Page 20 of Who Let The Wolves Out?

“You lost, or just casing the place?”

She turns, flashing a smile like a toothpaste commercial. “Neither. Just checking out the setup before my lecture.”

“Guest speaker?” I ask.

She nods, offering her hand. “Melody. Survival and water filtration. I’m with the Cross-Biome Eco Collective.”

“Oh, fancy,” I say, shaking her hand. “Jason. Camp chaos coordinator.”

She laughs, light and easy. “Do I get a title too?”

I smirk. “Depends. You good with kids?”

“I used to be a teacher. Back in my human world days.”

That earns a half-laugh from me. “Welcome to the monster playground.”

She gives me this once-over—half curious, half playful. “You’re... not what I expected.”

I raise an eyebrow. “Ruggedly handsome and underqualified?”

She grins. “Something like that.”

I grin back. It’s all casual. Light.

I feel it.

That weird pulse. Not in me—butaroundme.

Like the temperature dropped two degrees behind me.

I turn and see Alice.

Frozen. Mug in hand. Face gone ghost-white.

I follow her eyes—back to Melody.

Then it clicks.

Melody.

My stomach drops like I just hit the bottom of a rollercoaster.

Alice doesn’t say a word. She just turns and walks out like something cracked open inside her.

And suddenly that cute, flirty little moment?

Feels like betrayal.

Even if I didn’t know.

I catch up with her near the side of the art cabin. She’s got both hands braced on the wall, head down like she’s trying to breathe through a panic attack.

“Hey,” I say gently. “Alice.”

She doesn’t turn.

I don’t touch her. Not yet.

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