Page 55 of Operation: Ogre

“Sorry,” the frat guy, maybe Shorely, said again. “Got to go to class.”

Chuckling, I extricated Carter from the rest of his soggy clothes. His bright yellow eyes glowered at me, and I just started laughing again. “Be grateful I saved you from that frat bro. He might have just toted you around all day.”

Carter hissed.

“The blood moon is tonight; I wouldn’t have thought it’d be affecting you already.”

Carter swiped at me, but his claws didn’t do much damage. Ogre skin was thicker than that. But it was two weeks before Halloween, and the blood moon was affecting all of us monsters, though it wouldn’t get bad until the moonrise. I paused, thinking about it. Perhaps that was why my instincts had been even worse than typical today. It was possible that the blood moon was riding me just as hard as my shifter counterparts. Dean Yaga had said that all monsters would be affected; I just hadn’t believed her, because I’d been mostly fine in the past.

A yowl sounded, and I glanced down at Carter, who was still trapped in my hand. “Sorry,” I muttered, putting him down. I snagged all of his soggy clothes and his bag. “I can walk you back to your dorm if you want.”

He made a low meow that sounded like a grumble, but he started off toward the dorms, his tail straight up in the air, so I assumed that was an affirmative. I had to slow my steps so I didn’t outpace the much smaller cat, but I didn’t dare to pick Carter up. He would’ve sat at my feet and yowled if he’d wanted me to carry him. So we just slowly plodded along until we reached his dorm. Fishing his keys out of his bag, I opened the door and said, “I’ll, uh, give you some space. I’m heading to the library if you want to hang out.”

Carter didn’t answer, not that I’d expected one. It sucked to be a shifter right now.

Like I’d told him I would, I went to the library and into one of the stacks areas that Chris and I frequented because there was a table that rarely had people at it. This time was different. A transfer student I sort of recognized but didn’t know was sitting at the table. It took me a second, but then I remembered he was the devil who’d been staring at Tate, Carter’s roommate, all during Chuseok. He’d been glaring at Peter, or so I’d thought. I had no idea if Luc and Tate were together—maybe, given how he’d been eyeing the human.

Chris would know. That thought made me frown and want to check my phone for the millionth time.

I’d almost turned around and left to find an unoccupied table, but Luc sighed, his shoulders sagging. With a weird sense of obligation that I had no business feeling, I headed over to the table and sat down. He looked up but didn’t remark.

Neither of us spoke. I didn’t know him well enough to know if he was shy, introverted, or just quiet. He looked like he was also doing homework, though he seemed to be staring at his phone more than actually working. Maybe he was upset? I almost thought about asking him, but my stomach roiled in discomfort. Luc didn’t know me; why would he want to share anything? Besides, it was the blood moon. He could just be having an off day, like basically all of us were.

After a minute, Luc gathered all of his stuff and left, not even bothering to glance at me. Watching Luc leave, I shook my head. I wished I’d been able to be more helpful, but I really wasn’t good with people. I couldn’t even ask him if he was alright. If only Chris had been here. He would’ve pestered Luc into talking, even if it was just to snap at him. But Luc was probably fine. Besides, he was most likely with Tate. I was sure everything was going perfectly fine with them.

I’d just cracked open my textbook and was about to start on an assignment when Carter wandered up. I wished he’d been here sooner. He probably knew Luc, and he was very similar to Chris in the ability to make people talk. A deep frown marred his face, and his arms were crossed. I cocked an eyebrow at the dark expression, but my shoulders curled inward and I slumped in my seat.

His frown deepened. “I’m not annoyed at you, Jaxon. Stop looking like a kicked puppy.”

“Wow, cranky much?” I asked, then blinked. I couldn’t believe those words had come out of my mouth.

Carter laughed, clearing the clouds that had gathered on his expression. “You have been spending way too much time with Chris.”

“Not possible.”

He rolled his eyes, but the smile stayed. Carter plopped into the chair beside me and slouched until his head could rest on the back. “I’m just embarrassed.”

“Why?”

“About not being able to control my shifts.”

I nodded. “Yeah, it seems horrible.”

Carter scoffed. “You think?”

“If it makes you feel better, my emotions and instincts have been on overdrive today,” I commented.

“You’re dating my little brother. Of course it doesn’t make me feel better.”

Heat rushed to my cheeks. “Fair.”

He turned to look at me, his eyebrows drawing together. “How are you doing, though? Like, don’t tell any urges regarding Chris.” He shuddered. “But I still want to make sure you’re doing okay.”

“I miss him.”

“Makes sense.”

“It does? It’s not… needy?”