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15

KELLY

S ex with Jacob last night had been breathtaking. The full moon bathed his bedroom in silver light, making everything feel magical. My body still ached deliciously from how thoroughly he’d claimed me. A little distracting, but I didn’t mind. Every sore muscle was a reminder of him.

This morning, I had my meeting with the Dean of Students.

Jacob needed to know about it. But after the incredible night we’d spent together, the last thing I wanted was to ruin our morning with another argument.

So, I lied.

I told him I had plans with Emma. It wasn’t a complete lie since I wanted to fix things with her. Just… not right now. First, I needed to fix my own life.

While Jacob had been a little surprised, he didn’t question it. All morning, something had distracted him. He’d paid little attention when I mentioned my “plans.” Part of me wasn’t sure what to make of that. Was last night not as special for him? But regardless of what was occupying his mind, I wasn’t about to look a gift horse in the mouth.

Still, guilt gnawed at me. Lying to Jacob felt wrong. But what choice did I have? He might have a better idea of why university was important to me, but I needed my life to move forward.

I needed this appointment to go well.

Yesterday’s conversation with Jacob had only reinforced my desire to hold on to everything I’d worked so hard for. I refused to let our kidnappers win. Those scientists had enough of me. I wouldn’t remain a prisoner in their cage.

But as I drove toward campus, I couldn’t stop looking over my shoulder. Was I being followed? Would I feel this way for the rest of my life?

They probably didn’t know where Jacob lived. The chances of them finding me there were slim. Or at least I hoped so.

My hands trembled as I pulled open the doors to Jones Hall.

Students and faculty walked past, going about their business around me, but I couldn’t relax. It felt silly to believe someone was out to get me, but it had happened before. I didn’t want my freedom stolen again, whether that meant living in a cage or holing up in Jacob’s apartment. I had to get myself together and focus.

Taking a deep breath, I walked into the dean’s office.

The secretary flashed a smile at me as I stepped up to the desk. “Do you have an appointment with Dr. Butler?” she asked.

“I do. I’m a little early. My name is Kelly Lopez.” Butterflies fluttered within my stomach, and I tugged at the edges of my skirt. The nervous smile I gave her didn’t meet my eyes. Ugh. I struggled to relate to people. Might’ve explained why I had so few friends.

“Oh, perfect. I see the appointment right here, Ms. Lopez.” She lifted her gaze, and her warm, calming smile never wavered. “If you’ll take a seat, Dr. Butler will be with you soon.” The phone rang on her desk, and she turned her attention to it.

Great. See? Nothing to worry about.

If only I believed myself. But all I needed to do was talk with Dr. Butler. We’d touch on what had happened without me revealing all the details, and I’d aim to secure make-up finals and enroll in my spring semester classes. It’d go great.

I hugged my purse to my chest. The small waiting room consisted of four chairs in a corner with a table that contained a stack of outdated school magazines. I could’ve grabbed one or scrolled through my phone. But my brain wouldn’t focus on anything except what might happen in that office. I rehearsed what I was going to say, as if repeating it in my head would keep me from screwing this up.

The door opened to the dean’s office, and a tall, stocky man in his fifties with grey-streaked brown hair and a trimmed beard and mustache stepped out of the office. He headed for the secretary’s desk, murmured about being ready for his next appointment, and picked up a small stack of papers from the printer stationed behind her before heading in my direction.

“Miss Lopez? I’m Dr. Paul Butler. If you’d join me in my office, we’ll discuss what’s going on and figure out how to get you back on track.”

The pleasant smile on his face calmed my nerves, but the vibes he projected rankled my wolf. The hair on the back of my neck stood up like I might not want to hear what he had to say. But I was probably reading into things, or maybe my nerves were getting the better of me. And yet, the suffocating feeling in my chest tightened its hold.

I needed to ask Jacob about this later. This felt similar to moments when I’d known something was ‘off’ with him, but I’d thought those instances were my gut instinct of knowing him. Could this be my beast warning me about Dr. Butler?

“Thank you,” I said, following him. I paused next to a chair facing his desk. “I appreciate you meeting with me about this. It’s an uncomfortable topic. I want you to know I wouldn’t have missed school, especially final exams if I’d been able to make it. My studies are very important to me.”

