Beast Bear (Return To Fate Mountain #2)

Chapter

Thirty-Five

Serena pulled up to Fate Mountain Wilderness Academy in the early afternoon. She stared out the window at the familiar sight of the main building and the adjoining training fields. She started down the walkway, glancing at a group of trainees practicing knots on the lawn. Memories of Theo and the accidents gnawed at her. She tried to push them away as she headed toward the medic bay.

Inside, Alicia was waiting. The room smelled of disinfectant and stale coffee. The moment Alicia saw Serena, her eyes widened.

“Thank goodness you’re here,” Alicia said. “I was starting to worry you might not come back in time.”

Serena felt a pang of guilt. The last few days had been a whirlwind, and she still felt the weight of her father’s funeral clinging to her. “I had to help my mother with funeral arrangements,” she said. “How are things… here?”

“Not great,” she admitted. “The police still want to question Theo. We’ve got new security cameras on the grounds, and they picked up him coming to his car, twice, yesterday.”

“Twice?”

“He came out of the forest, naked. Got inside the car somehow. Changed. And took off with his cell phone. He then came back an hour later.”

“No one stopped him?”

“We didn’t have a full-time security guard watching the feeds. But now Poppy is having one start tomorrow.”

Serena inhaled sharply, a mixture of worry and anger bubbling up inside her. She couldn’t shake her lingering feelings for Theo. It was hard for her to imagine what it must be like for him, running wild in the woods like a beast. But the memory of his half-shifted rage made her skin crawl. How was she supposed to reconcile these conflicting feelings? She gripped the edge of a desk, her knuckles white.

Alicia noticed her tension. “I’m sorry. It’s going around campus that you’re his mate,” she said gently. “I wish I had better news. The academy leadership seems convinced he was behind the sabotage, and the police are still investigating. There have been no new incidents since he left, which doesn’t help his case.”

Serena swallowed, her throat dry. “I just… I can’t believe it,” she said. Before the stolen supplies were found in Theo’s rooms, Serena had been falling in love with him. The things they’d done together had lit a fire inside her cougar that she couldn’t ignore. She felt a wave of exhaustion. “What exactly do you need me to do tomorrow at the charity climb?”

“We need a medic presence at each checkpoint. You’ll also be on call for any emergencies. The climb is a big deal, and we can’t afford any mistakes.”

Serena nodded, scanning the list of tasks. She could sense her own grief and confusion lurking in the back of her mind, but she had a duty to fulfill here. “Alright,” she said, drawing in a shaky breath.

After leaving the medic bay, Serena navigated the busy corridors to her old dorm room. She passed groups of trainees chatting excitedly about the upcoming climb. A few shot her curious glances, and she guessed they knew about Theo and her. She stiffened, not stopping until she reached her dorm.

Inside, the room looked much as she had left it. A single bed, a desk scattered with notes, and a desk chair. She set down her suitcase and let out a long sigh. She stood at the window and gazed out at the pine forest in the distance. It was approaching dusk outside, and the sky had turned a muted gray. She could sense Theo’s presence somewhere out in the trees. She shivered, torn between fear and a longing to know if he was alright.