Kane's Fate 2 Chapter 4

I sprang out of bed and flung open my door to find Vic and Madison already in their doorways. Vic’s hazel eyes searched the hall in confusion, while Madison’s blond hair stuck out in all directions as she rubbed the sleep from her eyes.

“What the hell was that?” I demanded.

“I-I’m not sure,” Madison stammered, and Vic shrugged.

“I’m checking it out,” I said as I turned toward the common room.

A handful of upperclassmen had already made their way down the stairs, but they stopped several feet in front of the door to the building, and I strode past them to investigate the noise at the door. They were obviously freaked out by all the banging, so I took over to stand in the way of anyone who tried to get in.

“Who’s there?” I called out.

I could tell someone stood on the other side as the hairs on my neck stood on end, but they didn’t say a word as I slowly reached for the handle.

“Open up already!” the familiar voice suddenly shouted. “It’s fucking cold out here!”

I let out an annoyed grunt as I opened the door and let Seth inside, and he shivered as he stepped out of the cool night air and into the warmth of the common room.

“Oh, it’s just Weaver,” one of the older shifters said and rolled his eyes. “Next time, beat curfew. They’re locking the doors at ten now.”

I glanced at the clock on the microwave in the kitchenette and realized it was nearly one in the morning. My little rest had turned into a few hours of sleep.

“I was doing important things, Calvin,” Seth said arrogantly, and he smirked at the elder shifter as he shut the door behind him. “You wouldn’t understand.”

“Your mom being the Premier doesn’t make everything you do with her important,” I retorted.

“Good one, Turner,” Calvin snickered.

The other shifters laughed while Seth scowled, and I turned on my heel to walk to my room when my stomach growled.

Great, now I was hungry. My already large appetite seemed to triple once I became a shifter, and I had a feeling it had something to do with my fera and its wild instincts to eat everything in sight.

I stopped in the kitchenette and plucked a bag of Fritos from the cabinet. Then I ripped it open and began to munch on the snack while Seth glared at me and picked his bags up from the floor.

His short black hair was mussed from the wind, and his brown eyes were dark with his disdain for me. His coat was wrapped tightly around his thin frame, but his hands caught my attention.

They were cut and scabbed all across the knuckles, as though he’d been in some sort of fight. There was also a small yellowish bruise under his right eye when I took a closer look at him, and his lip had been busted open. He looked beat to hell, and he moved with a tenderness that indicated his healing power hadn’t quite kicked in yet. The bruises had to be somewhat fresh since shifters healed quicker than most people, but they were clear as day for now.

Part of me wanted to ask what exactly his special assignment was, but I knew he wouldn’t tell me anyway. I still hadn’t figured out his problem with me, so I didn’t have any chance at resolving it or at least pushing it to the side long enough to figure out what he’d been up to.

I just had to rely on my other skills for now.

“You got a problem, Turner?” Seth asked with a snarky smile. “Or do you like looking at my pretty face?”

“Nah, just wondering what the other guy looks like or if you just got the shit kicked out of you,” I scoffed and tossed another Frito in my mouth. “Later.”

I pretended like I couldn’t care less about his injuries, and it worked like a charm.

“For your information, he can’t see out of one eye,” Seth said and narrowed his own eyes on me. “And that was only one of them.”

“Oh, guess you’re a badass now,” I snorted. “Had to get some practice in after the Bellator flop, huh?”

When I said flop, I was being literal. My secondary ability to manipulate light was accompanied by a third power no one expected. I possessed victory deflection as well, which meant when Seth tried to attack me from behind after I won the Bellator, he’d been knocked off the side of a huge stone wall.

He’d only survived because the pushers were able to stop his fall, and he knew he’d fucked up.

“It had nothing to do with you, Turner,” he hissed, and his eyes thinned into slits as he continued to glare at me with full-on hatred.

“Sure.” I shrugged and threw the empty Frito bag in the trash before I walked toward my room with utter carelessness in my step. “See ya.”

I could feel Seth fuming behind me as he stormed down the hall to his room and slammed the door shut.

“He seemed a little upset,” Demi said as she peeked out of her room at me. “Is everything alright?”

“Oh, yeah, he just doesn’t like being called out,” I laughed. “No big deal. Are you okay?”

