Chapter 31

Dylan

T he plan was simple. Find one of Cole's minions and make him submit to Dylan so she can question him. There was no telling how powerful his friends were since they seemed to not talk or interact with others. Dylan wished she had paid more attention in combat class, with everyone around her sparring, so she would know how powerful her fellow students were in battle. This was already a mistake that was costly now. As an Alpha, she needed to be observant so she could be prepared against everyone who could be a possible threat.

If this school taught me anything, it is that. I need to be more observant. It has cost me many mistakes that I can't undo now. First, I did not recognize that Lupe was mated and a Shadowborn.

That one honestly still shocked Dylan. There weren't many Shadowborns that weren't part of a pack. Dylan didn't know a single other wolf of her kind that was lone wolfing it. It was too much for a wolf not to be part of a pack. It could lead to a wolf going feral without the support of the pack behind them. In their world, being in a pack was a huge benefit. Everyone pitched money into an account for the pack to buy supplies, sending people to school to get better jobs or anything else they may need. Someone without a pack didn't have access to money or other resources to survive in their world. Lupe was fortunate to work at the academy. She had food, a roof over her head, and a job. Everything she needed all in one, with her mate at her side. That also helped her wolf not descend into madness. Mates balance the human and wolf out so they can live in harmony. The school may not have a pack, but a mate could suffice. Her mate boosted her power, making her more powerful than the other teachers.

Then, not seeing how attached Camila was to Jackson.

That one cost Camilla her life. If Dylan had noticed that one, she could have told Lupe sooner. That would have at least made Camilla a candidate for being thrown into a cell, with the teachers having to draw on each other's power to pull the wolf from being feral. It was a move they could have made to save Camilla if everyone noticed how far she was gone.

Yeah, I really need to start being more observant. I could have even concluded that something was off with Cole. I didn't trust my gut that night. I should have. That was the gravest mistake I ever made.

"Do you know of a place where Cole and his goons would hang out?" Jackson asked in a hushed voice as they walked through the school. He could have used the bonds to talk to Hunter and Dylan, but that would have left Serafine out of the conversation. She put her foot down in the room for them not to do that, so that idea was out. Jackson decided that wasn't necessary and agreed to it, which then made Dylan and Hunter agree, too.

It was the weekend now, and the only students walking through the campus were those who needed the library or dining hall. Most of the students were off exploring the local town. Dylan, her mates, and her friend should have been doing that. Instead, they were trying to catch someone in Cole's group to question.

Dylan shook her head. "No. I've never seen them around. Only in that underground room under the library. I'd rather us not run there and set ourselves up to get captured."

"Yeah, let's not walk into the lion's den for no reason at all," Serafine growled behind them.

It was weird just walking around the school and trying to look nonchalant. If they bumped into anyone they knew, they simply said they were heading to the library or the dining hall. Those were the areas they were searching for since they already looked through the dorm, and no one was there outside them. They made sure to get something to eat while they were there and even looked as if they were looking through the books at the library to find answers to an assignment. Dylan was sniffing the air for Cole's scent, and one of the librarians looked at her funny. Dylan smiled and told her she loved the scent of old books and then sniffed the book. The dust on it made her stomach turn, and then she sneezed. The librarian lifted an eyebrow but walked away, appearing to have accepted Dylan's story.

Cole's scent was nowhere in the library. At least not recently. Dylan growled softly before walking to her people. They had the same angry look on her face. None of them could find a recent scent to find Cole or his friends.

Dylan called it quits and walked back to the dorm. She wanted to curl up under the covers and sleep until Monday.

It sounds amazing and beautiful, but I think we should stick to the plan, Hunter said through their bond.

Serafine doesn't want us using the bonds so she can be part of the conversation.

She doesn't need to hear me hitting on you. I'm sure she'd love for me to keep those things to ourselves.

You aren't hitting on me.

Dylan?

Yes?

Great ass.

Dylan looked behind her, and Hunter winked. Jackson sniggered while Serafine growled.

