Shadow and Light Book 01

Outside West Roswell High, Just Before the Bell

At the front gates everyone waited as Max, Liz and Tess pulled into the parking lot. As the trio got out of the jeep they all approached with smiles on their faces, Michael looked very pleased with himself.

"You look like you had a good night?" Michael said

"Thanks to you." Tess said and then looked to Maria. She moved closer to the other girl with a sly smile and a heated look before whispering, "I owe you a night of unbelievable passion after they way you got to me last night."

"Can't wait." Maria said before Tess backed up and looked around at everyone

"So, what happens next?" Tess asked

"Next we do the school thing." Michael said

"No...I mean..."

"Later tonight we'll take you to my place." Liz said, "Dad will give you a robe and we'll teach you how to change."

"We'll also find out what kind of cat you are." Max said

"Hmmm...I think she's a tiger." Alex said

"She's certainly one in the sack." Michael said

"Thank you." Tess said

"Nah...Not a tiger." Maria said, "She's a leopard."

"Well, we'll find out later." Max said

"Now...just out of curiosity..." Tess said

"Your mate?" Liz asked

"Yeah."

"He'll show when he's meant to. At least that's what my dad tells me. I guess it could be a Rakas we've yet to meet but I've also just found out about things called Narada." Liz said

"Another tribe?" Michael asked

"Kinda." Liz said, "They are descendants of the original lycanthropes but they didn't inherit the ability to change and as far as I know they are human."

"Oh well that'll narrow it down." Michael said as the bell rang

"Time to go." Isabel said

Just then Tess stopped them, "Oh wait. I should probably tell you now. Ever since last night I've been having this feeling...we need to be together. Together, together if you know what I mean." She said to Max, Isabel and Michael

"Why?" Max asked

"Not that he's complaining." Michael said

"While for mating we were in couples, on Antar we were all together. The psychic links still exist between us, even though it's limited." Tess said

"Like when Michael knew whenever Iz and I were together or when we felt the changes happen after I was with Liz." Max said

"Yeah. Anyway, that bond was always important to us. Even when we were alone we were together...I would like that back. When the powers are fully emerged in Liz, Alex, Maria and whoever I hook up with, they can merge in the same way and we'll all be together."

"You know, I might just be hearing things but did you just say something along the lines of orgies?" Maria asked

"I thought you'd like that." Tess said with a smile

"Well, we'll talk about it and take care of it." Max said

"If you do decide to do it, I wanna be there." Liz said

"No doubt." Isabel said as they walked in through the front doors.

Biology Class, 10:45

It was a free period for the class but Liz was getting some work done. She was sitting at her lab desk with a couple of slugs sitting on a leaf in a plastic tray, watching both intently. Soon Max came in through the door and closed it as he moved closer to his mate. Liz sensed his approach, long before he even entered the hall outside the room and felt her pulse quicken at it.

"Hi. What are doing?" Max asked

"Mating experiment." Liz said

Max smiled as he sat next to her, "I thought you got enough of that at home?"

Liz smiled as she shook her head, "Don't...I need to get this done. If these guys will just do it."

"Stupid question but you're sure you've got a guy and girl in there?"

"Uh...yeah...at least I hope so. If not them I'm gonna be here a long time." Liz said, "So what can I do for my favourite alien?"

"Well I thought we could talk about these powers of yours." Max said

"What is there to talk about? I've got them, not much good it did me when Nacedo showed up in that cave."

"Well that's what I mean. When you used your powers on Tess's broken window you did a lot. If you could learn to put more focus into it so you can do what you need it to do when it counts. Besides, you did very well when Nacedo showed up. Yeah your powers didn't hurt him or anything but they did cancel out his attack on you." Max said

"That's a point. So what do you suggest?" Liz asked

"Tess was raised by Nacedo, he taught her how to use her powers where as the rest of us was just haphazard. We're thinking about asking her to help us all out. For you she could probably help you more that I could..."

"Oh I don't know about that." Liz said as she inched closer, "You help me out lots and lots of times."

"Oh really." Max smiled, "And how exactly do I do that?"

Liz ran her hand over his thigh, she felt the heat of his body as they stared into each other's eyes, "You have your ways."

