Page 11 of Pack Kasen: Part 1

He grins at me. “That too. Come on. Let's eat pizza and cake before the crowd slams us.”

I take a seat with everyone else and dig into pizza, though I don’t eat nearly as much as I want to. If anyone knew I could destroy those five family size pizzas in under five minutes and it still wouldn’t touch my sides, they’d know I wasn’t completely human.

No matter how much I eat, I don’t get fat, which I put down to a crazy fast metabolism when anyone asks. And because I could bench press the whole football team if I wanted to, I stay away from doing anything that would make anyone give me a second look.

“When do you move into your big girl apartment?” Laura asks.

Her hair is pink today. Next week, she’ll be neon blue. How it hasn’t fallen out with all the bleaching she does will forever be a mystery to me.

“Not yet.” I wince when I recall the price of my new apartment. “I want to make sure I have that work contract in my hand before I sign on the dotted line.”

There’s no way I’d be able to afford an apartment in the middle of the city without such a well-paying corporate job, and I have no interest in living a million miles away from my office and being packed in like a sardine on the train to get to work each day.

Because the apartment is close to a park, it gives me a green space to explore so I won’t lose my mind working in an office every day.

If I have to pay a premium for an apartment near work and a green space, I’ll pay the premium, assess the situation after a year, and move if things don’t pan out.

We devour the pizza and cake, chatting about what we’ve been up to and the killings on campus between bites. But all too soon, we hear the DJ setting up in the bar, which means it’s time to start our shift.

As usual, the night is over almost before I know it. When you barely have a chance to take a breath between pouring shots and beers, time always flies.

I clock out at 11 and cut across campus on my way back to the dorms, enjoying my peaceful surroundings.

Since the murders started, there are more cops than ever before. The college must have hired more security to patrol at night as well because campus security has tripled. Instead of closing the college and sending thousands of students home, we’ve been told to not go wandering around at night.

It seems to be working because there are no other students around. Just me.

The students whisper that it’s a serial killer, and cops think it’s a wild animal that escaped from the zoo. But if there are fewer and fewer students out at night, how does the killer keep getting my exes andonlymy exes?

I make it to my dorm building, swipe my keycard to get in, and jog up the stairs to my room. I quickly use the bathroom and get ready for bed before switching the lights off and crawling under my sheets.

Approximately ten minutes later, the moaning starts.

I mentally curse.

Late at night, I wish my senses weren’t as sharp, especially when Rachel, the girl in the room next door, has her boyfriend staying over.

I yank my pillow from under my head and use it to muffle the sounds.

It doesn’t help.

Then again, it never does.

Beep, beep, beep.

Recoiling from the shrill scream of the alarm, I slam to the floor, briefly stunned.

My wolf howls in my head and I blink my eyes awake, blearily take in the time on my alarm clock, and curse as I scramble to my feet.

9:15.Shit. I should have been knocking on the assistant dean’s door fifteen minutes ago to discuss the speech I’m giving at the graduation ceremony.

Late for class is one thing. Late for an important meeting like that?

I swear I’m breaking out in hives.

Mentally cursing my roommate, I grab my bathroom stuff and sprint down the hall to the communal girl’s shower room.

I tried, and I tried, and Itried, but I swear the sun was rising by the time Ifinallyfell asleep.

---