Chapter 2

“A mistake?” I asked. “What do you mean? With what?”

Sandy pushed up her glasses. “Your scholarship, I’m afraid.”

“A mix-up with my scholarship?” It felt like the air had been punched out of my lungs.

“Some paperwork was misfiled,” she said. “You were meant to receive only the partial scholarship. As it turns out, you don’t have a full ride.”

The words registered slowly, one cold slap in the face at a time.

“I’m so sorry,” she went on. “I feel terrible for what’s happened.”

It wasn’t computing. Scholarship? Gone? Full ride?

“H-how much is it for?” I stammered.

“It will pay for about half your tuition.”

She wore a deep look of remorse as she gazed at me from across the desk. The kind of look that seemed to say she truly was as sorry as she claimed to be. “Really, I apologize personally. I don’t understand how this could’ve happened. I’m going to appeal to the board and see what we can do, but I can’t imagine they’ll be able to do much when we’ve already started the semester…”

Her voice faded like a bleary foghorn in my ears. How was I going to pay for school now? My parents certainly couldn’t afford it—not when my brother was still an undergrad junior. The whole reason I came to this freaking school was the full-ride scholarship. Now what was I going to do?

I was in a nightmare—I had to be. If I had the energy to move, I would’ve pinched myself awake. First my boyfriend, now my scholarship. What else was I going to lose today?

God, the universe was cruel.

Sandy continued trying to smooth things over, saying something about trying to get me extra scholarship money, helping me apply, seeking out donors. It was clear she wanted to do anything she could to remedy the situation, but what was the point? I had lost a

Something most college students only dream of having. I nodded along to her plan, but I wasn’t paying much mind to the words coming out of her mouth.

“We’ll do what we can for you. I’ll make sure of it personally,” she promised.

When it seemed she had nothing left to give me, I acknowledged her with a nod and a smile that I could only imagine looked as numb as it felt. “Thank you,” I said. Then I gathered myself and returned to class.

It was nearly impossible to pay attention. My face was prickling with heat, and at the same time, dreadful shivers ran through me. On the bright side, my adrenaline from the incident with Dean was finally beginning to fade, but on the other hand my entire future was ruined. My life was a total wreck, and everything was going up in smoke around me.

My professor was droning on about something we were surely supposed to be putting in our notes, but I couldn’t focus on class. I couldn’t even focus enough to

I was focused on class.

I had to get out of here.

***

I managed to make it through the first lecture, and the moment it was over, I broke for my car and drove away from campus as quickly as the speed limit allowed. I had another lecture I was supposed to attend, but screw it. It wasn’t happening. I’d never skipped class before, but what was the point in even being there if I couldn’t pay attention?

What was I supposed to do? How was I gonna pay my tuition?

My phone began rumbling violently in the cup holder. I cursed at the sight of Mom’s name on the phone and waited until the nearest red light to answer. If I didn’t, she’d just keep calling back again and again until she managed to squeeze her way into my overflowing voicemail.

I worked up a natural, peppy tone and answered on speaker. “Hey!”

“Hey, where are you?” Mom asked. “At school?”

I thought about lying, but there was no way in hell I was making this day any messier than it already was. “No, I decided to go for a hike.”

“Oh,” Mom said with a beat of hesitation. “You don’t have class today?”

Okay, this was one of those lies that would actually make my life easier. Skipping class was a no-tolerance issue when it came to Mom. And honestly if I kept thinking about it, I was going to get my stomach in anxious knots. “The professor got food poisoning, so she canceled.”

“Oh no,” Mom said. “You know, a little hydration will fix you right up. When you were seven, you got a bout of food poisoning like nothing I’d ever seen! I sent you to bed with a gallon of water and told you that you couldn’t leave before it was gone. You were better by dinnertime.” It was a cute story, but my mind was elsewhere, and there was no chance I was gonna be able to wrangle it back for a nice little chat about my childhood. Thankfully, Mom took the hint and changed the subject. “Are you coming home for Thanksgiving? Simon’s already purchased his bus ticket.”

