Catalina "Are you sure this is what you want? To be so far away from home?" My older brother Roman cleared his throat, shifting his head back and forth; the campus surrounding us had an over-the-top neo-Gothic vibe that had entranced me from the moment I saw the brochure; the school was as dark as my soul. I transferred here from our so-called community college back in Southwind. It was walking distance from our ranch and had only reinforced what I already knew, like how to milk a cow. If I was going to make our family proud, I had to do it right, expand my horizons. There was more to Colorado than the cowboys, mountains, and backcountry. There were hidden gems to be explored and cultures to learn about. Thus, the reason I chose this university. It was known for its diversity and multiculturalism—the perfect place to study anthropology. The various clubs and social events happening on campus didn't hurt either."Why? Is a certain knucklehead brother going to miss me?" I arched a brow
Malcolm The university was a maze of corridors, rooms, and secrets. I wasn’t sure what I would discover here on campus. I was hoping he would tell me. "I'll ask you again. Where is she?" I growled through gritted teeth. Holding someone hostage wasn't on my list of things to do today, but here I was in a secret nook of the university because I had followed a man I had come to know as Professor Belford. A man I suspected had the key to these secrets Rockrimmon had under lock and key. On Halloween night, one of his students went missing. Strangely, everyone here had gone about their lives as if she never existed, which raised a lot of red flags in my book. I was going to get to the bottom of this, even if it was the last thing I did because even the police weren't in a hurry to find this girl. You didn't need to be Joe Kenda to know something was amiss here. So, my other problem, unfortunately, would have to wait. Maybe. I was still trying to put the pieces of the puzzle together. "I tol
Catalina The dining hall was like walking into a Michelin-star restaurant; the cooks working the line were flipping pancakes in the pan, wearing black uniforms adorned with gold-plated name tags. Different fragrances bombarded my nose, but a few triumphed over the others: hot maple syrup, sweet cream butter-rich buttermilk, and my favorite, freshly brewed coffee with notes of caramel. The tip of my tongue ran between my lips. I've officially died and gone to food heaven. I glanced around the dining hall, and my lips pulled downward. Breakfast was ready for the taking though the other students were still deep in conversation at their tables. Why was no one in a hurry to pile up their plates with delicious food? Their loss, my gain. I started toward the buffet counter laden with a gorgeous spread of pancake fixings. Eden tugged me back, shaking her head. "What the Hell, Eden? A girl is hungry." "Pi Alpha Nu and staff get their plates first." I snorted, pulling my wrist from her grasp.
Malcolm Well, that was the most bizarre student-teacher encounter I'd ever had. Was she new? Because there was no way I could forget a face as welcoming and warm as hers. And her scent. I smelled it long before we collided, and some of it still lingered in the air. Closing my eyes, I inhaled the remainder of it into my nose. It was delicate, sweet, and powdery with a hint of a herbal substance. Oh, it's lavender. A sense of calm traveled through my tense shoulders, and only then did I realize Miss Summers was still standing there, looking at me with amused eyes. "You alright there, Professor Wright?" "Yeah, I am okay, considering." I waved my arms, drawing attention to the spilled coffee. One of the janitors handed me a towel and a clean t-shirt. I loved how attentive the staff was here. Never had to worry about going shirtless. "Thank you." He nodded and went about mopping up the coffee on the floor. "How about your friend? Is she going to be okay?" Miss Summers waved a dismissive
Catalina Two Days Later… After my eventful first day here at Rockrimmon, I mustered the courage to show my face in public again. Most of the students seemed to have moved on to bigger and better things, though some pointed at me in the hallway as they whispered amongst themselves. Whatever. My main problem was...the man I ran into, spilling coffee all over, was now my anthropology professor. What were the odds? I was a magnet for drama; however, I had to admit I created half of it. Seeing him again reminded me of this fact, and I just wanted to crawl into a hole and die. I hoped he had forgotten about that day. I knew I wanted to, except for the part where I was fucking him on that very desk at the front of the classroom where he now stood. In his well-tailored gray suit. Christian Grey, if you nasty. The thought of sex was taking over my brain, and it didn't help that it was today's lesson either. Malinowski noted that although the capacity for sexual pleasure may be constitutiona
Catalina "Eden is about to hook you up." Giddy as the day was long, she opened the door to an upscale boutique downtown called Blush. I soon learned why walking amongst the endless racks-- the price tags were something to blush about. "Eden, are you sure this is okay with your parents?" Why would anyone spend this much on clothes? She snorted. "As much as they spend daily, they won't even notice the small dent to their credit card." "Small dent? I looked at her as if she had grown an alien head. "This dress alone is 3,000 dollars! What do your parents even do for a living any way?" "My momma comes from old southern money, and my daddy is a surgeon." "Oh, that explains it. But do we need an outfit from here? There are plenty of other less expensive shops around." "We do if we want to fit into the right crowd. Isn't that what you want?" Oh, yes, that bullshit goal of mine. "So we are selling our soul to the fashion devil. I think I am catching on." "Fast learner, good girl. N
MalcolmOverhearing Miss Vargas and Summers' conversation earlier conveyed there would be a frat party tonight, which meant one thing: Trouble. Underage drinking. Drugs. Loud and obscene music. Potentially another missing girl. I had to keep an eye on things at the frat house first. I needed more information. I yanked the ball gag from Professor Belford's mouth. "Start talking?""No."A muscle beat in my jaw as I paced back and forth, running a hand down the length of my face. I was not particularly eager to abuse my powers, but quite frankly, I didn't have time for this. Ella was out there somewhere, probably alone and scared. Maybe even hurt and hopefully very much alive.I kneeled to his eye level. "Look at me." Heat rose inside my sockets, and my eyes widened with every blink, the golden specks reflecting in his bulging eyes. A rumble erupted from my chest, and the sound echoed around us. "Oh, my…" His arms trembled, testing his restraints. The color blanched from his face as sh
CatalinaAfter searching a few stores for a dress, we found one that matched a pair of heels Eden already had in her closet, which has become my second favorite place. The girl had style. I barely made it past the threshold of the frat house before my phone vibrated.Douchebag: What are you up to?Me: NothingWe strolled in, trying our best to act casual, and grabbed an hors d' oeuvre from a tray passing by. Talk about fancy. "What is this?" I held it up while inspecting it.Eden giggled. "Mini zucchini and goat cheese tarts." She shoved the tiny morsel into her mouth. I did the same, and surprisingly the taste of lemon, thyme, and Parmesan danced in harmony over my buds. "That is delicious." I glanced down at my phone, absentmindedly wiping the remnants of cheese onto my dress. Douchebag: Liar.Me: Seriously, you're texting me to start shit? Get a life, bro. Someone tapped me on the shoulder. "Boo!""Ahhh!" Eden and I jumped an inch off the ground. "What are you doing here?" I