Midday Sunday found Elena, Hope, Kathryn, Logan and Antonio shopping for the twin's things for school.
"Do you think I should get stockings or tights?" Kath asked, holding up one of each.
"You're getting tights, your father won't like you going to school in stockings." Elena took the stockings from her daughter, and put them back.
"True, he's such a stick in the mud, and I should get some long socks too, for warmer days."
Logan rolled his eyes, bored. He already had his school shoes, and his equipment for school. He had split away from the girls with Antonio to get his things. Kath had got all her equipment, but was still shopping for hosiery and shoes.
"Are you done here yet? You've been here ages." Logan said, exasperated, and getting annoyed.
"Shut up Logan, unlike you, I care about my appearance enough to actually want to look nice."
"What's the point? Nothing you do is going to make you look nice."
"Okay, Antonio, will you go with Logan to the book store? We could be here a while, I'll ring you when we're done." Elena diverted any potential arguments.
"Sure. Come on Logan, let's leave the ladies to it."
The two left, and the girls carried on browsing.
Logan was looking through the books on display.
"So, who are you looking for?"
"Anything by David Eddings, or Robin Hobb. I have most of David Eddings' books, but there's a couple I'm missing, and I want to expand my Robin Hobb collection."
"You and your twin can't be more different can you?"
"Well, we could. She likes manga, I like novels, but they're both books. She watches a lot of TV; I spend a lot of time on the Internet. She sketches, I play guitar. We're interested in the same kinds of music, mostly. Only really big differences are she's interested in clothes, I'm not, and that we have different personalities and genders."
"Speaking of manga, are you going to pick up anything for your sister while you're here? David Eddings is over here by the way." Logan walked over to Antonio and looked through the titles.
"Might do. She's behind on the Bleach volumes, I might get her one or two to hang over her head." Logan picked three David Eddings' books from the shelf in front of him. "Yeah, I will, it'll be funny to torture her after she's took so long getting her stuff." He walked over to the manga section, and picked up three volumes of Bleach. Antonio's phone vibrated in his pocket. Elena, Hope and Kathryn were done with their shopping.
"Come on Logan, pay for those and then we're meeting the girls back at the car." The two headed back for the car, Logan was eager to read his new books, and see his sister's face when she saw her favourite manga.
"Hey, 'Tonio, is it just me, or is that guy over there following us?" Logan discretely pointed to a dirty, ragged looking man a few paces behind and to the right of them. Antonio looked over.
"Yes, he's following. Move faster, but don't run. He's a Mutt, they love a good chase just like the rest of us" The two moved faster, with more purpose, and Antonio dropped back behind Logan, putting himself between the younger werewolf and the Mutt. The man continued to follow them.
"Crap." Antonio got his cell phone out of his pocket, and dialled Elena's number to warn her.
"We're already at the car, noone followed us. I haven't spotted any Mutts near us today." Elena's voice sounded in his ear.
"Alright, we'll be there in a few minutes. See you soon."
"Be careful Antonio, we'll have the car started and backed out."
The two hung up, and Antonio urged Logan to move faster.
"The guy tries anything, you're to run for the car, understand?" Logan nodded, scared, this was the first time he had come into contact with a mutt.
They made it to the car, and Kathryn opened the door for her twin and Antonio. They got in and Elena put her foot down. They roared past the Mutt. Kath glanced out her window at him, trying to commit his face to memory. The Mutt grinned at her, and walked away. She shivered, afraid.
"Are you two okay?" Hope turned in her seat to look at the two males.
"We're fine. A little shaken, but we're okay." Antonio said. Logan reached for his twin, needing some reassurance. Kathryn clasped his hand but kept quiet for now, he'd talk when he was ready.
"Haven't you got something to show your sister?"
"Hmm? Oh yeah." Logan reached down and plucked the three Bleach volumes out of his bag.
"No way! Gimme!" Kath reached for the books. Logan pulled them out of her reach, grinning.
"Why should I?"
"'Coz I'm your sister you git!"
"Your point? How long did you keep us waiting as you picked out your stuff for school?"
