01

The clinking of china filled the small Cafe’ as patrons carried on with their breakfast, unaware of the ghosts that joined them. There were only two that Darren could see, a man wearing a Hawaiian shirt and a woman in a bright yellow jumper. The man was sitting at a booth staring out the window, not paying attention to the living teens who now sat beside him. The woman on the other hand had come in along with a couple and their small child. She seemed particularly attached to the little girl that tugged at her mothers hand with a slight pout.

Darren did his best not to look in their direction. Every time a ghost noticed he could see them, they’d start to haunt him until he agreed to do some ridiculous favor. When he was younger and had more free time he was fine with it. Nowadays it was extremely tiresome, especially since he never got anything for helping the dead in the end. Well, nothing except threats and the wonderful title of ‘fraud’.

Sitting by the window, he was grateful to be alone now. The smell of toast and bacon wafted through the air as waitresses wandered around, offering refills to anyone who made eye contact. Soon a bus would arrive out front to take him home.

Home…

He scoffed into his cup of orange juice. That place had never been his home. The only memories he had of it were nightmares of being bullied. He remembered how the adults ignored his pleas for help when his old rival and his gang of goons harassed him. He’d been called every name imaginable and even had things thrown at him, yet when he tried to speak up about it they would always tell him to ignore the bullies. Even his own parents chose to look the other way.

He knew the bullying stemmed from the fact that he could see ghosts. To a normal student, it appeared as though Darren was having conversations with himself. Once or twice he had even snapped at a more annoying spirit, which resulted in him being sent to the counselor and getting diagnosed with a minor bipolar disorder. Seeing the dead only seemed to complicate his life. It might have helped to clear things up and explain that he was talking to ghosts, but he knew better than to reveal his supernatural abilities to anyone, even his parents.

The secrecy wasn’t because he was worried no one would believe him. He was a werewolf after all, and so were his parents, neighbors, and teachers. Everyone in his pack was. No, the problem was that supernatural abilities were coveted by Alphas, and pack members with such abilities were forced to become Betas.

Darren grit his teeth, realizing he might bump into his old Alpha when he returned. The Alpha was the bane of his childhood, right next to Jasper.

He snapped out of his thoughts when a bus pulled up to the stop out front, it’s dark red figure looming in the rainy afternoon. Hurriedly he placed a twenty on the table and dashed out with his bags, making it just in time to hop on and pick a seat near the back.

Closing his eyes, Darren decided he’d try and nap through the ride as it dragged him back to the town he had run away from so many years ago.

-Eight Years Ago…

Darren was still a junior in Highschool when he arrived home that day. His nose was bloody and his backpack was torn. He’d just had an encounter with Jasper.

Trudging up the stairs to his room, Darren’s father poked his head out from the kitchen. « Stop right there young man ! I know you saw the cars in the driveway. Where are your manners ? »

« I’m home. » Darren halfheartedly called, forgetting for the umpteenth time that he was expected to announce his presence. It was a stupid rule that his parents insisted on. He never understood why.

« Get down here. » His father ordered, unimpressed by his lackluster attitude.

Darren’s shoulders slumped and he turned to head towards the kitchen where his father was cooking dinner. The man was wearing a black apron and had his hair tied back with clips.

His relatives often told Darren that he took after his father. They both had shaggy blond hair and bright brown eyes with flecks of gold. They both also had slim builds that didn’t look like they’d amount to much. That’s probably why his father never tried to become a Beta.

Will, his father, noticed his bloody nose and damaged bookbag. The man scrunched his face in distaste. « What happened to you ? »

« Jasper and his friends jumped me after school. » Darren answered honestly, hoping his father’s reaction would be different this time.

The mans face seemed to relax once he heard who the culprit was. « Oh, is that all ? » He took on a much calmer demeaner as he picked up a mixing spoon and returned to what he was doing. « I’m sure he was just having fun with you. »

His response stung Darren emotionally. His parents would have been furious had it been anyone else that was bullying him. That wasn’t the case though. Darren had somehow made enemies with the one guy that no one would dare stand against. Jasper.

