These characters belong to Patricia Briggs, in her books of Mercy Thompson and Alpha and Omega. A few of the characters I made up. Evan Cornick is one of them.

1: November

Montana is cold. There are mainly two seasons, winter, then it gets a little warm, with flowers and green trees and grass. Then it's cold again, and everything dies. Though what I don't understand is why people want to be changed into werewolves. With all the crap going around with the Bright Future, and the new laws they are trying to place. Gosh, human's can be stupid at times, for what they don't understand they fear, and fear makes them do idiotic things I didn't think was possible for people to be that stupid.

Today though was a school day to my dismay, Bran, my alpha and adoptive father enrolled me in the Aspen Spring's school. It was just one building. Not very big actually, k-12.

"...Evan."

Confused I looked up at our math teacher, Ms. Brown. George's wife. She is nice and all, her husband still breads dogs to try and match the paw prints us wolves leave behind. At my blank expression, she sighed. "To the board, you have number two,"

Looking at the math problem, which I was good at as I walked I did it in my head and wrote the answer on the board. Ms. Brown blinked.

"Evan, you need to show a little work, or you will not get any points."

"Is it wrong?"

"Wrong or not. Even a scientist has to show their work."

I did as asked. Yeah, I was not happy at all. I hated school, and the courses were easy, I had to stay here for hours, nope I was done for today. Bran's rules be damned.

"Ms. Brown, may I have a hall pass?"

Looking at me, I smiled a little; she handed it to me. Leaving the hall pass by the door, I went to my locker got my stuff and went to the bathroom, opened the window and changed into my wolf and Jumped out I ran.

I was not changed into a wolf. I am like Mercy, my foster sister, though I was not raised with her. I can get Charles to tell me about her. I am called a Walker. It comes from the Indian term skinwalker, though we are different in a lot of ways, I can't do magic, I am not evil, and I can't change into different animals or people. Nope, just a wolf.

My mother had abandoned me when I was an infant. Though they don't know and never asked, I know Charles found her, and I know she is dead. Murdered she gave me up to protect me. So, for twelve years I have lived in Aspen Creek, Montana with Bran and Leah as my parents.

Though Leah's games can get on my nerves, she is honest, and I mean that literally, she doesn't lie. Honest to the core. Though a lot of people who are changed into wolves become honest since it's not useful if someone can tell you are lying, Bran, as I like to say to people, can smell a lie before there even is a lie. I had told Bran's eldest son's Samuel and Charles about that, and they laughed, agreeing with me.

Evan? You need to go back to class. Or am I suspecting you are no longer in the school.

Oh, also another thing about Bran, he can talk to his wolves telepathically, and none of us know how he can speak with me since I am not a werewolf. I don't question it, but Bran told me he could not hear my thoughts, though I really drought that.

From the stories Samuel had told me, Bran's mother was a witch; she had Samuel changed and used the wolves as her play toys when Bran killed his mother the frequency to get information back from other wolves was severed.

My cell phone ringed. Changing my route, I started to head to Anna's and Charles's house. I didn't get far before Anna walked out and saw me smiling she allowing me into the house. Charles looked out of his office door.

"Ditching school? Da isn't going to be pleased with you, Evan."

Wagging my tail, he sighed. Anna laughed. It was not unheard of that I like to twitch Bran's tail a bit. Bran knew it as well, and a lot of times didn't like it. Like Anna, I didn't have to obey his every order since I was not a werewolf his dominance though very intimidating, did not work on me. Just made my head hurt. When he used it on me once before, I passed out from the pain. Since then he hasn't used it on me.

I walked into the bathroom and change. It only took me seconds. Walking out dressed. Anna smiled at me.

"So, what happened?"

"I hate school; it's confining, boring and easy."

"So, you leave because it's easy?" Anna asked, and blinked, holding a hand to her face like she was thinking. "Didn't you say that History was a little difficult?"

"Used to,"

"Until Tag and the others started to tutor you, know it's easy?"

"Yep."

Evan, you better pick up your cell phone.

Sighing. I blinked.

There was no ringing. Crap, did I lose it?

"What's up?"

"He wants me to answer my cell. Has it been ringing?"

"I didn't hear anything."

"Well, this way I can just tell him I lost it."

Anna's house phone rang. "ten bucks its Bran."

Anna smiled. We both looked at Charles. With his nod, she gave me ten dollars.

"Hey Da, Evan is here, lost his cell."

