Chapter 123

"Who is it?" I asked Lucas who was staring down at his buzzing phone.

His head snapped over toward me as if he had remembered that I was sitting there with him. He hid his phone from me on his lap.

"It's nobody."

But the phone continued its persistent buzz as someone called Lucas's phone. Each vibration was a reminder of the person's growing impatience.

I thought of the only person on this planet who would bother Lucas this much without a care in the world.

Kendrick.

"Is it your dad?" I asked Lucas again carefully.

When he didn't answer, I flicked my eyes over in his direction.

He looked at me with a straight expression, trying to conceal his true feelings.

"Aren't you going to answer that?" I questioned.

I couldn't help but wonder what had prompted this sudden interest. Why was Kendrick calling Lucas?

"No, I'm too busy to talk to him right now," Lucas said plainly. "He can wait."

I wanted to ask him more questions, but I could tell that he was growing annoyed. I didn't press him any further as he chose to ignore the calls. I'd rather not upset him right now when we have so much going on already.

The two of us hopped out of my car and began walking toward the building where Professor Black's office was.

The campus had an eerie feeling to it. It was surrounded by tall oak trees that would've sheltered us from the sun's rays had they not been all dead. I guessed the leaves were all gone because of the cold we had just experienced. All of the buildings were brick and the sidewalks were all made of cobblestone.

"How old is this school?" I asked Lucas as we walked quietly.

"Old," Lucas said, and that was enough answer for me. "I bet it's haunted."

"It looks like it," I said with a shiver.

Lucas and I finally entered Professor Black's building and walked up a large staircase to make it up to his office. Inside, the university seemed even more haunted. There was an odd smell. It reminded me of the way many old houses smelled. Like dust or mold.

"This place gives me the creeps," I told Lucas as we walked up the stairs.

"Yeah, what's up with all the creepy decor?" he asked as he pointed at a painting on the wall.

It depicted an abstract face morphed into some kind of creature. The painting next to that one was eerily similar.

"What building are we in?" I asked Lucas.

"I believe it's the Life and Science building," Lucas said, glancing around. Nobody else seemed to be in the building except for us.

It was so silent.

"Not much life in here," I said, attempting a joke.

Luckily, it worked and Lucas cracked a smile. "That was a good one."

I smiled back, "Thanks."

The two of us made it to the second floor, and Lucas instructed me that Professor Black's office was just down the long hallway. When we finally arrived at his door, it was closed.

"I'll go in first," Lucas said before knocking.

"Come in," a deep voice said from the other side. I assumed this was Professor Black.

Lucas looked at me with reassurance before opening the door.

"You okay?" he whispered.

I nodded.

He nodded back. "Remember, I'm right here."

I nodded again. "Okay, I'll be fine."

Lucas opened the door to the office fully, and I was taken aback by the sight before me.

Given the old buildings and campus, I had expected the professor to reflect that. I thought he'd be an older man in his fifties or sixites.

Instead, I saw a young and good-looking man.

If this was the professor, he was not what I had expected at all.

He sat behind a large mahogany desk with a pair of reading glasses perched on the bridge of his nose. Even though he was clearly young, there was definitely a certain nerdy charm about him.

Our eyes locked and he held an intensity that immediately captured my attention. They remained locked onto mine as if he could see into the depths of my soul.

"Please, sit," Professor Black gestured to the chairs across from his desk, his gaze never wavering from me.

I felt a shiver run down my spine as I took a seat. It was a little uncomfortable with him staring at me like that.

I was about to introduce myself when the professor spoke first.

His words caught me completely off guard. "You're a white wolf."

My eyes widened in shock.

How had he known without Lucas or me saying a word?

I exchanged a quick glance with Lucas, who seemed equally surprised. My mouth fell open and closed, wondering if I should dispute his claim or reveal the truth.

Lucas, ever protective, was quick to respond, "That's not exactly why we're here, Professor. Shana hasn't undergone the typical white wolf shift, and that's what we need your help with."

"Wait," I said, stopping Lucas. There was no use in keeping this from him now. My eyes turned to Professor Black. "How did you know that?"

"I can simply feel it," he explained as if that was totally normal. "You're a natural-born white wolf. There's no need to deny it."

My heart raced, and I found myself struggling to process this revelation.

Natural-born white wolves were rare, almost mythical.

It was as if the professor had unearthed a hidden secret without us uttering a single word. Even though I thought it might be true, his certainty clarified it.

So, I was the white wolf after all.

I looked at Lucas for comfort, trying to see if he was feeling the same way I was.

He sensed my attention on him but persisted with the professor, "You're right. We've... just discovered this ourselves. Shana shifted last night on her eighteenth birthday, but it wasn't a typical shift. It was... different."

The professor leaned forward, his interest piqued. "Different how?"

Lucas explained the events of my shift, the uncontrollable nature of it, the sheer power that had coursed through me. The way my eyes had glowed red. How I had shredded through all of my clothes.

That last part made me blush and I glared at Lucas.

Did he really have to mention that? Of course, he'd never forget that

The professor listened intently, his eyes never leaving mine as Lucas went through everything.

When Lucas had finished, the professor sighed, leaning back in his chair. "I've long suspected that someone is secretly breeding a different kind of wolf, one that deviates from the norms we've come to understand. But I never imagined it would be from a teenage girl. No offense, Shana."

"None taken," I replied.

I mean, seriously... Who would've suspected that the white wolf was inside a wolfless teenage girl? Probably no one.

As the professor watched me, I felt overwhelmed by his keen interest in me. What was he thinking right now? Was he trying to figure me out?

My mind raced with questions and doubts.

Lucas had warned me that people might seek to take advantage of my newfound abilities, and suddenly, I couldn't help but wonder if this professor could be trusted.