AUGUST 29TH, 2017 - TUESDAY

CASEY’S POV

It was a week since telling Adam his theory about the Schuyler family, and things had only gotten stranger. Percy tried to claim all his free time, going as far as to keep him talking after school by the lockers, and always stood between him and Adam. Literally. On top of that, he went out of his way to touch Casey in some form or fashion. Whether it was sitting too close or brushing hands, he was touching the healer whenever close.

On Wednesday, when this all began, Mrs. Hale took notice almost immediately. Her eyes had zeroed in on the hand on his shoulder, and he swore they flashed red. The next day, a seating chart was made, and Perseus sat across the classroom instead of beside him. Friday, Mrs. Hale clapped his shoulder, and Casey half-expected to be called junior or sport.

Thankfully, not all the strange happenings were creature-related, and the teen had a few standard issues. One would be the return of his parents sometime in September. He knew they wouldn’t stay long, they never did, but any amount of time was too long. They only came back every few months to look somewhat responsible and point out everything that Casey needed to keep up images. Make good grades, find better friends and all the things he would continue to ignore in favor of anything else.

Another “normal” problem was that Mr. Hale had also become interested in him alongside his sister. The older man initiated a conversation and called on Casey more than any other teacher, almost like he was trying to make the healer try harder. Casey had no desire to be what the education system thought was a “good student”, thank you very much.

A kick to the back of his chair drew the teen from his internal musings.

“Hey, check it out,” he murmured, offering his phone. The browser was open to an article dated just two days ago, and his stomach knotted as he read the title. Enchantress Killed by Victim. Jesus. Alyssa McDade, a fifteen-year-old enchantress from Long Island, was killed by a 42-year-old man because she supposedly used her tricks on him. Alyssa was not the first creature killed this year but was the youngest with news coverage. Of course, it didn’t mean much when she was dead, but Casey hoped that acknowledging what happened would help her family in some small way.

“I hate people,” the healer grumbled, handing the phone back.

“She’s the third one this month. People are gettin’ bold with these new laws coming into play.” The laws were technically bills that hadn’t been signed yet, but they both knew they would be passed. The Tollivers were thankfully unaffected by them, but the same could not be said for the artist. There were very few laws regarding Magi, but it was only a matter of time before they shared the stigma that wolves and vampires faced.

“It makes you wonder how a grown-ass man could get away with murdering a teenage girl,” the brunet remarked. “You know there won’t be any charges, if it even goes to trial, that is.” Adam shook his head in disdain. Sometimes the blond made Casey a little happier when he showed off his heart of gold. Moments like those gave the teen hope that he could someday reveal his own magic. Casey thought about telling the other boy more and more as time passed, but there was always a reason not to.

The two already had enough to worry about with the Schuylers and Hales as it was; they didn’t need Casey’s issues too. Speaking of, one of the two Hales sat at the bottom of the bleachers, his head tilted down to stare at his laptop. Mr. Hale was similar to his sister but had a different disposition in comparison. The older man was obviously the youngest of the two siblings. He seemed freer with his emotions than she did, but with that came a level of vulnerability.

“Quit staring,” Adam hissed. “You look like a weirdo.”

“Bite me,” Casey replied simply, not looking away. “I know they’re wolves, dude. They all get squirrely around the full moon, their eyes literally turn red. What else do you want?”

“Irrefutable proof?”

“Ah yes, and how would you propose I get that, huh?” Casey asked wryly, arching a brow. “Maybe start wearing a silver ring? Find some wolfsbane in the backyard?” The blond rolled his eyes but was still smiling.

“One, wolfsbane rarely grows around here. And two, silver only works against wolves if they touch it directly,” Adam stated. “Face it, dude, there is no way to prove your theory.” Casey bit his lip as a plan formed in his head and ran a hand over his slowly growing curls.

“You know, there is one way to know for sure.” He glanced down to the bottom of the bleachers and met Mr. Hale’s gaze head-on. The older man smiled, and Casey’s chin dipped in acknowledgment to his apparent surprise.

