Chapter 4: Not what I expected

Chapter 4: Not what I expected

Rowan

“I want you to investigate the recent campus deaths.” Tristan, the head of the Halo, mutters as he takes down his drink.

Leaning back on my seat, I quirk a brow. “What campus deaths? The only thing I heard was that some kids were missing..”

Tristan sifts his fingers through his pale golden hair and shakes his head with a sigh. “That’s what the news has been reporting, but it’s not quite accurate. Over the past six months, we’ve found bodies of students who have been decapitated.”

“And you think vampires did it?”

“It’s possible that a vampire didn’t do it, but the results are inconclusive because their blood was drained from their bodies too. Mathias and I met last night to discuss the possibility. Since the witches, Marael and Sahara Dawson, are dead, and other than the missing heads, the kids still had their organs, we’ve ruled out sacrifice. The only other possibility is that there’s something else occurring out there. There has to be a reason their heads were taken. If not for a ritual, then an out of control supernatural is going on a serial killing spree. Either way, we have to take care of it before the humans become suspicious. Or worse, they find proof that Supernaturals do exist. So far, six kids have died. We can’t afford to let this run its course.”

I think over his words. “What if it’s not supernatural?”

Tristan’s mouth tightens into a grim frown. “It’s possible that it could be a human, but we want some evidence before we can proceed. That’s not all, though. Mathias’ men have also found the mutilated bodies of three supernaturals near the school, and there have also been reports of other missing sups near the area. We’ve kept those murders under wraps from the humans and the media too. They were all students at Cal State. Unlike the human kids, they weren't decapitated. But it’s too close to home for us to ignore the coincidence. Mathias is working on finding the missing supernaturals, but it’s possible that they’re dead too.”

Conceding his point, I hold my palms up, curious. “What kind of sups?”

Tristan lifts a file from his desk and slides it across the surface until it stops in front of me. Reaching forward, I open the file and scowl. “A Leshy, a Werecat, and a Djinni.” Tristan cocks both eyebrows. “What do you think?”

I look back down at the list, then back up at him. “The only thing they have in common other than that they were college students is that they were all shape-shifters.”

Tristan nods his head with a satisfied smirk. “I knew you’d see that.”

Slapping the file against one of my hands, I rub my lips thoughtfully. There has to be something I’m missing. “Why, shape-shifters?”

Tristan shrugs in reply. “That’s what we’re trying to figure out. Right now, I want you to set up several of our Halo enforcers to do nightly patrols across the campus. Since most of the kids who were killed disappeared after leaving one of the campus parties, I want you to hang out at some of the parties and see what you find.”

Taking the file, I rise from my seat with a purposeful nod. “Great, I’ll the Kappa house is having a party tonight, so I’ll start there. Maybe I can find something.”

Tristan clenches his jaw and waves me away. “Good. Keep me updated on whatever you find.”

I spend most of the day searching through the file. There’s not much to go by. There were three males and three girls who were decapitated, and the supernaturals that were mutilated were also males. All of them were between the ages of eighteen and twenty-two years old. The missing supernaturals’ list is a bit more extensive in their variety. Looking through the coroner’s pictures of the bodies, I try to find something that might click, but it doesn’t make sense. The bodies of the supernaturals looked like they were mauled. The coroner posted that they were shredded by an animal, but they couldn’t signify what kind. It’s odd because most coroners know what kind of animal would cause certain wounds. Even the supernatural scientists should have known, but they labeled it as unknown. It gets stranger because there was no scent or DNA left behind. Every living creature leaves a piece of themselves somewhere in their kills. Teeth, fur, claws, saliva, blood─it doesn’t matter. There should have been something.

The local coven and Amara verified that no magic was used, so we can eliminate the possibility of a spell. This is getting more interesting by the minute.

As I prepare to patrol the campus, I think about Jules. I really need to see her. It’s weird because she’s been on my mind a lot lately.

A knock on my door startles me from my reverie.

Blinking my eyes, I hear my brother Kell’s voice outside the door. “Rowan, it’s me.”

Rising from my seat, I hide the file inside my desk and walk to the door. “Hey, little brother. What’s up?”

Kell steps inside the room and slumps down on my bed. “Khail told me you were back from your little vacation, so I thought I’d come to see what memento you brought me.”

I shake my head and push his feet off my bed. “I didn’t get you a damn thing, you dick. Now, get your dirty shoes off my bed.”

Kell slowly stretches his legs on the floor and smirks. “So, what’s up? Where did you go?”

I narrow my eyes suspiciously at his question. I’m sure that Mikhail put him up to it. My brothers can be such nosy old women. “Nothings up, and I didn’t do anything. I was just hanging out with friends.”

