Chapter 4 The Universe Hates Alstor

Chapter 4

[Alstorin]

I left the house before Mercy had even opened his eyes. Normally, we’d drive down to campus together since Mercy didn't have his own car yet, but today I desperately needed a moment to myself. 

I couldn't stop beating myself up for letting things slip out of control so completely.

When I pulled into the campus parking lot, the morning was quiet. 

Taking advantage of the rare stillness, I grabbed my bag from the passenger seat, immediately unzipping it to double-check that my suppressants were tucked safely inside. 

Relief flickered through me when I felt the familiar pill bottle.

As I stepped out of the car, my phone chimed in my coat pocket. A small smile touched my lips when I saw the caller ID.

Aside from Mercy and my doctor, my phone almost never rang. I didn't even have my colleagues' numbers saved.

"Mmm?" I answered, holding the phone to my ear.

"Rin!!" Mercy shouted from the other end.

I winced, pulling the phone several inches away from my ear and squeezing my eyes shut. "You really don't have to yell, Mercy. My hearing is perfectly fine."

"Obviously it's not!" Mercy huffed, letting out a frustrated sigh. "I explicitly told you to wake me up so we could go over our new routine!"

I locked the car with a click of my key fob and began walking toward the main building. "Your alarm couldn't even wake you up. How was I supposed to accomplish what a blaring alarm clock failed to do?" I teased lightly. 

Truthfully, I just hadn't wanted to disturb him. Between his packed dance schedule starting this week and everything else, he already had enough on his plate. He didn't need my spiraling chaos added to his list.

"I know you just didn't want to bother me," Mercy grumbled, his tone softening. "But I can't complain about your habits if you never complain about mine."

My chest tightened slightly at his words. I swallowed past the sudden dryness in my throat, opting to pivot the conversation. "I left breakfast on the counter for you."

Mercy went quiet on the line. I cleared my throat into the silence. "And I picked out your underwear. The exact pair you like."

I was grasping at straws, desperate to distract him from worrying about me.

"I told you to stop picking those out!" Mercy protested, though the tension in his voice dissolved. "You're going to pick the wrong ones and ruin my entire mood for the day."

A low laugh escaped my chest. "What are you, ten? That doesn't even make sense."

"It does!" Mercy insisted, before his voice turned serious again. "Did you take your medication?"

"I have them right here in my bag," I assured him quickly. "Don't worry, nothing's going to happen. Just hurry up and get your lazy ass down here."

"Whose fault is it that I'm late again? Bye, love you!"

"Love you too," I murmured as the line went dead.

I pulled the phone away and exhaled a heavy, shuddering breath.

As I rounded the corridor near the athletic wing, my steps hesitated. Coach Anthony was just stepping out of the hockey arena doors. 

My entire body instantly locked up. I forced my gaze straight ahead, pretending not to notice him as I quickened my stride, but the loud, mocking laugh he let out echoed behind me anyway.

I practically darted into my office and slammed the door shut, twisting the lock into place. The last thing I had the energy for today was an encounter with another arrogant, entitled Alpha.

Taking a slow breath, I sat down at my desk to organize my materials for the day's lecture. I opened the class roster and scowled--the hockey team had been added to my section this semester. 

I absolutely despised dealing with them; arrogant jocks, domineering Alphas, and spoiled nepo babies whose parents poured big fortunes into the university's endowment. There was one player in particular I couldn't stand.

But it's your job, I reminded myself, pressing my knuckles to my temples. I couldn't afford to lose my position over a handful of rich kids.

Once my notes and files were neatly stacked, I unlocked the door and headed toward the lecture hall. Students were already beginning to fill the corridors and spill into the building from outside.

Entering the classroom, I set my tablet and a stack of books onto the podium desk. 

Students trickled in, taking their seats one by one. It was only when I went to sit down that I realized I'd left the finalized roster sitting on my office desk.

Cursing under my breath, I slipped out to retrieve it. By the time I returned, the lecture hall was nearly packed. 

I closed the double doors behind me and started down the main aisle, only for the doors to swing open again with a loud bang.

A group of hockey players barged in, boisterous and unapologetically noisy, pushing their way toward the elevated seats at the back.

Suddenly, an oppressive wave of heat hit me. Every nerve in my body went taut, an instinctual alarm ringing in the back of my mind.

The scent of fresh paper. Crisp, clean pages of a brand-new book hit me.

Panic surged through my veins like ice water. My head snapped up, my eyes scanning the room in a blind, wide-eyed sweep. 

Books are open all over the room, I tried to tell myself, fighting the sudden dizziness. Of course it smells like fresh books, it's a classroom.

I tried to dismiss the visceral reaction, but my body refused to cooperate. My hand trembled slightly as I reached for the marker to write on the whiteboard, trying to ground myself.

A sudden commotion at the top row shattered the quiet.

I turned back to face the room. Near the back, some student who had clearly shown up hungover to the point of stupor had just violently puked all over the hockey team's captain.

"What the actual hell?!" Orion roared, his voice booming across the auditorium.

Gagging in disgust, Orion grabbed the hem of his shirt, roughly yanking it over his head and tossing it aside.

My world stopped.

The air left my lungs entirely. Etched across Orion’s bare back was a distinct, intricate set of tattoos. Tattoos that were an exact, unmistakable match to the ones on the masked Alpha stranger from that night.

Orion turned slightly, exposing his back fully to the front of the room.

My left hand lost all its strength. The iPad I was holding slipped right through my fingers, smacking against the floor.

No...