“Bring him in.”
THIRTY-FOUR
ATTICUS
I didn’t have a well-thought-out plan as I marched to Rawling’s. I’d demanded to be let in and given answers, and that was the extent of it. It surprised me when the door finally opened, as I’d assumed I was going to have to fight harder than I had.
Channon, Bardoul, and Holden walked past me as I caught sight of Rawling tucking away a dry erase board while erasing scribbled words on the surface.
“I’ve let you in, but you’re not exactly welcome.” In the past, Phelan wouldn’t have dared speak to me like that. And now he wasn’t putting up with my shit.
I had to respect my alpha friend for that.
“I’m not here to cause a fight,” I explained.
Oil and water. That was what Rawling and I were to each other. Discovering we were twins didn’t change that.
“I need to know what the fuck is going on between Rawling and Professor Shaw. Because at this rate, he’s gonna get kicked out, and if he gets kicked out, it’s gonna be shitty for me. It’s bad enough that people know we’re related.”
Phelan looked to Rawling.
Rawling looked at Jack.
And Jack looked back to Phelan.
They were having some sort of a conversation, one I was not privy to, and it was pissing me off. Rawling nodded.
“If we tell you what’s going on,” Jack said, “you’d better be aware that I can kick your ass now if you share any of what I’m about to tell you outside this room.”
“Got it.” It wasn’t the threat that had me agreeing. It was my need for answers.
Phelan was tough, but I could take him. I wasn’t so sure about Jack, though. Not any more. Her bear had little control. I was 50/50 with her, and the two of them at once? Yeah, if they put their minds to it, I’d have no shot. Not that I’d ever admit that. And I didn’t want to consider fighting Rawling. His wolf was a badass.
It was weird being here and being the odd man out. I’d always been the one wielding the power.
“Ha! Like you could take me,” I scoffed, hoping they didn’t see through my bravado.
Jack chuckled and shook her head. “Fine. Sit down.”
Phelan told me about Professor Shaw and how the man thought Rawling's godfather’s sister, Charlie, was his mate, Charlie being Rawling’s adopted mother. I was aware of some of the background, but he added details. But then Rawling pulled out the dry erase board.
It was a fucking evidence board like they used in crime shows. Some of the items were erased and there were smudges, but I couldn’t make out what they’d deleted. What remained was about Professor Shaw may have killed Rawling’s adoptive parents and gotten rid of Mika at Coach’s behest. Yikes. I thought of all the times I’d been near Coach during archery practice and competitions.
I sank onto the couch. I’d assumed they’d messed up some assignment or had been caught cheating, though my attemptat creating that rumor and smearing Rawling last semester had blown back on me big time.
But they were talking murder twenty years ago and another last year, this time of a student, one I’d sat with in the dining hall. I gulped. Now I really didn’t want to be seen with Rawling, because whatever the professor intended for him—and if Professor Shaw thought like me, he’d be planning his revenge—I might get caught in the crossfire.
But they solved the problem by saying they were leaving Sombertooth. My moment of relief was followed by an emotion I rarely admitted to feeling. Uncertainty and possibly sadness. I didn’t want Phelan to leave. We hadn’t been getting along since he mated Rawling, but I was certain our friendship could be repaired. But now that would never happen.
Their decision shouldn’t have hit me that hard. There had been so many nights I’d have done anything to have Rawling gone, or better yet, never to have arrived on campus. But he was my twin, and while that didn’t make me like him, my wolf bugged me about him, saying we should get to know one another. Maybe even shift together.
Like heck that was going to happen.
Perhaps it was time to admit something I’d been hiding.
“Since you’re trusted me withsomeof what you know,” I glared at them because they were keeping information from me, “I need to tell you something.”
“Let me guess.” Jack tapped her lips. “You bullied Rawling before you were born.”
