AUGUST 21ST, 2017 - MONDAY

PERCY’S POV

Percy’s phone buzzed once and then twice inside his jacket pocket. He plucked it out and watched the notifications roll across the screen. The young hybrid knew his family would clear out of their home if they thought the human was stopping by, and thus his plan was beginning. With the building empty, Percy could control precisely what Casey saw or heard during his visit.

“And why are you darkening my door this early?” Percy grinned at Rebecca Hale and held his hands out in front of him, a disarming gesture from anyone else.

“Why, you should be glad I came to see you first. I thought about simply coming to gloat afterward, but I believe you should hear the good news from me.” Rebecca unlocked the door to her classroom and stepped past him, her shoulders tense.

“What do you want to gloat about, Perseus? Have your parents won another contract? Torn apart another family?”

“I will begin the courting process with Casey soon.” Alpha Hale froze behind her desk, half-turned away from Percy though her body tensed visibly.

“What do you want with that boy? He’s human, Perseus, leave him be,” she demanded, that damned maternal instinct popping up to say hello. “You know how the Council feels about humans that aren’t pack.”

“You and I both know that the Council is not concerned with my family,” Percy replied with a slight smirk. “Not like yours. To think, you brought me here to Casey.” The Hale pack had been put under surveillance nearly five years ago, cycling through watchers until it finally fell to the shoulders of the Schuyler pack. The actions of Rebecca had brought the Council’s ire onto them, and it would be another five years before they were free. All it took was a “suggestion” to the right person and they were moving to Ashford.

“Why him?” Percy knew that the woman had heard of Guardians. Every wolf grew up with the stories as a standard to achieve, but few believed in them after the first shift. The hybrid had no doubt that the woman in front of him was not a believer.

“I leave that up to your imagination; I’m sure whatever you guess will be sufficiently sordid,” Percy waved off. “Plus, I enjoy watching you worry about things that are out of your control.” He could tell that the Alpha was nearing a dangerous level of annoyance with him, and he wondered if today was the day she finally snapped.

“Just because the Council refuses to do anything about you doesn’t mean I won’t.”

“Is that a threat?” Rebecca looked up at him, and Percy saw the thin ring of red glinting around her irises.

“No, Perseus, it is not a threat,” she said, unnervingly quiet. “If you hurt Casey, or if you hurt Adam, hell, if you even look at them wrong, you will regret it. That boy is not Thomas.” A growl sounded for his chest before the hybrid could stop it.

“You don’t get to say his name,” he hissed.

“And you don’t get to tear apart the lives of innocent humans on a whim,” Rebecca snapped back. They stared each other down for seconds that stretched into minutes, tension crackling around them like a live wire, and then Percy stepped back. He was the picture of calm.

“I think you will find that I can do anything I put my mind to. Just ask your son,” he grinned. The hybrid strode leisurely from the room without another word and put on the mask of a careless teenager. In reality, he was neither of those things. His classmates were easily heard down the hall as Percy slipped into the math classroom to wait for a certain blond.

Adam Tolliver was like a gnat, a minor nuisance, but no real threat. Despite this, Percy was concerned. The young genius was obviously enamored with Casey, most likely due to their dynamic of protector and the protected. They had a strong bond, and Percy knew that while Casey was the conscience of the duo, Adam was the heart. Somehow, the wolf had to win over the blond before he had a chance to steal his best friend.

The boy in question chose that moment to stride into the room at the front of the crowd, his gait fluid and at ease. Adam nodded to him as he slid into the desk to Percy’s left, and that is when he noticed the human’s hoodie. It was maroon and could be mistaken for a school hoodie, until the wolf realized it was from one of the ever-popular bastardizations of werewolf culture. The most noticeable thing was the scent clinging to the fabric.

Adam was warm vanilla and something earthy that the wolf had yet to identify, but the hoodie smelled of graphite and summer rain. The hoodie belonged to Casey. Perseus tamped down the irrational jealousy and instead busied himself with his backpack. Adam may be more of an issue than he initially believed. The boy was only human, but he had a bond with Casey the hybrid didn’t. The bond of friends forged over time and trial would be hard to break. Perseus had forever to try, after all.

~_~.~_~

Perseus still had not found a solution to his friends-that-may-be-more-than-friends issue aside from having Adam Tolliver “disappear” by the final bell. He had entertained the idea for a half-hour before deciding that, no matter how easy it would be, murdering Casey’s best friend was not the wisest course of action.

The issue of Rebecca Hale’s motherly instincts continued to grow as well. She had stared at his mate for the majority of the class, not that the human had noticed, but Percy certainly had. He urged the dynamic duo out of the room as soon as the bell went off, not wanting Casey to get caught behind for Rebecca to sink her claws in and poison his mate against him. No need to make his job any harder than it needed to be.

Percy accompanied the two to their locker and stood almost awkwardly to the side. He felt like an intruder standing on the sidelines, but it gave the hybrid a chance to observe the two. On his first day, people had said they were a couple, and he soon saw why. The two boys were undoubtedly close, spending every weekend together and having secret gestures, but it went deeper.

