Chapter 16

Megan

"Children, continue with your work, I will be right back." I walk out of the classroom with a calmness that I clearly lack. I approach the door to Susan's classroom and knock until she comes out.

"What is wrong? You are pale and you look scared." Her look is worried. Do I really look that bad?

"He is here. My God, Susan, I should have listened to Jack. Do not tell him I said that, but I cannot believe he actually dared to come. What are we going to do now?"

"I will go find Jeremy, you call Jack." What? No...

"Um... no. We can solve this. I am not suicidal enough to tell him I sneaked out. Susan, I am sure he hasn't even noticed yet."

"Do not start right now," she looks at me, annoyed. "Call him, this is serious, Meg." And with that she leaves, surely to look for Jeremy.

I look through the door's window at the calm children, oblivious to the lunatic nearby. I cannot be so selfish and not protect them. Sighing, I take out my phone and prepare for a battle I have already lost. I hear it ring once, then again, and it ends up sending me to voicemail.

I close my eyes and dial again. This time, after the third ring, someone answers.

"Hello, Jack," I say, way too scared. I do not doubt my voice is trembling.

"Megan? It is Ryan. Jack left his phone, apparently he forgot it. There was an emergency and they had to go." I let out a sigh that is a mix of relief and frustration. "Did something happen?"

"Um... well, you see, Jack forbade me from going to work."

"Yes, I also think you should stay inside the house. He will not be able to get in there." Okay, everyone was right and I was wrong.

"Um... Ryan, I might not have listened to him." I hear a small chuckle from the other end. "The thing is, um, well, I came to work and, um, my werewolf ex is also here." Am I nervous? Hell yes.

"Megan, are you kidding me?"

"Um... no." Then I start to smell smoke. "Ryan? I do not think you are going to like this, and Jack even less, but it seems my ex is an arsonist on top of being a wolf. And right now I think he is setting the school on fire."

"Shit!" he yells. "Megan, do not go out, he is doing this to draw you out. Do not go out. I am on my way." And with that, he hangs up. I sigh, imagining how Jack will take this. The fact that he was not the one who answered will not minimize his anger.

I return to the classroom with the children and ask them to start packing their things. Ryan told me not to go out, but I cannot expose the kids. That bastard took even that away from me; now I cannot even come to work in peace. Damn you, Evan Shine, and damn the day I met you.

Minutes later, the fire alarm starts ringing and I know the fire has grown. Holding back tears, I tell the children that we need to leave calmly. But nothing is ever easy in my life. When I try to leave with them, a large gray wolf forces us back and traps us in the classroom. He has us trapped in here. I run to open the windows so the smoke does not harm the little ones and I pray that someone gets us out of here.

I look at the children and they are all scared. Not only is there a fire, but also a hungry animal outside. Then we start hearing growls. I run to look through the small window on the door and I see the gray wolf fighting with a completely brown one; that must be Ryan.

Guiding them, I get the children outside, leaving last. As we are making it out, I am thrown to the ground with a hard blow, and I have the gray wolf on top of me trying to bite my neck. Does he want to kill me? Of course he does. I close my eyes expecting him to kill me, but I feel him being ripped away from me, and the brown wolf is in front of me growling at the other one. When the war of growls and stares ends, apparently making Ryan the winner, the gray wolf flees. But to my surprise, the brown wolf has disappeared too.

I get up and go outside. As I walk out, Susan runs toward me.

"My God, Meg, you are hurt." I look down at my arms and yes, I have scratches.

"Megan, we need to talk." I look at Principal Vega and I think my problems are only increasing.

"I am listening, Principal," I say, approaching and rubbing my head.

"I know this is not the right time, but it is obvious that someone wants to hurt you. It is not normal for your house to catch on fire and days later, when you come back to work, the same thing happens here." I know where she is going with this and I do not like it. "I do not like doing this, but I have to let you go. Right now I have to prioritize the well-being of the children, and having you here only exposes them."

"I understand, Principal." That is all I say; I am so upset.

"Megan." I turn around and walk toward Ryan without giving the viper a second glance. "A doctor needs to look at you."

"Ryan, tell me you did not tell him." His face tells me everything I need to know.

"On my way here, I called Nathan, he will let him know. I recommend you get treated before the angry alpha sees you." Sighing, I let him guide me toward the paramedics. Another battle is coming.