“Yeah, he just scared me,” she admitted as she bit her lip. “Can I come sit with you for a while?”

“Of course,” I agreed.

Demi slithered out of her room, and my heart thudded against my chest as she appeared in the hallway wearing one of her nearly transparent teddies. The pale yellow lace contrasted perfectly with her caramel skin, and the hem grazed the middle of her sinewy thighs as she walked toward me.

Then she slipped past me, sat on my bed with a sigh, and leaned back, and the bottom of her nightgown slid even higher up her caramel thighs. I instantly regretted my sweats, and I adjusted a few things down south before I walked over to the bed and sat a full foot away from her.

Even if my girlfriends were okay with me adding to our group, I didn’t feel right taking advantage of Demi’s fear and vulnerability at the moment. Besides, she’d said she would wait as long as it took, and I had plenty of time to mark her as one of my own later.

“So, what’s on your mind?” I asked after a long silence. “Is it just Seth?”

“Well, that definitely freaked me out,” she confirmed with pursed lips. “But I’ve actually been having a hard time sleeping lately. I dreamed of that bloody fountain from the first semester, like, five times already.”

“Damn, I’m sorry to hear that.” I frowned and leaned a little closer to gently rub her arm. “The dean is working on figuring that stuff out. There’s nothing to worry about right now.”

I wasn’t sure if I was being completely truthful, but I needed to console Demi for now. She was obviously freaked out if she was dreaming about it, and I wondered if they were anything like my dark magic battle dreams.

I was trying to decide how to ask when she suddenly turned toward me and leaned in closer.

“How long will it take for you to let me join you three?” she asked as the neckline of her teddy dropped to reveal even more of her supple bosom. “I mean, I said I’ll wait, and I meant it, but I’m curious. Like, I really like you, you know?”

“I know,” I chuckled. “I like you, too. I just want to make sure it’s right before I add to my pack.”

“Your pack?” Demi repeated and cocked her head to the side curiously. “I didn’t know that was a thing.”

“I think it’s a tiger thing,” I explained with a smile. “Tigers have multiple mates, so I think it’s an instinct my fera brings out. Maybe I should call it a ‘pride’ instead, but I like ‘pack’ better.”

“Yeah, but why won’t you just fool around with me?” she pressed as her gaze dropped to my crotch. “I know you want to, and your girlfriends seem into it.”

I couldn’t deny that as my cock twitched with anticipation.

“I do,” I confirmed. “But it’s more than a one nighter for me. You’re hot as hell, but I want to know you. I don’t want a walk of shame kind of thing. I want another partner.”

Demi paused and seemed to consider what I’d said with a thoughtful look on her face. Then she peered into my eyes and sat back with another sigh.

“You really are a gentleman, Kane,” she said after a moment. “I can’t argue with you. You’re better than most guys I’ve met. They’re perfectly fine with the one-night stand deal, even when I’m not. With you, I’d be happy for one time, but I get it. You’re a better person than that.”

“I try to be,” I replied genuinely. “I don’t want you to ever feel like I don’t care, and that’s exactly what it would be if I just tried to get in your pants now. I want to know you. Okay?”

“Okay,” Demi agreed. “I like wine, the ocean, and nail art.”

“Well, this feels a little bit like speed dating,” I chuckled. “I don’t know much about nail art, but I’ve grown to like the ocean since I moved here. I grew up with the mountains.”

“Oh, I’d love to see the mountains!” she gushed. “I’ve never gone far from home. I’m from Vegas, so I didn’t even fly to get here.”

“I wouldn’t mind checking out your hometown sometime,” I said with a grin.

“You’re definitely welcome to come home with me,” she blurted out and then shook her head. “But I have one more question…”

She bit her lip and looked down at her lap as though she needed to build up some courage.

“What is it?” I asked in a gentle voice.

“Can I at least stay with you tonight?” she asked just above a whisper. “The whole Seth thing did freak me out, and I don’t want to have any more bad dreams. I just feel like you’ll keep them away.”

“Absolutely,” I agreed. “I’ll keep you safe.”

“Thank you,” Demi murmured before she flashed me a sly smile. “And I promise not to try anything… at least not while I’m awake. I can’t promise anything while I’m asleep.”

“Understandable,” I chuckled.

