JJ King

New Moon

For Candace and Juanita, my girls.

Acknowledgments

I want to thank Rebecca Hamilton. Meeting you was a turning point in my life, one that has given me unmeasurable joy and appreciation. Your mentorship has made me a better author, a better plotter, and a better person. Thank you, from the bottom of my heart.

Chapter 1

I stared at the academy crest stitched to the blazer that lay perfectly folded on the bed of my private room in Hell and muttered a curse under my breath.

Alpha Wolf Academy. The crème de la crème of shifter universities in North America, the most sought-after spot in half the world, and the last place on earth I wanted to be.

I’d had plans to attend a regular university with my lifelong friends, like a regular wolf shifter. But no, my parents had decided to go behind my back and apply for a scholarship to the academy where Pierre LaFlamme himself had sent his children. I could still hear my mother’s breathless excitement when she’d announced their application had been accepted.

“Just imagine. My little girl walking the same halls Katherine LaFlamme walked!” Gretchen Jensen had sighed dramatically and beamed, then ran off to call all her friends and spread the good news.

That had been a little over six months ago, when I'd been making plans with my best friends, Sara and Bethany, to go on a road trip across Canada before starting our first-year studies at Kilo Wolf Academy, the eleventh-ranked shifter academy in North America. We’d still gone on our road trip as planned, dancing our way from Newfoundland to Quebec over the course of four weeks. But, instead of travelling back with them to start school, I’d unloaded my belongings from the old Honda Civic Bethany’s parents had given her and moved into my dorm room a day before classes were to begin.

The blazer had shown up while I was in the shower.

It was unnerving to realize someone else had a key to my dorm room, although, admittedly, there wasn’t much in here to steal, should anyone have that goal in mind. In fact, of all the students I’d seen while peeking out of my window and glancing cautiously down the hall of my dorm, I was certain my belongings were the last anyone on campus would want. Not when Fendi purses and Gucci kicks were the norm. My peers were the elite, the rich, and the powerful... and I was here on scholarship.

My phone buzzed insistently, reminding me I'd be late for the first assembly of the year if I didn’t get ready now. I’d built in time for a blow out and full make-up based on my mother’s insistence that I provide the best possible first impression. As much as it galled me to fancy up to fit in even remotely, I knew I’d feel more confident behind some war paint.

I stuck my phone in the small speakers my dad had bought before I'd left and clicked on my favorite Myles Kennedy song. With the soothing sound of his melodic voice in the background, I set to work.

* * *

The assembly started just like any assembly I’d ever attended, with the headmistress striding across the stage to stand at the podium. Behind me, hanging from the ceiling like an enormous banner of prestige, was the symbol for Alpha Wolf Academy, the abbreviation flanked by two majestic Celtic wolves. It was striking, I admitted, even if it symbolized everything I despised.

Headmistress Matilda Donahue was an imposing woman. She was tall and fit with wide swimmers’ shoulders and enough curves to make her beauty equally strong and sensual. I took in the woman’s knee length black skirt and sapphire blouse, understanding that the pieces, despite looking simple, probably cost more than my entire wardrobe. The shoes I recognized by the bright red soles.

Yup. I shook my head. This isn’t my world anymore.

Spite flared hot in my veins, the kind that had seen me through more than one uncomfortable situation over my twenty-two years. I might not be rich, famous, or well established, but I was here now, and anyone who didn’t care for that would have to suck it up. That included me, I accepted bitterly. No one here would accept me if I kept feeling and acting like an imposter.

The speech was welcoming and informative, but mostly ignored by the majority of the school population. I listened intently, the same way I’d carefully read the pamphlets delivered with my acceptance package once I’d come to terms with my educational future. If I was going to be displaced, at least I would know the rules and the terrain. I’d spent the previous day roaming campus and finding the rooms where I’d attend classes. I’d even swung by my professors’ offices to see if they had copies of the syllabi on hand.

It wasn’t that I was anal about these things; it was just that I was at enough of a disadvantage as it was. I’d be damned if I’d willingly contribute to an even greater imbalance of power.

After we were dismissed, I stayed in my seat, fidgeting with the friendship necklace Sara and Bethany had given me on our last day together. I didn’t expect to fit in with the popular crowd, but I wanted to know who they were so I could stay far away. Experience had told me that cliques were the enemy and that mean girls were the real powerhouses behind society.

A small group of girls made their way toward the exit now, perfectly coiffed with long, expertly highlighted hair and expensive makeup. They wore the same uniform I did, with the same emblem, but theirs looked tailor made to fit their endless curves and long lines.

I pushed to my feet regrettably and tugged at the hem of my slightly too-short skirt. My 5’10’’ frame was too long for the regular length, and I hadn’t thought to ask for a longer hem.

A young man with nervous eyes and an unfortunate cowlick that made his hair stand almost straight up over his forehead stumbled as he stepped from his row, losing his tenuous grip on the pile of books in his arms. He went crashing to the floor at the collective feet of the hot girl posse. The look on his face when he glanced up and saw them glaring down at him through narrowed eyes made my soft spot for the underdog jump into action. I dropped my backpack and rushed to help him.

“Don’t worry about it. It could have happened to anyone,” I murmured soothingly, picking up a calculator and a calculus book while he stammered out apologies and rushed to scoop his belongings out of the girls’ way.

“Seriously?” One of the girls sighed dramatically. She tapped her heel impatiently, apparently annoyed by the few seconds it had cost them to wait for their way to be cleared, rather than step around the mess and continue on their way. “Couldn’t you go be a moron somewhere else, Benny?” The vitriol practically dripped off her forked tongue.

I guess I’d found the mean girl clique.

I couldn’t help myself. I tried, I really did, but I couldn’t stop the automatic glare that sprang to my face as I glanced at the complainer.

She was glossy. That was the word that sprang to mind as my gaze brushed quickly over the shiny blonde hair, bright white teeth accentuated by soft coral gloss, and lightly tanned skin. She wore diamonds at her ears and in the curve of her nose, a simple body mod I would have normally appreciated if it hadn’t been for the look of contempt on her gorgeous face as she stared down.

The blonde caught my look, and her eyes went wide with surprise, as if she’d never been subjected to disapproval in her life, which couldn’t be true given her current behavior. Her eyes narrowed, locking in on me, like a government face recognition program, trying to suss out my social standing in this foreign jungle. She opened her mouth to say something but snapped it shut when another girl said dryly, “Seraphina. We’ll be late if we don’t leave now.”

There was nothing bitchy in her words, nothing horrible or snotty, but I felt the dismissal like a shove to the floor. My gaze left the blonde’s face and came to rest on this new girl.

She was flawless, and glamorous, and understated in a way that screamed old money. Her eyes were green, like a cat’s, and edged in the longest, blackest eyelashes I had ever seen in real life. They appraised me now with boredom, as if I were so far beneath her that spending another second considering me would be too much. Her black retro inspired pumps stepped delicately over the last book in the way and she was off with her tribe in tow.

I pushed the books into the young man’s arms and offered him a gentle smile, then went to grab my bag. I’d be late for breakfast if I didn’t get going myself. My stomach growled loudly at the reminder.

“Miss Jensen.” The clipped tone brought me to a halt. I turned slowly to find Headmistress Donahue standing just a few feet away with her shrewd eyes narrowed.

I lifted my chin and met the headmistress’s gaze directly, trying for strong but respectful. “Good morning, Headmistress Donahue. I enjoyed your commencement speech.” I flinched, hearing myself and hoped I hadn’t come off as a suck up.

She nodded curtly, a simple dip of the head in acknowledgement. “Miss Jensen,” she began again, so formally it made my teeth hurt. “I personally oversee all scholarship cases at Alpha Wolf Academy. You are expected to meet with me on a weekly basis to discuss your progress in academics and social activities.” Donahue glanced at her fancy schmancy watch and blew out a quiet breath. “I’ll see you in my office at 1:00 p.m. today. We’ll discuss my expectations then.”

I mentally ran over my schedule for the day and was pleased to realize I had a break between classes that would allow the meeting. My eyes widened slightly that the Headmistress of such an illustrious university would have taken the time to memorize my schedule.

I nodded. “Yes Headmistress. I look forward to it.”

I dropped my gaze as the woman moved to glide past me. Would I ever be able to drop the forced formality?

“Oh, and Miss Jensen?” Donahue’s voice snapped my attention back into place.

I spun around to face the woman. “Yes?”

Her lips quirked up ever so slightly, then dropped so fast I couldn’t be sure I’d actually seen the ghost of a smile. “I saw what you did for Benson Davidson.”

My mind flew into action as I tried to figure out who Benson Davidson was. Since I’d only interacted with one male today, I surmised he must be the unfortunate young man that had dropped his books in front of the mean girl clique. I swallowed and nodded.

“I appreciate students who help others,” Donahue said softly, tilting her lips up once more. “You showed compassion where others would not. Don’t lose that part of who you are.” Then she was off, striding away with purpose as I watched with astonishment.

I’d just been commended by the Headmistress of Alpha Wolf Academy.

Nice. 

I was grinning when I rounded the corner, stepped up onto the landing, and slammed into a solid object.

I flew back, staggering on the edge of the step for a split second before crashing to the floor, ass first. A moment later, the back of my head made contact with the marble. It landed with a crack that sent stars floating freely in the darkness behind my eyes.

I moaned and reached for my head, feeling the emerging bump through my thick hair. I blinked several times to clear my vision and thanked the Old Ones I was a wolf. A strike like that would have sent most humans to the hospital with a concussion.

“Ow,” I mumbled, pushing myself up so I was sitting on the floor instead of sprawled across it.

“Shit.” A voice followed by a slightly blurry face filled my vision. “Are you alright? I didn’t see you.”

I blinked again as the guy’s face came into focus. My stomach tightened and flipped almost painfully. Eyes so impossibly green they looked like emeralds stared into mine. A flush started at my knees and spread like wildfire up my body to my cheeks.

“What?” I said because none of the words he was saying were quite making their way into my brain.

Maybe I needed to worry about a concussion after all. I pressed my hand to my cheeks and wondered if I’d actually passed out and he was a figment of my imagination.  It would make more sense than the way I was reacting right now.

His hands touched me gently, then I was being lifted into his arms with what seemed like no effort at all. I grimaced as pain shot through the back of my neck, and buried my face in the crook of his shoulder, breathing in the scent of him without thinking. The butterflies fluttered again.

He set me down on a table I hadn’t noticed at the back of the auditorium and crouched to catch my gaze. “Hey.” His voice was gentle but insistent as he tilted my head up. “Look at me. I think you hit your head pretty hard.”

I missed his arms as soon as he let go and was fighting the urge to snuggle into him again when the flawless leader of the brat pack stepped into view just over his shoulder and cleared her throat.

Chapter 2

“Sebastian.” The single word came out clipped and sharp.

My gaze shifted, going back and forth between the beautiful green-eyed princess and my gorgeous green-eyed savior several times before my addled brain could make sense of what I was seeing.

“I’m kind of busy right now, Dani,” the guy, whose name was apparently Sebastian, said without sparing a glance. His eyes, so intense behind the thick black lashes that framed them, stayed locked on my face. “How’re you feeling?” His hand reached out to tuck a strand of hair behind my ear, sending a shiver down my spine.

“I’m alright,” I said quietly, still not sure I was processing events properly. “Just a little light headed.” I lifted a hand to the back of my head again and felt the knot there. It wasn’t that big, I realized. I’d be fine in a few minutes.

“That’s good.” His voice was like a deep rumble and impossibly sexy. I literally felt it in my knees. “I’m Sebastian Reeves, by the way.” He extended a hand with a crooked grin. “But everyone calls me Bash and that,” he gestured behind him absently, “is my twin sister, Daniella.”

“Elena,” I responded automatically, never having loved going by my full name. Elenora just seemed too formal and old fashioned for me. “Elena Jensen.” I slipped my hand into his and felt the buzz of it race up my arm.

His eyes widened just a little, just enough to make my breath hitch as I recognized his response to me. Heat flooded my body, releasing a wave of pheromones that his nose easy picked up on. There was no hiding attraction as a wolf shifter, especially not when the response was this intense.

He swallowed and inhaled sharply, then leaned in just the slightest amount. I froze and forced myself to push out the oxygen that stagnated in my chest. Man, I wanted him.

“Pleased to meet you, I’m sure.” Daniella Reeves moved in swiftly, pushing her arm between us to take my hand. “I do hope you feel better soon but my brother and I really must be going if we are to make our appointment.”

My gaze turned to Daniella’s in astonishment. Growing up in Newfoundland I’d never heard anyone speak in such a precise well-mannered way except for the few times I’d caught the tail end of Downton Abbey or some other fancy show. To hear it coming from someone my age’s mouth was downright bizarre. It threw me off so completely, I automatically slipped my palm free of Bash’s and offered it to his sister who grasped it firmly, shook twice, then disengaged.

Daniella’s eyes, so similar to Bash’s in color that it made my stomach twist, were as hard as the precious jewels they so resembled. Understanding, on a deeply female level, passed through that connection, and I shifted back, putting distance between myself and Bash. The message was sent and received.

Back the fuck away from my brother.

A subtle arch of a brow and a tilt of lips was the only reaction Daniella gave to my subtle retreat. She patted her brother on the arm and walked away, fully expecting him to follow like her peons had.

“Sorry about her,” Bash whispered with a chagrined shrug. “She can be a bit much at times.” The warmth from his eyes seemed the polar opposite of his sister’s. “I’ll see you around, Elena Jensen.” He turned and followed Daniella out of the auditorium, leaving me alone and completely stunned.

What the hell had just happened?

* * *

The morning sped by.

I had to take a history course first term and my choices had come down to European Pack History 1000 or North American Pack History 1001. I’d gone for the latter with my mother’s insistence, since she was obsessed with the Canadian Alpha family. I picked a desk near the front while my classmates chose to sit near friends at the back.

North American Pack History 1001 was taught by a woman with dark brown hair cut into a severe bob, whose flashing blue eyes contrasted her stark style sharply. Dr. Amelia Sherman, had started class by running through the syllabus then hoisting herself up onto the desk at the front of the class and enthusiastically launching into the story of how Pierre LaFlamme had been named Alpha of North America.

It should have been boring. I’d been taught this same story since I was a child, but for some reason I found myself leaning forward and listening to the history of my kind. When I looked around, though, I realized that not everyone in the room was getting the same vibe from the professor. Dr. Sherman’s enthusiasm and keen intellect wasn’t for everyone, I supposed.

The professor for Mathematics 1001 was the complete opposite of Dr. Sherman. He was old, and sported the typical professorial attire of a brown plaid coat with elbow patches and ugly brown tie. His facial hair, I noticed, was excessive in places facial hair should never be and sparse on the top of his head. Since I liked math and was good at it, I sat back, listened, and took notes like a good first-year student.

At lunch, I covertly searched the enormous cafeteria for any sign of the emerald eyed hottie that had knocked me on my ass earlier, but didn’t see him or his pretentious sister anywhere. I ate my lasagna and garlic bread in peace at a little table tucked away in the corner and felt more alone than I’d ever felt in my entire life.

I missed my friends. We’d talked about the courses we’d take and the hot guys we’d meet for the past year or more. As much as I loved my parents, I’d been excited to live in the dorms with Sara and Bethany. The thought of them together without me made my heart ache. I pulled out my cell phone and sent off a quick text to our group chat.

I miss you guys! It’s so fucking fancy here, you wouldn’t believe it. Even the cafeteria food is good. I’ll call later to fill you in more.

I hit send then grinned mischievously and added.

Oh, and there may be a guy. ;)

They’d be surprised, I knew, and happy for me. I’d never been interested in boys. Except Connor, I thought then pushed the image of him down before I could think on it too much. Sara was the flirty one with her bright copper hair and mossy green eyes. She looked as if she’d stepped straight out of Galway or a fairy hill and the boys loved her. The girls too, but what happened at summer camp, stayed at summer camp.

Bethany was the athlete of their little group. While she and Sara had been learning to canoe, going to long runs in the forest with the pack leaders, and discovering that Sara swung both ways, Bethany had been at soccer camp, or climbing camp, or basketball camp. She’d had a steady boyfriend for the past two years, Dillon Beliveau, a shifter jock from their school with floppy blond hair and piercing blue eyes that only ever looked at Bethany. As a couple, they were adorable and I’d always envied their easy connection.

I let myself stare unfocused out the cafeteria window toward the quad where students ate at well-built picnic tables and chatted with friends. Bash was the first real connection I’d made since arriving at AWA, maybe that combined with the fact that I’d been concussed and lonely was responsible for my reaction to him.

No, I shook my head, coming out of a daze. That didn’t add up. I’d been concussed before, like that time in ninth grade when Bill Pomeroy had accidentally beaned me in the head during gym class with a baseball. I’d seen stars and his big ol’ head a second later, but my skin hadn’t flushed and butterflies hadn’t taken flight when I’d looked at him, or anyone else for that matter.

Plus, it didn’t explain his response to me. I’d smelled the interest on him, that quick flare of endorphins and pheromones that signaled sexual attraction. We’d learned about it in health class then giggled our asses off when the teacher had gotten Sara and Benjamin Tanner up in front of the class to demonstrate. Sara had turned a gorgeous shade of rose that had complimented her soft skin tone so prettily and had dated Ben for the next month.

I glanced at my phone to check for a response and noticed the time with a gasp. I had nine minutes to get to Donahue’s office or I’d be late and screw up that good first impression I’d made earlier. I grabbed my backpack and dashed toward the exit, depositing my dirty dishes on the conveyor belt that took them to be cleaned.

Thanks to my ramblings the day before, I made it to my appointment with less than a minute to spare. I quickly ran my fingers through my hair and applied a slick of gloss to my mouth only seconds before a woman with an easy smile and a headset on her head, looked up and announced that, “The headmistress will see you now.”

I smoothed my skirt down and forced my breathing to remain calm as I opened the door and strode into Donahue’s office. It was posh, that was the only word that came to mind. It looked as if a professional had designed the space, with its soft golds and muted rose designs. It was calm, and soft, and beautiful, and the exact opposite of what I’d expected. Especially considering Donahue’s bold blouse and shoe choices.

“Ms. Jensen,” Donahue began without looking up from her screen. She gestured to one of the pale gold upholstered chairs that faced her desk. “Please, take a seat.”

I sank into the chair and laid my backpack at my feet. I kept my spine board straight, as if I were addressing the Queen of England herself and, realizing I’d end up with stiff muscles if I kept this posture for long, forced myself to breathe and relax just a tiny bit.

“Now.” Donahue looked up with a welcoming smile and eyed the blazer I was wearing. “I see you got the uniform in time for this morning’s commencement speech. You should receive the rest of your uniforms this evening.” She glanced over the edge of the desk at my long legs, which were crossed at the ankle because the skirt was too short for anything else. “Including lengthened skirts.”

I laced my fingers together on my lap to stop them from tugging at my hem.

“Your schedule is quite full, as you know,” Donahue continued, seemingly unaware of my increasing discomfort, “but I trust you’ll be more than capable of keeping up.” She clicked to another screen and nodded sharply. “Your grades are impeccable.” An eyebrow arched up ever so slightly. “Although, it doesn’t appear as though you were active socially at your high school. That will need to change.”

I swallowed down the excuses that leapt to my tongue. The truth was, I didn’t have much social activities listed on my transcript because I genuinely disliked most people. As far as I was concerned, people sucked and I’d always preferred to just hang out with my two besties.

Still, I nodded, accepting Donahue’s decree.

“Here is a list of on-campus activities and clubs. You might want to check out a few before choosing. First year is all about exploring who you want to become.” Donahue leaned forward, resting her forearms on her desk. “Who is it you want to become?”

I opened my mouth then snapped it shut a second later when I realized I literally had no answer to the question. None that would satisfy the headmistress of Alpha Wolf Academy, anyway. The truth would probably offend her, I thought, looking down at my clasped hands.

“Elenora,” Donahue said softly then corrected with a soft smile, “Elena.” Her hand touched my arm. “I know this is a big change for you. Most of our students have toured the campus many times with friends who’ve attended or as part of their school outings. It’s normal to feel overwhelmed.”

I felt tears prink my eyes and blinked, desperate to hold them back. I wasn’t the type of girl who cried, but neither was I the type of girl who’d ever wanted to leave my friends and family for this influential world. I squeezed my eyes shut and only opened them when I felt more in control.

“I’m sorry.” I looked up, trying to appear strong. “I’ll be fine. Thank you.”

Donahue watched me for a long moment then nodded, accepting my response. I was grateful for the woman’s intuition.

“Well, I think you’ll be happy with your Advanced English Literature 1001 class. Professor Davidson is an accomplished author and teacher. He was on the committee who chose you as this year’s scholarship recipient as a matter of fact.”

“Why did you choose me for the scholarship?” The question burst from my lips without permission like an arrow loosed from a bow. I realized I’d been holding that question in for far longer than this meeting.

I had no idea why I’d been chosen. My parents had given me the acceptance letters and danced me around the living room for what seemed like endless hours while my entire life was turned upside down, but they’d never explained how they’d managed to pull this miracle off behind my back. Or why they’d bothered to do it at all. And I’d been too caught up in my parent’s excitement and plans for my future to fight back. After all, Katherine LaFlamme herself had walked these very halls.

My parents had worked hard to give me things. I’d known that all my life. Where Sara’s and Bethany’s families were upper middle class, my parents had scrounged to pay for rent, bills, and the trendy clothes they’d always made sure I had so I’d fit in. They’d worked double time to send me to summer camp and had saved my entire senior year to get me that black satin dress I’d longingly gazed at in the window of that fancy little shop in downtown St. John’s. I’d known and I’d appreciated, so when I’d seen the joy on their faces that they’d be able to give me this, I’d been unable to say no.

Donahue opened a file I hadn’t noticed on her desk and passed me an essay I recognized instantly. I’d written it for my senior project. The 100% grade I’d received along with high commendations from my English teacher had been all the reward I’d expected for the assignment, so to see it now was a bit shocking.

“That’s my essay,” I said, hearing the blunt stupidity of my statement a moment after it was made.

“Yes, it is.” Donahue nodded her head toward the paper. “And it is one of the best pieces of writing I’ve seen in any of our students, even our graduating students.” She steepled her fingers in front of her mouth and tilted her head to the side ever so slightly. “Your application wasn’t the best, Elena,” Donahue’s mouth quirked up at the way my mouth dropped open at her bluntness. “But, this essay,” she paused and exhaled almost silently, “it tipped the scales.”

I wasn’t sure what I felt and knew I’d have to wait until I wasn’t in the headmistress’s office to figure it out, but I did understand the weight of what my parents had done for me. I’d always loved writing, had always hidden away in my room scribbling in my journals or typing up story ideas that came to me in the middle of the night. There was something wild and freeing in creating a story that felt real and whole from just the wisps of my imagination. They’d taken my passion and believed enough in my talent to reach for the impossible.

There was no way in hell I’d ever let them down.

“Thank you,” I managed to say in what seemed like a normal tone before handing the essay back to Donahue who tucked it safely away in her file.

“Yes, well, I think you’ll be a wonderful addition to our student body.” Donahue glanced at her watch. “If you can integrate into the social scene, of course. An Alpha Wolf Academy education is about more than just academics, you know.” A knock at the door brought a smile to her lips. “Which is why, I’ve arranged for you to have a student mentor. One of our second-year students volunteered. You can learn a lot from her. Come in, Daniella,” she called out.

My heart sank. I turned my head slowly toward the opening door, hoping I was wrong, praying it was another Daniella. There had to be dozens of Daniella’s on campus, hundreds even.

But as the click of high heels entered the office followed by the swing of glossy black hair and glittering emerald eyes, I knew my luck had just changed for the worst.

“Daniella, this is Elena Jensen.” Donahue gestured toward me. “Elena, this is Daniella Reeves.”

Chapter 3

I gritted my teeth and tried not to bite Daniella.

“My brother and I are the seventeenth generation of Reeves’s to attend AWA,” the Queen bitch continued in her never-ending monologue about how amazing and important her family was to the very fabric of North America. “When we graduate, we’ll join our family firm and represent the LaFlamme family personally.” Her perfect lips lifted at the corners.

“That’s fascinating,” I offered up, feeling as though an awed response was required. I rolled my eyes behind her back and wished I were anywhere but right here.

“Yes.” She nodded sharply as if she expected no less. “Well, when you’re born a Reeves there are certain expectations. You understand.” She stopped suddenly and turned on her heel. “But, I’ve been talking about my family so much I didn’t give you the chance to tell me about yours.” Her inky black eyelashes fluttered in a mockery of innocence.

My stomach dropped and, instantly, I felt guilty. I loved my mom and dad and the life they’d given me. I’d been loved and supported every day of my life, which is probably more than snotty Daniella could say about her home life, based on the bragging she’d done about her parents’ super important jobs.

But, for some reason, when I opened my mouth to tell Queen D the truth about my circumstances, all that came out was, “I don’t talk about my family all that much.” I assumed my very best haughty look and hoped she would just back off.

It seemed to work. Daniella eyed me for a long moment, arching one perfectly waxed eyebrow, then spun around and clicked off in her retro heels. I closed my eyes and apologized silently to my parents, then strode after my tour guide.

The tour ended at my Creative Writing classroom with another lift of an eyebrow and a tight smile. “I’ll leave you to your…” she seemed to pull herself up even taller with disdain, “writing class.” With an imperious` incline of her head, she was off.

I let out the breath I hadn’t realized I’d been holding and let my shoulders sag in relief. That had been the single most painful experience of my entire life and I was glad it was over. Glad and completely baffled as to why someone like Daniella Reeves would care to intimidate someone like me.

I slipped into class with a group of other students and found a seat near the front, anxious to meet the professor that had liked my writing so much he’d pushed to give me an exclusive scholarship.

The man that walked in and laid a briefcase down on the desk at the front of the classroom stole my breath. He was young, not young like I was young, but no more than two hundred, which meant he was well out of my reach but well within the bounds of personal fantasy.

He was beautiful. His body was lean and stretched a good foot above my own 5’10,’’ which made him a rare specimen, even in wolf society where males were generally taller than human men. His hair was blonde, not my usual temptation, and long with relaxed waves. And his skin, damn, his skin was golden, as if he’d spent long months under the scorching sun. I let my gaze trace the edges of his button-down shirt and wondered if he had tan lines.

I blinked and straightened up in my seat, realizing how far I’d let myself sink into fantasy. The gorgeous man was speaking now, I realized. I should listen.

“I’m Professor Xavier Davidson, but you can call me Xavier or Professor X,” he said with a devastating half grin that made me want to sigh. I was glad I hadn’t when I heard half the female population of the class do just that. “Unlike your other professors, I do not have my PhD in my field of study, but rather am an author, a journalist, a writer of all the things that flitter through my mind.” He twisted to grab a pile of paper and walked to the first aisle of students. “I teach because I love finding new voices and helping those who need to write, find their passion.”

Another class wide sigh. This time it wasn’t just the girls.

“This is your syllabus, read it over carefully. I’ve outlined each assignment for the semester and given links to excellent resources at the back. You’ll need no textbooks for this course, just an updated MLA handbook. If you don’t have one yet, the bookstore is well stocked.”

I thought of my handbook and smiled. It wasn’t new, in fact it was probably the most worn of all my books, but it was accurate and that was all that mattered. Besides, it wasn’t as if I needed it anymore. I’d been reading it since I was ten years old.

Xavier stepped up to my row and handed me a pile of syllabi to pass back. I smiled at him in what I hoped was a normal manner. His gaze skimmed over me as if I were just another student, which made my stomach sink. Maybe my application just hadn’t included a picture, I rationalized, hoping I was right.

“We’ll be starting this semester with a quick personal piece. It’s my version of the primary school All About Me lesson. Except, instead of sloppy writing and crayon drawings,” he paused for a moment to let the class titter in response, “I’m asking you to dig deep and give me something raw. A memory, a dream, a nightmare, something that affects you on a soul deep level.”

My mind began to churn out ideas that I rejected in quick succession. Xavier had read my senior project paper, he’d seen what I could do and wanted to see more. I needed to write something he’d respond to on a visceral level. I wracked my memories for something that would work… and came up with nothing.

I closed my eyes and tried to shut the scant noises of the classroom out. I remembered my high school teacher saying that the hardest part of demand writing is choosing a topic to write about. With limited time came increased stress, which either made you freeze or motivated you to think harder. I’d always responded positively, but there hadn’t ever been any real consequences of failure. I swallowed my nerves, keenly aware that this piece would be my first real-life impression on my professor. I put my pen to paper and began to write.

“Alright,” Xavier’s rumbling voice interrupted my thoughts as I poured my deepest insecurities into my writing, revealing more about myself in the short essay than I’d ever want any of the snobs here at AWA to know. “Finish up and pass them in before you go. I look forward to seeing what you’ve written.”

I blinked a few times, forcefully pushing back the emotion that wet my eyes, and quickly finished the concluding paragraph I’d been working on. I flipped through the five pages I’d hand written, seeing my fear of failure, my heartbreak at leaving home, family, and friends, and my doubt I was good enough for this opportunity on the loose leaf. I gathered my things, waited in line to use the stapler, then dropped it atop the pile and raised my head to meet Xavier’s focused gaze. His piercing blue eyes seemed to assess me in an instant before flitting away. I walked away with a renewed twist in my stomach. I wasn’t quite sure he’d been impressed by what he’d seen.

I was pushed along out of the classroom by the rush of students, all eager to change into regular clothes so they could meet for supper in the cafeteria. My kind were always game to eat as our metabolism ran higher than humans. Just the thought of food made my stomach growl. I turned towards my dorm and stopped dead as the perfect blonde from Daniella’s bitch pack stepped right in front of me and arched a pretty eyebrow.

“Oops,” her mouth formed a perfect “O” as she feigned innocence. “Am I in your way?”

I licked my lips and wondered how I’d managed to meet the single most annoying group of girls on campus so early in my stay. Unwilling to start something that might make my life worse or potentially get me kicked out of AWA, I stepped to the side to go around the girl, whose name I remembered was Seraphina. It was a pretty name, I thought wryly, wondering how her parents felt about spawning such a hateful child.

Seraphina side stepped, putting herself directly in my path again, making the group of girls behind her giggle with glee. A sinking feeling, swirling with growing anger, filled my veins as I realized that there would be no way to avoid this confrontation. I lifted my chin and let my lips turn up ever so slightly. I might not want to stir up trouble, but I wouldn’t back down from it either. People like Seraphina thought they were tough shit because of their name and wealth, not because of what really mattered, the strength of their wolf.

“Seraphina, was it?” I asked with a raised eyebrow. “I was just going over my schedule and saw the academy run is planned for this Friday.” I paused and took a step closer, positioning my body within a breath’s distance from my tormentor. “I’d love to run with you and your friends,” I cocked my head slightly to the side and drew in the scent of Seraphina’s annoyance and growing unease. “See what you’ve got.”

Seraphina opened her mouth to speak but the words she was about to say caught in her throat. With a sharp inhale, she pulled back, away from me. I hadn’t wanted to engage, but I’d needed to stand up for myself. The scent wafting through Seraphina’s expensive perfume proved me right.

I side stepped around the flustered girl, past the pack, and strode away. I’d made it less than ten feet when I heard Seraphina begin reciting statistics, personal statistics… my statistics.

“Elenora Jensen, born 1997 in Corner Brook, Newfoundland, Canada.” Seraphina looked up with a wolfish grin when I spun around and gaped at the sight of my new nemesis holding my confidential file. Seraphina scoffed at the information. “Really, Elenora?” she said my name as if it were laughable. “And Newfoundland? Are you trying to win the hick Olympics or something?” She tittered and flipped her long blonde hair over her shoulder, obviously back to her former level of confidence.

Heat suffused my cheeks and my hands balled into fists. “Give that to me, right now,” I growled, pitching my voice low as my wolf surged to the surface, called by my rising fury. I strode forward, hand outstretched to grab the file and was blocked instantly by Seraphina’s friends who grinned as they enjoyed my humiliation.

“What?” Seraphina feigned innocence. “This?” She waved the file in the air and laughed, obviously delighted with herself. “Why would I do that when it’s such a scintillating read?” She ran a coral tipped fingernail down the page, skimming over some details until her eyes lit up. “Well, isn’t this interesting.” She cocked her head to the side and studied me as I tried in vain to get around the bitch pack. “It looks like our girl Elenora is here on scholarship.” She turned her lips down prettily and made big sad eyes at me. “Are your parents poor, Elly? Is your dad like a fisherman or something? Does your mom clean other people’s houses to pay the bills?” Her derisive tone sparked both fury and twisted embarrassment in my gut, making my guilt come back to life.

“Seraphina,” a male voice I would have recognized anywhere spoke from just over my shoulder with a sharp snap. “You have no business with that.” Bash walked around the bitch pack and grabbed the file from Seraphina’s hands with gritted teeth and narrowed eyes. “How did you even get this?”

Seraphina pouted for a moment then lifted her lips and smiled up at Bash. “It wasn’t that hard, when you know the right people.” She shrugged and tilted her chin toward me where I stood, frozen to the spot in mortification. “Besides, she’s a liar. She’s been acting as if she belongs here and she clearly doesn’t.” Another sneer marred her perfect face for an instant before she wiped it clear when she saw Bash was still watching her with a look of disgust.