"Oh come on! It was half an hour at the most!"
"Well, one book for every ten minutes you kept me waiting. The question is, really, what will you do to get them?" Logan already felt better because of the banter. His twin pouted at him.
"Mom, make him give me them!" Kath turned to her mother.
"I can't, he bought those with his own money." Elena really didn't want to get in the middle of this.
"Logan you suck! Give me the fucking manga!" The female adolescent exploded, annoyed.
"Kathryn! Language!" Elena shouted, scowling at her daughter through the rear-view mirror.
"Yes mom. Come on Logan, please?" Kath went back to pouting at her brother. Logan pretended to look thoughtful.
"Hmm, I'll think about it after you do my chores for three weeks." He cast a sly glance at his sister.
"What? Three weeks?" Her mouth dropped open.
"Yup, one week for each book." Logan was openly grinning at her now, with Antonio and Hope sniggering at their antics. Elena rolled her eyes, exasperated, but didn't say anything.
"Deal." The two shook on it, and Logan put the books away. Kath looked longingly at the bag.
"Right, you two. When we get home, you're to go straight into the house. Do not go outside, for any reason. If Mutts are turning up around here again, I don't want you outside."
"But how are we going to Change?"
"We'll go as a Pack. You are to have someone with you at all times if you have to go outside, understand?"
"Yes mom." They intoned this together.
Elena pulled the car into the garage, and Kath went round to the trunk to get her bags. Logan grabbed the rest of his. All five entered the house together; Antonio and Elena both went straight to their Alpha to tell him what had happened. Hope wandered off to find Karl, and the twins went upstairs to put their things away. Logan had just finished hiding Kath's manga and was putting his new books into his bookcase when she knocked on his door.
"What?" He called.
"Polite as always I see. You okay?" Kath poked her head round the door.
"Hm? Yeah, I'm fine, a bit shaken, but I'm fine, really." He stood up straight, and turned to his sister.
"Do you think Jer' will stop us going to school until the Mutts are gone?" Kath wandered in, flopped down onto her brother's bed, and picked up the book on his nightstand.
"Doubt it. We have Karl and Nick after all; they won't let anything happen to us. Right?" Logan took his book from Kath, and put it back in its place on a shelf.
"No, they won't. Jer' would rip them apart if they did, not to mention what mom and dad would do to them."
"Kathryn? Logan? Get down here! Jer' wants to see us all in the study." Nick called them from the bottom f the stairs. The two headed into Jeremy's study. The whole Pack was congregated there, as well as Hope.
"You wanted us?"
"Mutts are starting to pay attention to Stonehaven again. Until this has passed, you two are not to go anywhere outside without one of us. Hope does not count, it has to be one of the Pack."
"How much of a threat are they? This is the first time we've gone through something like this. We need to know." Jeremy sighed.
"If they get the chance, they will hurt you. We don't know what they want, so expect that they'll try and kill you. They have no qualms about killing."
"But they could just be here for you. You've told us before that Mutts regularly challenge you for the position as Alpha."
"I doubt that is the case. They've been quiet lately, too quiet. I'm sorry Kath, but they're most likely after you two. If they got you two, the potential of the Pack would drop, dramatically, and the danger of Mutts would increase, especially if they got you, Kath. We've talked about this."
"We're still going to school right?" Kath asked from over by the door.
"Yes. I'm going to get clearance for Nick and Karl to carry a weapon. These are also yours." Jeremy handed a mobile phone each to the twins.
"Each phone is on a contract that has unlimited minutes and texts, use it, even if it's a small thing, we want to know. The home number is on speed dial one; there is also your father's number on two, your mother's on three, mine on four, and Antonio's on five. Nick and Karl should be with you, but they're on six and seven. There are also a lot of other super-natural's numbers in each phone. You can reach anyone if you should need them. Lucas, Paige and Jamie have given you permission to ring them at any time, as has Benicio Cortez, if you should need them, the Cortez Cabal is at our service should we need it."
"Okay. What about school? How are we getting there?" Logan asked, scrutinizing his phone.