Jasper was the strongest, most popular guy among the packs youth. Even the Alpha favored him over his own son and there were rumors going around that he was training the guy to run the pack some day. Thanks to that, whenever Darren tried reporting the guy for his horrible behavior, all the adults would look the other way and tell Darren, « Just ignore him. »

This had gone on for years and today had been the worse. Here he was, dripping blood, yet his own father brushed it off just because it was Jasper who caused it.

Anger swelled up in his chest, and his eyes began to brim with tears. Fed up with his parents passive bullshit, he dropped his schoolbag and stared his father down. « Would it be so bad for people to realize Jasper’s not as perfect as you’re all pretending he is ? He ATTACKED me Dad ! Why don’t you care about that !? »

Darren knew exactly why everyone sided with Jasper, and it never sat right with him. Just because their pack leader favored him didn’t mean the guy shouldn’t be knocked down a peg. He was going to make an awful Alpha some day the way he liked to stomp on those weaker than them. Yet all the adults acted like the guy could do no wrong.

« Watch your tongue ! » His father waved a chastising spoon at him. « You’re in my house and you will NOT talk to me like that. »

« FUCK YOU ! » Darren blurted, then heard a gasp as the front door swung open and he turned to find his mother standing there.

She was homely looking at best, with a baby blue shirt and white pants. Her blond hair was pixie cut and the only makeup she ever wore was eyeliner. Standing beside her was Darren’s twelve year old little sister Marcy. She had a pink shirt printed with flying poptarts and black leggings. Her straw blond hair was tied into a ponytail, and she had the brightest blue eyes in the pack.

Emma, his mother, recovered from her shock and she closed the door behind her. « Go upstairs and play Marcy. » She cooed to his younger sister.

Marcy gave one last look at Darren before sliding passed him and heading to her room obediently. Afterwards, his mother stepped up to him with a frown. « And what was that outburst for ? » She demanded.

Will just quirked an eyebrow at him, waiting on Darren to answer the question. He sighed and replied. « Jasper attacked me and dad is acting like it’s not a big deal. »

« Because it’s not. » His mother immediately answered. « He’s most likely going to be Alpha one day. Do you know what would happen if we tried reporting anything bad about him ? Everyone would say we’re trying to villainize the child. We would be the ones ruining the kids entire future and for what ? Because he likes to play rough ? Boys will be boys Darren, so stop crying over it and just avoid him if you can’t be man enough to put up with it. »

« Why the hell is everyone okay with having an asshole for a future alpha ?! » Darren burst, and was quickly met with a slap to the face.

The sound rang loudly in his ears, hurting more than the sting on his cheek. This was his first time ever standing up for himself, and the first time his parents had ever laid a hand on him. He was speechless.

« I will not have you badmouthing me or your father like that. You are not an Alpha, or a Beta. The sooner your learn your place in the pack the better. It’s our job to teach you that, so go to your room. You will not be having dinner tonight. » She pointed up the stairs.

Darren stood too shocked to respond at first, but then his mother grabbed his arm roughly and started guiding him. He stumbled for a few steps, then found his balance and pulled away, rushing to his room.

His parents were all about the packs pecking order and reminding him that he was at the very bottom. Pecking order this, pecking order that. What’s the point in being part of a pack if none of them are on your side ?

He could fix it though and he knew it. All he had to do was reveal his ability to see the dead. Whether the Alpha considered it useful or not didn’t matter. The point was that any member of the pack who had the slightest special ability was automatically promoted to Beta-in-training. There were already a few well known members, like Beta John who had abnormal strength, even for a werewolf. Then there was Willow, another Beta that had healing abilities. Those two were well known because their powers were useful, but then there were the ones with less useful powers, like Kenny who was around Darren’s age and had the oh so amazing skill to cause a slight gust of wind. At most he could ruffle your hair, yet the Alpha insisted on training him as a future Beta anyways.