His mate unconsciously gravitated toward Adam, his body turned toward the other boy as he spoke. They interacted like his parents, always touching whenever close to assure the other they were really there. It seemed odd to Percy. The pair had the makings of a couple and yet, were nothing more than best friends.

“Ma wants to know if there’s anything to celebrate this weekend? We’re going to the grocery store tonight.” That was another clue to the puzzle of their friendship. Casey was close enough with the Tolliver matriarch that she asked his opinion, so he must be close to the entire family.

“Nah, I don’t think so. Tell her I’ll be partial to pasta, though, if she’s down for it,” Casey replied as he clipped his skateboard to the back of his backpack. Adam typed something out on his phone as they trudged outside and then smiled at the brunet.

“Alright, well, I’ll leave you guys to it. Mom’s gotta get to the packie before dad gets home, so I gotta go.” The duo did some kind of handshake, palms sliding together until their hands were clasped, the pads of their thumbs pressed together. It felt oddly intimate to observe.

“Our ride is waiting at the duck pond, and she isn’t one for patience.” Natalia was back in town for a handful of days, recently returned from the Congo. Still, she thankfully did not mind playing chauffeur since Percy was technically under the legal driving age.

They absently discussed homework while following the small group of students meeting their own rides at the pond, nothing of real importance. Percy opened the door for Casey once they reached Natalia’s car, hoping to charm the human without resorting to magic. It always was a pain to find someone discreet with their love potions.

“Natalia, this is Casey Boyd.” The human nodded his head respectfully in the woman’s direction, neither saying a word. Percy frowned. Casey was tense and had been since the clock hit three, but the hybrid had no idea why, so he turned up the radio. The other boy clearly enjoyed music as he wore earbuds almost constantly, so he hoped that it would ease his discomfort if just a bit.

It did not. The ten-minute ride was uncomfortably awkward until Natalia pulled into the six-car lot to the left of the Schuyler Building. The building was six floors of modern luxuries and glass windows, and it was blissfully empty for the next three hours while his packmates were busy. Plenty of time to put my plan into action.

Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

“So, your family is the one who renovated this place.” Percy turned his head to stare at Casey while they walked to the front entrance, but the human was studying his home. “Looks a lot different than it did six months ago.” Edward Schuyler, the patriarch of the pack, had chosen the formerly abandoned building based on both location and size. It was big enough to comfortably house the six official pack members plus Natalia while also being in the heart of the small downtown area of Ashford. It didn't hurt that it was located only twenty minutes from Hale territory.

“How different?” Percy inquired as he tapped in the code. The door unlocked with an audible click and he held it open while the human glanced around.

“The glass was never two-way, for one thing,” he replied thoughtfully. “It was never this clean either, not even when it was first abandoned. Used to have broken glass and graffiti everywhere. This place was easy to get into after someone broke in through the back.” They paused in the center of the room, Casey’s eyes tracing over the couches and bookshelves to the fireplace that remained unlit.

“You sound as if you’re familiar with this place.”

“I tried spraypainting for a time, and this was the perfect place to practice,” he shrugged, “plus, it’s pretty quiet. Your parents turned it into a lovely home.” The hybrid preened at the praise and let his hand fall on Casey’s shoulder, electing to ignore the accompanying flinch. He would get to Percy’s touch with time.

“Would you like to grab a snack? Maybe you can explain your dog’s name in more detail.” Casey nodded his agreement, so they moved toward the elevator. They ascended to the top floor and Percy was the first to step out, only to pause when he noticed a figure standing at the fridge that should not be there. “Charlie. You were supposed to be at a class.” His brother glanced over his shoulder, eyes flicking to Casey for a split-second, head cocked. Percy stepped in front of the human slightly, and hoped the older man got the warning.

“It was rescheduled.” Charlie stepped back and let the door glide shut. “You must be Casey.”

The human straightened up. “I am.” He eyed Charlie curiously, sizing him up even though he would have no chance in a physical altercation. “I’d say I’ve heard a lot about you, but I think we both know I have no clue who you are.” The Beta smirked slightly, head tilting toward Percy as the human moved around him.

“Charlies Schuyler, the oldest. Would you care to join me for a game of chess?” Charlie asked politely, pointedly not meeting the hybrid’s glare. “I’m afraid my siblings refuse to play with me.”

Percy rolled his eyes. “He forgets to admit that he hasn’t lost a game in years.”

“Hmm, okay. I’ve only played online chess, though. Do you call out your moves?” Charlie grinned this time, all teeth and dangerous charm.

“We can leave that for another time if you’d like. Come, my set is on the terrace.” Percy gritted his teeth to keep from growling as the older man lead his mate outside to sit under the awning. Charlie’s board was already placed on the low coffee table, pieces arranged both on the checkered squares and discarded to the side. He must have been playing himself again.

Casey plopped ungracefully onto the couch while the wolf perched on the edge of the swing, so Percy awkwardly sat to the human’s right. The air was charged with a friendly vibe, but there was an undercurrent of tension thrumming below the surface.

