Chapter 82
Ere POV
“No,” Aaron said, shaking his head firmly. “I wanted to, but I was alone. If they caught my scent, I’d be outnumbered, I thought it was better to come back and warn you instead.”
I let out a slow breath, feeling the weight of the situation. This was more serious than I’d thought.
“What do we do now? Should we tell the others
Aaron scratched his head, looking thoughtful but worried. “I don’t want to start a panic if it’s nothing, but we need to be cautious. If those for shifters are here for a reason, we need to find out what it is. And if they’re connected to Lexi… this could turn into a big problem.”
I nodded, feeling a surge of determination. “Yeah, I agree. We should keep this quiet for now, but stay alert. Maybe we can check out the woods together later, see if we can find any signs of them.”
“Good idea,” Aaron said, his face relaxing just a bit. “We can go in a small group, maybe just the two of us for now. We’ll be less likely to scare them off if it’s only us.”
I agreed with his plan. “Yeah, we can go tomorrow night. For now, let’s keep this between us. We don’t want to worry everyone without a reason.”
Aaron gave a firm nod, then clapped a hand on my shoulder. “Just be careful, okay? If Lexi is involved with them somehow, this might get messy.
I clenched my jaw, thinking about Lexi’s threats and the strange behavior she’d been showing. “Yeah, I won’t let my guard down around her.”
“Good,” Aaron said, his voice serious. “We’ll get to the bottom of this. Just stay alert.”
I watched as Aaron headed to the door, his expression a mix of concern and resolve. Fox shifters hanging around the college was odd, and combined with Lexi’s actions, it felt like there was something big brewing, something we didn’t fully understand yet. I needed to figure this out before it spiraled out of
control and someone got hurt.
After Aaron left, I walked to the main room, thinking about everything he had said. The fox shifters, Lexi’s strange behavior–it all felt like a puzzle that I needed to solve. But for now, I pushed it to the back of my mind. Along with Nicole, I went to my room.
Nicole’s smile made me feel lighter. “Ready to learn?” she asked, raising an eyebrow.
“Not really,” I admitted, grinning. “But I’m ready to listen to you talk about sociology for hours.”
Nicole rolled her eyes and walked past me. She sat on my bed and set her books in front. “You’re hopeless, Eric. But that’s why I’m here.”
I grabbed my notebook and joined her. “Alright, teach me something fascinating about sociology. Blow my mind.”
She flipped open her book and smirked. “Okay, let’s start with something simple. What’s a social norm?”
“That’s easy,” I said confidently. “It’s like… rules people follow so society doesn’t go crazy.”
“Close,” she said, laughing a little. “But it’s more about unwritten rules. Like how you’re supposed to say ‘thank you‘ when someone holds the door for you. Or how you don’t talk during a movie.”
I raised an eyebrow. “So, you’re saying if I talk during a movie, I’m breaking a social norm?”
“Exactly,” Nicole said, grinning. “And people will probably hate you for it.”
“I guess I’ve been breaking social norms my whole life then,” I joked. “Maybe that’s why people give me dirty looks all the time.”
Nicole laughed, shaking her head. “No, Eric. That’s just because you’re you.”
We spent the next hour going over terms and theories, with Nicole explaining everything in a way that actually made sense. But I couldn’t resist teasing her whenever I got the chance.
1/3
Chapter 82
“So, what’s this thing called functionalism? I askest, pretending to be serious.
“It’s a theory that sees society as a system where every part has a role to play, the explained patiently.
“Like a wolf pack,” I said, smirking “The Alpha keeps everyone in line, and the others follow
“Sure,” Nicole said, rolling her eyes. “But in sociology, it’s more about institutions like schools and families.
“So, you’re saying I’m the Alpha of sociology?” I asked, leaning back with a grin.
Nicole threw a pillow at me. “You’re the Omega of sociology. Now focus. You’re reading too many fiction books”
“You have no idea baby.” I laughed and dodged the pillow, then tried to pay attention as she moved on to the next topic. The truth was, I liked seeing Her like this–focused, passionate, and just a little bossy.
The next morning, I picked up Nicole for college as instructed by her. She climbed into the car, looking a little sleepy but still as beautiful as over the drove in comfortable silence, the radio playing softly in the background. I couldn’t help but take her hand in mine and drive all the way.
When we arrived on campus, we headed toward the main building together. As we walked down the hallway, I spotted Ethan and Lexi standing near the lockers. They were talking quietly, but the moment they saw us, they stopped.
Ethan’s eyes flicked to me, then to Nicole. Lexi stared at us with an unreadable expression, her lips pressed into a thin line. The tension in the air was thick, and I could feel Nicole stiffen beside me.
“Do they always act this weird?” I whispered to Nicole. I hated to commit to myself how much Lexi was on my shit list.
“Pretty much,” she muttered, avoiding their gazes.
We walked past them without saying anything, but I could feel their eyes on us the whole time. It was unsettling, and it made me wonder what they were plotting.
Later that evening, as I was heading back to my dorm, I saw something that made me stop in my tracks. Lexi was walking toward the woods, locking around as if to make sure no one was following her. My gut told me something was wrong.
I quickly pulled out my phone and called Aaron. “Hey, I just saw Lexi heading into the woods,” I said, keeping my voice low.
“Are you serious?” Aaron sounded alert. “Where exactly?”
“North of campus, near the stream,” I said. “I think she’s up to something.”
“Don’t follow her alone,” Aaron warned. “Wait for me.”
“I’ll be careful,” I promised, but I was already moving toward the woods. I didn’t want to lose sight of her.
As I entered the tree line, I slowed down, making sure to stay hidden. The scent of the forest was strong. I spotted Lexi up ahead, moving quickly through the trees. She wasn’t heading toward the stream–she was going deeper.
My heart raced as I followed her, keeping a safe distance. What was she doing out here? And why did it feel like she was meeting someone? I needed to find out, but I also knew I couldn’t let her see me.
Quietly, I slipped behind a large tree, watching as Lexi stopped near a clearing. She stood there for a moment, looking around. Then, out of now group of foxes appeared, emerging from the shadows. They shifted into their human forms, just like Aaron had described.
Oh. My. Goddess.