“Let me stop you right there.” He closed his office door. Once in his chair, he motioned for me to continue. “Start from the beginning. Tell me what happened.”

Taking a seat, I drew in a deep breath, then released it. “Okay.” I could do this. All I needed to do was remain calm and keep to the facts I’d plotted out in my head. Hopefully, he wouldn’t contact the police or campus security. “It started on December 17th. I was studying at my apartment with a friend. He left, and two men forced their way inside my home. I was abducted and taken somewhere, and…” My fingers bit into my denim skirt as I tugged it lower, focusing on my breathing. Memories threatened to come rushing back. “I managed to free myself the day before yesterday.” Tears welled in my eyes, but I blinked them back. “I’d like the chance to take make-up finals.”

Dr. Butler raised a skeptical eyebrow at me. “I see.” His gaze skimmed my face, neck, and arms, as if searching for signs of an assault. “That’s quite a story.” He scribbled something on a notepad in front of him.

Damn it!

As a werewolf, I healed faster than the average gal. Most of the injuries I’d sustained at the research lab had been mental rather than physical… At least, after getting clawed—or bitten?—by the beast who made me what I was. I wrapped my arms around my middle section, feeling awkward for even being here now. “It’s not a story. It actually happened.”

“Where did these men take you? Have you spoken with the police about this? Perhaps you’ve filed a report?” He rested a hand on his desk phone, a cool, questioning look in his eyes. “As for the make-up finals, your story sounds improbable. I’d need more proof before I could possibly approve that.”

My breathing grew heavier, and I bit my lower lip. This couldn’t be happening. Fear clawed at my gut. Why had the emails sounded so sympathetic if he just wanted to interrogate me? What was I doing? I kicked myself for not telling Jacob about my idiotic decision to come here. He would’ve talked me out of it. He’d tried to, but here I was.

I lowered my gaze toward the desk, focusing on his brown and gold nameplate.

Deep breaths. Just stay calm.

“I… don’t remember where they took me exactly. The escape happened fast. I couldn’t focus on anything but running. And no, I didn’t talk with the police. I don’t want to talk with them, either.” Anger flooded my senses, causing my vision to bleed red. “I just want my life back!” I slammed my fists against the arms of the chair, then squeezed my eyes shut. “Sorry.” The meek word slipped out.

“There’s no need to apologize, Miss Lopez. I’m sure what you may have experienced was traumatic.” The previous condescension in his tone twisted into a cool formalness. “Perhaps you should reconsider your stance on speaking with the police. Therapy might help you work through what is bothering you. As for the final exams, I’m afraid that won’t be possible at this time. But if you’d like, I can connect you with the university’s mental health services?” He turned to his computer and typed for a few moments before focusing on me again.

My jaw dropped. “You can’t be serious.” I tilted my head, trying to process his words. “But if I get proof, I can take the make-up exams, right?” Then again, how the heck would I prove anything? The scar on my back from the monster who’d changed me looked several years old. Grrr… The more time I spent in Dr. Butler’s office, the more helpless this all felt. “And w-what about my spring classes?” I cleared my throat, trying to prevent it from cracking again, but it didn’t help much.

Dizziness rocked my world, as if the globe were spinning without me. My hands trembled in my lap, and I clutched my purse again. How had things come to this? I needed my life back.

A raw, wild, and uncontrollable force scrabbled at my chest, expanding out toward the surface of my skin. Wait. This normally happened before I became a wolf. A sharp agony burned my fingertips. Then riiip and pop . My gaze shot down to find my pointy claws had pierced a hole through my purse. The scent of lavender filled my nostrils as a smooth, wet substance coated my fingers. Oh no… My lotion.

Shit. Deep breaths. Don’t stop breathing.

I shoved my aching fingers deeper into the holes, curling the razor-sharp claws out of sight. If Dr. Butler noticed as he flicked through his printed pages, the bored expression he leveled at me didn’t say much.

If I didn’t regain control, I might have to call Jacob, but… what would he say if he knew the truth? I’d broken his trust.

