“Hey, up here!” I wanted to shout. “Talk to my face, not to my boobs!” But I didn’t. Why make myself a target? I was already worried that I might not be able to master the material. “Thanks, I look forward to the course.”
He moved his gaze up to my face and it suddenly dawned on him who I was. His jaw dropped and a scowl played across his lips. “Jesus—you’re one of those suspected werewolves, right? I recognize your name now.” He didn’t wait for me to answer. “Well, I don’t know about this.”
Damn, he’d heard the rumors. “Umm,” I said sweetly, “didn’t you just sign the form?”
The professor sighed. “I guess I have no choice since the Dean ordered it. But let me tell you straight young lady, I’m not happy they put you in my class. It was already at the limit and I am not a fan of trying to assimilate you supposed shifter people back into society. What really happened there anyway? Were you turned into werewolves or not?”
How interesting. Just minutes before he had been devouring my boobies with his eyes, and now he was acting all jacked up about the whole ‘assimilate the camp counselors who could be werewolves back in society thing.’
“Well, it’s like you heard from the government report,” I replied, launching into a spiel I had memorized. “We were working as camp counselors, and on the last night of camp, those of us who stayed behind to clean up were drugged by the camp manager, Chester McGreevy.” That much was true. McGreevy had drugged us, but the next part was a lie. “It was a sex trafficking plan, but he screwed up and we escaped, got lost, and finally made our way out of the woods.”
I hated lying but I had no choice. I had been forced to sign a document with the government and if I failed to honor the agreement, I would be locked up, and likely never shown the key. Fearing a mass panic, the government did not want us to reveal we were shifters—but we were.
The truth was, after McGreevy had drugged us we were ripe pickings for a gang of wolves he worked with; the Vlodiks. They attacked and bit us. A rival clan, the Lycans, saved us from them … but it was too late. We had already been bitten and turned into werewolves, except for one girl, who couldn’t shift. All of us, with the exception of the male counselor, were matched up and put under the protection of a wereman with the hope that eventually we’d mate with them. We’d lived with the Lycan shifters at their retreat Camp Vickers for a few weeks in the mountains.
Eventually, the alpha of the Lycans, Caleb, met with the highest level of the United States Homeland Security. He revealed to the government agents that there were thousands of werewolves, and some were even secretly living in society amongst humans. Caleb and the government struck a deal. The counselors could stay at Camp Vickers or return to their everyday lives, it was their choice. Then, the government would educate the public about werewolves. They would confirm our existence and let people know we were not monsters, but people just like them … with a few added abilities, of course.
Unfortunately, the government failed to keep their promise and instead made up a BS story about sex trafficking. But then rumors circulated, and many people suspected the truth.
The professor interrupted my thoughts. “So, that’s the story huh?”
I nodded my head.
“Well I don’t believe it; just too many rumors. And you know what they say—where there is smoke there is fire. The word on the street is that you are all werewolves, and that makes sense, considering what I heard happened. To think, no one knew about werewolves all these years…” the professor said disgustedly, shaking his head.
“No, I … I’m…” God, it sucked having to lie, and it was no use anyway. His mind was already made up, there was no sense trying to argue. I gave him my most serious look. “Anyway, even if I was, turning into a werewolf is not something that would be contagious. I will work hard in your class.”
“You better,” he replied dryly.
I could tell there would be no getting away with anything in this class. Whereas before he was all grins and roving eyes, he now acted like I was some society reject. For a person who was supposed to be an educator, it was sad to see him judge someone so harshly for being different.
“You’ve got the transfer form; you are officially in the class now. Take a seat. And let me tell you, no monkey business or…”