"So do you." Max said

"You know what?" Liz asked

"You're spiking." Max said confidently

"To the point where I want you to take me, right here on this table." Liz said

"What are we waiting for?" Max asked as Liz ran her hand up over his confined cock.

Just then, as both teenagers were about jump up off their seats, the door opened and their biology teacher walked into the room. The two moved back away from each other sharply as the teacher turned her head to them and looked between the two.

"Liz. How's the mating experiment going?"

"It's going just fine." Liz answered as her teacher nodded, her eyes continuing to shift between them

"I can see that."

What she couldn't see was Max's hand behind the table, moving up Liz's leg and caressing her inner thigh making her hotter to the point that Liz was beginning not to care if their teacher was their or not.

"So is there any action in the tray?"

"Not so much, no. Actually I think I'll call it a day with these guys." Liz said

"Science is patience Liz."

"Yeah I know but I've got other work to do and...You know." Liz said as she place the ventilated lid over the tray and returned it to the back of the class.

"Yes I do." The teacher said as she turned her back toward her own desk to look through the papers on it. Seconds later when she turned back the two were gone and the door was slowly closing.

Eraser Room, Same Time

Almost immediately at the bell after homeroom, Michael and Maria's blood boiled at the same time. He grabbed her hand and they practically pulled each other into the eraser room. The second the door was closed and locked they were all over each other.

Their arms wrapped around each other as they kissed fervently, pressing their bodies together in a desperate, needful attempt to get closer. Michael's hands were just above her waist, he'd pushed up her top slightly so he could get to her skin. Maria had her left leg up, wrapped around her mate's as they pressed against the desk in the room. Their tongues explored each other's mouths until Michael broke the kiss but started kissing her neck.

"You do know...aghhh...we should be in class." Maria gasped

"Already missed one, no point in going for the last whatever of this one...not minding much." Michael said

Maria's eyes rolled into the back of her head as Michael resumed kissing her neck and throat. Then Michael looked behind them, to an eraser on the desk that caught his attention. It was starting to shake a little as he continued to kiss Maria. His has hands glided over her body, around her sides to her back. His fingers danced over her skin and up to trace the strap of her bra. As he did so the eraser began to shake harder.

Michael smiled to himself, he knew it wasn't him doing it and he knew what it meant. He moved back up and started kissing her mouth once again. Michael brought one hand out from under her top and moved it to the back of her head. He ran his fingers through her soft golden locks and then his other hand reached around and pinched her nipple through her bra.

The light around them exploded in a shower of sparks and the eraser jumped up off the table and landed back down. The surprise of it caused the two to break apart and look around.

"What'd you do?" Maria asked

"Babe...that wasn't me. It was you." Michael said

"Come again?" Maria said

"You did it." Michael said

"Come again?" She repeated

"You caused the light to blow up and that eraser to jump a good five feet into the air."

"I don't understand."

"You got powers." Michael said

"I...don't...under..."

Michael put his hands on either side of her face and held her still before he planted a quick kiss on her lips.

"Thanks. I needed that." Maria said, "So I..."

"Have powers. Potentially kick ass ones by the looks of it. Oh and thanks for the confidence builder I knew I was a good kisser but lights exploding over head...that's good for the ego."

Maria hit him; she punched his arm and said, "Stop."

"Are you okay?" he asked

Maria sat up on the desk and rested her head back against the wall, "Yeah...wow."

"Come here." Michael said as he moved closer to her. He wrapped his arms around Maria and hugged her, "You'll be alright."

"Yeah...just so long as I don't blow anything up." Maria said

"Not going to happen. We'll help you."

"You better. I might end up blowing certain parts of you off that you don't want to loose." Maria said

Michael looked at her, "First lesson after school? That soon enough? No, uh...lunchtime."

Maria smiled, "That'll be fine, come on Spaceboy."

Maria and Michael walked to the door; they opened it just in time for Max and Liz to come in. They didn't even notice the other couple as they kissed each step of the way in until Max had Liz pressed up against a file cabinet with her legs up and wrapped around his waist. Michael and Maria just looked at each other and smiled as they closed the door behind them.

