Chapter 2 - Rayla
“Your son is violent and out of control.”
Rayla Johnson stared listlessly at the wall clock behind the principal as he droned on and on about her son, Abel.
“Yes, the school is here to help. But we cannot keep doing this at the expense of other students.” The principal seemed to be having a swell day as he chirped on.
Rayla massaged her temples, distraught about her thirteen-year-old’s situation. He kept getting into trouble. Lately, it had become a regular occurrence for her to be called into the school.
She was at work when the call from his school came in. Although it was not her first rodeo, she’d panicked. Rayla assumed someone was hurt.
Abel’s previous altercation ended with minor injuries for someone. Detentions and suspensions for some weeks were not new to Abel. Yet, she had a gnawing feeling that the new case would end differently.
Maybe it was the way the secretary’s voice had dropped when she said “serious trouble” or maybe it was because Abel’s anger issues kept getting worse by the day.
He had been closely monitored since his last altercation. But that didn’t mean he couldn’t burst out at any time. Abel was capable of tremendously hurting himself or someone else. This was slowly becoming Rayla’s greatest fear.
She had hoped that she was wrong about the severity of the issue. Her hopes were dashed the moment she saw the principal. His eyes sparkled with excitement, like a hunter that had finally caught a prey.
Now, she sat defeated as he went on describing all the incidents Abel had been involved in.
“Three weeks ago, your son threw a ball at his classmate’s face…” he paused for dramatic effect. “He broke the poor boy’s nose!”
Rayla gritted her teeth. She remembered the incident clearly. The parents of the injured boy were boorish. She’d pleaded with them to let it go but their walls had been up. It was either she paid for his nose surgery or was sued. The boy didn’t even need surgery but Rayla had to comply to avoid more consequences.
“We all assumed it was just an accident, so we let it go,” he shrugged. “Let’s not also forget about the time he furiously chased his football mate and caused the poor boy to trip and dislocate his shoulder.” Rayla flinched at this.
“I can keep reading out your son’s crimes, but what will that amount to?”
Rayla’s face contorted into a frown. “I would appreciate it if you don’t call them his ‘crimes’,” she countered without breaking a beat.
He had no right to call her son a criminal. Of course, it wasn’t news that Abel was hotheaded. She had watched him grow into the boy he became. Regardless of what most people thought of him, he was also a sweet boy. Her son’s emotions just tended to take hold of him.
The principal wiggled in his seat. Rayla’s eyes shot daggers at him. On a different day, it would have been enough to shut him up. Unfortunately, he had the winning card. His confidence was at its peak.
He cleared his throat and countered, “Miss Johnson, I’m sorry if that offends you, but that is exactly what they are.”
Rayla balled her fist. His words were sending hot lava down her veins.
“He has been causing havoc, but we can’t and won’t let this one go easily.”
Rayla had no means to defend her son’s actions. Abel had brutally beaten up three of his classmates during the lunch break.
According to the eyewitnesses, he was eating when a group of boys from his class gathered at his table. Nobody could hear what the boys were saying, but they heard laughter. While they were laughing, Abel knocked the wooden table down and went to town on them with heavy punches.
The boys were helpless as they couldn’t move away from the table or Abel’s grip. There was an opening for one of the boys when Abel turned his fury to the other two. One boy threw some punches at Abel, but he turned on him, and the boy realized his mistake. He had managed to run to the entrance of the cafeteria when his escape was cut short. Abel descended on him with great speed and threw him back to where the others were with inhuman ease.
While all this happened, everybody watched in fear and amazement. It took the football coach and an 11th-grader to stop him. At that point, the boys had already sustained severe injuries.
Rayla’s head spun. How did it come to this? Her son hurting his classmates? What could she possibly say to that?
Hot tears stung her eyes. She sniffed. Crying would not solve this problem. She had to be strong for her son. Although, he had been wrong to beat those boys up, she knew he had his reasons.
“He hurt those boys, Miss Johnson.” The principal’s voice interrupted her inner turmoil.
He clasped his hands and leaned in close to her. “Miss Johnson, let me be honest.”
She could hear the contempt in his voice when he called her name.
“This is one of the main reasons children are meant to be in a two-parent household,” he pushed his glasses back up his nose. “You see, you put a child at the risk of being a menace to society without a proper family structure.”
Rayla held back the urge to snort or roll her eyes. She was extremely tired of hearing the same scurrilous old tale. Much like the principal, every other person in the community shared the same ideology. They had disliked her from the moment she came back home pregnant—without a father. To them, she was a loose woman, and her son was a stigma to their society.
Their aversion for her and her son had grown over the years. Abel’s destructive nature had only amplified their hateful emotions toward them.
She knew he was not happy living in Widow’s Creek.
Abel had always been stronger than kids his age. So, it was quite easy for him to hurt them. He had no friends. Kids either bullied or feared him. It made Rayla grief-stricken to watch him grow with so many raw emotions.
“And this is why Abel is suspended for the semester. The next PTA will determine if we reinstate him or expel him,” he stated.
Rayla had been listening absently, but the last statement jerked her out of her thoughts. “Sorry, you want to expel him?” she piqued.
