Chapter 14 Jack
Chapter fourteen
Jack
I left the classroom with a smile on my face, more satisfied than I’d been in days, before I realized I’d left my bag back in the gym.
Normally, I wouldn’t care about my clothes, but I’d also left my phone and my dagger in it, things I couldn’t hide in the training clothes Julian had brought for me.
Quickly making my way back to the gym, I prayed the meathead werewolves had finished their work outs and vacated the premises. The last thing I needed was for them to smell what Tate and I did all over me.
It was one thing to poke the vampire with Kyren by rubbing it in his face and quite another to broadcast it to the entire academy.
Unfortunately, luck was not on my side. The moment I opened the gym door, the sound of weights clanking and distinct musky smell of wolf filled my nose.
Keeping my eyes forward, I stalked across the room to the other side of the mat where I’d left my bag. It was gone. Frowning, I glanced around wondering if someone had moved it so they could use the mat.
“Look who’s back?” a rough thundering voice echoed across the gym to me. A chorus of laughter followed the announcement.
I ignored the voice, figuring Julian probably grabbed it.
Before I could finish crossing the training mat completely, the werewolf who’d made a big scene appeared in front of me, flanked by several of his buddies.
“So,” he smirked, “the vamp and traitor aren’t enough for you? You screwing the professor, too? You know,” he lowered his voice, arrogance filling his voice, “if they’re not satisfying you, I’m sure we could throw you a bone.”
The wolves chortled at his words.
I stepped up to him, not letting intimidate me.
“Sorry, I don’t think you have what it takes to satisfy me.” I glanced down at his gym shorts, pretending to assess his package, and then back to his face. “I need more than a tic-tac to get me going.”
The round of surprised laughs behind him caused the werewolf’s face to turn red, steam practically pouring from his ears at my insult.
“Whatever,” he grunted, “I wouldn’t want you, anyway.”
Thinking his harassment was done, I pushed past him until he called out after me. “You’re nothing but a vamp slut, just like your mother.”
My feet froze. Rage like I’d never felt before filled my chest. He could insult me all he wanted. He could kick, hit, call me names, and I would take it. Dish it back, too, in equal measure.
But if you insulted my family, my mom especially, then you were looking at pain. All the pain.
The wolves parted as I stalked back up to the smirking wolf. He had his arms crossed over his chest, staring down his nose at me like I was some kind of bug on his shoe. I stopped before him, eyes locked on him.
“What did you say?”
“You heard me.” He grinned wickedly. “You and your mom are little vamp sluts. Can’t go a second without getting dicked down or bi— Ouch, ow, fuck let go!”
My fingers tightened on his ball sack, twisting as I went. “I’m sorry, what was that? I can’t hear you over all the dick I’m getting.”
His eyes flashed yellow, and fur sprouted along his arms, his teeth elongating.
“Don’t you dare shift,” I growled, getting into his face as his knees gave out on him. I had to release him so I didn’t get dragged down with him, but I took pleasure from shoving him over with my foot.
The wolves watching us backed up a step but didn’t interfere. Probably would have thought that it would be unmanly to need help fighting a woman.
My bully rolled onto his hands and knees, back arching, bones cracking. I crouched down in front of him, annoyance adding to my fury.
“Do. Not. Change.” My booming voice rang out through the gym. I chalked it up to the acoustics of the open space, making me sound all scary like the Wizard of Oz.
Whatever it was, worked. His back relaxed. Fur receded. His eyes returned to their normal color as he watched me with a terror he hadn’t had a moment ago. He shoved back from me, fell back on his ass, and scrambled away.
“Stay… stay away from me,” he stuttered, fear and piss stinking up the gym.
I straightened until I was standing, watching him with growing confusion. I took one step toward him, and he yelped, covering his head with his arms.
“Oh-kay.” I paused, shaking my head at him. “Next time, watch your mouth.”
“Yes, of course,” he croaked out, his body shaking all over. “I promise. I’m sorry. I’m sorry.”
I left him like that while his friends crowded around him, completely baffled by what had just happened.
By the time I’d left the gym and started toward Julian’s apartment, I’d chalked it up to the wolf not expecting me to stick up for myself.
Then again, most guys couldn’t handle a little rough action with the goods.
Oh well, at least he’ll leave me alone from now on.
“Caw!”
