Shadow Mate - Jen L. Grey Page 0,25

Bree asked, looking in Kai’s direction as I dried my hands before entering the living room again.

"I was her guide this morning." Kai scratched the back of his neck and grimaced.

"When did you start doing tours?" Bree arched an eyebrow.

"This year. Dad thought it'd be good for me." He shrugged and looked toward me.

"Ahh, so you guys know each other." It kind of made sense given how small the school is.

"Yeah, my dad's one of the regional pack leaders who report to Mr. Hale." He pursed his lips. "So I know their family fairly well."

"That's one way of putting it." She smiled and focused on Tripp. "And you are?"

"Single." He lifted both fingers at her like they were guns.

Oh my God. "I'm pretty sure that's not what she meant."

"Can't blame me for trying." He tilted his head to the side and stood. "I'm Tripp. I'm a lowly freshman here just like Mia over there."

"And you've already become one of my brother's targets." Bree snorted and sat down on the love seat. "And I thought Mia had won that trophy."

"Unfortunately, I'm pretty sure I still have it." I hated to admit it, but Micah's warning still made me squirm. "And I hate that I got you two involved."

"So what happened?" She wrinkled her nose. "Other than you smelling like a skunk."

"That's what happened. I saw him this morning before the tour, and the next thing I know, three freshmen girls who were part of our tour made my clothes smell and left a note from Liam behind." I sighed. It was still kind of hard to believe. “My question is: How did they do it without making themselves stink?”

"And here my brother tries to pretend he's mature." She rolled her eyes. "That's high school antics." Her eyes widened. “He’d ordered some skunk essence the other day. The only reason I know is because Dad texted both of us, wanting to know what the hell we ordered. It reeked even in the packaging.”

"So he’d planned this." I hadn’t thought those three were the brightest, so that made sense. “He only had to find those three bimbos to do it for him.”

"Well, they didn't get their schedules." Kai placed my keys, badge, and note on the dark cherry coffee table and then pulled out a stack of crumpled papers. "So they won't know where to go the first day." He pulled out one and handed it to me. "Here's yours."

"Ohhh... what do you have?" Bree jumped up and ran over to peek at it.

I glanced at my schedule and blinked a few times. I had four classes: Shifter History, Comp One, Endurance, and Pre-Calculus. This almost looked like a normal schedule I'd have had at KSU, well, other than Shifter History.

"Yuck, math first thing in the morning." Bree shook out her body as if cleansing herself from using the words. "That's horrid."

"And here's yours." Kai held Tripp's schedule out toward him.

"Sweet." He took it and glanced it over. "Please tell me you have Shifter History and Pre-Calculus." His eyes scanned mine.

"I do." At least it's nice to know someone in a couple of my classes.

"I have Endurance with you." Kai smiled at me.

"Well, that sucks." Bree pouted. "I don't have any with you. Next semester, that changes."

"I didn't make this schedule." Knowing her, she'd get her father to make it happen.

"Once you declare a major, it'll be smoother sailing." Kai came over and stood next to me. "The first year, they just make sure you take fundamental courses that are important."

"Major? There's so much I don't know about this university." It was kind of sinking in how unprepared I was.

"You get to major in anything just like a normal college." Bree leaned back in her seat and laughed. "You really didn't research this school at all."

"So you pick pre-med, law, psychology, anything you want." Tripp folded his schedule back up. "And then they have our shifter leadership classes wrapped into the program like Shifter History."

Maybe this wouldn't be such a bad thing after all.

"Can we continue this talk in the restaurant?" Bree leaned her head back against the couch and sighed. "I need coffee."

"First off, I gave you my coffee this morning, and the kitchen is only a few feet away." This was the first time she came off spoiled.

"But I need a latte." She stood on her feet and waved us to follow. "Let's walk and talk."

I opened my mouth to argue, but Kai reached over and brushed his fingers along my