Fall Semester (Omega Wolf Academy Book 2) Page 14

  "Shut up!" Alyssa said with a chuckle. "I was afraid if I didn't stop you, you'd keep talking forever."

  I choked on a laugh.

  Alyssa smiled brightly for a moment, then her lips fell. "You really hurt me, you know." It wasn't a question.

  "I know. I think I tried to hurt you because I was confused and hurt." I lifted my hands in surrender. "I don't know if you know this about me, but I'm actually pretty fucked up."

  Alyssa's lips twitched, then rose again, lighting up her entire face. She opened her arms, accepting my apology and my embrace.

  "So, who are you supposed to be?" she asked, trailing her gaze from my shoes to my hair.

  "A character in one my favorite book series," I explained. "It's about this Valkyrie who has four incredibly hot lovers who just happened to be Norse gods." I cringed at how insane the concept sounded out loud.

  "Ohhh!" Alyssa cheered. "Sounds awesome. I love Norse mythology. You should text me the name of the series so I can pick up a copy."

  "You can borrow mine," I suggested, even though I hated lending out my books.

  Alyssa shook her head. "No, that's okay. I really like having my own copies. I'm building a pretty impressive library, you know." She grinned. "My life goal is to re-create the library in Beauty and the Beast."

  I made a face. "How can it be your life's goal? You only watched the movie for the first time in the last year or so." I laughed.

  She shrugged. "Doesn't matter. Still want it."

  We left the bathroom together, side-by-side, and laughing. I caught sight of Lucian, almost immediately, since he was opening and closing the wings with the glee of a child.

  "Did you come here with someone?" I asked, intending to ask her to join my group if she were alone.

  Alyssa grinned. "Yeah, actually. Remember that guy I was talking about?"

  My eyes went wide. "You're here with him?" I looked around immediately, then realized I didn't know what he looked like. "Where is he?"

  She scanned the room and frowned and pulled out her cell phone. "He went outside for some air," she said. "I’m going to go find him. See you later.?"

  I nodded. "Definitely. Oh, and how about we make time for coffee tomorrow?”

  Alyssa nodded enthusiastically. “Sure. How about 6:00 p.m.? I’m busy most of the day but I’d love to catch up and chat.” She offered me a sweet smile that cracked my heart a little. How had I ever been mean to her?

  I had plans with the guys to binge the Matrix movies all evening, but they could start without me, I decided. Reconnecting with Alyssa and making up for my mistake was more important. I nodded. “That’s perfect. At the kiosk or the coffee shop?”

  She mulled it over for a second. “The coffee shop. They have those chocolate chip oatmeal cookies.”

  “Mmmm, yes, they do,” I agreed. My stomach growled, and I realized I’d forgotten to eat since we’d arrived. I glanced over at the table my guys had claimed and saw an array of plates filled with treats. “Well, now I’m hungry.” I laughed. “Have fun with your guy and be prepared to tell me all about him tomorrow.”

  “Will do.” Alyssa waved goodbye and turned towards the main doors.

  I watched her go, dressed all in black, a far cry from her usual style. The weight that had sat on my chest since I’d fucked up with her lifted.

  Now if I could just get rid of Dresden and his idiot friends, I thought. Life would be perfect.

  I turned towards my mates but stopped when I saw a tall guy dressed as Beetlejuice step forward just outside the doors. He held his hands out and took hers, then pulled her in for a kiss that would have made me blush if I hadn’t been having nonstop sex for weeks.

  “Good for her,” I murmured, smiling.

  He turned slightly, and the light illuminated his face. I frowned and took a step forward as if that would help me see him better. Something about him was familiar and made my gut jitter with nerves. I’d ignored my instincts before and had walked straight into a trap.

  Alarm rang like a gong through my entire body.

  He smiled and dipped to kiss her again, just as a group of people joined them. One, dressed as a vampire slapped Alyssa’s date on the shoulder and said something that made them all laugh then glanced into the ballroom.

  My lips curled back in recognition. That’s how I recognized him, I realized with a start that brought back all my newly lost anxiety.

  Alyssa’s new boyfriend was one of Dresden Oswell’s friends.