"You'll go in separate cars. Elena and Logan will walk you into the office every morning, and pick you up from the office every evening. That way, there are two of us with you when you're out in the open. You are not to deviate from this, are we clear?"
"Yes Jeremy." The twins were not about to dispute what Jeremy said, especially when he got like this. Standing in front of them wasn't Jeremy, their semi-grandfather, it was their Alpha, doing what he could to protect his Pack from those that would see it harmed. It was the first time they had really seen him like this. It made them anxious and reassured at the same time.
"There are kids. Elena and Clay have had cubs. Two of them, one male, and one female."
"Female? Are you sure?"
"Yeah, well, she had tits, so I'd say she was female."
"So the rumours are true. Female werewolves can have children of both genders.
"We need that female. She can carry our children and make more female werewolves."
You really think it's going to be that easy to get a hold of that girl? She'll be protected by the entire Pack. Karl was called back to Stonehaven from England, so the whole Pack is currently in residence. There's no chance of getting her with that kind of protection, it's suicide to try."
"So you're suggesting we let this go?"
"No, I'm saying that we need to plan, carefully. Watch Stonehaven, put a tail on members of the Pack, watch their routines and then wait, pick the most opportune moment to move and take her."
"That'll take too long."
"Would you rather go up against the Pack Alpha? What about Clay? Or a protective mother? How about the rest of the Pack? Each of them is strong, and they'll fight harder to protect the two cubs. We need more information before we strike."
"You want us to work together?"
"Foreign concept, I know, but no one mutt can do this alone. Any that do try will most like die in the attempt."
But then we'll have to share her."
"It can be done. Any children that are created from her will stay with the fathers."
"Sounds reasonable, and if it's the only way, it'll have to do."
So, who wants to stake out Stonehaven?"
Monday morning arrived in a whirl of activity as the Pack prepared for the twins' first day of school. Kathryn was rushing around looking for her hairgrips. Elena was fretting, checking that her two children had everything they needed. Nick and Karl were in the study, having everything they had already been told re-iterated to them, and getting extra threats from Clay.
"You let any harm come to them, and you won't be recognisable once I'm through with you. Clear?" Clay practically growled at the two males sitting in the chairs.
"Crystal Clayton. We care about them too." Clay just grunted, and walked out of the room to calm down his wife.
"Stay with them at all times." Jeremy said for the 3rd time this morning.
"We get it Jer', we're not stupid. You don't look so good, go get some rest." Nick was concerned, his Alpha looked worn and tired.
"I will when this first day goes off without a hitch, and the threat of these mutts is out of our lives." Nick nodded, and the two walked out of the room. Jeremy let his head fall into his hands, praying that his youngest Pack members return to the house safe at the end of the day.
"Kathryn! Logan! Time to go!" Elena stood at the bottom of the stairs and shouted.
"I'm not ready yet!" Kath's voice echoed down the stairs as her brother appeared at the top of them, book in one hand, bag in the other.
"Logan you look so handsome!" He did look handsome. The blazer gave him a serious look that suited his personality and his looks.
"It's just a uniform mom. Calm down." He stood near his mother at the bottom of the stairs, never taking his eyes from his new novel.
"Kath! Get your butt down here now! We have to go!"
"Coming!" High heels sounded on the floor above, and Kath started down the stairs, mirror in one hand, eyeliner in the other and her bag slung over one shoulder.
"Right. Let's go. Kath, you're going with your father and Nick, Logan you're coming with me and Karl." The two teens nodded at her words, and followed her into the garage, where Clay was sitting behind the wheel of one car, with Nick holding the door open. Karl slouched near the open door of the other car. Kath grabbed her twins' hand and squeezed, the only sign she was apprehensive about this. He smiled at her, and squeezed back before letting go and getting in the car. Kath climbed into hers. Nick climbed in after her, and closed the door.
"So, excited?" Nick asked as Clay started the car.
"Yup." She nodded, still doing her eyeliner.
"Nervous?" Clay backed the car out of the garage as Nick continued to question Kath.
"Absolutely." She answered, still doing her eyeliner.
