Free Werewolf Academy Book 3: Instinct by Cheree Alsop

out the gates Trent had thoughtfully opened and was racing down the road. The engine roared to a high pitch. He squeezed the clutch and kicked the shifter into second gear. The engine growled again. He pushed it, shifting to third, then fourth when the sound of the engine told him to.
    Alex couldn’t stop smiling so big it felt like his face would split into two pieces. If someone saw him, they would think he was crazy. He bent lower over the gas tank, leaning into turns and getting accustomed to the way the motorcycle ate up the road like a hungry beast.
    It felt as good as racing through the forest, only he didn’t have to worry about his heart giving out and sending him crashing into trees.
    As if in reply, his heart gave a small stutter. Alex just grinned and shook his head. He wasn’t going to stop. He wound down the long single road that made its way through the forest to the Academy. Haroldsburg soon loomed into sight; the small town with its single stoplight was just waking up. Only two cars were out, vehicles Alex sped by as if they were at a standstill. He was through the town in a matter of seconds, then Alex was on his own.
    He had never been by himself further than Haroldsburg since the day he and Cassie arrived at the Academy. There was such a rush of freedom, a sensation of breaking out of bars, of leaving walls behind. He had never felt like the Academy was a prison. It had become his home, his sanctuary, but there were times when seeing the same walls, the same windows, the same students, became almost overwhelming, as though if he didn’t find something new, he was going to go crazy.
    The fresh world that rushed by him at speeds well over any he could have run filled him with such joy that he had to laugh. He kicked the motorcycle into the next gear. The engine settled into a hum that spread through his arms and legs with contentment as if the motorcycle had also needed the escape. He let out a breath, feeling as if a weight lifted off his shoulders that he hadn’t known he carried.
    “Alex?”
    Alex nearly jumped at Trent’s voice close to his ear.
    “Alex, can you hear me?”
    “Hey, Trent,” Alex replied. He searched with his fingers until he found the headset Trent had fit inside his helmet.
    “How’s she run?” The pride in Trent’s voice was unmistakable.
    “Trent, this is the best gift I’ve ever been given. I don’t know how to thank you.”
    “Just come back alive,” Trent replied with a chuckle. “If my gift kills my friend, I’m not so sure it was a great gift.”
    “Oh, it’s a great gift,” Alex reassured him. “It’s amazing.”
    Trent was quiet for a moment, then asked, “When are you coming back?”
    “How did you know I’m not?” As soon as Alex asked the words, he knew. “There’s a tracking device on the motorcycle.”
    “The dean made me put one on it. He just wanted to make sure you were safe.”
    A sharp surge of frustration chased away some of the sense of freedom Alex had been enjoying. He knew Jaze was just looking after him, but he felt trapped, monitored no matter where he went.
    Alex tried to keep his tone steady. “Where’s the chip?”
    A hint of panic was clear in Trent’s voice when he replied, “I don’t think I should tell you.”
    “I just need to know, Trent.”
    “Are you upset?”
    Alex hated that Trent sounded so worried. The motorcycle had been given with the purest of intentions. Alex tried to let Trent hear how much he appreciated it. “I love this motorcycle. Riding it is the best feeling I’ve had in months.” He shifted down and pulled over to the side of the road. He climbed off the motorcycle as he spoke to Trent. “I just need a bit of escape. I’ll be back, I promise. I just need this, Trent.” He couldn’t hide the whisper of desperation in his voice, and he hated himself for it. His hands clenched into fists. He willed them to relax as he studied the black bike.
    “It’s beneath the gas cap,” Trent finally