Eryn
A sea-kissed breeze grazed my cheek as I stepped off the stale Greyhound bus. It had taken two days to get here, and the glint of the morning sun off the cresting waves was a welcome sight. Stretching out the kinks in my back, I basked in the still-warm, late-season sun and smiled for the first time since leaving my parents’ house.
The ocean. I’d never seen it in person. My gaze followed the rolling waves, mesmerized by how they shattered along the shoreline. Even this late in the season, there were surfers idling just past the break; fellow students most likely. The private beach behind the bus depo belonged to the college and was used heavily by its world-renowned Marine Biology program. Most of it was cordoned off for conservation, but I read in the brochure that a portion was saved for student use.
The small strip of sand led far into the distance where ocean spray gave way to palm trees and ancient brick buildings withpolished steeples. Moorcroft University. I grabbed my meager belongings from under the bus and took the first steps toward my new life. My sleeping bag strapped atop my backpack, and duffel over my shoulder, I took the scenic route along the coast. Even out here, there were signs directing where to go and pointing toward specific campus landmarks.
I needed to check-in at Midnight Hall and according to the small campus map, that was on the opposite side from the beach. Meaning it was at least two miles from where I now stood. There were campus shuttles that circled the outer perimeter, but their schedule was too slow. What if I had to run in the middle of the night? Two miles on foot was a long way with someone chasing you.
The sound of the ocean merged with the roaring in my ears. Panic was a default setting for me. It always hovered in the back of my mind, ready to surge forward and take over at the first sign of trouble, and having my main escape route so far from where I’d be staying was definitely not good.
There are other ways to disappear,I reminded myself, forcing much-needed breaths into my lungs.The bus might not be the best option.
That was true enough. Being reliant on a bus schedule wasn’t the best course of action when every minute mattered in a race for freedom. Stealing a car was another option and very possible for me. Disappearing into the shadows was a specialty of mine. I could easily vanish and avoid capture if I had enough of a head start.
Barely escaping the tribunal meant my family had to go even deeper into hiding, and being idle was never my strong suit. I took my pre-req classes online and learned all sorts of new trades to keep those prejudiced assholes and my potential bond mate off our backs. But after two years of fixing up stray animalsby day and broadening my life of crime by night, my parents had had enough.
They wanted me to have a good life, one not spent hiding and staring at the syllabi of classes I could never take. I was kicked out, in no uncertain terms, to finish my college degree in person. To become a veterinarian. My ultimate dream. But old habits die hard, and a childhood spent running for my life wasn’t something I could just quit. I was still in danger, and I had backup plans on top of backup plans in case I was found, but… they were right. Enough was enough. I had to live my life at some point, and if I was careful, I could spend my future fixing helpless animals among the humans until the tribunal assumed I died.
The ancient brick buildings finally took shape as I neared the start of campus. Sand blew across the sidewalk and I slowed my steps to a stop. I strained my hearing, listening for the cry I thought I heard. The ocean on my left was thunderous, demanding the attention of any who dared stand too close, but even its fury couldn’t drown out the sound. It wasn’t my ears I was using, anyway. The cry rang out again, and I followed it closer to the boardwalk, where a large, two-story building jutted out right along the water.
A massive fence, large enough to stop a truck, marked the boundaries of an outdoor space in the back. One side of the brick walls morphed into wood panels that then connected to the dock, with a ramp leading into the water. There was a garage door there too, perfectly positioned for a boat to be launched and returned. The other half of the building faced a parking lot.
What was this place? Was it part of the college? As I grew closer, more voices joined the first until my head swam with their pain. Whatever this was, there were injured animals behind those walls. My eye twitched as an uncomfortable throbbing took root behind it. I couldn’t tune them out—not that Iwould, they needed me—but I also didn’t know how to get inside and help them.
