Chapter 10
Zayden
I don’t hear her footsteps at first, but I can feel her following me. Just as I felt her the second she stepped onto the ice.
We climb back to the first floor, and I push the door open, holding it just long enough for her to catch up.
Outside, the cold hits again—harder this time.
She hugs her coat tighter. Doesn’t say a word.
I glance at her as we start toward the dorms. “You shouldn’t be sneaking out like that,” I say quietly. “It’s not safe.”
She doesn’t argue. Just walks beside me, silently.
Luna slows as we reach Wolfswood Hall. She looks up at the dark windows, then at me. Her expression is unreadable. A mix of confusion, frustration, and something that looks a lot like fear.
“You’re not going to let the message go, are you?”
She lifts her chin. “Are you?”
I don’t answer, holding her gaze for one beat too long. “Get inside.”
She scoffs. “Don’t boss me around, Hockey Boy.”
The corner of my mouth twitches into an almost-smirk as she disappears through the door. But I shut it down before it forms. I wait until the light above her entry blinks green and the lock clicks.
Then I turn and walk back into the dark. I try to forget how natural that lift felt. The way her body remembered mine, but she doesn’t seem like she remembers me. Maybe that’s a good thing. I can’t get caught up in her right now.
Ravensbourne is quiet as I make it inside, except for a few students still drinking and playing poker at the student lounge.
I scan my card and step into my suite. The living room is empty; everyone must be asleep. Instead of going straight to my room, I knock on Jasper’s door.
It opens just a little, and Jasper squints at me with his messy hair that still looks effortless. “It’s two in the morning, Aldenhurst. What do you want?”
“I need a favor.”
He mumbles something under his breath and steps aside to let me in. He sighs, moving to the desk in the corner of his room and flipping his laptop open. “It’s always a favor with you.”
I know he’s not mad, just groggy because I woke him up, but I don’t want to risk it by waiting until tomorrow.
I stay standing. “I need you to wipe the camera feeds from earlier.”
That wakes him up a little.
“Which ones?”
“Between Ravensbourne and Wolfswood. Exterior and hallway angles. From around 11:30 to 1:30.”
“All right. What am I scrubbing?” He starts typing, his fingers moving rapidly despite the hour. But then he stops. “Okay, what the hell is this?”
“What?”
He turns the screen slightly. “First, you sneak out alone, around 11:40.”
Click.
“Then twenty minutes later, Luna.”
Click.
“And guess who walked her back to her dorm?”
I say nothing.
Jasper leans back slowly, arms crossing over his chest. “What the hell is going on?” he asks, quieter now.
I ignore his question. “Did you see anyone follow her or me?”
He shoots me a sideways glance but doesn’t push. “Not that I can see in the feed.”
“Good,” I mutter, stepping back toward the door.
Jasper turns in his chair. “That’s it? You’re not gonna tell me what you were doing with Luna?”
I pause, hand on the knob. “Go back to sleep, Jasper,” I say over my shoulder. Then I walk out, the door clicking shut behind me. I need to figure out who the hell sent the messages.
If my instinct is right, this thing’s bigger than just us. I think whatever’s coming started long before either of us showed up at that rink. And I’m not dragging Jasper into it until I know what we’re really up against.