Chapter 25: Chapter Twenty-Five

Claire

The drive to campus the day after felt surreal. She'd been looking forward to her shift at the coffee shop and getting back to the land of the … normal. Not that she felt out of place at the pack house, because everyone had welcomed her.

But it felt like a little slice of normal to step foot into her apartment to grab all her things. Axel seemed on edge the entire drive over. They had to leave early to give her time to gather her things before her morning classes.

"I'll be just a minute," she said, walking into her room to grab her backpack and books. She walked to her desk when Axel's fingers tightened around her elbow, stalling her.

"What is it?" she asked, turning to see his nose positioned in the air and his spine stiff.

"Lycan."

Claire looked around at the empty room, and then back to Axel. "Where?"

He tugged her behind him, checking the closet and underneath the bed before turning to face her. "A lycan was here. I smell him."

Claire cringed as a chill raced down her spine. "I'm assuming that isn't good," she mumbled, cradling her book to her chest.

"No," he said, tugging her out of her room and into the breezeway of the apartment complex. "It's not. Let's get ready for class, so we can—"

Axel stopped, and she glanced over her shoulder at Kerry standing on the top step of the stairway. "Am I interrupting something?" he asked, waggling his blond brows in a way that made Claire want to laugh.

"Dad said you weren't coming until lunch," Axel said.

Kerry took another step onto the platform and stopped. "A lycan has been here."

Axel gave him a quick nod. "Yep, in her apartment, too."

"Good thing she's staying with us."

"Me," Axel said sharply. "She's staying with me."

Kerry tilted his head and dramatically rolled his eyes. "Don't get so defensive, Axel. I'm not hitting on your mate, and we should probably get any hostility out in the open now. Do you want to go to the parking lot? I don't need you blindsiding me because you're pissed two days from now—"

"Just keep your hands to yourself, protect my mate, and keep alert. You're here to help, not here for a break away from the pack," Axel snapped.

Kerry chuckled. "You think I wouldn't take this job seriously? She's the future luna to our pack, and you think I'm here to hit on college girls, right? I can sense your pride in me," he said. "It's such an honor."

Claire shifted and cleared her throat. "Not to … interrupt, but I need to get to class. I think you're taking over after lunch, right?"

Kerry shifted his gaze to Axel. "Am I allowed to speak to her? Or is the future alpha going to rip my face off for that, too?"

Axel rolled his eyes and folded his arms across his chest.

"Yes. I'll be with you after lunch."

"After you hunt the lycan, you can meet me at the cafeteria. I have a shift at the coffee shop."

He nodded. "Sure thing. I'll see you then," he turned and walked down the stairs, stopping midway. "Y'all be careful. That scent is fresh."

Kerry jogged down the stairwell and disappeared from their sight. "Don't be so hard on him," Claire said. "He seems nice."

Axel grumbled something beneath his breath and walked down the stairway. "We have that mandatory meeting this morning in the gym," he said. "I checked my email. Looks like everyone is required to go."

"I'm curious to see what the university thinks about everything," she said, getting into the passenger side of Axel's truck.

He chuckled. "I'm sure it's far from the truth."

***

Axel led Claire toward a random cushioned bench in the middle of the gym, palming her thigh in a reassuring way. Claire's gaze bounced from one person to the next, wondering if any of them could be the lycan. Could Axel sniff any lycan out?

She didn't know but she made a note to ask.

The Chancellor, Chancellor Samuels, walked out into the middle of the gym floor on a raised platform, his cane clanked against the wood with each step. He looked older than Claire remembered from the pamphlet.

The heads of each department sat on chairs behind him. She recognized her manager Sydney's friend, as she called him, Mark sitting to the left, along with a few others she recognized from around campus.

"Attention everyone," the Chancellor said. "This is the first mandatory meeting I've had to call in over a decade, and I'm sorry for the reason behind it. There have been numerous incidents around campus that have left students hurt, killed, and missing. The police are actively searching for the animal behind this."

