Chapter 6: Pursuit

Luci’s POV:

Why didn’t I notice him leave? Why didn’t he stay just a little longer? Why did it even matter?

A flurry of questions swirled in my head as I tried to muddle my way through the chaos toward a clear thought. I could see the rest of the class heading toward the door, but the sounds they were making never reached my ears. It was like the world had been muted. The sweet smell was disappearing around me as my nose started to pick up the various perfumes and body sprays worn by my classmates.

My jaw clenched from the loss. Panic rose in me as I scrambled to get my bag together.

I slung my bag over my shoulder and grabbed my phone as I bolted up from the chair. I got stuck behind the last few students that were taking their time to leave. Of course, I had to sit as far as possible from the stupid door.

I felt my feet tingle at the thought of running past them and out the door, but I also couldn’t run like I normally could. When the door cleared of the last few students, I booked it toward the stairs.

My feet came to a dead stop as I realized there was a reason the other students hadn’t left so fast. The hall was suddenly full of people coming out of classroom doors or trying to come from the stairway.

I looked around, but there were more people coming from the other classroom doors that just opened. Even though our class had gotten out early, it seemed that the rest of the classes had all had the same idea.

I did my best to weave between the students that were coming from other wings of the building or trying to get to their next class. There was nothing else I could do. My feet shuffled across the floor with the others. The stairs were just ahead, but it took so agonizingly long.

My eyes darted across the sea of people hoping to see Gavin, but there was nothing. I sighed in relief as I finally reached the steps, but was dismayed to see an equally large crowd going both directions on the staircase.

If it wasn’t for the bulk of humans, I could clear the steps with ease, but that would look way too sketch for the crowd I was around. With how distracted I was, I was more likely to land on someone with a jump like that instead of the bottom step.

My body felt antsy as I tried to wade my way down the stairs with the others. I swore I could smell the vanilla and almond in the air, but it was so much fainter than before.

Was it because I became nose blind to it after Gavin sat next to me or was it because there were so many more people around me now? I held my phone up a little so I could see the screen. The sight of the number thirty that hovered over my messages icon made me flinch.

My foot gave way and I almost missed the next step. I was able to grab the rail next to me with my free hand, but it still held up the people behind me as I righted myself.

“Put your phone down,” I heard someone hiss behind me.

They were right to be mad. I should have been more careful, but it didn’t phase me. Not when I knew my father wanted to talk in the next couple of hours. He was more terrifying than the idea of any misstep I could make.

I tapped on Carlos’s name as I did my best not to look at the notification dot next to my father’s name.

‘Class over. Something went down.’

I clicked the phone so the screen turned off. Not because I wanted to watch where I was going, but because I wanted to see who I was passing. Seconds dragged by like hours until I finally reached the bottom of the stairs and beelined for the door.

I maneuvered around people and pushed the door open. The heat of the outside air smacked hard against my skin. It wasn’t even noon yet, but the end of summer temperature still meant the buildings were pumped full of air conditioning. Going from the frigid air to extreme heat made my temples pulse as I looked around the campus.

If luck had been on my side, Gavin would be just outside the building. I didn’t even know what I’d say to him at this point, but I needed to talk to him. I needed to know who he was. It couldn’t just be a coincidence that my instincts were practically screaming at me to find him.

Maybe he had wolf lineage or maybe he was a shifter after all. There was no way to be sure until I actually spoke to him though.

My eyes scanned the courtyard outside of the building like a hawk. There were more students and faculty milling around now that it was close to lunch time. I glanced at my phone to see no new texts. I decided it’d be better to look around than wait at the commissary for Carlos. He’d understand once I had a chance to explain everything.

I booked it down the front steps and tried to focus on the scent. The hot air pricked my nose, but I couldn’t pick up the sweet aroma that had haunted me since the garden.

How was that possible?

The scent had been so intoxicating to the point that I couldn’t focus on anything in class. Now it’s like it was gone again, just like earlier in the garden. I let me feet carry me toward the main campus courtyards.