"We'll talk to them later." Michael said

"Yeah." Maria said as they walked away down the hall

Office Building, Wall Street, New York, 12:00

While the front of the glass building said it was an investment firm, what was beneath it was anything but. Behind the door that was supposed to lead into an old 1960's bomb shelter, there was a complex network of corridors and rooms that were all metallic grey with glyphs lining the walls at eye level.

As the sun stood directly over the city there was a flash of light on the highest antenna on the roof. It caught the attention of most of the people on the street but as they looked up it was gone. They just assumed it was the sun reflecting off the glass and left it at that. They got on with the rest of their day unaware of what just happened.

In the complex, a lone figure entered a room that was empty save for a raised triangle in the middle of the room. He approached the point of the triangle and stood directly at it. As he did so an image rippled into existence and Kivar appeared and he bowed his head to the image.

"Majesty."

"Where is Nicholas?" Kivar said

"Copper Summit."

"He is still hiding in that cover? The hybrids have been awake for at least 10 years, why is he not on site?"

"Majesty, he believes that it is the safest location. The human military suspect very little of events if there is nothing unusual. If the cover of the town remains intact..."

"The humans mean nothing to me. You were supposed to stop them before they reached the final gestation in the pods but you failed in that. I granted you time when their protector came to you but his plan to provide an heir is a failure. I must find a new way to control the Granolith. As of now the four have returned to their animal natures. You've failed in your mission. Tell Nicholas...I am coming."

The figure looked up for a brief second, surprised at what he'd just heard but then he remembered himself and looked back down at the ground. "Yes, my Lord." He said before the image faded.

Copper Summit, 30 Minutes Later

In the middle of the desert, relatively isolated from everything else stood a town that would have been a ghost town if it weren't for the fact that it was still inhabited. Several dozen aliens had followed Max and the others down to Earth and had taken over the town. On the surface it was all normal, right down to the mechanic, but beneath it nothing was normal.

Under the museum was a lab filled with glass cylinders that contained bodies, new husks for the Skins. However, under his house there was a large open space that Nicholas and his people trained in. Nicholas dived around the room, blasting at holograms of human military with his powers and his weapon. The images moved, acted and fired their weapons like the real thing.

Nicholas had each of his people train for hours in the room in case they needed it; given the history of the humans with alien encounters it was only prudent. This time Nicholas was putting everything he had into the session, he'd put the simulations on maximum and if he could sweat there would be a bucket load by now. He'd practically drained his own power during it but was pleased that if it was a real situation, the ground would be littered with corpses.

After spending hours in the room he couldn't go any more and a bullet from a gun went straight for him. Before it hit Nicholas the holograms faded and the alien stood alone.

"Simulation terminated." The computer spoke

Nicholas just had to sit down and rested against the wall as one of his people came into the room.

"Sir."

"What?" Nicholas said

"We've received word from New York. Sir...Kivar is coming."

Nicholas looked up with a look of disbelief in his eyes, "What?"

"Kivar is on his way to Earth. He said that our mission is a failure and that he's is coming to take charge himself."

Nicholas jumped up, "Kivar would blow up this rock rather than set foot on it."

"He wants the Granolith. He considers our failure to prevent their final gestation bad enough but now they appear to have overcome their suppressed lycanthropy."

"That's impossible." Nicholas said

"According to Kivar, it's not."

"What of Nacedo, has there been any further word from him?"

"No sir. Nothing since he left Roswell and I doubt we'll hear from him again. He won't risk it since his failure."

"Then arrange our little gift. Let's make sure he gets the message that we're going to find him."

"Yes sir." He said as he turned to leave the chamber

"Oh..."

"Sir?"

"Make sure the Four is not harmed, Kivar will still need him for getting control of the Granolith. Just wound them."

"Yes sir. I know the perfect way" The Skin smiled as he left.

Gym Class, West Roswell High, 14:00

Everyone was in the class playing basketball today; their regular teacher was off ill so that left the Coach giving them the lesson. For the most part it was normal but Alex was not having the best time of it, the Coach had lost nine of his key players fro the football team and they lost the last game. For that, the Coach blamed Alex and was giving him a particularly rough time of it.

