Upon their arrival, they discovered a large crowd converged on the school, surrounding the front entrance. Abigail pulled into a spot at the back of the parking lot, Ava parking beside her. Ava could hear their chanting even back there, all demanding the Inhumans leave. There were police holding them back to allow students through, but Ava wondered if they’d be as successful when she and her packmates walked up.

For the time being, Ava decided to ignore them in favor of keeping an eye on her packmates as more arrived. Each one’s eyes were wide as they stared down the crowd.

Erin, a half-elf with a personality brighter than the sun, was biting her lip, arms wrapped around herself, for once not smiling. At her side, Rowan was tense, red eyes shining with anger. Knowing Rowan, it wasn’t because he was offended by the humans, but because Erin was.

Abigail was at Ava’s side, a smile plastered on her face, trying to cheer up the younger ones any way she could.

The twins were standing close, arms brushing, taking comfort in their close proximity. She slung an arm around each of their shoulders and met the eyes of every other packmate around her, one at a time. Each one looked back at her, various shades of excitement, apprehension, and determination visible on their faces. Pep talks weren’t Ava’s forte, but she gave it her best shot.

“Remember, we belong here just as much as they do. I don’t care what they say or what they think. We exist, we’re here, and they’re not getting rid of us.

“We are no less than them, we don’t feel any less than they do, we don’t exist any less than they do. We are real, regardless of what they were taught as children. We are not fairy tales.” Her words were garnering some small, hopeful smiles, so Ava plowed on.

“And remember, if anyone messes with you, tell me. Consequences be damned, I’ll kick their ass. No one messes with my pack.” There were a couple of laughs at that. Abigail looked at her disapprovingly, but Ava didn’t care.

When she looked back at her packmates, most of their nervousness was gone, replaced by confidence both in Ava’s words and their own ability to handle whatever life threw at them. That was what mattered to Ava.

Regardless of what came her way, Ava would defend her pack to whatever end, as unyielding and as fierce as a hurricane. Ava’s packmates knew that, they just needed a reminder. Once she’d said it, their worries melted away.

Ava was the rock they could lean on, the shoulder they could cry on, and the warrior that would fight on their behalf, if need be. Ava was whatever they needed her to be, her personality and skillset as fluid as her appearance.

“So, who’s ready to show these humans what monsters really look like?” The circle grinned at each other, and Ava led their procession to the school doors, Abigail at her side.

Head held high, Ava ignored the protesters on either side, letting their hateful chanting fade to nothing, stalking up to the front doors. Once they crossed the threshold, they’d have to separate to go to their classes, but for those brief minutes crossing the parking lot, they were an undividable force, a pack. No distance could change that. No humans, no school, could change that.

With that thought, Ava took a deep breath and threw open the front doors.