks on the floor; unmade beds…

I felt a lump in my throat, which I ignored as I kept fetching my things through the mess. The clothes I’d already folded neatly in the suitcase, and now I only needed to grab my personal stuff, of which there weren’t much. After I found one of my necklaces and a silver bracelet I especially liked, I went to my nightstand and opened the single drawer there. From inside I pulled the only important picture in this universe. The lump grew, but I forced myself to pull it together. I put the picture inside the suitcase as well.

After a short scan to make sure I didn’t forget anything, I took a deep breath and pulled myself and the suitcase out of the room. Cora, who was leaning against the wall with crossed arms, saw me and smiled mockingly. “It’s about time,” she drawled.

She was a pretty woman, like all werewolves were, but her beauty was the in-your-face type, too aggressive; she had large green eyes, brown hair with unnatural highlights, and a slender but strong figure. “Come on,” she said, making me quickly finish my appraisal of her, and started walking down the empty hallway. I followed her with my heavy suitcase.

We went out of the girls dormitory and walked toward the main building, to my surprise. It was where the classes took hold, and I was afraid the students would see me, but thankfully they didn’t. We took an elevator to the highest floor, where the teachers dormitory was, and Cora led me to the room at the edge of the hallway. She unlocked the door and we both entered.

I was surprised to see that the room looked completely ordinary. In fact, it looked just like my former room, only lifelessly neat and terribly in order. My heart sank.

“Strider, Apollo and Fred will be here soon,” Cora said in a bored voice, “meanwhile, you can start unpacking. I’m off.”

And before I could utter a word, Cora went out and slammed the door shut. My lips thinned, and I felt Tempest suddenly waking up. I don’t like her, she hissed.

“Tell me about it,” I rolled my eyes. “You don’t like anybody.”

Not true, she argued.

“Give me a name of one person you like,” I challenged her as I pulled my suitcase open and started unpacking.

Tempest was quiet for a while, and I was sure she wasn’t going to talk, until she said, Fred is cute.

I felt my face reddening. “No, he’s not!” I snapped. “Besides, even if he’s cute - and I don’t say he is - he’s taken. That blonde girl Sally, remember?”

Tempest snorted. Do you really think he wants that Sally? She’s probably his sex-buddy or something like that. God, you’re so naive. I could feel Tempest rolling her eyes, if she even had those. Sometimes it’s all about sex - and I’m sure the relationship between that bimbo and Fred is exactly that, even if she developed some feelings.

“I know what sex-buddies mean, Tempest,” I said irritatedly, “and I’m not naive. Besides, it doesn’t matter. Even if he wasn’t in any kind of relationship with Sally, he wouldn’t have wanted someone like me. He’s a sexy, hot werewolf - not to mention the freaking Alpha - and I’m some fugly human girl, remember?” I winced just thinking about it, after what Apollo called me, and Strider, too.

Maybe he wouldn’t have cared about you, but me - definitely, she muttered. It’s a shame I’m stuck in this fat body of yours - if you’d seen me, you would’ve understood no one could ever tell me no.

“So you’re saying I’m fugly, too,” I commented dryly, “you’re really nice, have you ever been told?”

I’m not meant to be nice, Angie, she drawled, I’m the Spirit of Chaos. I’m Tempest, Storms Incarnation. Being nice is not part of the traits set Nature gave me. But that’s besides the point - you asked me about people I liked, and I have a positive feeling about Fred, and I think I do like him. You I tolerate.

“Only tolerate?” I asked.

Be grateful, you’re second in my list, Tempest said with a sense of superiority that made me scowl. It’s a huge achievement for someone like you.

“How wonderful,” I murmured.

Whatever, Angie.

It occurred to me then that it was the first time ever since Tempest awakened that we didn’t wreak havoc. In fact, this conversation was quite pleasant, if I had to compare it to our previous ones. It was the first time we actually talked - and the first time I truly realized we were entirely separable entities, and it didn’t even matter we shared the same soul.

If I could even call it that. Something inside me told me it wasn’t a soul we were sharing.

I grabbed a mirror out of my suitcase and looked at it. I saw two beings stare back through one pair of eyes, as I always did, but now the shadow of Tempest was more prominent in their depths. It had been Tempest I’d seen throughout the years, and I never really knew it. Who would’ve thought.

A strange feeling pooled in my stomach when I realized it really wasn’t a soul we were sharing. We shared the same body - and right now, I was in charge. But what would happen if Tempest ever took control?

