Page 38 of Cruel Destinies

Once again, I was in my classroom after-hours. My last defense class had gotten out an hour and a half before, and I’d planned to sit and grade that day’s Shifter History homework assignments. But damn, there were only so many grammatical errors I could take in one afternoon.

“It’s not ‘they’re,’ Jackson, it’s ‘their,’” I muttered as I marked up the hound’s essay.

Not that I was speciesist or anything, but the weres made the most spelling mistakes out of any of the other students. The other types of shifters that were born into our world usually went to better schools before coming here. I couldn’t imagine how infuriating it was for Kai to grade math homework—especially Jackson’s.

When my smart watch buzzed with a call, I was only too eager to turn away from my monotonous task.

Incoming call from EMERGENCY.

There was only one person on my contacts list codenamedEmergency.

“Julian,” I whispered.

At the same time, I felt my phone vibrate in my pocket, and I decided to use it instead of the watch to answer the call for privacy. Withdrawing it from my pocket, I held it to my ear.

“Hello?” I said, issuing the command on my tablet to lock my door.

“Caesar, it’s me, Julian.” The vampire’s voice seemed almost cheerful—a stark contrast from the ominous, panicked way Julian had spoken during his last call. “Is this a good time?”

“You have no idea,” I replied.

“Good. I’m in town for the next little while. Can you meet me in an hour? We need to talk.”

I glanced down at my watch. “Yeah, that should be fine. Let’s make it Neville’s again.”

“If we must. See you then.” The line went dead.

I realized just how stupid it was that I’d labeled Julian asEmergencyin my contact list. If anybody ever saw my phone flashing with that, it would bring up some difficult questions.

Shoving the phone into my pocket, I shut the lights off before exiting the peacefully quiet classroom.

Walking down the hallway was Vauna Vex, the Were Transformation teacher. She’d been one of the students at the former school on Framboise Island. I had been the one to save her and her father, Matías, from the terrible attack. She was a mao of Colombian descent, and most of the male students were entranced by her beauty—and she knew it, too.

“Good afternoon, Miss Vex,” I said, nodding to her as I passed.

“Director,” she replied with a nod of her own, grinning with full lips that framed perfect, white teeth.

Had Kai been around, he would have mumbled some comment about her beauty, and I would have been quick to rebuke him, reminding him just how much older he was than Vauna. Even though I was currently sleeping with a girl at least eight years younger than me. Not for the first time, I asked myself what the hell I was doing.

I found myself in my office, surprised that I’d been so lost in thought that I couldn’t remember the walk. Grabbing my tan overcoat from the rack in the corner, I put it on, pulling on the collar to straighten it over my shoulders.

“And where do you think you’re off to?”

I jumped at Kai’s voice, but when I turned around, I couldn’t see my heart-attack-inducing friend.

“Very funny, Kai,” I grumbled. “Where are you hiding?”

The kitsune stepped out of the wall next to me, making me jump again.

“Bastard!” I swung a fist at his shoulder, but Kai phased just at the right moment, making my punch go right through him.

“It never gets old,” Kai said, grinning broadly.

“I’m glad you’re so easily amused,” I said, frowning. “But I’m in a hurry. Do you need something?”

“I just saw you storming down the hallway and thought I’d come and check on you. Are you doing okay?”

I sighed. “Yes. I’ve just got a lot on my mind.”

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