The shifter snuggled under the blankets with a soft sigh, and she curled her body against mine as we both closed our eyes to sleep. My dreams weren’t filled with battles against the dark stranger this time, but they definitely contained Demi and her curvaceous body, her sultry smile…

My phone’s alarm jangled and seemed to echo through the entire dorm until I rolled over and turned it off with a groan.

“Ugh, it’s so early,” I muttered as I rolled back over to find my bed empty. “What the hell?”

My heart skipped a beat, and I started to jump out of bed when my phone buzzed again, this time with a text from Demi.

Thank you for protecting me. I went to take a cold shower. See you in class.

Anytime, I replied with a smiley face.

At least no one had stolen Demi away in the middle of the night.

I got up more slowly and hopped into the shower. Then I started to shave but realized my stubble was starting to resemble a beard. I’d see what the girls thought about growing it out before I got rid of it.

I kind of liked the idea of being a bearded badass.

Once I was dressed, I headed for the Medius for breakfast. I ran into Auden and Charlotte on the way over, and I kissed my pusher girlfriend on the cheek as I took her hand.

When we reached the front steps of the main building, Indira jogged over to join us, and I linked my other hand through hers to escort both of my women into the cafeteria.

Dozens of eyes followed our path through the breakfast line, but I didn’t care what anyone else thought. They didn’t understand what we had, and it didn’t bother me one bit.

I credited my brazen feelings to my fera’s instincts because the pre-shifter me would have been beet red at the wild looks and whispers that rippled through the room. My fera, however, made me feel nearly invincible and confident in the growth of my pack.

A sudden thought struck me, and I paused as I grabbed the syrup for my pancakes.

I’d have to grow my pack with little shifters at some point, too.

Even though babies were a far away part of the plan, it was weird to admit--even to myself-- that they were actually in my plans. I’d never thought of myself as a dad guy, but I knew I couldn’t take on all these lovers without a plan for passing on my genes or whatever.

“I’m going to go talk to Raven,” Charlotte said as she suddenly derailed my train of thought. “I’ll see if she’ll tell me anything else about Dax.”

My red-haired girlfriend strode over to the charmers’ table, and it looked like Raven was pleasantly surprised Charlotte had joined her. The petite charmer still sat away from her peers, but she didn’t shoo Charlotte the way she’d tried with me.

Maybe I hadn’t given that “girl talk” thing enough credit.

“So, how were things with Demi last night?” Indira asked as we sat down at our table near the other shifters. “I could tell your connection grew, but it isn’t quite formed yet.”

“You knew she was with me?” My eyes widened in surprise.

“Well, yeah, you marked me,” Indira giggled and pulled her hair to the side to show the mark I’d left on her skin. “I can feel what you feel if I’m tuned in. I bet Charlotte knows, too. I could tell you felt… anxious.”

“Well, yeah, Demi is super cool and so hot, but I don’t want to jump into a third girlfriend so fast without knowing how this pack thing works,” I explained. “I don’t love her like I love you two, not yet at least. Maybe--”

“You can’t just love someone you barely know,” my girlfriend cut in with a smile. “You need to get to know her. I get it. But just so you know, Charlotte and I like her. She’s fun and smart, and she’s a kickass nail artist.”

Indira wiggled her fingers in front of me to show me a rainbow of colors and glitters that sparkled in the small rays of sunlight that peered in through the windows.

“Demi did that?” I asked with forced interest.

“Yeah, she does most of the girls’ nails on campus,” Indira said. “She knows to keep mine short, so I can still play my guitar. She remembers everything we like. It’s amazing.”

“Huh.” I stuffed a bite of pancake in my mouth and thought about Demi as I chewed.

Charlotte soon returned with her half-empty tray and a slight grimace on her face as she sat down on my other side.

“No luck?” Indira asked.

“Uh, she just, well…” Charlotte trailed off and cleared her throat. “I don’t think I’d make a good detective. She knew what I was trying to ask, and she said she already told Kane to give Dax some time.”

“Maybe it’s time for a bro chat,” Auden laughed. “The girl chat didn’t work, but guys talk, too.”

“About shit we don’t want to?” I arched a doubtful eyebrow. “I don’t think he’ll talk to either of us until he wants to, man. He doesn’t give a rat’s ass about anyone else right now. I think he’s mad about getting kicked out of Imperium, but he wouldn’t tell me what happened.”