  Chapter 18

  "She's probably just out of range, or has the ringer turned off," Lucian said patiently, rubbing my arm. "She told you she had plans most of the day."

  I gnawed at my lower lip, unable to shake the bad feeling I'd had all day. "I know, and I get that I'm acting like a crazy parent, but, Lucian, it feels wrong." I clutched the fabric of my shirt over my heart. "It feels wrong and I don't know if it's me reacting to him being part of Dresden's group, or if there something really off here." I shook my head. "She should be back soon if she isn't already, so I'm just gonna head over to her dorm room now."

  "Are you sure?" Chase asked from the bed, where he was steadily working his way through a large bowl of popcorn. "We're just about to start." He glanced at his phone. "You don't have to leave for another hour."

  I pulled on my jacket and wound a scarf around my neck, then hung my purse across my body. "Sorry, guys. I'm being a buzzkill. A little fresh air will do me good." I crossed the room to give each of them a kiss, then called out, "Enjoy The Matrix," and strode out of my dorm room, closing the door behind me.

  The quad was surprisingly devoid of students, most likely because the Halloween revelry wasn't over for most of them. Most dorms on campus were hosting another party in their commons room, so students were busy reapplying makeup and getting into costumes.

  My dorm was no different, there would be a party rocking the foundation of the building in a few hours, but since it would be held in the basement and my room was on the second floor, we'd barely hear anything. We'd discussed attending one or more of the parties, and had decided the previous night's excursion was enough to see us through for a while, especially since we'd ended up winning the costume contest thanks to my wings.

  There was a nip in the air that made me glad I'd taken the time to put on a scarf and gloves, though, I'd realized, that my pink hair exempted me from basic bitch status, even if I did have a Starbucks coffee. I held up a lock and considered what color I could switch to when the urge to change rose up. Red was pretty, but fairly basic back in Ireland. I could go back to my pale blonde, but that just seemed boring and too much like the little girl who'd hidden in fear her entire life. I liked teal, I thought, mulling it over. Teal wasn't ordinary.

  Then again, remembering the way my guys had responded to my wig consideration, I might be stuck with pink hair for a lot longer than I’d bargained for.

  Alyssa's dorm was already in party mode. Doors were flung open on each level, and music of all types poured into the hallways while students roamed from room to room, already drinking, or sharing multitudes of pizzas that had apparently been delivered recently as they weren't all eaten yet.

  I climbed the stairs to the third floor, wondering why Omega Wolf Academy hadn't retrofitted these old brownstone dorm buildings with elevators for those forced to live on the top floors. It wasn't bad climbing the stairs now, but moving in and out was a bitch. I'd had very little to bring with me when I'd moved in over summer semester, and it had still been a nightmare. From the packed spaces I saw as I made my way to Alyssa’s room, I assumed there had been a lot of cursing during the move-in period.

  Alyssa’s room was at the end of the hallway which, lucky for her, meant an extra window and more natural light. I’d been slightly jealous the first time I’d seen it as the extra light would have made a great art corner, but then I’d remembered the extra floor she’d had to climb and I’d gotten over my jealousy real quick.

  The door to her room was closed and locked. I kno
cked several times and waited patiently, telling myself she could be in the bathroom and not hear. While I waited, I sent her a quick text to follow up on the four others I’d sent over the last few hours. With each second that ticked by, though, my anxiety grew bigger and bigger until it felt as if it would swallow me whole.

  “Excuse me,” I said, stopping a group of hot nurses walking by with bottles of beer in hand. “Have any of you seen the girl who lives here?” I gestured to Alyssa’s door.

  The big busted nurse shook her head, making her vibrant red hair shimmer gloriously. “I don’t think so but she’s not really that friendly, ya know.” She shot me a bright smile as if she’s just said something brilliant.

  I stared at her for a moment, mesmerized by her glittery locks, then nodded and looked at the others.

  A petite blonde poked her head out from behind the group. “I saw her this morning. She was with that guy, remember?” She looked up at her friends with big eyes. “The tall one that hangs with that asshole, Dresden.”

