Chapter 33: The Meetup


    The next day, I ran home after my sses and changed into the most nondescript outfit I coulde


    up with for my meeting with K: a in ck hoodie, baggy ck jeans, a in ck hat that I tucked


    my hair into, sunsses, and a surgical mask.


    “Geez,” Lori said from the couch as I stepped out of my room. “Trying to hide from the paparazzi?”


    I realized how ridiculous I probably looked, but I had already prepared an excuse in the event of being


    seen like this.


    “I have to go to nned Parenthood,” I said.


    Lori’s eyes widened. “You’re not… pregnant, are you?” she whispered.


    I shook my head. “No, just a regr checkup. Butst time I went there were these crazy religious


    people outside who were ranting about how I was going to hell even though I was just there to get


    treated for a UTI, so I like to y it safe from now on.”


    “That’s fair,” Lori replied, returning to her book.


    Satisfied with my excuse, I left the dorms and headed toward town.


    K and I nned to meet up at a local coffee shop. He said he would be wearing a red t-shirt. I stepped


    into the coffee shop and looked around nervously, my palms sweating while all of the worst possible


    scenarios yed through my head. What if he didn’t show up, then jumped me while I was on my way


    home? What if he stalked me home, snuck into my dorm, and killed me? Even with Luke there to


    protect me, I didn’t know what this guy was capable of. For all I knew, he could Chapter 3 The Matu


    have already been stalking me and knew about Luke. Maybe he even had experience fighting talking


    skeletons.


    I suddenly felt incredibly stupid for doing this and considered turning around and going home, but when


    I saw a middle-aged man with a beard sitting at a corner table, looking sad as he held his to-go cup of


    coffee, I didn’t feel so afraid anymore. I knew you couldn’t judge a book by its cover, but something told


    me that he wasn’t dangerous.


    Taking a deep breath, I walked over to the table. He looked up from his coffee and looked me up and


    down, seeming a bit amused by my hair tucked into my hat and my face fully covered.


    “You must be N,” he said, gesturing for me to sit down. “I’m not gonna stalk you, you know. You don’t


    need to hide your whole face like that. If anything, you’re drawing attention.


    I looked around to see that other people in the coffee shop were giving me strange looks, probably


    wondering if I was going to rob the ce. Feeling embarrassed, I took off my sunsses and mask,


    and freed my braids from my hat.


    “Much better,” K said, holding out his hand for me to shake it. His hand wasrge and calloused as


    though he had been a manualborer his entire life, but his grip was gentle when I shook it. When we


    finished shaking hands, he gestured for the waiter to bring me a cup of coffee.


    “Now,” he said, leaning back in his chair and taking a sip of his coffee, you believe they’re real, huh?”


    I nodded, unsure whether I should tell him about Enzo or not. He did im to be a werewolf hunter in


    his forum post, and I didn’t exactly want Enzo killed. I just wanted information. Even if Enzo was


    dangerous, I didn’t want to be involved in any killing.


    “I think so,” I said, “but I’m not entirely sure. I was hoping you could give me some information.”


    K paused while the waiter poured my coffee, then spoke again when the waiter walked away.


    “I’ve got plenty of information,” he said. “Where do you want me to start?”


    I bit my lip and fiddled with my coffee cup as I thought. “From the beginning, I guess,” I replied. “When


    did you know for sure that they’re real, and how do you know?”


    K ran his hand along his beard, stroking it. “My wife and infant daughter were killed by one,” he said.


    My eyes widened. “I’m so sorry.”


    “It happened a long time ago,” he replied. “Not that I don’t still grieve for #Chopter 13 The Meetup them


    every day.”


    “Why were they killed?”


    “You see, Lycans — werewolves — have this concept that they refer to as a ‘mate’. Like real wolves,


    only the bond is more powerful. They im to all have one fated mate, their one true love, someone


    whose wolf is bound to theirs.


    When they find this person, they be obsessed. It’s sick.”


    “A werewolf imed your wife as its mate?” I asked.


    K nodded. “Yep. Except, she was human. Which only goes to show that the whole concept is bullshit.


    When she refused that monster’s advances, things got ugly.”


    I was silent for a few moments. I began to wonder if that was why Enzo was so obsessed with me; did


    he think I was his “mate”? Would he kill me if I kept refusing his feelings?


    “Is there any way a werewo- a Lycan, mean- can break a bond with a mate?”


    “Not without the help of a witch,” K responded, taking another gulp of his coffee. “If I had known that


    thirty years ago, my wife and daughter would still be alive today.”


    If Enzo did think I was his mate, then maybe a witch could help me get away from him.


    “Do you know where I can find a witch?” I blurted out.


    K shot me a knowing nce. “You got a Lycan problem, huh?” he said. I hesitantly nodded, still fiddling


    with my coffee cup. K looked around to make sure no one was looking before he reached into his shirt


    and pulled out a ne.


    Attached to the thin leather strap was arge, yellowed canine tooth; far bigger than anything I had


    ever seen, aside from saber-toothed tiger skulls that I had seen in museums before. My eyes widened


    as I realized that this tooth belonged to a Lycan.


    “A witch can break your bond, but I can make sure that… that thing doesn’t hurt anyone else,” he


    whispered, leaning across the table.


    I leaned away, my eyes wide. “What if…. they’re not all dangerous?” I said.


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    K scoffed. “No such thing. They’re all monsters; I’ve hunted enough of ’em to know that for a fact.”


    He noticed my hesitation and tucked the tooth back into his shirt, leaning back in his chair once more.


    “Listen, I know how these animals tick. They’ll lure you in, using their supernatural abilities to make you


    think that it’s safe, that they’re just like everybody else, that they truly care for you. Then, at the


    slightest hint of resistance, they’ll kill you in the blink of an eye”


    I stood suddenly from the table, nearly toppling over my chair as I pushed it back. “I don’t want to kill


    anybody,” I said.


    Klooked up at me, not moving from his seat, and shrugged “It’s either the life of one, or the lives of


    many,” he said. ” You know how to find me when you’re ready to make the right decision.”


    As if we were just having a casual conversation this whole time, K pulled out a newspaper and pencil


    and started doing the crossword. I stood there in shock for a few seconds, then hurried out of the cafe


    with my heart racing


    Was everything that K said true? Was Enzo truly a monster who was only manipting me?


    I started walking down the street to head back to campus, chewing my fingernails as I considered


    everything that K had just told me.


    But then, like clockwork, I heard the sound of a motorcycle and looked up to see Enzo driving toward


    me


    He pulled up next to me and flipped up the visor on his helmet with a yful smile that made my knees


    weak.


    “Wanna go for a ride?” he asked.


    I considered saying yes, my heart skipping a beat as I thought about being alone with Enzo on the


    beach…ying a nket down on the sand and undressing each other, not caring if someone caught


    us.


    But I couldn’t, not after he had sex with Lisa… and especially not after what K just told me.


    I shook my head and backed away. “I can’t,” I said. “I have a paper to work on. I’ll see you around.”


    Before Enzo had the chance to respond, I scurried away.


    I could feel his eyes on my back as I ran off, and although I couldn’t see his face, I knew that he was


    suspicious of me.