The principal shook his head in disgust. “Are you even listening?”
The PTA board would definitely vote for him to be expelled. The suspension was clearly just a ruse. She couldn’t defend her son. But, she could solicit on his behalf. So, she swallowed her pride and begged.
“I am deeply remorseful about this. My son’s actions were wrong, but you have to please reconsider your decision. I beg of you. Suspend him. He will come back better. I promise. You don’t need to involve the board.”
The principal had never hidden his dislike for Rayla. He also didn’t mask the glee in his eyes as he watched her beg. Rayla was sure he would tell the others in town about this, and they would praise him for putting her in her place. Rayla was irritated by the whole lot of them.
“You don’t get to tell me what the right punishment is. I decide what the punishment will be! You should be glad we are not sending him away immediately.”
He raised his hand to signal her silence just as she was about to speak. “My decision is final, Miss Johnson. Take your son and go home.”
Rayla knew when to save her pride. Now was the time. She wasn’t going to grovel to the judgmental oaf.
No, there was no need to give him gratification. Rayla stared at the principal with undiluted hate. She very much wanted to slap the slight smirk right off his face. But if she took a drastic step like that it would only make matters worse.
She picked up her purse she had flung on the opposite chair earlier. She was about to leave the office when he called her back.
“Here are the cards of the boys’ parents. Make sure to reach out to them. They most likely will ask you to pay for the hospital bills.” He gave a pretentious smile. As if that could make him appear less ruthless to Rayla.
She swiftly collected the cards and walked out without a second glance.
Rayla called out to Abel, who had been sitting outside the office. He was waiting for her with the principal’s secretary. Rayla smiled at the secretary but was rewarded with a frigid glance.
The secretary was the one person who had been less hostile to Rayla. Sadly, it seemed this had changed that. As Rayla and Abel left the school building, she sensed her disapproving gaze on her back.
Rayla walked to her car, broken and defeated. For a town named Widow’s Creek, they sure knew how to show kindness to a single mother. Technically, she was not a widow. But, since the father of her son was dead to her, she assumed she could pass as one.
She got into the car, and Abel climbed into the back seat. She wished she could curl up in a ball and cry. But she saw her son’s face in the rear mirror and erased the thought.
He gazed outside the window. A beautiful teenage boy with night-black hair framing his face. Rayla mentally noted his need for a trim then laughed at herself as she realized there were more important things to deal with.
She marveled at Abel’s existence. He was a stunning blend of herself and his father, his father’s resemblance more prominent. He had her fair skin and his father’s facial features.
Abel was her ray of sunlight. She would gladly give up the world for him.
Rayla clutched her chest as he turned to fully face her. His eyes were a breathtaking replica of his father’s—beautifully black and intense. At that moment, they conveyed a deep sadness that transferred to her.
Since he had turned ten, he seemed to be fighting something inside of him. He had battled this for so long, and now, at thirteen, he seemed to be losing the fight. It often felt like he could no longer control the pent-up anger bubbling inside him.
Rayla smiled sadly at him through the rear mirror as she started the car.
“Mom, I’m sorry.” Abel started as tears threatened to fall. “I didn’t mean to,” his voice broke.
Abel was such a good boy. He didn’t deserve to go through this. Rayla wanted to protect and guide her baby. Unfortunately, she wasn’t doing so well. Although what he did was terrible, she knew there was a trigger. So, she gave him a chance to explain himself.
“Will you tell me what happened, Baby?”
Abel bowed his head.
“I didn’t mean to start a fight. Or even beat them up to that point, Mom.” He fidgeted with his hand. He went quiet, contemplating. Rayla held her breath and waited patiently for him to continue. She knew saying anything might upset him and make him keep his thoughts to himself.
When he finally spoke, his voice was so raw with pain and anger that it broke Rayla’s heart. “The boys… they called me a fatherless bastard.”
Immediately Rayla’s vision was clouded with red. She was filled with so much rage. They bullied her boy. She wanted to do damage to someone. However, getting wrapped up in her emotions wouldn’t help Abel. So, she tried to keep her anger at bay.
Abel’s lips quivered as he continued. “I wished they had stopped then.” His eyes went cold. “But then they called you a skank and a tramp. They said everybody in the town thought so, too. That was when I lost it, Mom,” he ended vehemently.
A shiver ran down Rayla’s spine.
Rayla knew what the town thought of them. They never hid it from her. At first, it was tough for her to bear the abuse. Many nights, she cried herself to sleep. It took her years to grow a thick skin to endure the town’s abuse. She was now used to their snarks, side comments, and confrontations.
But her heart broke knowing Abel now had to face the same thing. Despite being such a strong child, he was highly sensitive. She wished she could shield him from their abuse. Fighting for her honor was a sweet gesture, but it was wrong. She had to make him understand this.
“Honey, I understand why you snapped,” she calmly stated. “But, you shouldn’t have beaten them up. You don’t need to use violence to avoid bullies, and you most definitely don’t have to fight for my honor.”
She watched as he balled his fist and bit his lower lips. Scolding Abel had never been her favorite thing. Yet she pressed on.
“Abel, you have to do better,” she said as she drove out of the parking space into the road.
