Chapter three ~ United we stand, divided we fall

Serenity ~

Serenity's initial thoughts after splitting off with the boys was, 'I'm screwed'. Unlike the boys, she was certain she would not be able to outrun a fully grown wolf demon.

Despite being the fastest, most athletic girl in her year, that meant nothing when a horrifying beast was on her tail, not far behind her. She glanced back, seeing the wolf turn down the corridor she was in. Biting back another scream, she continued running.

If the tales from the fiction books she read were true, there were three main weaknesses that would lead to the downfall of a werewolf. One : silver. That was pretty pointless because Serenity seriously doubted a silver buttering knife from the cafeteria would do anything in her favour. Two : wolfsbane. A purple plant that only blossomed in the winter. That was out of the picture for obvious reasons.

And three : mistletoe. Serenity lept down the stairs three at a time to try and reach the ground floor. Mistletoe was also a wasted idea. The only time they had mistletoe was Christmas because the teachers thought it was hilarious to try and make students kiss their worst enemy.

Serenity shivered at the mental image of her last Christmas when she was two inches away from Eugene Dickson, the most despicable fuck-boy in the seventh grade. He was lucky the only thing she did was break his nose.

"You're too slow, demigod." The wolf hollered from behind. ''I'm gonna catch you and take your pretty little head as a trophy."

A curse left her mouth. She kept running, despite her lungs screaming for air. Now was no time for her to suddenly develop asthma.

Just as her foot was about to reach the final step, a hard, furry figure slammed into her from behind. A horrified scream left her mouth as her front crashed hard against the floor.

Ow!

Serenity felt the vibrations of the wolf's mocking laughter. Her inner organs groaned as they were squished harder onto the floor.

"I to-oold you!" The wolf chuckled in delight. "I will savour your pretty little face for dessert - ARGH!"

The wolf recoiled as Serenity slammed her fist into his face. A knuckle-punch. Those hurt the most. Using her smaller body to her advantage, she quickly slipped underneath him and tried to run back up the stairs.

"Not so fast!" Serenity scrambled as fast as she could, but to no avail. The wolf's claws dug into her ankle. That would leave a mark, Serenity thought. Well, assuming she made it out alive, that is.

"You're gonna pay for that cheap sho - ARGH!"

He'll never learn, Serenity thought. She retracted her foot from his face, slamming it against his snout again, just for good measure.

Then she took off, this time for real. She lept over his body, moving her legs as fast as she could as they carried her down the stairs. This was certainly not how she expected her new school year to start out.

Her mind flashed back to this morning, where she stood at the front porch of her adopted parent's house. She remembered promising that this year, she would try harder, and she would not get suspended for fighting again. Of course, she had been lying through her teeth, but they didn't need to know that.

She knew they'd find something else to complain about anyway, and then they'd have another reason to beat her up again. It was always something, whether she didn't get exactly one hundred percent on her biology exam, or she completely flunked Geography, or she blamed her dyslexia in English.

No matter what, no matter how hard she tried, she could never be good enough in their eyes. And that's why she continued to resent Aleksander Wolfe. If only he'd been chosen that day, maybe things would have been different. Maybe then she'd be happier.

But no. She wouldn't want the things that happen to her to happen to him. Sure, he really ticked her off sometimes and got on her last nerve, but she didn't want him to suffer. That was just plain cruel.

"Oh, man," the wolf, whose name she discovered was Donovan, said. "Now I'm really gonna crush you. Maybe I'll have a little fun before I rip out your heart."

Serenity felt her eyebrow twitch as she ran. Don't say it, she pleaded herself. Don't do it, don't tick him off any more than you already have -

"Eat shit, asshole!" She yelled. "You smell like you've been run over by a dump truck! Use a goshdamn shower!"

Idiot. Serenity is such an idiot. But it was definitely worth it to see his outraged face. She mentally cackled to herself, although her good mood vanished when she heard his footsteps gaining on her.

Well, this wasn't good.

She tried to stay focused. The cafeteria looked to be about ten yards away. She could make it. She could. She knew she could.

And she would have, if only the stupid idiot hadn't gotten in her way. Eugene Dickson strolled lazily out of geometry, most likely having just failed his test. A small voice at the back of her head reminded her that she had also failed, being too busy running for her life to even answer the first question.

