16

There was an unusual tension in the air, something that didn't just seem to grab me. Everyone seemed visibly nervous today. After studying the books Grayson gave me for the past few days, you'd think I knew all about hiding your scent.

"As announced, today we are looking at hiding our smell." I looked at my professor and I couldn't help noticing her nervousness today.

For the last few weeks she always looked confident, with a touch of spite, about us students, today was a little different than usual.

"Today you will test your own skills." Should we hide our scent now? I had tried a few tinctures. The result was rather moderate, at which Trevor only laughed heartily. He said I stink now. Great. Elisane gestured to her assistant, who then went to the door and four people came into the lecture hall.

The principal's secretary, a history teacher, Jade Fenton, and to my surprise, Esme. I was amazed that they were only women, even more that they were all familiar faces that we more or less met every day.

"What do you notice?" I looked forward excitedly.

"That the course is interesting for the first time," interjected a beta and everyone burst out laughing. Even I couldn't help but grin.

It would certainly benefit the male wolves and the females among us who had our eyes on them. With the choices we have before us, some of my students may feel more than a little drawn to them.

"Why only women?" asked the next one.

"Well, a woman is the fox this year," our professor replied dryly. Almost cold, I would have said, and definitely unhappy with Caspian's selection.

"Everyone is blindfolded. Put them on and make sure you don't see anything," she urged. Everyone immediately grabbed the black ribbons that lay on our tables.

"Once you've put them on, I'll ask you to go to one of the four colleagues I'll name." Good, that sounded easy. I knew two out of four pretty well up close.

I hefted the bit of fabric in my hands as if examining his face as Grayson took it from my hand. He rubbed it briefly between his fingers and gave me a searching look. His eyes were so clear, so pure, as they always were when I stared into them. They were like a dark brown mirror that theoretically shouldn't exist.

"Ready Stone?" he asked me.

"Sure," I whispered.

"Then close your eyes!" I wrangled with myself for a moment and still did what he asked me to do.

Nothing happened for a few seconds. Only his warm breath told me he was still there. The longer I closed my eyes, I realized that it was a mixture of mint and lemon.

It blew warmly and evenly over me, I had never felt it so intensely. He mingled with his body heat, which increased in heat the closer he leaned toward me. But something was missing.

"Why so nervous, Stone?" I felt it right above my hair. Like a summer breeze she caressed me. He gently tucked a few strands of hair behind my ear. And I couldn't ignore the tingling his fingers left behind my ear.

I grabbed his hand and my eyes widened. His eyes looked worried, questioning. He let out a small sigh and dropped his hands for a moment. They fell right into my lap. I gasped internally while biting my tongue.

His request, which he had just thrown at me harshly, mingled with the tender request he was lying in his eyes.

"Broad Stone?" he asked me again.

"Sure," I murmured again, and I saw the cloth in his hands move. Bit by bit it slowly rose to my face until I couldn't see him anymore.

He placed the blindfold and all that remained was the scent of his breath and the warmth of his body. It shouldn't make me nervous, I'd felt her so many times before. This, however, was somehow more personal.

He pulled the knot tight, but the tip of his nose stiffened my ear. "Now please go to Jade Fenton," he whispered.

"Why?" I asked and I could feel his soft chuckle under his hot breath.

"Not because I want to, Stone. That's everyone's job," he whispered, and it felt like his breath had warmed up a hundred degrees. I got up and swayed a little. Why was that so difficult for me?

Two hands gripped my upper arms. Gently, almost caringly, they lifted me up again. With a gentle push they pulled me to my feet and I immediately fell against his chest. As I rested my cheek against Grayson's chest, almost relieved, his grip on my arms tightened.

"Concentrate, Stone." I did. Somehow. Just not on my job. With a jerk he pushed me away and led me past him. He gave me a little push and I started to sway. I began to sway dangerously and lost my bearings for a moment.

"Stone," Grayson growled above me, grabbing my arm again and steadying me.

"I don't know what's wrong with me," I murmured, my uncertainty evident in my voice.

"In the direction." If I didn't even see him properly, how was I supposed to find Jade?

"Grayson, you won't leave me alone now," I gasped, but my protest died as his warm breath caressed my ear again.

"Remember what I said."

"To what exactly?" I murmured. I noticed how uncertain I was taking the first step and I was more than uncomfortable.

I was about to walk away when he pulled me back. It was so sudden that my back slammed into his torso. I just felt my body sink against him and if he wasn't holding me I would definitely fall.

There was certainly something in the cloth to dull our senses, but whatever it was, it was indescribably beautiful.

"Stone?"

"Hmm," I murmured, an arm wrapped around my waist and I felt like I could fall asleep instantly, I felt so comfortable.

"Pebble?" I heard him whisper and now I had to giggle a little. He who presented my name more than I did called me Pebble? Or maybe because of that.

"Was?"

"We should go slowly now."

"We?" We sounded incredibly good at that moment. Not being able to see anything was a new experience and not being alone was even better.