“It’s none of your business, Seraphina. Or yours,” he said in a clipped tone, looking past me to where the bitch squad were busy examining their nails and stepping out of my way. His gaze was hard and locked, I realized a moment later, not on the silly girls but past them and me. I twisted my head to look and saw Daniella watching the scene unfold with smugness glinting in her emerald eyes.

My nails dug into my palms, drawing blood. My instincts had been right. This wasn’t Seraphina’s doing, this was all Daniella’s. It was classic entitled bitch behavior, the only question was why someone like Daniella would be so threatened that she’d go through all this to humiliate me.

The answer came as Bash stalked up to me holding the file, stopping so close that I could instantly smell the anger and protectiveness on his skin, seeping from his pores. He wanted to protect me, to keep me safe… like a mate.

I forgot about everyone else and lifted my head to stare up at him as he glared at his sister. His height made me feel petite, something I’d never experienced in my life, even with the jocks at my high school. They’d been taller than me, but they’d never made me feel like a woman. I frowned.

I’d spent my entire life sure of one thing, my strength. I was fast, smart, and hardworking when others leaned a little too heavily on their laurels, in my opinion.

Would giving into this attraction to Bash strip me of the strength I’d fought so long to maintain?

Bash’s attention shifted away from his sister to me, and with it came the heat of the midday sun. I felt it run like fire through my veins and fought the urge to just say “fuck it” and give in. I wrapped my arms around my chest and squeezed, then tore my gaze from his. The loss was immediate but necessary.

“Thank you,” I mumbled, not wanting to look up into his gorgeous eyes in case I got caught in their pull again. “But I can handle my own battles.”

I felt his body stiffen and pull away. “Right,” Bash said with obvious confusion. “Then I’ll just see you later. Bye.” His footsteps echoed in my head as he walked away.

I clenched my jaw and gripped the file tighter, then forced myself to be selfish and think about my future rather than the fact that I seemed to have hurt the feelings of the guy I was dangerously attracted to. My top concern right now, I reasoned, was figuring out how the hell I was going to get my file back to where it belonged without jeopardizing my future at AWA. I shrugged my backpack higher, lifted my chin, and skirted around the bitch pack, giving Daniella a wide berth in case she felt like causing more trouble.

I felt my patience running incredibly thin and wondered if I should just tell the Headmistress everything and get Daniella expelled. The moment I thought it, I dismissed the plan. First of all, I wasn’t a snitch and second of all, girls like Daniella never got the consequences they deserved.

“Stay away from him,” Daniella’s words barely met my ears, they were so low, but the second I heard them, I spun around, tired to death of the pretentious twat.

“Is that a threat?” I demanded, drawing the attention of the bitch pack and every other group of students within earshot.

Daniella turned gracefully, as if she were attending a royal function. The look on her face was social gold, all politeness and wit, but in her eyes, I saw a fierceness that appeared to be bone deep.

She stepped forward, almost gliding across the wooden floor, and, as she sailed past me, her head held high, she whispered, “Absolutely.”

Chapter 4

I pulled my t-shirt over my head and rotated my neck, enjoying the crack of my spine under the radiant glow of the full moon. We would run tonight and I couldn’t think of anything in the world I wanted or needed more in this moment.

I’d had a week from Hell.

I’d had several run-ins with the bitch squad since Daniella had orchestrated the theft of my confidential file, none of which had gone well. It seems Seraphina and the others had looked through my file before pretending to read it for the first time and knew all kinds of secrets about me. They’d also read my senior paper, which they’d been reciting back to me at every opportunity, even typing up portions to post around school, especially the vulnerable parts. I’d tried avoiding them but it seemed like they were everywhere, except in my creative writing class.

I’d gone to today’s class filled with hope, knowing that at the very least I had my favorite professor on my side and wouldn’t see a bitchy face for the next hour.

I’d been wrong, on both counts.

The bitchy face I’d been presented with had been my favorite professor’s. Xavier had shuffled around the room with heavy steps and a heavy face, handing out essays as if he were passing out funeral brochures. Still, I’d reached for mine eagerly, sure I’d find a kind word to lift my spirits. What I’d gotten was a 78% written in jarring red ink with critical notes scribbled in the margins.

Try to avoid generalities. They’re sloppy.

This needs to be rewritten.

I expect more from you.

My heart had sunk to my toes as I’d flipped through the pages and seen more of the same criticisms. He hated my work. I’d bit back an unexpected wave of emotion that had threatened to embarrass the hell out of me.

I’d sat through the class, taking notes, listening with half a heart as Xavier expounded the benefits of train-of-thought exercises. He’d concluded class with an assignment to choose a single idea and follow it to the bitter end and had set the due date for Tuesday. I’d slipped from class without ever looking up and had rushed off, just glad to have avoided another confrontation with the bitches.

The moon’s light felt like a soothing balm on my bare skin. I folded my clothes, one piece at a time, and placed them in the small locker I’d been assigned for this very purpose. Every student in the school had one, which is why they stretched along the entire length of the gymnasium, the furthest building out from center campus. I undid the clasp of my necklace and tucked it inside a zippered pocket for safe keeping then turned towards the forest.

Hundreds of naked bodies stood, chatting casually or gazing up at the bright moon, all with smiles stretching their mouths. The full moon was a celebration of life for my kind, a chance to reconnect with the elemental and the primal. My skin began to tingle under the power of its light, pushing all my stress aside. I stepped forward, toward the tree line, and called to my wolf.

She came immediately.

A twinge of pain coursed through my body, but I barely felt it. For me, that pain had always bordered on exquisite pleasure, as my body embraced its true form, as I left the human world behind and entered nature.

My bones shifted, moving swiftly from bipedal to all fours. My body flowed with the change, moving naturally from one state to the next, gliding so seamlessly that it felt like magic. One moment I was a girl, then next I was a magnificent wolf with thick russet fur. I grinned and gazed up at the moon, then leapt forward and broke into a run.

There were no rules to the run. Students were told only to stick to campus property, which was easy as there was a rather impressive privacy fence around its entire perimeter. Added to that simple measure of security were night vision cameras, proximity sensors, and guards placed at regular intervals who made sure the students were safe during their monthly runs. From what I’d read in the security brochure, the space above the campus was also a no-fly zone, which was strictly enforced and patrolled by campus drones. Although it hadn’t said specifically, I assumed government contracts protected their location from satellite recordings, as well. Not that I’d spent much time thinking about such things.

I darted into the forest, glad to be away from the throng of students, most of whom didn’t seem to be in the same rush as me to run free. It was a perfect night, warm with a soft breeze that still smelled of ripe blackberries and overgrown foliage. Soon the air would carry a crispness that would mean sweaters, hot cocoa, and boots. I loved autumn and couldn’t wait to run over crackling leaves.

I raced through the undergrowth, leaping over fallen logs and splashing through the small streams that ran through the property. The academy owned over a thousand acres of land and kept it as clean and healthy as possible, which meant there was plenty of room to run and play. I almost felt as if I weren’t caged in out here, a feeling I’d been overwhelmed with since I’d stepped foot on campus.

Back home I’d had endless forests and bogs to run through. Newfoundland was a huge island with a small population and the west coast, where I’d been raised, boasted amazing views of mountains and ocean. Since wolves were supposed to be extinct in the province, my people had to be careful about being seen, but that was easy enough with our heightened senses and ability to shift back to human form. I’d had clothes stashed all over the woods, just in case.

I’d also had friends and family to run with at home, I thought, feeling the loss of them as a weight on my soul. I slowed down as I approached a larger body of water and dipped my head for a drink. My reflection in the still water, alone under the full moon, broke my heart.

A slight movement in the pool of water caught my attention. I saw another wolf, a male, I thought, watching me from a small hill to my left. I turned toward him and lifted my head to take in his scent.

Bash.

My heart skipped a beat then sped up, thundering in my chest. I watched him move through the night, taking in his gorgeous black fur and piercing green eyes, and felt my stomach twist with desire.

After I’d stood my ground against Seraphina and Daniella, I’d barely seen him. I had assumed he was ignoring me after I’d snapped at him, but he wasn’t ignoring me now. And, if the pheromones seeping from his pores was proof, he still wanted me. I pictured Daniella’s face when she’d warned me to stay away from her brother and wondered if he was worth all the trouble.

Bash leaped down from the rock ledge, landing with gentle grace no more than ten feet away from me and stalked closer, his gaze never leaving mine. I shivered despite the warmth of the night as he slid past me, pressing his thick fur against mine, lighting my nerves on fire.

Old Ones, yes, I moaned inside my head, he was worth the trouble.

Bash walked around me, moving slowly, pressing against my fur until I practically panted for him. When his tongue licked out to taste me, I nipped at him and darted away.

There would be hundreds of other students and professors running this land tonight. So, as much as I wanted him, as much as I craved his touch and taste, as much as I would give anything to shift back to my human body so I could touch, lick, and bite him until he was branded with my scent, I couldn’t give in tonight. Not out here, anyway.

So, instead, I ran.

I put every ounce of speed into the race and grinned as I heard Bash following on my heels. I was quick, faster than almost every wolf I’d ever known, but Bash was proving to be a formidable opponent. He moved like the night, skirting obstacles I didn’t know were there until the last moment. Pure joy flowed through my veins as my legs pumped harder and edged me further ahead.

I ran an entire minute before realizing that Bash was no longer tailing me. I glanced sideways, searching for him in the shadows, and saw nothing but the trees and foliage. My ears strained to hear him, but the sounds of the night and our fellow students in the distance were the only things to reach my ears. My gait faltered and I slowed.

Bash surged back onto the almost non-existent path a foot ahead of me, grinning like the wolf he was, and cast a glance over his shoulder before taking off. I snapped at him and darted forward on his heels, impressed by his tactics.

He was fast, and cunning, but I was faster. I leaped forward on strong hind legs and tackled him, hitting him hard. We rolled to the ground and off the path, careening down a slight grassy slope that came to a stop near a stream that gurgled with a joy that echoed my own.

When we stopped rolling, Bash was on top, his larger muscled body hovering above me. His face would have disappeared in the darkness of the night, I mused, if the moon hadn’t illuminated him from behind.

He was gorgeous. There was no denying the fact that he was, or the fact that one look from his emerald eyes made my stomach flutter with excitement. I leaned up and nuzzled his neck.

Bash stared down at me unblinking, his gaze so intense I wondered if he could see into my soul. I was about to lean up again when the scent of decay and rot caught my nose. I grimaced and darted my gaze to the side, looking for the source of the stench.

It seemed to glow, I thought, as surprise and shock dulled my logic for a moment. Then the details began to sink in and I saw what I hadn’t before. The pale flesh sticking out of the rushing water, reflecting the light of the moon I had stared longingly at just a short time ago. There was no life in this hand anymore, no life in the body attached to it.

I scrambled to my feet next to Bash, joined my voice to his, and howled.

Chapter 5

I ducked my head, letting my hair fall over my face a little, and walked faster to get away from the stares and whispers of my fellow students.

I’d been hearing my name on lips that had never uttered my name before all morning and wished I could spend the day in my dorm room but my growling stomach wouldn’t allow that to happen. Since I hadn’t been able to feed any of my other rising appetites last night, I wouldn’t deny my actual appetite a moment longer. Besides, they had a right to be curious, Old Ones knew I was.

As far as I knew, though, the body Bash and I had stumbled across at the most inopportune moment of my life hadn’t been identified. Or, that was the rumor anyway. It wasn’t as if I were Donahue’s confidant. I was just as in the dark as everyone else on campus, despite what they believed.

It was a mystery, one that had piqued the interest of almost everyone on campus, especially since the email had gone out. I’d heard the special ding of an Academy email and had opened it immediately, expecting some kind of announcement about the body. It had been an announcement, I’d gotten that part right, but it had been to tell the school body about a curfew that was being instituted immediately for the “protection of all students while the investigation continues.” That was what had really gotten everyone interested in talking to me.

I had more on my mind than death and curfews. I’d spent the entire night tossing and turning, falling into dreams of Bash’s hot mouth on mine the moment I’d drifted off. Parts of my body that I’d ignored for far too long were becoming annoyingly uncomfortable and needy.

The cafeteria was crowded with students looking for answers, so when I walked in it felt as though every set of eyes turned to look at me. Ignoring them, I moved through the line, grabbing sandwiches, pasta salad, fruit, and a bottle of water, anything I could stuff in my bag and take on the go.

I needed quiet, solitude, somewhere people wouldn’t annoy the shit out of me by whispering my name under their breath. My dorm room would work, I thought, but it felt like defeat to retreat to my room and lock myself in just because I was feeling singled out. No, I turned toward another fortress of solitude… the library.

I’d been to the library once, the day before classes started, but I hadn’t been there since. I hadn’t needed any obscure books for my courses, which was what the library was mostly good for these days. I had all my textbooks in both print and eBook for easy access and my laptop was a life saver. I literally loved it more than most of my belongings.

Still, I conceded as I stepped into the dark wood and high-ceilinged room where a lull of reverential silence filled the air, the library had its own benefits. It was gorgeous, for one, and for two, it felt… homey.

I made my way to the back of the library where a ceiling of glass windows created a spacious solarium decked out with larger than normal comfy chairs. A few students sat curled like kittens in their spacious cushions, quietly reading or taking naps in the sun.

They called to me.

A sign on the wall told me that food was allowed in this area and this area only, a fact that was a relief since I was starving and had planned on sneaking food if need be. Not breaking campus rules would be much better. I took a bite of my sandwich and reveled in the taste of peanut butter and raspberry jam.

“Did you hear that the body was a student?” One of the students behind murmured too loudly for a proper library whisper. “I heard it was one of the first years, a scholarship kid from out East.”

My stomach twisted painfully.

“No, she’s the one that found the body,” another voice whispered too loudly. “And I heard it was one of the teachers.”

“Maybe it was Grimes and we won’t have that test on Friday.” The irreverent comment was apparently met with a slap because a moment later I heard a muttered apology and, “I was just joking.”

I sunk deeper into my chair and hoped the loud whisperers wouldn’t turn around and see me, the “scholarship kid” eavesdropping on their conversation. I didn’t need to worry long, thankfully. A nearby student who was actually studying shushed them one time too many and they got up and left with exasperated sighs.

I let my head loll back against the cushion and closed my eyes against the endless frustration I was feeling. I’d always had a place back home. I’d always had people and places that were mine. Now, here I was, alone, displaced, and feeling sorry for myself.

“Don’t pay attention to the jerks,” a soft smoky voice said quietly, so close my eyes popped open expecting to see a face an inch away.

She wasn’t an inch away, more like two feet, but she was watching me intently with eyes so dark they looked like buttons in a pixie shaped face that matched her petite frame. I took in her Nirvana t-shirt, which had seen better days, her ripped jeans and worn Converse sneakers, and short chopped hair. When she spoke again, it was like hearing an old Hollywood starlet through the mouth of this tiny fairy-like girl.

“Which might be a problem for you, considering this place is full of jerks.”

Her statement, delivered so matter of fact from such an unsuspecting source, caught me so off guard that a bubble of laughter worked its way up my throat and almost exploded in the silent space. I caught it just in time and disguised it with a cough that still earned me a few side-eyes.

The pixie held her hand out and I was unsurprised to find her fingernails painted a dark navy blue. “Hey, I’m Rory.”

My hand moved out automatically, taking hers. “Elena,” I paused, then added with a wry grin, “the scholarship kid,” as if that were my official title.

She grinned back. “Nice to meet you, Elena of the scholarship fund. My full, fancy pants title, is actually Aurora Genevieve Dumont, of the shameless liberal snowflake Dumont’s.” She arched an eyebrow in what looked like defiance and explained. “My mother is kind of outspoken about her role in The Sisterhood and some of the,” she raised her voice enough so those straining to hear our conversation could hear easily, “brown nosing backwards thinking families can’t handle that.” Rory shrugged. “So, they shun us basically. I’m expecting a very uneventful year. Lots of Netflix and pizza in my dorm room.”

“I love Netflix and pizza,” I said with a grin.

Her eyes sparkled with warmth and humor. “Then we’ll have to figure out if you have good taste in tv or not.” She narrowed her eyes. “Shadowhunters, yay or nay?”

I pictured my favorite characters on the show and pretended to be uncertain. “It depends,” I mused aloud, “on if you have a thing for Jace, because I’d slap a bitch for him.”

Rory’s giggle got us a few new shushes and filled my chest with relief. I’d just made my first friend at Alpha Wolf Academy. Maybe life here wouldn’t be so horrible after all. We exchanged numbers and made plans to binge a few episodes tonight.

“You’re in Xavier’s creative writing class, aren’t you?” Rory climbed into the chair next to me, pulling her legs up so she was curled into a neat ball that barely took up any space. Next to her, my long legs and torso looked gangly.

“Yeah,” I said hesitantly, wondering if she was a safe outlet for my frustrations there. “Are you in the class?” I hadn’t noticed her, but I sat in the front and she barely took up any space.

Rory nodded. “I was really looking forward to his class. I’d only heard good things.” She leaned in closer and lowered her voice. “But rumor has it he’s going through a rough divorce and isn’t himself. Maybe that’s why he crucified my paper with red ink.”

“Holy crap, he tore mine to shreds, too!” I exclaimed in a loud whisper as relief flooded through me. If Rory had gotten into the class, which required a written application, she must have talent. Besides, from what I’d seen of her so far, she was smart as a whip and saucy as one. I liked her. “And I’m here on a writing scholarship.”

She made a low whistling sound of commiseration. “That sucks. You must have been freaking out.” She waved her hand graciously and said, “Please, take my utter failure as a sign that his bad mood is the problem, not your writing abilities.”

I nodded smartly and affected a snobby tone, one I’d heard come straight from Daniella’s own mouth. “Not only will I take it, Madame, but I’ll hold it near and dear.”

Rory unzipped her expensive looking backpack and pulled a container of hummus and snap peas out. “So, have you made any allies here yet?” She crunched into a pea. “Other than me, of course.”

“Of course,” I replied, loving how comfortable I felt around her already. It was the way I’d always felt around Sara and Bethany. I’d just always figured our connection came from growing up together in such a small community. A twinge of uncertainty churned in my stomach as I thought about how they’d feel with me making a new friend. I pushed it away almost immediately. They were my best friends in the entire world. They would be happy I’d found someone to talk to.

“Not really.” I took another bite of my almost forgotten sandwich and wished I’d grabbed a milk to wash it down. I took a swig of my water, instead. “I did fall face and eyes into a really cute guy my first day here if that counts.”

Her eyebrows shifted up and down. “Cute boy, huh? What’s his name?”

“Bash Reeves,” I murmured, trying to pitch my voice low so others wouldn’t hear. They were definitely listening in on our conversation, I decided.

“No shit!” Rory’s excitement burst out. We got lots of shushes for that one but she looked unperturbed. “That boy is a hell of a lot more than just “cute” and he just happens to be the single most eligible bachelor on campus. Did he happen to fall face and eyes into you, too?” Her eyes sparkled so brightly it made my cheeks flush.

My first instinct was to deny everything, I wasn’t exactly experienced in this type of thing. Then, I remembered Sara and Bethany sharing the details of their crushes and how that vulnerability had made them all so much closer. I bit the bullet and nodded. “Yeah, he’s definitely interested but his freaking sister…”

“Daniella?” Rory hissed, her eyebrows pulling down in sharp vees. She made a sound of disgust. “I hate that…” she seemed to search for the right word and settled on, “snaggle toothed bitch,” which made me giggle. “What’d she do?”

I huffed out a breath and shook my head. “Well, she broke into the headmistress’s office and stole my confidential file, for one.”

“No fucking way!” Rory’s eyes were as round as saucers. “It’s insane what people like her can get away with. And I bet you didn’t even report it did you? Because you know she’d get nothing more than a slap on the wrist, if that, for breaking, entering, and theft.”

I nodded. “Chances are she got one of her bitch pack to grab it for her. Keep the paws clean and all that.”

“Bitch pack,” Rory repeated slowly as if sampling the words. “I like that.” She took another bite of hummus then choked and motioned with widened eyes toward the main library.

I turned, expecting to see the queen of the bitch pack herself come striding toward us, pack in tow but, instead, I saw Bash moving steadily toward me with a sexy half grin on his face. I nearly choked on my sandwich and prayed I didn’t have peanut butter on my face.

“Hey.” He stopped a few feet away from my chair and just smiled at me. He might as well have climbed into the chair with me for all the punch of pheromones that preceded him, hitting me like a wall of sexy temptation. I lifted the bottle of water to my lips, needing to wet my suddenly bone-dry throat, and saw his eyes flicker to my mouth.

“Hey,” I managed to respond like one of the great orators of history. Nothing more came to mind as I pictured making out with him in the book stacks.

A hand that wasn’t Bash’s touched my arm and I jumped out of sheer surprise that anyone other than the two of us existed in the world right now. I darted my gaze away from his piercing emerald eyes and over to Rory, whose eyes were still huge and filled with glee. “Um,” she whispered under her breath, “I’m going to go check out the stacks. I’ll text you later, cool?” She hopped up, grabbed her bag, and took another bite of hummus covered snap pea.

“Cool,” I murmured, watching her as she passed Bash with a brilliant smile then spun around once she was behind him. Her thumbs shot up and she did a little dance to show how awesome she thought this meeting was. When she’d disappeared into the stacks, I shifted my gaze back to Bash and saw that he was watching me with more than a little amusement. “Hey,” I repeated as a slow heat started at my core and worked its way quickly to my cheeks.

He crossed the distance between us with long strides that brought my attention to his legs. They were fine legs, long and lean. They’d looked good when he was his wolf, too, I remembered.

Bash grabbed the big chair Rory had been curled in and pulled it closer to my chair with what seemed like little to no effort at all. My mouth went dry.

“I wanted to talk to you,” he said simply, leaving out small talk, which, oddly, made me feel a little more surefooted. This place was so fancy and filled with rich wolves that I felt like a yokel more often than not. Bash didn’t make me feel like that. His sister, on the other hand, did.

“Yeah?” I tilted my head slightly and watched him watching me.

“Yeah.” He smiled and casually reached out a hand to trace the top of my thigh. I held back a gasp as his fingertips lit fires along my uncovered skin and kept my gaze on his, unwilling to back down from the unspoken challenge flashing in his emerald greens.

“What’d you want to talk about?” I forced my system to slow down and inhale oxygen, knowing I’d keep coming off like a ditz if I didn’t breathe.

He leaned in even closer and all sound in the library stopped. I wasn’t sure if it was happening in my imagination or if literally everyone around us had stopped so much as breathing to listen in on what had to be juicy gossip. My lips curled up in a smirk. Daniella was going to hear about this within minutes and be so pissed.

Fuck her.

I leaned towards him, closing the small distance until we were so close that I could feel the heat of his breath and smell the coffee he’d drank earlier. I pulled his scent in through my nose and held it, savoring it, savoring him. My lips parted.

His gaze flicked from my eyes to my lips for an instant, pausing there long enough to make my heart skip a beat then begin galloping. He inhaled, closing his eyes for a moment, then a knowing smile lifted his lips and he closed the distance between us.

He tasted like dark roast, chocolate, and wolf. My hands reached for his neck without coherent thought and delved into the thick mass of midnight colored hair to pull him nearer. This wasn’t my first kiss, I was inexperienced not innocent, but I might as well have been. None of the boys I’d kissed back home had ever made me feel this longing to nip and bite, to tear and howl. I opened to the gentle pressure of his tongue and deepened the kiss.

I’m not sure how long we were in each other’s arms when a librarian saw us and cleared her throat loud enough to have me jumping back and Bash grinning impishly with a glint of wolf in his eyes. I turned my head, suddenly aware of our audience, but stopped when Bash reached out and brought my face back to look at him. Only him.

He leaned in again and I thought he would kiss me but, instead, he laid his forehead on mine and murmured quietly, “I think you’d better give me your number so we can do this again without all the voyeurs.”

My stomach flipped at the thought of touching him, kissing him, and more, in private without a librarian or peeping Toms to stop us. I took his offered cell phone and programed my number into its memory. I passed it back to him and prayed to the Old Ones he’d use it soon.

Bash stood up, leaving me cold where his body had touched mine, and tucked his cell into a back pocket. “See you soon?”

I nodded without saying a word, unsure I’d be able to speak, and watched him turn and walk away.

When he was out of sight, I collapsed back into my chair and let loose the sigh that had been building inside me since the moment I’d seen him. All around me hushed voices burst into conversation and I heard frantic texting. I should have been upset at the breach of my privacy but I couldn’t manage to feel anything but self-satisfaction. Let them gossip, I thought, smiling at the intricate atrium ceiling.

My phone dinged a moment later, and I grabbed it, thinking it had to be Rory looking for an update. Shock and pleasure surged when I saw a short message from a new contact, one that simple asked, “Be my date to the party tonight?”

Chapter 6

I stared at the screen for what seemed like an eternity, then began to pace.

I reread the text a few times, committing the seven words to memory, trying to read them in different ways to tell what Bash had been feeling when he’d sent it. It seemed pretty casual, I thought, he hadn’t even included “Will you” in his question. Then again, he’d sent a text less than a minute after getting my phone number. I bit back a squeal of excitement and just let myself vibrate silently.

I agonized over what to write back. He’d seemed pretty flippant and cool, so I should probably do the same, but I wasn’t sure and without my best friends here to help me through this crisis, I began to panic.

I forced myself to take a few deep breaths and gave myself a stern talking to. I was a writer, why was I freaking out about a simple text? He’d asked me out, he was flirting with me. I just had to calm the fuck down and flirt back.

Hmmm, I dunno. I typed slowly, making sure there were no typos. Where will this party be?

I pressed send then had a small panic attack. What if he didn’t get that I was joking? What if he gave up and uninvited me? My fingers itched to write a new text, but I knew I’d only make it worse if I did. When my phone dinged a moment later, I grabbed it and read quickly.

In the woods. Not afraid of the dark, are you?

I choked on a laugh and my fingers flew. Depends. Will we be alone?

I’ll make sure of it.

My mouth filled with saliva at the thought of finally being alone with him. The attraction between us was growing with each encounter. If I could just get him alone…

Sound like fun. What time? I was done with playing coy.

I’ll meet you on the quad at 11:30 p.m.

I frowned, remembering the announcements that had been annoyingly made every hour on the hour all day informing the student body of the 10:00 p.m. curfew that was being enforced. It had sounded pretty serious. I knew we were in university and all, but I’d assumed we’d be taking campus security seriously, especially after someone had died.

I hesitated, not wanting to come off as naïve but also not wanting to be expelled. What about curfew? I typed, then waited for a response.

That’s nothing. This party happens every year. It’s mandatory for new students. Don’t worry, I’ll keep you safe. He ended it with a winky face emoticon.

Mandatory, huh, I mused. I’d snuck out plenty of times back home, so it wasn’t as if I were a prude. I just kept picturing mom’s face if I were sent home for breaking rules and losing my scholarship. Girls like me couldn’t afford to be flippant about things like this. I wasn’t rich and my dad didn’t roll with the big wolves.

Still, I needed to live my life, I decided. I’d mostly kept to my small group of friends for most of my life and, finally, I was being forced to step outside my comfort zone. Wasn’t it time for me to try new things? Didn’t I owe it to myself to broaden my horizons? I smiled crookedly and typed my answer. See you then.

I jumped up and grabbed my stuff. If I was going to a party tonight, I’d have to figure out what to wear. It was still warm enough to wear shorts but the only ones I had were the cut off jean variety. I did have that one cute summer dress that Sara had bought me in Montreal. I chewed thoughtfully on the last bite of my sandwich while agonizing over party dress code and berating myself for being so self-conscious.

By the time I got back to my dorm room, I’d decided on the dress. It was short, which would show off my legs, and a deep green, which would compliment Bash’s eyes. I jumped in the shower with thoughts of naked flesh and soft end of summer breezes on my mind. It wasn’t until I was out and drying my hair that I remembered I was supposed to hang out with Rory tonight.

I glanced at my phone. It was 8:52 p.m. now and we’d planned on binging Netflix around 9:30 p.m. I couldn’t stand up my only friend at AWA but I really wanted to go to the party. I knew it was ridiculous and hard-core first world problems, but stress made my stomach acid flair. I plopped down on my bed and decided to just be honest.

Hey, I typed to Rory, so Bash told me about this party that happens every year in the woods. Kind of a welcome party for new students.

I sighed and started to type out that he’d asked me to go with him and I knew it was a shitty thing to do but could we watch Shadowhunters tomorrow night instead when her reply popped up with a cheerful ding.

That sounds awesome! What are you wearing? What time do we need to go?

Fuck.

I collapsed back on the bed and stared at the ceiling for a moment. I was winning at life today. First, I’d made a friend. Then, I’d gotten a date. Then, I’d invited my friend on my date. Ugh.

Well, what was done was done. I wasn’t going to embarrass Rory by telling her what I’d actually meant, so I was going to make the best out of the situation. I told her what I was wearing then pulled up Bash’s text.

Hey, so I told my friend Rory about the party and she thought I was inviting her. You don’t have a friend who appreciates smart girls who look like fairies, do you?

I held my breath, hoping he’d understand, and let it whoosh out when his response came quick. I have just the friend for the job. See you both soon.

I chewed my lip for a moment, then wrote him back. Oh, and can you ask your friend to not make it super obvious he’s there for her? I don’t want her to feel awkward.

No problem.

I let the phone drop to the bed and closed my eyes. Drama, drama, drama and I only had one friend so far. Well, one friend and one hot guy. I shook my head and grinned then rolled over and pushed off the bed. I had to get ready for a party.

* * *

The night air was soft and balmy on my bare legs as Rory and I moved through the shadows towards the quad to meet Bash and his friend. Rory walked beside me, not saying much. After a few minutes of relative silence, I gave into the feeling of awkwardness and decided to just ask.

“You’re pretty quiet.” I said softly, half certain we’d be caught at any moment. “What’s up?”

Rory scuffed her Converse clad toe on the gravel and didn’t say anything for a minute then she sighed. “I got caught up when you told me about the party but then I realized you probably meant you were going with Bash.” She let out a self-deprecating chuckle. “I was going to cancel but then you texted that he was bringing a friend and I got embarrassed.” Even in the shadows I could see her cheeks were a bright rosy color.

I stopped and turned to snag her arm, hating the fact that I’d made her feel uncomfortable. This was all my fault. “Okay,” I began as my mind swirled with anxious thoughts. “I’m not really good at this friend thing.” I swallowed and figured honesty would be the best policy here. It had always been integral in my relationship with Sara and Bethany. “I have two best friends back home but we’ve known each other since we were in diapers and I’ve never really made any friends outside of them.” I half grinned and dipped my head to catch her gaze. “I mean, you might not know it yet, because I’ve been the epitome of elegance here, but I’m actually kind of a spaz.”

Rory’s lips quirked for a moment then she let out a snort that made her already big eyes go huge with embarrassment. I assumed an expression of mock disgust and lightly smacked her arm then burst into giggles that I had to cover my mouth to hide. She grinned and began to laugh. I started walking again and let myself bump into her, feeling like we’d just passed some kind of new friend test.

“Anyway, I need you there,” I said in a quiet voice as we got closer to the quad. The last thing I wanted was for Bash to hear me. “This thing between me and Bash is really intense and I’m pretty sure I’ll need a buffer to keep me from going full porn star at the party.”

Rory’s mouth dropped open. “Seriously? It’s that hot?”

I just shook my head, reliving the wonder of how intense his kiss had been back at the library. “I can’t even wrap my head around it. The guys back home were like puppies compared to Bash. Cute and fun to watch, but mostly childish.” I sighed and hated myself a little for being such a girl. “It’s different with him. I can’t seem to think straight or catch my breath when he’s around, and when he touches me…” I blew out a breath.

“Do you think maybe he’s your…” Rory trailed off and I snapped my head in her direction, shocked by what I knew she’d been about to say.

“No,” I whispered adamantly. “I don’t know if I even believe in that, anyway.”

It was Rory’s turn to smack my arm. “What? How can you not believe in it? Are your mom and dad not soul mates?”

I frowned and shrugged then slowly shook my head. “I don’t think so. They aren’t all lovey dovey or anything. I think they’re more like best friends to be honest.”

“Huh. Well, my parents are definitely soul mates. They’re actually embarrassing with the kissing and whispers but we all got used to it.”

“How many of there are you?” I asked, trying to change the topic since thinking about my parents that way made me feel oddly guilty and sad.

“Seven,” Rory said with a grin. “Three girls, four boys. I’m the oldest.” Her face fell a bit. “Lucky me.”

I wanted to ask what she meant but we were just about to the quad. I stared into the shadows, looking for Bash and his friend and nearly had a heart attack when a hand touched my shoulder from behind.

“It’s me,” Bash’s resonant voice whispered as my heart thundered so loud, I could hear nothing but the blood in my veins. I gasped in a breath and laid my hand over my heart, trying to calm my pulse as my cheeks flushed.

“You scared the crap out of me.”

“Sorry,” he apologized as his lips twitched. “I thought you’d heard us.”

We should have heard them but we’d been caught up discussing how incredibly hot I found… oh, sweet Old Ones. My skin felt as if it were on fire and I was glad for the darkness.

“Um…” I searched for words to cover my mortification while Bash just smiled down at me with too much knowledge in those emerald eyes.

