Anders frowns. Then, he asks, “The school uniform—was it a match?”
“Yes. All the students wore the same standard uniform as the one you gave me.” He doesn’t respond so I continue. “I did meet with one of the school staff—I believe she was a music teacher. She was the only one willing to speak with me, not that I got much information from her. This is pure speculation, but there was something terribly off about the entire pack, especially at the school. If I had to guess, everyone was… well, mourning mixed with a sense of fear. Except for a bunch of punk-ass teenagers who could use a lesson in manners, especially the punk who leads that group.”
“Let me guess—the Alpha’s boy?” Elias theorizes.
“I didn’t sense he was an Alpha, just some punk with a mouth. He only caught my attention because he had a new scar on his left cheek.”
“Like from a fight?” Anders asks, studying the two bags I placed on his desk. One contained the uniform from the girl they call Little One. “What’s this?” He lifts up a backpack.
“After coming up empty-handed, I decided to walk through the forest, in case I could find anything on my way to the territory border, where she was found. I found that under some bushes.”
Anders opens the backpack and passes items to Chris, who flips through the pages of a notebook.
“I also discovered a shredded jacket with a hood. It’s in the bag with the uniform. Oddly enough, the tag is still intact, with the letter ‘G’ written on it. I found some markings on a tree not far from where I found the jacket. Several hundred yards away was the tree she was hung from.”
Anders looks to both Chris and Elias. “What grade do you think this textbook belongs to?” He tosses it to me.
A slip of paper falls out. It’s a photograph of a teenage girl with a heart-shaped face and platinum blonde hair tied in a long ponytail. Her striking dark eyebrows and thick, dark lashes contrast with the paleness of the rest of her hair. Full lips form a smile, showcasing straight white teeth. But her smile doesn’t reach her eyes, clear and ice blue with a dark ring around them.
I’m mesmerized by her beauty. My heart rate increases, and I squirm in my seat. Huh, it’s not like me to respond this way to anyone, let alone a picture of a young woman. The deep rumble of a distinct voice tries to push forward in my mind, but I force it down. Not now. Don’t do this now.
Elias bends to look closer at the picture and then passes it to Chris. Chris inspects it, and a sad smile crosses his lips. He reads the words on the bottom of the picture. “Ruby Falls High School, class of 2016.” He flips the photo over, but no inscription is written on the back. Class of 2016 means that girl should have graduated this year. She looks a bit young to graduate so soon.
Anders receives the photo, and I watch him intently. “Did you see a girl at the school who looks like this?” he prompts.
“If I saw a girl like that, she would have stood out.” All the pack members, including their children, shared the same characteristics—chestnut brown hair and brown eyes. Like most packs, you can tell who belongs. Nowadays, though, packs intermingle, leaving their territory for school or business. The Ruby Falls Pack is a very traditional pack. They keep to themselves, and people rarely leave.
A firm knock interrupts us. Ean ushers in a short student wearing a baseball cap, glasses that cover most of his face, a large t-shirt, long gym shorts, and a worn pair of chucks.
Suddenly, a deep emotional ache fills my chest. My vision tunnels. A burst of white light knocks me back into my chair and steals my breath.
His aura consumes the entire room, shedding the darkness and shadows that engulf me, realigning my soul. The light calls to me. I want to leap out of my chair and embrace it, embrace him. I grip the armrest, rooting firmly in place. Mentally, I shake off the strangeness of this feeling that formed deep in my chest. But this ache runs deeper than anything I have experienced before. The light curls around my heart and embeds itself in my soul.
“What did I tell you about your hat?” Anders teases.
What the fuck just happened? My head whips toward Ean, who hovers protectively. He nods at me in greeting and turns back to the student with a goofy grin. Confusion clouds the rational part of my brain.
The young man removes his hat, and Ean ruffles the already-disheveled hair—white-blonde hair. The student scrunches his face and brushes Ean’s hand away before hugging Chris.
“Hello, Little One. Did you enjoy your walk this morning?”
Little One? Little One… Wait. Is this…?
Elias’s booming voice fills the small office. “Why does he always get the first hug? What am I? Invisible?”
He, or rather she, nods at Chris, releases him, and walks toward Elias, who stands, dwarfing her already small stature. She hugs him, too.
“Did you get some sleep last night?” Elias asks. She nods. Elias gently touches her face, inspecting it like a doting father. His thumb trails the scarring along her left cheek. Satisfied, he drops his hand. “Good. Glad the boys are looking out for you.”
Elias talks to her with so much tenderness. My heart squeezes. What is that? I rub my chest. Maybe I ate something recently that doesn’t agree with me. No, I eat the exact samefoods every day, at the same times. I never stray from my biological schedule.
Guiding her by the shoulders, Elias turns her to face me. “Little One, this is Shadow. He’s one of our best guards, or he was. He lost his title since you outran him, too.”
Ean scoffs. “Best guard? What the hell am I? I’m the one busting my ass training the newbies, while this one goes off to a fancy college.”
“I don’t see you doing any training now. Besides, I’ll earn my title back eventually,” I counter, lifting an eyebrow at Ean in a challenge. He’s been training his whole life to become a guard. Then I arrived, and it all came naturally to me without trying. It frustrates him to no end, made worse when I don’t respond to his jabs or his competitiveness.
His brows rise in surprise, assessing me. I realize my facial expression is not practiced. I don’t usually banter with anyone. What did she do to me?