Charles handed me the cell. Phone to my ear, "School is boring,"

Is the first thing I said to Bran, an Anna busted up laughing. Charles sighed but smiled. Bran just sighed.

"You are to come home, now. I will talk to you then."

"You mean talk to me in the low voice of disapproval. Without really listening to why I hate school. Though you see it as a necessity."

Anna and Charles mainly looked at me like I had a death wish.

"Evan," He said smoothly. That was bad. "School is necessary,"

"Are my grades bad?"

Anna blinked at me at my question. I knew they were all A's so he couldn't say no.

"Come home, now."

"Just a question," I said curiously, and he would not scold me for asking it.

"Home, if I have to pick you up, you are not going to be a happy little boy."

That said he hung up, and I just looked at the phone.

"I swear, it's conversations are a lot of times one-sided."

"One-sided or not, you mainly just challenged him."

"No, he didn't," Charles said, "I had done the same, but it was not over a phone call, we didn't have phones then. Though it was about school work."

"You had to go to school?"

"No, Da and Samuel taught me how to read, write, play an instrument."

"So, they homeschooled you."

"Yes."

"That doesn't sound that bad. Bran isn't an easy person to learn from, but he explains things better than the teacher at the school." Smiling, I looked at Charles.

"Thanks for the idea."

"It's about a twenty-minute run in wolf form; I need to drop something off anyway, so let's go boys."

Charles's truck was huge and green. In the back seat, I sighed.

"Evan, why did you run off from school."

"huh? Did I already answer that question?"

"You did, but it was not an answer, everyone hates school."

Charles looked at me, quiet.

"It's easy, so it becomes boring. I can do the homework in a few minutes and turn it in before the school day is even done. The teachers call on me every time we all have to go to the board. Like today in math. I get why they do it, but why not get the kids that need help instead of letting the smarter bunch do it for them."

"What about your friends?"

I laughed at that, "Friends, Anna the only friend I had is probably the library, the kids are scared of me, Kara is in a higher grade than I am so it's not like we can hang out. I am in sixth grade, and she is a junior in high school."

I wasn't lying either. I don't hang out with kids my age since they all found out I can shift into a wolf people moved away from me. Since some of their family tried to be a werewolf and died or had to be killed because they could not control themselves. They all blame Bran for their deaths. He tries to get them to change their minds, so I can't see how it's his fault.

"What about James Williams?"

"His Mom tried to become a werewolf and couldn't control herself, so Bran had to kill her. James blames me for it."

Shocked Anna looked at me, "It's not your fault."

"I know that, but he told me that I could have changed Bran's mind in killing her, though I told him I couldn't change his mind, he still blames me. He is a reason kids don't hang out with me. He isn't a bully, just hurt, so I let him take it out on me. He will get over it soon."

Pulling up to the house, Bran was on the porch.

"Why?" Anna asked me as I hopped out.

"Huh?"

"You let him mainly bully you."

Darn omega, Bran is right there so I knew he would be confused by her question.

"Because he could hurt someone if he wanted to since a lot of them can run fast, James has to try and catch me before he can do anything."

I knew how she saw it, protecting the weaker people was a thing we all did, and know Bran would ask me on the matter, isn't that just great. I don't need him to get involved.

"Hey Da, what are you up too?"

Bran did not look amused; his hazel eyes just had the danger to them.

"Go on to your room, Evan, I will be there shortly."

Well, to the point. Walking to my room, I closed the door. Thinking about locking it, though that would be dumb and though I am a lot of things, stupid isn't one of them.

Falling on the bed, tired I fell asleep.

Being woken up wasn't something I had in mind when I fell asleep. Though Bran would not want to wait until I woke, since everyone was out of the house, aside from Leah, this way he could talk to me without interruptions.

Sandy blonde hair and hazel eyes looked at me. He didn't look pleased, but he would not scold me for falling asleep.

"Tell me why you keep running off. Anna said that you see school as easy."

"It is easy, and boring," I told him, sitting up. Bran sat on the bed close to me.

"That isn't a reason to ditch school."

"Ditching is what a normal kid does, isn't that want you told me to be when I am there."

"Evan, ditching is normal for a high school student, not elementary, if you feel that they are not challenging you, I can see about moving you to a grade that does."

I hated that idea. "Though," Bran added, "I don't think that will stop you from running off as you do. However, punishing you for running off works for a short period."

Oh, I did not like where this was going. "I will be sending Tag with you, though it's not going to be fun for him, you will stay in school. He will walk you to and from school."

