Page 7 of The Chosen One Universe: Volume One

“You did great, Ollie,” Vaughn assured him. “You did exactly what you should have done. Why don’t we hang out here for a little bit with Sam and find out what happened, okay?”

Ollie nodded. Vaughn stepped closer to the door but didn’t cross the threshold. He leaned out and whistled sharply.

Sam heard something in the distance, what sounded like a howl, and then Vaughn closed the door and carried Ollie to the couch. They sat down, and Vaughn reached over to grab the blanket Sam had just placed there. He handed it back to Ollie, who hugged it to him as he leaned into Vaughn’s chest.

“So, I’m not sure what to do here,” Sam said. “Should I offer you a drink? Should I be calling the cops? Should I pinch myself to see if I wake up?”

“Why don’t you sit down, Sam.” Vaughn took a deep breath, before lowering his cheek to Ollie’s head for a moment.

Sam complied, more out of curiosity than any real desire to do what Vaughn said. Once he was seated, Vaughn lifted his head and locked eyes with him.

“First of all, werewolves are real.”

For a moment, Sam thought about laughing. The sound nearly escaped his mouth, but he slapped a hand over it. He glanced over at little Ollie then back at Vaughn. Neither of them was smiling.

“Okay,” Sam finally answered. “So, werewolves are real and let me guess…you are one.”

Ollie’s head bobbed up and down. “And he’s the boss of werewolves, Sam. That’s what an alpha is. My friends said so. And he’s going to help us get away from Mrs. Foote. Aren’t you, Alpha?”

Vaughn looked down at Ollie. “Who’s Mrs. Foote?”

Ollie’s lip trembled, and his eyes glassed over with tears. “She’s really mean, and she hit Ben today really hard. And he’s my favorite person and he’s really tall and lets me ride on his shoulders sometimes but Mrs. Foote said he was just a dumb old bear. That’s not nice, is it? Ben’s not dumb. But he is a bear.”

Sam leaned forward in his seat, finally finding a source for the anger rolling around inside him. “Did she hit you, Ollie?”

Ollie paused and leaned into Vaughn’s chest. He nodded.

Vaughn closed his arms around Ollie again, the rumbling growl from earlier returning.

Sam had to force himself to calm down. He took a deep breath and watched as Vaughn did the same.

“So, bears are a thing too? Like, they are… werebears?”

Vaughn glanced at him before turning his attention back to Ollie. “Shifters. We’re usually just called shifters. And I know you have questions, probably about a million of them, but I need—”

“To find out where these kids are. Got it. Let’s go.”

“I can’t let you come, Sam. This is pack business.”

“Fine. Then I’ll call the police. I have no problem doing that. It’s my job as a teacher. I signed an oath and everything.”

Vaughn growled, low and deep, and his eyes flashed blue once more. “Don’t threaten me.”

“It’s not a threat. It’s a promise. Take me with you and let me make sure these kids are okay. Then you can plan on answering about a billion questions because my brain is kind of filling up with them as we speak.”

Ollie tugged at Vaughn’s shirt just as a knock sounded at the door.

“Enter,” Vaughn commanded.

One of the men who’d been outside earlier opened the door. “No one to worry about close by.” He held up a shirt. “Found this though, a hundred or so yards out.”

“That’s Ben’s!” Ollie pointed at the sodden piece of fabric. “Everybody gave me something so I wouldn’t get lost. I’m a really good smeller,” he told Vaughn proudly.

“I bet you are,” Vaughn praised. “We can go find your friends. Travis, I need you to call some backup, and get them here stat.”

“I’m on it,” Travis replied as he pulled out his phone and headed back outside.

“Now, Ollie, I have a question for you. How many grown-ups are with your friends?”