Jealous

EVERETT

Chaos howls.

I’m panting like I’ve run a marathon, but I haven’t moved.

~Why has someone sent me this photo of Aurora with her professor?~

She looks like she’s on a ~date~ with him!

I want to trust Aurora, but I’ve had my suspicions about this Professor Xander since this whole college thing began.

And if this picture is anything to go by…my suspicions may be correct. Xander is staring at Aurora with an awed expression, like he’s amazed by her. Or obsessed…

I try to talk myself back down to earth.

But every sensible thought I have—that I should trust my mate, that I could be misinterpreting the photo—seems to vanish like vapor.

~Was this the reason she was so tired last night?~

~What has been going on at that college?~

Now all I see is red. All I feel is betrayed.

~But who sent this, and why do they want me to see it?~

I feel my claws elongate as Chaos fights to take control.

~“Run! Kill!”~ he barks.

Usually, I would look to Aurora for help to calm me down, but she isn’t here. She’s somewhere else…with ~him~.

My body begins to morph—muscles bulge, fangs extend—as Chaos claws his way to the surface.

I take a few deep breaths and try to control him.

I’m still standing in the doorway to my bedroom, clasping the door with one hand, when Lucius approaches.

“Hey boss, you okay?”

I snap my gaze in his direction, and he freezes.

“What’s up, Everett?”

There’s concern and just a hint of fear in his eyes.

I shake my head, trying to regain my composure.

“Nothing, I’m fine,” I say.

“You want me to walk with you to the council meeting?”

“Sure. Just let me get dressed.”

~Just what I need—another council meeting!~

***

Sitting through this meeting is one of the hardest things I’ve ever done.

The entire time everyone is droning on, and all I want to do is run to Aurora.

I want to get my hands on Professor Xander and show him who Aurora’s true mate is.

~So much for a distraction.~

My nails dig into the arms of my chair. I’ve barely spoken for fear that I won’t be able to control my temper if I open my mouth.

Just when I think we’re wrapping things up, Ace leans forward and interjects.

“I want to ask the council one more time to reconsider their human ban at the Running of the Wolves.”

~Here we go!~

“Absolutely not,” Amber chimes in as if she’s the alpha of this pack and not me.

“It’s only one human and we’re supposed to be building bridges between our pack and the humans. This decision doesn’t make any sense.”

Ace is becoming red in the face and I understand his frustration. Amber has been a thorn in my side since the good old days.

“Humans are nothing but trouble, they’ll ruin the race—” Amber says, but I stand and slam my fists on the table.

I’ve had enough of Amber.

“Freya will be allowed to attend the Running of the Wolves!” I thunder.

“But Everett, you already said—”

“I know what I’ve said but what I forgot was that I am the alpha of this pack. I do not need to rule by committee.”

“You can’t be serious,” she spits.

“I am in charge of this pack and I have made my mind up!”

“Do this and you will never see harmony between our packs.”

I lean across the table, sneering at Amber. “Is that a threat?”

“It’s a promise!”

My rage has reached the breaking point. I spin around, grabbing my chair and throwing it against the wall.

It explodes into pieces, which clatter to the floor.

The entire council stares at me with wide eyes.

“You’ll regret this,” Amber says so quietly I can only just hear her.

“Alpha,” Lucius says, stepping forward. I step away from him and march out of the room.

As I stomp down the hall I shake my head, disgusted at my behavior.

I shouldn’t have behaved like that. My rage took over and I know I need to do something to release it.

I need to let Chaos out to run.

As soon as I’m outside I strip out of my clothes and shift. I release Chaos, who howls into the sky.

Heading for the forest, I take off running and I don’t look back.

***

RORY

I arrive home after class feeling less wiped out than yesterday.

Today Professor Xander and I took a break from our practical exercises to study the theory involved in reanimation.

To access the spirit realm, there is a specific ritual that needs to take place. I was just beginning to feel like I understood most of the components when we ran out of time.

As I walk back through the pack house, I become increasingly excited to see Everett and tell him about all my successes.

I feel like I haven’t seen him properly in a few days. I’ve been so excited about my progress at college and so tired from practicing that we haven’t had a real conversation.

Walking through the hall toward our bedroom, I’m struck with a weird cold feeling—like there’s a chill in the air.

