Raised by wolves

Chapter 1: One is the loneliest number

The air was cool as she walked toward school. The frigid breeze glanced off her bare arms, leaving thin trails of goose bumps across fair skin. Her head was down, staring at the concrete sidewalk as she trudged forward and her arms were wrapped around herself. Across her shoulder hung a navy blue satchel: The fabric was slightly worn, but still useable. The breeze blew her long chestnut locks back from her face as she walked, and it streamed behind her like phantom shreds of a tattered fabric. It was very long hair, down almost to her hips. Even when in a ponytail it hung low on her back, the silky straight strands free to skitter across the fabric of her shirt. But that was how they liked it; it was easier to grab hold of that way.

The narrow street she walked on was nearly deserted, the neighborhood homes ghosts while their tenants were away at work and school. But that was why she’d picked this street to walk on. It was nice to have some quiet to her day. It certainly wasn’t peaceful at any other time. As she walked, she silently offered up a prayer that today would be a better day than yesterday. Her slender hand reached up and softly rubbed the bruise across her shoulder as she prayed. She tugged her sleeve down a little lower, knowing she needed to keep it covered. She didn’t want a teacher to see it and ask her about it again. She wanted to tell someone, really she did, but it wouldn’t do any good. In fact, it’d probably make things worse.

Soon, too soon, the sound of laughter and chatter filled her ears. The large school-building slowly grew on the horizon, students milling in front of it and moving through the wide front doors. Hunching her shoulders, a pit of dread filled her stomach. Another day of school, another day to get through. But at least it was better than at home. At least she had some friends here.Even as she thought that, a curvy Hispanic girl called her name from across the yard. “Laela! Laela, come on! We’ll be late to class!” The girl waved her arm wildly, ignoring stares from students around her. Blushing, Laela hurried forward, hoping to shush the girl before she drew too much attention to herself.

“Ay, Chica, you walk too slow!” The girl chided as Laela approached. “I’ve been waiting for twenty minutes.”

“Sorry Sophie.” A small smile crossed her lips as she endured the louder girl’s scolding. Sophie didn’t mean anything by it; it was just Sophie being, well, Sophie. The two girls walked toward the front doors as the bell began to ring. Students milled around them, pushing toward the front door as well. Someone’s bag shoved into the bruise on Laela’s shoulder and she let out a soft yelp.

“'Ey, stupido, watch it.” Sophie loudly exclaimed at the stranger’s back. The tall guy kept on walking, ignoring Sophie’s barrage of insults in Spanish. Turning to Laela, Sophie raised an eyebrow. “You alright, Lae?”

Softly rubbing her shoulder again, Laela shrugged. “Yeah, don’t worry about it.” Seeking to change the subject before Sophie asked too many questions, Laela quickly plastered a smile on her face. “So, did you finish those study questions?” A suspicious look flitted across Sophie’s face but she didn’t question further.

“Yeah. You ready for that test?”

“I guess so. Didn’t have much time to study.” Turning down a hallway, Laela kept her pace smooth and even. She did have time to study, but it was pretty hard to do it at her house, so not much had gotten done. Good thing no one except her cared about her grades.

“Oh, you should have come over to my house. My mama ordered pizza and my older brother helped me with the study sheet after bible study. Think I’ll do pretty well on this one.” As Sophie talked, Laela’s eyes scanned the hallway to make sure it was clear. Only a couple more doors and then they’d be in class and she’d be safe for the next fifty minutes. However, her hopes plummeted as three large figures appeared ahead of them, striding down the hallway toward her. Swallowing, she scooted a bit closer to Sophie and averted her crystal-blue eyes.

“Mmm.” Sophie murmured as she saw the guys coming down the hallway. “I’d like to get me a piece of that.” They were all three tall, taller than almost every other guy in school. And big. Not big as in fat, but big as in muscled. Their wide shoulders were corded with muscles, and the thin fabric of their shirts barely concealed the broadness of their chests. It was almost unnatural. All three were the star football players of the school, two of them seniors, one a junior. And all of them were abnormally attractive, leaving every girl in the school rabidly drooling over them. Laela and Sophie, being only juniors and rather unpopular, didn’t associate with them. Keeping her head down, Laela did her best to scuttle past, hoping to remain unseen. As they stomped past, a wake of cheerleaders and popular-wannabes in their trail, Laela felt a sharp tug on a chunk of her hair. Glancing up, she met the closest guy’s eyes as he glared down at her. “Lunch.” Was all he mouthed, but his dark eyes were sharp, demanding. Releasing her, he continued walking, acting as if nothing had happened. And to everyone else, it hadn’t happened. Her hair was so long that it was hard to tell his hand was in it, and he’d paused for only the briefest of seconds.

