Chapter 21: A Puppy Cannon

Blair finally made it back to Dormitory G.

She locked the door behind her and immediately collapsed against it, letting out a long, ragged exhale. The exhaustion of the last twenty-four hours seeped into her bones. She peeled off the hockey jersey, missing the scent of cedarwood almost instantly, and stepped into the cramped, lukewarm shower of the human dorms.

Ten minutes later, dressed in her most comfortable, baggy sweatpants and a faded t-shirt, she walked back into the bedroom, vigorously rubbing her wet hair with a towel.

She stopped in the middle of the room.

Heather’s bed was still completely untouched. The mattress was still buried under a mountain of party clothes, sparkly heels, and scattered makeup from when they had gotten ready the night before.

Blair frowned, lowering the towel. Heather had never come home.

A small spike of worry prickled in Blair’s chest. She looked at the door, wondering if she should go out and look for her. But she quickly shook her head, rationalizing the panic away. Heather was probably just hungover, crashing in one of her human friends’ rooms.

Blair padded over to her own lumpy mattress and collapsed face-first onto it. She rolled onto her back, staring blankly at the familiar water stains on the cracked ceiling.

She felt defeated.

Her life’s goal had been to graduate, become a politician, and fight for the basic rights of humans in this terrifying beast-ruled world. She wanted to change the system. Now, she was to become a royal puppy factory the second she received her diploma.

Could I do both? Blair wondered miserably. Can I draft human rights legislation while simultaneously popping out royal heirs?

As she spiraled, a face suddenly flashed into her mind.

Dark, wet hair. Intense eyes. Broad, muscular shoulders glistening with water.

Blair swallowed hard. She thought about how Daemus had dove into the pool to pull her from the depths. How gently he had caressed her hips while he marked her.

She had to admit it: he was very, very cute too.

Actually, out of all the terrifying, arrogant predators she had met at this academy, Daemus was undeniably the nicest. He hadn’t threatened her. He hadn’t treated her like garbage. She could have been forced into a breeding contract with some old, scary, ugly pig beastman, but instead, she was bound to a handsome, surprisingly kind Wolf Prince.

Blair’s face suddenly flushed a brilliant, burning crimson.

"What am I thinking?!" Blair groaned aloud, mortified by her own treacherous thoughts. She flipped over, burying her hot face into her pillow.

Eventually, the exhaustion won. Blair’s eyes drifted shut, and she fell into a deep sleep.

And then, the nightmare began.

Blair was standing in the middle of a massive sports stadium. The stands were packed with cheering wolves. She was wearing a cheerleader outfit, but instead of holding pom-poms, she was firing small, furry wolf pups out of her body like a t-shirt cannon.

Thwump! Thwump! Thwump!

Pups went soaring through the air, landing perfectly into the arms of the cheering crowd.

Standing right next to her was Silas. He was wearing a referee uniform, holding a clipboard, and flashing that bright, goofy smile as he cheerfully kept count.

"Ninety-seven!" Silas yelled happily over the roar of the crowd. "Ninety-eight! Keep ’em coming! Just two more for a perfect hundred!"

Blair jolted awake with a sharp gasp.

She sat up, her heart hammering against her ribs, covered in a cold sweat. She looked around the quiet, dingy dorm room, panting heavily.

"That was scary," Blair rasped, rubbing her eyes.

Her stomach let out a loud, demanding growl. Blair looked at the small alarm clock on her desk. It was late noon.

She glanced over at the other side of the room. Heather’s bed was still a mess of clothes.

The spike of worry returned, sharper this time. It was well past noon now. The hangover excuse was starting to wear thin. Where was she?

She has to be at the cafeteria, Blair told herself, throwing off her blankets. She’s probably down there right now, getting lunch and gathering all the fresh campus gossip.

Blair quickly freshened up at the sink. She pulled a woven scarf from her drawer and wrapped it securely around her neck, making absolutely sure the dark, bruised alpha mark Daemus had left on her pulse point was completely hidden. She grabbed her room key and hurried out the door.

When Blair arrived at the human dining hall, the room was packed.

Blair stood on her tiptoes, scanning the sea of gray uniforms. She looked at all the tables, searching for bouncy blonde hair and a bright smile. But Heather wasn’t there.

As Blair walked deeper into the room, she noticed the atmosphere shifting. The humans were actively avoiding her. As she walked down the aisle, students picked up their trays and shuffled away, leaving a wide, empty berth around her. She was completely isolated.

Blair spotted a girl sitting a few tables away: one of the older humans Heather had been eagerly chatting with yesterday before the party.

Blair walked over to the table. "Excuse me?"

The girl didn’t look up from her soup.

"Hi, I’m Blair," she tried again, her voice a little louder. "I’m Heather’s roommate. Have you seen her today? Did she come back with you guys last night?"

The girl blinked, casually picking up her spoon and stirring her broth. She acted as if Blair was invisible. She didn’t acknowledge the question, she just stared right through Blair’s midsection at the wall behind her.

"Hello?" Blair asked, a flare of frustration heating her chest.

Still nothing. The other students at the table kept their heads down, chewing their food in stiff silence.

Blair let out a sigh, her shoulders slumping in defeat. Her "cursed" status was apparently in full effect. No one was going to talk to her.

Giving up, Blair turned away from the table. She told herself that Heather was fine. Heather was beautiful and charming; she had probably just hit it off with one of the wealthy noble beastmen she was eyeing and was currently eating a five-star lunch in one of the exclusive faction pavilions. She would definitely see her tonight back at the dorm.

Trying to ignore the silent stares of the entire room, Blair grabbed a plastic tray and numbly joined the back of the food line.