“I don’t like that look. I don’t like it at all,” the blond stated, eyes narrowed. “That’s your I’m-about-to-cause-trouble look, Case.” The healer grinned and reached out to clasp his shoulder.

“Because that’s exactly what it is, Adam.”

~_~.~_~

Casey had only a vague plan, but that was all he needed. Lunch rolled around, and the healer met Adam at the entrance of Mr. Ford’s room as students flooded past them.

“I’ll see you later, okay? I got something to handle.” Adam rolled his eyes as he adjusted the straps of his backpack.

“Your big plan is unfolding over lunch?” They ambled down the hall slowly, lagging behind their classmates.

“Yup, you’ll just have to suffer without my presence for half an hour,” he replied drily.

“It’ll be a hardship.” Casey rolled his eyes and paused outside the library doors, tilting his head toward the stairs.

“I’ll see you later, alright?” Adam huffed but began to walk backward.

“I expect full details.” The healer nodded his agreement and waited for the other boy to disappear out of view before backtracking down the hall. Casey paused outside Mrs. Hale’s classroom just out of sight, though he had a feeling she knew he was there. Do I really want to do this? He ran through a dozen scenarios, squared his shoulders, and then stepped through the doorway.

Mrs. Hale sat at her desk, black-framed glasses perched on the bridge of her nose, and looked up at him. “Casey, how can I help you?” The healer nudged the door shut behind him, waiting for the lock to click, and stepped forward to stand by his own desk.

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“I have a question, and I’d appreciate it if we could skip the run-around and go for a straight answer.” It was probably the most Casey had ever spoken to the woman, and she looked appropriately surprised.

“Of course, what do you need?”

“I know that you and your brother are creatures, just like the Schuylers. I just want confirmation.” Mrs. Hale’s expression remained impassive, but Casey had become quite adept at reading people. He saw the subtle twitch of her jaw and the shock flicker through her dark eyes, which only confirmed there was something to hide.

“I-”

“Sorry to interrupt, but I’m not looking for your bloodline and rank or whatever,” he interjected. “I just want to know for sure. Just, yes or no.” Mrs. Hale was silent as she regarded him and then slowly removed her glasses.

“Why do you want to know?”

“There’s knowledge in power,” was his answer. Knowing what she and the Schuylers were would give the teen leverage, but there was more to it. Some part of Casey needed to know, but he didn’t know why. He touched the shield pinned to his lapel out of habit, taking comfort in the burst of courage it gave him. As Adam’s first gift to him, the pin held a special place in his heart and collection.

“My family and I are werewolves.” I fuckin’ knew it.

“And the Schuylers?” He pressed, already going through what little he knew about wolves in his head. The older woman steepled her hands and looked as if she wasn’t going to answer but then sighed.

“They are a mismatched bunch, but Perseus is a hybrid, wolf, and vampire.” Casey wanted to ask about the rest of the family but chose not to push too much. “How did you figure it out?”

“Percy is not as subtle as he thinks. You two have a very noticeable rivalry, and y’all are definitely not shy about showing it,” the healer shrugged. “Don’t worry, no one else suspects to my knowledge. I just pay more attention than my peers.”

“What exactly did you notice?” Mrs. Hale questioned, leaning back in her chair as Casey leaned against his desk.

“Your eyes, for one. Even though yours appear like mine, Percy’s don’t. Plus, they flash red whenever y’all get heated.” The teen rubbed his temple, dropping his gaze for a moment. The pain had started the moment he stepped into the classroom alone, but it had been easy to ignore. Now, Casey couldn’t push it aside.

“What will you do with this information?”

“Absolutely nothing,” Casey replied. “I can’t research any of this, and I have no desire to “out you”, so to speak. So that leaves one option, in my opinion.”

“You’ll forget about this?”

“Oh, god no,” he chuckled. “I’ll keep this information close, but it won’t be used against you. You aren’t the one I’m worried about.” Realization spread across her face.