“Hi. I’m Rory.” Rory stepped forward and stuck her hand out to Bash, taking all the pressure off me. I decided right then and there that I loved her. She turned to the guy standing next to Bash next and extended her hand.

I hadn’t noticed him in my panic, I realized, but also because he blended with the shadows so well. His skin gleamed like polished obsidian under the light of the moon, deep but warm. His smile was wide and sweet, inviting as he took Rory’s hand in his and shook. “Hey Rory, I’m Darius.” His long fingers wrapped around Rory’s petite hand, enveloping it. His eyes widened, just a bit, as he held her hand, then he let go and reached out again.

I shook his hand and made note to ask Rory about that little pause. He’d definitely reacted to her touch. “Elena,” I said, even though I knew he’d know my name. Or, at least, I hoped so. Having Bash talk about me with his friends made my stomach feel jittery.

Bash moved to my side as we started forward, still sticking to the edge of the quad. The proximity of his body to mine set little fires racing over my skin and my fingers twitched, wanting to reach out to take his. I kept them at my side, barely. As we walked, his arm swayed, touching mine, and my head swam.

“You look beautiful,” Bash murmured quietly, leaning in closer so the entire length of his arm pressed against mine.

Heat moved swiftly up my body into my head and the world seemed to waiver. I breathed as quietly as I could manage and managed to say, “Thank you.” Flirty responses filled my brain, jumbling together so I couldn’t pick just one. I said nothing and kept walking.

Beside me I could hear Rory and Darius chatting and registered that they seemed to be enjoying one another. Beyond that, I had no awareness outside of Bash and the way my body was urging me toward him. I sucked in fresh night air and tasted my own pheromones on the soft wind.

His fingers brushed mine and the dull ache in my core intensified. I let out a small gasp.

It must have been all the confirmation he’d needed, because Bash’s fingers slipped through mine then, twining together, pulling my palm to his. His thumb rubbed over my skin, eliciting desire in me so deep it felt endless.

Connor made me feel like this. I dipped my head and forced the thought down.

“So,” Bash said, squeezing my hand slightly, “tell me about you.”

I tensed. We didn’t know anything about one another other than the fact that something in our genetic makeup drew us together physically. What if he didn’t like my personality, where I came from, my perception of this world he thrived in? I chewed on my lip for a moment, knowing whatever this was between us would go nowhere if I didn’t show him the real me.

“I suppose you already know I’m here on scholarship.” Thanks to your sister, I thought bitterly.

He nodded. “It takes a lot to get a scholarship from AWA. You must be brilliant.” His thumb stroked my hand again, soothing me, relaxing me.

I chuckled. “Not according to my creative writing prof, Xavier. He’s torn apart everything I’ve passed in so far.”

“Xavier Davidson?” Bash asked. When I nodded, he made a dismissive sound. “He’s been going through a really public divorce, so I wouldn’t take his bad mood personally.”

“Rory said the same thing. I guess I don’t get the same gossip you guys do.”

Bash was quiet for a moment. “You’re from Newfoundland, right?”

I nodded and let the pride I’d always felt for my home province push away the unease that seemed to be my daily companion here. “Yeah, have you ever been there?”

“No, but I’ve been to Ireland a bunch of times and I’ve heard it’s very similar.”

“Parts of it are. Some areas are more French than Irish, though.” She thought of her father’s slight French accent and smiled, missing him. “My coast has more of the French but get me tipsy and the Irish comes out.” I grinned up at him.

His eyebrow shot up. “Well then, is that a challenge?”

I laughed and didn’t bother covering it up. We’d moved from the open quad to the forest and had the cover of trees to stop our voices from carrying. “Screw it,” I said, throwing caution to the wind. I needed to relax and have fun. “Let’s call out the Irish.”

He asked me about my favorite books and movies as we walked, moving further away from the stone buildings that made up campus. It was fun to discover our common likes and dislikes, and to challenge each other over things like Marvel vs. DC. I don’t know when it happened, probably when he confessed to loving Buffy the Vampire Slayer, but all my nerves floated away, leaving behind a sense of wholeness and excitement that filled me with joy. Rory’s question about soul mates flitted through my mind more than once but I swatted it away quickly.

We heard the music from the party long before we arrived. It wafted out on speakers placed at the four corners of a large meadow that opened out of the forest. The scent of grass and wild flowers perfumed the air and the tinkling sound of a nearby brook set the scene for fun and romance. I wanted both.

Bash was met with loud calls from friends while I was met with so many side-eyes, I couldn’t keep count. Gazes moved over me and down to where our hands were firmly clasped together, then the whispers began.

I paused, uncertain of my place in the social order here, but Bash wouldn’t allow it. He tugged me closer and leaned in to my ear to whisper, “Ignore them. You belong here.” His lips brushed against my earlobe, making my entire body shudder, then he was pulling back with a wicked grin that made me want to smack him. He knew exactly what he was doing to me. From the scent coming off him, I was doing the same to him. “What would the Irish like to drink?” he asked, still looking at me with mischief in his eyes.

“Vodka and soda,” I said with a cocked eyebrow, letting him know I was more than ready to play. He and Darius wandered off to get drinks, leaving Rory and me alone in the midst of gossips and unfriendly faces.

Before I could turn to Rory, she grabbed my arm and pulled me close. “Holy crap, Darius is freaking gorgeous and I think he likes me!”

I laughed at her expression of shock. Keeping my volume low, I said, “Of course he does. You’re beautiful, and funny, and smart,” I added. “He’s be a fool not to like all that. And yeah,” I glanced over to where he was pouring up a beer from a keg that had somehow made it to the middle of the forest, “he’s gorgeous.”

Rory’s cheeks bloomed with color. “And Old Ones, you were right about you and Bash. You’re both pumping out pheromones. If anyone here had any doubt about the two of you, it’s gone now. He’s got it bad.”

“I do, too,” I admitted with a grin.

I was too busy watching Bash pouring up drinks to pay attention to my surroundings, which is why I never saw Daniella coming.

I stumbled back as her hand shoved hard against my shoulder, knocking me into Rory who fell to the ground. My head whipped around to see who had hit me but I already knew from the scent of fury and perfume wafting from her. The look on her face was pure rage so I did the one thing I knew would piss her off the most. I turned my back on her and helped Rory to her feet.

“Are you alright?” I asked quietly as my blood began to boil. Rory wiped blood from her elbow where it had connected with a rock.

“I’m fine,” she whispered, her eyes darting over my shoulder to where I knew Daniella stood. “What are you going to do?”

I didn’t really know. All I knew was that Daniella had pushed me too far this time. I could take a lot of shit but hurting my new friend? That drew the fucking line. I turned on my heel and was met with the palm of her hand.

The slap sounded like gun fire in the suddenly silent meadow. From across the space I heard Bash’s voice ring out, yelling for his sister to stop, then his feet hitting the ground as he ran towards us.

But it was too late, I couldn’t stop myself. My hands balled into fists and I pulled back, too fast for anyone to stop.

And when I heard the crunch of cartilage as Daniella’s nose broke under the force of my punch, my blood sang and one thought echoed through my mind.

Oh, fuck!

Chapter 7

I jumped as a loud knock interrupted my staring at the ceiling time.

Everything in me froze, just like it had every time I’d gotten a text, a phone call, or a knock in the days since I’d broken Daniella’s nose then raced away from the party with Rory on my heels. I was waiting for the other shoe to drop, for Donahue to call me to her office and inform me that I was being expelled and my scholarship rescinded because I was a menace to society. I’d made it through Sunday and Monday without getting the bad news but it was only a matter of time.

Rory opened the door and poked her head into the room. She frowned at me and glanced at her watch. “You’re going to be late for class if you don’t get up.” She marched in as if she owned the place, our shared drama over the weekend having bonded us, and grabbed my arm to tug me up. I allowed the indignity.

“What’s the point, Rory?” I moaned, knowing I was acting like a baby but not really caring. “I’m getting expelled, we both know it. The whole campus knows it!” I flopped back on the bed and closed my eyes, wishing I’d never gotten dressed.

“So, she wins, is that what you’re saying?” Rory delivered the blow dryly with only the slightest hint of snark.

I opened my eyes and sat up.

“That’s what everyone is thinking, especially since you’ve been hiding in your room since you knocked her back to Sunday.” Rory walked to the mini fridge across the room and pulled out an apple and a bag of cheese I’d taken for a snack from the cafeteria. She tossed me the apple and put the cheese on the bedside table next to me. “She’s the Queen bitch and you broke her nose. You could have been campus hero but, instead, you’ve been cowering in your room, waiting for Daniella to nark on you and get you expelled.”

“My parents…”

“Your parents won’t hear a word about this because no one is talking,” Rory said patiently as I bit into the apple. “The last thing her royal bitchiness wants is to have the administration calling home to mommy and daddy to explain how their precious got a boo-boo in a fight she’d instigated. Face it, you’re covered. Now be a big girl and eat your breakfast on the way to class.” She cocked an eyebrow in what was clearly a challenge and waited for my response.

I had to admit, she was good. I’d been doing all the things she’d just accused me of and more, and it was high time I stopped hiding. I wasn’t the one who’d started the fight, I was just the one who’d finished it.

A smile crept over my face as I remembered the satisfying crunch of cartilage. The break wouldn’t last, I knew, we wolves healed too quickly, but we were also young, which meant she might still be dealing with some bruising. I got up and went to my mirror to run a brush through my hair. If I was coming out of hiding, I’d damn well have good hygiene.

“You’re good, you know that?” I asked with a grin as I locked up behind me.

“I know,” Rory said with a chuckle. “It comes from being the oldest of seven. I’ve given more than my fair share of pep talks over the years.”

I blocked out the whispers and stares as we moved through the halls, even though they were wearing really thin. Rory’s words echoed through my mind, I hadn’t started the fight, I’d taken down the Queen bitch. So, instead of hunching forward as I’d done all yesterday, I pulled my shoulders back and walked tall, flinching for no one.

Then I saw him and all my bravado disappeared in an instant. My stomach flopped, making the small breakfast I’d scarfed down threaten to come back up. Bash was at the far end of the hall talking to Darius, laughing over some joke they were sharing, with his back turned so he didn’t see me. I wanted to turn around and run, to duck into an open door and hide because I was sure he hated me now. Attraction or no attraction, I’d decked his twin sister. Even if he wasn’t furious with me, any relationship we could have had was over now. He’d have to walk away out of loyalty to her.

I forced my legs to keep moving and tried to hide behind two big guys who were chatting about football and ambling slowly down the hall.

Rory, ever perceptive, glanced around until she saw what had caught my attention and reached out to tug me even further behind the jocks. As we approached, Darius’ gaze caught mine then shifted to Rory and back again. He looked as if he were about to point us out then stopped as my eyes went wide, pleading for him to ignore us and let us pass. His nod was almost imperceptible but it was there. As we stepped around the jocks and rushed on without being seen, I decided he was worthy of my girl.

Out of earshot, I murmured to Rory, “You should ask him out.”

Her face flushed immediately and she shook her head. “I can’t do that. I literally ran away from him the other night.”

“You ran away with me, not from him. I’m sure he understands.” Guilt churned in my gut again. I was going to have to buy some antacids soon. First, I’d felt guilty for accepting Bash’s invitation, then I’d felt guilty for asking Bash to bring someone for Rory, now I was feeling guilty for being the reason Rory hadn’t been able to finish her date with Darius. I was a mess.

“You think?” Rory’s previously confident tone was uncertain now.

“I know,” I insisted. “He’s totally into you. Just give him a chance.”

She didn’t say anything I knew she was thinking about it, just nervous to put herself out there. We slipped into Xavier’s class, and sat together near the front and made plans to hit the cafeteria after class.

Xavier cleared his throat and hoisted himself up onto the table at the front of the classroom. “Your assignment last week was to follow a train of thought through for ten minutes, which, as you probably realize now, is a lot of words. The trick to train of thought writing is to let your mind wander and to follow it. It’s exciting but also disconcerting where the brain will go if you allow it free rein. Psychology 101 will tell you that your subconscious mind will go places you would never go consciously, that you can think death threats without ever giving them and that’s normal. As we grow, we learn to filter what we think so that what comes out of our mouths isn’t abhorrent. Which is why you hear children say the most unbelievable things. They don’t have functioning filters yet.” He patted the spot on the table next to him. “So, let’s have them. Train of thought papers go here. Pass them to the front. I look forward to seeing where your twisted minds took you.”

The class laughed as everyone pulled their papers out and began passing them to the front of each row. I gathered the papers from my row and brought them up, wondering at the abrupt change in Xavier’s attitude. He seemed happy today, chipper even.

“Today we’re going to be writing flash fiction. I’ll put two images up on the board and you’ll have the rest of class to write four hundred to five hundred word stories for each of the images. This will strain your creativity, believe me. It might sound easy enough, what’s five hundred words, anyway. But, writing a complete story in that word limit is difficult. Next class you’ll be partnering with other students to critique your work.” He turned on the Smartboard and put two images up, side-by-side, then got the train of thought papers and opened the first one up.

The images were weird. One depicted a woman dressed in what looked like a ball gown, slumped over a staircase with a toy crank sticking out of her back. She looked like a broken doll, I mused, with that blank look in her eyes. A story exploded in my mind at that simple thought and I began to write.

I was just reading over my two stories when Xavier clapped his hands together. “Alright. Our time is up. You can take those home tonight and polish them up a bit but make sure to bring them back on Thursday.”

I stuck my sheets in a binder and put it in my backpack. “What did you write about?” I asked Rory.

“Miss Jensen,” Xavier called out before Rory could answer. “Can I speak with you for a moment before you leave?”

Rory’s eyebrows shot up. “I’ll wait for you outside,” she murmured, gathering up her stuff to leave.

“Thanks.” I shouldered my bag and made my way through my classmates to where Xavier sat at the desk with the stack of papers. My hands grew clammy as I waited for him to tell me what this was about.

“Miss Jensen,” he repeated formally, making my stomach flop. This wasn’t going to be good, I felt it in my bones. “I’m aware Headmistress Donahue filled you in on your scholarship acceptance and the fact that I voted for you based on your essay.”

I nodded since my mouth was too dry to allow me to speak.

He sighed. “I was hoping your first paper was a product of nerves. It was flowery and exceedingly verbose and didn’t, in my opinion, reflect the writing in your application essay.” He eyed me now and my hearted thudded painfully. He was insinuating I’d plagiarized. Anxiety spiked. I clenched my teeth and waited for him to finish so I could get the hell out of here.

“I graded your train of thought paper,” he continued with another sigh that made me die a little inside. “It’s…” he seemed to search for a word, “stunted.”

Stunted? I tried not to gape at him but it was almost impossible. I’d worked on that for days, letting myself follow my thoughts to their bitter end. I’d gone from light to dark and back again in that paper, revealing more about myself than I was comfortable with most people knowing. I’d laid it all bare and he was telling me it was stunted?

I snapped. It was the last straw after a boatload of straw. “Are you serious? Stunted? I poured my heart out and did exactly what you asked us to do.” I shook my head as tears filled my eyes. “Why did you even vote for me if you hate my writing? And, yeah, before you take your insinuation a step further and accuse me of plagiarism, that essay was mine. It’s all mine.” A growl of frustration slipped from my throat. “I thought you were going to be a mentor. You were the one thing about this fucking place that made me want to stay but I guess you’re too wrapped up in your divorce to care about any of that.”

I turned on my heel and stormed out of the room then immediately began to hyperventilate. Rory’s hand gripped my arm and steered me down the hallway and around the corner for an ounce of privacy as I freaked out.

“Nooo,” I moaned, remembering each biting word I’d spewed at my professor. “I brought up his divorce.” I buried my face in my hands.

“I heard.” Rory patted my back sympathetically. “It wasn’t your finest hour, not that I’ve been there for many of your hours.”

I lifted my head and stared down at her. We’d only just met, I realized, even though it felt as if I’d known her forever. Her knowledge of me consisted of drama, physical violence, self-absorption, and verbal attack. “I swear, this is not me.” I shook my head, trying to figure out when I’d become this person. A person I’d have steered clear of normally. “I never hit people or yell at teachers. I’m boring. I like reading.”

She laughed. “I believe you, don’t worry. People who are used to this type of stuff don’t have the expression you have right now. You’re all red and blotchy.” She reached for her backpack and pulled a water bottle out. “Here, drink,” she pushed it into my hands.

I drank, thankful that I’d found the one person on campus who understood me and was patient enough to stick with me through this craziness. I handed her back the bottle and sighed. “I just want my life back.”

“Well,” she shrugged with a grin, “we’re in university now. I doubt anything will ever be the same again.”

A flash of light caught my attention and had me glancing out the window behind Rory. I frowned and stepped closer to get a better look.

“Wonder what that’s all about,” Rory mused aloud as we watched a line of identical black SUVs drive through the front gates and pull up at the front of the administration building. One by one, the vehicles parked and guards, or what looked like guards, climbed out. Dressed in black with tactical gear, bullet-proof vests, and guns strapped to their sides, I thought they’d better be guards or AWA was in serious trouble.

A group of students paused as they passed to stare at the strange sight and began theorizing about what was happening. It seemed as if they knew no more than we did, so I paid little attention to the gossip until I heard one of the guys say, “Maybe this is about the body they found just off campus last night.”

I turned to look at Rory whose wide eyes told me this was news to her, too. Another body, I thought. Alpha Wolf Academy really was in serious trouble.

Chapter 8

“Why, Rory? Why did I punch her?” I moaned and threw my cell phone across Rory’s bed for the millionth time. I’d been checking it religiously all week but, besides texts from my besties and my parents, it had remained painfully silent.

Rory glanced over her shoulder from where she was typing away at her laptop and cocked an eyebrow at me. “Um, because she’s a trite bitch who slapped you across the face first.”

Her candor made my lips twitch and, not for the first time, I thanked the Old Ones I’d found her, or rather, she’d found me. Life at AWA was a hell of a lot better with a snarky best friend.

“True, but that doesn’t make me any less a psycho in Bash’s mind. And even if he doesn’t hate my guts, she’s his twin. He’s honor bound to take her side, isn’t he?” I nearly crossed my fingers in hope that Rory would disagree with me.

She didn’t. Rory nodded slowly. “I don’t have a twin, so I’m not sure what the rules are, but if someone punched out my sister or brother…” she blew out a breath. “I dunno. He clearly likes you a lot but…” she trailed off again. “Sorry, this isn’t helping.”

My chest tightened with the weight of loss. I regretted punching Daniella more than I’d ever regretted anything in my life, even if she’d deserved it. I’d been this close to something real with Bash and I’d screwed it up, royally.

There was nothing I could do now but wait. I’d texted him the night of the party and once after that, apologizing for hitting his sister, but he’d never responded. I had to accept his choice, as sucky as it was.

“Let’s do something,” I hopped up out of my chair and began pacing the room. “It feels like we’ve been locked up in here forever.”

“The guards make me really uncomfortable,” Rory murmured, still typing. I walked to her window and glanced out, expecting to see at least two or three of the new guards standing post on the grounds by the dorms. I counted four.

“Yeah,” I agreed, sighing at the bright sun that still warmed the mid-September air. It would have been nice to hang out on the green but the lawns had been mostly empty since the guards had arrived. No one felt comfortable with them there, despite the fact that they were supposedly there to keep us safe from whoever was killing wolves. It was a heavy topic that most of campus was talking about even though no one knew the particulars. “I’m bored.”

“You could work on your short stories” Rory got up and moved to her mini-fridge to get a bottle of water. “You’re not finished, right?”

“I’m done my first drafts but they needs a bit of cleaning up. Want to swap drafts when you finish?” I took the bottle she offered me and batted my eyelashes at her. “Will you be my beta reader, Rory?”

“Only if you’ll be mine.” She abandoned her laptop and hopped up on the bed with a chuckle. “Who needs a boyfriend when you’ve got romance like this?”

I sighed and flopped down next to her. “True love, thy name is Aurora.” She slapped me with a pillow.

“Why is my butt buzzing?” Rory asked a moment later, frowning. She shifted and pulled my cell phone out from under her and glanced at the screen. Her eyes went wide as she looked from it to me.

“What?” I shot up and reached for the phone. The screen had gone off so I had to swipe and put in my code, wasting valuable seconds, but when I saw who’d texted me, my heart fluttered.

Bash. The message was short but it was the most amazing combination of words that I’d ever read.

I can’t stop thinking about you. Meet me at the wolf gate at sunset.

“He wants to meet me tonight,” I said in a breathy voice filled with so much hope it stretched my chest.

Rory’s hand slapped me gently on the leg. “See! You’re not out of the game, yet!”

I climbed to my feet with renewed energy and checked the time. “I’ve got a little over two hours before class. I’m going to head to the cafeteria then back to my room. You hungry?”

Rory shook her head. “Nah. I want to get this story finished and I’ve still got some snacks.”

I tucked my phone in the back pocket of my jeans and grabbed my sweater from the chair. It might be warm outside, but the air conditioning units everywhere on campus made sweaters necessary. “Okay,” I said, pulling her door open. “I’ll text you after to let you know what happens.”

“Hopefully you’ll be too busy to text,” Rory said with an exaggerated eyebrow waggle that set my stomach butterflies whirling. That was my hope, too. I set out for the cafeteria, wondering if they’d have nachos today, and dreaming of reconciling with Bash. By the time I took my seat in history class with a belly full of nachos and guac, I was in a great mood.

“Today we’ll be talking about the secret society that took our world by storm last year,” Dr. Sherman announced with a wide smile. “For centuries fraternities and “old boys clubs,” she made quotations on either side of her head, “have worked behind the scenes to influence everything from politics to religion to education. But last year, a sorority of women was revealed after the murder of Pierre LaFlamme.” She swallowed audibly and glanced down at her lap.

I felt her grief just like I’d felt my mother’s and father’s. I’d been shocked by the news of the Alpha’s murder but I’d never really spent much time thinking about him. It had been scary, mostly, the worry that things would never be the same and that the coming changes would somehow threaten our way of life.

A moment passed before she continued. “The Sisterhood revealed itself to the world in the wake of that tragedy and women from around the world threw themselves into the political ring to fight the patrilineal rule of Alphaship. Right here in Canada, a woman became Alpha, the first woman to do so in pack history.”

I leaned forward, listening intently. I may not have ever given much thought to the Alpha family growing up, but I’d lamented more than once over the patriarchy that ruled our society. It wasn’t fair that women were relegated to the shadows while male children got the opportunity to follow their father’s footsteps and make history. The fact that powerful women around the world had been planning change in secret was fascinating. I wondered if there were a chapter here.

I jotted down notes as Dr. Sherman spoke, taking note of some of the major political names as a question began to buzz in my brain. I raised my hand and waited until I was called upon.

“Yes, Ms. Jensen.” Dr. Sherman smiled brightly at me.

“I was just wondering if you think the majority of Sisterhood members are public now or if most of them are still hiding their allegiance.” I tapped the eraser of my pencil against my lips and thought of how hard organizations like The Sisterhood would be to keep secret if the membership was as enormous as speculated.

Dr. Sherman’s eyebrow twitched up. “I’m a history professor, Ms. Jensen, which means we won’t really know until history shows us.” She smiled again. “But, if I were a betting woman, I’d say the majority of members are still incognito.”

I thought about that while she made her way to the computer to put up an image of Sylvie LaFlamme. After the Alpha Council had been held accountable for their role in the genocide of North American wolves, The Sisterhood had taken to the political stage in a big way. Alpha’s wives, doctors, lawyers, and women of all levels of prominence had proudly boasted their role in the sorority. Even though my home town was as small as it got, there were still a few women who’d outed themselves as Sisters and, subsequently, got bombarded with a million questions. My math teacher, Mrs. Stephenson, had walked into class, bold as can be, and told us the rumors were true. She’d been working to change society for most of her life.

The writer in me wanted to know more, as did the woman. I managed to pay attention through the rest of class but it was hard when all I wanted to do was ask Dr. Sherman if she was a Sister and where I could sign up.

“That’s it for today, folks,” Dr. Sherman announced ten minutes before the end of the hour. “Your readings are uploaded to the group doc already. Make sure you’re checking it daily.”

I held back while students shuffled out, chatting with friends or rushing off to get a moment of solitary peace. When the room was empty, I strode up to the desk where Dr. Sherman was tucking papers into her bag. She looked up in surprise when I cleared my throat. “Oh, Ms. Jensen. Is there something I can do for you?”

I chewed my bottom lip for a moment, hoping I wouldn’t come off sounding like an idiot, then just went for it. “I was actually wondering about The Sisterhood and if there’s a chapter here at Alpha Wolf Academy.”

As always, Dr. Sherman’s face showed every emotion she had. Her eyes sparkled with interest as she sized me up for what seemed like too long, then shrugged delicate shoulders and shook her head. “I really couldn’t say, Ms. Jensen. If there is, it’s certainly well hidden.” She nodded once as if dismissing me and turned to gather more papers.

I left class disappointed. Despite not being the obvious choice, she was my favorite professor, and I’d really hoped her enthusiasm about The Sisterhood was due to the fact that she was a member. I pulled my book bag tighter over my shoulder and made my way across campus, thankfully without seeing a single member of the bitch squad. I breathed a sigh of relief as I pulled open the door to my room and stepped into the blissful silence of privacy.

I was in the mood to stare at the ceiling while music played too loud into my earbuds, at least for the next hour until I had to get ready for chemistry class. I tossed my bag at the foot of my bed and pulled off my shoes, wishing I could get away with wearing Converse sneakers with my uniform like Rory but lamenting that I wasn’t cool enough to pull it off.

Clothes came next, tossed, this time, on a chair so they wouldn’t wrinkle and cause me the grief of having to iron them. I was pretty sure none of the other students here ironed their own clothes but I was also sure their mommies and daddies were rolling in coin, so…

It wasn’t until I was standing in my bra and panties that I noticed the rose. I frowned and glanced toward my closet, instantly on alert. Just like my first day here, someone had been in my room without my permission, and this time they’d left something other than a uniform.

I picked up the nearest heavy object, a vanilla bean candle I’d bought in Montreal, and approached the closet, sure I’d find a creeper in there. When it stood empty of all but my clothes, I relaxed incrementally. There was still the bathroom to check.

My heart thudded in my chest as I yanked back the shower curtain, candle raised, and shouted loudly to throw off my attacker. The tile mocked me.

I eyed the rose as I reentered my room, still holding the candle. There was a silver ribbon tied around it as if it were a gift, but breaking and entering wasn’t a fun pastime in my opinion. Unless…

I flew to the bed and picked up the rose, which was, thankfully, dethorned. Threaded through the ribbon was a little slip of paper that I was now sure would bare Bash’s name. I frowned at the decidedly feminine cursive writing and wondered what the hell it meant.

Sisters in arms, 9:00 p.m. tonight.

Chapter 9

I read over the message again, despite the fact that I’d already committed it to memory.

Sisters in arms, 9:00 p.m. tonight.

Sisters in arms. I chewed my lip and tried to bite back the flare of excitement in my stomach. It had to be from The Sisterhood. I’d read about invitations for initiations before and watched way too many secret society movies, so I knew that a rose with a cryptic hint was par for the norm. Or, at least, I hoped it was.

The possibility that it was from Bash had disappeared the moment I’d read the message, although the thought had crossed my mind that this was another of Daniella and the bitch squad’s nefarious plots to get back at me. But none of the squad were in my history class, so why would they even know about my interest in The Sisterhood? It wasn’t as if I’d made it obvious.

It had to be real, which meant I had only a few hours to figure out the clue.

Sisters in arms had to refer to The Sisterhood but it didn’t tell me where to go. The time was obvious, I thought, although…

I let out a groan. 9:00 p.m. was just after sunset. There was no way I’d be able to meet Bash at the wolf gate and attend the meeting, if there actually were a meeting. It was an impossible decision, I wanted to do both with every ounce of my being.

But I could meet Bash tomorrow and there would only be one invitation. I picked up my phone and typed out a message.

I can’t make it tonight. Can you meet me in the solarium after lunch tomorrow?

I held my breath as three little dots appeared almost instantly.

See you then. ;)

My breath whooshed out in relief. The words alone were ambiguous, although, to my knowledge, guys tended to say exactly what they thought. The winky face, though, lifted my lips in a smile.

My next urge was to text Rory and tell her about the rose but I hesitated. Weren’t these secret society invitations usually… secret? What if bringing in another person disqualified me from membership?

I put the phone down and decided if it were actually a Sisterhood meeting that I’d ask whoever was in charge if Rory could get an invitation to the next initiation. She was, after all, a strong, smart, female. What more could The Sisterhood ask for in a member?

A glance at the clock on my wall reminded me that I had another class to attend before I could give this mystery more thought. I still had a while before I had to get dressed but my desire to check out and listen to music was now gone. I grabbed an oversized t-shirt and pulled it on then sat at my desk. Maybe there was something about Alpha Wolf Academy and The Sisterhood online.

I searched the underground wolf net for ten minutes, trying every combination of search words I could think of but nothing gave me what I was looking for. I found articles about Sylvie LaFlamme and her role in establishing AWA and lots of articles about The Sisterhood. I scrolled through the links and skimmed more than a dozen but found nothing that linked the two subjects.

I made it to class with only a minute to spare and took my place on the stool next to my lab partner Louis.

“Hey,” he glanced up with his usual crooked smile that always made him look half stoned. If I didn’t know that wolves’ exceptionally high metabolism made intoxication almost impossible, I’d think that he was a stoner.

“Hey Louis,” I set my books down and glanced at the board. We were studying atomic structure and the prof had apparently gotten there early enough to fill the board with formulas and notes. I sighed, took out my notebook, and started writing in case she decided to erase the board and add more. Dr. Sweets was anything but sweet.

We worked together in silence for most of the class while my mind wandered back to the invitation. If the wolf net didn’t have what I needed, maybe the library would. I was so deep in thought, I barely heard Louis talking until he nudged my arm.

“Sorry,” I apologized. “What were you saying?”

Louis glanced up at me as if surprised that I was responding to him and I wondered how often he talked to himself in public. He stared at me for a moment then grinned and bobbed his chin toward a glass fronted set of cabinets. “Third row down. Pyridine. Do you know what happens when even a drop of that chemical is spilled?” He chuckled, looking altogether too pleased with himself, and lifted his hand from beneath the table where he held three vials of liquid.

My eyebrow shot up. I had no idea what the clear liquid would do when and if the vials broke but I had enough respect for chemistry to back away to the edge of the table. Louis’ look of impatience didn’t help.

“I’m not going to release it here,” he said as if speaking to a child. Then he leaned closer and whispered softly so no one nearby could hear. “They’re stink bombs!” His eyes lit up with a glee I hadn’t seen before.

My mouth dropped open. “You aren’t going to use those are you?” If he was, I needed to plan on being far away from the drop site. Our kind had incredibly sensitives olfactory abilities and something as innocently gross as a stink bomb to humans would be downright debilitating to wolves. “You could get expelled,” I hissed.

He made a dismissive sound and waved a hand towards me. “They can’t kick me out. My parents practically built the north campus.” He grinned crookedly. “But if you get a whiff of fish stink one day, run.”

“Mr. Ansley,” Dr Sweets barked out Louis’ surname and began weaving her way toward their table. I shot the vials a slide glance and tried to distance myself from him even further. He might not fear being expelled, but I was under no such protection. He lowered them out of sight and leaned forward on the table’s edge.

“Yes, Dr. Sweets?” His voice was all innocence now but out of the corner of my eye I could see him maneuvering a shallow drawer open just enough to slip the vials inside without our professor noticing.

She eyed him suspiciously and moved around the table a split second after he shifted his hand and closed the drawer with his chest as he leaned forward, looking compliant and eager to help. For a long moment, I thought she’d remember the drawer and check, but she shifted her gaze to his notes, read them over quickly, then turned and walked away with a spine so straight I got a backache just watching her.

I sagged with relief as she leaned over another student to check their notes and closed my eyes. It wasn’t as if I could complain about my lab partner, not if he was as connected as he claimed to be. I’d just have to watch out and steer clear of any trouble he presented.

An alarm sounded from the front of the lab, signaling the end of the class. Dr. Sweets nodded curtly and turned to look back at us as she reminded us to keep up with the readings. I watched Louis’ hand hover above the drawer for a moment as she strode toward us, then fall to his side. With an audible swallow, he gathered up his books and left class as my nerves sang with tension.

I didn’t relax until I was well out of the lab and, even then, my heart thumped painfully at the thought that I would be lumped in with Louis’ deviant plan. It wasn’t until my mind skipped back to the issue of The Sisterhood that my anxiety began to settle and fade away.

Without bothering to change out of my uniform, I started towards the library, hoping there would be something there to help me locate the meeting of the sorority I felt in my bones was happening tonight. I’d wandered the library several times already, searching the stacks for research or enjoying the walls covered in art ranging over a thousand years. It really was my favorite place on campus.

I chewed thoughtfully on my lip and worried over the problem. The note’s clue had been so vague that I didn’t really have anywhere solid to start and it wasn’t as if I was particularly knowledgeable about a campus I’d never dreamed of attending. I didn’t even know all the names of the buildings that made up Alpha Wolf Academy.

I slipped into the library, for once not taking the time to appreciate the majestic columns and ceiling, and headed to the front desk. An older woman, who looked surprisingly like my mother, looked up from her computer with a smile.