“He got expelled from Imperium?” Indira covered her mouth in shock. “How does that happen? They’re not exactly strict.”

“I’m not sure,” I admitted. “I’m trying to find out, but he’s really tight-lipped about the whole thing.”

“Well, not to change the subject, but I have some news,” my shifter lover said and looked down at her tray. “Do you want the good news or the bad news first?”

“Always start with the bad,” I replied with a shrug. “Makes the good news sound even better for some reason.”

“Well, I won’t be Professor Pearson’s TA anymore,” Indira sighed. “I’m not sure who’s taking over, but I have to make more time for the Discipulus meetings. I already missed one last week because I was grading papers, and they’re adding more meetings every day. Look at my group chat.”

Indira flipped her phone around to show me what looked like an endless stream of chats from the Discipulus members and their government counterparts as they added date after date to the group calendar.

The Discipulus was a group of students who worked as liaisons with the politicians to prepare for upcoming graduates and spoke as the voice of the youngest members of the magical society.

“Is it because of Seth’s special assignment bullshit?” I grumbled. “He came in at one in the morning looking like he got the shit kicked out of him, but he said he went up against several other guys. I don’t know why, and he didn’t give me any details to go on.”

“I’m not sure,” she admitted with a frown. “But I do know he was with the Premier at the training facility near the capitol.”

“Oh, I bet that’s all he did.” I smirked and rolled my eyes. “He made it sound like he survived getting jumped. He probably just had a trainer.”

“Wait, so what about the good news?” Charlotte cut in with a gleam in her pale green eyes.

“Oh, right!” Indira giggled. “It means I get to move back into the shifter dorms!”

Both my heads instantly filled with thoughts of naked sleepovers, and I had to adjust myself in my seat to focus again on the conversation.

“That’s awesome,” I agreed with a grin. “I just hope the new TA doesn’t suck. Whoever it is won’t be anywhere near as nice to look at.”

“Oh, stop.” Indira blushed and play-swatted my arm.

“I guess I’ll keep you updated,” I said as I glanced at my watch. “We need to get going to our first class.”

I ignored the snickers from Seth and Vic as I escorted my women on each arm toward the door. They could laugh all they wanted, but I still had more girlfriends than each of them combined, and I was only just beginning.

Meditation class passed quickly, though I was still annoyed I hadn’t found the way to heal myself faster yet, and we moved onto our shifter class.

My question of the new TA was answered as soon as we walked into the classroom. Renzo stood with a third-year guy while they talked over a stack of papers, and once we were all seated, the professor turned to introduce the young man next to him.

“I’d like you all to meet my new TA for all my shifter classes,” he said and motioned for the TA to come forward. “This is Carmelo Lutz. He’s an experienced student with formidable shifting skills.”

Carmelo stood about five-foot-ten with a slightly pudgy middle and horn-rimmed glasses that he shoved up the bridge of his nose as he lowered his top half into a weird bow. His plaid shirt was tucked into his khaki pants, and he shoved his shaggy mane of dirty blond hair back from his sweaty forehead.

It seemed my assessment about not having someone nice to look at was even righter than I’d expected.

My mind soon drifted away from combining rapid shifting with keeping clothes intact to the list I’d started last night. I had the Atroba roll list in my bag, and I pulled it and my notebook out under the guise of taking shifting notes. I wanted to find as many connections as I could to whoever on campus was involved in Philo’s plan.

If we had a mole, it was time to send it into the light.

I was almost done with the Ks when the buzzer sounded for the end of class, and I decided to bypass the lunch line long enough to talk to the dean first. I took the elevator to the third floor of the Medius and headed down the hall to Canmore’s office.

“Come in!” she yelled as I started to knock on the door.

Damn seers.

“I’ve been working on my homework,” I said as I walked in and started to pull the notebook from my bag.

“A little antsy, are we?” Canmore chuckled and shook her head. “You can bring it to class this afternoon.”

“But I found a lot of names that match up with students here,” I explained as I set my bag on the floor and plopped down in front of her desk. “I’m not even halfway through the alphabet, and I have two pages full of students.”

“I know,” she countered, and I narrowed my eyes in confusion. “Yes, yes, I know, I’m a seer, remember? I knew you’d find them.”