Breathing heavily, Laela stayed still as the rest passed by, all ignoring her, until Sophie tugged hard on her arm. “Come on hermana, we’re gonna be late.”

Nodding, Laela allowed herself to be dragged into their English classroom, barely paying attention at where she sat or what she did once she was there. She snapped back to attention, however, at the end of class. Ms. Harper, the teacher, stopped by her desk while the room emptied.

“Laela, can I talk to you?” The pretty teacher was young, and this was her first year teaching. She was nice enough, but Laela avoided her. Nodding slowly, Laela glanced across the room at Sophie who waited by the door, a puzzled expression on her face. Sophie shrugged.

“Laela, to tell you the truth, I’m a little worried about you. Are things alright at home?” Her expression was slightly troubled.“Yes ma’am. Everything’s fine.” Laela replied automatically. She’d never tell her teacher the truth, ever. “Are you sure? I’ve been watching you during class, and your mind is always somewhere else. Your papers show a lot of promise, but I don’t think you’re applying yourself completely. You have a lot of potential. I thought maybe we could set up a private tutoring session, maybe after school.” Offering a hesitant smile, Ms. Harper looked like she was genuinely trying to be helpful.

A slightly panicked look crossed Laela’s face before she could hide it. “No! I mean, no thank you. I’m busy after school.”“Well, maybe your parents could help you, maybe proofread your papers.” Laela’s expression hardened. “My parents are dead.” “Oh! Oh, Laela, I’m sorry.” Ms. Harper’s pretty face looked shocked and slightly embarrassed. “It’s ok. They died seven years ago. I live with my brother.” Her face settled into a blank mask. “Oh, oh, well, then.” She hesitated, watching Laela closely. “Well, if you find some time, I’ll certainly help you with English.”

Shrugging slightly, Laela offered a sweet smile. “Sure, Ms. Harper. Thank you.” Picking up her bag, she quickly stood up, eager to leave.“And Laela…that bruise looks pretty nasty. You might want to be a little more careful.” A knowing look spread across her face, and she raised her eyebrows as if waiting for Laela to tell her something.Glancing down, Laela realized that her shirt sleeve had risen up. Grimacing, she tugged it down quickly, hiding the mark. “Sure thing. Thanks.” Ducking her head, Laela quickly exited the room, nearly passing Sophie who offered her a questioning look.“It’s nothing. She just asked me about one of my papers.” Glancing over her shoulder, Laela caught sight of her young teacher, staring after her with a puzzled expression.

The test was horrible, and Laela was pretty certain she hadn’t passed. Didn’t matter. It might drop her letter grade, but that still gave her a C in the class, and that was passing. She was more worried about the fact that it was time for lunch and Sophie was nowhere in sight. She felt safer around her feisty friend. Laela entered the lunchroom, nervously fidgeting with the strap on her bag. Her sandwich was in her hand, tightly wrapped in plastic, but she wasn’t too sure she’d even get to eat it. Ducking through a throng of students, Laela kept her head down and moved along the edge of the room.

Out of the corner of her eye she could see the table where the football players sat, loudly talking and laughing. Glancing just beyond them, she could see where the side door led to more tables outside. Moving faster, she trotted toward the door, hoping to sneak outside unseen. Then maybe she could eat her lunch in peace for once. Of course, it didn’t work, the same as always. As soon as she placed a foot outside the door they were next to her, one on each side and one behind. Their tall figures dwarfed her petite form by more than a foot, hiding her from the view of the student population that had chosen to eat outside on a February afternoon.

Swallowing, she nervously tugged on the strap of her bag, biting her lip. “C’mon.” The tallest one grabbed her by the hair, roughly yanking her head. “Behind the stairs.” He kept a firm grip on her silky strands, towing her behind him as he strode toward a set of stairs that led to a higher patio. Behind the stairs there was a small alcove, hidden from the rest of the schoolyard. As long as no one approached, they were totally obscured from view. Even though there was probably someone who had seen them go in, they were never bothered. The football players were practically like gods around the school. And if they wanted to be left alone, people left them alone. With a smack Laela found herself thrown against the wall, her back against the cold stone.