“Do you need some help, dear?” she asked in a soft Irish lilt that reminded me of home even more. I swallowed down the lump that had appeared in my throat and nodded.

“Please. I’m looking for a map of campus.” I knew it had to be in here somewhere but I didn’t have time to waste searching myself.

“That’s easy enough.” She pointed to her left where a hallway angled away from the main library. “Down that hall and to the right. There’s a wonderful display of maps from the area including one from before work began on AWA.” She smiled again then looked back at her screen, dismissing me.

I hitched my backpack higher on my shoulder and followed her directions. The hallway opened up to a fair-sized room whose walls were covered in framed maps. I dropped my stuff near the door and started around the room, stopping to take in the hand-drawn maps of the original campus layout. It had been so small, I thought, noticing the legend that marked the campus as no bigger than your average Walmart. There was very little information on the map, though, only a basic outline of the local land and the campus outline. I kept wandering.

I struck gold on one of the large electronic table displays. An architectural plan of the campus as it was now could be seen on screen but the controls showed labels that read, “Campus 1816,” “Campus 1859,” “Campus 1900”, and “Campus 1973.” Curious, I started at the beginning, pressing the buttons one at a time and watching in awe as the campus grew from its modest beginnings to what it was today.

The Sisterhood had been in existence for centuries, according to their PR front person, and Sylvie LaFlamme had been instrumental in its inception. She’s also helped her husband plan and build Alpha Wolf Academy. I clicked on the earliest plans and enlarged the screen to get a better look at the original names of the buildings.

Swing and a miss, I thought wryly. The buildings had been named after Alpha families, so there was LaFlamme Hall and Dougherty Auditorium. I flipped to the next screen then the next and realized they’d been changed at some point between 1900 and 1973. The main campus had been added to and renovated over the years but the buildings that had made up the original structure were still there. I recognized one as campus housing for professors and their families. It wouldn’t be there, though, I reasoned, there would be too much traffic for a secret society. No, they’d need a more reclusive location for their meetings, somewhere women could easily access.

I chewed intently on my fingernail and stared at the screen until my eyes went blurry then leaned against the table with a frustrated sigh. Time was running out.

Determination stole through me, fortifying my will, and I narrowed my eyes at the plans again. There had to be something here.

Old buildings, new buildings, the campus quad, even the library and cafeteria, I poured over every inch of the plans, enlarging the measurements, the notes done by the architect, and every insignificant detail in case I’d overlooked something.

My eyes slid over the crest as it had twenty times already but this time, I came back to it and enlarged. The Manford Building, so called for the Alpha family of England, housed the education faculty where women had been trained to teach since the founding of Alpha Wolf Academy, I realized. Its crest was represented by two wolves and a lion, representing both their people and the country in question. At first glance, it looked similar to the other family crests shown on the plans, but there was something different there, something…

The two wolves were female I realized with a gasp that echoed through the silent room. They were rounder than the wolves depicted in other crests, which made no sense unless it was a clue. I studied the lines of the wolves, the way they faced the lion between them, and the swords that lay at their feet.

Sisters in arms.

I nearly squealed but managed to hold it back at the last moment. Instead, I quick-stepped in place, doing a silly little dance I’d done a million times with Sara and Bethany over the years whenever one of us was excited. I fished my phone out of my pocket to text them, to tell them my news, then froze with my finger above the keypad.

As much as I was sure this was real, I wouldn’t know until after the meeting. Besides, there was always the chance the super stealthy society was watching me and would rescind my invitation if I blabbed. Better to wait until after I was a sister.

It was time to meet my destiny.

Chapter 10

I stuck to the shadows and fingered the slip of paper with the clue as I made my way across campus under the protection of the new moon. Campus security was thick, especially since the second body had been found. A shiver ran up my spine as I remembered the smell of death on the body Bash and I had discovered, and a thought I’d been trying to ignore forced itself to the forefront of my brain.

What if whoever had murdered those innocent wolves was waiting for me at the end of my little adventure? What if there was no Sisterhood, and I was being lured into a trap?

I dismissed the idea, though not altogether, as I crept forward. The bodies had both been male and only one had been a student, or so the grapevine reported. Not that I paid much attention to the grapevine. I was probably front-page news in its publication.

I glanced down at my phone for the millionth time to check if I was still good. I’d given myself an hour to get across campus and find what I assumed would be a super-secret entrance to an underground meeting room. The education building loomed before me with thirty-four minutes to spare. Now to find the Sisterhood lair.

Compared to the science, math, and arts buildings, the education building was small. It was also in need of some updates as far as I could tell, based on the state of the ivy-covered brick that made up the east-facing wall. I sprinted across the open path and tucked myself back into the shadows in case any of the guards the academy had hired happened by.

No sooner had I melted into the darkness than a low-pitched chuckle sent my heart racing and stretched my eyes wide. I squeezed them shut just in case they reflected the light from the lamp post, and waited until three wolves I faintly recognized as third years moved past my hiding place and disappeared around the side of the building.

I moved as quickly as I could in stealth mode, praying they wouldn’t hear or scent me as I peered around the corner just in time to see them slip through an unimpressive door no more than twenty feet away from where I stood.

The door snicked shut behind them and I darted out, head whipping wildly around to see if anyone was watching me as I’d been watching them. I lifted my hand to the handle with equal parts hope and nausea and let out a rush of breath when I found it unlocked.

This is it, I told myself, stealing my backbone for what was to come. I’d gotten lucky seeing the girls enter, or I’d still be searching the perimeter looking for a way in and I’d still be wondering at the back of my mind if this were a ruse for murder. At least now, knowing there were other female students inside the building as curfew approached, the chances that I was right about what I was getting into were climbing.

Inside the building I was met with a long corridor, lit faintly by two light fixtures, spaced well apart. It was spooky as Hell. I wished again that I could have brought Rory. She was small, but she was definitely a fighter.

I strained to hear the girls’ footsteps but nothing reached my ears, so I began down the corridor, trailing my hand along the wall on one side in case a hidden doorway latch just happened to find my fingertips. I knew it was stupid, but I did it anyway.

I tested two doors and found them both locked. Another glance at my phone showed that my time was dwindling. Fear that I’d be locked out for good if I didn’t make this final leap pushed me onward.

I stopped at the end of the corridor and swiveled my neck to look down at my two choices. Each new corridor was dark like the first and lined with doors. And there was absolutely nothing in either that gave me any kind of clue as to which I should choose. I sagged with frustration, and clapped my hand against the bookcase anchored to the wall in front of me, then swore under my breath.

It was here, I could feel it in my bones. I just had to use my brains and figure out which way to turn. The girls hadn’t disappeared. They’d gone somewhere and quickly. I should check each door just in case, I thought. Unless…

I clicked on the light on my phone and held it up towards the bookshelf. Remembering every Nancy Drew book I’d ever read, which was all of them seeing as my mom had the entire collection from when she was a girl, I turned the light towards the floor, hoping to see scratch marks, and saw absolutely nothing.

“Damnit,” I muttered, gritting my teeth. So much for that theory. It would have been so friggin’ cool if the shelf had been a hidden door. I glanced down the corridor to my left and took a step forward, needing to move quickly at the seconds ticked by. Indecision made me pause and turn back.

That’s when I saw the crest mounted to the side of the bookshelf.

I abandoned my previous decision to check all the doors and turned all my attention back to the bookshelf. It would be foolish to leave any indication of a false door on the floor and The Sisterhood was anything but foolish, based on the fact that they’d stayed in the shadows for centuries. No, I chewed my lip and thought it over. They wouldn’t make it easy to spot the way in.

I moved my fingers slowly over the crest, pressing gently in hopes it would release some kind of latch. When nothing happened, I moved to the other side and, finding another crest, did the same.

Still nothing.

Blowing out the breath I’d been holding in hope, I turned to the books themselves. The spines identified them as mostly textbooks written by prominent AWA professors and alumni with a smattering of fiction and non-fiction books written by names I didn’t recognize. Most of them looked relatively new as if they’d been put there only recently and untouched by the mass of students on campus. One by one, I tugged them forward, searching for something, still hoping the right move would release a hidden door.

When I got to the last shelf, I squatted down and tried every book, then collapsed onto my ass, overcome with frustration.

“Where the hell is the release mechanism?” I muttered, staring up at the bookshelf. I traced the line of books down from the top shelf to the floor with my gaze, looking for something, anything. “What if it’s not visible,” I mumbled, and absently worried I was turning into a crazy person. But the idea stuck and got me moving.

I shot up from the floor and launched forward with my heart hammering in my chest and ran my hand along the bottom of the second last shelf. When my fingertips traced a small niche in the wood, I held my breath and pushed the rounded bump I found.

The bookshelf swung open, revealing a secret stairwell lined with lit torches.

I threw my arms up and danced on the spot, but only for a few precious seconds because the time on my phone was showing 8:57 p.m. It was time to either get murdered or become a part of history.

At the bottom of the stairs, a woman I didn’t recognize waited with a soft smile in front of a dark door. She held out her hand without saying a word and waited while I pulled the slip of paper from my pocket and handed it to her.

“Welcome Sister,” she murmured, then stepped aside as the door disappeared into the wall, revealing a room full of women.

I must have floated into the room, because I don’t remember walking. It was just so surreal. I forced myself to keep my gaze level and not gawk like a tourist at the professors I recognized and women I’d seen many times on the cover of wolf net articles about the rich and famous of our kind. The amount of raw female power in the room was staggering.

The lighting dimmed a moment later and a woman ascended a small podium near the far end of the room. I walked forward, pulled by curiosity and the flutter in my stomach, then nearly swallowed my tongue when the woman turned to address the group.

“Good evening,” she said with a wide smile that echoed in her bright blue eyes. “For those of you who don’t know me, I’m Katherine LaFlamme.”

Holy shit. Mom is going to freak out when I tell her!

“My mother, Sylvie LaFlamme, Alpha of Canada,” her voice rose with pride, “has worked alongside some of our world’s brightest minds and fiercest hearts for centuries to bring equality to our society. She and others like her have stayed the course when it looked as though time would fail to sway stubborn minds.”

Katherine scanned the crowd and, as her gaze fell on me then passed to take in every face, my skin prickled with awareness and wonder. My entire life, I’d prepared for an average life, an average path and destiny. There had been times I’d dreamed of more, but more had meant leaving home, leaving my family and friends, and facing the terrifying possibility of failure. So, I’d set my sights on achieving all I could within my bubble of safety, then my parents had blown that out from under me.

I couldn’t quite manage to get a deep breath. It was as if the oxygen in here was too thin for my lungs to fill properly. My head swam as I tried to find my equilibrium and I wished for a chair to sit down.

“We have a long road to travail,” Katherine continued, shifting her voice so it was firmer, more commanding. My head cleared in response.

“Which is why we must stand now, new generations and,” she smiled, “seasoned generations of wolves together. We’ve stepped out of the shadows and there is nothing left to protect us but our resolve, our strength, and our fortitude. History is being made right now and you’re invited to become a part of what is to come.” Katherine grinned. “Just think, years from now little girls around the globe will look back at this moment and know that there were those of us brave enough to fight for the right to lead. Welcome to The Sisterhood.”

Chills flashed through my body once more, leaving me shivering. I blew out a deep breath and glanced around, hoping for a familiar face that could help ground me in this unreal situation. The Old Ones must have taken pity on me because the first face I saw belonged to Rory.

She caught my glance and rushed forward, scooting gracefully around a few women to get to me in record time. “You have no idea how happy I am to see you!” she exclaimed, grabbing my forearms and squeezing lightly.

I gaped. “You’re happy? I’ve been freaking out all day. I wanted to call you right away but I was scared someone would, I don’t know, hear me or something, and they’d rescind my invitation.”

“Me too!” she whispered in a hiss. Rory let go of my arms and turned to stand by my side. “Can you believe we’re here?”

I shook my head then realized she wasn’t looking at me and murmured, “Not even a little.” My gaze zeroed in on Katherine’s bright red hair and wondered if I’d get the chance to say hello. Mom would die a bit if I got this close to her idol and didn’t at least try. “Come on,” I tugged at Rory’s sleeve and stepped forward. “Let’s get a bit closer.”

Rory didn’t ask who I wanted to get closer to, she just followed my lead without complaint then hissed and stopped dead in her tracks. “What the hell is she doing here?”

I followed her gaze to where a woman with long black hair and a stunning black dress was stretching her hand out to Katherine. I recognized Daniella almost immediately and experienced a surge of disgust that washed away most of the disbelief I’d been feeling. I hadn’t seen her since I’d broken her perfect little nose, which was back to perfect, of course. Her full lips lifted in a smile meant to impress.

Katherine shook Daniella’s hand politely and leaned in to speak with her. I watched as my new idol laughed at something my arch-nemesis said and felt all the confidence I’d miraculously sprouted when I’d received my rose wilt and fade away.

No, I drew my eyebrows down. No, I wasn’t going to do this to myself again. So what if Daniella was rich and important? I’d been invited to this meeting the same way she had. I was done letting her make me feel less. As long as I let Daniella control my emotions, I was giving her power over me. I let my fisted hands relax.

I was turning to Rory to fill her in on my epiphany, when I noticed Dr. Sherman slide up to Katherine and lean in to whisper something, then both sets of eyes turned to stare directly at me.

I froze in place, unable to function, let alone think straight. They were looking at me. Katherine LaFlamme was studying me. Or was she?

I glanced back over my shoulder, sure I’d find someone important standing just behind me, but there was no one there and when I looked back there was a smile on both their lips.

Shocked pleasure raced over my skin like an electric shock as Katherine inclined her head towards Daniella then turned and started towards me with Dr. Sherman at her side. My gaze darted from Katherine’s face to Daniella’s, which was turning redder by the second as she saw who had stolen Katherine’s attention.

“Ms. Jensen,” Katherine said, extending her hand to me as she approached. “It’s a pleasure to meet you. I’m glad you figured out our little hiding spot.”

Breathe! I commanded my body to obey and sucked oxygen into my lungs as quietly as I could manage, then expelled it in a rush. My hand lifted, moved by a lifetime of ingrained manners, and took hers. My father’s lessons came back to me in a rush and I tightened my grip.

“Thank you,” I managed to say in what seemed, to me at least, like a normal tone. I met her gaze and was surprised to see interest there.

In me?

“My mother is going to die when I tell her I met you,” I blurted, feeling the need to fill the silence with something.

Katherine laughed. “Well you tell your mother it takes a strong woman to raise a strong daughter. I should know.” Her hand reached out to touch my arm lightly, sending goosebumps down my spine. “I’ve heard many good things about you, Elena, and I’m sure you’ll have an important role to play in The Sisterhood.”

I didn’t know how important a role I could possibly play when I was just a small-town girl with an unimpressive past, but I nodded and promised myself I would do whatever it took to prove Katherine right as I murmured, “I’ll do my best.”

A flutter of movement out of the corner of my eye reminded me of Rory’s presence. I pulled her forward and presented her to Katherine like a life-line, meant to save me from my own awkwardness. “This is Rory Dumont.”

Katherine turned her attention to Rory with a grin. “Welcome Aurora. Your mother speaks of you often with great pride.”

Rory’s eyes were wide as she shook Katherine’s hand and managed a few, basic responses. Thankful for the reprieve, I watched my friend gaze up at the woman who could one day be Alpha of the Canadian pack and wondered at the fact that I was now part of the sorority that had made that possible.

Dr. Sherman bumped up next to me as Rory answered questions about her family. “I’m glad you could join us tonight, Elena,” she murmured.

I twisted to look at my professor, who seemed even more sure of herself in this setting than she did in the classroom.

“I almost didn’t find it,” I admitted, thanking the Old Ones that I had.

Dr. Sherman made a dismissive sound deep in her throat. “I never doubted you for a second.” Her eyes flashed with what looked strangely like pride before she turned to touch Katherine’s arm. Once again, they seemed to communicate without words.

“Well, it seems my attention is needed elsewhere.” Katherine turned to me again. “I look forward to seeing you both at the next meeting.” She locked her gaze on mine for a long moment as if looking straight into my soul.

Then she was gone, striding away on incredibly long legs to where a group of women waited to speak with her. My breath whooshed out as I reached for Rory’s hand without looking. I found it waiting.

“I can die happy now,” she whispered, squeezing lightly.

“Can’t die,” I said in a shaky voice. “We’ve got too much to do.” I shook my head in disbelief. “We’re sisters now.”

Daniella’s sharp laugh just inches behind us cut my joy off at the knees. I turned slowly, wishing I could ignore her, but knowing civility would go further here than outright bitchiness. I was already on thin ice. Her emerald eyes glinted with disgust and a fine sheen of jealousy that I should have been able to enjoy, but there was something deadly in those eyes that chilled my blood.

She arched a perfect brow and pitched her voice just high enough for everyone around us to hear. “And exactly how long do you expect to remain a member of The Sisterhood once I have you expelled from Alpha Wolf Academy for assault?”

A multitude of eyes shifted to look directly at me.

Heat spread quickly from my stomach, where a million determined butterflies were trying to kill me, up my neck to set my cheeks on fire. It felt as if everyone was waiting for an answer that I was physically incapable of giving right now. My mouth opened and closed but no words came out. I couldn’t speak. I didn’t know how to when every shred of hope I’d scraped together to make my life at AWA tolerable was in jeopardy of being torn from my hands.

Chapter 11

I reread the same paragraph I’d been on for the last ten minutes then closed my copy of The Cruel Prince. It was too good a book to ruin with nerves and butterflies. I checked the time again.

After lunch, that’s what I’d told Bash in the text. No specific time, just after lunch. I chided myself for being so foolish now but, at the time, I’d been torn between The Sisterhood and meeting him. Patience was not my strong suit, but I was going to have to suck it up and wait until he got here.

It would help if I could stop sweating.

I stood up and twisted, reveling in the satisfying crack of my spine. I’d been curled up in my favorite chair for almost an hour, basking in the sunlight filtering through the solarium windows and pretending to read the newest Holly Black book. On the surface I’m sure I looked totally casual, that was my plan after all. Inside, though, I was a ball of nerves. What if Bash wanted to tell me face to face that we were over or that his parents were having me kicked out of AWA?

Hope and anxiety warred inside my stomach, making it churn furiously. I tasted copper and realized I’d been chewing my cheek again, a bad habit I’d never been able to break. Sometimes I didn’t realize I was stressed out until I tasted blood. This time, I was well aware of my stress.

For someone who’d never wanted to attend a fancy university, I sure was concerned about getting kicked out. Things had changed since my first day here. I’d met a guy that made my blood sing, forged a friendship that felt as solid as family, and became part of a world-wide sisterhood.

There was nowhere in the world I wanted to be more than right here at Alpha Wolf Academy.

A yawn snuck free before I could stifle it completely, making me wish I’d grabbed a cup of coffee before leaving the cafeteria. I’d been pleasantly surprised to discover the vast assortment of coffees available on what had been dubbed the Go-Juice Bar by students and faculty alike. I guess the academy could afford the best with the prices they charged for tuition.

I looked out the window at the quad where students milled about, enjoying the sun, and my thoughts turned to my parents. They were the hardest working people I knew but we’d never been able to do the things other families had. There’d just been no extra money for vacations or big houses. Not that I’d ever minded. Our little three-bedroom house on the ocean had always been a haven to me.

I opened my phone and starting flicking through the images until I got to one of me looking out over the water from our backyard. Mom had snapped it in secret while I’d been daydreaming and had it framed for the living room. Looking at it now, my heart ached for the simplicity of home and the love I’d always felt there. My fingers flew over the keyboard.

Hey mom. Missing you guys today. Got lots to fill you in on. You’ll never guess in a million years who I met last night! Skype you later. Love you. Xoxo

I pressed send and frowned when my phone beeped to alert me that it didn’t send. Unconcerned, I resent the text and grumbled to myself when it still refused to work. Back home the internet had a habit of being spotty but I’d become accustomed to seamless access here. I was getting spoiled, I thought with a quirk of my lips. Superior coffee and internet were making me soft.

A wave of grumbling met my ears and I glanced up to see frowns on a multitude of faces as they stared at their screens.

“Is your internet gone?” a guy nearby asked aloud, pulling earbuds from his ears.

“Yeah,” someone confirmed with a sigh.

I slipped my phone into my pocket, figuring it would take a while for the IT crowd to fix whatever had gone wrong with the servers. I’d just have to find another way to occupy my mind while I waited for Bash.

A flash of black chrome from below caught my attention and I focused in on one of the guards approaching a group of guys who’d been tossing a football around like every guy in every university movie ever made.

Such a cliché, I thought.

Another guard appeared a moment later and, this time, I realized they were wearing something over their faces, like balaclavas. I leaned close enough to the glass to fog it with my breath.

In the second it took me to wipe my hand over the fog, the quad erupted in chaos. I gasped and jerked back from the window as I watched one of the guys, a big jock with a cocky grin, fall to the ground at his friends’ feet with a bullet hole through his forehead.

Chapter 12

Screams echoed from the quad and through the windows of the solarium. All around me, students who’d just been lounging or chatting quietly with friends, jumped up and raced to the windows to see what was happening.

They didn’t notice me fall back on unsteady legs with ragged breaths wheezing from my throat. They were too busy realizing that all Hell had just broken loose.

Hands reached for cell phones to take videos or call for help. Curses peppered the air as frustration and panic swept through the room. Then came the pop of gunfire.

A scream burst from a girl I’d seen around campus as she stood, frozen to the spot in front of the windows. Her eyes were wide with shock and her skin a sickly shade of gray as she lifted a finger to point.

I dared a glance. More guards had swarmed the quad, now, all with weapons drawn, corralling students towards the front doors of the administration building. And there, on the grass below us, two more students lay still and lifeless, their eyes wide with horror and fear.

My stomach threatened to rebel. I pressed a hand against my abdomen and jerked my head around, looking for somewhere, anywhere, to hide. While students clung to one another and cried, I raced into the stacks, searching for a room, a corner, anything.

Buzzing filled my ears so loudly I couldn’t even hear my own blood racing through my veins. I gasped for air and turned in circles, unable to think straight.

More screams filled the room, filtering up to the stacks from the main floor of the library. Shouts of “Move!” echoed through the room. Like I’d been shoved into action, I dove for cover at the end of a stack, as far away from the intruders as possible.

My fingers curled around the edge of the immovable wooden shelf that houses hundreds of books and I stared at that connection, wishing I could curl up on the shelf and hide. My eyes shifted up, where large tiles covered the ceiling and the modernized duct work behind them. Without a single thought to failure, I found a bare spot on the lowest shelf and hoisted myself up.

My heart pounded furiously with each step I took, but I kept climbing until I was crouched like a cat on top of the thick stacks. The shelves, placed back to back, created a solid three-foot wide surface. I stood on shaking legs and reached for the nearest tile.

“Shut up!” The scream burst off the walls, echoing through the library. A moment later the sounds of a scuffle met my ears, followed by the sickening sound of gunfire and the thud of another body collapsing.

I pushed against the edge of the tile and nearly wept when it lifted without complaint. Shouts and footsteps sounded through the library, coming closer to my location, pushing me to move faster. I shoved the tile with all my strength and sucked back a cry of horror when it hit something hard and a jagged crack appeared in the perfect cream surface.

Tears stung my eyes and my hands shook, but I couldn’t stop. It was move or die; I’d never felt surer of anything in my life. A cold white calm drifted down over me, and the sounds of distress and death faded away.

I reached into the void of the ceiling and wrapped my hands around the first thing I touched, a thick metal beam that disappeared into the darkness in both directions. Praying it was structural, I took a deep breath and sprang into the air.

I hooked the beam with my forearm, giving myself enough leverage to pull my weight up. The metal bit into my skin but I hardly felt it.

The space was tight, barely enough for me to squeeze my 5’10’’ frame in. I spread out, using the beam as support, and glanced down at the library below.

A guard, his face covered with the black balaclava like the others, moved into view no more than thirty feet away from where I hung, still exposed. Slowly, I reached for the tile, praying with every fiber of my being that he would keep his gaze trained on floor level, and pulled it towards me.

It shifted silently, inch by inch, the crack holding. I blinked back tears that dripped from my cheeks and shifted the tile the last precious inch. It clicked quietly into place.

It seemed impossible that the guard couldn’t hear my racing heartbeat or jagged breathing but his footsteps faded and the shouts from below quietened. I stayed frozen in the ceiling, not knowing how much time had passed or if more guards with guns were waiting in the commons below. My body felt frozen in time and place, unable to move now that I’d found a safe place to hide.

Slowly, my fingers regained feeling and my mind kicked into gear. I reached into my pocket for my cell phone. If I could just call for help, I thought, moving the phone in front of my face.

The glow from the screen lit the dark space and dashed my meagre hope. The text I’d tried to send to mom was sitting there, unsent. I looked at the bars and let my eyelids flutter shut as a wave of nausea threatened to pull me under.

They’d blocked cell service. We were on our own.

Letting out a long slow breath, I tried to think. A few years ago, a hurricane had whipped through Newfoundland before dying out, and it had taken out cell service for most of the province. My Nan, though, had never given into what she called “new fad technology,” and relied on her land line and a transistor radio her father had given her when she’d been a younger woman. I’d loved playing with that thing, so she’d taught me how to finesse the controls one weekend when I’d stayed over.

There was a transistor radio in the artefact museum. I’d noticed it the first time I’d walked the library. I’d called Nan for a chat almost immediately.

If I could just get there, maybe I could set it up and get a message out. At the very least, I’d be able to reach a trucker.

I shifted my weight and winced as jolts of nerves came back to life in my legs. The library was quiet, but I moved slowly and silently, unwilling to try my luck.

The tile cracked into two pieces the moment I pushed it, sending both parts crashing to the shelf below then onto the floor. The sound carried like a shotgun throughout the room.

Terror shot through me like electricity. If there were any guards in the vicinity, they would have heard the crash. I shimmied forward until my feet were hanging from the ceiling and lowered myself down onto the shelf top.

I kept my ears trained for sounds of running feet but kept moving, keeping my body as close to the stacks as possible as I raced toward the artefact museum. It was on the other side of the library, close to the art section. The only problem getting there, unless guards showed up, was that I had to cross the commons to get to it. There was no other way to get across the library.

I stopped at the end of the shelves and looked out at the open space. My breath caught in my chest painfully as I saw the body of the librarian, the one that had so helpfully pointed me in the direction of the map room, lying lifeless on the floor near the doors. Blood had pooled around her head from the shot she’d taken between the eyes.

The eyes, I shuddered. They were wide open and staring, like a broken doll, at nothing. I squeezed my eyes shut and tried to block out the horror.

Silence and stillness met me as I stepped clear of cover and rushed past her body with a prayer to the Old Ones for her soul.

The artefact museum was deserted. I ran to the radio, circling it to see if all its parts were intact, and blessed the university for having high standards. It was a slightly older version than my Nan’s but it looked functional. I found the cord and followed it to a small hole in the podium it was set on.

It buzzed to life the moment I switched on the dial. The first grainy sound of another person’s voice on the other end of the line made my heart leap.

“This is Elena Jensen,” I rushed the words, stumbling over them, then started again. “Repeat. This is Elena Jensen. We need help a.s.a.p. I’m at…”

Plastic and wires exploded in a boom of deafening sound, showering the area in tiny, useless bits of electronics. I covered my head and threw myself to the floor, cowering. My ears rang, filling my entire world with a strange combination of silence and vibration. My eyes focused slowly on a pair of black boots, then moved up a man’s body and zeroed in on the gun pointed directly at my head.

Time slowed, and I began to notice things with startling clarity. His eyes were a mossy green with tiny flecks of gold.

Pretty, I thought absently, then a shudder ran through me as I recognized the hard, unyielding glint of a killer in those pretty eyes.

Chapter 13

“Get up.” His voice had a sharp edge of impatience that made me scramble to my feet. The gun pointed at my head helped spur me on.

I raised my hands automatically, imitating every victim I’d ever seen. I had no weapons, he had nothing to fear from me, but still I raised my hands and prayed he wouldn’t use the gun. I was too young to survive a bullet wound, even if he didn’t shoot me in the head or heart.

Wolves healed, but there was no coming back from some things. A chill arched up my spine.

He reached for his shoulder mounted radio and pressed the button, then leaned over to murmur, “Riker. Zone seven clear. One student caught.”

“Description.” The single word was barked out.

He flicked his gaze back to me and narrowed his eyes. “Female, redhead, blue eyes, tall. Pretty,” he added, slowly lowering his gaze from my face, down my body and back up again. A disgusting smirk lifted his lips.

My stomach rebelled.

Nerves and fear mingled in my stomach, churning painfully. I lunged forward as my body expelled my lunch on my attacker’s boots.

I clapped a hand over my mouth and cringed back as he roared with fury. I closed my eyes, waiting for the inevitable, and said goodbye to my mom and dad.

The blow never came. Instead, I heard curses and the buzz of his com. I staggered, my head spinning, my stomach roiling, still not at all sure I’d be allowed to live. But the guard was ignoring me now or, at least, he was ignoring my contribution to his boots. He was murmuring something into his radio, occasionally glancing at me with narrowed eyes that made me want to vomit again.

“It might be her.” The man on the other end of the radio said, his voice rising loud enough that I could hear. “Check your phone.”

The guard glared at me and pulled a cell phone out of his front vest pocket. The sound of my too-loud breathing filled the silence.

When he looked back up from whatever he’d been sent, the guard’s smile had returned but, this time, the leer was gone. Replacing it was satisfaction, like he’d accomplished something great.

It might be her…

The words echoed through my mind. I might be who? Who were they looking for? I threw my hands up and backed away from the guard, who’d hauled out a pair of handcuffs from his pocket and was advancing toward me without a thought for his soiled boots.

“I’m nobody!” I insisted, taking another step back. “I promise. I’m nobody.”

But he wouldn’t listen and, when the back of my thighs hit a table top hard enough to leave a bruise, I knew I’d lost. I sucked in as much air as I could, remembering my high school gym teacher’s instructions on self-defense. You couldn’t defend yourself if you deprived your muscles and brain of oxygen.

His hand shot out.

I lunged forward, moving instinctively, and slammed the outside of my forearm into his throat. The impact of the hit vibrated through my body, stunning me for a second but I didn’t have time to freeze.

Everything I’d practiced in gym class came rushing back in surprising clarity. As he grabbed his throat, gasping for air, I spun in place, putting all my weight behind the strike, and rammed my elbow into the middle of his chest.

His eyes bugged out in pain.

I reached for his shoulders and shifted my stance, preparing to deliver the final blow to his family jewels and remembered Joey O’Connell’s face when I’d managed to land the knee to the groin move back in grade twelve. He’d kept a grudge for weeks, just about as long as he’d walked funny.

Pain exploded in my ribs. I crumpled, grabbing for my side, and cursing myself for not moving faster.

“Bitch.” The guard was blue and pale and very angry. I’d taken him by surprise before and knew I’d lost that advantage. He pulled back an arm.

An incoherent roar filled the room, echoing off the walls as someone wearing a dark hoodie and jeans rushed into the room wielding what looked like a crow bar and slammed it into the guard’s shoulder, making him crumple to the floor with a shout.

My savior rushed past the fallen guard, still holding the piece of metal, and reached for me. “Hurry,” he urged in a familiar voice that sparked hope in my chest.

Strong hands pulled me to my feet and started tugging me toward the door. From the floor, the guard moaned and struggled to his knees. My eyes felt glued to him, to his hand, which reached immediately for the gun that had skittered across the floor.

I screamed as his fingers closed around the weapon.

My savior spun around and cursed when he saw what was happening. Again, he roared, as if the sheer force of his voice could stop the guard from using his gun. He sprinted forward, throwing himself on top of the bigger man without pause.

I backed away from the fight, eyes so wide they hurt. The hood had fallen back from my savior's face, revealing his identity. The last time I’d seen Xavier, I’d yelled at him, and now here he was, risking his life for mine. Shame mixed with the terror in my veins.

The guard elbowed Xavier in the ribs, eliciting a grunt of pain from my teacher, but he was apparently stronger than he looked. With a move that would have had my highschool gym teacher cheering, Xavier swung his leg around the guard’s shoulder and flipped him over. In an instant, he was on him again, trying to get the gun free.

It happened fast. The guard shoved Xavier hard, pushing him back enough to swing the gun up between them. I saw Xavier’s eyes go wide with shock as the room exploded with the sound and smell of gunfire. He jerked back and grabbed his side, then raised his blood covered hands slowly.

The guard shifted, pulling his legs out from under Xavier and lifted the gun again, pointing it at the middle of Xavier’s forehead. He grinned and began to squeeze the trigger.

Xavier’s hand shot out, faster than anything I’d ever seen before, and knocked the gun to the side. It fired and the bullet hit the drywall behind him, then, somehow, it was in Xavier’s hand and the room exploded with the rapport.

The guard’s eyes went wide then shifted to find me. He stared for a long moment, and I watched as his eyes filled with rage and hate, then faded to dark and unseeing. His spine seemed to disintegrate and he fell, lifeless, to the floor.

A sob of terrified relief wrenched from my throat and I began to gasp. I fell to my knees and bent forward, my breath hitching uncontrollably, as I fought for air. Panic sounded like a thousand bees in my brain, buzzing too loudly for me to think straight. My gaze darted from the dead guard to Xavier, who was still holding his stomach, his eyes dark and unfocused.