"No fair! What is happening inside your heads?"

"Hunter is hitting on me. Talking about how great my ass is as I walk in front of him."

Serafine coughed, probably trying to hide her laugh. "Never mind. Keep that to yourself."

Told you.

Shut up, fluff head, or I won't do amazing things with my mouth anymore.

No need to be cruel after I complimented your ass. Maybe I should try another tactic.

Hunter proceeded to show her everything they had done together in the bedroom since becoming bonded. He especially had to show her his method of licking her into oblivion. He tended to be the foreplay king while Jackson did everything else to drive her insane, edging her until she screamed for him to let her orgasm in peace.

Dylan had difficulty keeping herself from turning around and jumping onto her mate. Jackson did not help. He teamed up with Hunter to use their bond to make her wet enough to soak her panties while they walked to the dorm. Serafine tried to hide her laughter as Dylan walked while rubbing her legs together to remove the feelings the boys were giving her. Her scent must have given her away, too, since the three of them were behind her.

"ARE YOU TWO FINISHED?"

"No," they said in unison.

Then Jackson smirked at her. "We could finish, but I don't think Serafine wants to witness that." He gave her a wink, which made her stomach flip-flop. Sometimes, she hated the way the bond could make her forget about everything going on and make her want to smile stupidly at her mates.

Not the time for that.

"No thanks," Serafine said, matching Dylan's pace. "Maybe I should be grateful I haven't found my other mates yet."

The chortle that came out of Dylan's mouth caused Jackson to slap her ass. She turned around to glare at him, and he grinned toothily. "Count your blessings, my friend. I promise you; it isn't all it's cracked up to be."

Dylan heard a twig snap off to her right, and she immediately crouched into an attack position. A deer jumped through the trees and continued its way toward the path they took during the full moon run. That gave Dylan an idea.

"What if they aren't at the school because they are in the woods somewhere? I found them around a fire on Monday."

The others looked at each other and then at her. From their looks, it was clear they had not thought of that until now, either.

"Didn't they come out from the woods that day you walked back to the dorm by yourself?" Jackson asked her.

"Yeah. Then, when you two showed up, they ran back into the woods. It was like they were living in the woods. That is their place to run to so they can get away from everyone, not their rooms." The words came out of her mouth without her thinking much about it. That was what it felt like, though she had no proof of her claim.

Hunter walked away from the group and started sniffing the area where she stood that day. When she stopped walking, Dylan looked around and didn't realize how close they were to that spot. Maybe that's why the thought occurred to her. The area triggered the memory.

I can smell them. Can't you? Her wolf questioned.

Dylan sniffed the air, and the scents of those three goons were strong. She walked toward the trees, and Jackson jumped in front of her. His arm was held out like a shield to stop her from walking further. Dylan rolled her eyes at her mate's possessive ways.

Not possessive, love. Just protective.

Oh, is that what you call it?

Jackson's eyes began to glow, and his body became rigid. Dylan looked around and heard the movement through the trees, and it was coming toward them. Dylan grabbed Serafine and pushed her friend behind her. If it was all three of them, it still could be too much for the four of them if these three were as lost to Cole as Dylan thought they were. Even though creating a pack within the students was prohibited, Cole seemed to be the Alpha. People always broke the rules, so it wouldn't shock her if they did. Cole was able to use magic. If he could manipulate pack bonds with that magic, then he could possibly send his strength to these goons.

Like a Shadowborn.

That isn't possible, right?

I agree with you that things are different here. I can't explain why, but they are not playing by the usual rules.

Her wolf was right. Things aren't as they seem here. Lupe seemed like a strong, helpful teacher who would unlock what was happening with her wolf so she could return home. Camilla seemed like a run-of-the-mill mean girl, but instead, she loved too hard, and her wolf couldn't let go of someone who wasn't theirs.

One of the three goons walked into view. It was the leader, and her gut told Dylan that he was the most dominant. His eyes were glowing, telling her his wolf was in control. She didn't know much else other than this one told her that her aura was off after Camilla's death. He tried to make her feel threatened by losing herself to her wolf just because she had to kill someone. That was not going to happen this time.