"Scared?" Clay had started driving towards the school.
"A bit." She finished her eyeliner, and put it in her bag, along with her mirror.
"You know I'll protect you right? Against anything." Nick said, deadly serious.
"I know you would. That's why I'm only a little scared. I know you're here with me, so I should be okay. But it's you I'm not so sure about. That's what scares me the most." She said, looking down at her lap. Nick put an arm around her shoulders.
"Don't worry about me Kath, just do as I say, okay?"
"Sure." The rest of the journey was silent, but Kath's fears where still in place.
The two cars pulled up to the school gates. Nick and Karl got out of their respective cars first, and looked around, trying to spot any Mutts in the area. There were none, so they let Kath and Logan step out of the cars. Clay and Elena followed quickly after, and stuck close to their children. Nick and Karl closed in too, and the 6 made their way across the front yard to the school, all four adult werewolves constantly sweeping the surrounding area with their eyes, looking for potential threats. The other teens in the yard stared, drawn in by Nick and Karl's black suits, and the protective stances of Elena and Clay. Whisper's of the other's on the yard reached their sensitive ears.
"Who do you think they are?"
"Don't know, but they're new, I know that."
"The principle's daughter told me that they're the children of people in the mafia."
"That would explain the guards."
"I can't see any weapons."
"They don't look like they need them, can you see the muscles on those two guys?"
"The boy's hot."
"Look at the girls leg's, fuck, I'd have a piece of that."
Clay bristled at the last comment and swung his gaze so the boy that had said it. The dark haired teen gulped, and backed away.
The six reached the office, and the twins turned to their parents.
"Do as they say, okay?" Elena drew each into a hug as Clay said this.
"Please, be careful." Their mother whispered this into their ears as she hugged them.
"Don't worry, we will." The two reassured their parents as a secretary came forward.
"Are you Kathryn and Logan Danvers?"
"Yes."
"Ah, good. These are your timetables, and here's a map for each of you. You both scored highly on your entrance exams, so you've been placed in the advanced groups for each class." The two nodded, and took the sheets of paper they were handed. They looked over their timetables, and then swapped them. They had Math and Chemistry together, in the rest they were separated.
"I was also told that you would have a guard each. I'm guessing you two are too accompany them?" She directed the question at Nick and Karl.
"That's right." Nick said, as Karl nodded.
"And you are also both carrying a weapon?"
"Yes." They brought them out. Each had a Glock 29 pistol in a holster under they're jackets. Jeremy had asked Benicio Cortez for a firearm that would normally be carried by a bodyguard or police officer, and had recommended a Glock pistol to him, as that was the model that his guards used.
"That's fine, I was told that this had been arranged by the Principle, and that you both had licenses and the proper paperwork to carry one on your person. If you haven't any questions, then you're free to make your way to registration. Your rooms are at the top of your timetables. You go there every morning."
"I think we're fine. Thank you." Kath said, smiling at the helpful female secretary.
"Okay then, I hope you enjoy your first day at Luther King's Academy." She walked off.
"Meet us back here at the end of the day." Elena pulled her children into another hug.
"We know mom, you've told us that twice today already."
"You know the story?" Clay asked.
"Jer's the CEO of a really big company, and you're both prominent employees. A rival business is trying to undermine the company, so they're targeting the families of important employees, hence the bodyguards accompanying us." Logan and Kath said simultaneously. The bell rang, signalling the beginning of the day. Clay and Elena said goodbye to the twins, Karl and Nick, and the other four went to find their classrooms.
"See you later in Math."
"Sure. Be careful."
"You too Kath." They split up, going to their separate classrooms; Nick and Karl shadowing them close behind, each on alert. Kath knocked on the closed door of her registration room and walked in. The whole class looked up, as well as the teacher, a middle-aged man with brown hair that was greying slightly at the temples.
"Ah, you must be new. Kathryn Danvers?"
"That's right."
"Come in, come in! I'm Mr Grey. And you are?" He directed this question to Nick, who was hovering over Kath's shoulder, surveying the classroom.
"I'm Nick. Her bodyguard. Where you informed about this?"