I smelled blood, so much blood I could taste it. The floor was slick with it as it spread from the guard’s body towards my shoes. I scrambled back, away from the thick red proof of death, until my back hit the wall next to the shattered drywall.

Xavier’s low grunt of pain and quick exhalation caught my attention enough to draw my gaze from the slowly spreading river of crimson. My gaze flitted over his drawn face, his bared teeth, then down to his hands. More blood seeped through his fingers and dripped onto his jeans.

“You’re bleeding,” I heard myself speak in what sounded like a normal tone and wondered if I was broken. How could I be so casual? One man was dead and another bleeding out, in front of me. I had to be broken.

I looked down at my hands, looking for my own blood, and frowned. I wasn’t bleeding, I wasn’t torn or broken.

Xavier swayed then sat down with a thump. Color drained from his skin and his eyes rolled back for an instant before he regained focus.

“Holy shit, you were shot,” I said on a gasp as my body moved of its own accord, rushing to his side to keep him steady. He leaned into me and began to shake violently.

My memories of high school health class returned in a flash. We’d all been certified in First Aid before graduation and had learned how to treat fractures, wounds, and burns during the week long training. I remembered the picture in the booklet with the woman whose guts had been coming out.

In a million years I would have never thought I’d need to remember how to treat a gunshot to the abdomen.

“Lie on your back,” I ordered Xavier, keeping my voice low in case another guard showed up to see what was taking so long.

Xavier slumped into my arms and let me lay him gently on the floor as nerves and panic spurred me on. I needed to see the wound.

“I need to see it,” I murmured, moving to lift his hands from his side. For a split second, when his hand fell to his side, I worried that he was dead, but his moans of agony when I moved his hoodie up to reveal a gaping hole in his abdomen confirmed he was still alive.

Blood pooled on the floor beneath him and spurred me on. I looked down at what I was wearing and tore the sleeve from my shirt with a violent rip. It was freshly washed and as close to sanitary as I was going to get in the moment.

I folded it and held it, suspended above the wound for a moment, long enough to take a deep breath and steel myself for what had to be done. I covered Xavier’s mouth with one hand and pressed my sleeve to the bullet hole with the other.

His eyes went wide then rolled back in his head as a sharp wheezing sound escaped his lips. His body tensed, every muscle going stiff, then collapsed.

He’d passed out, I realized, from the pain.

It didn’t make sense. I chewed my lip and looked up at his face. He looked young but he had to be older than me to be teaching here. Our kind healed quickly, even quicker with age. Xavier was either my age or…

I swallowed hard, wanting to dispel the very idea. His body was limp and so pale it was terrifying, but I had to look now, while I had the chance.

I peeled the blood-soaked fabric from his wound and looked inside.

He was a mess of torn muscle and blood that made it impossible for me to see what needed to be seen to be believed. I needed to know if the bullet had passed straight through. I reached for his side. With a grunt, I lifted him up enough to see that there was no exit wound.

The bullet was still inside him.

I laid him down carefully and rocked in place, breathing heavy and hating what I was being forced to do, but knowing I had no choice in the matter. Either I womaned up or Xavier died.

I dipped into the gaping hole, gently pushing aside mangled muscle in the hopes of finding the bullet. Xavier’s face contorted as I probed and sounds of agony gasped out of his throat.

“Oh shit, oh shit, oh shit,” I breathed, pushing in a half inch more. My hand was covered now with Xavier’s blood as it seeped from him.

My fingertip touched something solid and I held my breath. I bit down hard on my lip as I nudged it a fraction of an inch to the left, hoping I wouldn’t hit some internal organ and speed Xavier along to an untimely death.

It shifted. Ever so slightly, but still, something. Exhaling slowly as my heart thundered, I tried to move my finger alongside the bullet so I could hook the tip with my fingernail and pull it free. With each passing second I was aware another guard could show up, my finger could nick an artery, or he could die right in front of me.

The pressure felt like a vise on my chest.

I focused on what I was doing, the rise and fall of Xavier’s chest, and the fact that he’d literally thrown himself in front of a bullet for me. The very least I could do was dig the damned thing out of him so his body could heal.

Finally, my fingertip rounded the end of the bullet. I closed my eyes and let myself just feel as I slowly backed my finger out of the wound, lifting the bullet as I went.

A sucking sound filled the air as muscle and blood moved to fill the hole I’d vacated. My stomach churned at the sound and at the slick feel of blood coating my skin. When my finger lifted free, the bullet fell with a metallic pinging sound on the library floor. I opened my eyes and stared at it.

Slowly, I reached for it in the silence of the room. I’d grown up in a rural area where plenty of families hunted moose and other game for meat. I’d never judged, I was a wolf, after all, so I understood. I’d seen plenty of bullets in my life, mostly from rifles, though. This was different, because it was made for a handgun, I thought, trying to tell myself I was wrong. Wanting to be wrong, needing to be wrong, I lifted it between slick fingers and brought it to my nose.

The sharp scent of silver filled my nostrils like acid and I recoiled, dropping the bullet to the floor as I finally understood.

Xavier wasn’t healing because he’d been infected with silver and would die unless I found him an antidote.

Chapter 14

Xavier’s eyes fluttered open then closed again. I shifted my gaze to the open door, wondering if we’d have enough time to hide before more guards showed up. I couldn’t take the chance. My hand snaked out and slapped Xavier’s face before the thought had even crystallized in my mind.

His breathing caught for a moment then he gasped and opened his eyes. They shifted around the room, like a rat looking for trouble, too erratic to be conscious. When his gaze fell on the dead guard, his face turned an even paler shade of white.

“What?” He tried to lift his head but stopped when a wave of pain hit him. His face contorted with it and his breathing rushed in and out.

I pushed him back gently. “Don’t try to sit up. You were shot.”

His gaze flew to me, wide and glazed. Memory sparked in his tortured eyes. “He was going to kill you.”

I smiled down at him even as the press of time settled on me like an anvil. He deserved so much more than I had time to give him right now. I nodded and pushed a strand of hair back from his slick forehead. “You saved me,” I reassured him, giving him at least that small kindness. “Xavier.” I took a deep breath before continuing. “The bullet was silver.”

His eyes went wide.

“I managed to dig it out,” I said, rushing on, knowing it hurt him to speak. “But, the poison is already in your system. You’re not healing and you’ve lost a lot of blood.”

He was silent for a moment before nodding, the slightest shift of his head. “I’m dying.”

“No,” I said, shaking my head vehemently. “No, I won’t let you die. There has to be an antidote in the nurse’s office, I just have to get across campus to get it. And,” I added, knowing this part would be a bitch, “we have to find a place to hide you until I can get back with it. You’re going to have to move.”

While he came to terms with the excruciating pain I was asking him to willingly accept, I tried to think of a place, any place in this library that I could stash him while I apparently went all 007 and made my way across campus and back in time to save him.

One step at a time, I told myself sternly. I’d figure out my spy moves once I’d gotten Xavier to a safe place.

“The rare books room,” he wheezed out with a cough that seemed to rip him apart. I pressed my hands against his chest while he caught his breath again. When his chest rose and fell in a rhythm again, he repeated himself. “The rare books room is sealed. You need a key to access it.” His lips lifted in a tired smile. “I know where it’s kept.”

My eyebrow winged up. This was exactly what we needed. “Where?” I climbed to my feet, careful to stay away from the spreading blood, as he explained where I needed to look.

“Elena,” Xavier’s call stopped me before I could leave the room. “Take the gun.”

My gaze shot immediately to the gun that lay several feet away from the guard’s body. My stomach churned and I shook my head automatically. “No, I can’t.”

“You can,” he said insistently, lifting his arm with a grunt to point imperiously at me. “Elena, look at me.”

I did.

“You are stronger than you know. The girl that wrote that essay is fearless. You can do this.” He sounded so sure of himself that my unease faded enough for me to nod and reach for the gun.

It was cold against my palm, cold and hard. I’d held guns before but none that had been used to kill anything other than an animal. I swallowed my revulsion and lifted it to click the safety into place before tucking it into the back of my pants.

I should have felt confident with it, but it made me shiver and threw me off so much that my legs jittered as I peeked around the corner and rushed down the hallway towards the librarians’ office.

The library was empty and the lack of sound, soft whispers or laughter, filtering through the stacks down to the commons made it feel like a dead place. I crept around the edges, sticking close to the displays so I could hide if anyone entered. They’d smell me, I stank of fear, sweat, and blood, but my brain didn’t care. If I needed to hide, I’d hide… and pray.

My pulse thundered in my ears as I assessed the distance between where I stood, cowering behind a display, and the door to the office I was to infiltrate. The door was open, thank the Old Ones, because there’d been no reason to lock it. The desk Xavier had described, however, was most certainly locked and there were no librarians around with keys to open it.

Sucking in a deep breath, I dashed across the open commons, knowing indecision would keep me frozen in place and, if I did that, Xavier would die.

I ducked into the office without being shot and breathed a sigh of relief. Not wanting to take chances, though, I closed the door and lowered the blinds that provided privacy if necessary, to the staff. The thin plastic blinds made me feel safer.

The desk was at the back of the office, an old-fashioned wooden one made to last for centuries. I tried the first drawer, hoping I’d get lucky, and cursed like a sailor when it didn’t budge. The two others below it held fast, as well.

“Damnit,” I muttered, looking around the room for something to use to pry the drawer open. The keys were inside and the only way I was going to get them out was to destroy this antique. With a dismissive noise, I grabbed a letter opener made of what felt like solid steel and shoved it between the wood. Everything wolves owned were antiques. We lived to be old as fuck, if we weren’t killed first.

The drawer stuck but the letter opener didn’t break. I took that as a good sign. “I need something else,” I muttered to myself as I scanned the room. “Where’s a fucking crowbar when you need one?”

I went from desk to desk and gathered up every letter opener I could find, which amounted to four. Each were strong and slim, perfect for what I needed. I shoved them in side by side and put all my weight behind my thrust.

The drawer popped open with a groan of splintering wood. I shot my fist into the air like Judd Nelson and released a silent victory cry.

The keys sat in a little plastic container that separated them from other office paraphernalia. I bypassed the tape and a stapler and grabbed them, then raced to the door and peeked out.

The library was still quiet and empty, I couldn’t believe my luck. Even as the thought entered my head, a manic giggle escaped my throat. Lucky? Who the fuck was lucky during a siege? People were dead. Xavier was dying. I had to risk my life to get the antidote or face myself every day for the rest of my life and know I’d let a hero die if I hid until this was over.

No, I shook my head. I wasn’t an asshole. He’d saved my life and I would save his.

I pulled open the door and was about to step out when I noticed an economy sized bottle of hand sanitizer sitting on a desk. I grabbed it and, wrinkling my nose, pumped a huge glob into my palm and began systematically rubbing onto my skin, clothes, and hair. I figured it was better than nothing and would, at least, confuse my scent somewhat. I was leaving a second time when I noticed a big spray bottle of bleach tucked almost behind a filing cabinet.

“Bingo,” I said with a grin, grabbing it up.

The coast was clear when I peaked out again, so I ran outside and began spraying the bleach as quickly as I could, trying to wipe the scent of blood from the air. They cloying scent of ammonia burned my nose.

Xavier was leaning against the wall, next to the ruined drywall when I got back to the antiques room. I rushed to his side and shook my head. “Stupid man. Why didn’t you wait?”

He arched an eyebrow at me. “You could have been captured out there. I figured if it was my time to go, I’d rather go sitting up.”

“Fair enough,” I whispered, reaching for his shirt. The fabric was soaked through, now, so I quickly tore the other sleeve from my shirt and replaced it. “You need to keep pressure on this.” I clucked my tongue just like I’d heard my mother do a million times and held the keys up. “I got them. You’ll be safe soon.”

He nodded and closed his eyes for a moment. I could practically see the internal conflict happening through his eyelids as he steeled himself for what was to come. When he opened his eyes again, they were determined, and terrified.

“I got you,” I said quietly, wishing I were stronger, wishing I had someone else here to help me support him. He’d be forced to carry a lot of his own weight, now, and I knew that would be agony.

His face blanched with the first move. I hooked my hands under his armpits and braced myself, then pulled him up with every ounce of strength I had. The sound that escaped his gritted teeth was heartbreaking but we couldn’t stop. I bent my knees and pushed up until he was on his feet, standing with blood leaking from his wound. The folded square of fabric lay on the floor.

I scooped it up and pressed it to his side, wishing it was sterile. Normally, that wouldn’t be an issue, but now, with the silver poisoning, his body could react to the slightest thing.

“Where are we going?” I shuffled him forward a few steps, aching with each moan of pain that slipped free. He was trying to stay quiet; I could see that in the set of his shoulders, but it was impossible.

“At the back of the art gallery there’s a door,” his voice was weak.

I nodded. “I know the one. Come on. Hold onto me.”

We moved as quickly as he could manage, which put us at risk with every second that passed. Time was a strange thing; I wasn’t sure how much of it had passed since I’d looked out the solarium window and watched that first execution. All I knew was that our luck would have to run out soon.

By the time we got to the door, Xavier’s breathing was labored and his body sagged against me. I was basically carrying him while keeping pressure on his wound so he didn’t bleed out.

I pushed him up against the wall next to the door and kept a hand on his chest, knowing that if he slid to the floor, I’d have to drag him into the vault. My hands shook as I fished the keys from my pocket and tried first one, then the other in the lock.

The second one slid in and clicked as it turned.

Hot tears spilled from my cheeks. This room was secure. It could lock from the inside and wasn’t accessible from the outside unless you had the keys, these keys, I looked down at my hand. I could stay here and be safe. I was safe.

I swallowed my traitorous thoughts and pushed the door open.

Inside, a long table sat surrounded by chairs. I shuffled Xavier to the table and helped him sit on the edge, then lie back with a cry that died then and there. I glanced around and saw the padding on the walls and the communication device and locking system on the wall next to the door. This vault was my own personal panic room.

“I have to go,” I rushed the words out, knowing that if I took the time to think it through, if I gave myself even a moment to feel the safety of this place, I would never leave. “Hold on, Xavier. You need to live.” I leaned over him and smiled. “You’ve been such a prick; you’re going to need to live if you’re going to make it up to me.”

He let out a strangled laugh and closed his eyes. “Deal,” he murmured and lifted a hand to my arm. “Be safe.”

I nodded, unable to speak anymore through the thickness in my throat, and turned for the door, grabbing the bleach as I went. I closed the door with a sharp snick behind me, then chose a large planter to bury the keys in. I’d need a way to get back in if Xavier passed out from blood loss.

He was as safe as possible in that vault but there was always the chance the bad guys had explosives or something, so I sprayed as much bleach as possible on the drops of blood and mopped them up with what remained of my shirt, leaving me in a tank top I was glad to have put on.

When all trace of Xavier was erased from the library, I made my way back to the fallen guard and grabbed the walkie-talkie from his shoulder. It had dawned on me as I’d mopped up blood that it would help to know the locations of the other guards as I did the impossible.

I readjusted my ponytail and checked the safety on the gun again, feeling more than a little paranoid about the weapon. Then, steeling myself for whatever was to come, I poked my head out the main doors, and heard footsteps coming my way.

Chapter 15

My mind didn’t have time to process. I ran as fast as my legs could carry me towards the stacks. Panic and adrenaline pumped through my veins, making it hard to think straight. As soon as I was out of sight, moving steadily farther back into the stacks, I realized my stupidity. If I’d just gone back to the vault, I could have gotten the key and slipped back inside until the coast was clear.

Sweat slicked my back, intensifying my scent for all to smell. I looked down at the bleach bottle still in my hands and didn’t know what to do with it for a long moment. Then, I blinked, and it was like coming out of a dream. I sprayed the acrid liquid into the air in a fine mist and, closing my eyes, walked through. It felt like acid on my skin but I was alive and breathing and maybe had hidden my scent for a few minutes.

Long enough to get the hell out of here.

Sound was smothered back here, so I had no idea if they were on my trail or finding their buddy right now. Either way, I had limited time and needed to find a way out. I pictured the layout of the library, I knew it better than any other building on campus, after all. There were exits at the main entrance and on the lower level but I couldn’t access either of those without walking out into the open.

Windows. I frowned and tried to remember if there were any egress windows I could access without being seen. We were on the second floor of the building, so the windows up here weren’t exactly meant for evacuation, but I remembered the way the breeze had ruffled my hair during a windy day the week before. I’d been sitting in my favorite chair, in the solarium.

I bit down on my lip and closed my eyes. The solarium was wide open. If you were in the commons area of the library, all you had to do was walk up a few stairs to get to it. I’d be a sitting duck.

Still, I had to do something or I’d never forgive myself. I’d rather die fighting than cowering behind books.

It only took a few minutes to make my way to the edge of the stacks. My heart raced wildly, making my thoughts race, too. It felt like I could see everything in sharp detail, hear every sound clearer than before, smell every minute scent.

I could still smell the blood that had spilled at my feet and the fear that still scented the air from my fellow students.

A shudder shook my body. I opened my eyes and focused in on the spotless windows. They covered an entire wall of the room and filled the library with endless light and a gorgeous view.

I scanned the expanse, searching for an open window or a lever to release one, and nearly sobbed when I spotted a pattern of egress windows no more than five feet from the floor, running all the way across the solarium. They shut tight with instructions not to open unless there was an emergency. The closest one to me was tucked into a corner that held a tall, leafy tree and a bookshelf filled with easy reading choices.

I took a deep breath and blew it out slowly, willing my pulse to slow down. This area of the library was on the second floor, so there would be a steep drop waiting for me if I managed to get to the window and open it unseen. I’d take a steep drop over a bullet, though, so I checked one more time then darted out of my hiding spot.

The tree in the corner provided excellent coverage, so I slid behind it and eyed the release mechanism. There were two latches that would need to be lifted, then a crank would lift it vertically, opening outwards. I estimated it would take less than thirty seconds to open it completely and another thirty, at least, to maneuver myself out, let my body dangle as far down as I could, then let go and pray I didn’t break anything.

Nerves jittered through me, making it feel as if my entire body vibrated. My other senses were heightened, too, which I knew was a good thing. Even now, with my pulse thudding wildly, I could hear the murmur of the guards from an adjoining room and the buzz of their comms.

I glanced down at the walkie-talkie I’d tucked into the waist of my jeans. It would come in handy at some point to know where the guards were, but, right now, I needed silence, so I’d turned it off. I glanced towards the antiques room, hoping they’d stay there long enough for me to slip out, and heard another incoming message, from the main doors.

A gasp slipped free before I could reign it in and I scurried further behind the tree, hoping neither of the two guards that walked through the doors had noticed me. The solarium was up a level and I was at the farthest point, but I could still see them as clear as day. What if they could see me?

Everything in me froze for what felt like an eternity. I held my breath, afraid that even that would draw their attention. My chest throbbed painfully as I denied my lungs oxygen, but I knew my sharp inhale would be louder now than it would have been. I buried my face in the crook of my arm and slowly exhaled and inhaled.

They stood and surveyed the commons, stacks, and, much to my horror, the solarium. One, a woman with wide shoulders and dark brown hair tucked back in a ponytail, narrowed her eyes in my direction.

My heart stopped.

“You take the stacks,” the woman said clearly. “I’ll see what’s taking Jack so long.” She turned on her heel and moved out of the commons with long strides.

The man looked after her for a moment, then shrugged and strode off towards the long line of books that would take him at least five minutes to walk through.

This was my chance.

The moment he disappeared, I started counting. If he didn’t come back out in thirty seconds, I’d make my move.

One.

Two.

Three.

Four…

I counted off in my head to the beat of my heart and, on thirty, I moved. My hands trembled as they connected with the latches, but they pulled up and the latches opened smoothly. The crank came next. It, too, moved with ease and I thanked the Old Ones this place had such good maintenance. The windows at my high school had stuck constantly.

The window lifted until it was as high as it would go, creating an egress I could easily fit through. Without giving myself time to think, I lifted one leg over the ledge, straddled it for a moment, then, holding on with all my might, swung my other leg over and let my body slide down the window until I was stretched tall with just my fingertips hanging onto the ledge.

Below my dangling feet, thick strange looking shrubs with drooping purple flowers provided beauty and what I hoped would be a softer landing than the cobblestone walkway that ran along the inside of the quad.

Movement from inside the library caught my attention. I watched as the woman and the two men who’d already been in the antiques room, stepped out and called for their associate. I gritted my teeth and willed my fingers to let go.

My body plummeted down the length of the building. I pressed my legs together and bent my knees, then squeezed my eyes shut as I impacted the shrub.

The scent of blood filled my nostrils along with the sting of hundreds of tiny lacerations. I bit my lip and focused on my body, on my legs and pelvis, to see if I’d broken anything. I flexed, one muscle at a time, and bit back a cry when pain shot through my ankle. I rolled it, once, twice, carefully assessing the damage. It wasn’t broken, just sprained, I figured. Other than that, I seemed fine, except for the thousand tiny cuts wherever the shrub branches had scratched me. The cuts would heal in practically no time. Although, I realized with a silent groan, the blood seeping from all over would intensify my scent.

Fuck.

I needed to move, fast and stealthily, and I needed to heal. I needed to be my wolf.

Thick branches made my exit from the shrub difficult but I managed it while getting a hundred more nicks on my arms and neck. When I was free and in the shadow of the huge plant, I called to my wolf.

The twinge of pain I usually experienced, morphed sharply into a stabbing jar of agony. Shocked and overcome with a rush of betrayal, I locked my jaw and pushed inward, forcing my body to change. When it stubbornly refused to shift, I sagged and squeezed my eyes shut. Frustration buzzed through me.

Tears formed in my eyes and spilled out onto my cheeks. She’d always been there, my wolf, the other part of me that made me whole. Why was she refusing to come now, when I needed her most?

My muscles tightened and ached as I tried again and again to sink into the change and become my wolf, but it wouldn’t work. Something was wrong. Hot tears wet my shirt.

Panic set in and everything I’d just seen and felt came rushing back to drag me under. It felt like a tidal wave of emotion hitting me full in the chest and I gasped in air, trying to breathe.

I sank to my knees and wished I was anywhere but here. Why had my parents forced me to come? Why couldn’t they have just been happy with me attending a local university so I could see them whenever I wanted and I could be safe?

I closed my eyes and pictured my parents. They were good people, the best I knew, and I’d give anything to be back with them right now. I could almost hear my father’s voice singing old Newfoundland tunes as he worked out back.

You’re as stubborn as the day is long, my love. It was one of his favorite things to say to me. But, I love you more than life itself.

If I’d been more stubborn, I’d be home, I thought bitterly. Instead, I’d stayed quiet and gone along with their plans because I didn’t want to hurt them. Well, they’d be hurt when I was shot and killed by maniacs.

You can’t force blood out of a turnip, you know.

That was his second favorite colloquialism, although he’d chuckle to be heard it called such. It was a stupid expression, anyway, I thought, then wished I could hear him say it one more time.

Maybe I was stubborn, but if I was, I’d gotten that particular characteristic from him. I wondered what he’d say to me now.

You can’t force blood out of a turnip, you know.

I let out a shaky laugh and shook my head. Words of wisdom that meant absolutely nothing.

I frowned.

I was trying to force my body to change, was I? My heart was pounding, sweat was running down my back, I was a mess and hurt. My eyebrows rose in surprise as I realized that I’d never needed to change under duress.

“Thanks dad,” I whispered. I shifted until I was sitting on the soft ground and closed my eyes. Slowly, I inhaled and exhaled, finding my center, then I reached out to my wolf.

There you are, I thought.

This time, she came willingly. My bones shifted, my muscles contracted, my vision altered. In moments, I climbed to my feet covered in fur with my cuts already healed and my sprained ankle noticeably less painful. I shrugged free of my clothes and lifted my nose to the air.

I could smell them, the guards, the attackers, whoever they were. Their scent was everywhere, mixed with the terror they were causing. I could smell blood, and sweat, and the silver bullets they were using against their own kind. For no good reason.

They’d killed kids. That boy in the courtyard had been no more than twenty-two or twenty-three and now he was dead, murdered, and for what?

I shook my head as if that could wipe the memory of his murder from my mind. It didn’t work. It stayed like a thick greasy stain on my mind and made me feel dirty for even trying to forget about it.

If I didn’t, though, I reasoned as I took my first step out into the open, Xavier would die.

I kept to the shadows of the tall buildings. The sun had moved steadily west, casting shadows that provided a measure of cover, although the perfect fall day denied me any real safety.

It was so strange that the sun was still shining. Didn’t it know this was a place of death and mourning now?

I moved as swiftly as I could with the walkie-talkie and my cell phone tucked securely in my mouth, stopping to sniff the air and locate the guards stationed near me so I could avoid them. They were still in human form, so that gave me a slight advantage. Their sense of smell would be far less than mine, right now.

Then again, they had guns and silver bullets.

The library and the science building were connected by a skywalk that overlooked a garden where the botany club amused themselves or so the brochure had said. I worked my way to the edge of the library and took stalk of the situation. There were two guards at the opposite end of the garden, talking quietly. I needed them to turn away or move so I could dart across the opening and into the shade of the big apple tree no more than forty feet from where I stood.

After a few minutes of watching, I began to get antsy. I was exposed here, at the edge of the brick building. If I could just make it across the opening, I’d have better cover. I cursed the guards for ignoring their duties then almost choked when I remembered their duties included rounding up my fellow students and putting bullets in kids’ heads.

Fuck it. I waited ten more seconds, watching to see if they’d even glance up from their intense tete-a-tete, then lunged forward. I sprinted across the open ground in a matter of seconds, then tucked myself behind the tree, my entire body vibrating with nerves.

I breathed a sigh of relief and turned to keep moving when I heard one of the guards ask the other. “Do you smell that?”

My heart dropped and it took every ounce of brains I had not to give into the crushing sense of panic that welled up so furiously that it felt as if I’d been swallowed. Panic hadn’t done me any favors earlier and I wouldn’t allow it to paralyze me now.

“I’ll go check it out,” one of them said, then started down the garden path in my direction.

I swiveled my head around, looking for somewhere to hide or something to cover my scent with. He’d smelled me, maybe my blood or fear, but it was my scent that had given me away. It would be my big furry body that would give me away now, though, if I didn’t move my ass.

I bolted in the opposite direction, looking for a place to disappear. When I saw an open window at ground level, I didn’t think I just moved. My body was smaller as a wolf but still the opening was barely big enough for me to squeeze through. I leapt to the floor just as I heard the guard round the corner and call out for his buddy to “Stay out here. I’ll check inside.”

His footsteps moved past the window then up a set of stairs nearby and I heard the unmistakable sound of a door opening and shutting as my stomach nearly rebelled on the spot.

He was in the building with me.

Chapter 16

I raced to the door of what had turned out to be a laboratory of some kind and stopped short when I saw that it was closed. I put the walkie-talkie and phone onto the floor and forced myself to relax and shift.

The room smelled of formaldehyde and was cold, which wrinkled my nose and made goosebumps spring to life all over my naked flesh. I straightened and looked around wildly, searching for something to put on. I’d run through this building buck-ass if necessary, but I preferred not giving the psycho outside a peak.

I spotted a row of spotless lab coats hung on one wall and ran over to grab one. It was too big, but I didn’t care. I pulled it on, put my things in the big front pocket, and then moved to the door on bare feet, buttoning it up as I went.

Once again, I applauded campus maintenance as the door swung open with barely a whisper. I listened first, then poked my head out into the corridor to see if the coast was clear. Then, with a quiet curse, I closed the door and sagged against the wall next to it.

Where the fuck was I going to go?

I didn’t know the science building like I did the arts or the library buildings. The only time I ever came here was to attend chemistry class and those classes were held on the third floor.

My eyes lit up. Chemistry. Louis’ stink bombs!

My mind raced. He’d tucked those three vials of whatever chemical he’d been talking about into the drawer and had left without them. What if they were still there?

He said they’d smell like rotten fish. It wouldn’t be fun on my olfactory senses, I was sure about that, but the guards would be too busy dealing with the rancid stink to smell me cutting across campus to the nurse’s office. I grinned.

All I had to do was get to the third floor without being caught and murdered. Fingers crossed.

I’d have to open doors, so going as a wolf was off the table, which meant my hearing and sense of smell would be only as acute as the man hunting me. I’d be wide open in the long, cream-colored hallways with rows of locked classroom doors. My only saving grace was that he’d come in alone and couldn’t be two places at once.

I couldn’t take the elevators, I’d be a sitting duck, but the stairs posed a similar problem. I’d have a bit more coverage, but not much. I thought about all the suspense movies I’d watched on weekend nights with Sara and Bethany, wondering if all those wasted hours would hold an answer.

My gaze shifted to the ceiling. I’d hidden behind a ceiling panel in the library to avoid detection already, so I was, apparently, a modern John McClane. I cocked my head to the side and thought the problem over.

I had a couple of options here if I was going to pull a Die Hard moment. I could access the vent system and crawl my way up to the third floor or I could climb up the elevator shaft. Neither option was particularly palatable, since I wasn’t really a risk taker in that way. But, my life had never been threatened before. I’d already risen to the occasion today, why not push it even more?

“What the hell am I thinking?” I muttered, realizing a moment later that I was possibly insane. There was only one way I’d get to the third floor; the stairs. It would help if I knew where that damn guard was, though.

My eyes widened as I realized the extent of my idiocy. I pulled the walkie-talkie from my pocket and considered it. I’d turned it off by turning the knob, so turning it back on was easy enough. Not wanting to be heard, I turned the volume down low and held it to my ear, hoping to hear something concerning the science building.

I listened for five minutes, getting progressively irritated when I heard only messages of “all clear” and “10-4.” Xavier was going to be cold if something didn’t change.

I’d heard enough of the chatter, I could pretend to be asking about the building. If the guard was still inside, there was a chance he’d answer. Or, there was a chance they’d know immediately that I wasn’t who I was claiming to be and find me quicker.

Still, I had to do something. If I wasn’t going to pull out all the stops, what was the point of even trying to get to the nurse’s office for the antidote? I lifted the walkie-talkie to my lips and pressed down on the button.

“Update on Science building. Out.” I said in my gruffest voice then squeezed my eyes shut and prayed.

I only had to wait a few seconds before the comm buzzed and the answer I’d been waiting for came through. “All clear. Out.”

The breath I’d been holding wooshed out of me. I was in the clear.

I turned off the walkie-talkie again and tucked it away again, then inched the door open and peeked out. There was a chance he was still in the building even though he’d said it was clear. I breathed in the air, searching for any trace of his scent and found only the faint smell of cleaner.

My feet padded almost silently on the cold floors as I dashed down the hallway and tucked myself behind a big urn filled with some kind of plant that was big and bushy, perfect for coverage.

The next hallway was clear, as well, as was the first set of stairs that led from the basement to the main floor. I moved in quick sprints, taking cover wherever I could find it, with hope and anxiety coursing through me in equal measure.

When I made it to the third floor without being shot, I hit the floor running.

The chemistry lab was locked, just like every other room, but I’d suspected that would be my next challenge, so I didn’t get too upset. I’d been hoping to find a random crowbar or something along the way to help me break in, but that had been wishful thinking. My hands were empty and my mind was spinning as I eyeballed the door.

I needed a key or something to smash the door in.

Since I didn’t expect to find a handy dandy key just laying around, I searched the hallway for something big or sharp. I found it hiding in the wall in plain view, right next to the eye wash station.

“Yes!” I grinned as I opened the case and pried the fire axe from its mount. This wasn’t going to be quiet, but it was going to be effective. I hoped.

I’d chopped wood too many times to count, so I knew how to swing an axe. I’d never chopped down a door, though. I pushed John McClane out of my mind and channeled The Shinning.

By the fifth swing, my arm and shoulder were singing and sweat covered my face. The door, however, had only a slight dent in its perfect metal finish. Curses bubbled up from the depths of my soul, but I bit them back and refused to give into despair.

“Maybe I shouldn’t have counted on movies to save the day,” I grumbled, then looked around for another idea. If I couldn’t get into the lab, my entire plan was ruined and time was flying by too quickly.

I chewed on my lip and stared at the stupid door, at the barely-there dent, at the shiny surface, at the three long hinges. My eyebrow quirked up.

I needed something slim and hard. Something like… I strode down the hallway and bent down to grab the pen someone had dropped. It’ll work, it’ll work, it’ll work. I kept repeating the words in my mind like a mantra as I pulled the ink free of the hard plastic shell, refusing to give my doubts power.

Carefully, I placed the pen beneath the middle hinge, fitting it into the little hole at the bottom, and raised the axe up to gently tap it up.

The screw moved!

I did a little jig, then calmed myself down and tapped again. If I hit the pen too hard, it would break, and I’d be screwed again.

One by one, the screws popped out of their hinges, leaving the door unsupported. I put them in my pocket, leaned the axe against the wall, and grabbed the door.

It was heavy but I managed to pull it off the hinges and shuffle it to the side.

“Pirates of the Caribbean for the win!” I chuckled and promised myself I’d tell Bethany if I didn’t die today. It was one of her favorite movies.

