It felt like a stretch, but I wanted to ease the guys’ concerns.Mable had never experienced any issues with their fans; in fact, she kept to herself. However, you could never be too careful.
Which is why I ended up spending a lot of time in college lectures between her classes and Percy’s.
Percy was the only pack member who did anything outside of hockey. Initially, I was keeping an eye on both him and Mable, but as she was on maternity leave, I was only following him to class. He was getting a degree, requiring one-to-one surveillance while on campus. On several occasions, he had tried to convince us that he could go on his own. Sometimes I relented and let him because there were next to no risk factors when it came to Percy, but other times, I wanted to keep a closer eye on things.
I took my seat in the back of the classroom—all the professors knew Percy had security and were used to it by now, a fact I was consistently grateful for. I seriouslydislikedhaving to explain the situation repeatedly. Still, one of the professors had tried to kick up a fuss when Chase, one of my pack members, was on Percy’s detail, but a strongly worded letter to the dean and a visit to the office had put an end it.
Now, my days with Percy were usually… well, boring. Which was why, right now, I was allowing my eyes to wander the classroom, idly inspecting the students as they readied themselves for the lecture.
My stare landed on a small omega—she stuck out somewhat, as she was the only omega in the advanced statistics class. In fact, she was one of the few women in general, and her desk was set up in perfect order.
She was in her usual seat, right in the middle of the classroom, trying her best to blend in, her seated position giving her a sense of invisibility. In her hands was a bottle of water she was drinking from. Tilting her head back, she finished the entiredrink, with a few measured gulps, crushing it in her hand before tossing the empty container into her bag.
Alone today?
A month or two prior, I had noticed someone in a dark hoodie following her into class. At the time, I’d assumed it was a boyfriend or a friend. Nothing concerning.
Only, it kept happening—far too often for my liking.
Initially, I’d convinced myself that my interest was due to its potential relevance to Percy. I believed I was merely being diligent in my duties. However, as the weeks passed and I continued to observe, I began to notice something unsettling—it had little to do with my responsibilities or Percy. That realization had been as troubling then as it was now. The omega was not under my care, so I found myself questioning the motives behind my relentless inquiry. What compelled me to dig deeper into a matter that was not mine to unravel?
Yet I couldn’t look away.
During the classes, my eyes would trail over to her almost unwillingly. I was unable to stop watching the way she frowned at her textbooks when she was confused, or the little smile whenever she did well. Something about her exuded a quiet peace, and I was intrigued. I wanted to know more.
Eventually, after a week or two, I had given in to the urge to follow her—with Percy’s permission, of course.
I couldn’t shake the feeling that something wasn’t right. I trusted my instincts—they rarely led me astray—and this time, they urged me to delve deeper into my intuition.
After several weeks of sporadic observation, I decided to step up my surveillance. The hooded man, shadowy and enigmatic, was still suspiciously around, just a few steps behind her. He wasn’t always there; it was hit-or-miss whether he was following her on any given day. His presence caused anunsettling weight to sit in the pit of my stomach, screaming at me that something was wrong.
Years of training had taught me to trust that feeling.
Even if it wasn’t part of my job, I needed to know what was happening. I wasn’t a monster—if I could do something to protect the omega, I would.
One day, I had attempted to follow the hooded figure, but I lost him in a particularly crowded part of campus, which had enraged me. Years of training in surveillance and her follower managed to lose me so quickly?
With Percy not attending class for the last two weeks, my mind had wandered to the small omega—was she okay? I would be lying if I said I wasn’t relieved when I walked into the classroom after Percy to find her in her usual spot, seemingly unharmed.
After pulling out my phone, I hid it under the desk to avoid the professor’s annoyed stare as he tried to run his class. Even though he knew I was security, he still glowered at me if I dared to take out my phone, as if it might be contagious, and the other students would start doing the same.
While it was beneficial to have him treat me as a student so I blended in and could effectively do my job, it was fairly irritating. Still, the only way to reach everyone on the team right now was via text.
Spencer:
I have a job. Who’s free for surveillance tonight?
Bear:
I am. Mable plans to stay at home.
Chase:
Surveillance? PLEASE. I love our current job, but it’s so dull.
Bear:
You’re bored? You’re supposed to be a sniper with ultimate patience, aren’t you?
