Resisting the urge to check my phone, I strut into the gothic-looking building like I own the place. Eyes linger and whispers grow loud, but I don’t break my stride.
Get in. Get out.
Make it look like you belong.
From the dumpy parts of town I’ve seen, this place sure gets most of the funding. Built like a monastery on the side of a hill, Wolf Hollow’s one and only college looks like something out of a bad vampire movie. Stained glass windows frame the arched ceiling while marble statues and glass walls offer glimpses of massive auditoriums and even bigger arenas.
Shrugging off the strap of my backpack, I slide out of my leather jacket and slip a pistol inside one of the pockets. It’s a baby firearm, nothing too drastic, but I’d rather go in knowing there’s some sort of insurance policy on me.
“Ah, Mr. Deville. Right on time.”
A man with a long grey beard stands near the entrance of the auditorium, his stiff posture and even stiffer beige cardigan making me think he’s the professor.
The students are still mingling in their seats, most of the back few rows already filled up with bulky bodies. A quick sweep of the room puts the women count at a measly two, a pretty redhead sitting near the front and a ginger scowling down at her notebook around midrow.
“Everyone, can I have your attention.”
The monotone delivery manages to gain exactly zero attention from the rambunctious students. Guys are nudging each other, the snickers coming from the backrow making me think there must be an alpha hiding back there.
“We have another new transfer this year. Hopefully this one doesn’t cause as much trouble as the last one.”
The redhead near the front row blushes lightly, her brows furrowed as she looks down at her paper.
It’s kind of cute.
“Needless to say, please give a warm welcome to Mr. Deville.”
I wasn’t expecting a splattering of applause, but the sudden silence is deafening. Scarred faces stare back at me, their harsh expressions hesitant, as if they’re waiting for a cue.
“We’ve never had a devil in Wolf Hollow before.” The voice slices through the room, drawing my attention to the back of the auditorium, “Have you come to confess your sins?”
It shouldn’t have come as a surprise.
But it did.
Green eyes, darker and more vicious than the emerald I stole this morning, stare at me with something that looks an awful lot like a challenge. Shrewd yet playful, I meet her stare with a smirk, watching the red stretch of her lips curve into a menacing smile.
The alpha has made her move.
Snickers ring out across the students, the tension diffusing as the hierarchy shuffles into place. I watch the men sitting near her shift uneasily, their gazes bouncing from the front of the auditorium to the queen holding her session at the back.
Wrapped up in the fiery embers of her gaze, I forget about the professor standing beside me until he chuckles softly.
“Your sins are no heavier than the ones already present, I’m sure. Please take your seat.”
And that’s my cue.
Swinging my jacket over my shoulder, I feel the weight of everyone’s gaze as I start walking towards the front row. The redhead is looking at me with suspicion, her lips pressing into a thin line when I pause near the empty seat beside her.
Green eyes burn a hole through my back as I pretend to weigh my options, casually studying the expensive material of the redhead’s oversized dress shirt.
I’m guessing wealthy boyfriend.
Mentally adding lover boy’s name to my list of targets, I keep going, past the empty chairs and the rows of guys who look like they live at the gym.
Cutting through the section right in front of Mrs. Alpha, I drop my bag at the empty desk in front of her and turn around.
Holy fucking shit.