  My heart sank, but I nodded. Alyssa has told me she had plans, and I’d assumed it was with her guy. Just because he was a friend of that fuckwad, didn’t mean he was an asshole, or dangerous, I reminded myself.

  But the lead in my stomach told me otherwise.

  “Yeah, she’s been seeing him but I don’t know his name,” I said, hoping they’d be able to provide me with that detail.

  “It’s Liam, I think,” the pixie nurse said. “Or Sean. Something Irish sounding, though.”

  Nausea struck me so hard, I had to reach for the door to steady myself. I swallowed acid and managed a slight smile. “Thanks,” I mumbled, then turned back to Alyssa’s door and pounded my fist on the wood, praying she’d open it and be fine.

  Lots of people were from Ireland. Even more had Irish names. It didn’t mean what my gut was screaming it meant.

  It didn’t mean he was one of Randall’s brothers, my brothers.

  It didn’t mean he was going to kidnap and torture Alyssa.

  I barely noticed the girls leave with eyes rolling at my weird behavior as I dialed Dimitri’s number and waited for him to answer. I squeezed my eyes shut to hold back the tears of panic but they seeped through and dripped down my cheeks.

  Dimitri answered on the fourth ring. Music from the movie’s score blared in the background. I heard him yell, “Pause it. It’s Lexi,” before he answered “Hey. Sorry, I couldn’t find my phone and the movie was way too loud…”

  “He’s got her,” I nearly shouted into the phone as my breath heaved in and out. “He’s got Alyssa.”

  All traces of laughter left Dimitri’s voice. “We’re coming. Don’t move.” Then the line clicked off and I was left alone in the midst of a hallway filled with fairies, sexy nurses, and monsters, all completely unaware that there was a real monster on campus. One set on revenge at any cost.

  I pressed into the corner of the hallway next to Alyssa’s door, my heart racing and sweat pooling at the base of my spine. My gaze darted from one face to the next, searching for something eerily familiar, something to identify any of them as the enemy.

  I knew it was illogical, I knew it was my PTSD and panic pushing me to overreact, but I knew deep down that Alyssa was in trouble and I couldn’t fight back the terror.

  Dimitri reached me first and gathered me into his arms without saying a word. I buried my face in the crook of his neck and breathed in his scent, letting it wash over me. When I could, I pulled back and reached for Lucian and Chase, too.

  “She’s in trouble,” I whispered, pulling them forward. People were staring and whispering, but I didn’t have time to care. If Alyssa’s boyfriend was who I thought he was…

  I swallowed the knot in my throat.

  “Last night, when I saw Alyssa’s boyfriend, something about him made me uneasy,” I explained. “But then Dresden and his crew pulled up, and I dismissed my nerves because I recognized him as one of the asshole’s friends.” I shoved a hand through my hair, too anxious to stay still for long. “But, that’s not it. I can’t shake the feeling that I know him from somewhere else.” My eyes teared up. “I think he’s one of Raphael’s.”

  Guttural curses burst from each of them, even Lucian, whose eyes sparked with instant fury. They reached for me, needing to touch me as I needed to touch them. The image of our brain scans when we were all touching popped into my mind. We were stronger together, on every level. I clutched their hands and tipped my chin towards Alyssa’s door.

  “We need to figure out where he took her. We need to get inside.” I glanced at Dimitri, who’d moved forward. “Quietly,” I added. “We don’t want campus security pulling us into the Headmaster’s office right now.”

  We gathered behind him, blocking curious eyes as he reached into his pocket and pulled out a black pouch. I frowned as he pulled two thin metal tools from the case and expertly opened the lock.

  “What the fuck, Dimitri?” I hissed, slipping inside the room after him. “Why do you have burglar tools in your coat?”

  He shrugged. “They come in handy sometimes.”

  Chase chuckled, Lucian frowned, and I muttered, “Who the hell even are you?”

  “Your mate,” Dimitri retorted with a flash of a grin. He leaned forward and kissed the top of my head. “Now, let’s look for something to identify this guy and where they went today.”

