Better Off Undead - Cynthia Eden Page 0,61
“Don’t be a liability to me,” he said. “If you’re screwed up in the head because of this, you’ll just distract me.”
“I-I want to help Mary Jane. I want to make everything right.”
That he could understand. “Then you stay close and you do exactly what I say…”
***
When Jane arrived back at the college campus, she immediately went in to have a one-on-one talk with the Dean of Students. Only that little chat went freaking nowhere fast.
She’d wanted a list of students who were in classes with Alan Thatcher and Travis Maller—then, she’d wanted that list broken down so she could see which students were from out of state. A simple enough request.
Because I think the killer has to be an out-of-state student. Aidan knew all the local werewolves. So it stood to reason that this guy—this new alpha—was an unknown because he’d come from a different state.
The Dean of Students—a guy named Shawn Hastings, Dr. Hastings, who had a double chin, a thick head of a black hair, and very twitchy eyes—was sweating as he stared at her. “I-I can’t give you that information,” Shawn said for what had to be the fifth time. “I must protect the privacy of my students.”
His assistant stood just behind him, looking nervous as all hell.
“Your students are dying.” He shouldn’t need that reminder. “And I strongly suspect the killer is on this campus.”
Shawn blanched.
“I need that list.”
“And I want to help you.” He patted a cloth to his sweating forehead. “But unless you have a warrant, my hands are tied.”
A warrant would take too long. The killer had dropped a body for the last two nights, and her money was on him striking again when the sun set. Before she could argue again, Jane’s phone vibrated. Jane looked down and read the text from Aidan. I’m here.
She quickly typed back. Dean of Students. Meet me. “I’ve got something better than a warrant.” And she couldn’t believe she was going to do this. It was wrong. She knew it was wrong, and she felt like a total hypocrite, but Jane didn’t have time to waste. Dammit. The killer was going to strike again. She knew it.
He had a taste for the blood now. Human, werewolf—the killers were the same. Once they got the rush and the power that came from taking another life, they didn’t stop. It was like an addiction.
“Better than a warrant?” Shawn asked as he rose. “Why, I’d like to see that—”
The door to his office flew open. Fast, very fast—that was her Aidan.
“What is happening?” Shawn’s voice was a shriek now.
His assistant—and Jane was pretty sure the assistant and the dean might be involved because the woman’s bright red lipstick matched the smudge on the dean’s fancy white dress collar—immediately grabbed for the phone on his desk. Probably calling security.
“This is my partner,” Jane murmured. “And you’re going to provide him with a list of the students from out of state, students who were in classes with Travis Maller and Alan Thatcher.”
The dean gaped at her.
The assistant’s gaze flew around the room.
Jane tapped her chin. “You know what? Give me a list of the out-of-state students who were in Alan’s dorm, too.”
“No,” the dean snapped. “Absolutely not. I told you, I need a warrant. Now it’s time for you and your partner to leave, immediately.”
Jane sighed. I am breaking my own rules. What did that say about her? Was her moral compass bent or totally broken? Her stare slid to Aidan, and she knew he’d get her message. “Told you,” Jane murmured. “I have something better than a warrant.” I have my own personal alpha werewolf.
Aidan stalked toward the dean’s desk. She could practically feel the power swirling in the room. Aidan looked first at the young assistant. “Hang up the phone.”
She did.
Then Aidan focused on the dean. “About that list…”
***
“Thank you, Aidan,” Jane said quickly as they hurried out of the dean’s office. “I wasn’t exactly running high on charm today, and you totally saved my ass.”
There were a lot of names on the list. More names than she’d hoped to see. And Jane knew the list might not even lead to the killer. After all, Travis and Alan could have met the guy at a campus party—or an off campus party. The guy might not even be a student, but at least it was a starting point for her.
It was something.
She began skimming over the list.
“Glad I could be of use,” Aidan said, his voice oddly careful. “Jane,