Page 9 of Wolf Unseen

Much to my surprise, my wolf jumped up immediately. She spun in happy circles, whining with excitement.

I fought hard to maintain a neutral expression as Mr. Beak printed off some documents. My wolf’s reaction to the male made no fucking sense. I’d met a few shifters over the years, and she’d ignored all of them. What was so special about this one?

“Can I help you, Mr. Montes?”

The new arrival barely gave me a second glance. Was I that forgettable? I suppose I was now, thanks to my boyish haircut and glamoured appearance.

While I mostly avoided males aside from my sparring partners at the gym, I was attractive enough that heterosexual males usually liked what they saw. At least until I opened my mouth. Then they backed off.

“I’ll be heading home tomorrow, so I’ll have to miss some classes. Pack business,” the male said.

Mr. Beak didn’t look happy about that. I wasn’t sure whether it was the lack of deference to his position or the fact that a student wanted to skip classes. From what Felix had told me, students could visit the local town but couldn’t go home outside of the holidays.

That seemed rather draconian, but whatever. I intended to visit Trinity Falls as soon as possible but had no plans to explore the rest of the area.

After a brief dominance contest that had my wolf whining in desperation—for what, exactly, I didn’t care to ask—Beak huffed and lowered his gaze. Interesting that the male student was more dominant than a senior member of faculty. And also surprising.

Was this wolf shifter one of the mafia heirs Felix had told me about?

“Speak to Miss Damson in the morning, Mr. Montes,” Mr. Beak snapped irritably. “Oh, and while you’re here, Riley Scott is a new student, a human-wolf hybrid.”

My heart immediately dropped into my shoes. What a fucking dick. By announcing my less-than-desirable designation, he’d made it impossible for me to fly under the radar while I remained here.

The sneer on the shifter’s face as his attention slid my way said he clearly wasn’t a fan of human-wolf hybrids. Great. Not that it mattered. If anything, such an open display of prejudice made it easier for me to ignore his obvious physical charms. The last thing I needed was to fall into bed with a handsome alpha shifter. I had no intention of making the same mistake as my mother.

And possibly Lorna.

“Please show Mr. Scott the way to dorm number five.”

The shifter nodded, not bothering to conceal his annoyance at the request.

“You’re in room fifteen,” Mr. Beak added as he handed me a small packet, which presumably contained a key. “It will take some time to finalize your schedule, but my assistant will email over a preliminary timetable tomorrow.”

With that, Mr. Beak waved his hand in dismissal. No doubt as soon as he figured out a way to get rid of me, I’d be slung out of this stupid school.

5

Riley

Seconds after we left the office, Montes stalked off without a backward glance. I stared after him, speechless, while trying not to ogle his ass like a creep. What a douche.

My wolf didn’t appreciate being rejected. For some strange reason, she’d decided she liked the wolf.

You have terrible taste in males, I told her. Have some self-respect. She whined softly and turned her back on me as I left the admin building, bag slung over my shoulder.

Once outside, I scanned the area, trying to get my bearings.

Even though night had fallen, I could see well enough thanks to the tall lampposts at regular intervals. According to the campus map I’d just received via email, the main building behind me, constructed from gray stone, contained the admin and faculty offices, as well as an assembly hall, a ballroom, and other communal spaces.

Five dorm blocks lay to the left and right, and behind them, several more buildings containing classrooms, laboratories, an arts center, and a gymnasium. These buildings were newer, constructed from red brick and blocky in design. Green ivy snaked up the walls in places, softening the sharp edges.

The main building, from what I recalled from researching the place, was once the home of a prominent human family, but after they’d all died a century ago, their ancestral estate became a school for humans and then magicals.

I headed down a gravel path toward the nearest dorm building. A small group of males swerved around me, chattering to each other in low voices. They seemed young, so I assumed they were first-years.

All of them ignored me, which was just fine. Being ignored would make it easier to snoop around in peace.

The first building I reached was dorm two, according to the map, so I carried on. It took me another twenty minutes of walking before I reached dorm five. A crow perched on a lintel above the door. When I stared up, it flapped its wings irritably, cawed loudly, and then flew away.