“Mom, believe me, I wanted to let it go,” he replied. “I try my best to not blow up. But I’m always so angry. And I don’t know why I can’t control it.”
Rayla shot a glance at her son. She saw the torment all over his face. She sighed and wished she could say she didn’t know either. But Rayla couldn’t forget or outrun the truth. She knew Abel’s temper was because he was not human. Just like his father wasn’t.
Tall, dark, and handsome Xander.
It had been years since she last saw him. Still, Rayla’s memory held clear images of him.
Abel’s father was a werewolf. His blood in Abel’s vein made him one, too.
This was the truth that she had been hiding. Every day, she prayed she’d never have to face this truth. Rayla glanced at Abel again. He was brooding with his hands still fisted on his lap.
As she drove them home, her mind drifted to the day she found out Xander’s secret. It was the most surreal day of her life.
Xander had asked her on a hiking date. Rayla was up for this as she was a known-adrenaline junkie. They headed out early in the day. They planned to reach the top of the mountain before lunch.
Rayla was giddy and prepared. She had packed water and snacks along. It was their third official date. She wanted everything to be perfect.
Hiking up the mountain went smoothly with no hiccups. She was mesmerized by the view from the top. The forest’s trees were green and lively. The little lake by the river flowed peacefully. Rayla had been so intrigued by the birds flying around.
Rayla’s parents were a bit overprotective. So, she hardly got the opportunity to experience nature this way. She was glad Xander brought her.
They stayed on the top for a while, making out and enjoying the scenery. Things fell apart as they hiked down. Rayla stumbled on a rock, and she lost her footing. She slipped and fell down the mountain.
It all happened so fast that she couldn’t scream for help. Xander was a few feet away from her. She doubted he saw her slip. As she fell, she saw her life flash before her eyes.
Rayla had accepted her inevitable death when a figure caught her eyes. She thought it was Xander but wasn’t sure. The figure had Xander’s eyes, but they glowed darker than normal. Xander’s nose and mouth were gone, replaced by a snout and a wide mouth filled with sharp canines. His legs and hands were now bigger, furry, and with sharp claws.
The wolf-man jumped down the edge of the mountain after Rayla. She couldn’t believe her eyes. Terror gripped her. She screamed as she kept falling. But then, he caught her. Seeing him so close, Rayla’s eyes grew with dread. She passed out in shock.
Rayla was out for some time. When she came to, she saw Xander caressing her hair. She was terrified and hysterical. She had been expecting to see the wolf-man, but he wasn’t there.
Xander calmed her down and promised to provide answers.
Although Rayla was still terribly shaken, she listened with rapt attention to every word Xander said.
He told her of what he was and his people. Rayla was the first human he had told his secret to. He apologized for hiding the truth. Xander confided in her about how his people cannot be exposed to the mundane. Then, he begged her to keep it a secret.
It was a lot to take in. But several mysteries she had wondered about Xander became clear to her.
Xander was shaken, too. He kept kissing her hands like he needed assurance from her. He seemed scared that she would leave him.
She looked at him closely and all she saw was the person she was in love with, certainly not a beast.
Xander exposed his people’s secret to her because he loved her. Because he couldn’t watch her die when he could do something about it. Werewolf or not, Xander was a good person. So, she vowed to keep his existence a secret.
He was delighted when she kissed him and asked to see his wolf.
Xander’s wolf was black and huge. She admired and caressed him. They spent the rest of the day in each other arms.
She shook her head as the memory faded. All the promises he made were lies in the end. He left when she needed him the most.
Too bad for him. Rayla was content with herself and her son. It was both of them against the world.
Although things didn’t end well with Xander, she still kept her promise. Maybe even more so than before. After all, a word from her could gravely endanger her werewolf son.
Rayla couldn’t help being constantly worried about Abel. He was thirteen, and she knew little of what to expect next. Getting help would be the sensible thing to do.
Xander had told her that there were different wolf towns. She could move to one of those and get Abel the help he clearly needed. Yet, she couldn’t bring herself to do that.
The possibility of someone in one of the wolf towns seeing Abel and connecting his resemblance to Xander was extremely high. If news got to Xander about Abel… she couldn’t let herself think of what would happen then.
Keeping Abel away from Xander is not being selfish, is it?
Rayla wondered if her intentions were selfish. She was trying to be a good mother. The whole dilemma was just too much to handle sometimes.
Rayla and Abel were exhausted by the time they got home. She instructed Abel to go wash up and rest while she got busy around the house. Her mind was heavily burdened by everything that was happening even as she went to bed.
For a while, she tossed and turned, unable to sleep. Just as she began to drift off, she heard a loud crash. She jolted off her bed.
Disoriented and drowsy, Rayla’s mother instincts kicked in. “Abel?” she whispered.
She ran up to Abel’s bedroom. The door was left ajar as always, but Abel was not in the room. Her heart raced as she noticed his bed in tatters. It looked like a beast had run its claws through the sheets.
Abel, where are you?
She looked toward the window to see it shattered in pieces. A body had broken through the glass. Immediately, a sinking feeling settled in her gut. Terror iced her blood as she looked at the full moon in the night sky.