Chapter 230

Heather

“Hey,” I said. “After nineteen hours of travel, it’s really nice to not be moving.”

“I bet.” After one last squeeze, he stepped away from me.

Like just about every other werewolf I’d met, he was well over six feet tall and thick with muscle. The beard made him look older and a bit more rugged. He was wearing a faded navy polo under a gray hoodie and a pair of dark jeans.

Which was good. That meant he still wasn’t into being a Cazador, even if he’d stuck around to fight demons. He was too chill and calm to join their numbers, but he’d stuck around to do what was right. That was one of the many reasons why he was amazing.

He narrowed his gaze, apparently noticing my too long once-over. “What?” He asked.

“Nothing. Can’t I just be happy to see you?”

“You sure can,” he said with his slight Texas drawl. He gave me a big grin that made his eyes shine. The guy was a flirt. He just couldn’t help himself. “I missed you, too.”

“Quit flirting with my mate.” Brent teased him as he stepped beside me.

Xander pulled him in for one of those manly hug-back patting combos.

“What’s going on?” Brent asked. “Anything we need to worry about tonight?”

Xander looked over to the Cazadores. “Still nothing, right?”

One of them nodded. “Quiet as far as I know.”

“Good,” I said. “Because I’d like to get settled.” I reached into the car for my backpack.

Brent was getting the bags out of the back. “Go on ahead. I’m going to chat with them and then catch up.”

Xander started walking down the path, and I followed. “So, important things first,” I said.

“What’s up?”

“Your hair. A beard? What’s the deal?” I poked his beard, and he swatted my hand away. It suited him, but as a friend, I couldn’t let it by with at least asking.

He rubbed a hand over his stubble. “Been too busy running around to shave. After a while, it seemed like a bother. Same with the hair.” He shrugged. “I’ve been spending so much time as a wolf that it doesn’t matter.”

“How are you holding up? Your emails sounded pretty crazed toward the end.”

He blew out a breath. “I’m tired. You know me. I’ve trained like the rest of them, but it’s not my thing. I enjoy life too much to go around hunting every night.” He was quiet for a second. “You know, I never thought I’d see another one of them after Santa Fe, but they keep coming. Sometimes it’s just one, but sometimes its twenty. We—”

“Twenty? Jesus. No wonder you’re tired.”

“Yeah. We gotta do something to stop it or we’re going to die trying to keep up.”

“Agreed. How’s Adrian?”

“Good. The guy was made to be a Cazador. He’s pretty much all but joined them. He loves a good fight. Aside from the demon bite, he’s been having fun. The bite is still healing, but he’s back on patrols tonight.”

“Already? Any chance that it could lead to a demon possession?” I hoped not, but we couldn’t be too sure.

“Nah. He’s good. We did the usual holy water and potion routine. I’m sure he’d like a little downtime, but we need every Were we have.”

That didn’t seem smart to me. If we didn’t have time for injured Weres to fully heal, then things were much worse than I’d thought.

“We’ll figure out why they keep coming.” I just wasn’t sure how we’d find the answer exactly, but I needed to make sure that Luciana didn’t have any leftover magic brewing somewhere on the old witch’s compound. But there wasn’t a chance I was stepping foot on that place until sunrise.

“All I know is I’m not the only one getting tired. We don’t have enough wolves to keep this pace for much longer. We’re all exhausted…which reminds me.”

I thought I knew what he was getting at, but I wasn’t sure. “Go ahead. Ask.”

“You going to tell me what you were up against last night? Felt you pulling as if your life depended on it.”

“It was depending on it. I, uh…” I wasn’t sure how to say it, but I finally decided just to spit it out. “A demon took control of my mind and was trying to drag me to Hell,” I said so quickly that my words ran into each other.

“What the fuck, Heather!” His mouth dropped open and even under the beard, I could see his skin had paled.

I winced. “That sounded bad.”

“Hell, yes. It sounds pretty much like the worst. And with these demon attacks, I’m not liking it one bit.”

“Me, neither.” I blew out a breath. “Me, neither,” I said again, softer this time.

I checked my phone for the millionth time, just in case I’d somehow missed it vibrating. Nothing. The screen had zero alerts. I shoved the phone into the back pocket of my jeans, promising myself that once I was in my room, I was going to call her nonstop until she picked up.

