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“You need a hug?”
“Please.”
He wrapped me in his arms and squeezed. I sighed, long and deep. It turned into a whimper. I tried to muffle it against his shirt, but he heard it. He tightened his grip and practically lifted me off my feet. At least with him here, nobody could hurt me.
“Want to talk about it?” He pulled back a bit, but left his arms around me.
I told him about the night before, about the crazy vamp, and worries over my mom today, staring at the police tape, the horror scene I’d witnessed in the alley.
He growled under his breath, and I could tell he was holding back his anger over the vamp, especially when I told him it was the same one he’d been arguing with in the park.
By the time I was done, his eyes shone with a mixture of compassion and rage, and they actually glowed a bit, with a yellow tinge, like his wolf was watching me too.
“Everything’s going to work out, Ceci.” His tone was restrained, but confident.
Some of the weight I’d been carrying fell from my shoulders.
A gaggle of girls strolled near, stopping beside the police barrier, peering, pointing, and clucking like hens, flaunting designer handbags and heels. Their attention soon moved to Jax.
I’d seen them around campus. They were cheerleaders and friends with Mandy.
My eyes shied away as they whispered and smirked.
Turning and scowling at them, Jax pointed across the quad. “You lot, go. Now.”
Their grins melted and they skulked off, designer heels clacking on the flagstones.
Maybe they were part of Jax’s pack, with how quickly they responded to his authority. Or maybe it was just his strength and sternness. Whatever it was about his commanding presence, it was comforting. I was so glad he was here. I was glad I’d asked him to come.
“I was supposed to be studying all day, but I just can’t focus. I need to get home and see if my mom’s back.”
“Can I come with you?”
“If it’s not too much trouble?”
He clasped my upper arm, his strong touch surging tingles, reassurance throughout my body. “Of course not. Anything you’d ask would never be any trouble, okay?”
We walked back through the city towards my place. The afternoon sun was still out but fading. Distracted by thoughts of my mom, and visions about the murder scene, I made what small talk I could, complimenting him on his amazing football performance, his speed, the way he’d gotten straight up after even the strongest blows. He was modest, dismissive, not making a big deal out of it.
Listening to his soothing voice as we walked, I even developed some sympathy for Mandy, and her obsession over Jax. Who wouldn’t be happy with him as their guy?
We reached the communal door of my apartment building. I unlocked it, and Jax held it open, beckoning me to go ahead.
At my apartment front door, I took a deep breath, praying my mom would be inside, sitting on the couch, watching TV. I put the key in the lock and turned the—the handle felt odd. Looser, like it had been fiddled with. I couldn’t be sure if it had been that way in the morning, having been in such a rush. I stared at Jax in silence, then looked at the doorknob. He read my thoughts.
Placing a single finger across his lips, he gently moved me behind him, and slowly, quietly, opened the door, stepping inside with his face serious and fists clenched. I followed, hiding behind the V-shape of his back.
The good news: there was no intruder.
The bad news: my mom wasn’t there either.
I gulped, fishing my phone out of my bag. “I think I should call NLPD. This isn’t like my mom. Something’s wrong.”
He nodded. “Can I offer some advice?”
“Sure.”
“If you call them now, when it’s not even been twenty-four hours, they’ll just ask you to wait for her and call back.” He looked at me with kind eyes, as if he understood the desperation painted on my face. “It might even make them think you’re just anxious, overreacting, especially after what happened on campus today. It’s all over the news. I think there’ll be a few girls on edge tonight, across the whole city.”