“How long have you been playing, Casey?”

“My grandfather liked to play,” he said. “We would spend hours playing, trying new tactics and stuff.”

“Black or white?”

“Black.” Thus, the game began. Charlie was an aggressive player, choosing to hit hard and fast, but Casey seemed unperturbed. Slim fingers tapped slowly against the human’s denim-clad jeans, gaining speed as the match progressed. Percy watched the young artist and tried to place the tune.

“Casey, do you smoke?”

The boy doesn’t look up from the board. “Smoke what?”

“I can smell the tobacco.” Casey smiled slight, barely an upturn of his lips, and ran a hand over his buzzed hair.

“Mhm, my preference. Is it yours as well?” Percy’s nose wrinkled, and he shook his head.

“I assumed one of your parents smoked, not you.” Casey shrugged and pulled an old MP3 player from the backpack sitting at his feet. The back popped off to reveal six cigarettes with space for one more. He grabbed one and then held the rest out to Charlie, who politely shook his head.

“Percy doesn’t like the smell,” Charlie stated with a glance to the hybrid. He had hoped that would stop Casey from smoking, but he pulled a silver Zippo from his pocket instead. Percy watched with mild annoyance as the teen lit one end, the other held gently between his teeth. The lighter clicked shut with a sharp snick, and then he inhaled slowly, Adam’s apple bobbing as the smoke rolled down his throat. All the while, his eyes remained on Percy, glittering with something akin to a challenge.

He inwardly bristled at the human’s blatant disrespect.

Charlie grinned, a genuine expression of delight. “Oh, Carina would absolutely love you.” Percy’s eyes widened and he shook his head subtly. They will never meet if I have anything to say about it.

“That would be the Schuyler at the high school, right?” The majority of Casey’s pieces sat to the side, only one rook, pawn, and the king remaining. He seemed to be losing, not that Percy would know. Chess was not his game as he preferred to think of the details rather than the bigger picture.

“Our sister,” Percy supplied absently as he pulled his phone out.

“I assume you’re all adopted.” It wasn’t a question, as if Casey already knew. Charlie moved his queen.

“Technically. We all use the Schuyler name, but I came long after I was no longer a minor. Check.” Casey moved his pawn and watched as it was taken, unfazed.

“Any of you from around here?” The human asked, flicking ash to the side.

“No.” The cigarette was smoldering lower the longer Casey studied the board with a calculating eye. It was interesting to watch the boy thinking, the gears visibly turning in his head while his expression gave away nothing. This match had been going on nearly an hour and looked to be nearly over, but Percy had seen games lasting hours, so who really knew.

“How long have you been in Ashford?” Casey held his king loosely, tipping it back and forth between his fingers.

“Six months.” The human hummed and let the piece fall, offering Charlie a small smile.

“Good game,” he said simply. Charlie looked between him and the board curiously, drawing Percy’s own interest, and then nodded.

“You as well, Casey. I hope for a rematch the next time I see you.” Not if I can help it. Casey stood up, pocketing the burnt-out cigarette butt as he slung his bag over his shoulder.

“I gotta get going, but I’ll take you up on a rematch,” the artist replied.

Percy jumped to his feet. “I’ll walk you out.”

“Nah, you’re good,” he dismissed, “see you tomorrow, Percy.” Casey disappeared back through the kitchen, the hybrid watching until the elevators slid shut.

“He just played you.” Percy’s head snapped to Charlie and he arched a brow.

“What are you talking about?” The Beta grinned.

“He came here for something, not sure what, but that boy knows something. He asked his questions and left.” The hybrid scoffed and turned away from his brother.

“Casey played your game, but sorry he wasn’t much of a challenge.” Charlie chuckled and shook his head. “What could he have possibly wanted from us? My mate is human.”

“Your supposed mate asked his questions and then threw the match once he got the answers. The tapping? That’s a distraction tactic that’s supposed to make your opponent lose focus. Casey knew what he was doing.”

“Then it sounds like my mate played you, brother,” Percy shot back. The eldest Schuyler spread his hands out in front of him, palms up, and shrugged.

“I never said he didn’t,” Charlie pointed out, “I’m saying that he knew what he wanted and played both of us to get it. Casey could have won in three moves and instead chose to secede the win to me.” It didn’t make sense, not to Percy who said as much.

“He is a human; what could he want to know?” He repeated. By all accounts, Casey had given no indication that he cared about the supernatural world. Ever since creatures became public knowledge, everyone had an opinion they couldn’t wait to share, but Casey hadn’t said a word. Yet, his mind put forth. Humans may be stupid, but most eventually realized something was off about packs.

“Brother, that question is your burden to bear, not mine. I couldn’t care less what your little human wants to know,” Charlie replied off-handedly, “nor what he already does. The less I know, the less likely I am to end up in The Well.” Percy was sick of hearing about the Council, so he waved his brother off. They would never hear of his actions, as long as everyone kept their mouth shut.