Eugene stopped in the middle of the hallway, taking his time as he reached into his bag to look for his phone (probably). Serenity didn't have time to swerve out of the way. Her legs were moving too fast to slow down, and if she had emergency braked, she would have broken a bone.

And so, for the second time today, her body slammed full pelt straight into his, sending them both flying as they rolled across the floor.

"What the - "

Her head smacked against the floor with such an impact that every tooth she currently had in her mouth vibrated. It was not a pleasant feeling.

"Screw you, Slater!" Eugene snapped. He quickly rose to his feet, embarrassment creeping up his cheeks when he realised his friends had seen it all happen. He growled, gripping Serenity by her hair and slamming her head back down on the floor.

Her head spun. Her vision blanked out for a split second, and dizziness overcame her. All she wanted to do was lay on the floor and wait for the flee bag to put her out of her misery. But then Serenity remembered she didn't want to die acting like a pathetic loser.

She pushed to her feet, glancing around. Eugene stood right next to her, calling out to his snickering friends with flaming cheeks. Donovan, the wolf, was slowly strolling up to her, still choking on his laughter. Apparently, he thought the whole situation was just peachy.

"Man," Donovan tried to calm his breathing. "That was amusing to watch. You looked absolutely ridiculous the way your eyes were wide, and your face was full of disgust."

Serenity scowled. Eugene suddenly stopped, turning to face Donovan. His brows furrowed as he looked around. "Who let a chihuahua in here?"

Donovan's nostrils flared. "Chihuahua?!" he roared. ''How dare you! I should eat you right now for such an insult. Oh, if only humans didn't taste so plain..!'' Donovan picked Eugene up by his blonde hair, lifting him up so they looked eye to eye. "You know what, I'll just take your he - "

"There's seasonings in the cafeteria." Serenity informed nochantly, as if she were talking about a dish instead of a teenaged boy. She tried to keep her voice neutral. "I could show you - "

"Not. So. Fast." Serenity yelped as she was lifted up by the back of her shirt, preventing her from a not-so-swift getaway. She knew she should have just bolted.

Donovan twisted her around, moving Eugene to the side so she was now looking into his moon-like orange eyes. "I haven't forgotten about you and your cheap little tricks." He glanced between her and Eugene, as if having trouble picking who he wanted to eat first.

Eugene gulped. ''Since when did Chihuahua's know how to talk?"

Serenity couldn't tell if Eugene was actually an idiot or just plain stupid. How could he not see there was a literal werewolf in front of him, who was currently plotting his death. Was he trying to bluff his way to survival by playing stupid? Serenity didn't think he was smart enough to even think that far ahead.

"You." Donovan turned his attention to Serenity, practically spitting venom in her face. A drop of the black liquid landed on her nose, and it took every inch of her not to scream. It felt like molten lava on her skin, and the smell was that bad she was close to losing consciousness.

Swallowing hard, she innocently tilted her head. ''Yes?"

"Show me where the garlic and cream cheese is, and I might kill you quickly." Serenity decided to take her chance. Donovan didn't let either of them go, still holding a weeping Eugene by his hair and herself by her favourite t-shirt.

"Keep go-ooing straight." She instructed, trying to waste as much time as possible. Donovan stopped at the closed cafeteria door. "Is this it?" he demanded.

Serenity pretended to think. "Well, I'm pretty sure ... um, according to my memory cells that remember lots of useful and important information..." She faltered under Donovan's intense glare. "Yes, this is it."

Her heart pounded as Donovan kicked the door in. She was going to point out that the door was open already, however decided against it after picking up on the wolf's sour mood.

"Just through the back there." Serenity's voice sounded several octaves higher now that she was this close to her death. "The kitchen's just through that door."

''It had better be." Donovan growled. Serenity wasn't sure who's whimpers were louder - her's or Eugene's. Either way, they were both paralysed in fear as they were carried closer to their deaths.

Donovan flung Eugene's limp body onto the kitchen island with so much force that he lost consciousness and a human-sized dent was left in it. Serenity tried to steady her erratic breathing. "The cream cheese is in the fridge. The garlic should be in one of those cupboards over there - "

"Find it!" Donovan ordered. He dropped her carelessly onto the floor as he moved over to the fridge. Serenity forced her legs to move.