Now that I was where I needed to be, nerves bubbled to life. What if I’d done all this and the vials weren’t even there? Louis had said there’d only been one chemical in them, pyra-something, and he’d pointed to a glass case, I remembered. If they were gone, I’d break into the case. Simple.

I was turning into a real hoodlum. Although, I doubt anyone would care about my breaking and entering considering my motives.

My station was in the center of the room, so I wove through the tables and stools with my fingers crossed, chewing on my lip. My hand hovered above the drawer for just a moment before I pulled it open…

…and found all three vials.

I picked them up gingerly and eyed the liquid inside. According to Louis, it would create a huge rotten fish stink, which was exactly what I needed to avoid detection. A diversion.

But, I needed to do it right because I’d only get one shot at it. The Administration building was roughly ten minutes from here, if I could get there undetected.

Wherever I used it, people would run. A wolf’s olfactory sense was too sensitive to withstand a stink bomb like this, even though my entire plan was hinged on me running straight into the stench.

If I trailed it behind me, though, I’d be creating a very stinky path that anyone could follow, so I had to lay down more than one. Luckily, I had three.

If I threw one out into the quad, it should provide enough of a distraction to get me going. I crossed to a window and lifted it slowly, just in case anyone was watching. The mesh resisted for a moment before popping out, giving me a clear shot to the quad below. One good lob and Louis’ stink bomb would do its thing.

I considered the vial. The grass was thick below and the glass looked solid so there was no real assurance it would break even from this height. I’d have to take the top off.

Knowing it would be painful to breathe after I opened it, I searched the room until I found some thick white cloth then folded it into a make-shift mask. I’m sure there were actual masks in one of the locked cabinets but I’d just have it open for a second before throwing it.

I unscrewed the top and pulled it off, then immediately covered my mouth and nose with the cloth while I leaned out the window and threw the vial with all my strength. It sailed through the air and landed on the grass with a quiet wisp of sound.

I gagged. In the instant it had taken me to drop the cover and throw the vial, the chemical had filled the air in front of my face and had cut off my breath. I wretched myself away from the window, bending over from the waist to cough violently as I tried to fill my lungs with fresh oxygen. Luckily, there was nothing left in my stomach to throw up.

It took several long, horrible minutes, but I finally straightened and blew out a deep breath.

“Shit,” I mumbled, knowing I’d have to endure that again to finish my plan. And I’d only breathed the smallest bit of vapors, what would it be like to get a good lungful?

It was my best change, though. If I didn’t pass out.

Reassessing the need for a real gas mask, which would allow me to continue breathing, I grabbed the axe from the hallway and broke lock after lock until I found what I needed. It covered most of my face, which was probably a good thing, and blocked out even the slightest scent of rotten fish. I also found a pair of dark blue scrubs tucked in among the masks and extra lab coats, so I took a minute to put them on. I still had nothing on my feet, but beggars couldn’t be choosers.

This was it, I thought as I made my way to the front doors of the Science building. I wiggled the mask to make sure it was secure, stuck one vial into a pocket, and then unscrewed the top of the other.

And ran.

Chapter 17

My legs moved faster than they ever had in my entire life.

I didn’t stop to think, didn’t stop to look behind me, I just moved forward with a single intention, to get to the Administration building and up to the nurse’s office then back to the library as quickly as I could.

My luck was holding, I had no idea why or how, but I managed to get past the Math building and the Visual Arts building without spotting a single guard. When I rounded the corner of the Arts building, though, all that changed. I charged straight into a group of men and women, all sporting deadly weapons and staring, shocked, at me.

With a scream that echoed inside my own head so loudly it made my pulse jump, I waved the open vial in the air in front of them, then took off in the opposite direction.

Screams filtered through the air as I ran, along with the sounds of agony and vomiting. I stopped, panting for breath at the edge of the brick and turned to look back at the chaos I’d created. My eyes shot wide as I realized I’d only seen the guards, not who they were guarding.

Students, people I’d seen around campus, and professors, bent over or fell to the ground holding their hands over their mouths, trying to breathe through the hostile air. My heart went out to them, but I couldn’t stop. They were safe enough. Louis had wanted to pull a prank not kill the entire population of campus. It sucked, I knew, but dying would be worse.

I was about to turn away when a thought occurred to me. I could run around the outskirts of campus and possibly run into more guards who I’d have to dose with the other vial, or I could cut through the mayhem here while everyone was distracted. It was a faster route, more direct, and would shave around five minutes off my time. Five very valuable minutes.

I didn’t give myself time to overthink. I raced into the mess of heaving bodies, leaping over gagging peers and wild guards. I pressed my hand to the mask, desperate to keep it locked in place. One wrong move and I’d be in the same predicament as these poor guys.

A few feet from freedom, a hand shot out and grabbed my ankle, sending me tumbling to the grass in a heap. I cried out as my, already tender ankle, twisted again. Pain shot up my leg and I kicked out instinctively without looking. My bare heel connected with something that crunched under it. I squeezed my eyes shut, knowing this was it, I would die now, then opened them again when three seconds ticked by and nothing happened.

Seraphina lay on the grass at my feet, her entire face covered in blood as she grasped her broken nose and gasped for breath. Her terrified and furious gaze locked on me and recognition filled them, along with pure hatred.

Scrambling back, I pushed to my feet and limped past the mess of writhing bodies, grabbing the edge of a tree for support.

“Damn it,” I groaned as I tested my ankle again. This was worse, way worse than it had been and I’d been able to heal faster when I’d shifted into my wolf then back to my human body. That’s the way it was, the more we shifted, the faster we healed. But, if I were to shift now, to get back a keener sense of smell and lose this gas mask, I’d be just like the poor souls I’d just left behind.

So, I limped, and bit back hot stinging tears with every stab of pain that travelled up my leg. I was almost there. I could see the Administration building now.

It was so beautiful. That’s all I could think as I drew closer, step by agonizing step. I had to focus on something. It was beautiful, the way the ivy crept over the brick facade, giving it a distinguished and cultured air. This place was old, I knew, and filled with secrets. Like The Sisterhood.

Forty feet, that’s as far as I had to go to get to the front doors. Thirty nine, now.

I counted them off, trying to focus on that instead of the fact that I wish I’d had the foresight to grab a big stick or something I could use as a cane,

Nine more feet. I lifted my head and stared at the steps that lead to the front doors, seeing them as almost insurmountable. I wanted to sit down, I wanted to rest and hide. I wanted my mom.

A shout to my left had me throwing myself into a crouch behind the hedge that ran around the entire Administration building. Branches cut my skin again, but I didn’t care.

Guards surged around the corner of the building and headed straight toward their fallen comrades. And each and every one of them wore a gas mask.

My heart squeezed so viciously, I grasped my chest and wondered what a heart attack felt like. They’d be immune to the chemical now, leaving only students and professors suffering. My one way out was ruined, all because of fucking Seraphina!

I channeled my fury, knowing it was misplaced but also knowing I couldn’t spare the energy it would take to adequately hate the terrorists. They were too big, too unknown, but Seraphina… I could hate her to the end of time.

I embraced the rage, and the white stillness that filled my mind was soothing. Using it to push back the pain, I stood on the other side of the thick brush on the ankle I now presumed to be broken.

I tried to flex it and had to bite down on my lip to stop the whimper from escaping.

Shouts from the other side of the hedge alerted me to the fact that even more terrorists had shown up, all wearing masks. It was just a matter of minutes until one of the fallen guards caught their breath enough to warn them of the crazy girl that had run past them wearing a gas mask and waving a vial of stinky fish scent.

I watched in silence, not knowing where to go next and saw one of them, a woman, start up the stairs to the front door, which would, I realized a second later, give her a better vantage point on my hiding spot.

I stumbled back into the shadows cast by the tall building and jerked my head around looking for somewhere to hide. A gardener’s shed tucked against the building was the perfect spot so I hobbled there first and yanked on the handle.

It didn’t budge.

“No, no, no,” I whispered as I gasped shallow breaths that made my head swim.

The woman took the fourth step then the fifth. Soon, she’d be able to see me clearly.

I closed my eyes and let my head loll back. If this was it, I wanted to be taken with some kind of dignity. I’d fought my hardest to save Xavier. I could be proud of that. My parents could be proud of it, if they ever found out what I’d tried to do.

The woman took the final step and turned to face the path.

A hand wrapped around my mouth at the same instant I was jerked back against a hard body and pulled, kicking and screaming, into darkness.

Chapter 18

I fought back as hard as I could.

My arms were pinned to my sides so I swung my head back with as much momentum as I could. It connected with something flat and wide that grunted and cursed, then hissed, “Elena, stop. It’s me.”

I froze.

The arms held me for a moment longer, almost as if they didn’t trust my lack of action, and then I was free. I turned in the darkness and stilled.

“Bash?” I strained to see but it was too dark, so I lifted my hand slowly, to his chest, his shoulder, his face. “Bash!” I threw myself into his arms and bumped the gas mask painfully into him. “Ow.”

I ripped the mask over my head and took a cautious whiff of the air inside the shed. It smelled of ripe fertilizer, seeds, and metallic garden tools, but was free of the horrid scent of fish.

“You’re alright?” I asked, running my hand over his face again, searching for blood. “How are you here?”

“I was headed to the solarium to meet you when the attack happened.” His voice was gravelly and pitched low, barely above a whisper. “Old Ones, Elena, they’re just shooting people.” He blew out a breath and leaned forward until his forehead touched mine.

I knew we had bigger things to worry about, Xavier for one, but in this moment I could think of none of them. Bash was safe, we were together, and everything was alright.

“I was coming out of the Admin building when…” he paused and shook his head slowly, “when Stephanie was shot. I didn’t know what to do. Everyone was screaming and running. They just kept coming and shooting into the crowd, so we hid. We found this shed and locked it from the inside.”

I pulled back, still unable to see, and frowned. “We?” I asked, finally hearing the sound of quiet breaths behind Bash.

“Yeah, 007,” Daniella’s acrid tone made my spine stiffen. “As in my brother and me.” But the weakness in her voice made my brows furrow.

I pulled my cell, still useless I noticed, out of my pocket and turned on the torch feature. Daniella sat, scowling and pasty white, in the corner of the shed with a piece of fabric pressed to her shoulder. From the red stain on it, I realized she’d been shot.

Watching her, I pulled in a deep breath, tasting the air, and scented more than just blood. I glanced back at Bash and, with the illumination, finally saw the strain in his eyes. “How bad is it?” I asked him, then turned to look at my worst enemy, figuring she could use something or someone else to focus on at the moment.

“It’s nothing. It went right through,” she barked and color flooded her cheeks. Bash’s hand touched the length of my back gently. “Why do you care, anyway? Looking for another way to worm your way into my brother’s life?” Daniella broke off and pulled in a few shallow breaths that seemed to tire her out. I decided there wasn’t time for this and squatted down so we were at eye level.

“Alright,” I said quietly but with enough backbone in my tone that she stayed silent. “We don’t have time for this bullshit. Professor Xavier was shot in the side and the silver is going to kill him,” I arched an eyebrow and nodded towards her shoulder, “and, I suspect, you, if we don’t get the antidote from the nurse’s office and dose you both. I’m guessing there’s more than just the two of you needing it right now, too.”

Bash knelt beside me and reached for his sister’s hand. “Dani, you know she’s right. Whatever fucked up logic is keeping you from seeing that Elena’s the last person to worm her way in anywhere is just going to have to be put on hold until you’re not dying.” His breath was warm on my face and smelled of peppermint when he spoke. “I’m going with you.”

Daniella stared at me with narrowed eyes for a long moment, reluctance and fear for her own life warring on her perfect features, then she nodded once and set her jaw. “Let’s get going then. The antidote isn’t going to administer itself.”

I scoffed before I could stop myself and was rewarded with a seething glare. “You’re hurt. You need to stay here.” As I said the words, I remembered the state of my ankle and tested it out. My almost silent hiss of pain wasn’t silent enough.

“Pot. Kettle.” Daniella arched a haughty eyebrow my way followed by a weak smirk.

I stared at her and wondered, for an instant, if I could live with myself if I just left her behind and went on with my life. No, I immediately reconciled, I couldn’t let her die, even if she was a huge bitch. Besides, some part of me that I didn’t quite understand or even want to acknowledge yet cared more about Bash than I’d ever cared for anyone and he loved her. I guess I was stuck with her.

Just because I was stuck with her didn’t mean I was going to take her shit, though. Without saying a word, I turned off my phone light and shrugged out of the lab coat. I had a problem that would be solved with a simple shift. She, on the other hand, wouldn’t be able to shift until the silver was out of her system.

I rotated my stiff neck and called to my wolf. Evolution and magic flowed through me as my bones shifted and thick russet fur sprouted, covering me from head to toe. When my foot bones elongated, I bit back a howl of pain knowing all of our lives depended on it.

The darkness looked different with my wolf eyes. Even with the non-existent light, I could see the general shapes of things, of Bash and Daniella. I lifted my nose into the air and inhaled, getting a good whiff of fertilizer and silver first, then the rancid fish from my clothes and hair. I shook my entire body and wished desperately for a shower. Gingerly, I tested my ankle and found it already well on its way to being healed. Whatever magic allowed our bones to shift from one state into another, also allowed that process to heal most wounds.

Bash’s fingers tickled the length of my spine, raking through my fur with an appreciative stroke. I moved into him, leaning against his legs for a moment and wishing we were back out in the forest, running beneath the moonlight, before all of this shit had gone down.

I cocked my head to the side as I realized something. Needing to put my thoughts into words, I threw myself back into the shift and was standing, naked and furless, in moments. Words gushed out of me as I reached for my clothes.

“Holy shit, I just realized the body in the woods and the one at the gate were a set up.” I pulled the scrub top over my head and reached for the pants. “The academy freaked out and brought in more guards…”

Bash groaned. “Which is how these assholes got an entire army of terrorists on campus without anyone questioning it. Donahue practically rolled out the welcome mat for them.”

“What does this have to do with anything?” Daniella asked with a long-suffering sigh from her spot on the floor. “How does this help us in any way?”

I gritted my teeth and forced myself to not snap at her. She was in pain and a natural born bitch. I could be the bigger wolf this once.

“Because,” I said in a deliberately patronizing tone, “there are more of them than there are of us and understanding their motives and strategic abilities is an asset.” I chewed my lip for a moment then snapped out, “and maybe shut the fuck up. You’re not in charge here, Daniella. Your bitch squad are writhing in agony out there.” I pointed towards where I’d left Seraphina. “And you’ll die if we don’t get you that antidote. Do you really think your vendetta against me is worth your life?”

Chapter 19

I stared into the darkness and waited for Daniella to either lose her shit or fall in line. Either way, I was moving now. Xavier had been waiting long enough. My stomach twisted, and I refused to give into the worry that he was already dead.

When she didn’t speak, I shook my head and turned toward Bash. “I can’t wait any longer. Are you coming with me or…” I swallowed the lump in my throat at the thought of continuing alone, “staying here?”

Bash stiffened. I could practically feel my question tearing him apart and my heart ached, but we were literally at war and tough decisions had to be made. He could stay and risk me being captured before I could get the antidote back to Daniella or come with me and risk not being there if she was captured or if the poison stopped her heart. I wished I had the right answer, but I didn’t.

Part of me wanted him to stay; the part that had been terrified when I’d seen that guy shot in the head on the quad. The part that had wondered if Bash would be next. Old Ones knew, he’d be safer here, but there were risks both ways.

He was strong, capable, and looked at me with the same emotion in his gaze that I felt when I looked at him. He’d have my back and I’d have his.

I almost sighed when I realized what that meant but I managed to keep it together as I bent forward to grab Daniella’s uninjured arm. She struggled as I pulled her to her feet and cursed with quiet but intense fervor at me.

When she was standing, I let go and hissed. “You wanted to come with us, didn’t you?”

Beside me, Bash’s entire body jerked, relaxed, then tightened again. He must have been running through the same scenarios I had and knew the risks.

“They have gas masks now, so this,” I reached into my pocket to pull out the last vial, which had stayed intact, thankfully, this entire time, “is useless.” Still, I tucked it back into my pocket, knowing there might be some guards without masks. I chewed my lip and brought the layout of the Administration building back to mind. “The nurse’s office is on the second floor, next to counselling center. If we go in these doors, it’s a straight shot up the hallway to the stairs, then,” I closed my eyes to picture it better, “a left, straight, left again and we’re there.”

“It’s probably locked,” Bash said, echoing my exact thoughts. I leaned into him and felt a flood of warmth when his arms moved around me to encircle my waist.

I nodded, even though it was a bit hard to concentrate on the task at hand when Bash’s body was touching mine. Life and death, I reminded myself. There would be time for sex later, if we survived. “Wish I’d brought my axe,” I mumbled.

“We need cover, right?” Bash said, as if thinking aloud, but I nodded and waited for him to finish. “What if we could get one of them alone and knock him out. We could take his uniform and mask so no one would be able to recognize us. We’d be able to move about freely.” Hesitant excitement made his voice rise a bit.

I thought it over carefully, wishing it to be as simple as that but remembering the wide open space outside and the steps that had given the guard a straight line of sight to our hiding spot. What if she was still there?

“It could work,” I said slowly, “but there’s a lot to consider. There was a guard on the steps that can see back here and the yard was packed. How are we going to get just one without alerting the others?”

“If we could just see out of this shed, we’d be able to move when no one was looking.” Bash’s frustration matched mine.

Daniella cleared her throat quietly. “Can you shine your phone light on the floor again?”

My eyebrows shot up and I was glad for the darkness hiding my shock. That was the nicest Daniella had ever been to me. For a second, it had even sounded as if she were going to follow up her request with a “please.” I turned my torch back on and shone it down at the floor.

It was a clean space, well-kept and tidy. Daniella turned slowly with a wince and pointed to the wall just past the wooden countertop. I followed the direction and felt my lips tug up in a grin. A manual drill sat neatly on a board against the wall, its outline drawn around it. Bash reached for it first and slowly rotated the handle. It moved without a squeak. I had no idea why the groundskeepers would need it but, right now, I loved them for having it.

Bash lifted it to the wall that faced the steps and placed the bit against the wood. With measured movements and a look of intense concentration, he began to drill through to the outside.

The hole the drill made wasn’t big but it afforded us a small peek at what was going on outside while keeping us safely hidden. I chewed on my lip and waited impatiently as Bash peered out first then moved aside to make room for me.

“I’m going to make another hole in the front wall,” he murmured, moving off to start the process again.

I nodded absently and pressed my eye up against the small hole. The steps were clear now and I could hear voices filtering through that I hadn’t been able to hear before.

“No luck yet. We’re still looking for her,” a gruff voice said no more than ten feet away from the shed. I held my breath knowing that if I could hear them now, there was the chance they could hear me, too.

Still, it was worth the risk. I waved my hand in the air and signaled for Bash to stop what he was doing then pressed my ear to the hole.

“Maybe the reports were wrong and she’s not even here.” This was said in a female voice that was softly rounded at the edges. I strained to recognize the accent but couldn’t place it any more definitively than European.

I focused on their voices even though my stomach muscles had tightened painfully the moment I’d heard them talk about “her,” the girl the guard in the library had thought was me. They were after someone, a young woman who, apparently, looked something like me, but wasn’t me.

This school was full of the children of important people, rich people, influential people, and I was a scholarship kid from Newfoundland with a simple background. There was nothing that made me special enough for a band of terrorists to attack the academy over.

“You questioning the boss?” This was said with an incredulity I could hear plain as day. As if questioning the “boss” led to very unsavory results. I flashed back to the two executions I’d witnessed and knew that if the minions were that deadly, chances were the boss was deadlier.

If the woman responded, I didn’t hear it because they’d moved out of earshot. I strained harder to hear, but it was no use. There was no one in hearing distance that was talking. In fact, I realized, there wasn’t much noise at all outside.

There’d been a hell of a lot of weeping and wailing after I’d run through group with my vial, but there was none now. I needed a better look.

“Coast clear?” Bash whispered when I looked over at him. He was watching me intently with those green eyes. I wished we weren’t in the middle of a war so I could enjoy that look just for a moment.

I shook my head. “I’m not sure. It’s awfully quiet out there. I think they carted all the students and faculty off somewhere but I can’t be sure.” A lump formed directly in the middle of my throat but I spoke around it. “Without looking.”

Bash cocked an eyebrow and stepped closer to me, his eyes bright with nerves. “What if there’s a guard just outside. Maybe if I drilled a few more holes.”

Dread coated my tongue and I wanted to just hold back and let us stay safe here in this tiny refuge, but another part of me couldn’t forget that I’d made a promise. Xavier would die and I’d never forgive myself.

I shook my head, hating myself for it, and murmured, “No.” A surge of emotion welled up in me and I didn’t have the strength to fight it back. I lifted my hand to Bash ’s cheek and rubbed my thumb gently over the stubble there, thinking absently how sexy it was and that I’d give anything for the chance to feel it again. “It’s time. I can go first.”

Bash’s hand took mine and shifted it until my palm pressed against his lips. They were hot and soft, and the look in his eyes made me want to cry, so I looked away for a moment and caught Daniella watching us with a look of surprise.

“We’ll go together,” he whispered, pulling me into his arms and making me forget about Daniella. His strong arms wrapped around my waist, making a cocoon that I would gladly live in. For a long, quiet moment, it was just me and him, no attack, no sister, nothing, just the steady beat of his heart and the warmth of our embrace.

It ended too soon. Bash pulled back slightly and brushed a wisp of hair from my face. “I hate to say it, but if you could distract a guard, I can get the drop on them with something heavy.” He reached for my phone and shined it on the walls, then grabbed a long wrench that would make a fine club. “This’ll work.”

I eyed it and the flexing muscles in his arm as he welded it. “Yeah,” I agreed with a flutter of lust and fear, “that’ll work.”

We went over the details as best as we were able to given the fact we had no idea what was waiting for us outside. The hedge provided the privacy necessary to lure one of them away from the others, while the shed provided the perfect hiding spot for Bash.

I took a deep breath and slipped out of the shed in a low crouch.

The shadows were deeper now as we crept to the hedge and peered out. The path between the Administration and Arts buildings was empty, but there were still a few guards patrolling the area. I saw one disappear past the apple tree I’d braced myself on earlier and another walking towards us with a gas mask still firmly fit across her face.

I looked over at Bash and cocked an eyebrow. She was about my size, maybe a little shorter, but her uniform would fit. She’d work for the bait and switch routine we’d worked up. All we had to do was lure her behind the hedge without her calling it in.

“Good luck,” Bash’s voice broke the tiniest bit. I kept my gaze straight, watching the woman, because I knew that if I looked, I’d break.

So, I just whispered, “You too,” and blew out a deep breath.

Bash slipped away to hide while I placed the ripped and bloody piece of cloth just outside the thick hedge where she’d, hopefully, see it and investigate. Then, I crawled across the ground and lay face down, a few feet from the shed.

The wait felt like forever as I interpreted each crunch of stone, playing up the possibility of our single guard silently signaling for a partner. This could go horribly wrong, we all knew it, but we couldn’t stay here.

My pulse hitched and sped up when I heard the tell-tale rustle of branches as someone pushed their way through the hedge. I breathed in the scent and recognized the pheromones that marked her as female. She was alone.

Her knees cracked as she bent down and, a second later, I felt her fingers on my neck. I knew what she’d find there, a racing pulse, hot skin, and a surprise she’d never see coming.

I twisted and shot my hand out a split second before she reached for her walkie-talkie.

Bash appeared out of nowhere and, with a grimace, belted her across the back of the head with the wrench. She fell to the ground at my side like a ton of bricks.

He groaned quietly. “That doesn’t feel right.” His arms were gentle as he picked her up and carried her to the shed, regret and determination clear on his gorgeous face.

I undressed her because I knew it would make Bash feel even worse to strip an unconscious woman, regardless of the fact that we were fighting for our lives and that she would kill us if given the chance. I wasn’t planning on giving her or anyone else that chance.

Her uniform fit well, if a little snug in the butt. The too-short pants were covered by the black military style boots that were just a bit too big but worked. I quickly braided my hair just like hers and tucked it under, so as little of the bright auburn color was showing as possible. When I pulled the mask over my head and covered most of it with the black cap, I became just another drone in the terrorist army, which was exactly what I’d wanted.

“Now for you,” I said with a tense smile. I walked out of the shed this time, leaving Bash and Daniella, who, I just realized, had been awfully quiet this last while, behind. This part should be easy enough.

The guard I’d seen pass between the buildings crossed again just a few minutes after I’d assumed my post. He glanced down my way and halted when I raised a hand and motioned him forward, hoping to the Old Ones not to give myself away.

“What’d you find?” he called out as he strode forward, arms swinging casually by his sides. Although I couldn’t clearly see his face through the mask, his body language looked relaxed.

I pointed to the hedge and pitched my voice low. “I saw something back there near the shed. Boss said to double up.”

He nodded, as if that were the norm in their profession of murdering and terrorizing. Without asking for further clarification, he walked past me and pushed through the hedge. When he was standing just a few feet from the shed, he paused and looked over at me. “Are you coming, or what?”

He didn’t even see the wrench descending.

“Still doesn’t feel right,” Bash muttered as he deposited the unconscious man on the floor of the shed.

“That’s because you’re a good person.” I ran my hand up his arm and smiled. He was a good person, an exceptionally good guy. I glanced over at Daniella, who was still just silently watching us and thought, she must have sucked all the bad right out of him in utero.

I knelt to pull the guard’s boots off and felt my stomach explode with millions of excited butterflies when Bash began taking off his clothes.

Nudity was commonplace among our kind, I reminded myself as he slipped his shirt over his head and tossed it on the countertop.

It’s just another body, my brain told me as my body filled with lust the second his fingers unbuttoned his jeans. A super fine body, but just a body.

I tried to keep my gaze away from him as he stepped out of his jeans, leaving them puddled on the floor in my line of sight, but doubts filtered through and I realized how obvious I was being. I was about to straighten and casually hand Bash the boots when the scent of my own arousal hit my nose.

I swallowed a groan and lifted my eyes to see Bash watching me with amusement and the reflection of my response in his emerald eyes. I let a smile tug at my lips for a moment, then looked away, and met Daniella’s intense gaze.

My eyebrow cocked of its own volition. “What?” I asked in my best non-hostile tone.

She gave me a slow smile that didn’t quite reach her eyes and slowly shook her head. “Nothing.”

I didn’t believe her but this wasn’t the time nor the place to be starting a fight, plus, she was injured and I wasn’t half the bitch she was.

“Ready.” Bash patted his hands over the uniform then fit the mask over his face with a grunt. “Let’s escort the prisoner.” He reached a hand out to his sister without looking and she automatically slipped her smaller palm into his.

I stared at that small and intimate physical connection between them and suddenly knew without a doubt that Bash would sacrifice what was growing between us for his twin. I drew in a long breath and let it out slowly.

If we survived, I’d have to figure out a way to live with Daniella.

Chapter 20

I kept my back rod straight as we marched Daniella through the front doors of the Administration building. I figured that’s the way most terrorists walked.

The hallways inside the building were empty for the most part. We moved down the long hallway without encountering anyone and met only one distracted-looking guard as we turned and ascended the stairs. He was past us before I even realized he was there.

My stomach muscles relaxed as he moved around the corner away from us. Even with the mask and uniform, I felt utterly exposed. I couldn’t imagine how Daniella felt.

I glanced at her, walking stiffly between Bash and I, and frowned. There was a sheen to her skin now that hadn’t been there earlier. I leaned forward and shook my hand to get Bash’s attention. We’d agreed on talking as little as possible during this trek.

He turned his head and frowned down at me then shifted his gaze when I tilted my head towards his sister. The frown intensified when he saw her and his hand moved from her arm to her waist for more support.

Daniella sagged against him with a small mewling sound that was so out of place with her usual snark that I nearly stumbled on the next stair. Instead, I shifted my hold on her good arm and leaned in to support her other side. She was going downhill, and fast.

My muscles were screaming from her sagging weight, as little as it was, by the time we made it to the nurse’s office. A sign stuck out from the door, like an old-time doctor’s office. Bash shifted his sister into his arms so I could try the door.

It opened without a sound.

My head flew up in shocked surprise. Every small victory today had been won through hard work and endless effort. To have this final obstacle just swing open without complaint was beyond belief. I looked up and down the hallway to make sure the coast was clear and whispered, “Get her inside.”

Bash scooped Daniella into his arms as if she weighed nothing and disappeared into the office.

Where an armed guard stood leaning against a counter, casually eating an apple.

“Hey,” he said in a perfectly normal voice. “Just grabbing a snack.” He plucked another from a basket and held it up. “Enough for everyone.” Then, as if he’d just noticed Daniella, he nodded towards her. “What’s up with the rich bitch? Looks like she’s not long for this world. Just dump her and take a load off.”

Bash’s body stiffened and every nerve in my body screamed to reach out to him to stop whatever he was about to do. A moment later, my arms were full of Daniella and the crunch of fist on bone filled the air along with the scent of blood.

I pulled Daniella back from the flying fists and grunting males. She was dead weight now and her eyes were white, rolled back in her head. Cursing, I pulled her over to an examining table and managed to get her on top a moment before Bash flew across the room and landed, with a grunt, against the wall. I spun around to see the guard reaching for his weapon, which, I saw now, was in Bash’s hand.

I stared at it, then up at him, my mind a flurry of questions, the foremost being, would he actually use it? Seconds ticked by as the guard obviously wondered the same thing then, deciding it was worth the chance, lunged across the room with a roar of fury.

Bash tossed the gun at me and met his opponent mid-air.

I yelped, terrified for an instant that I’d accidentally shoot someone, then shoved the gun behind me where I could grab it if need be. I watched them grapple for a few seconds more then, convinced Bash could take care of himself, I turned back to Daniella.

Her skin was turning grey and her breathing was shallow.

Panic heated my face and made my brain buzz until I was lightheaded and flushed. Trying desperately to ignore the full-fledged brawl happening just feet away from me, I turned to the wall of cabinets and pulled at the first door.

“Of course it’s locked,” I muttered. My own breathing was coming faster now. It felt like the weight of the world was pressing down on my chest, making it hard to inhale. Part of my brain understood this was just a little panic attack, perfectly normal in the face of what I’d experienced today, but the other part was too busy hyperventilating to fully grasp that.

I spun around, looking for something sharp, once again, to bust open the cabinets so I could find the damn antidote. There was plenty of broken wood and plastic, but nothing I could use. I closed my eyes and leaned against the exam table.

Something shifted behind me and I whirled around, afraid Daniella was falling, or seizing, or dead, but it was just the stirrups shifting in their slot.

Laughter bubbled up in my throat and exploded, which caught Bash’s attention for just a split second. His look of concern distracted him just long enough for the guard to deliver a solid punch to the gut. The breath whooshed out of him and he doubled over.

My mouth dropped open and the mania that had been threatening disappeared in an instant, replaced by fury. I let loose a bloodcurdling scream and charged.

The guard looked up at the last second. His eyes went wide and he threw up his arms to protect his head from the metal stirrup descending on him.

It smashed into his forearms with as much power as I could deliver, cracking bones that split like dry wood and punctured through the skin. Blood spurted from his arms to the floor, the perfect distraction.

Bash brought the chair down on the man’s head and shoulders and, together, we watched him crumple to the floor.

Jagged breathes filled the silence. I lowered my still raised metal weapon and glanced over at Bash, who was wiping blood from a split lip. He was battered, bruised, and looked a little raw around the edges, but he was alive.

I spun around and ran to Daniella. I called for Bash to “lock the door” without looking back to see if he did.

She was quiet now, her breathing so shallow that I could barely hear it. I pressed my ear to her chest and felt her heart struggle to beat.

“She’s dying,” I said quietly. I tore the other stirrup out of the table and handed it to Bash. His face, blood red just a moment ago, was pale now. “Help me find the antidote.”

I wanted to go to him, to comfort him, but there was no time. Daniella’s wound was so much worse than I’d thought. I shoved the metal end of the stirrup into the first cabinet door. It splintered.

First aid equipment lined the shelves.

“Bash,” I snapped, needing him to move, to help. He was just standing there, looking at his twin, his eyes endlessly grief stricken and hopeless. “No,” I shoved him, hard, which got his attention for a second. It was all I needed. “She’s not dead, yet. Help me save her.”

Something flickered in his eyes, a sign of recognition. He grabbed the stirrup from my hands and attacked the first cabinet.

I found the medicine in the third one. Bottles lined the shelves, all labeled, all neatly arranged. I stared at them, waiting for one that was labeled “Silver antidote” to jump out at me, but when it didn’t, when all I saw was medical mumbo-jumbo, I slammed my fists into the counter and wept.

“What? It’s not there?” Bash practically pushed me out of the way to look.

“I don’t know,” I said on a sob. “I have no idea what any of these medications are.”

He turned to stare at me. “You said the nurse had an antidote.”

I wiped my cheeks with the back of my hand and frowned. “She has to, but I don’t know which one it is and if we give her something random…” I trailed off and looked at Daniella.

“We’ll kill her,” Bash finished what I didn’t want to say. He closed his eyes and let his head drop as if it were too heavy to be held up. For a moment, we just stood there, gutted, and hopeless.

A sound so small a human may not have heard escaped Daniella’s pale blue lips and snapped up both out of our misery. Bash raced to his sister’s side but I stayed and looked again at the bottles. It was here, one of the bottles could save her.