"Ah, yes I was told, now I remember. Welcome to Luther King's Academy Kathryn, or is it Kath?"
"I prefer Kath."
"Kath it is. Well, there's an empty desk at the back. Mitsukai, will you help Kath, show her around?"
"Sure thing Mr Grey, no problem." An Asian girl with long brown hair spoke up from the desk next to the empty one. Kath made her way over and sat down.
"Hi, I'm Mitsukai Getsuei." The girl held out her hand as Kath put her bag on the floor.
"Kath Danvers. Nice to meet you."
"So why have you transferred in at this time in the school year?"
"Mitsukai, you can talk to her in a minute, let me finish what I'm saying first."
"Sorry Mr Grey."
The two girls listened the teacher as he gave out a couple of announcements. After he had finished, the Asian girl turned to Kath again.
"So? Why did you?" Asked Mitsukai, eager to get the gossip first.
"We had to move. So we had to change schools." Kath answered, deliberately been vague.
"We?" The brown haired girl tilted her head to the side.
"My twin brother, Logan, and me."
"Oh, so why the bodyguard?" A nod was directed towards Nick, who was sat beside Kath. Kath shrugged, she didn't want to go into this just yet.
"Come on, everyone's dieing to know." The girl was practically bouncing in her seat.
"My mom and dad are employees of a big company. A rival company is trying to bring it down by undermining the important people. They're targeting the families. My mom and dad are on that list, so my brother and me are in danger, hence the bodyguard." Kath said in a monotone voice.
"Cool!" Both werewolves looked at Mitsukai in astonishment. She thought a person trying to assassinate you was cool?
"Not particularly Miss Getsuei." Nick chipped in, frowning.
"Well, no not really, but still. So what company is it?" Mitsukai back-tracked over what she had said, then changed the subject.
"I can't tell you that. Sorry."
"Ah well, makes sense I guess." The bell went.
"What class do you have first?" Kath got out her timetable and smiled.
'I guess I have my first friend.' She thought to herself.
Logan took a deep breath as he knocked on the door to his registration classroom.
"Come in." A female voice sounded from in the room. He did as he was told.
"Logan Danvers?"
"That's right."
"Welcome. There's a seat in front of my desk. Your bodyguard can stay by the door. Ricky can show you around." His teacher was direct, almost to the point of being rude. He didn't like her, and by the look on Karl's face, he didn't like her either.
"Hey, I'm Ricky Gaston. Can I see your timetable?" An African-American boy with short cut black hair asked from his seat at the next table.
"Sure. Here you go." Logan handed it over. Ricky looked it over, comparing it with his own.
"I'm near a lot of your classes, so I should be able to help you find them, if not, I'll ask someone else to show you to that lesson. Is that okay?"
That's fine. Thanks for the help."
"Not a problem bro'. So, what's with the bodyguard?" Logan sighed.
'Here we go.' He thought to himself.
"I don't really want to go into it." He said, looking down at his desk. His timetable was slid in front of his face.
"That's cool, you don't have to tell me. So, who was that girl that came in with you? Your sister?" Ricky asked, not bothered in the least that he hadn't got an answer.
"My twin." Logan answered.
"Nice. The other black suit her bodyguard?" Another question asked that wasn't really all that invasive.
"Yeah." Another short answer.
"And the other two your parents, right?" Logan nodded at the question.
"Ah well, I'm sure I'll find out about the body guard eventually, if not, there are plenty of rumours going around." That caught Logan's interest.
"Like what?"
"Oh, like your parents are part of the mafia." Logan laughed at that piece of information.
"No, that's not it."
"Really? Man, that's a disappointment." Ricky grinned, joking. Logan smiled back. He liked this Ricky guy. He glanced over at Karl, who was eyeing the other boy with suspicion.
'Oh boy.' He thought. 'This isn't good.' The bell rang for first lesson.
"Come on. I'll show you to your Biology class, I'm next door in Chemistry." Rick got up, and Logan got up to follow him, leaving his whispering class behind, and ignoring Karl as he followed, scowling the whole time.