She knew the garlic was in the third cupboards to the left of her, however decided to play the long game. She hoped she wasn't trembling as much as she felt.

"Not in here..." She called out. Serenity tilted her head back just in time to see the overly aggressive wolf rip the fridge door off and toss it behind him like it was made of paper.

Donovan rose a furry eyebrow at her. "Uh, I-I'll keep lo-ooking."

"That's what I thought."

Focus, Serenity thought. She reached into the draw where she knew the knives were, taking out the biggest, sharpest steak knife there was. She closed her eyes briefly, preparing herself for what she was about to do.

She hid the knife behind her leg, sucking in a shaky breath. If this went wrong, she was as good as a buttered lamb in a lion's den. Or, more specifically, a buttered 'demigod' wrapped in garlic and cream cheese about to be violently mutilated by a smelly wolf.

"Donovan?" She called, not turning around. Her body flinched at his angry shout of, ''What?!"

Serenity didn't answer, clenching her hand around the handle of the knife. Shivers shot down her neck when she heard him turn around.

"What could you possibly want, demigod?" He spat out. ''How hard is it to find some stupid garlic?"

His looming body cast a shadow over her. He was that close that she could feel his breathing on the back of her head. Do it, you just gotta go for it, Serenity told herself.

"Well?! ANSWER ME!"

Now!

Batter up!

She turned, hand clutching the knife as if it were a baseball bat. Serenity swung, aiming straight for his neck. The knife passed through him easily, and his ugly head fell to the floor with a faint, 'thud'.

The knife slipped out of Serenity's loosened grip almost instantly. Tears streamed down her face as she stepped over his body, jumping over the discarded fridge door and she sprinted out of the kitchen.

"Get away," she muttered to herself. "Away. Far away. Get out. Get out!"

Rushing through the cafeteria, she had no intention of stopping until she heard that voice, that calming, reassuring voice of Rhys Finnick.

"Serenity?"

There he was, sweating and breathing just as heavily as she was, slowly approaching her from the broken cafeteria door. Seeing him staring at her, eyes full of concern, reminded her just why she had a crush on him last year.

Rhys smiled as he reached her, wrapping her shaking body in a warm hug. "I - he ... the wolf - "

"It's alright." He said. "They're gone."

After a few seconds, Serenity stepped back. She wiped her face with he back of her hand. Neither of them knew what to say, both stunned by what had just happened to them.

It was eventually Rhys who broke the silence. "We have to find Alex." He said, urgency now evident in his tone. "If one wolf chased me, and assuming one chased you, that means he's running from three."

Serenity didn't have the chance to respond. She was interrupted by a slow clapping sound from behind. Horror painted her cheeks as she turned her head.

Donovan stood at the kitchen door, his head suddenly now back on his shoulders. His claws appeared even more threatening now.

Her whole body froze. Silver, wolfsbane or mistletoe. She was an idiot thinking she could kill it with a mere steak knife. Rhys's face paled, probably now realising it, too. "Oh ... shit."

"Maxie told you Maxie loves fire." A high-pitched voice from the other side of the room said. Another orange-eyed wolf, most likely the one Rhys thought he had killed, stood in he cafeteria doorway. His fur was matted and sticking up in different directions, and Serenity didn't know if he realised half of his body was currently on fire.

"Shit." Rhys repeated.

"We're so screwed." Serenity said under her breath.

Her eyes frantically scanned the room looking for an escape plan as the two demonic creatures closed in on them from both sides. She stepped backwards, her back hitting Rhys's front.

"What do we do?" She asked.

But, as it turns out, they didn't have to do anything. A loud, repetitive blaring erupted from the ceiling. The sound richoeted off the walls, a noise that deafening that both wolves howled in pain, clutching their ears.

At first, Serenity thought it was the emergency bell. Then, she realised, it was something much better : the fire alarm.

The sprinklers sprung into action quickly, shooting ice cold water down from the ceilings. From beneath her dampened hair, Serenity met eyes with Rhys, both of them thinking the exact same thing. "Alex." They spoke in unison.

Rhys grabbed her wrist, leaving both wolves howling in agony as they slid around the wet floors.

They needed to find Alex.