Chills raced up and down her spine as she adjusted to the cold temperature. The tallest guy released her and took a step back. With his clean-cut, brown hair and chocolate brown eyes, he could melt almost any girl’s heart with one glance. But right now, those eyes looked anything but warm. Slightly behind him and a little to the left stood the shortest of the three. He was slightly smaller in build, and his babyish face was almost cherubic with innocent blue eyes, while his dark brown hair was gelled up into a faux hawk. The third guy stood to his other side, betraying the most emotion. With slightly curly brown hair and pouty lips, his face looked artistic, but his clear amber eyes were bright, trained on her with an animal ferocity. “Shane. Please. I just wanted to eat lunch.” Laela pressed back into the wall, pushing herself as far away as she could get inside such a small space. The third guy moved forward, too close for comfort, and placed his hands on her waist. His hands were so big, and her waist so small, that he completely enveloped her hips in his grip. Leaning forward, he pressed his forehead against the wall and stared down at her, his amber eyes boring a hole into her skull. His grip was tight, constricting, and she found it hard to breathe.

Ignoring both of them, Shane, the tallest, took a step back and allowed himself to lean against the cold stone. He folded his arms across his chest, maintaining a look of cool composure. For a second he eyed her tiny form, seeming to note the fact that she still gripped her sandwich and bag tightly, as if she needed to hold onto something. “You walk to school by yourself this morning?” His voice was low, and slightly gruff. “Y-yes. Same as every morning.” As she spoke, the guy holding her squeezed her waist a little tighter and she gasped. “Ash. Stop.” “Don’t like that. Don’t think your brother likes it either.” Shane kept a cold look on his face, but his eyes travelled down her body, seeming to ignore her discomfort. “He never said anything to me-” Laela looked nervous. “You’d better go with us in the mornings.” Pronouncing his verdict, Shane snapped his gaze straight up to her face, daring her to disagree. Laela slowly nodded, knowing it wasn’t debatable. A thick cloud of misery moved in over her head. They’d just taken away the one time of freedom in her day. Besides that, they left half an hour early so that they could stop for breakfast. Heaving up a resigned prayer, Laela forced herself to keep from showing any sign that she was unhappy. He’d see and only make it worse. “Mm. Won’t this be fun?” Ash murmured, pulling one of his hands away from her waist and moving it up to her neck. His fingers reached almost the whole way around the appendage, but thankfully he didn’t squeeze too tightly. Instead he forced her head to tilt to one side and eyed the lily white skin below her ear.

Bending down, he pressed his nose against the exposed flesh and inhaled softly. “Smells good.”Turning her terror-stricken eyes to Shane, she was unsurprised to see only an amused look across his face. The boy to his right smirked too, arms folded across his broad chest. “Ash, don’t bite.” Shane finally spoke, his lips twitching. His tongue flicked wet across her skin before he pulled his fingers back. With a soft gasp she pressed a hand to her throat, softly rubbing where he’d left red marks. Ash released her completely and licked his lips, his face fierce and excited. “Lae, that sandwich looks good.” Reaching forward, the smallest guy snatched her lunch right out of her hand. “Nice of you to bring it for me.” Crystal-blue eyes filling with tears, Laela stared at her lunch as it was devoured. “Cale, that was my lunch.”Shrugging, he licked his fingers. “Oh well. You can handle missing a couple meals.”Glancing down at herself, Laela noted her trim figure and narrow waist. She had a nicely proportioned figure, albeit a bit small, but she couldn’t exactly find any fat that she needed to lose. In fact, she probably needed to gain a little. Any extra food at the house was quickly scarfed down by people who were much larger and quicker than she was. Unfolding his arms, Shane stood up straight and glanced out of the entry-way, noting the students who were heading toward the entry door. Glancing back at Laela, he jerked his head toward the yard. “Get back inside. Lunch is almost over.” Shoulders straightening, she quickly skirted past the three, eager to get away and into the relative safety of the school.

Before she could escape, however, Ash grabbed hold of her arm, jerking her to a halt. “Wait in the car during practice after school. Ms. Harper is looking for you.” Raising a brow, he glanced over at Shane, who nodded in agreement. “I was going to go study with Sophie during—“ Laela quickly inserted, glancing between the three. Shane cut her off. “Wait in the car.” He growled, drawing his lips back slightly. Ash’s grip tightened enough on her arm to sting before he released her. Ducking her head again, Laela quickly nodded and darted away, making a bee-line for the doors. She didn’t dare look back at them, intent on getting to her next class. Hopefully she would make it there before anything else happened.