“Anyway, I’m sorry if you’re exhausted, but thanks for the help. I really—”

“Please. Stop. I only brought it up because I was worried.” He nudged me. “You take what you need. That’s what the Alpha does.”

“I’m not the Alpha,” I mumbled.

“You say that, but we all know it’s not true. That first gym class, we knew you’d become our alpha.”

“I’m no one’s alpha.” And it bugged me that both he and Brent thought that.

“Maybe not yet, but you’ll get your own pack soon.”

I was under the impression that I didn’t have to do anything I didn’t want to, and I for sure didn’t want to rule a pack. But arguing with him wasn’t going to change his mind. Still, I was curious what he was talking about. “Remind me what happened in gym class. Because I have no clue what you’re talking about.”

He gave me a raspy laugh. For some reason, Xander always sounded like he had a pack-a-day smoking habit, but he swore he never touched them. “We were running laps in the gym. Mr. Langdon was with us. Remember now?”

“No.”

“Really?” With the way his voice pitched up, he sounded genuinely surprised.

Even if there’d been some big moment, I didn’t remember it. “Between being bitten and all that crap with Imogene and then Luciana and the demons, I don’t remember my first gym class. I remember the first time I tried to spar. Is that what you’re talking about?” My cheeks heated with the memory of practicing with Xander and how Brent reacted. And I still couldn’t believe I’d pretty much attacked Serena.

“No, but that was hilarious,” he said, and my cheeks burned hotter. “When we run as a pack, the Alpha sets the pace, so Mr. Langdon set the footfalls. Everyone was in time except for you. Which should’ve been impossible.”

That did sound vaguely familiar, but I remembered it differently. “I just didn’t like being a monkey. Following the lead. You know? It rubbed me the wrong way.”

“Which is exactly why you’re our next Alpha.”

I wasn’t sure he was right, but Brent had already said the same thing to me. Maybe that was how it’d worked in the past, but I refused to believe I had to lead a pack. Saying that wasn’t going to get me anywhere, though. Werewolves were set in their ways.

We hit the end of the path, and I paused, taking in the campus. If I didn’t have werewolf eyesight, then I would’ve been stumbling around in the dark.

There were usually lights in the trees surrounding the quad and the pathways between the buildings. Tonight, the lights in front of the doors to the cafeteria and dorm buildings were the only ones lit. The ones for the admin/med unit and the classrooms were out, as well as the quad and pathways.

“Why are the lights out?”

“Campus is technically closed. We’re only here to use it as a base for patrols, and it’s better for us if it’s dark. Easier on our eyes.”

“Right.” I knew that campus was closed, but the darkness felt wrong to me. It was usually so well lit, and before curfew started, people were always wandering around. And not only that, the quad was always perfectly mowed which always struck me as such a stark contrast to the forest that threatened to swallow up the school’s five squat brick buildings.

Today it was quiet and dark, and it looked like the lawn hadn’t been mowed in weeks. The bushes and plants in front of the buildings were overgrown. It felt like I’d walked into the middle of a zombie movie. A team of Cazadores patrolling in wolf form caught my eye. The ten wolves weaved in and out of the trees across the quad as they made their rounds.

Maybe I wasn’t that far off from reality. The once-thriving school had turned into a ghost town. Goose bumps rose along my arms and I rubbed them away.

Don’t let it get to you. The school will come back and—

You don’t know that. With everything that had happened, I wouldn’t be surprised if the temporary closure turned permanent.

Why are you even in the quad? Brent sent along the bond, changing the subject. Because I was right and we both knew it.

What do you mean? I’m on my way to my— Wow. I was an idiot. Oh. Right. “I can’t believe I did this, but in my defense, I’m pretty worn out. I need to head that way.” I pointed to the now-overgrown path that led around the admin building.

Xander huffed a raspy-laugh as we changed directions. “Sorry. I was on autopilot.”

“Me, too.” The drama of the day before on top of the day of travel was clearly catching up to me. “So, what else has been going on?”

“Besides demons?” Xander blew out a breath. “Not much.”

“Any word from Cosette?”

“Some.” He shrugged. “She’s doing fine but feeling a little cooped up in the Underhill. I think it’d been a while since she was stuck at home for so long.”