For the most part Alex was able to ignore it, thanks to the sight of Isabel wearing a pair of shorts but he was loosing his patience. He could see her long legs and she took great delight in teasing him. However the game continued, the ball was passed from player to player, it was dribbled down the court and put into the net.

Everyone was having fun and then the ball came to Alex, he was halfway up the court and quite some distance from the hoop and while he could easily get it in from there, he didn't want anyone else to know it. So Alex passed the ball to Max who was closer. That was when the Coach blew the whistle.

"Whitman what the hell was that?" the Coach yelled as he indicated for Max to throw him the ball, he got it and placed it in Alex's hands

"I passed the ball." Alex said simply

"Don't take that tone with me."

"What tone?" Alex asked

"That tone. Now what the hell were you doing passing that ball. You didn't even run with it. You got it, you got rid of it. God knows how the hell some kid like you beat up my boys."

Alex just shook his head.

"Look and me boy, don't you dare shake you're head at me."

That was when Alex had enough, "God knows how you taught them to do anything. They may be morons but you take the cake." Alex said, deciding to stand up to him

"Go Alex." Isabel said as she crossed her arms

"That's it, you got detention boy. 1 week."

"Well, you know what they say. Those that can't do, teach. Those that can't teach, teach gym." Alex said

Michael smiled, "Oh, nice."

"2 weeks." The coach yelled

"Then there's that those that can't teach gym, put on a tracksuit, a headset and try to coach."

"A MONTH."

"Fine." Alex said

As he reached the door Alex realised he still had the ball and smiled, he didn't care anymore. He turned around and looked over the room, his brain working away at all the points he needed. Once he had them all he threw the ball with the right amount of force. Everyone in the class watched as the ball bounced of the wall, then the floor, then the opposite wall, the roof, the wall again...on and on it went, bouncing at perfect angles that Alex wanted.

"No..." Max said

"Way..." Michael said beside him as they watched the ball

With a final bounce off the wall, it landed on the metal ring and started circling it. Everyone's eyes followed it intently as it sank into the net and landed on the floor, bouncing several times on the floor before it settled down. The room was so quiet that the sound of a cricket would have echoed through the hall.

"3" Kyle said, his eyes wide open

"Oh look, having a brain does work. Oh for the one of you with a low I.Q. that's where math helps." He said to everyone but it was meant for the coach and everyone knew it.

Then on mass everyone looked over to Alex as he left he room and then they looked back at the ball. Max, Michael, Liz, Isabel, Tess and Maria all smiled as the coach was left with his mouth open and his jaw hitting the floor.

"You know...I think a monster has been created." Michael said, "This could be fun." He smiled

"Michael now's not the time." Max said

"Maybe not but it'll still be fun." Michael said

After that, the group left. They just walked out of the hall to get changed and go find Alex before he blew up at anything. The Coach didn't even try to stop them; he was still looking between the net and the ball.

Hallways, Immediately Following

Alex was changed and out of the changing room before his friends even got there. He just walked the halls with a brisk place, if it were possible outside of the cartoons there would be steam coming out of his ears. Soon he turned a corner and was met by a teacher, his guidance teacher.

"Alex. I've been looking for you."

"Mrs Thomson...you have?" Alex asked after taking a deep breath

"Well after what just happened in class I thought you might want to talk."

"You know about that all ready?"

"We've got the best intelligence network on the planet remember...the student body of Roswell High. Everyone knows everything."

"Right." Alex said, "Okay."

Together they went to the office.

Guidance Councillor's Office...

"I mean everything I did in there he jumped on. I pass the ball, he's on top of me. I dribble it, he's on top of me...it never ends." Alex said as he paced back and forth

"And why do you think he's doing it?"

"Because is team are a bunch of jerks who tried to "talk me" out of dating Isabel...you know, with their fists. I defended myself, they got kicked off the team and the rest of the team lost against Albuquerque...it's supposed to be a friendly. And it's supposed to be a game. Now he's on my case every time he spots me."

"So you decided to disrespect a teacher of this school?"

Alex just looked at her, "My parents always taught me to respect my elders when I first meet them. Beyond that respect is earned. Well thanks to the Coach's behaviour to me my respect for him is so low it's in the sewer. Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr..." he groaned as he put his hands over his face and ran them up over his hair.