Page 50 of Wolf Unseen

My surly lion roared and swiped at the fallen rope, angry the wolf hybrid he was so protective over had almost died on our watch.

I let him throw his tantrum, and then we bounded off into the forest to release some steam before my next class.

29

Riley

Amessage popped up on my phone as I walked to my Shifter Politics class. My cramps had eased, but I still felt lethargic and uncomfortable. Way worse than usual.

Kasia: Hey! Are you going to the shifter fight ring this weekend?

I squinted at my phone, wondering what she was on about. Shifter fights? That didn’t sound like a school-sanctioned event. Ohhh. This must be whatever the huge alpha wolf had meant when he threatened the bullies in the canteen.

Maybe Simon would know more. I’d ask him.

Deciding to reply to Kasia’s message after class, I hurried along the path, ignoring the few sneering looks sent my way from wolves who still believed I shouldn’t be allowed on campus.

They could all go fuck themselves. Until I found out which shifter asshole had been with Lorna before she disappeared, I wasn’t going anywhere.

Unlike Tobias, who I hadn’t seen since the full moon party.

Part of me was relieved. If the lion’s sensitive nose had detected the scent of blood around me, the irritating wolf alpha might have too.

After the rope-bridge incident, I’d skipped the rest of my classes that day in favor of sleeping. Since nobody came knocking, I figured my absence must have gone unnoticed. Sleeping the day away helped ease my cramps but did very little to calm my rioting libido or help me unravel why being held in the lion’s arms had felt so damn amazing.

“Where were you yesterday?” Simon asked as he joined me outside the lecture theater in the main building. “I looked for you at lunch.”

“I wasn’t feeling well, so I slept all day.”

Shifters rarely got ill, so Simon’s eyebrows shot up in surprise.

“Is that because of…you know?”

A spike of alarm sent my pulse rate rocketing. Had he figured out my secret?!

“Know?” I fiddled with my phone while avoiding his gaze.

“I mean, are hybrids more prone to human illnesses?”

Oh. “Yeah, I guess so.” I wasn’t sure, although I assumed not; I’d never been sick as a child. Which was lucky, since we’d not had health insurance.

The lecture theater was nearly full, but we found seats near the back, where I settled down for a boring class on shifter politics. Yawn.

Professor Orio’s droning voice was enough to send me into a coma after thirty minutes. It transpired that listening to the origins of the Shifter Council was as boring as watching paint dry. Who knew?

Just as the professor launched into a detailed analysis of why strong shifter-mage relations were fundamental to the continued smooth running of the Shifter Council, my phone buzzed with an incoming call.

Mom.

What did she want? I declined the call, but two seconds later, she called again. After the fourth time, I realized she wasn’t giving up and something must have happened.

I spent the next fifteen minutes spiraling over what disasters could have befallen my mother since we last spoke. Knowing her, there were many possibilities.

As soon as the bell rang to signal the end of the class, I shot out of the lecture theater, not bothering to wait for Simon. The minute I’d crossed the field and reached the edge of the forest, I called her back.

“Mom, what’s wrong?”

“Riley, darling! Are you okay?” For once she sounded alert and happy. Unexpected, but better than drunk.