7

The whispering didn't stop as we walked down the aisles. Trevor and Taylor were now nestled on either side of me while Grayson walked behind me.

Admittedly, the three were an impressive sight. Not that there weren't enough attractive alphas and betas here. They swarmed here, but the fact that the three differed only in the color of their hair gave them an attention I didn't like.

When we arrived at the lecture hall, a cluster had formed in front of it. Usually the course was limited in the number of participants and I was surprised at the rush. In front of the entrance someone seemed to be arguing with those who wanted to enter and some left disappointed.

We stopped when we couldn't go any further and Grayson pulled me back from the students who were standing in front of me.

"Check what's going on," he instructed Trevor and Taylor, who moved easily through the crowd. They were a little taller than the others who were waiting, so I could see how quickly they had disappeared into the classroom .

"Come on," Grayson grabbed my elbow and pulled me to the side of the aisle. When we were against a wall, I leaned in and he placed his back to me.

I found it almost absurd how they took care of me. This was a university, what should happen here?

"What's going on?" I asked curiously. Grayson glanced over his shoulder and back at the crowd.

"Nothing," he grumbled. "Just a bunch of students wanting to take the class."

"How would you know that?" I asked back.

He looked over his shoulder again and raised one of his blond eyebrows. His slightly wavy hair fell sporadically over his forehead and his dark brown eyes stood in stark contrast to his blond hair. They were so dark and clear that I reflected myself in them.

"I don't want to take the class anyway, if it's full that's fine with me." That was actually a lie. Most of the class interested me, there was only one thing that I found creepy and scared me.

Grayson turned fully to me now. He crossed his arms over his chest and looked at me expectantly. I had his undivided attention and he wanted an explanation from me.

I was big for a wolf, yet I had to stand on tiptoe to look over his shoulder. I saw myself in his eyes, fidgeting nervously in front of him.

"Didn't you say you wanted to protect me? Well, I don't want to go to class." I thought about how best to phrase it.

"If it's full, that's fine with me. However, I already have a seat, can you get me out of there? It would also be a good opportunity to fulfill your promise."

He looked over me and stared at the wall, his jaw clenching as if he was thinking hard about something. His broad back blocked my view of the excitement behind him and there was something calming about that.

"Well, in that case you'll have to." He sighed slightly at his words and looked down at me.

"Looks like we all have a seat," Trevor appeared next to Grayson and he gave him an annoyed look. Grayson nodded at him and then turned back to me.

"What about protecting, doesn't look like it to me," I swore. It sounded ridiculous what I was asking to protect myself from a class.

"Come on Stone, you don't want to be late." Grayson ignored me and put his heavy hand on my shoulder.

"Wait! How come you got a place? You guys just got here yesterday." I looked at him suspiciously.

"We have the same courses, remember?"

"That's not an answer to my question."

"That'll have to be enough," he grumbled.

His hand on my shoulder slid lower down my lower back and he was now pushing me towards the lecture hall. Why I willingly did everything he said I didn't know myself.

He directed me through the crowd while Trevor walked in front of us and parted the crowd.

"What's wrong Stone?" he whispered in my ear as we walked into the classroom.

"What is it?" I mumbled.

"You are restless. Scared of a class?" Was that so obvious, my head snapped up and I saw him smile for the first time.

"No, it's all just—" I stopped talking just as my stomach turned over again. I looked nervously at Grayson, who didn't notice, and then back into the classroom.

"Come on Stone. I thought you were stronger," he whispered, gently pressing against my back. For some reason, I now moved closer to him so that he almost hugged me.

My cheek lightly brushed his upper arm. I felt his muscles twitch, almost grow, at the slight touch.

She was so insignificant and yet she gave me a little security in that moment. I looked up at him and with the movement of my head my cheek brushed his arm again. Grayson, on the other hand, looked straight ahead. He hadn't noticed anything, he was like a soldier following orders.

I shook my head internally, why did I suddenly want an Alaiser to understand me, I was clearly nervous.

As we cleared the crowd, I saw a few students in their seats, everyone else gathered around the teacher's desk.

Just looking in that direction made me all sour. Caspian's smell was everywhere in this room and strongest in this crowd.

I couldn't explain why he influenced me like that. He wasn't my mate and my wolf didn't respond to him at all. Well, she hasn't talked to me for a long time.

It almost made me dizzy to see him. But Grayson was right. i was stronger I wouldn't allow a few primitive instincts and a scent to control me, nor would this stupid course.

I turned away from everything and ran to the back rows of the lecture hall. As I was about to sit in a row, Grayson pushed me aside and led the way.

I slid down and as the two of us sat down, Trevor and Taylor were already there and taking a seat to my left.

I start spellbound on my hands in my lap, they cramp more and more. I intertwined them so I wouldn't have to see them tremble myself.

"Stone?" Trevor nudged me sideways.

"What's that about the fox?" he asked curiously. "It seems everyone wants to be the fox and just applied for it."

It was a relief to hear that. Each year, the professor chose a fox to hunt and show what he had learned in the course.

This game was barbaric. If the fox was lucky, he would come back without major injuries. As far as I knew, few had made it through the game without being caught first.

The freezing cold out there invited to be caught voluntarily. That's something I would do anyway.

I wasn't an alpha or someone to fear for my reputation. The game was almost impossible to win.

The lines in front of us filled up and a few security guards pushed out the last students who wanted to make it into the class.

The professor proudly stood in front of the class after the doors closed and the last one sat down.

What was her name again? I just couldn't remember. I rummaged through my papers until I found the name.

Elisane Assen. The name meant nothing to me and she didn't smell like a wolf either.

My gaze went to Caspian, who was leaning against the wall with his hands deep in his jeans. He had his hood off now and was looking through the crowd.

"Why is everyone so nervous?" I looked at Trevor who was staring at me silently.

"Seriously, Stone?" he asked me confused.

I knew why it was me, but everyone else? And why did everyone suddenly want to be in this course and the fox.

"For those who don't know, we have a guest this year who will be leading the hunt." She didn't even introduce herself. Strange, she assumed everyone knew who she was. How rude.

She giggled like a small child and ran her hand down Caspian's arm as he pushed himself off the wall and stepped beside her. The two were definitely familiar because he didn't even notice her or seemed uncomfortable with her touch.

I looked away in disgust. I was about to throw up and had just found my personal favorite to add to my list of this year's least favorite professors.

I shifted uncomfortably in my seat and wanted to jump between them and ask them what this was about, but Grayson put his arm over the back of my chair and ran his hand over my shoulder.

The distraction felt good in an unusual way. I looked at him and there was suddenly something soothing about his brown eyes that made my head lean closer to him.

An appreciative murmur went through the hall as the professor continued. However, I couldn't concentrate on it, nothing could distract me right now. All I saw was my reflection in Grayson's dark brown eyes.

"Grayson? What's going on here?"

"Are you scared, Stone?" I shook my head. Not anymore.

"Good, then look ahead!" he said coldly and turned away from me.

His hand disappeared from the back of my chair and I looked ahead in irritation.

Caspian's eyes were on mine and I almost jumped at his piercing stare.