And any of the others could damn her.

She was dying anyway, I argued, trying to use reason in an unreasonable situation. My head swam with counter arguments until I could barely see straight. I was smart, smart enough, maybe I could process of elimination my way through this problem. Gritting my teeth, I reached for the first bottle and read the label.

Feverfew.

No, I put the bottle down on the countertop. My mom suffered from the occasional headache and had a big bottle of feverfew in the medicine cabinet. I grabbed another.

Aconite.

That one rang a bell. I searched my memory for meaning and came up empty. Frustration gripped me hard. Somewhere in my brain, I knew the answer but it kept slipping away the harder I tried to grab it. With a growl, I put it on the counter, too.

The counter filled with discarded bottles, dwindling down the choices.

Argyria sanitatem.

My palms went damp. I’d always loved the origins of words and had made a study of many over the years. I’d looked up the Latin for words, the French, and the German.

Argyria. Argent. Silver.

Sanitatem. Santé. Health.

“This is it,” I said quietly and turned with the bottle in my hands. “This is it.” I gave Bash a shaky smile and held it out.

“Are you sure?”

The hope in his voice was heartbreaking. I wanted to shout “no” and wrench it away, but Daniella was out of time. I watched her chest struggle to rise. Bash’s fingers grasped the bottle and took it from my hand.

“How much should I give her?” His voice quivered as unscrewed the top.

I shook my head. “I don’t know.”

He lifted the bottle to Daniella’s lips, his hands shaking wildly, then froze when I hissed, “Stop!”

Bash turned his head and I saw terror in his eyes.

“What if it needs to be intravenous?” I swallowed hard, then nodded sharply and turned back to the first cabinet I’d opened and grabbed a hypodermic needle.

I’d never administered one before, but I’d seen the process often enough. Old Ones, I’d watched enough Grey’s Anatomy to be a surgeon by now.

Bash held out the bottle and I slipped the needle inside, withdrawing a full five milliliters of the liquid. Holding it up, I squirted a tiny bit, to get rid of air bubbles my brain told me, then walked like a terrified first year to the exam bed.

Daniella looked near death. I eyed her, wondering where to inject the antidote so it could work the quickest. I grabbed the fabric of her shirt and tugged, ripping it a bit so I could see her wound, and gasped.

Violent, angry lines of silver fanned out from the bullet hole, spreading in a straight line towards her heart.

Bash moaned and lowered his forehead to his twin’s and I stopped analyzing everything from a million different angles.

I lifted the needle and plunged it into Daniella’s chest.

Chapter 21

No one spoke. No one breathed. We just waited until Daniella’s chest rose once more, then we both let out shaky breaths.

“What do we do now?” Bash straightened and reached a hand out to me without even looking, just as he had with Daniella.

I just looked at it for a moment, hanging there, waiting for me to fill it, then slipped my hand, palm to palm into his. The connection made every tight muscle in my body sag in relief.

After a moment, he turned and looked down at me, his eyes endless pools of grief. “How long should it take?”

I shook my head and whispered, “I don’t know,” then squeezed his hand and lifted it to my lips.

Time seemed to stand still in the silence. I counted the rise and fall of Daniella’s chest, watching to see if the rhythm changed, grew stronger, or weakened. When minutes passed, according to the clock on the wall, and she didn’t die, hope blossomed.

“She’s strong,” I whispered, feeling as though we were in a church. Death was too close.

Bash nodded slowly, never taking his gaze off his sister. “She’s stubborn as hell.” He gave a shaky laugh. “I don’t think I’ve ever met anyone more mulish than my big sister.”

“Big sister?” I asked, confusion twisting my face.

He chuckled. “By three minutes and seven seconds. And she’s never let me live it down.” His fingers clenched.

I turned to him, needing to do something more than just stand there, useless, and wrapped my arms around his waist. “Look at me,” I urged.

He tore his gaze from Daniella and looked deep into my eyes.

“You need to be the stubborn one, now.” I lifted a hand to brush an escaped tear from his cheek. “You need to be the strong one, for her.” I waited a minute for his mouth to thin and his eyes to sharpen. “Can you do that?”

He closed his eyes for a second, then opened them and nodded. “Thank you.”

I shook my head and opened my mouth to say “don’t mention it,” but he stopped me.

“Don’t do that,” he said, shaking me gently. “We’ve gone through Hell today, all of us, and you’re still hanging on. We hid in a shed,” Bash pointed to his sister then himself. “But you fought your way across campus to save a man that pisses you off.” He tilted his head and lowered his lips to a fraction of an inch from mine. “You’re amazing.”

His lips brushed mine so softly it felt like a whisper of a dream. I accepted his warmth with a sigh and sank into him, giving what he so obviously needed and taking what my soul craved.

Comfort and understanding.

He moved to press a kiss against my forehead then tucked me into his arms and just held on. Together, we turned, watched, and waited.

“Look,” I whispered the word as I tugged at Bash’s shirt and pointed to his sister’s chest. The silver threads of poison were drawing back, away from her heart, and, as we watched and grinned at one another, she took a deep, steadying breath.

I let go of Bash as he moved to her, pulling up the only chair that hadn’t been smashed to sit by her side. It was a sweet sight, one that had a lump forming in my throat. I turned away as tears filled my eyes, not for them, but for me, and the loved ones I’d almost lost today. Or, rather, they’d almost lost me.

The weight of it sunk in and I reached out a hand to the wall to support my suddenly shaky legs. I’d been surrounded by death today. I’d walked through it and I’d refused to let myself feel it, not really, until now.

I grabbed my chest and shuddered. All the emotions I’d been packing down for hours threatened to bubble up and take me under, but I couldn’t let them. It would paralyze me and we weren’t done.

I refocused my mind and pictured Xavier as I’d left him. With Daniella getting worse so quickly, I couldn’t help but think it was already too late for him, but the more I thought about it, the more I realized that assumption was wrong.

Daniella had succumbed quickly because the infection had been so close to her heart. Xavier’s wound was a lot further away from his heart, so there was a chance…

I’d hold onto that chance with everything I had and it would get me through.

“Daniella?” Bash’s soft question caught my attention and I turned to see her long dark lashes flutter a few times. I crossed the room and laid a hand on Bash’s arm, and squeezed.

Her lips parted and a soft exhalation slipped past them. The tip of her tongue touched her dry lips.

“I’ll get her some water,” I said, leaving his side to fill one of the little paper cups by the water cooler.

Bash put his arm behind his sister’s back and shifted her gently until he was able to slide behind her and brace her on his lap. Slowly, I poured small amounts of water into her mouth until she whispered, “Thank you,” and opened her eyes.

I stared into them, barely recognizing the emerald eyes that had watched me with such contempt. There was a softness, a weakness that made me a little uncomfortable to tell the truth, and confusion that made me feel for her.

“We got you the antidote in time,” I said softly, lowering the cup. “But it was close, so it’ll probably take you a while to start feeling better.”

“Xavier,” the words came out raspy and rough. Daniella’s gaze stayed locked on mine and her hand, weak and quavering, reached for mine.

I took it and felt the effort she put into the squeeze.

“Go,” she whispered, then turned her head to look up at Bash. “Help him,” she urged then closed her eyes for a moment.

Bash looked up at me and, in his eyes, I saw a storm of confusion and guilt. He wanted to stay with her, wanted to go with me, and didn’t know what to do.

I reached for his hand. “You can stay.”

He down at his sister, his heart, the literal other half of him. I watched the play of emotions on his face and my heart filled for him.

“She’s safe here and getting better.” He looked up at me and, this time, there was a firm set to his brows and a determination in his eyes. “Let’s go save Xavier.”

Daniella’s eyes opened again as Bash shifted and laid her down on the bed. “Be safe,” she whispered, lifting her hand for him to take. “I love you.”

“I love you, too,” Bash’s voice broke but he choked back the tears that I could see welling in his eyes. “Don’t try to leave, okay? I’ll come back for you. Just stay here and stay safe.”

She nodded slowly, letting her eyes flutter shut a few times, then her breathing shifted and she was asleep.

I straightened my uniform. While Bash pulled himself together, I found an empty bottle that I filled halfway with the antidote, and put it and a few needles into the cargo pockets on my legs, thinking they’d be the safest place on my body. I figured I’d leave some behind in case Daniella needed another dose or someone else showed up needing it.

As I put the bottle and needle on the table next to Daniella, something flickered in my memory. I frowned at the array of bottles I’d left on the counter and wandered over to sort through them again. There was something there that was niggling at my brain and I wanted to find out why.

I pulled bottle after bottle, putting the discarded ones back on the shelf, until I was left with just one.

Aconite.

I’d heard that word before, or read it somewhere, and I knew it was important. I reached for my phone to Google it out of habit and gritted my teeth when I remembered that wasn’t an option.

There had to be a medical dictionary here, though, I reasoned. Seemed like a pretty logical addition to any nurse’s office. I scanned the room, frowning when I didn’t see a bookshelf. I turned to the cabinets. I hadn’t run across any books when we’d been searching for the antidote, but I also hadn’t been looking for one, and I hadn’t checked the lower cabinets.

“What are you looking for?” Bash asked, coming out of the attached bathroom.

“A medical dictionary,” I said, looking for the stirrup, so I could start smashing cabinet doors again.

Bash wiped his hands on his pants and walked straight to the cabinet on the end, one he’d opened. “Like this?” He pulled a thick book out and held it up.

I grinned and took it from his hands. “Exactly like that.” I flipped through the pages, muttering, “Aconite, aconite,” until I found it.

Aconite (noun) Aconitum napellus (A. napellus, also known as monkshood or wolfsbane) is a perennial herb often grown as an ornamental plant due to its attractive blue to dark purple flowers.

“It’s wolfbane,” my eyebrows shot up in surprise. “It’s poison.”

“We should take it with us, just in case,” Bash said with a frown. “But, we should leave this here for when Daniella wakes up.” He bent to pick up the gun that still lay on the floor next to the examining table and put it on the bed next to her hip.

I grabbed two needles and filled them with wolfsbane, figuring if we needed poison, there wouldn’t be time to draw it. I put them in another pocket then turned to the door. “Are you sure?” I asked, leaving another opening for him to change his mind.

“Yeah.” He leaned in to kiss Daniella’s forehead one more time, then strode across the room and hefted the still unconscious guard over his shoulder. “Let’s find somewhere to toss him.”

I unlocked the door and opened it slowly, listening for the sound of voices or footsteps. When I heard nothing, I poked my head out and glanced up and down the hallway. “All clear,” I murmured, then slipped out.

We found an open janitor’s closet at the end of the hallway and stowed our captive inside after making sure his binds were tight and his gag was in place. Just to be safe, Bash cracked him on the head again with a broom handle.

We moved quicker this time, careful not to rush or draw attention, though. I thanked the Old Ones Bash was with me this time, that I wasn’t alone anymore, and that I’d been able to help one person from death’s door.

Outside, the sun was still shining. I stared at it for a moment, confused as to how it could still be daytime when so much had happened. I had no idea how much time had passed since I’d left Xavier. I pulled my cell out of my pocket and glanced down at the time.

2:57 p.m.

Two hours ago, I’d been sitting in the solarium, waiting for Bash to show up. Two hours ago, my life had been completely normal, except for the drama, failed romance, and arch nemesis. I tucked my phone back into my pocket and prayed that in two hours from now, we’d still be alive.

We passed a few guards along the way, men and women who simply nodded in our direction or raised a hand in passing. Friendly terrorists, I thought, but was grateful no one stopped.

It only took ten minutes to make it across campus to the library. When we stepped through the main doors into the foyer and found the place empty, I let out a sigh of relief and headed straight towards the rare books room, pulling my mask off as I went.

And ran straight into a group of waiting guards.

Chapter 22

Fury and savage desperation flooded my veins, and I snarled viciously at the men and women standing between me and Xavier. I pulled the gun from my holster and aimed it carefully. Something inside me had snapped, and I was not afraid to use it anymore.

Bash moved up to flank my back, and we stepped into the room, careful to keep at least one wall behind us as the guards moved around us with their weapons drawn.

One of them stayed back and through the buzzing in my head I heard him say into his walkie-talkie, “We’ve got her.”

I wanted to scream and rage. We were so close, we were almost safe, or as safe as we could be until real help showed up and took down these assholes. Instead, we were in more danger than ever, and I was still being mistaken for someone important.

“I’m not the one you want,” I yelled, but nobody was listening. They just looked at me with glints of intent in their traitorous eyes and waited for their moment.

Movement came from my right first. A woman with thick blonde hair pulled back in a severe braid moved in so quickly I almost didn’t react in time. When the shot rang out and her body jerked back, I just gaped in shock at the spreading blood on her dark uniform.

The other guards exploded into action, rushing us with guns and metal rods pulled. By the time my hands stopped shaking enough to tighten on the trigger again, it was wrenched out of my hands.

A fist slammed into my face, knocking me back into Bash. Pain cut through the shock and I snapped back into the moment. Rage and self-preservation ruled, and I moved, ducking another punch and coming up with one of my own to my opponent’s chin. The snap of her head felt like victory.

The kick that landed in the small of my back, taking me to my knees, a moment later did not feel like victory. It felt like shit.

I stumbled to my feet with darts of pain shooting through my midsection and threw up my fists again. We were outnumbered, painfully so, but whatever part of me that had been pushed beyond my breaking point had no ability to give up or even back down anymore. I wondered absently if this was what the berserkers had experienced during Viking raids.

Before I could realize the full insanity of my wandering thoughts, I was distracted by the sight of Bash’s head snapping back so hard I practically heard his spine groan. He recovered quickly, and staved off another punch, his long limbs working in his favor to keep his opponents at a distance.

He was beautiful, my spinning thoughts rambled again as my body fought on automatic. Duck, block, punch, I had no idea how I was keeping my own, especially against trained terrorists. Adrenaline, I assumed, and pure rage mixed with desperation. Do or die that was the saying, wasn’t it?

Three guards moved on Bash, trying to separate us more than they’d already managed. I shifted closer to him, trying to keep his back, but two others closed in on me just then, and my focus shifted.

This was it, they were moving on us, tired of playing with their prey. Pressure built inside me until it couldn’t be held back anymore. I loosed a wild scream and attacked.

Everything moved in a blur, too fast to really see or comprehend. My fist connected with flesh, rattling my bones, and fists connected with me, knocking the air from my lungs.

I’m not sure how long we fought, minutes or hours, but when my body began to lag, my arms to grow too heavy to punch anymore, tears spilled onto my cheeks as my rage was replaced by resignation.

They’d won. But, at least, we were both still alive.

I turned my head to tell Bash that it was okay, that he could stop now, and stopped breathing as a guard with a metal baton raised high, moved behind him and swung with terrifying accuracy.

His eyes flew wide as it struck and, for a split second, he looked at me and apologies swam in those emerald depths. Then they went dark and he crumpled to the floor.

Hands closed around my forearms, pulling them behind me painfully, but I could see was Bash and the bright crimson blood trickling from his ears.

“We’ve got her,” a deep voice said into a walkie-talkie just behind me and I jerked my head around, wrenching my arms.

“You’ve got the wrong person!” I screamed, even though they weren’t listening. “I’m nobody.” A whimper escaped my parted lips. “I’m nobody,” it came out as a defeated whisper.

My head bowed, too heavy to hold anymore, as they picked up Bash’s body and one really big man, slung him over his shoulder as if he weighed nothing.

Relief spilled through me. If they were bothering to carry him, they weren’t planning on killing him, yet, anyway.

No, the thoughts tumbled into my head, unwanted, incomprehensible. They thought I was someone I wasn’t and they’d need a way to make me talk. Bash was being taken as leverage.

Against me.

The guard holding my arms pulled them back tighter, bringing my wrists together, and something hard and sharp cut into my flesh. Someone shoved me and I stumbled forward, walking without thought behind Bash’s dangling form, all the fight gone out of me.

I had no idea how I was going to convince whoever I was being led to that they’d gotten the wrong person, but, for Bash’s sake, and mine, I had to try.

“I don’t know why you guys think I’m the one you’re looking for, but I’m not,” I looked around, trying to catch someone’s gaze. “I’m here on scholarship. I’m from Newfoundland for Old One’s sake!” I said it as if it negated the attention being directed towards me. Frustration gave my voice an edge. “Why won't you listen to me? You’ve got the wrong girl!”

“Shut her up, will you?” one of the guards shouted from behind me and, a moment later, I was being turned around roughly and a piece of fabric was being stuffed into my mouth. I gagged on it and tried to wrench my head away, but another guard grabbed my hair and yanked back so hard tears fell freely from my eyes. Another piece of fabric was tied around my face and I was shoved forward and ordered to “Move!”

Dread weighed me down, making every step nearly impossible. The guards shoved and pulled me along, encouraging me with threats and promises that made my skin crawl. Memories of playing along the ocean shore and reading books with mom filled my mind, sweeping me away from the cold reality I was in. I thought of Xavier, who must be dead by now, and Rory, whose bright light could be extinguished. I let the tears that came fall freely because there was nothing to fight anymore. I was alone.

We entered the double doors to the auditorium, stepping out of the bright hall lights and into the dim shadows of the huge room. The giant carrying Bash tossed him casually into a chair then stepped back to crack his neck.

I noticed all of this through a kind of cloud, as if it were all happening to someone else and I was just an onlooker.

A crash from the stage captured my attention enough for me to look and wonder. A tall man raged up there, his voice booming out of his chest and aimed towards a terrified looking woman who winced but held her ground despite the fear in her eyes.

He backhanded her, hard enough to split her lip and splatter drops of blood on her collar, but still she stood her ground. A small part of me couldn't help but be impressed at her resilience. The rest of me was too consumed with hate for this abusive asshole to remember that she was one of the people responsible for the death and destruction on campus.

His voice, thickly accented, resonated through the auditorium, and bounced off the walls built for projection. I recognized the sound of the language as Slavic but wasn’t sure if my movie background could be trusted enough to identify it. My gut wanted to go with Russian, but he was a big, angry, evil man, and I’d watched too many movies with Russian bad guys to be unbiased.

His sharp movements and angry shouts made my skin crawl and bile roll into my throat. I struggled against my gag as my stomach rebelled.

Someone shoved me again, hard enough to make me stumble. My foot teetered on the edge of one of the steps, hanging there for a long moment, before my body slumped with fatigue and fell hard against the auditorium chairs. My head cracked against something and everything went hazy.

I heard shouts all around me and felt rough hands yanking me up. A brilliant white pain raced through me as my shoulder snapped out of joint.

I heard the rough shouts of the man and shivered as he came closer to me. I shrank back, trying to hide. Even through the pain and shadows, I knew I had to get away from him. He leaned in close and shouted something at the people holding me.

Their hands fell away and I found myself being scooped up, carried with a gentleness that confused my still ringing brain. My eyes fluttered open and closed, unable to focus on the face before me.

I was set down on something soft and laid back, then my gag was removed and I could breathe again. The air felt like heaven on my burning throat. I sucked it down like a man dying and felt my mind begin to clear.

The stage stretched before me with bright lights and props arranged to imitate a living room set. I was lying on a couch, I realized, and my hands were free by my sides. Deep cuts laced my wrists, blood stained my forearms, and my shoulder was severely dislocated, but I was alright, I thought, or I would be soon enough.

Someone moved in front of me and crouched down so we were face to face, and a sense of unease skittered up my spine again. It was him, I knew, I could feel it in my bones.

“What do you want from me?” I croaked out the words from my raw throat.

“Drink,” the single word was issued like a command, with no room for question.

I took the bottle of water from his hands, lifted it to my lips, and drank. It cleared away the last cobwebs in my mind. When I’d finished the entire bottle, I let it drop to the floor of the stage and closed my eyes. This was the big moment, I’d either convince this maniac I was the wrong girl or he’d torture me, and Bash, to get to me.

“You’ve made a mistake,” I said slowly, emphasizing each word. “I’m not important.”

His chuckle started softly then picked up thunder as it built. I squeezed my eyes shut and gritted my teeth, afraid that if I gave into the fear, I’d turn into a blubbering mess and I needed to keep my wits.

“No, my dear, there’s been no mistake,” his accent was melodic, almost beautiful, but the dark edge of laughter in it was anything but. His hand snaked out and strong fingers gripped my chin.

I lifted my head, knowing he’d force me if I didn’t comply, and finally opened my eyes to meet his. They were blue, it was hard not to notice. So deep and intense, a rare color even in our world. They reminded me of the eyes I’d looked into every day of my life.

His were shining with amusement now and something darker that I couldn’t begin to fathom, and they were watching me expectantly.

The air was too thick. I couldn’t make it travel through my lungs like I wanted. My brain began to fuzz again, this time because too many thoughts bombarded me at once. Those eyes, too familiar, that nose and chin, more masculine but still… mine.

A band of pressure started in my chest, pinning me to the spot, unable to pry my gaze from his. My mind raced, endlessly, trying to decipher all the little details that linked us physically. It didn’t make sense, my parents didn’t have family, they’d told me every time I’d asked why I didn’t have legions of cousins, aunts, and uncles like most wolves I knew.

So, why did this man look like me?

“Who are you?” My voice trembled slightly and the answering look of smugness in his eyes made my stomach clench.

“You really don’t know, do you?” His smile was wide and toothy, almost as if he was baring his fangs at me. I took it as a threat and refused to answer.

He chuckled and stepped back from the couch to look down at me with those eerily similar blue eyes. “Oh, come on little girl, look at me. See me.” He stretched his arms out wide. “Blood runs true, it always runs true.” He moved like lightning, grabbing my arm and yanking me to my feet. I bit back a scream as he pulled me across the stage to where a long mirror stood.

“Look!” he commanded, his voice echoing through the auditorium like a god.

I looked, because I had no choice anymore, because maybe I’d never had one. I looked and I saw.

He leaned in close enough that I felt the heat from his breath on my ear and whispered, “Don’t you recognize your uncle Viktor, little wolf.”

Chapter 23

I shook my head automatically, refusing to believe that my parents had lied about having family, although I'd lie about being related to a psychopath, too, I suppose.

His laughter boomed in my ear, but the sound in it was not amusement, not anymore. Self-satisfaction oozed from him, completing the image of a madman. I pulled away from his hands, but his fingers dug deeper into my damaged shoulder and wouldn’t let go.

“Strange, isn’t it?” he murmured, watching me in the mirror. “Seeing someone you didn’t know existed and recognizing yourself in them. I understand completely.” His eyebrow arched and he pulled back with a hiss. “Well, not completely. See, I knew you existed, I just didn’t care.” He tilted his head to the side and considered me. “Until now, obviously.”

It was too much. Too much for me to understand, too much for me to question, all of it… was too much, so I did the only thing I could and lashed out. “Back off, asshole!” I screamed the words and tried not to notice the way the men and women in the room glanced at me as if those words were going to be my last. “You’re not my family. I don’t know how this happened,” I pointed between our faces, “but looking alike doesn’t make us family. It just makes you a psychotic fuckwad who attacked an entire campus to get to someone you could have found on the street in Newfoundland.”

I felt the color drain from my face as my own words sunk in. People had died today, in pain and terror, because this guy had wanted to find me. They’d died because of me.

But why? Grief and frustration swirled in my head, making it hard to think straight. “Why?” The question slipped from my lips. I raised my eyes to meet his gaze. “Why did you…” I trailed off, unable to finish my own question.

He just shot me a cocky grin and shrugged. “Why did I attack an entire campus and allow my men and women to kill indiscriminately just so I could find you?” He tapped a finger on my chest with each word. “I couldn’t just leave a straight trail back to me, now could I? No, a little misdirection goes a long way. As far as the world is concerned, this has nothing to do with you. After all, little wolf, it’s just as you said. You’re nobody.” His voice fell flat and deadly.

It still made no sense. He claimed I was his niece, so what? What kind of uncle slaughtered innocent kids to find his niece so he could deliver a diatribe about how awesome he was? I frowned and shook my head. If I was going to die today, I wanted answers. “Why did you need to find me? What’s so fucking important about me that you’d plan all…” I threw my hands wide, “this, to get me?”

Viktor made a humming sound in his voice and gazed down at me as if he were searching for something in my eyes. “That’s the question, isn’t it, little wolf? What’s so fucking important about you?”

Before I could even cringe away, his hand shot out and struck me full across the cheek, sending me crashing to the floor in a daze of pain and disorientation. I struggled to regain my feet and cried out when he grabbed my hair and pulled me viciously up so that his face and mine were an inch apart.

“What was so important about your father that he was chosen to be Alpha over me? Huh?” Spittle flew from his mouth and landed on my cheek. “But, that’s a question without an answer because,” he pushed his mouth up against my ear and whispered, “I killed him where he laid and his pretty wife and children, too. Too bad the servants got away with you, or I wouldn’t have this little problem now.”

Loud buzzing filled my ears as I fell to the stage again, discarded like a broken doll. His face contorted with rage and he turned, throwing out an arm, pointing at the others in the auditorium to “Leave!” They listened because he was terrifying and there was a power coming out of him that made my insides hurt. It pressed against my head, against my bones and skin, pushing me down, grinding me to dust. It was all I could do to pull in a breath and survive.

I curled into a ball and covered my head with my arms, praying it would end soon. My brain wanted to explode, my heart pushed viciously against my ribs, I gasped as a wash of endless darkness rushed over me then sobbed when it receded at the last second. At least there would have been peace in the darkness.

“Get up.” The command was delivered with a snarl of impatience. When I didn’t respond right away he pointed into the auditorium. “Get up or your little boyfriend will become more than just a diversion.”

I looked out at the chairs where Bash still slumped, unconscious, and shook my head. “What? No, leave him alone.”

Viktor chuckled. “So fierce. Don’t worry, I won’t kill him. You can’t ransom off a dead kid.” He arched an eyebrow. “But you can chop off a few unnecessary parts.”

The blood drained from my face. I believed him, Old Ones, I believed he was crazy enough to do what he threatened. My limbs wouldn’t work right, they were rubbery and weak, but I struggled to stand. I’d felt the sting of his hand on my face and knew he’d kick me if I didn’t follow his demands. Since I didn’t feel like having broken ribs on top of my dislocated shoulder, I pushed shakily to my feet and swayed.

He looked me up and down with a look of disgust twisting his lips. “You’re just like your parents,” he spat out. “Weak and useless. A shadow of the family you were born into.” He drew his shoulders back and gazed down at me. “But you don’t even know who you are, do you little wolf?”

He paused and waited until I shook my head, then reached out a hand to smooth back a strand of hair from my face. “You look so much like him you know.” He shook his head and pulled his hand back. “Darling child, you are Elenora Galina Dom Volkov, youngest child of Alexander and Katarina Dom Volkov,” his lips pulled back to show his teeth again, “and heir to the Alphaship of Russia.”

I stared at him, swaying precariously, and just blinked. He had to be wrong, this was insane. My parents… I frowned, he was saying my parents weren’t my parents. But, that didn’t make sense. I looked like my mom, sort of. Not the way I looked like this lunatic, but still.

“No.” I shook my head slowly, afraid to fall if I loved too suddenly. “No, my parents are Bradley and Gretchen Jensen and I’ve never even been to Russia.”

His brilliant blue eyes glittered with annoyance and pity. “You were born in Russia and stolen away in the dead of the night by a maid. Saved from a quick death by a member of The Sisterhood, or so I’m told.” He cocked an eyebrow and scowled. “I’ll be rectifying that mistake today.”

His words took a moment to sink in. The mistake had been my salvation. His rectification could only mean my death.

“How can you be sure?” I blurted, taking a stumbling step away from him. “You say I’m your niece and, yeah, we have the same weird eyes, but how can you be sure that I’m her? What if you’ve got the wrong girl?”

He chuckled. “You’re a fast thinker, you get that from me. Your father was always just a tad slower than necessary. His vision was stunted, he couldn’t see beyond tradition and expectations.” His breath came quicker now and anger lined his forehead. “I was born to rule! He would have taken us back to the Dark Ages.”

His shouts lingered in the air, echoing through the room. I gritted my teeth to stop them from chattering and wished I had something solid to hold onto.

“But,” he continued as if he hadn’t just exploded, “to answer your question, even though I don’t need to, once I discovered you were here, I had your DNA analyzed. The results were conclusive. You are Elenora Dom Volkov.”

“You’re lying!” I shouted, letting my overwrought emotions spill free.

He just shrugged. “I lie all the time, it’s an unfortunate side effect of murdering one's own family for power, but I have no reason to lie to you, little wolf. You’ll be dead soon and I’ve had to hold my tongue for far too long.” He took a step towards me.

I stumbled back, throwing up my hands to ward him off. “Why now then? Why wait until I was surrounded by security and brick walls to come for me?” I had to focus on staying alive, on asking him questions and keeping him talking. I couldn’t sink into the dread of comprehension that he wasn’t lying, that my entire life was a lie.

He chewed on his lip for a moment, considering me. “I had no reason to care before Sylvie LaFlamme,” he spat out her name, “was granted Alphaship of Canada. Women couldn’t rule, so why would I care if you lived or died? But now…”

The pieces came together so quickly the words bubbled out of me. “Now that women are taking power you’re afraid I’ll have a claim to the Alphaship of Russia.”

His eyes gleamed with fury and confirmation. “I’m afraid of no one, little wolf.”

“Then you’d have sent someone to kill me,” I said in a slide of words. “You didn’t have to come here yourself and tell me any of this. You put yourself at risk to what, terrorize someone you don’t claim to care about, for shits and giggles?” My knees came up against something solid and I reached back to steady myself with my good arm.

He was on me in a second, his big hands wrapping tightly around my throat as he stared down at me with my own eyes. Except they weren’t my eyes, they were hard and cold, and filled with rage and vileness. They were the eyes of a murderer and a madman.

I wrapped my hands around his wrist, trying desperately to pull it away so I could breathe. My shoulder screamed but what was pain when he was choking the life out of me?

Stars burst in my line of vision just like the time I’d dived too deep into the natural spring pool at my friend’s cabin. The water had been freezing and I’d been stunned by it, enough that I’d gotten turned around in the dark water and not known which direction to swim. My lungs had screamed then and lights had flashed before my eyes, and I’d known that I hadn’t long to live without oxygen. I’d surfaced and gulped in air, then gotten out and refused to ever go back in.

I was dying now and there was no surface to fight towards. He was so much bigger than me and I was tired, injured, and out of time.

I squeezed my eyes shut and saw my parent’s faces, smiling at me. A feeling of lightness and peace filled me, luring me to a place where the pain and fear would end. I wanted to give in, to let go and just be there, in the light, but something stopped me. My father’s face changed, his smile melting away as he shook his head and made that tutting sound he made when he was disappointed.

I felt the words rather than heard them and they struck me hard. Never stop fighting. Be brave. Be fierce.

I had no time to think. I let go of his wrist with my right arm and raised it high above my head. With every ounce of strength I had left, I twisted it and brought it down, smashing my elbow into his forearm and breaking his hold on me.

He howled and grabbed his arm while I rolled away and fell to the floor. I didn’t look back, I didn’t have time. I needed to breathe, to get my strength back, to find something to hold him off.

I gasped and stumbled to my feet, moving behind what I now saw was a table to scan the stage for a weapon. My gaze fell on an electric guitar, a prop from the musical being rehearsed.

I ran for it, throwing everything I had left into getting my hands on that guitar. If I could just hit him once, stun him, I could maybe…

My fingers wrapped firmly around the neck of the guitar, and I swung it up and around, then froze as my eyes adjusted and I saw the gun pointed straight at my head.

Chapter 24

I dropped the guitar to the stage floor as my fingers went numb with cold.

I’d faced death so many times today that I thought I’d get used to it or, at least, come to terms with the fear that bloomed bright and fierce in my chest, but no.

I stared at the gun for a long moment, unable to break my gaze. As I looked at the weapon, though, I understood that it wasn’t what would kill me. I shifted my gaze to what would. Viktor.

He was watching me with those familiar blue eyes that glittered now with triumph and satisfaction and I wondered if my real father’s eyes had been the same. I thought of my dad, the sweet, simple man who’d sang me to sleep at night as a child and danced with me at my high school prom, and wished I could climb into his arms one more time.

Mom would cry, I knew. She’d be strong and stalwart for dad, but, at night, when the lights were down and she thought no one was listening, she’d cry for me and for the years we wouldn’t have together.

Sara and Bethany would be devastated and they’d need each other more than ever. We’d planned so much of our lives together, growing older, getting married, having children. This was supposed to have been a minor detour in our plan. I grieved for the lives we’d planned.

My eyes shifted, looking out into the seating area to where Bash still slumped. There was something there, something important and big, something growing beyond our control. It would be over before it had even had a chance to begin. I closed my eyes and wished for more time.

“He closed his eyes, too, you know,” Viktor said quietly with what struck me as an edge of regret. It made him sound human.

Strange, I thought, you don’t really expect a psychopath to feel regret.

I opened my eyes and looked straight into his. He’d stood above my parents and murdered them in cold blood, he’d said as much. Spite and hatred fueled me driving away the fatigue and hopelessness. I wouldn’t give him the peace of going gently into that dark night with my eyes closed. No, he’d have to look me in the eye when he pulled the trigger.

