46. Maddox
All color drained from Hayden’s face at Detective Alwyn’s words. Her already pale complexion was now a ghostly white, and I was pretty sure that if she hadn’t been sitting, she’d have crumpled to the ground.
It took everything in me not to rip the man limb from limb. An image flashed in my mind of me punching into his chest. Of grabbing his heart and holding it while it still beat before ripping it from his chest.
Cillian pushed his chair back and stood. “It’s a good thing they’re college students and have classes to attend.” His eyes narrowed on Alwyn, making the man swallow hard. “But since you’ve been so clear about where we stand with you, you’ll understand that any future requests will be made through our lawyer.”
He tossed a tiny scrap of paper onto the conference table. “There’s his card.”
Detective Brower glared at her partner. She was well aware that he’d fucked up royally. But if I had to guess, she was used to that.
Cillian motioned for Hayden and Knox to rise, and I followed suit as they stood. No one said a word as we headed out of the conference room and down the hall. More whispers surrounded us as classes let out, and I couldn’t imagine how Hayden felt.
The moment we were outside, I breathed a little easier. Each inch of distance we got from that asshole had helped, too.
Knox wrapped Hayden in a hug. “Everything’s going to be okay.”
A wave of jealousy hit fast and hard. I wanted to hold her in my arms. Comfort her. Feel her heart beat against mine as her jasmine scent filled my nose. But that wasn’t in the cards for me. Not anytime soon.
Cillian cleared his throat. “Do you want to head home?”
Hayden twisted in Knox’s hold and shook her head. “I have English in a few minutes. I can’t miss another class.”
Cillian opened his mouth to argue, but Hayden cut him off with a shake of her head.
“It’ll give me something to do besides obsess.”
Knox shifted so that his arm was wrapped around her shoulders. “I’ll walk you.”
A muscle in Cillian’s cheek fluttered. “Pete and Terry are waiting by the SUVs. Take them with you.”
I was sure Cillian was battling the same things I was. All I wanted to do was get Hayden back to our territory, to our home, somewhere we could be assured of her safety.
Instead, we had to watch as Hayden and Knox walked away.
“We need to look into Alwyn,” Cillian growled.
I didn’t look away from Hayden’s retreating form. “I already have the enforcers pulling background checks on him and Brower.”
“Of course, you do,” Cillian muttered. “Where did they dispose of the body?”
Finally, I forced my gaze to my alpha. “Deep into National Forest land. No one’s going to find him. And if they do, it’ll look like he was mauled by wild animals.” Because he was, in a way. There was no one wilder than Cáel.
“Good.” Cillian studied me carefully. “You have it together enough to get a feel for what the school knows?”
The muscles between my shoulder blades wound tighter. “I have it together,” I gritted out.
Cillian simply looked at me in challenge. “You forget that I’ve known you almost half our lives. I know what you look like when you’re fighting for control.”
I ripped my gaze away from him, seeking out Hayden. She was small now, barely visible as she headed for the English building, Knox and the enforcers by her side.
“I failed her,” I admitted. The words hurt to say out loud.
“We all did,” Cillian said, emotion clogging his throat.
“But I worked with that bastard. If I hadn’t been so concerned with keeping my distance from Hayden, I would’ve seen he was fixated on her.”
Cillian’s stare bored into me. “So, what does that mean for the future?”
My back teeth ground together. “That I’m sticking close.”
“That’s going to be hard for your dragon. He’s going to be riding you hard to claim her, or at least to have physical closeness.”
“I’ll deal with it,” I snapped. Even if it was pure agony.
I caught sight of a figure walking toward the science building. “That’s the dean. I’ll see what I can find out.”
I didn’t wait for Cillian’s response. I simply strode toward the woman in her early fifties who wore her hair in an array of intricate braids. She looked like a woman on a mission, but she slowed as she saw me approach.
“Maddox. Have you met with them yet?”
No bullshit. Straight to the point. I admired that about Dean Robinson.
I nodded. “I did. They weren’t all that forthcoming.”
She huffed out a breath. “Of course, they weren’t. They’re disrupting my campus and scaring the hell out of my students. Paul probably just went on a bender.”
Before I could speak, Dean Robinson held up a hand to stop me. “I shouldn’t have said that. We should be doing everything we can to find him, even if he is an asshole.”
I choked on a laugh. “Fair.” The humor left me. “Have they told you anything?”
Dean Robinson shook her head. “Just that his wife reported him missing late last night when he didn’t come home.”
My brows hit my hairline. “Wife? I had no idea he was married.”
Her mouth thinned. “I don’t think Paul liked for that to be public knowledge.”
“Creep,” I muttered.
“You said it, not me.” Dean Robinson sighed. “I’ll need to find people to cover his classes and advisees.”
“I can take one of his classes,” I offered. “Just assign me one that fits into my schedule.”
She patted my shoulder. “You’re a godsend, Maddox. I’ll do that. And you know the Parrish girl, right?”
I stiffened. “Yes. She’s in my biology class, and she’s dating Knox.”
“Can you take her as an advisee? I’d like to place her with someone I know will be a good support after all of this.”
My gut twisted. More time with Hayden. But better a little torture than having her with an unknown. “Sure. I’d be happy to.”
“Thank you. I better go. Wouldn’t want to keep the cops waiting.”
Dean Robinson started on her way again, but I stayed rooted to the spot, wondering how the hell I was going to get through hours alone with Hayden without touching her.