Shit. Thanksgiving.

I’d been planning on it, but now with this tuition bill… I had no idea. Every penny I saved from now until the day I graduated was gonna have to go straight into tuition.

It wasn’t like I could just drop out. I’d wanted to be a librarian for as long as I’d known what books were. It was my dream. There had to be a solution… I just hadn’t thought of it yet.

“I’ll check my schedule,” I told her. “It should work out.”

Mom sighed in disappointment. “Everyone is coming, Shayla. I expect you to be here too. Your father will be recovering from his surgery by then, and I just… Well, I think you should come see him. What kind of daughter wouldn’t visit her father after an operation? I know he’s just dying to see you, and it would probably make him feel a whole lot—”

“

,” I pressed, desperate to put an end to her guilt trip. “I’ll check as soon as I can.”

“Oh—” Mom said in surprise. “Your aunt is calling me. Okay, have a good hike, honey.”

I hung up and eased out a breath, gripping my steering wheel in a choke hold. I had no idea how I was going to come up with the money I needed for school. It wasn’t like I could ask my family to help—not with things already being so tight. My brother’s tuition, my dad’s knee replacement. It was just such awful timing for everything to come crashing down around me.

I needed that scholarship.

I veered off into the parking lot of the local preserve, parking next to an old sticker-cluttered Prius. I snatched my phone from the cup holder, seeing the dozens of texts from Nikki and two from Dean.

To say my stomach clenched was an understatement. It was more like a flip that sent a sick, nervous nausea splashing through me. Then that feeling turned to rage. I wanted to straight-up rip Dean’s head off. But I wasn’t really one for violence.

Disregarding his messages, I thumbed over to Nikki’s latest bombardment of texts.

she was asking.

I typed in a quick text, not caring if I smashed the wrong key and typo’d something in the process.

Then I turned off the ringer and tossed the phone into my backpack.

My head leveled a little once I had a taste of the fresh air. The trees were lush, the trail a little damp from morning rainfall, but no mud to ruin my already-ruined evening. I climbed my way onto the trail, speed-walking past a handful of hikers who were stopping to take in the sights. I didn’t have time to smell the roses; there were endorphins to summon, and the only way I could do that was by hiking up an ungodly incline until my knees ached.

I passed everyone by, reaching the top of the hill at a record’s pace. With all the other hikers far below me, I took in the sight of the expansive forest, earthy and green as it stretched out before me. Thank god. I could finally breathe for what felt like the first time all day. How could I focus on anything but that beautiful landscape?

I took a deep breath, holding the image of it inside as I carried on. Usually, by now, I’d start heading back down. But today, I thought I’d hike a bit longer than usual. Maybe long enough that someone might notice my expertise hiking abilities and offer me a full-ride scholarship.

Hah.

I was on a narrow pathway when the sound of footfalls came from behind me. I turned to see the stranger who was quickly closing in behind me. He was sweating, pushing back lush, brown hair from his forehead. He was tall, fit, and muscular. For a moment, I found myself mesmerized by his beauty. He was without a doubt the hottest man I’d ever seen.

I only just managed to step aside and allow him to pass me, thinking that was that. But then he paused and turned around, a knowing smirk on his face as he met my eyes. “The view is that way,” he said, pointing behind me.

Heat hit my cheeks, and I knew for certain he could see the blush on my face. “I wasn’t—I…”

He chuckled. “Of course not,” he said, as if he knew better. As if it were

obvious I was checking him out. And maybe it was, but

. Why did hot guys have to be so full of themselves? What a jerk.

I started off behind him, keeping my distance and hoping he’d eventually switch trails so I wouldn’t have to follow him the entire way. Not that I hated the view.

Eventually, I found myself alone on the path, thankful for the peace and quiet. Finally, I could take in the sights alone. I shut my eyes and breathed in the nature. Then, at the snap of a twig, my eyes shot open. I froze, my veins gone to ice.

In front of me was a wolf, its fur a mix of light and dark browns. Its eyes set on me.

Its lips curled back, and it let out a low, threatening growl.