One student popped up, her hand raised, a notepad tucked in-between her other arm and chest. "Excuse me, Chancellor Samuels. I've had a hard time getting in contact with Tasha Primm, the girl that was attacked first. What kind of animal attacked her? Do you have any way to get in contact with her? I work for the school's newspaper."

"Tasha Primm has decided to sit out of this semester. She asks to be left alone while she heals—"

"What about the autopsy for the next victim? What about Cash? Have they made any progress on finding our quarterback?"

Mark stood up, seeing Chancellor Samuels stumble over his wording, and grabbed the microphone. "Chrissy," he said. "We have no information to give you, just like your last attempt. Let Chancellor Samuels finish his announcement."

She sat down quickly and crossed her legs in annoyance.

He cleared his throat. "So, the police are working on finding what is doing this. Until then, I am issuing a 9 PM curfew, except on Fridays when we have football games. After the games, go home and get where you are going. No one is to wander the campus alone. I will have a security guard walk anyone that wants an escort to their vehicles after hours. I am determined to put an end to the fear on campus. If anyone has a sighting of the animal that is doing this, please come to me and the police to end this. Please, be careful. You all are dismissed."

Chancellor Samuels wobbled off the stage as everyone filed into a line to exit the gym. Axel glanced over at Claire with lifted brows. "Well, it's an animal alright—or, well, sort of."

She chuckled. "Yeah, well, let's hope the pack can sniff him out before anyone has another sighting."

They made their way out of the gym and back across campus. Axel made sure she got into her first class before jogging back to his own.

She spent the first part of the day looking over her shoulder, eyeing her surroundings even in broad daylight. It seemed insane to do so, but she thought maybe the lycan would seek her out in person.

Claire stood out in the hallway, shoving her books into her backpack while waiting on Axel, when someone's shadow loomed over her. Claire jumped, bumping her back against the hallway wall, squealing too loud for comfort.

"Wow, Jumpy Judy," Cat said, shoving Claire's shoulder with her own.

Claire placed her palm on her chest and chuckled. "You scared me, Cat. Wait a minute—new hair?" she asked.

Cat twirled a piece of silver hair around her finger. "You like it?" she asked. "I think it makes me look older."

"Yeah, like a grandmother," Claire teased.

Cat narrowed her gaze and chuckled. "My new friend boy likes it."

Claire's eyebrows raised to her hairline. "Friend boy, huh?" she laughed. "Where is this new friend boy that loves your white hair?"

Cat smiled. "Around. I guess we should schedule a double date since you're obviously dating Mr. Football, aren't you?"

Claire blushed. "I guess you would call it that," she said.

She couldn't explain the truth behind their relationship, so she guessed she should hide behind a mask of a normal one.

Cat rolled her eyes. "Of course, you are, Claire. Don't be modest. We'll have to set it up soon. So, what did you think about the announcement this morning? An animal? I'm no detective, but this thing seems smarter than just some animal to me. No one living here has witnessed it besides Tasha Primm. Sounds clever to me."

Claire nodded. "It does to me, too."

Cat gasped. "Maybe we should have a stake out, try to find it, hunt it down? What do you say? You up for a hunting trip? How are your gunslinging skills?"

Claire laughed. "Girl. I'm not the girl in the movie that chases down the monsters."

"I don't know. You know what they say about blondes—"

She chuckled and tugged on Cat's hair. "I guess the same thing about old people."

They were chuckling when Axel stopped beside Claire. "What's so funny?" he asked.

"Cat wants to go on a hunting trip to catch the animal terrorizing the campus."

Axel's eyes widened. "Well, I'm sure you'd scare it off with that hair."

Cat lifted her arms and slapped them against her thighs. "Wow. I'm going to dye it now."

Axel slipped his arm around Claire's waist and pulled her close. "Kerry is waiting for us in the cafeteria."

She nodded and glanced up at his dark gaze. "Are you going to be nice to him?"