A ghost of a smile lifted his lips then he pulled them tight again and sighed. “This right here is exactly why you have to die, little wolf.” He shook his head. “There’s too much of me in you. When The Sisterhood told you the truth of who you are, you’d have come for my Alphaship. It’s better this way.” He murmured the words as if trying to convince himself, then took a deep breath and tightened his finger on the trigger.

“No!” The shout resonated through the auditorium and, for a split second, Viktor’s attention deviated from me. I threw myself to the side as the gun exploded, sending a silver bullet crashing through the set walls and into the concrete behind.

I grabbed the guitar and pulled back as far as my injured shoulder would let me, then crashed it into Viktor’s shins.

The crunch of bones breaking met my ears and filled me with just enough hope to have me moving, scrambling to my feet and shoving whatever I could find back at him. A roar of pain rent the air so loud it seemed to grab me by the throat and squeeze but, I kept moving.

Another shot ripped through the air and, for a moment, time stilled and I was free, I’d made it out of the horror. I saw the stage door in front of me and knew that if I could just reach it, I’d be safe.

Agony erupted everywhere and I was flying, my arms thrown out in front of me, my heart exploding in my chest. The bullet slammed into my thigh and I landed in a heap of blood, torn flesh, and deadly poison.

I pressed a hand to the wound and pressed hard, cursing myself for being too slow, and looked up into hard blue eyes and bared canines.

Viktor’s wolf was impressive. His fur was a thick mahogany color, less vibrant than mine but beautiful all the same. Only, it wasn’t beauty I was thinking of now as he lowered his shoulders, bunched his hind legs, and prepared to attack.

A mass of ebony fur slammed into Viktor, taking them both down in a tumble of limbs and snarls. I pushed back, dragging my leg and leaving a trail of silver tainted blood as I went, trying to get away from the snapping teeth.

Bash, my head snapped towards the auditorium seating. His seat was empty.

It was Bash. My heart flew into my throat as the battle raged, each man holding their own because they were still both injured. Viktor’s change had helped heal his broken bones but they were still fragile and Bash was taking advantage of that. He stalked around the older man and pounced quickly, getting in nips that tore at flesh and spilled blood.

My wolf scented the blood and wanted to change, to throw her weight in the battle and fight alongside her mate. My mouth fell open in shock at that thought, at the realization that my wolf thought of Bash as hers already. I was desperate to shift, but there was silver in my blood.

I tore my pocket open, the one I’d stored the extra antidote in, and pulled out a needle. My hands were trembling, so much I dropped the needle twice before I managed to extract enough Argyria sanitatem to fill the vial. There was just enough left when I finished for one more dose. Xavier, I prayed to the Old Ones, hang in there.

My pants were soaked with blood and tore easily to reveal the bullet wound. Already I could see the tiny silver lines that would snake out and poison me. I moved my hand around to the back of my thigh and probed carefully, sobbing out a cry of relief when I found a hole in the muscle. The bullet had gone straight through, I wouldn’t have to dig it out.

I positioned the needle in the muscle next to the wound and pushed until it was all the way in, then lowered the plunger. The antidote felt like ice water in my veins but it would do the trick, I’d seen it bring Daniella back from the brink, after all.

I wouldn’t be able to shift, though, not until all of the silver was eliminated from my body. Until then, I’d just have to fight with what I had.

The gun lay on the floor, discarded for teeth and fur. I pulled myself across the floor and grabbed it, cradling it for a moment before realizing there had to be a good reason Viktor would abandon it for his wolf.

I grasped it by the handle, careful not to touch the trigger, and brought it closer so I could see the magazine release. One click and the magazine dropped free, empty of bullets, into my hand. I eyed the gun again and reached for the top part. I’d seen enough movies and guns in real life to know that you always had to check for one in the chamber. I pulled back and peered inside. No bullet, the chamber was empty.

“Useless piece of shit,” I muttered, tossing it to the floor beside me. I tried to push off the floor but had to bite back a cry when my injured arm refused to work. “Damnit,” I ground my teeth together and used my other arm to get up.

I was going to fight as long as there was breath left in my lungs.

My toe hitched on a piece of broken table and I leaned down to grab a long shard that would have made even Buffy happy. It was jagged on one end and thick on the other, a perfect Mr. Pointy if I ever saw one.

I hefted it and waited for an opening.

The stage smelled of blood. It was splattered on almost every surface as Bash and Viktor charged one another, taking bites then retreating to find better angles.

I watched, crouching low behind a chair that had been overturned, and waited until Viktor was close to me, then threw myself forward and swung the stake down.

He moved like lightning, too fast for me to get a good hit, but my makeshift weapon managed to scrape the length of him, drawing more blood and more rage. His lips curled back as he snarled at me and lunged.

Bash caught him before he could land on me and dragged him back by the tail. He twisted and pulled until he was in front of me, guarding me, and Viktor was facing us both.

I felt the change in the air before I felt an unbearable pressure pushing down on me, forcing me to the ground. Besides me, Bash whimpered and fell to his belly. I pushed back, trying to regain my feet, trying to look at Viktor, whose eyes, so otherworldly in a wolf, bore down on us both with an intensity I felt in my bones.

It was like earlier, when he’d commanded me to get up, I realized through the pressure in my head. This was his Alpha power, his wolf’s command voice. I’d read about it and how it affected those under it’s command.

But, I wasn’t under his command, I forced the thought through the pain. He wasn’t my Alpha. I didn’t need to listen.

My entire body shook violently as I fought back against the near overwhelming urge to prostrate myself before him. Some part of me wanted to give in, wanted to obey, but I screamed at that part of me to “shut the fuck up” and pushed off the floor with a growl that broke Viktor’s concentration and made him step back.

Another growl trembled through the air and I glanced down at Bash, expecting to see him by my side. His body quivered still, lain low by Viktor’s command. I looked up, confused, and felt my eyes widen as another wolf, a female with beautiful auburn fur, leapt onto the stage from below, teeth bared and ears laid flat in warning.

I didn’t recognize this wolf and wasn’t sure if her look of contempt and fury was aimed at me or Viktor. My question was answered a moment later, when she launched herself towards him with snapping teeth.

Bash climbed to his feet and tossed his head, as if trying to shake off the hold Viktor had had on him. I looked down at him and ran my hand through his thick fur. “Are you alright?” His gentle head butt against my injured leg showed he was more concerned for me than for himself. “It’s okay. I took the antidote. I’ll be fine but I can’t shift.” I looked longingly towards the battle going down on the stage again, then back down at Bash. “Go get him.”

He grinned at me with bared teeth and lolling tongue, then charged into the fray with a howl that echoed throughout the entire auditorium.

As if called by his howl, the doors to the auditorium burst open and bodies poured in. I gasped as I saw wolves and humans, guards and what looked like professors, locked in combat. The guards were fighting hand-to-hand or teeth-to-teeth, their weapons no longer at their sides.

“Elena!” I heard the shouted familiar voice and my heart leaped for joy to see Rory streak down the aisle, narrowing avoiding two snarling wolves, and climb the stairs to the stage. She was dirty, bloodied, and alive. I grabbed her when she reached me and squeezed.

“Olds Ones, I thought you were dead!” Her gaze travelled the length of me and widened when she saw the bullet hole in my leg. “Is that a bullet hole?”

“Yeah, but it’s alright. I took the antidote.” I shrugged off her expression of shock and looked over at Bash and the mystery wolf who were still battling Viktor. “We need to help them.” I opened my mouth to tell her who he was but stopped because it was too long a story to explain in the middle of a war. Besides, I thought, how did I tell someone I was responsible, however adjacently, for the horror of this attack?

I didn’t have time to wonder for long. The fight on the stage, two wolves against one very insane individual, was raging and my blood was beginning to boil from the need to jump in. My skin tingled, flushing with a primal urge to defend and fight. My wolf was there, right under the surface, snarling to be let free. I grinned, who was I to stop her?

I opened to her. It wasn’t even a call and response, she was just there, bursting free from inside the flesh that made me human, dislocating and relocating my damaged bones until they were whole and strong again. I stepped out of my fallen clothes, loosed a furious growl, and sprang at the man that was no family to me.

His head snapped up at the last second, ruining my ambush, but giving me the perfect glimpse of his eyes and the shock that widened them. My teeth sank into the side of his neck, spilling hot blood into my mouth.

He howled and spun around, trying to shake me free but I wouldn’t let go. I wasn’t sure I could let go even if I tried. Desperation was hot and heady in me, washing away all doubt and fear. It was just me and him and his blood on my lips. Out of the corner of my eye I saw Rory standing next to Bash, her hands raised to her face in shock and terror.

My body slammed into a wall, hard enough to almost break my ribs, but still I hung on. The others stood back, watching, waiting, as Viktor charged around the stage, trying furiously to dislodge me from his neck. Time stood still and sped up, I wasn’t sure. All I knew was that I wasn’t letting go.

His muscles quivered and his speed slowed down as blood gushed from my bites and those left by Bash and this other wolf. I smelled his fear, so pungent and sickening, and satisfying. Still, I wouldn’t let go. When his legs collapsed, I shook him once, twice, then, finally, let go.

Viktor lay on the stage in a heap of blood matted fur and glared at me with eyes huge with disbelief. I could almost read his thoughts although, in truth, I didn’t want to even enter his sick mind or let him near mine. His pride was destroyed, his strength diminished, and his hatred of me was absolute. I felt arms wrap around my neck and heard Rory’s shaky voice thanking the Old Ones I was alright. I sunk into her and let her hold me for a moment as my breathing returned to normal. When I raised my head, Bash was there. He bumped his head up against mine and nuzzled my neck.

I was safe and alive. We all were. Relief washed through me.

Rory let go of me and pushed to her feet, then looked down at her shirt, which was now covered in blood, and sighed. “I really liked this shirt.” She walked away muttering and picked up a cloth she found on the floor then started rubbing furiously at the stains.

Bash’s scent surrounded me. I turned and found him watching me, his emerald green eyes bright with something we’d yet to put into words. Intense emotion welled in my throat as I breathed him in, then moved closer and pressed my nose into his neck.

Old Ones, I thought, reveling in his warmth. I could stay like this forever. My paws itched to be fingers that could touch and hold. I nudged Bash back, wanting privacy for some reason. He stared at me for a long moment then turned and padded off, disappearing behind a prop wall.

The change came swiftly again, this time from wolf to human, leaving me shivering and naked on stage just a few feet from Viktor. The sight of him made me feel instantly feral, so I bared my teeth and growled, “Stay down,” even though he wasn’t getting up anytime soon, then turned to grab my clothes.

I was waiting for Bash to finish dressing and glaring at Viktor when Headmistress Donahue appeared in the auditorium below, her usually perfectly coiffed hair a mess of tangles and blood. I caught her gaze and sized her up as she did the same, and decided I’d never seen her look better. She climbed the stairs and came to stand next to me to purvey the aftermath of the fight. The place, I noticed, was destroyed, but the guards, or the ones in this room at least, were down and being tied up.

“Ms. Jensen,” her voice was shaky but in control.

“Headmistress,” my reply echoed hers. A moment later, I shook my head, realizing that in all the panic I’d forgotten the reason I’d gone through all of this. “Ms. Donahue, Xavier was shot protecting me. He’s in the old books vault in the library.” I dug the bottle and a needle out of my pocket and put them in her hands. “This is the antidote for silver poisoning. Can you get this to him? Please?”

She nodded gravely and paused for just a moment, her eyes dark and worried. “Is he…” she trailed off and I understood what she wanted to ask.

I shook my head. “I don’t know. But, the faster you get this to him, the better chance he has.” I closed her fingers around the bottle. “I hid the key to the vault in the big plant just outside the door. Go.” I nudged her forward and heaved a sigh when she turned and began to run.

“Well,” a voice that made goosebumps spring to life on my arms said from just over my shoulder. “Looks like we have a few things to talk about.”

I whirled around to see a woman with messy auburn hair and blue eyes step out from behind a prop wall, pulling a robe from the set over her naked shoulders. My lips dropped open as I realized this was the wolf that had fearlessly leaped into the fight with Viktor to defend me.

My voice cracked as I spoke her name, so I tried again and this time got it out.

“Katherine?”

Chapter 25

Katherine LaFlamme cocked an eyebrow at me and laughed. “Who’d you think it was? Donahue?”

I shook my head, too stunned to respond with a witty quip. I doubted I’d have been able to come up with one even if we weren’t knee deep in blood and terrorists. I looked around for some kind of intervention or intermediary, but there was just me and the first daughter of the Canadian Alpha, who also just happened to be my personal hero. My nerves crackled like Pop Rocks.

A thought filtered through my nerves. How utterly stupid was it to be nervous after the day I’d had? My lips quirked. I squared my shoulders and tried again.

“Thanks for the backup out there.” I nodded towards Viktor and saw Bash standing over his still fallen wolf form. He was talking to a man I didn’t recognize but seemed to sense my gaze and lifted his head to smile at me. His gaze darted between me and Katherine, and I saw curiosity and respect flicker in them before he turned back to his own discussion.

“Glad we showed up in time. It was pretty close, I’m sorry about that.” Katherine sized me up and nodded towards my leg. “Gunshot?”

I nodded. “Yeah, but I got the antidote in right away so I’ll be fine.”

Katherine smiled. “That’s good. We’re going to need more of it to treat the wounded. I called in a few favors there.” She ran a hand through her hair and looked amused to find it a nest of knots. After a moment of trying to finger comb it, she gave up and shrugged.

“I thought you were gone,” I said, remembering the talk from the meeting. Katherine was an important woman with a ton of responsibilities, including a husband, daughter, The Sisterhood, and the work she was doing to help her mother. People loved to gossip about her here.

“I was delayed,” Katherine responded with a shake of her head. “Another hour and I would have been on my way back to Wild River.” She sent a seething glare in Viktor’s direction. “I’m glad I was here, though. I’m just sorry it took so long to figure out the attack wasn’t about me.” She said the words flippantly then paused and her eyes widened ever so slightly.

It hadn’t been about her. No, people were dead because of me and, apparently, she knew that as well as I did. The weight of the day dropped like lead into the pit of my stomach.

I glanced over at Viktor and thought about everything he’d told me, about who I was, how I’d been saved from the fate of my family, how The Sisterhood had hidden me and protected me all these years. A million questions leapt to my tongue.

“Is it true?” I asked, deciding to just get it out in the open. If Viktor was right, my entire life was about to explode and I needed to know how hard to brace. “Am I who he says I am?” Everything around me narrowed in on Katherine and the answer she’d give, the answer I already knew in my gut. A soft buzzing sound filled my head.

Katherine regarded me with soulful eyes that seemed to apologize for what she was about to say. “It’s true,” she said softly, keeping her voice low. “He’s your biological uncle. Your father’s brother, and Alpha of Russia.”

The buzzing intensified and I had to draw in several deep breaths to clear it. “Which makes me…” I trailed off, wanting to hear it from her lips.

“Heir to the Russian Alphaship.” Her gaze stayed steady on mine. I saw her reach for me through the buzzing and pulled away before she could touch my arm.

I shook my head. Denial was a powerful ally in the moment, I thought absently, deciding I’d run with it for now. Who could blame me? My entire life was a fabrication, and my parents, the man and woman that had raised me from an infant, had lied to me every single day of my life. I’d started the day Elena Jensen from small town Newfoundland and was ending it the fucking heir to the Russian Alphaship.

“No,” I said with as much firmness as I could manage. “I… um…” I looked around like a child, looking for something or someone to take me away, and focused in on Bash. “I have to go right now. But…” I forced myself to look at Katherine and offer her a smile. It felt so fake, I knew she’d see right through but couldn’t bring myself to care. “I’ll see you soon. Okay?” My gaze met hers and in her eyes I saw worry and understanding. Unable to stand there any longer, I turned and walked towards Bash.

He looked up and raised an eyebrow but didn’t ask questions. He just opened his arms then wrapped them around me tightly when I buried my face in his chest.

“Let’s get out of here,” he whispered.

I let him lead me off the stage, only once looking back to see Katherine’s body guards hauling Viktor, still in wolf form, onto a stretcher to be taken away. I sagged against Bash, too exhausted to do much more than lift one foot after the other.

* * *

We checked on Daniella on the way back to the dorms and found her sitting up in the nurse’s office and officially annoyed. I figured if she had the energy to be annoyed, she was well on her way to being back to normal. Bash must have agreed, because after he’d seen her safely to her room, he followed me to mine.

I stood in the middle of my room and stared at my bed with a strange sense of otherworldliness. It was like I’d never seen it before. How could something so normal exist in the same world I’d lived in for the last few hours?

The door clicked behind Bash, locking that confounding world out and us in. I turned slowly and raised my gaze to his, then just let myself fall.

He caught me, in every way possible. His arms came around me and cradled me as we sank to the floor in a heap. I laid my head on his shoulder and closed my eyes.

I was too tired to cry. I’d spent the day running away from imminent death and now I was supposed to act normal, but I didn’t know what normal was anymore. So, instead, I inhaled Bash’s scent and felt safe in his arms.

His hand touched my hair gently and began to stroke. The feel of him, the smell of him, it was soothing and made my skin tingle in a way that chased all the nightmares away. I hummed with pleasure and shifted on his lap.

We sat face to face and looked at one another, while our breaths mingled sweetly. I raised a hand to his face and tucked a strand of his gorgeous black locks behind his ear. I loved looking at him and noticing the way his cheekbones cut sharply and his eyes glinted with whatever he felt in the moment. Right now I could read his eyes as easily as I could my own heart.

I leaned in and touched my lips to his.

His mouth opened to me, inviting me in, and I sank further into him. My hands moved up, over his shoulders to his neck, then delved into his hair to pull him in closer. Closer, so much closer.

He blocked out everything else, so it was just me and him and the way he made my body sing. I arched into his palms when they ran up my spine and deepened the kiss.

He tasted like honey, like sweetness with a tinge of smoke. I adored it and wanted more. My tongue tempted his mouth, teasing then drawing away, playing a game beyond my experience.

He consumed me, the feel of him, the taste of him. I wanted it all, I needed him. When his hands came to the edge of my shirt, I raised my arms into the air so he could tug my shirt off.

His skin on mine was like Heaven. His lips moved, leaving my mouth to trace kisses over my jaw, my throat, my shoulder. I moaned and threw my head back, giving him access to my vulnerability. His tongue lapped at me and I cried out for more.

My head swam but it wasn't like before. This was heat and pleasure, beauty and love. I pulled Bash’s shirt over his head and tossed it away.

His naked chest made my body quiver. He was perfect, every single part of him. The expanse of his shoulders, the contour of his muscles, and the scent of his arousal drove me into a frenzy. I sank my teeth into his shoulder.

He cried out and the sound of his arousal and pain was a heady mixture that made my body ache for more. I ran my tongue up his neck and recaptured his mouth, then whispered in a voice I barely recognized, “I need you.”

His hands came around my waist and lifted me effortlessly as he stood and walked the few steps to the bed. A moment later I was flying through the air, tossed onto my mattress while Bash’s wolfish grin tickled a laugh out of me.

“Oh no,” I said, arching my eyebrow with a grin. “The big bad wolf is going to eat me up.”

His eyes went impossibly dark and the desire in them wiped the playfulness from me. My gaze darted lower, travelling down his body to his hips as he unbuttoned his jeans and lowered them.

I swallowed hard, suddenly too aware of the space between us. “Come here,” I whispered, then shivered with excitement.

He moved like a predator, his gaze locked on mine, and stood at the foot of my bed just watching me for a long moment before reaching for my shoes. One by one, he pulled them off and tossed them to the floor, then began working slowly, gently, at the rest of my clothes.

My skin vibrated, becoming more sensitive with each item he pulled free. The rasp of my jeans as they skimmed over my hips made the room spin.

I lay on the bed with nothing but scraps of lace covering me and opened my arms to him.

Bash slid onto the bed and moved to hover over me. Needing to touch, I ran my hands up his biceps and over his shoulders, drawing him down for another kiss.

His breath mingled with mine, heating the space between us, scorching my lips. When he moved to my neck and started the slow descent down my throat, I nearly erupted. My hands moved to his hair, grasping, pulling, and needing so much I could barely stand it.

I moaned when his lips found my breasts through the lace. He teased me, dipping his tongue under the edges, moving his hands up the sides of my body until I was nearly blind with desire. I almost sobbed with relief as he unhooked my bra and sucked a nipple into his mouth. And when he pulled my hands from his hair and pinned them above my head, colors exploded behind my eyelids.

The sounds ripped from my throat were primal and they only forced me higher, pushed me closer to the edge. Bash’s breaths came in gasps now, but he took his time, feasting on me, driving me insane. When he moved lower and skimmed his tongue around my belly button, I bucked my hips and wrenched my hands free from his hold to delve into his hair again.

His mouth did wicked things to me. He drove me up and held me on the edge of insanity with tongue and teeth and fingers that played me like a violin. I sang for him, and then I screamed.

And as I rode the wave of pleasure down, he shifted his body and filled every part of me.

My heart froze for a moment that seemed to stretch into eternity, and my mind exploded into a million fragmented thoughts of him and me. Then he moved and all thoughts faded away.

He braced himself on his forearms and wove his fingers through my hair as he moved with me, meeting each thrust of my hips with his own. His eyes, so beautiful, looked into me so deeply it felt as if he could touch my soul. My heart swelled with love.

I wanted to say the words, they danced on the tip of my tongue, but I knew it was too soon. We’d been through Hell together and emotions were complicated.

So, I fit my mouth to his and swallowed his moans as we made love. And when he threw back his head and shouted with release, I leapt with him then held him in my arms.

We lay in a heap of glistening sweat and naked flesh for a long time, letting our breathing level out and our racing pulses calm. Bash tickled my arm with his fingers in long lazy strokes that made me sigh as my eyelids fluttered shut.

A loud ding from my pants on the floor alerted me to a new text but I was too satiated to care much. But, when another came, followed by a third, I groaned and nudged Bash off me. He rolled with a murmur of sleepy complaint, never opening his eyes.

I padded naked across the room to retrieve my phone, then turned before I could unlock it. Bash lay sprawled across my bed, sound asleep and so darkly gorgeous it made my heart swell again.

I was crazy in love with him.

With a smile playing on my lips, I unlocked my phone and read the three messages from Headmistress Donahue.

Elena. Are you alright?

Viktor escaped. You’re in danger.

Stay in your room. Guards are on their way.

My skin turned cold and the dread Bash had chased away reared its ugly head again. I pressed a hand against my throat and felt the gallop of my pulse as three loud bangs sounded on my door.

Chapter 26

Viktor escaped. Victor’s free. Viktor wants me dead.

The words echoed in my head like a morbid mantra as I was escorted to the Headmistress’s office by five of Katherine LaFlamme’s personal bodyguards.

I walked on automatic, ignoring the looks of curiosity being sent my way by the students we passed. I would be hot gossip on campus again, I thought absently. Didn’t they have anything better to talk about than me? It’s not like I was important...

I felt the color drain from my face and a wave of dizziness made me stumble. Bash caught my elbow and linked my arm through his so it looked like we were casually strolling when he was actually holding me up. I turned to look at him and wished I’d had the nerve to tell him how I felt.

“Are you okay?” he murmured softly in my ear.

I nodded but I wasn’t okay, and I wasn’t sure when I would be again. I didn’t have a life to go back to, my world was gone. How was I supposed to keep standing and breathing and talking as if nothing were wrong when it felt like nothing would ever be right again?

Bash’s lips pressed against my hair and I felt the warmth of his kiss spread through me. For a brief second I closed my eyes and pretended there was no one else and, for that second, the world rebalanced.

I opened my eyes to see him watching me with worry and tenderness written in his green depths. This, I realized, this right here would keep me from crumbling.

We arrived at Donahue’s office and found her waiting at the door with anxious lines around her mouth.

“Thank you, Mr. Reeves, but we’ll take it from here,” she said curtly with a nod to Bash.

“I’ll be waiting for you, right out here,” he said quietly and, with everyone watching, laid his lips on mine in a sweet kiss.

I sighed and wrapped my arms around him, taking as much comfort from his strength as possible before letting go and following Donahue inside her large office.

The door snicked shut behind me, locking the guards and Bash outside. Instantly, I felt alone and vulnerable again.

“Would you like something to drink?” Katherine asked from where she stood pouring herself and the Headmistress each a glass of red wine from a crystal carafe. I shook my head and took the nearest seat, unsure my legs would stand up to the conversation to come.

"Elena." Donahue moved behind her desk and sat. She steepled her hands in front of her mouth and sighed softly, sounding for the world as if she’d rather be anywhere but here.

I knew how she felt.

"I know you're in shock,” the Headmistress continued. “This would shake any of us. But,” she paused, putting emphasis on the word, “your life is in real danger and we want you to know that The Sisterhood is dedicated to keeping you safe. Katherine and her family have offered to host you at Wild River, to give you a safe place until you’re ready. The Sisterhood is also prepared to relocate you and your parents anywhere in the world, if that’s what you’d prefer. There are a lot of factors to consider. We have some very important decisions to make." She looked at me as if I had a real say in any of this.

I considered her words while my stomach twisted. I was being included, now, in the decision making, in my future, in my life. It was meant to be empowering, I was sure, but this sudden rush of responsibility and expectations made me feel like I was drowning. Viktor was free, his men had somehow pulled off the impossible right under Katherine’s supposedly unstoppable security team. I needed time to think, to reason, to decide what the hell I thought of all this. I licked my dry lips and pulled in a deep breath. "I want to stay here."

Shocked expressions followed my declaration, including mine. I hadn't meant to say that, wasn't sure it was entirely true. I'd wanted to be anywhere else just a few short weeks ago, and now I was completely displaced and alone.

My parents had lied to me my entire life. Yes, some part of me understood that they loved me as their own and had done everything in their power to keep me safe, but I wasn't ready to see them again. Not now, not while betrayal and grief burned through my veins and squeezed my heart so hard it felt like I'd never be able to breathe properly again.

"It's not safe here, Elena," Donahue leaned forward and shook her head. "It's simply too big a campus with too many security issues. You're too important to..."

"To what?" I interrupted. "To get an education? To have a bit of time with friends? To feel normal for five minutes before The Sisterhood wrangles me into whatever plan you've been cooking up without my knowledge for the past twenty-two years?" My voice rose with each question until I was shouting, my face hot with anger and frustration. I opened my mouth to spill the rest and found myself choking on emotion. "I don't have anywhere else to go," I whispered.

Silence spread until it filled the room leaving only the sound of my thudding heartbeat inside my chest. I felt a light touch on my arm and looked up.

"I know how it feels to have your entire world tipped upside down," Katherine murmured, then her eyes went dark for a moment and it seemed as if she were lost in memory. "You'll be safe here. We'll figure it out."

Gratitude warmed me and I managed half a smile in her direction before the pressure began to build again. Katherine was a member of The Sisterhood. Her mother, the Alpha, had been part of it since before I was born. I wondered how much she'd known of my unique "situation," how much she's been involved. My gratitude shrunk, leaving me with a coldness that wouldn't budge. I pulled away and wrapped my arms around my chest.

She watched my quietly. I felt her gaze on me, prickling my skin, then she turned her head and something must have passed between her and Donahue because a moment later the Headmistress sighed and said, “Alright. We’ll find a way, but Elena, you understand this means life as you’ve known it here will also change?”

I nodded, too consumed by a confusing mix of relief, tension, and fear to speak.

Katherine cleared her throat. “There will be guards assigned to you at all times, which you’ll hate. I know, because I’ve had to suffer the indignity occasionally.”

I tilted my head and gave her a look that I hoped clearly communicated my sincere doubt she’d ever found out she was the secret heir to an Alphaship a murderous family member now held. When a flush stained her cheeks, I felt a measure of morbid amusement.

Ever the Alpha’s first born, though, Katherine continued as if she hadn’t put her foot in her mouth. “You’ll have far guards and a near guard at all times, even in class and your dorm room. We’ll work the details out but, for now, just know that you’ll be safe. That’s what matters most.”

I couldn’t help the relief that washed through me. All I wanted was to feel safe again, to feel like I belonged. Tears gathered in my eyes that I refused to let spill as I wished desperately for Sara and Bethany. I looked up as a realization soured my stomach.

“My family,” I said quickly, “and my friends. They’re not safe.” I looked desperately at Donahue. “You said The Sisterhood would protect them.” My hand shot across the desk and grasped her forearm. “Please.” I begged. “Don’t let him hurt them.”

Donahue’s hand covered mine and she squeezed. “We’ll keep them safe, too. I promise.”

My chest rose and fell as I managed shallow breaths through what felt like a heart attack. I grasped my chest and looked up, pleading for someone to help me.

Katherine was there in an instant, wrapping her arms around my body and pulling me close. I stiffened for a second, then went limp in her embrace.

“Shhh,” she murmured, stroking my hair just as my mother would have. The thought of her broke my heart all over again and made my heart stutter. “It’s going to be alright. You’re going to be alright.”

She held me until my pulse returned to normal and the fuzziness in my mind cleared. Awkwardness replaced my panic and I pulled back slowly, not wanting to offend her even though I was still unsure how I felt about her, the Alpha, and The Sisterhood.

A knock at the door, three fast, three slow, then three fast again, caught all of our attention. I waited, nerves alive with trepidation, as Donahue made her way across the room and unlocked the door. She opened it an inch and nodded at the person on the other side as a murmured conversation happened.

She turned back, caught my worried gaze, and offered me a reassuring smile. “Elena.” she lifted her hand to fiddle with her necklace then seemed to think better of the movement and let her hand drop. “Your r…”

It sounded as if she were about to say royal, which made my heart want to skip beats again, but she stopped before it could come out.

“Your personal bodyguard,” Donahue started again, “is here. He is the best we have and is more knowledgeable about your needs and wants than anyone here could possibly be. I hope he helps you feel more safe and at home here.”

I frowned and slid my gaze to the door as an ominous silent countdown seemed to play until the moment it swung open wider and Donahue stepped aside to let the man she spoke of inside.

He was tall and built like a swimmer with deep chestnut colored hair that fell in casual waves that made him look sexy and just a little dangerous. His eyes were a piercing blue, less electric than mine, more like a husky’s. Pale and ice cold.

They watched me now, with as much warmth as a glacier while my breath was stolen from my lungs once more.

I stared, unable to tear my gaze away from the one wolf I’d hoped never to see again, the one I’d thought about every single day since my sixteenth birthday when we’d laid under the stars and made promises we’d never kept, the one I still dreamed about even though Bash filled my heart.

His name slipped from my lips without my permission and seemed to echo in the silence of the room. “Connor?”

Next in Alpha Wolf Academy…

What’s next for Elena & Bash? Will Viktor come back to get her? Find out in Wolf Moon, the second book in the Alpha Wolf Academy series. GET IT NOW!

WOLF MOON

(Alpha Wolf Academy #2)

A fancy ski resort, a ghost from her past, a deadly flight, and a whole shitload of trouble.

Elena Jensen’s world, as she knew it, no longer exists. In the aftermath of the attack on Alpha Wolf Academy, she feels more alone than she ever has. She can’t trust her family or The Sisterhood, and Connor, the wolf chosen as her personal guard, brings up a painful part of her past, one she’d prefer to forget.

When she and half the students of AWA are shipped to a shifter exclusive ski resort for winter break, Elena starts to think things aren’t so bad. She has a boyfriend that makes her rethink the existence of soul mates, a friend who makes her feel safe, and a new influential mentor.

Elena’s tentative foundation is destroyed when disaster strikes on the return flight, leaving Elena stranded in the middle of the wilderness with ten other students, a dead pilot, a wounded teacher, and Connor.

When it’s life and death, you dig deep to keep yourself and others alive… or you die trying.

GET IT NOW!

Before there was Alpha Wolf Academy…

If you want to start at the beginning and meet Katherine LaFlamme, why not grab a copy of Blood of Eden, book one of The Guardians trilogy. GRAB IT HERE!

Trouble's brewing in the pack... and Katherine is willing to risk her life if that's what it takes to save her family.

When Katherine LaFlamme is summoned home by her father, the Alpha of the North American wolf pack, she drops everything and answers the call. Despite her desire to experience the human world before she settles down, Katherine is fiercely loyal and, as the pack's best tracker, she's an essential part of stopping the darkness encroaching on their territory.

A hunter has invaded their territory and murdered several of their kind, while a rogue wolf has been stalking the female members of the LaFlamme family. To make matters worse, a secondary claim to the Alphaship of North America has risen, setting the entire pack on edge.

Then Katherine meets a mysterious wolf named Quinn and things begin to get interesting... and very deadly. Katherine and Quinn are swept up in a puzzle of ancient rites, prophecies, and mythic lore which reveals that there's more to both of them than first meets the eye.

GRAB IT HERE!

About the Author

JJ King is the paranormal loving alter-ego of author Janice Godin. She was born and raised on the beautiful island of Newfoundland and makes her home there still with her amazing son. She attributes her love for the supernatural to Buffy and is thankful there are so many other people, like her, who love a little otherness with their romance.

Oh, and she loves sushi and cats!

To find out more about JJ King and all her upcoming projects, check out her website at http://janice.godin.com

The characters, places, and events portrayed in this book are completely fiction and are in no way meant to represent real people or places.

This eBook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This eBook may not be re-sold or given away to others. If you would like to share this eBook with another person please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

Copyright © 2020 JJ King

All rights reserved.

Kindle Edition

ISBN- 978-1-9995531-6-6