Page 22 of Renegade

There was no point. I couldn’t have them. I didn’t want to string anyone along, and that was assuming they were actually interested in me.

Chapter Twenty

Blaze

Drinks weren’t allowed in the library, so naturally, I snuck one inside my backpack. When I entered, there was only a smattering of students around. All sitting at different tables, each of them focused on their studies. Because I was a senior, my last class of the day was now study hall every day and two hours on Wednesdays. It gave me ample time to get some things done—mostly reading. While there was plenty of reading to do for my classes, reading for pleasure sometimes eased my mind.

And my mind needed a break from all the overthinking about being on the straight and narrow and promises I’d made to Asher, my twin. My parents would love me either way, and so would Asher, but he was right. I needed to get my shit straight.

I chose the couch next to the fireplace. Usually it was one of the first places where students congregated, but today it was empty, probably because they still had classes. While I was wrapped up in a chapter of my mystery novel, the doors to the library swung open wide and along with it came a wave of chatter, even though this was the place where noise was kind of outlawed.

The couch across from me filled with students, but none of them pulled out a book or even pretended to be here for school’s sake. I groaned, putting a bookmark on the page I was on and shut the book more loudly than necessary. They never stopped their gabbing, making it impossible to focus.

After the guys and I were locked in our suite with vague threats that we’d be accused of murder or in some other way horribly punished, we weren’t sure what would happen. We’d never be turned over to the human authorities, but shifters had their ways of handling transgressors. And the mysteriousalternative-alternative school would be the least of it if they truly believed we’d done this terrible thing.

But…after a couple of days of being brought our meals in the room, we woke up to an unlocked door and just went back to class.

One of the chatterers was going on about the same topic. “I can’t believe there was a murder on the grounds. I actually got called into the discipline office to ask about my whereabouts that night. I mean, they seriously made me give them an alibi and had to confirm with my suite mates.”

Another girl chimed in from where she had just taken a seat next to me even though there was still a half couch unoccupied. “They did the same to me. Asked if I had presented with any supernatural powers or had seen any lights that night. Of course, I was a smart-ass and asked if they meant any powers beyond shifting into an animal. Do shifters have any other powers?”

They did. Shifters had all kinds of powers and some had even been bred with witches to expand those powers, but they were rare and unique. Of course I didn’t say that since I wanted no part of this conversation, or any conversation for that matter. Silly me, came to the fucking library to study. Maybe these people didn’t have a twin who made them promise to be good. They needed one. Asher’s voice was always in my mind. He was my conscience like that.

I hadn’t called him after the other night. He’d have been disappointed in my rule breaking and worried about the violence on campus.

“No. I don’t think so.”

Her answer told me a lot about her age. Second-year students usually took Supernatural History. It was a two-hour course and lasted two years. Our history was quite extensive, more than humans would ever know about. She must’ve been a first year.

“Do you think they have any leads?” the first one asked. While I shouldn’t have been listening to others’ conversations, my shifter hearing picked everything up and they had chosen to sit right next to me. They weren’t whispering, either. Perhaps they didn’t care who heard them.

Or maybe they wanted my attention.

“They have some but they are focused on one.”

My wolf tensed at hearing this news. I didn’t know they were focused on one person. Honestly, my only care was that someone would hurt Cas or Adan…or Karelis. That woman had lived in my head rent free since the night of the murder. While I didn’t know her that well, or even at all, she didn’t come off as a murderer to me. My wolf sensed no danger in her. In fact, he sensed something different about her. He rose up and howled when I was near her. When I touched her…he chuffed, almost like a damned tiger. He acted as though he knew her even though we had never met before.

She made me feel…alive again.

“Oh my gods! Who are they focused on? Do you know?” the female next to me spoke up. I glanced over and she had her laptop open to a page where she was shopping for clothes.

That used to be me. I would come here to fuck around, not literally, only do anything but study. Cas and Adan and I would shop online or simply waste time.

We were all different now.

Different good. Different as in more mature. Most of the time. I had been reading a mystery after all.

“It’s that new girl. Karelis. The one that no one knows. She won’t tell anyone which pack she came from or where she has been all this time. And I’m going to come out and say it—her wolf smells off.”

The girl sat back and crossed her arms over her chest, proud of herself for spilling that little bit of gossip.

I, on the other hand, became livid at Karelis’ name being dragged through the mud and somehow already convicted of a murder I know she didn’t commit. The administration wasn’t convinced, either, or Karelis wouldn’t be here still.

“Have you asked her?” I wondered after clearing my throat.

All three females turned their heads to look at me. “Ask her what?” The one next to me sat up again and turned a bit. Her thigh brushed against mine, making my wolf snarl. He didn’t like to be touched by females. Except Karelis. Apparently, she was the exception. I wasn’t ready to put a label on that fact, but it was there, roaming in my head.

There was a good chance Karelis was my mate. Maybe our mate.

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