Page 16

Evander

“I was assisting at PE and she didn’t look good.” Today, PE had consisted of shifting in the auditorium, and the little female had barely managed it. To be fair, most of our wolves hated shifting indoors, but it was more than that. “I don’t think the venom has cleared out of her system yet.”

“We don’t know that it’s out of ours,” Odin pointed out. “But I understand what you mean. Where is she, anyway?

“I don’t see her.” Sol stood up and looked over to where Desi sat alone. “She’s late. I’m going to go ask her friend if she knows anything.” Without waiting for us to object, he was on his feet and moving toward the other table.

“He’s talking to her,” Odin put in unnecessarily. “I wish we could hear what they’re saying.”

“Me too, but he’s coming back.”

Sol sat down again and picked up his fork. “They call this steak? I can barely cut it with the dull knives they give us.”

“Shut up about the food. What did Desi say?” I asked. “Is Roxy all right?”

“She told Desi she was going to call in sick for dinner, running a low-grade fever again. She tried to explain why she should show up anyway, but she didn’t listen. I told Desi we’d try to talk to her.”

“Not good. She’s not processing the venom well at all, is she?” Odin’s brows drew down. “We need to go see her. Find out if she needs anything.”

“After dinner.” Sol glanced toward where the faculty member assigned to watch us at this meal stood. “If we get up and leave now, we’ll be getting more demerits. Just finish your food and then we can casually head toward the library.”

“But we aren’t going to the library,” Odin pointed out.

“Duh. It’s just to throw off anyone who might be nosy. Eat!”

We managed to down the steak despite how difficult it was to chew, and as soon as we finished, we bussed our trays and left.

There were a lot of students milling around and especially going toward the library. Since we weren’t allowed outside after dark or after dinner in general, there was no place else to go. We just joined the general flow of people until we got to a side hallway where we peeled off. “We have to be careful,” Sol reminded us. “It’s against the rules to be on someone else’s floor, you know.”

“I knew that last night when I walked her up,” I pointed out. “Just act like you know what you’re doing, like we have somewhere to be.”

We kept to the shadows crossing the courtyard, but nobody accosted us, and it wasn’t that far to the dorms. “Do you think we should have brought her something?” Sol asked. “If she’s not feeling well?”

“We can ask what she needs.” I took the back stairs two at a time, passing Odin along the way. “And then go get it for her.”

“Deal.”

There weren’t many students in the dorms yet, but there soon would be, so we moved as quickly as possible, wanting to get a look at Roxy and see what shape she was in. There had been a number of students who had come and not lasted long, the poison in their systems making it impossible for them to continue.

And we were never told where they went. That couldn’t happen to Roxy. My wolf was not going to allow it. He didn’t seem to have an idea what he would do to stop it, but he was adamant.

“Here’s her room.” I stopped in front of her door. “I’ll knock.”

“Go ahead.” Odin shook his head. “Knock yourself out.”

Sarcasm suited him. I lifted my fist and knocked on the door. “Roxy, are you in there?”

After a moment, she replied, “Yes. Evander?”

“And Sol and Odin. You weren’t at dinner, and we were worried. Can we come in?”

“No.” She sounded breathless and tired. “You can’t.”

“Why not?” Sol leaned over my shoulder to speak to her. “We won’t do anything inappropriate. We’re nice wolves.”

“Little Red Riding Hood’s grandmother believed that, too. But that’s not why.”

“Then?”

“Try the knob.” She huffed out a breath. “The minute I came in here, it locked.”

“Roxy,” I said quickly, wanting to get this out before anyone else showed up. “You can’t miss meals or classes or tell anyone you’re not processing the venom fast enough. If you are sick with it, you will end up getting sent away.”

“W-where?”

“We don’t know,” Odin said. “But it can’t be anywhere good. No matter how you feel, show up and don’t mention it to anyone but us or Desi. It’s too dangerous.”

A sob broke from her throat, and my fists clenched. I needed to comfort her, but the door was a barrier we couldn’t cross.

“Roxy, we have to go because it’s going to get crowded out here,” Odin continued, “but we’ll check back later.”

“Okay,” she sniffled. “I feel like such a big baby.”

“You’re not. You’re sick, but we are going to help you get better, all right?” I planted my palm on the door as if I could feel her through it. “For tonight just rest.”

“Okay.” More sniffling. “This sucks.”

It so did.