Shadow Lake Vampire Society - Wendi Wilson Page 0,38

shoulder as I went, ignoring the tingle in my skin as it touched his. Part of me expected him to stop me, but he didn’t. Instead, I heard footsteps behind me as he followed.

But when I got to the end of the narrow concrete hallway, the large, rusty, metal door was shut and locked. I yanked on the large handle, but it didn’t budge.

“How do you open this thing?” I demanded, my heart pounding wildly again, but my determination would not let the panic win. No, I was going to stay in control this time.

Levi stared for a second before shaking his head and stepping beside me. In the small entryway, our bodies were nearly touching as we stood face to face. His eyes never leaving mine, he reached for the large metal handle and yanked it up like it weighed nothing, releasing three huge bolts in the process.

“If you come down here, you push this lever down. It will lock you in and keep… anything out.”

He stared at me, his eyes willing me to accept his help. Begging even. Somehow, he was always protecting me, saving me, yet not happy about doing it. Maybe he did worry about me and wanted me to leave, but it seemed as though it was more for his convenience than anything.

He simply didn’t want to be bothered.

Despite how he felt about the situation, I owed him. Again. He’d found me, carried me here, and tried to keep me safe, though from what, I was still unsure. Sarah? Chloe? You didn’t need a bunker to ward off either of them. They probably weighed one hundred and ten pounds each.

“Thank you,” I said, staring into the depths of his gaze, unable to help myself. “You saved me again, and I should be grateful.”

He shrugged, though his posture seemed anything but casual. “It’s my... job.”

For a moment, it seemed as though he might have said it was his pleasure, but then that was probably wishful thinking. Yet, True seemed to think—

“True! We left her!”

He didn’t share my panic. “The dean took care of it.”

I stared at him, confused. “How did he know?”

Levi nodded toward the depths of the bunker. “I have a line to his office.”

“You do?”

He shrugged again, seeming not to wish to say more on the subject.

We were burning precious time, anyway. I pushed the door, feeling the weight of it and the age as it squeaked on noisy hinges. Twilight met me as I stepped out, and I was thankful I hadn’t lost more than an hour or two, judging on the height of the moon. The sky was brilliant with stars, giving me just enough light to see as I picked my way through the rocks and weeds.

Walking as fast as I could, I headed out of the trees. I found the path easily enough and hiked back, Levi close on my heels. When I glanced at him, he seemed to be on high-alert, his eyes scanning for threats like we were crossing a battlefield and not a summer camp. What could have him so concerned? He was usually so confident, not scared of anything.

It felt like an eternity until we made it to the dean’s office. I didn’t know what I’d do if I saw Sarah or Chef Chloe now. Accuse them? Attack them? Neither of those options seemed viable. Thankfully, we didn’t see anyone on the way there, since according to the schedule, it was campfire time in the amphitheater.

My moody sidekick didn’t stop me as I tromped up the steps to the office and yanked open the door.

Badass Piper, you got this.

“Dean Purty?” I called, but it was unnecessary.

He was already there waiting for me at the front desk, his arms folded and his expression… What was it? Concerned? Worried? Or was it annoyance that folded his brow?

“Piper, come in. I hear you have something to tell me.”

“Yes, I do.”

The door thwacked as Levi stepped in behind me. The dean’s eyes darted to him. “Levi.”

“Dean, Piper hit her head. She should probably see the nurse.”

I glanced back, wondering why he was suddenly inserting himself in this. Was he implying I didn’t see what I saw?

“He doesn’t… I can tell you what happened. Levi didn’t see.”

“I saw you fall. I saw you hit your head.”

I glowered. He was implying that my brain was addled. Jerk.

“Come in, both of you.” The dean gestured to the back of the small cabin.

We strode the length of the hallway to his office, the three