~Something’s off.~

I arrive at our bedroom to find Everett isn’t there. I have this strange feeling, as if he’s not in the house at all.

~Maybe he’s out doing something for the pack?~

I decide to take a shower and read a book until he gets home.

***

Hours pass. Everett is nowhere to be seen.

I keep trying to read my book, thinking the second I stop thinking about him, Everett will walk through the door. But he doesn’t.

My stomach is rumbling. We would usually have had dinner by now.

I head down to the kitchen to fix myself something.

Ace has his head all the way in the fridge when I get there.

“Are you trying to cool yourself off?” I ask.

He leans back and smiles awkwardly.

“I think someone has stolen my cheese,” he says.

“Hey, have you seen Everett?” I ask, knowing if anyone has some idea of where my mate is, it would be Ace.

“Speaking of needing to cool off!” he says.

I scrunch up my face in confusion.

“What do you mean?”

“I haven’t seen Everett since our council meeting. There’s good news though! Freya is allowed to come to the Running of the Wolves after all.”

“That’s great!”

I nod and smile and wait for Ace to continue, but he doesn’t.

“So do you know where Everett went after the meeting?” I ask.

“He was in a pretty bad mood,” Ace says. “He went for a run in the woods to cool off, I think. He’s probably still out there.”

“Oh.”

I turn to look out the window. It’s dark outside—just the silver light of the moon in the treetops.

“How long has he been out there?”

Ace has started rooting around in the fridge once more.

“A few hours,” he says. “But I wouldn’t worry. Sometimes when Chaos takes control, Everett stays out for days.”

“Right.”

My shoulders slump forward and I suddenly feel really tired. I know that Everett needs to let his wolfy side out sometimes, I had just hoped we might spend some time together tonight.

“Of course, he’s never stayed out that long since he met you,” Ace continues. “He’ll probably be back soon. Oh hey! My cheese!”

Ace stands up, holding a moldy-looking slice of…something.

“You want some?” he asks.

“No, thanks. I’m going to head to bed. Goodnight.”

***

I can’t sleep.

Everett still isn’t back and without him beside me, I struggle to relax.

~Where is he?~

I know he needs time to let Chaos run. But I’m starting to get worried.

Eventually, I drift off, but it isn’t a deep sleep.

The next morning I wake, feeling exhausted, to find the bed is still empty.

~Now I’m really worried!~

I get dressed and hurry through the halls of the pack house looking for someone who might have a clue where Everett is.

“Lucius!” I call out when I spot the pack’s beta hovering in the entryway.

“Hi Aurora,” he says.

“Everett didn’t come home last night,” I say. “Ace told me he let Chaos out running but he should have been home by now, shouldn’t he?”

“Weird,” Lucius says. “I thought he would have told you.”

“Told me what?”

~What’s going on!?~

“He mind-linked me this morning to say he was going out on pack business.”

I feel like I exhale for the first time in twelve hours.

“Oh, he didn’t say anything to me.”

“He said he’d miss today’s council meeting but be back by dinnertime... He didn’t mention anything to you?”

“Nothing.”

Part of me is crazy relieved. At least I know he isn’t still out in the woods somewhere.

But something still doesn’t feel right.

I have no idea where Everett has gone and, worse than that, I don’t know why he didn’t tell me he was going.

“Are you okay?” Lucius asks.

“Fine, um, thanks. I’ve gotta go or I’ll be late for class.”

“Have a nice day,” Lucius says.

~Everett, where are you?~

***

My thoughts are a confusing mess of questions and concerns as I walk through the college campus.

I’m supposed to be doing more studying today but I don’t know how I’m going to be able to concentrate.

All I keep thinking about is Everett.

~Why didn’t he tell me he was leaving?~

I don’t need to know everything he does but just a note would have been nice.

That’s why I can’t help but feel like something is wrong.

Whatever has called Everett away, it has to be pretty urgent for him to ignore me like this.

I’m still thinking about him when I reach the lab.

I pull open the door and gasp.

Suddenly, I’m not worried about Everett’s whereabouts anymore because he’s right here.

Everett is in the divination lab, holding Professor Xander in a headlock!

“Get off me!” Professor Xander yells as he struggles against Everett’s grip.

“You’ll pay,” Everett growls.

I run into the classroom.

“Everett! What are you doing?!”