“So, why the assignment?” I asked. “Can’t you just see what those people are going to do?”

“Not necessarily,” the dean replied. “It’s not as simple as that. There are many possibilities for each person to take, and watching that many futures for that many students is nearly impossible.”

I felt like we were discussing some multi-verse scenario from a comic book as I imagined the strings connecting dozens of dots on my imaginary corkboard of conspiracy theories. A hundred different things could happen at any given moment.

“Okay, so what should I do?” I wondered. “We can’t just let members of the Atroba walk around here and do whatever they want.”

“We also can’t prove their children are also members,” she pointed out. “So, we have to let them walk around here and do normal school things. It’s the abnormal things I want you to keep an eye on.”

“Abnormal like what?” I asked.

“Working on projects that aren’t for classes, or teaming up with other known members’ children,” Canmore answered. “Staying out late, leaving campus often, things like that would all be of concern. If I know who to focus on, perhaps I can get a jump on Philo’s plans. It’s much easier to see one or two futures than several hundred.”

“I’m tracking,” I said with a nod. “So, you want to know about anyone acting weird. I can do that. Do you think one of these people is behind the bloody fountain incident?”

“I see you and I continue to reach the same conclusions, Mr. Turner,” she chuckled. “Yes, I do think so, as do a few of my colleagues. And don’t bother asking me who else knows about the Atroba. It’s not your concern at the moment. You need to focus on figuring out who we need to watch. It’s vital to find out Philo’s plan before he attacks.”

“Can I loop in my friends?” I asked. “I know we want to keep everything on the down-low, but the more eyes I have in each set of classes, the better, right?”

“Well, yes…” Canmore trailed off and watched me for a moment before she continued. “But you must be careful who you trust. Not everyone is who they seem, and I have a list of my own to consider.”

“Wait, who’s on your list that has you worried?” I frowned as I considered each of my lovers and friends. “Won’t I find them eventually?”

“Yes,” she agreed with a nod. “But I’ll tell you this one now. Raven LeBoux has been keeping a secret from you, and she’s on my list as well.”

“I haven’t hit the Ls yet,” I said with a grimace. “She doesn’t seem to hate me or the school or any of that, though.”

“Whoever has been part of the Atroba’s attacks is stealthy,” Canmore replied and clenched her hands into fists. “I need to know which of these people is the one who’s been hiding here and pretending to love our home, Mr. Turner. I trust you can figure out who is involved sooner rather than later.”

“I’ll do my best, ma’am,” I promised. “What about Dax?”

“He’ll be given the same task,” she answered. “He doesn’t have a long list of people to trust, so I imagine he won’t need all the same warnings as you do. Don’t tell anyone everything. You have to hold something close to the vest, so you know who your true friends and enemies are. Got that?”

“Yeah,” I murmured. “Got it.”

“Good,” she said with a nod. “Now, get to lunch. I’ll see you soon for class.”

I was trying to keep my poker face, but I couldn’t believe Raven had anything to do with the bloody fountain or anything else related to Philo. If she was on the dean’s list, I needed to rethink my perception of her innocent, dimpled smile and all the flirting she’d be doing.

I checked my phone as I headed for the elevator and saw a text from Indira. It seemed she and Charlotte had given up waiting for me and went back to the classroom building.

Then I looked down into the atrium and saw it was mostly empty already, though a dark-haired beauty caught my eye.

Raven had just walked into the cafeteria, and I skipped the elevator to hurry downstairs in time to grab our trays at the same time. She glanced over her shoulder at me and offered a dimpled smile before she piled spaghetti onto her tray. It was hard to believe the beautiful charmer was related to anyone in the Atroba, but I needed to resist the pull I felt toward her until I found out.

“I love pasta,” she said, and I watched her take another scoop before she moved on.

“Doesn’t everyone?” I laughed and doubled my own serving as well.

We moved through the food line quickly, and we soon realized the other charmers had already left her behind.

“Come on,” I said and motioned for her to come sit with me rather than at her table alone.

“I guess it’s better than silence,” she murmured as she set her tray down to join me. “But no more third degree, okay?”

“No third degree,” I agreed halfheartedly. “I’m just curious, that’s all.”

“About Dax again?” she huffed. “I told you and Charlotte, you have to ask him whatever you need to know.”