My head jerked toward the sound. A single black crow sat on a tree branch in the courtyard. Its shiny black eyes stared at me, its head tilting to the side as if waiting for something.
Rolling my eyes at my dad Antoine’s theatrics, I tried my best to ignore the crow. It seemed to watch me all the way around the courtyard until I turned down the hallway.
Most students had gone to lunch or were trying to get some last-minute homework done in the library, leaving most of the hallways deserted. No one noticed me slipping into the teacher’s quarters and heading to Julian’s apartment.
I turned the corner and stopped dead at the auburn-haired beauty standing in front of Julian’s door.
Dipping back behind the corner, I watched her wait.
She must have just knocked because Julian opened the door a moment later, his face going from wary to surprised before landing on polite professionalism.
“Professor Campbell,” Julian said, his eyes peering at her over his glasses, his hair wet and slicked back, button-up shirt open at the neck. He’d clearly just gotten out of the shower after our training.
“Julian,” Professor Campbell giggled and stepped closer to him, placing a hand on his bicep, “how many times do I have to ask you to call me Abigail?”
Julian nodded. “Abigail. What can I do for you?”
“I thought we could go have lunch together. Somewhere off campus? I know this cute little cafe about ten minutes away.”
I couldn’t see her face but assumed she was giving him some kind of pouty look with the way her voice seemed to pucker.
My eyes rolled at her obvious attempts to gain his attention. If she wanted to get a hunter like Julian’s attention, you didn’t flirt with lunch. You showed off your weapons skills or knocked him on his ass in training. That’s what impressed him, not getting some soggy sandwiches.
“Of course.”
I sucked in a sharp breath. Julian’s eyes shot over the professor’s head and locked with mine.
“I’ll meet you at the front gate in twenty minutes? I have to give something to a student.” He jerked his chin toward where I hid.
Seeing my ruse was up, I stepped out of the shadows and leaned against the wall, a tight smile on my face. “Sorry to interrupt.”
“Oh.” Abigail blinked at me and then smiled to Julian, unsure. “I’ll just meet you down there.”
Her eyes moved over me as she walked away, her hips swaying aggressively. She was clearly reading more into my being there than what was actually happening.
Julian opened his door further and stepped back into his apartment. “I’m assuming you’re here for this.”
I followed after him, accept the black bag from his hands. “Yeah, thanks.”
When I didn’t leave right away, Julian turned to me, pushing his glasses up his nose before tucking his hands into his pockets.
“Did you need something else?”
Why did he seemed so pissed off? He’s the one who started a fight with Tate again. I was the one who should be mad at him. Plus, there was the red head. Looping the bag over my shoulder, I stared him down.
“Guess what you said about focusing on the mission only applied to me, huh?”
Julian placed a hand on the island and leaned toward me taking a big whiff. “And you’re clearly not following it. So why should I?”
My back stiffened at his implication. I figured he’d be able to smell Tate on me, but didn’t think it’d be such a big deal. It wasn’t unusual.
“So, you’re going out with her then?” I continued, not letting him back out of this one. If he was going to stick his nose into my love life, then that meant I had every right to do the same.
Julian shrugged. “I don’t see it as a date. She could have valuable information we need for the mission. Plus, it helps keep my cover. You coming to my apartment all the time does not.”
“Well, next time, leave my bag where it was,” I quipped. “I had to beat up a wolf just to get back out of that gym.”
“Are you alright?” His brows furrowed, eyes skimming over me.
I shrugged back. “I’m fine. Just a bunch of dickheads running their mouths. I took care of it.”
Julian nodded, quiet for a moment before calmly asking, “Are you two back together?”
“Do you even care?” I tilted my head to the side. “You’ve got miss professor waiting for you.”
He took a step toward me, and his hand out reached before dropping. “I care if he’s going to hurt you again.”
I huffed a laugh. “Out of the three men who I’ve been involved with, he is the only one who hasn’t hurt me.” My hand tightened on my bag as I dipped my head to him. “Have fun at your lunch, professor.”
Turning my back on him, I didn’t wait to see his reaction to my words. Julian had made it clear last year that we couldn’t be together. Why would I think that now as any different? It wasn’t like he was jealous of Tate. He probably only cared about the effect it’d have on our mission.
Sighing once outside of his apartment, I pulled my phone out of my pocket and shot a text off to the family group chat.
Me: Knock it off with the crows, dad.