Kell cocks his head to the side, trying to gauge my honesty, then nods. “Any plans tonight?”

Of course, I plan on going to a sorority party at the Kappa house in hopes of finding a killer, but I’m not going to tell my brother that part. “Yeah, I’m going to a party at Kappa. There’s this really hot girl that invited me. How about you? Are you doing something with your beauty queen?”

Since they’ve both gotten together, Kell has called his mate, Amara, beauty queen. You can tell that she’s annoyed to be called that, but she accepts it from Kell because the two are completely in love. It’s almost sickening how in love my brothers are with their mates.

Kell rolls his eyes with a snicker. “Yeah, we’re going to Azazel’s for drinks. You’re welcome to come along.”

My eyes widen with horror. “Hell no, I don’t want to go. The last thing I want to do is sit around while my brothers make googly eyes at their girlfriends. I’ll pass!”

Kell chuckles in reply. He can laugh all he wants, but he knows that it’s true. I can’t count how many times I’ve had to sit there while my siblings played tonsil hockey with their mates.

“Awe, come on, man, we’re not that bad.”

A derisive snort escapes my lips. “Yeah, right. I’ll pass anyway. I’d rather go and have some fun with a group of hot sorority girls.”

Kell’s lip quirks as he sidles up to me and whispers with a sly jeer. “Juliet’s going to be there.”

My stomach tightens, and my mouth instantly dries. “Yeah? So?” I shrug, feigning a calm that I don’t feel. My brother is not easily fooled, though. No, Kell’s had a front-row view of my reactions to Juliet. If he only knew that what I feel is beyond an attraction.

“Come on, man, I know you like her. Why don’t you talk to her?”

It’s my turn to scoff at my brother’s casual tone. “Yeah, that’s going to turn out well. You do realize that the last time I saw her, I was tied to a tree with a stake in my heart, and she was in a catatonic state because she was traumatized by Marael’s monsters and zombies. What makes you think that she and I would work out?”

Kell shrugs. “I know what happened, bro─ I was there. But they erased her memory, which means you have an opportunity to ease her into what you are.”

All I can do is stand there and give my brother an incredulous scowl.

Raising my hands up in disbelief, I mutter in reply. “God, you make that sound so simple. But you know that I can’t reveal what I am to anyone other than my mate.”

Kell’s brow furrows as he paces around the room. “How do you know she’s not your mate?”

I shrug. “I don’t know. But the way I see it, I…I can’t go back. Not after what we did to her.” I don’t want to sound so grim, but it hurts that I can’t get past what was done.

Kell’s lips tighten. “I’m sorry, man. I guess I was hoping you two would make something work.”

Laughter bubbles inside my stomach as I gaze into my brother’s forlorn expression. “You do know you’re too tall and too ugly to be Cupid?”

He shakes his head with a chiding glare. “You’re such a douche. Fine, I’ll let you be. Have fun at your party then.”

He turns to walk out of the room, but before he can, I push him out and close the door on his face before he can protest.

A chuckle escapes my lips when he kicks the door and yells out. “Asshole!”

My brothers are idiots. I know they mean well, but they should know better than to interfere in my life. I did lie to Kell because I do feel a connection to Juliet. It’s just that it might all be due to my hunger.

The Kappa party is already on a roll by the time I get there. Several girls I know meet me at the door, offering me drinks and rub up against me, but I’m not interested. In fact, I haven't been interested in a long time. I don’t even remember the last time I had sex, let alone felt the need. The only girl that has awoken me is Juliet. I wouldn’t admit it to my brother, but for a second, a mere second, I thought my mate was Juliet. However, once my bloodlust awakened, I knew that it wasn’t the case. “Hey, Ro, I’m so glad you came!” Mercedes and Becky each lean on my shoulder with a sexy smile as they lead me further into the house. Becky hands me a red cup while Mercedes dances in place. Both of them are beautiful with bottled blond hair and blue eyes, but my body only wants one blond. And who should I see at that moment? Right in the middle of the dance floor in tight, white high-rise jeans, a red lace crop-top, and the highest heels I’ve ever seen, is Juliet. Her long hair is cascading down her back like a silk waterfall, and her body is sensually swaying to the music. My eyes travel down her luscious body, and my hunger instantly kindles.

Fuck! My heart speeds up, and my body hardens as the heat of desire coats me like honey. Mercedes or Becky are both talking to me, but I’m too consumed by Juliet’s presence to notice. Before I do something I might regret, I turn around and make my way to the other side of the house. Unfortunately, my resolve doesn’t last long, and I find myself veering from my path. Double fuck!