"Stop where you are. Move closer, and I will do whatever I have to so my mate is safe," Jackson growled.

Hunter appeared next to him instantly, crouched in an attack position just like Jackson. The wolf in the woods had a look in his eyes. He was amused at her mates trying to protect her. Like they all had fallen into a trap.

Dylan looked around and didn't see anyone else around. She opened her senses to use her wolf's hearing, and no sound indicated another was around. Dylan's wolf pushed on the walls of her mind, begging to shift. Before she knew it, her wolf started to pull on Hunter and Jackson's power, so her shift would be faster. Normally, she had tight control over her wolf, but this was too much for her. Dylan gave in to her wolf and allowed the shift to take over. When she landed on four paws, Dylan slipped around her mates and jumped on the center of the other wolf's chest. With him being in his human form, heavier on the top with his large form, he went to the ground easily from her ambush. Dylan unleashed her dominant power and let it wrap around the other wolf. The other wolf did try to fight against Dylan, but it was no use. With her mated to two strong males and pulling on their power, he was no match for Dylan. His fighting quickly stopped, and he lay on the ground, not moving.

Come with us, Dylan sent the command through her power and into the other wolf. When she moved herself off the guy, he sat up. Hunter and Jackson growled, but Dylan whipped her head around to bare her teeth. She was in control of the situation and didn't need them provoking the wolf. There was a small chance he could break through her binding if he were more wolf than man. Since the guy had his wolf in the driver's seat, she didn't want to risk it.

Wolf-man stood on his feet and awaited her order to move. Dylan briskly trotted toward the dorm. They would question this guy in their room. Dylan pulled on her magic and shrouded them to prevent others from seeing what they were doing. A benefit of being part of a pack is understanding how to use pack magic. Hunter jogged ahead and opened the door for her. She walked through the door first, wolf-man second, Jackson third, Serafine after him, and Hunter brought up the rear. Jackson then ran ahead to open the door to their suite.

Once inside, Dylan trotted to the bathroom to shift back. She knew if she would stand naked before an unmated male, her mates would have a coronary. She heard them grumble something about at least their female understood it would only piss them off if she did. Dylan made sure to send them images of her undressing through the bond. That made them both growl, and Dylan felt like she won a small battle. Without having to ask, Serafine brought her in some clothes. The shift back was not pleasant since she just shifted moments ago. Serafine had closed the door and put her back against it so no one could come in. After the shift was over, Dylan slowly put her clothes back on, her skin too sensitive for her to put them on faster.

"The guys said I should wait in here with you." She rolled her eyes.

Dylan smiled in a sarcastic way. "Are they possessive and protective males who want you to be safe, so that means away from the crazy male in our room?"

Another eyeroll. "Is this what I look forward to?"

"If you end up with dominant males, yes."

"Great."

Dylan chuckled as pulled her shirt over her head. She barked out a laugh when she read "Free Tick Check" across her chest. Serafine gave her a toothy grin as they knew this might poke at her mates because it would draw attention to her chest. Dylan said nothing and just nodded in approval. When they walked back into the main room, the wolf-man was tied to a chair. Dylan lifted her eyebrows at her mates.

I am not going to take chances. We have you and Serafine to protect right now.

Dylan rolled her eyes but continued to keep the power in place so the man couldn't move. His eyes were still glowing, and they were fixated on her. They needed to ask all the questions they could to understand what was happening with Cole. This was their only shot at finding out all the answers they needed.

"First off, what is your name?" Dylan asked. She was tired of calling him Wolf-Man.

His eyes glowed at her. Dylan knew his wolf was to the surface and wondered if this conversation would lead to anything. "Lloyd."

Shocking. It can speak.

"Okay, Lloyd, why is Cole killing students?"

He smirked. Dylan wanted to punch him for smirking at her like this was a game, but this was far from a game. "To free them."