The route I found myself on would lead me to where I had already planned on meeting Carlos, so I wasn’t being a complete stalker, but even I knew how weird this was. It’s not like I ever did stuff like this. Carlos was usually the one to get worked up over a situation, but even he might say I’m going too far.

My brain was screaming at me telling me just to forget about Gavin and get my focus back on school. It was the first day and I already basically blew off my first course even though I had shown up. I’d have to go back over the syllabus later at home since I spent the entirety of class zoned out, which was beyond annoying.

How could a stranger have such a hold on me?

This whole situation was ridiculous. I was practically hunting down a human, who managed to slip past me twice and catch me so off guard that I couldn’t even talk to him, let alone figure out what his deal was.

I kept my phone in my hand hoping to hear back from my bestie, but at the same time, my eyes scanned every face I passed by with the hopes of landing on Gavin. Every so often, I’d pause by a bench to fix my shoe, but really, I was trying to smell out the air and see if anything jumped out at me.

I walked passed the five-story library and stopped under the shade of a large palm tree. I thought about going in and having a look around, but knowing just how big the library was, I decided it was better to keep moving toward the commissary.

I brushed a few beads of sweat away from my forehead with the back of my free hand. The sun was relentless as it neared its peak. Considering how Gavin was dressed with those long sleeves, he was probably hiding out indoors somewhere away from the heat.

A sigh pushed past my lips as I looked around once more. Luckily, it was the first day of school, and people were looking all over trying to find their way around campus. The only difference between them and me was that this should have been easier given I was a wolf.

My hand vibrated once as I turned the phone screen up.

“Thank the Luna,” I muttered as I saw Carlos’s name on my screen.

I didn’t even know what I would have done if it was my father again. There was no way I could go through that right now on top of everything. I answered the call.

“Hey! Where are you?” Carlos asked on the other end.

“By the library. You?”

“How’d you end up over there?! I’m outside the Humanities building! Isn’t that where your class was?”

Something pricked at the back of my neck. I looked around the sea of faces that walked past.

Someone was watching me. I couldn’t tell where, but I had the feeling there were eyes on me from afar.

It could have been a human, but something told me there was a wolf somewhere close by. Even if I couldn’t see them, my gut told me I needed to choose my words carefully in case anyone was listening in.

“Yeah, it was. I got out early, so I took a walk. Sorry, you went all the way over there for nothing.” I tried to keep my voice light to any outside ears.

“You good over there?” Carlos caught on instantly.

I glanced around again as low-key as possible. It could be anyone watching me, but odds are it was someone reporting to my father.

I’d be better off trying to keep it chill and continue as if I didn’t notice anything.

“Maybe. I’m heading toward the commissary now, we’ll talk there,” I said as I got out from under the shade and made my way back onto the crowded walking path.

“If I get there first, want me to pick something out for you?” Carlos asked as I could hear his footsteps on the other line.

“Yes, please. Whatever looks good.”

“K. See you inside,” Carlos said as he hung up the phone.

I clicked the screen off but kept my phone out. If someone was following me around, I needed to be able to call Carlos fast.

Not that anything would be done to me out in the middle of campus. There were way too many humans for a wolf to try and start sh*t with me, but on the off chance something went down, it was better to have a backup plan.

As I rounded the other side of the library, my arms were covered with goosebumps. Whoever had eyes on me was behind me somewhere. I could just sense it.

I didn’t change my pace. There was no need.

Whoever was following me was at least obvious enough to be detected, so I may be able to slip from their gaze once I made it to where my bestie was waiting for me.

With any luck, Carlos might pick up someone behind me and get a description of whatever wolf was sent to stalk me.

Best case, it was someone sent by my father. That was an annoyance I knew how to deal with.

The worst case would be that Alex could have already sent a guard or two of his own. I wouldn’t put it past that jerk to send his buddies to spy on me.

Either way, I needed to shake this wolf tailing me.

I saw the side door from the library open to my left. I wouldn’t have given it another thought, but the scent of vanilla and almond wafted from the open door.

Great.