Zoey growled again.
This time I winked at her. She glared back at me unamused.
“I’m going to overlook the growls as I’ve heard the rumors of your mating,” Briggs said.
“Are they really rumors if it’s true?” I asked.
“Touché.”
“So how’s my girl doing this semester?”
I knew Zoey was struggling in the class.
“She’s doing just fine.”
“I am?” she blurted out.
I chuckled. “Heard you are a bit of a slave driver this semester.”
“Stop. You know me.”
“I didn’t say I believed those rumors.”
“Are they really rumors if it’s true?” Zoey muttered under her breath, causing us all to laugh.
We said goodbye to Professor Briggs, and I wrapped my arm around my mate’s shoulder and started to walk out.
“Ms. Rey, you know, this was the most personality I’ve seen from you all semester. It’s nice to finally meet you.”
I looked at Professor Briggs curiously. She just shrugged back at me and walked away, disappearing to the back of the room which I knew led to her office.
“What was that all about?” I asked Zoey.
She shrugged, but I could see it on her face. She knew exactly what Briggs meant. And as we stepped outside the room where a group of students were still standing around, I saw it, and I understood too.
Zoey transformed in front of my eyes.
Gone was my sweet, funny, bold mate, replaced by the plastic version of protection. Her mask was back in place.
I hadn’t seen it in a while. I supposed she was too busy worrying about me and the verdict of my status here to remember to hide from everyone.
It did not sit well with me.
She sensed the change in me, too.
“What’s wrong?” she whispered as soon as we were reasonably out of earshot.
“Nothing,” I said, but even to my ears it sounded cold and off.
When we got to Greek Row, I muttered a goodbye and told her I had things to do. I gave her a quick, chaste kiss and left her standing there at the split. I would head left to the doghouse, and she would go right to Theta.
I was so distracted by my own thoughts and becoming so used to feeling her presence everywhere on campus that I didn’t even notice she followed me until I walked inside, nodded to the pledges hanging out in the common room as I walked through to my bedroom, and I heard them speak to her.
“Hey Zoey,” Troy said.
I whipped around to find her standing there. Her mask was only partially in place as her worried eyes met mine.
I sighed and motioned with my head for her to follow me.