Dylan's blood ran cold. What could "to free them" mean?

I'm not sure if I want the answer to that. Jackson's confusion mimicked her own inside of the bond.

Hunter grunted as he joined her before Lloyd. It is never a good sign when they speak in riddles.

Great. The consensus is this is bad.

Dylan let out a huff. "I don't understand. How could killing them free them?"

"To free them from the walls that stand between a wolf and man."

This sounded like a riddle that Dylan never wanted to know the answer to. The walls between a wolf and a man could be the mental wall inside of every werewolf's head that kept the man and wolf separate. A werewolf had two souls inside of them as soon as they were born. One was a man, and the other was a wolf. Two separate entities were living inside of the same body. The Great Moon gave every wolf the walls between the wolf and a man to keep them separate for a reason. If what Lloyd said was accurate. This meant Cole was trying to pull the walls down, keeping the man and the wolf in harmony.

"That is impossible. The Great Moon gave us those walls for a reason. What he is trying to do is not possible."

He laughed. The sound reverberated against the walls and inside her soul. It was deep, and it felt wrong inside her. It was the sound of a madman laughing at those whom he pitied. Hunter moved so fast that Dylan didn't even know he did until the crack she heard as Hunter punched Lloyd in his jaw. Dylan and Serafine both gasped as the sound of the blow filled the room and then the silence that followed was deafening. Lloyd looked at Hunter with glowing eyes, blood trailing down his chin, and his canines were lengthened. How his body could immediately draw onto the wolf and cause his canines to come down was alarming. Either his wolf was extremely close to the surface, or he was really telling the truth about not having a wall between him and his wolf.

"It's not impossible at all. It has been done already and will continue to be done. Some wolves are strong enough to survive it. So far, only a handful has been strong enough. That does not matter now. We have found somebody strong enough to unleash our plan on the rest of the wolves."

Does he mean what I think he means? Hunter asked through the bonds.

I'm praying to the Great Moon that he doesn't mean what I think he means, she responded.

Dylan's heart sank as the words settled inside her mind. Cole wanted her because she was a powerful Shadowborn. If they found somebody strong enough to carry out the plan to the rest of the wolves, and Lupe was not going to help them in that sense, it would be her. The idea of it twisted her stomach, and then rage bubbled inside her. Being a Shadowborn was a gift from the Great Moon. It was not for someone to take advantage of and use for their own nefarious plan.

Oh, my gods. That's what he meant when he said I was the key. I am the one strong enough for their plan!

Dylan snarled and stepped closer to Lloyd. She felt her claws elongate and wanted to rake them against his face. Even more than Brandy, she wanted to use her claws to cut off his head with a rage that boiled inside of her. Somehow, her being a powerful Shadowborn meant they could use her to break down the walls inside of everyone's mind. She was still unsure how that was possible.

"You say that it has been done, so tell me. Who here has been granted the chance of having their wall removed from their mind?"

He smiled. That weird wolfish grin freaked her out when Cole and his friends smiled at her around the fire while she was with them. That's when it dawned on her. All of the people around that fire were the successful cases. They all have experienced the wall being removed inside their mind. The reason why they stayed more wolf than man was because they were! They did not know how to talk or smile or anything like normal human beings because they were not normal human beings anymore. They were living with the wall removed, meaning the wolf was more in control than the person.

"How many people inside this school have experienced this?" Dylan's voice shook with fear as she asked the question.

"More than you think and more than you know."

Hunter stepped in front of her. "How was Lupe involved in this?"

Lloyd only smiled at him and did not answer the question. Dylan pushed more of her power into trying to force him to answer. She felt a force brush against her own power, pushing it back. She didn't know how, but he was able to resist her power. Jackson and Hunter had taken turns punching Lloyd to make him answer. Lloyd was left with most of his face swollen and bleeding from his mouth and nose before he lost consciousness. The wolf was certainly tough because he did not give up the information about how Lupe was involved.

We need to end this before more people are killed or, worse, turned into someone like him!