CHAPTER 3

The car stopped and I waited until Terrence turned the engine off before getting out of the back seat. The sunlight hit my eyes as I emerged to a pleasantly warm morning and I squinted my eyes, pulling my sunglasses from the pocket of my suit.

I looked around, taking in the buzzing campus around me. Students were walking around in groups and chatting excitedly, some carrying laptops while others huffed with an armful of thick books under their arms. Laughter, shouting and life bubbled all around me and I smiled. Living among humans, it never got old.

Their tendencies to surround themselves with chaos, with people, with emotions was staggering. Yet I loved it. It was much better than focusing on all the wrong things.

“Sir, can I…?” Terrence spoke and I looked back at him. He had already locked the car and was looking at me. He was the newest addition to my staff — barely eighteen, but with so much potential. He just needed to cultivate it.

“Have fun,” I smiled at him and he grinned, looking at his uncle, who was standing on the other side of the car. Graham hadn’t said a word the whole time, watching his nephew drive us to this place as if expecting him to crash the car. For a new driver, the boy was actually pretty good — a bit nervous and unsure, but with practice, he’d be fine. When I found out he had applied to study at the university, I made sure he got into his first choice — not that he needed it, he was a bright kid. What was most convenient was that his first choice was also my current place of business. Or rather, of leisure.

I watched as Terrence tossed the car keys to his uncle, then threw his backpack over his shoulder and ran off toward the building with his heart racing with excitement. I smiled when Graham circled the car while looking at a tablet in his hands. When he spoke, he wasn’t even looking at me.

“Your lecture starts at eleven, then you have a meeting with the board of Starlight Industries at four pm. There was a dinner with Director Cho at eight, but he called to cancel because his daughter went into labor, so you have your evening free.” He finally looked up, slipping the tablet into the inside pocket of his casual black suit.

I nodded, glancing around again. People were starting to stare at us now, some with wide eyes and growing interest, some with annoyance and jealousy. I can hear their words almost as if I was standing beside them, asking who I was, what was I doing there, was I a teacher or a student. I would have scoffed at the last one.

I wanted to believe that I looked more like someone who had already learned everything they needed to know to succeed in this world. And I had seen through numerous businesses and ventures I had made a success. Not because of my family, not because of what I was, but because of my own personal skills and perseverance.

Like a normal person. Like a human.

I didn’t need extraordinary strength or hearing or teeth and nails that could tear through metal. All I needed was… knowledge. That and a bit of luck.

A sweet smell that made my mouth water tickled my nose and I spun around in search of it, expecting to find a food stall or a bakery nearby. There was nothing of the sort in the parking lot or the nearby streets veering into the campus so I frowned. The wind changed direction and blew the smell away, making me shake my head.

“Gabriel, what is it?” Graham asked, tensing next to me, his eyes examining the crowd that was still watching us. I gave the onlookers one last look, bringing the smile back to my face.

“Nothing, let’s go. Is there a place where we can get coffee around here?”

“Yes, it’s on the way to the main building,” Graham replied readily, falling into step with me. His eyes kept darting around warily, no doubt memorizing everything about this place. I was pretty sure he had come before today to do just that, but he took his job of protecting me very seriously. Even though I didn’t need it as much as he thought I did. “We need to go meet with the Dean first, he was very eager to speak with you and thank you for accepting to teach a semester. Your class will be packed, I hear…”

I nodded, tuning his voice out as we made our way through the narrow paths of the campus, surrounded by budding trees, green grass, and gawking people. I decided that Graham might have been right to suggest we went directly to the staff’s parking lot. I had insisted we parked the car in the student section so I could get a feel of the place and look around, but my Mercedes stood out like a sore thumb among the other vehicles. And then there were us, two men in expensive suits surrounded by youngsters in their band T-shirts, ripped jeans and leggings.

“It’s been a while since I have been stared at like that,” I laughed quietly and Graham gave me a pointed look. I had been so busy in the past few months that I had barely had interactions outside of business dinners, meetings, and work events. I had only accepted to teach a course here for publicity and so that I could be among normal humans for a bit.

“It’s here,” Graham nodded to our right as we neared a small, one-level building with glass walls and a bright, airy foyer. The place looked decent ⁠— for a campus cafe ⁠— so I hoped the drinks would be decent too.

Making my way toward the door just as two girls were exiting with cardboard cups in hand, I caught that scent again, so strong this time, that it took my breath away and made my head spin. I froze, trying to steady myself while the two girls did the same, staring at me with wide eyes before their faces flushed. They waited as if expecting me to speak to them, but I quickly strode inside, my nose flaring in search of the source.