The mental aspect of the nightmare gifts manifested in a different way for me than my parents. I could still break into minds, human or supernatural, with some degree of success, but last year I realized I could connect with animals as well. Communication outside of vague feelings and jumbled images was impossible, their minds weren’t as complex, but it was just enough for me to pinpoint where the pain or illness was coming from.
This open connection drew animals to me like bees to pollen, and I was powerless against their innocent cries and begging mewls. Unfortunately, my gifts didn’t include healing, so I had to patch them up the human way…if I could. It was why I wanted to be a vet. What use was this connection if I couldn’t fix the problems it showed me?
A metal door beside the fence caught my eye, and I crept toward it. The cries got louder the closer I moved until my hand wrapped around the doorknob. Glancing up, there were no cameras and I sensed no humans nearby. The lack of security made me brave, and before I could second guess myself, I knelt in front of the door and reached for my lock picks.
Some of the cries in my head filtered out. I still felt their life force, but the pain was now locked away behind a muted haze. I worked faster. Picking locks could be tricky if you didn’t pay attention. There were small clicks to listen for and brief changes in the gears. It was hard enough to focus with the raucous calls in my head, but now my chest was acting up too.
There was a pressure pressing out from behind my ribs and a flutter that felt odd enough to make me pause. Someone was coming. I swiftly stood, tucking my picks into my pocket just as the door swung open and knocked me back. My butt met the cold sidewalk, sending a shockwave up my tailbone. The weightof my bags toppled me even further until my sleeping bag was the only thing that kept my head from kissing the concrete. When I tried to sit up, I found myself too heavy to rise, and I lay there, stuck like an upside-down turtle.
That’s when I noticed him. He was easily the most beautiful man I’d ever seen. A strong jaw and symmetrical lines, full lips. His hair was three different shades of blond swirled together, with the strands swooping low over one eye in a style that appeared effortless but must have taken at least an hour to accomplish. And those eyes, a strange turquoise to match the ocean.
His shock settled before mine did, and he raised a sandy brow. The action pulled at a crescent scar that started in the corner of his eye and reached the top of his cheekbone. It didn’t distract from his beauty. If anything, it added an air of danger I couldn’t shy away from despite the panic screaming somewhere in the back of my mind. I was struck by a sense of recognition so strong that my heart stopped in my chest.
How was he familiar? I was sure I’d never seen this man before in my life. His lips started moving, a perfect cupid’s bow marked with another scar. This one was tiny and pale white with time. My palm rubbed across my breastbone to try and ease the weird ache. The man cleared his throat, and I realized he was talking to me.
I forced my eyes to meet his and recoiled at the disgust I saw there. Anger radiated off him in waves, and the feel of it didn’t match the view I’d spent the last few minutes admiring. I blushed, knowing it was rude to stare, and averted my gaze.
“Predictable,” he scoffed.
My mouth dropped and a small, incredulous laugh escaped. Why did all the beautiful ones have to be so conceited?
“Excuse me?” I asked, no longer shy about meeting that glare.
“Freshmen aren’t allowed in the hospital.”
That was all he said before pinning me with another dirty look. Who pissed in his Cheerios? His audacity floored me, but then his words registered, and I forgot about his sour attitude. This must be the veterinary hospital. I read about it online and it was why I chose to pursue my degree here. Students got real-time, practical experience under the watchful eyes of the instructors, starting junior year.
I took in the building with a whole new outlook. That would explain the injured animals calling out to me from inside. And why it felt like a haze settled over some of them. Pain medication diluted the connection. The animosity coming from the grumpy Adonis saturated the air, and my chest gave another throb.
“I didn’t know.” I plastered on a fake smile. It was the truth, but I couldn’t bring myself to do more than admit it, not with that superiority complex staring right at me.
He tapped on the back of the door where an “Authorized Personnel” sign hung. And below that, “No Student Access.” So what, I ignored the signs. I wasn’t going to let them stop me from helping innocent animals. I didn’t care how hard he glared at me. If there had been a sign that said “Hospital” or some other identification of what this place was, I would have given it more thought.