"The task applies to everyone, doesn't it?" His hand fell from my hip and a slight breeze told me he was putting on his own blindfold.

"Come on now, I'm right behind you. Choose, I'll just follow you."

"Even if I'm wrong?" I whispered to him. He didn't answer me, instead he rubbed my back forcefully a few times, completely driving my senses crazy.

I think if I didn't feel his hand on my back I wouldn't even know he was behind me.

Moving with your eyes closed wasn't difficult. I had the exact layout of the room I'd just seen in my head, including where Jade was standing, but Grayson behind me threw me off.

I heard the four girls move in front of us and listened to their different footsteps as they switched positions. I stood next to Jade and behind the others who were standing in front of her.

"Take a step back. That was easy because you remembered where they were in the room before," I heard our professor instruct us.

The door opened and more people entered the room, I was even sure that someone left the room. I took a deep breath, and when I realized Grayson was doing the same thing behind me, I suddenly didn't care if I was going to pass the test.

Sure, I was the fox this year and everyone would want to see if I was right. The only thing that mattered to me right now is his presence.

"Pebble, where are we going?" He said it again, even more his hand scratched my back and I felt more confident in my decision.

Jade always got a little hiccup when she held her breath. There were only a few times I had observed it last year. Mostly when she was upset and for some reason I heard that exact sound now.

I took a few steps to the right and felt Grayson always right behind me. He kept his word and followed me, even if it was wrong. As I stopped, Grayson grabbed my waist and pulled me into his body.

"Well done, Pebble," he whispered in my ear, and I had to smile. Actually, I was beaming all over my face and I was also glad that nobody saw it.

"You can now remove the blindfolds," our professor prompted. Grayson's free hand slid over my face and untied the blindfold. There was something in that touch, just like when he put it on me. She tickled my whole body as if waking him up.

Jade sat on a chair in front of me and only a few students stood in front of her like I did. A quick look to the left and right showed me that Taylor was standing behind Esme, which surprised me for a moment, but he seemed content and Esme seemed to be whispering something to him happily.

I was amazed that many were standing behind someone else, even behind other teachers who had just come into the room. My guess wasn't that wrong.

I looked back at Jade, who sat contentedly in front of me. Trevor was standing behind her and she still had the little hiccups. He had his arms propped up on her chair and for a moment I even thought a finger slipped over her shoulder. Jade grinned broadly at me. It was glowing, just like Trevor's.

"Sit down, please." Our professor's voice was bitterly cold in contrast to Jade's grin. I should call her Frost. She had obviously chosen her profession based on her mood.

While I hesitated, Grayson wrapped his arms around me completely. I looked up at him, but since his gaze was straight ahead, I couldn't see his eyes. If his fingers weren't constantly massaging my hips, you'd think he didn't know he was hugging me.

When we got back to our seats, his other hand even grabbed my waist and placed me in my chair. He sat down next to me, pulled my chair a little closer and placed an arm on the back of my chair.

"Relax, Pebble." What was that about the nickname and anyway, why was he suddenly acting so possessive?

"Have a hard time around you," I hissed. When he looked at me scrutinizingly, I realized how much truth there was in my words. He rubbed his chin several times with his free hand while the other hand drew small circles over my shoulder.

"Is that so?" Grayson looked at me thoughtfully and for a moment he leaned closer to me. His dark brown eyes caught mine and it was such a familiar image by now. If the eyes are the mirror to the soul, then why did I see myself?

"Then remember you're talking to an Alaiser, Pebble." Grayson leaned back in his seat, pulled his arm off my chair, and turned his attention to the class. Pebble, my ear buzzed, but also the queasy feeling he was making me pull away.

"What did you notice?" I looked at Jade instead of our professor, who asked us. The constant combat training made us so close all the time. Still, I could have sworn I would have gone elsewhere if Grayson wasn't with me were.

Grayson, on the other hand, had both arms crossed in front of his chest. He seemed dissatisfied with something and judging by the look on our professor's face, it didn't go unnoticed. A wicked smile spread across her face as she looked at Grayson.

I never intended to worry about an allaister. I did now. I didn't know what he had with her. Not only I noticed the duel between the two. Our fellow students turned to look at him curiously, while he seemed completely unimpressed.

"Grayson?" I whispered to him, but he didn't respond. I nervously looked at Taylor and Trevor next to me who nodded encouragingly.

"Gray--?" My voice trailed off the moment I touched his arm.

If there were a tornado of emotions, it was raging inside him right now. I could do a detailed weather analysis on him.

Tornado Warning.

Tornado Watching.

wind speed.

Impact.

I looked nervously at Trevor and Taylor again after he didn't respond to my half-hearted attempt. I wanted to erase their confidence from their faces.

This was Grayson Allaister, who deserved my last name more judging by his stubborn demeanor than I did.

"Grayson. It's me—" I paused, wondering what to say to him. "Pebble?"