Every fiber in my body was tingling from the familiar, yet new smell and my wolf was crying out, insisting I find it. Eyes scanning the cafe, I found everyone staring at my abrupt appearance, but I didn’t care. I took in each person’s smell one by one, then that of the food displayed behind a big glass shelf. The scent of croissants, muffins, tarts and sandwiches passed through me, but none of it was right. None of it was that scent.

“Gabriel, are you alright?” Graham asked me so low, I was sure nobody would have heard him even if they were standing next to us. His eyes were tense, alert, but he didn’t seem to smell it. “What is it? Is it danger? Talk to me!”

I ignored him, trying to search for the force. Their trail was everywhere in this place, lingering on each table, on the counter, and behind it. It was almost like a thin piece of thread that had touched everything in this place just minutes ago, growing stronger as my eyes turned to our right, toward a small corridor leading to the back of the establishment.

I headed that way, ignoring Graham’s hiss. There were several doors there. A bathroom. A room for the staff. Back exit. The scent was all over them.

I stopped by the first one, the staff room, my hand reaching for the handle with trembling fingers.

“Excuse me, but you can’t go in there!” a voice said next to me and I almost jumped. I hadn’t heard them approach., I couldn’t focus on anything but that alluring scent. My eyes took in the woman ⁠— short, petite and with shoulder-long brown hair cut slightly askew. Her lipstick was halfway gone, leaving only a bit around the edges of her lips and making her mouth look strangely unsettling. Her eyes were dark and annoyed, but as she took a second to study me, her expression changed to one I knew very well.

A big smile that was supposed to be sweet or seductive. Half-closed eyes and fluttering eyelids that were supposed to be charming. A voice that changed an octave higher.

“My apologies, sir, it’s just that customers are not allowed in the staff room,” she said in a gentler voice this time, no animosity or annoyance whatsoever.

I forced myself to smile, trying to get my head straight.

“No, no, the fault was entirely mine!” I said, tilting my head. “I felt lightheaded for a moment and I was searching for the bathroom. I didn’t notice the sign. Can you point me in the right direction?”

“Uh, yes, of course!” she stuttered, turning around and pointing at the end of the corridor. “The door to the left, next to the exit. Can I get you anything for… ugh… to make you feel better? Water? Coffee? Something cold?”

“Please,” I smiled at her again and I could hear her heartbeat racing. “Cream, two sugars. I’ll come to collect it in a moment.”

She nodded quickly, gave me a smile, then hurried toward the counter, pushing one of the baristas out of the way and barking something at them. I let my smile drop and strode to the end of the corridor. Glancing at the bathroom door, I realized there was no one inside. My eyes turned to the exit, the scent growing stronger, especially around the handle.

I turned it around and pushed it open, stepping behind the building. The foul smell of the container not too far away made me cringe my nose but even then, I could still sense that scent. It lingered around this place, past the trash bins, and went toward the main building. The thin threat tugged on me impatiently, as if asking me to follow it.

I heard steps following me outside and I turned, looking at Graham’s concerned expression. He was already holding two cups of coffee in his hands, his lips pursed.

“Tell me,” he said, handing me one of the cups. His eyes looked around again, as if he was determined to find what I was looking for, but the look he gave me was just as puzzled. I hadn’t realized it at first, but it was painfully clear now.

Excitement rushed through my chest, my hand tightening on the worst coffee I had tasted in my life. Hearing my heart race, Graham tensed, his hand disappearing inside his jacket as if he planned to pull a weapon out.

“Relax, it’s nothing to worry about,” I finally said, striding to the trash bin and dropping the coffee in it. Graham took a sip from his, grimaced, then did the same. “I want you to find me the names of everyone who works in this cafe. Especially those who worked here this morning but already left.”

“Why?” Graham frowned. “Is it your brother…”

“No, no,” I smiled, feeling my body grow lighter as that scent kept dancing around me, calling me, luring me, begging me to find it. “On the contrary, this might be a good thing, a great thing. Today might turn out to be my luckiest day.”

“Spill it out already!” Graham groaned, rolling his eyes. “Did you smell your mate or something?”

I turned back to face him, a happy smile blossoming on my face. His eyes widened.

“Yes. Yes, I believe I have,” I said, licking my lips excitedly. I could barely sit still, I could barely stop myself from running after that thread that kept pulling me, calling me. “Now let’s find her. I want to meet her. I want to meet my mate.”