“Correct. If you can provide legitimate proof of your incident, you may complete your make-up exams. As for your spring semester, classes have begun already. You will need to be quick to register for them.” He lifted his shoulders in a mild shrug. “I’m sorry for not having better news, Miss Lopez. If that’s all, stop by Miss Denise’s desk. She’ll have the mental health services form.” He walked over to the door of his office, opened it, and stepped aside. “Good day.”

That was it then… My mind whirred with all the words I wanted to say, but they remained stuck in my throat.

When I felt like my feet would hold me, I stood, pressing my purse to my roiling stomach, and turned to face him. “Thank you for your time, Dr. Butler.” I forced a neutral smile, even if being pleasant was so hard, but I couldn’t be an asshole. That wasn’t me. It might’ve made this meeting more palatable, but demanding a different outcome wouldn’t change anything, aside from me being escorted away by campus security when I ripped him a new one.

“Absolutely, Miss Lopez. Take care of yourself.”

The press of fur against the inner wall of my chest nearly doubled me over as I clutched my chest. What the hell? Goosebumps broke out over my arms and legs, and fear slithered down my spine. This wasn’t good. My claws were still out, even if they almost looked like odd acrylic nails.

“T-thanks.” I scooted past Dr. Butler.

His face twisted into a concerned expression. He held out his arm to stop me, but I ducked from his grip. “Wait, Miss Lopez, is everything okay?” He strode after me, but I jogged past the secretary’s desk.

I couldn’t do this…

“Ms. Lopez? Wait.” The secretary’s kind voice called out. “The form?”

Just keep going. I couldn’t stop to interact with them, not when my wolf was ripping me apart from the inside.

The hallway buzzed with activity. Students mingled around me, talking about their new professors and their holiday breaks. Their voices were loud. Almost like everyone was shouting, but I couldn’t focus on any one conversation. A frustrated growl escaped my lips before I could contain it. At that moment, silence descended upon my immediate vicinity. Whereas before they paid me no mind, now everyone was watching me with those hushed tones.

My vision picked up on so many details I’d never seen before, until it felt like the walls were closing in around me. I strode past, needing to gain distance from the dean’s office. Drawing in a shaky breath, the scents swirling around choked me. So many perfumes, colognes, deodorants, and other odors assaulted my nostrils. It made me gag.

Then, that stinging uneasy feeling washed over me again. Like I was being followed.

Someone was watching me. I could feel it.

I glanced over my shoulder, but all of their faces blurred together. Only when I realized I was crying did my disoriented vision make sense.

Coming here had been a mistake, a huge mistake.

Emotions clogged my throat, and I walked faster, hitting the front door to Jones Hall. When the fresh air hit my face, I almost ran. Nausea sickened my stomach, but I pushed on faster across the parking lot toward my car, not caring how strange I looked. It wasn’t like I’d be coming back soon.

I was screwed. So, so screwed.

Right now, I needed to bury my face in Jacob’s chest and pretend like none of this had ever happened. That we’d be going to class tomorrow like everyone else and all was right with the world. But that wasn’t my reality anymore.

Tears streaked my cheeks, and I slumped against my smokey mauve sedan. The woman’s reflection in the window looked foreign, and I didn’t recognize her one bit. But when my gaze slid to my eyes, they widened when I realized their color.

Oh, God. Wolf amber. I unlocked the car and slumped into the driver’s seat, squeezing my eyes shut. My long claws hit the automatic door lock, and I secured the car.

Deep breaths… Really, really deep breaths.

Before I knew what I was doing, I grabbed my phone. I needed Jacob, but my hands trembled as my thumb hovered over his phone number. No, I couldn’t call. I needed to get the fuck out of here. Besides, he’d want an explanation…

This evening, I needed to woman up and tell him what I’d done face-to-face. Talking over the phone would be a copout, and I didn’t think he’d want to hear it like this. I needed time to process what happened and figure out what to say since I had no idea.

My wolf’s sharp vision dulled back to my normal human senses, and a hint of relief washed over me. However, none of that stopped the feeling of being watched. I needed to get out of here. If I didn’t, I might run into whoever was out there…

I scanned the parking lot around me, but people walked about the campus living their lives. No one seemed to have me in their sights.

Maybe Dr. Butler was right. Did I need mental health help after what I’d been through? Was my mind playing tricks on me, or did I have a stalker?