“You’re concerned about Perseus,” Mrs. Hale said simply, hitting the nail on the head, but Casey gave nothing away.

“Should I be?” He countered, purposefully keeping his tone genial as he fiddled with the sleeves of his jacket. The healer watched with interest as Mrs. Hale rounded her desk to mimic his own leaning position, hands tucked into the pockets of her charcoal slacks. She regarded him silently as the clock ticked on the wall above them, peering right through him.

Her motherly energy did nothing to keep Casey from seeing the truth. Rebecca Hale was a werewolf. She was a woman hiding claws and killer instinct beneath neatly pressed clothes and thick glasses. His seemingly average English teacher was quite literally a wolf in sheep’s clothing, and Casey would be stupid to ignore that.

Finally, Mrs. Hale asked, “You wanted the truth, correct?” He nodded once, sure. “I’m sure you know the importance of soulmates.”

“Unfortunately,” was his dry reply. Her eyes dropped to his wrist. Casey resisted the urge to move his arm from her view despite the black mark hidden beneath his jacket.

“For wolves and vampires, it’s amplified. We feel things to a higher degree, and if our soulmates die, a lot of us go mad,” she explained, her fingers rubbing absently at her jaw. “Perseus lost his soulmate years ago and has chosen you as the object of his obsession.” That was what the teen was afraid of.

“What does that mean for me?”

Her expression twisted into something almost pained as she said, “I honestly don’t know. He has some sort of plan but obviously wouldn’t tell me.”

“Why does he hate you?” Mrs. Hale visibly faltered at the question and then sighed.

“I can’t tell you.” Casey wanted to push and opened his mouth to do so, but she held up a hand. “You’re human. I am law-bound to keep our secrets, and I hope that you can understand.” Obviously, he didn’t, but he nodded his agreement. The healer had a million questions running through his head, but if Mrs. Hale could not tell him, then their meeting was over. At least I got what I came for.

Casey straightened up and took a step back from the older woman. “Well, then that’s it. Thank you for your time, ma’am.” He moved to leave, but a hand on his shoulder made the boy freeze.

“That’s it?” The teacher questioned, visibly confused. Casey shrugged in reply, moving out from under her grasp to back toward the door.

“I told you that I have no desire to use this against you,” he repeated, “so don’t worry. I just wanted to know for sure that I was right. I have nothing against creatures and nothing against you.”

He was halfway out the door when she called out, “I assume you’ll be telling Mr. Tolliver?”

“We’ll take it to our graves,” Casey replied, not bothering to turn around as he left the classroom. Lunch was over, but he caught up with Adam on the way to the gymnasium. The blond slowed his strides, so they hung at the back of the group and stared at the healer expectantly.

“Well?”

“I was right.” They rounded the corner and ambled toward the stairs. “Mrs. Hale confirmed it. They are creatures.” Adam grabbed his shoulder and stopped at the top of the concrete steps, watching their classmates disappear onto the court, which left them alone.

“She confirmed it?” He repeated, brows raised skeptically.

“Yup,” Casey said, popping the ‘p’.

“You just, what, asked her?”

“Yup.” Casey started moving down the stairs, but the genius once again stopped him. He faced the healer from a step below, hand pressed to the older boy’s chest.

“You asked a woman you thought to be a werewolf if she was? What if she bit you, dumbass?” The healer was unimpressed, and his expression matched that.

“You really think she would do that in the middle of the day? Please, use your brain cell.” Seeing that he wasn’t convinced, Casey sighed. “I’m fine, dude. She answered my questions to the best of her ability, and that was it.”

“Really?”

“Yep, and without needing anything in return.”

“You got more than you gave,” Adam noted, running a hand through his hair and mussing the platinum strands.

“And I wanted what I got.” Both boys were unwavering in their stare-down until the blond dropped his gaze with a tired sigh.

“I really hope you know what you’re doin’, dude.” Casey watched Adam walk away. I hope so too.