  We began furiously riffling through Alyssa’s belonging, opening drawers, checking notepads. I sat down at her desk and opened her laptop, feeling like a peeping Tom. An itch of discomfort skittered up my spine at the thought of invading her privacy. What if she was fine? What if she was just enjoying her date and would be back any moment?

  Only, every instinct I had was telling me she was in very real danger and I’d rather have her pissed off at me again for being invasive, then have her dead or tortured.

  I went through file after file, finding nothing but coursework. Even her photo file was filled with school stuff. She must have kept any pictures of him on her cell phone.

  “Here!” Chase shouted. “Her journal.”

  My heart leaped as he placed the rose-colored leather-bound journal in my hand. Surely, she’d have written about today’s plans.

  I turned to the last page and began to read out loud.

  “Sean is so romantic! He has a big day planned for tomorrow, including lunch at Risotto’s and then a trip to the botanical gardens over by the Biology building. I’ve never been there, but he describes them as if they’re paradise. Old Ones, I’m head over heels for him! I don’t care much for his friends, though, but it doesn’t really seem like he cares for them much. He doesn’t join in their hateful tricks. Hopefully, I can lure him away with sex! lol Maybe tonight will be the night!”

  It went on, but we had what we needed. “Do any of you know where the Biology building is?” I asked, pulling my phone out to snap a picture of the journal entry.

  Lucian nodded. “I’m taking a class there and I’ve been to the gardens.” He opened the door and led us down the hallway.

  We moved quickly, like a pack on the hunt, crossing campus with long strides that had me rushing to keep up. I spotted the Biology building and was about to ask Lucian why we were skirting around the edge of the brick building when I saw the glowing lights of the botanical gardens behind it.

  “Split up,” Lucian suggested, as we paused outside the window-covered structure. “It’s bigger than it looks and there are several sections connected by hallways. Lexi,” he nodded towards me. “Be my search buddy?”

  I nodded and started forward with him, stretching out my hand to touch my other mates as I went. While Lucian and I took the front door, they moved right, to come in through the backway.

  We searched each room in silence, eyeing the few people walking through the aisles or sitting at the various benches. There was always a chance they’d been there and gone already, but we needed to make sure.

  “Excuse me,” I said, stopping a man in a white lab coat. I
t said, “Dr. Adams” over the breast so it was safe to assume he was one of the professors rather than a groundskeeper here.

  “Yes,” he replied in a perturbed tone. His eyebrows rose as he waited for me to speak as if my very presence were ruining his day.

  I told myself not to get anxious and take it out on him. He didn’t know the pressure we were under. “We’re looking for my…” I paused for a moment, before saying, “sister, and was wondering if you’d seen her.” I held up my phone with a picture of Alyssa on it, scrolled in so he could see her features easier.

  He glanced at the image and sighed. “She and that boy were here earlier.”

  I took a deep breath and willed myself to remain calm. “When was that? Did you see them leave?”

  He looked at me like one would look at a bug beneath their feet. “Miss, my time is much too valuable…”

  “It’s a simple question, Professor Adams,” Lucian added, stepping forward.

  Immediately, the professor’s attitude changed.

  The chauvinism galled, but I didn’t have time to be offended, so I plastered a smile on my face and waited for him to provide Lucian with the answers we needed.

  “I was checking on my orchids, so that would have been right around 4:45 p.m.,” he said, adding a definite nod after. “Yes, no later than 5:00 p.m. as I had moved on to test the soil in the rose bed by then and they’d already left.” He made a disgusted sound beneath his breath. “Good riddance, anyway. They were being quite disruptive.”

  “How so?” Lucian asked, reaching for my hand. I took his and squeezed, knowing he could get answers I couldn’t.

  “Well, the boy,” he said the words with an edge of vitriol, “shouted something, I don’t remember what, but it was loud enough to rip my attention away from my orchids.” Dr. Adams sniffed. “It was rude and, from what I could see, the girl thought so, too. She tried to pull away from him, but he grabbed her arm and said something to her that made her face go pale. I couldn’t hear, but she didn’t seem to like it. They left a moment later.” He shrugged and lifted a bottle to spritz a nearby hydrangea.