“Okay, okay.” I put my hands up in mock surrender. “What about you? I don’t know much about you either. Are you from around here?”

“Kansas City, Missouri,” Raven said before she stuffed a forkful of spaghetti into her mouth.

“You’re pretty far from home, but that’s closer to Imperium,” I observed with pursed lips. “Why come to Meloria?”

“I liked this one better,” she replied after she swallowed her pasta. “Why did you come here?”

“I didn’t even know Imperium existed.” I shrugged and twirled the spaghetti onto my fork. “Not until I got here and found out they were our rivals or whatever. My parents just sent me here as soon as I activated.”

“So, they followed the rules,” Raven chuckled. “Yeah, mine didn’t, but I activated, so it didn’t really matter. I knew plenty before I got here.”

“Why did they tell you everything?” I wondered. “A memory rewrite that big could have made you a vegetable.”

“No idea,” she answered with a shrug. “You’d have to ask them, too. I’m just along for the ride. Well, now that I’m here, there is someone I want to ride…”

“You flirt,” I chuckled.

“I’m really not,” she scoffed around her mouthful of spaghetti. “I’m a shy, silly, nerd. It’s fun to flirt with you cause I know nothing is going to happen.”

“What do you mean?”

“Well…” she sighed. “I’m… me… l and… you are… Well… look at you. Like you’d ever want to be with me.”

“Woah,” I sighed. “You are totally hot and super funny. Don’t talk like that--”

Suddenly, I sensed someone approach our table and turned with surprise to see Dax just as he set his tray down on Raven’s other side. He eyed me with the same suspicion I felt, but he didn’t say anything as he began to scoop pasta into his mouth. We sat in silence for nearly five minutes as Dax cleaned his tray, but before I could come up with a conversation starter, Raven did it for me.

“Did you talk to your mom about the formal?” she asked Dax.

Well, that wasn’t what I expected.

“Yeah, she’s not too happy about it,” he replied with a shrug. “But there isn’t much we can do. Good intentions and all that.”

“What do you mean?” I asked.

“Meloria has good intentions by bringing us together with Imperium,” Raven explained. “They just don’t know all the shit Dax already went through while he was there, and his mom does. Man, she was pissed. I’d hate to see what she’d do to them if…”

“If what?” I pressed and leaned in closer.

“Nothing.” Raven shook her head and glanced at Dax, who watched her with warning eyes. “Anyway, Dax’s mom could kick ass if she wanted to, so they better watch out.”

“You know his mom?” I arched a curious eyebrow.

I hadn’t picked up on a romantic relationship between them, and I still wasn’t, but I was confused about how Raven knew Dax’s mother.

“Well, yeah, we grew up together,” Raven replied with a laugh as she elbowed him in the ribs. “I’ve known Dax since we were, what, four?”

“I think that’s right,” he said and nodded. “We lived in the same neighborhood in Missouri. Then I went to Imperium, and she came here.”

“I see,” I murmured as the light clicked on. “So, that’s why Raven knows you so well.”

She’d hinted at their friendship without giving anything away, and I wondered why she hadn’t come out and said how they knew each other. Maybe I wasn’t the only one who was trying to keep something close to the vest, as the dean said.

“Better than anyone,” Dax agreed and nudged Raven with his shoulder.

I saw him crack a sliver of a smile for the first time since he’d gotten here, and it made me question if he considered her a friend or more. As soon as Raven was found to be innocent of the Atroba stuff, I wouldn’t mind a little competition for her attention.

For now, I needed to get to my history class before Jude started talking more about the plague. I didn’t want to miss anything that might help in my research for the Atroba, so I waved goodbye to the charmers, dumped my tray, and headed for the classroom building.

There were quite a few names on my list so far, but I planned to go over it some more later. I needed to go through the rest of the roll call before I could figure out who all I needed to keep an eye on, and I needed to pay attention in history to see what else I could find out about the old memory rewrites.

If Philo had activated some ancient turn of events that would lead to a huge plague again, I needed to figure out everything I could before he finished. I had a feeling his sacrificial murders had something to do with it, too, but that was just one of the things he’d done so far.

Maybe that was where the blood came from…

Unfortunately, my thoughts about the bloody fountain were interrupted as I walked into the history classroom and nearly fell back into the door when the ground began to shake beneath my feet.