I decided not to think about it.

Voices from outside the room made me snap out of my thoughts and I sat on the bed at the same moment the door opened and inside entered Fred, Strider and Apollo. They saw me sitting there, and while Apollo and Strider gave me similar mocking smirks, Fred’s face remained blank. “So you’re already here,” Apollo said, his voice annoying me more than I thought it could.

“Nothing I can do about it,” I said quietly.

The three put down their suitcases and fetched the three remaining bed. Awareness of the situation suddenly hit me, and I was hit with the feeling of how intimidating being with three men in the same room together was. More than intimidating, it was scary. Like plunging into an unknown territory with zero preparation.

I wanted to be back with Charlotte, Jane and Hazel, but I couldn’t. I was stuck in this room with these three men so the world would be “safe” from me until I controlled my newfound powers - and Tempest. A real self-esteem boost, that one.

“Let’s get to business,” Apollo suddenly said and stood before me, handing me a piece of paper. “This is what you’re going to do in the first two months - after that, we’ll start work on other stuff.”

Glancing suspiciously at him as he went to unpack, much like Fred and Strider were now doing, I unfolded the paper and studied it. What I saw made Tempest growl inside me with displeasure, and I had to agree. “There’s no way I’m going to do it,” I said, my tone absolute.

“It’s not up for discussion, girl,” Apollo responded without stopping what he was doing. Strider and Fred remained silent.

“Are you kidding me?! It’s written here I have to go to the gym five times a week!” I snapped. “You can’t expect me to do this! It’s unhealthy to go from zero to hundred like this, and I’m not a werewolf, in case you’ve forgotten, so I don’t have the physical ability to survive such a thing - “

“We have to rid you of these fats, girl,” Apollo glanced at me impatiently, “we can’t start the Spiritual practice when you look like this.” He pointed toward my midsection, where my belly pouch was visible through my shirt.

“I’m not going to the gym,” I folded my arms, standing my ground. “At least not with this amount of visits. Forget it.”

He sighed and looked up to the sky - or rather, the ceiling - as though he asked God Why me. “I’m older by at least 1700 years, girl,” he said tiredly, “I’m much more experienced than you in this, much more knowledgeable than you, and more mature, too - “ I can totally argue with you on this point! Tempest snarled “ - so trust me that I know what you need. This physical extraction program is prudent so you can lose this thirty pounds - “

“Thirty pounds in two months?!” I yelled. “You must be kidding me!”

“Which reminds me you also need to start eating healthy,” he added, shrugging as though it wasn’t such a big issue. Like it wasn’t a life of a living, breathing being he was playing with. “We can’t allow you to keep looking like that and eating junk food. It won’t work.”

“Yeah, and losing thirty pounds in two month is extremely healthy!” I sniped sarcastically, looking at him with pure hatred.

“Oh, shut up already!” he snapped, losing his cool. “Instead of fighting over things you obviously have no control over, just do what I tell you, you silly girl!”

“Fine!” I screamed, feeling as if smoke was coming out of my ears. “I’ll do it, and you’ll be held accountable for the health problems that would soon follow, you fucking grandpa!”

His eyes suddenly changed color from dark brown to bright electric-blue. “Don’t. Call. Me. Grandpa!” he growled. It suddenly smelled like something was burning, and I noticed his hands were curled into fists and emitting actual frightening flames of fire.

“Hey, bro,” Strider rushed over to Apollo, putting a hand on his shoulder. “Don’t be so angry. She’s not worth it.”

“Get out of my way!” Apollo screamed.

“Calm down. Now.”

Fred’s voice might’ve been the most quiet, but it was also the most prominent in the room, and most intimidating, too. At once, Apollo’s eyes returned to their regular brown color, the flames disappeared, and I felt Tempest turning all quiet inside me. Fred stood with his back to us, keeping arranging his stuff as though nothing happened. Strider, Apollo and I stared at him, as though awaiting an order, and when it didn’t come, we looked away. After he sent me a look full of loathing and disgust, Apollo went back to unpacking, along with Strider, who only glanced quickly at me before he did so, too.

I sat down on my bed in silence and pulled out the picture from the suitcase, my heart beating loudly. I studied the two kids in the picture, and after a few moments, I put it inside the drawer of my new nightstand. I closed my eyes, wishing I could go back in time back to that place, when things were so much more simple. When I was a problem-free little girl.

When Brock was still alive.