Chapter 95

Eric

I had just gotten through the second round of a game of beer pong when it happened.

Over the sounds of raucous laughter and loud music, I picked up something else: a whisper. My name, echoing in the back of my mind like a cold gust of wind slipping through an open window on a hot summer’s day.

Eric.

The feeling caused me to freeze, my ping pong ball flying off course and hitting the opposite wall. The other team laughed and jeered at my blunder, but I hardly noticed them; all I noticed was the sudden, unmistakable, unignorable scent of my mate.

“Rowena is in trouble,” my wolf growled inside of me, raising his hackles on instinct. “We have to go to her.”

My feet were already moving.

Now that I hadn’t been taking that special serum since I had been placed in quarantine, my wolf was back in full force. Sensing that something was wrong, I tapped into his strength and shut my eyes for a moment; when I opened them again, I could practically see wisps of Rowena’s scent in the air—all leading toward one place.

The bedroom.

I followed that trail down a narrow hallway, growling under my breath and shoving past various partygoers. A couple was making out in front of a closed door, but all it took was a low snarl and a dark look from me to send them scurrying away, hand-in-hand.

There, beyond the door, I could hear her through the wood: “No, Adrian. No…”

“Quiet.” I could hear the sound of a zipper being undone, followed by Adrian’s thick voice again. “It’ll be quick.”

“No,” Rowena insisted. “No, Adrian, I don’t—”

I didn’t wait for Rowena to finish that sentence—I didn’t dare to hesitate for a moment longer when she clearly needed me. Unleashing a feral snarl, I kicked the door down and surged into the room.

There, laying on the bed, was Rowena. Her dress was ripped, her makeup smudged, her hair loose from her ponytail, her new glasses smashed on the floor.

And there, hovering in front of her, was Adrian with his pants halfway undone like a fucking animal.

“Get off of her!” I bellowed, racing toward him.

Adrian’s eyes widened, but he didn’t have time to react before my fist was suddenly flying forward. My knuckles connected with his face with a sickening crack, sending him careening backwards against the wall. His body slammed into a portrait behind him like a ragdoll; glass shattered everywhere, shards of it falling on him like rain.

“My nose!” he cried out, clutching his already-bloodied face. “You fucker! You broke my nose!”

“I’ll break your ribs next, you pervert,” I growled, advancing on him. I grabbed the front of his shirt and hauled him to his feet, pushing him into the wall behind him. My fist reeled back for another punch, this time aimed at the center of his chest.

I’d gladly kill him, I thought to myself at that moment. I’d crush his lungs like I did to that kid at the pool party, only this time, it would be intentional. And this time, I wouldn’t let anyone save him. Not when he was going to…

“Eric…”

The sound of Rowena’s meek voice caused me to break out of my rage-filled stupor. Still holding onto Adrian’s shirt, I turned my head to see Rowena now sitting up on the bed. She was desperately trying to cover her breasts with her torn dress, her drunken fingers fumbling miserably as tears streamed in rivers down her cheeks.

It was only then that I realized that the party had gone quiet. Several students and warriors stood in the doorway, looking on with shock. Someone in the background was pressing their phone to their ear as they called the cops.

I needed to get Rowena out of here—away from the prying eyes, away from Adrian, and… away from anyone who might reveal her identity and endanger her even more.

Finally, with one last growl, I released my grip on Adrian’s shirt. He slid to the floor, still whimpering and clutching his nose, but I didn’t linger to see if he was alright. I was already striding over to Rowena, lifting her trembling form from the bed and carrying her to the door.

“Move!” I ordered, causing a few frightened students to scurry out of the way.

Ignoring the calls of the students who had contacted the police, I carried Rowena out of the house and to the car, where I gently placed her in the back seat.

“Eric… Eric…”

“Don’t worry,” I said softly as I buckled her in. “I’m taking you home.”

Even in her current state, her eyes widened into saucers. “We can’t go home,” she whimpered, gripping my shirt with a surprising amount of force. “Please. If Mom and Dad find out I’ve been drinking, let alone that I took a drink from someone I didn’t know—”

I grit my teeth, prepared to tell her that whatever she had planned was off the table, but… The innocent, frantic look in her eyes made me soften. Finally, I groaned and shut the door, jumping into the driver’s seat.

“Alright,” I said as I peeled away from the curb. “We’ll find somewhere else to stay tonight.”

…

I pushed the motel door open with my hip, flicking on the lamp with my free hand as I carried Rowena into the room. The light flickered to life, revealing a dingy, although not entirely uncomfortable, motel room. A single bed faced a small TV against the wall, a little table sat in the corner, and a small bathroom sat off to the side.

“Well… It’s not much,” I said as I laid Rowena down on the bed, “but it’s something.”

Rowena clenched her jaw, rubbing her clammy forehead with her hand while I went to the bathroom to get her a cool washcloth. During the car ride, she had told me what happened with some effort—that she had taken a beer from someone she didn’t recognize, got about halfway through it, and the next thing she knew…

Adrian was trying to…

I couldn’t even think about it. What mattered was that he hadn’t managed to do it, and hopefully his pretty little nose would be crooked for life. And I wasn’t done with him, either. He’d be lucky to leave camp alive come Monday morning, assuming he was stupid enough to show up.

As per Rowena’s request, I hadn’t taken her home. I couldn’t take her to a hospital, either, not with the chance of her identity being discovered. And my warrior cottage was also a no-go—it would be the first place the authorities would look.

No; instead, we would be waiting for these drugs to leave her system right here in this hotel room off the highway.

“Mom and Dad…?” Rowena asked as I brought the washcloth back and pressed it into her forehead.

I shook my head. “I told them that we’ve got everything handled. We’ll explain more once you’re rested.”

Rowena nodded and tried to sit up a bit, but I gently pushed her back down. “Rest,” I said. “It could be worse, but you don’t want to find out what it’ll feel like if it does.”

With a sigh, Rowena sank back down into the cushions and shut her eyes. I watched her for a few moments, grateful that she hadn’t finished the drink and that she wasn’t facing the full effects of the drug because of it.

But even then, my heart hurt just looking at her pale face, her trembling lips, her torn dress. She had looked so fucking cute and happy when we had pulled up to that party, and now…

Even the thought of it made me want to drive back there and kill Adrian on sight.

Finally, I went to stand. More than anything, I needed a bit of fresh air to clear my head, and I had noticed a vending machine not far from our door. “I’ll get you something to eat—” I began, only for my words to die in my throat as Rowena’s fingers suddenly curled around the front of my shirt.

“No,” she whispered, her eyes snapping open with an unexpected intensity. “Stay with me.”