12

Dad used to say our trials made us stronger. I always believed him… until now. How did my pack being decimated make any of us stronger?
They were dead.
There was no reason for what happened other than brutality. Something that made my blood boil more than the moonlight ever had.
“Yeah, it’s normal.” He placed both hands back on the steering wheel. “It fucking sucks. It’s one reason that Griffin tries not to go back to Shadow City. There are so many memories of his dad there and all the plans they made together for the packs.”
“Griffin?” Wait… That was who he was talking with last night. “Your best friend.”
“The very one.” Killian chuckled. “His dad died shortly after my parents, leaving him with a whole lot of responsibility, like me. Despite us meeting only a few years ago when Shadow City opened back up, our losses bonded us together quickly.”
“Then why do you feel responsible for helping me?”
“I don’t feel responsible.” He tilted his head toward me. “I want to help you. There’s a huge difference. Besides.” He leaned back in his seat and placed a wrist over the steering wheel. “You’re helping me in return, so it’s mutually beneficial.” He waggled his eyebrows.
And I laughed. So odd. Ten seconds ago, I was on the brink of a breakdown, and now he had me smiling. Maybe I was certifiable. “No waggling eyebrows at me. This is completely platonic dating that so happens to be exclusive.”
He huffed and rolled his eyes. “You’re no fun.”
“No, I’m not.” And just like that, the sadness took hold of my chest again. “I’ve lost too much to be fun.” Add in the fact that Dad had been grooming me since birth to be the perfect alpha. He’d repeat that, if I was a boy, it would be so much easier. Times were changing, with more women leading packs, but, not fast enough. For me to not get challenged, I had to be even stronger and more poised.
Because of that, no one had ever approached me for a date. Everyone my age had thought I was too perfect, or they were intimidated. Zoe had been my one and only true friend, able to see past most of the act. Though not all.
“Hey, it’ll be okay.” His hand tightened on the steering wheel, making his knuckles turn white. “It has to be.”
Silence descended between us, leaving both of us lost in our own thoughts. Ones that I didn’t want to have but didn’t have the strength to push away. Arian and Cassie Knight had been amazing parents, even when they were hard on me. Mom had a way of making things better whenever I grew too overwhelmed with expectations or training. And Dad made me feel stronger and taught me to believe in myself. Because of them, I hadn’t been captured and had found the strength to get away even when the enemy got too close to catching me.
As we turned toward the woods and the flowing river, several large brick buildings about a mile away popped into view. They looked brand new.
“That’s the university.” Killian answered my unspoken question.
It was picturesque with enough acreage that my wolf could happily run for miles. The lawn in front almost looked artificial with healthy green grass. “This place is gorgeous.”
He smiled. “It really is. All the buildings were constructed at one time so the campus has a cohesive feel and branding.”
“Do humans go here too?” From the little bit I’d heard about it, I’d assumed Shadow City was populated only by supernaturals, but I wasn’t sure about the surrounding towns.
“No.” He shook his head. “It’s all supernatural based, but to maintain appearances, we allow humans to apply. We have a thorough screening process to weed them out from actually being accepted. We want this to be a college where supernaturals get the kind of education they need for their future, whether that’s leading, fighting, healing, and so forth.”
“So there aren’t any humans in Shadow Ridge either?” Being around only supernaturals unsettled me. All of my experiences visiting the small town near my pack’s home had involved a human presence, and any other supernaturals who might live or visit the town always had to be careful to not ask certain questions. Here, it would be harder to keep my heritage hidden. I couldn’t risk running in animal form because, if anyone had even a vague memory of silver wolves, they would peg me easily. Staying human was going to suck because I was used to shifting daily. It was part of our training regimen, to fight in both wolf and human form. But I’d manage.
I had to.
“No humans live here, but tourists come into town.” He pursed his lips. “It’s good for businesses since they spend a lot of money, and having them around helps us remember our human side.”
His wording seemed odd, but I let it go. The buildings were growing closer, and I could see now that a wrought iron gate circled the campus.
As we approached the wrought iron fence that served as the main entrance, I could see the emblem of a city etched into it with the words Shadow Ridge University underneath.
“Is that a drawing of Shadow City?” The emblem had modern buildings with a paw print and a symbol attached to the top. “Sure is.”
“So you’ve been there?” If he had a way into the city, maybe I could figure out another person to contact. I could find out who’d replaced Atticus.
“Oh, no. There’s a large wall and dome that keeps the city from view. In order to get in, you need permission from one of the council members. They’re letting residents out freely now, but it’s still hard to get inside if you don’t already live there.” He slowed the truck as we approached a guard shack sitting between the entrance and exit lanes. “But I’ve been told that’s the skyline of the city.” The gates to the university were closed, and Killian rolled down his window as he stopped.
The guard took a step toward us even as Killian pulled out a card key and swiped it against the reader. The gate clicked and slowly opened.
“Doesn’t traffic get backed up if everyone has to stop and scan in?” I glanced over my shoulder to find no one behind us.