"What did Tag do?"

"He offered it."

Tag right now I hate you, you just lost any cooperation from me. "Yeah, that will not work."

"Oh, how so?"

"Because I will find a way to get around him, and you know that more than anyone."

Bran smiled a little, "Charles said you had an option."

"I'm guessing he didn't tell you,"

"I have an idea."

"Oh, guess,"

"Homeschooling, I had done it with Charles, though what about your friends at school?"

I smiled at him at that, "The library will still be there if I visit."

"Who is James Williams?"

"You remember Beatrice Williams, She was one that had been changed but had no control."

"I remember, that is her nephew?"

"Son, he is living with his uncle."

"Greg is her brother."

"Right,"

"What does her change have to.." he sighed. "He blames you."

"Yep, and he didn't like my answer to him." Bran did not speak. "I told him that it was her choice, and no matter what I did, if she didn't have the control she was a danger, but he blames me because he thought I could change your mind not to kill her."

"I see. So this boy is bullying you?"

"He is trying to," though trying as working, "I don't know how he found out, but he told the entire school that I had been abandon by my mother."

Bran's eyes went wolf. This was bad, "It's fine, Da, most of the kids, don't believe him."

"Is James a reason you do not want to go to school?"

"I guess he is one of them, but it's not that bad, not like the others, but they all left."

"Others?"

Shit. "It's nothing, nethermind."

"Evan Rhys."

"Why are you two naming me? I did curse."

Smiling, "I two name you a lot these days, cursing has nothing to do with it."

"Fine, a few of the high schoolers, though it would be fun to bully me until Kara found out. That day she was sent home, Mom picked her up and stuff. She I guess told you the truth, just not all of it."

"They hurt you?"

"Shoved me down the stairs and I smacked my head on the pole."

"You told me you tripped."

"I did, but that was after they shoved me."

"I will think about the homeschooling,"

"I can take classes online as well, that way I can get a diploma and not the GED."

Nodding. "I understand a little on why you keep ditching. But until fall break you are to go to school and behave if someone starts bullying you, then you are to tell me. If I find out from someone else than you are in trouble."

"Tag?"

"Will still be with you, maybe it will stop the kids from bullying you."

"I can fight my own battles Da."

"I know you can," He told me, putting a hand on my head. "But you are a child, no matter how old you get, you are still mine even if not by blood."

"As for your punishment."

"I thought you said punishments don't work on me."

"Oh, but even for a short time you behave," he said. Taking my hand, this was not going to be fun.

Ten minutes later, I was standing in the corner of his office. My bottom was on fire, and I hated that I could not heal as fast as a werewolf.

It felt like hours before he called me over to him.

"Do you understand why that happened?"

"I ran off?"

"Yes, but why else."

"I don't know."

"Evan, I am your Alpha, but I am also your Father, I adopted you, you are mind to protect. Knowing that you are being bullied isn't something I can let go. Knowing that you didn't tell me that entire truth when I asked what happened to you in September isn't something I can let go either. I am not punishing you for getting bullied, and we can come up with something to get him to stop."

"I can fight my own battles."

"I know that son, but you are also a child. This boy, what's his name? James? I know he is hurt, but he can't take that anger out on you. I will not fight your battles, but I will not allow you to be blamed for something that was not your fault."

"Would you have thought about it?"

"About what?"

"I I had asked you, to test her a little more, Beatrice."

Bran sighed, "I had given her three tests before, she told me she couldn't do it. She asked to be killed, so knowing that, I would have told you we tried."

"You didn't know James was her son."

"No, I knew he was under her guardianship, but not her son, I gave her more than a month to gain control of her wolf."

"Why don't you explain things like this to James?"

"Why would I do that?"

"I'm not sure, he isn't very smart, but still it might help."

"I will think about it, but my main concern is you. Kara said that you haven't been sleeping."

"What makes you think that?"

"You, don't nap. You did not as a child, and I know you don't know. I used to lay you in your bed, and you cry. So we called it a quiet time, as Samuel called it. You would stay with Leah or I and calm down."

"Oh."

"So, I will talk to James and his uncle, but why haven't you been sleeping?"

When I didn't answer, he took my hand and pulled me closer to him. I could smell my fear about the dream, so I know he can as well.

"Evan," it was a voice full of concern, but I also knew him a little.

"I don't know what it's about every time I sleep it is the same dream. Though at this point I don't think it's a dream."

"Why do you say that."

"Because it seems to real and because I can smell the blood."