"And what did he want in return?" Killian demands, stopping his pacing to face me head-on. "Because people like Villeneuve always wantsomething."
"Maybe he just wanted to help."
The silence that follows is so skeptical it's practically audible.
"He's a shifter-vampire hybrid, and if he's not, that means he's something so much worse, he usedthatas his cover story," Sean says slowly. "And he can somehow use magic. Which is impossible.Andhe drives an Aston Martin and dresses like a Bond villain. Bond villains don't just help people out of the goodness of their hearts."
"That's not?—"
"He really could be a demon," Sean continues, warming to his theme. "Or an ancient evil awakened from a thousand-year slumber.Ora time-traveling assassin sent back to destroy us before we can save the world from the robot zombie apocalypse."
Everyone turns to stare at him.
"What? I'm just spitballing here."
"That's stupid," Micah mutters. Finally, I think, someone is being the voice of reason. Then, he ruins it by continuing, "Robot zombies smart enough to take over the world would just go back in time to destroy the guy who invented the time machine when he was a baby."
"Not if they felt bad about laser blasting a baby, dude," Sean counters. "Zombies were people once. They have standards."
Micah scoffs. "Robot zombies weren't people. They'rerobotzombies. And you have no standards."
"Okay!" I hold up my hands before this conversation can spiral any further into madness. "Putting aside Sean's fascinating fucking theories, the fact remains that Villeneuve is our only option. Unless one of you has a backup plan that doesn't involve faculty members literally running away from you."
More silence. More skeptical stares. But this time, there's something else underneath.
A grudging acknowledgment that I just might have a point.
"He's probably going to ask for something," Rowan says quietly. "Something significant. Are you prepared for that?"
"I'll handle it."
"Regina—"
"I've dealt with manipulative supernatural beings before," I remind them. "Kyle wasn't exactly straightforward either. At least Villeneuve doesn't pretend to be something he's not."
"He literally pretends to be a vampire-shifter hybrid when we all know that's not what he is," Killian points out.
"Fine. At least he's upfront about the fact that he's hiding something."
Killian rakes a hand through his dark hair, the gesture broadcasting his frustration more clearly than words ever could. Through our bond, I can actually feel him warring withhimself. His instinct to protect me is straining against his full understanding that we're out of alternatives.
"There has to be another way," he insists, but the fight is draining out of his voice.
"There isn't." I stand up from the couch, forcing Micah to lift his head off my lap. He groans like I just killed him. "We've got five days left before the deadline. Five days. And every faculty member on this campus would rather fake a medical emergency than take responsibility for you four."
"That's hurtful," Sean mutters.
"It's accurate."
I look at each of them in turn. These are my mates. My pack. And they're going to lose everything they've built if someone doesn't make the practical choice.
"What exactly are you afraid of?" I ask, genuinely curious. "That Villeneuve is going to betray us somehow? Use his position as faculty sponsor to... what? Sabotage your grades? Make you do extra homework?"
"He could be gathering intelligence," Rowan suggests. "Learning our weaknesses. Waiting for the perfect moment to strike."
"Strike how, exactly? By giving us a pop quiz?"
"Don't even joke," Sean groans. "The last one was brutal."
