Don't Follow In My Footsteps

Chapter 1

“Excuse me, sir?” A short stature, middle-aged woman approached me with confusion in her eyes. I wasn’t in the mood to help but being an assistant professor to one of the most notorious professors at St. Cloud University, it was a given. Most people were too afraid to approach Dr. Jane Rothi. She was a force to be reckoned with. A small, airy sigh escaped from my lips. “Uh, yes?” I answered in response to her. “Hello, I’m actually looking for Dr. Rothi’s office. I received some news about her estranged husband.” The woman promptly stated. This caught me off guard. I wasn’t aware that someone could even be interested in marrying that soul sucking b***h. I guess my face expressed shock as she was aggravatingly shaking her head from side to side when I finally grasped what she was saying. “Hello? Anything would be appreciated.” Rude. “Ma’am, Dr. Rothi has been on sabbatical for about two weeks now. She won’t be returning until the end of this quarter.” Sheer aggravation washed her face. “Well, when is that supposed to be?” s**t. “It’s the start of the quarter now; our quarters usually last around twelve weeks. So, not for about two and a half months. Ma’am, I can contact her if you’d like. I can give her your contact information if that’s something you’d like to do?” The woman was hesitant. “I- well… Hmm. I guess. I was expecting to speak with her here since this is the time and date she picked to meet.” Shock smeared across my face. I wasn’t expecting to hear her say that considering Dr. Rothi hadn’t mentioned anything about a potential meeting to me; this was no different. I would know. I was the one who usually handled all of her office hours and business meeting setups. However, I guess this was different since it was a personal subject. “Name’s Austen Lopez.” Handing me a small business card, she proceeded, “This is my phone number to both my office and work cell, as well as the address for my office.” With that, Austen turned on her heel and walked away. I wouldn’t really consider it walking though. It was almost as if she sauntered off.

I continued looking at the card in my hand. Austen Lopez, P.I. Still don’t know why she’d hire a private investigator. Jaden, that’s none of your f*****g business bro. I shook my head. Now is not the time. Why wouldn’t she tell me any of this? Again, she doesn’t have to tell you her life story. Not everyone is so willing to have people understand them. This was true. Of course, I wasn’t going to admit that to my wolf. He would have reveled in that admission, and it wasn’t one I was willing to hand over so easily. My hand wandered to the necklace I wore around my neck. It wasn’t much, but it was the only thing I was allowed to keep from my mom when going through the system as a child.  Dropping the necklace back into place, I looked at the scattered papers on the desk in front of me. How was I going to get through all of this and teach Rothi’s class today? The university, under Dr. Rothi’s suggestion, decided it would be best if I taught her course while she was gone. Jaden, you’re overthinking this again. My guy, if Jane didn’t believe in your abilities, she wouldn’t have pushed the board so hard. This, again, was true. I hated when my wolf was right. I tried pushing him to the back of my mind, but Aspen wasn’t having any of it. Bro, you’re such a f*****g child. Look at the whole picture. You’re the youngest assistant professor here. Your credentials are also exemplary. If she didn’t think you were cut out for this job, you wouldn’t have it. You’re right, but this is all overwhelming. Why wouldn’t she just tell me she was married? I haven’t kept any secrets from her. I could feel agitation start spreading across my body. I absolutely hated when he did this to me. Stop. Okay, you’re right. Jane knows what she’s doing, I suppose. The wave slowly retreated, and I could feel him smirking in the back of my mind.

I looked at the gray Apple watch on my wrist. 11:48 AM. Cool. I still had another two hours before class was supposed to start. I didn’t like when classes ran this late. It was only on Thursdays though, so I was willing to sacrifice this one day. It was weird though. I never did understand why Monday and Tuesday were from 9:00 AM to 1:00 PM, while Thursday was from 2:00 PM until 3:30 PM. It just didn’t make any sense. Shrugging, I shifted my attention back to the papers on my desk. Okay, just focus. Breathe. Shuffling through the first few papers about the issues with data analysis going on with huge technology corporations. I split those into a separate pile and placed them in my ‘To Grade’ folder. I guess I must’ve zoned out because the next thing I know is Aspen in snarling in my head. Yo, what the f**k? Rogue. Rogue? What? What do you mean by rogue? They’re here now. I felt my body take an ungodly deep breath. Down the hall, third door on the right. I looked at my watch once more. There’s not enough time to go searching. I have responsibilities here too. You must remember, I’m also a rogue right now as well. As much as it pained me to admit, I was a werewolf without a pack. Essentially the lowest of the low. I knew I was supposed to have found my pack already, but at age 26, it wasn’t really working out in my favor. Was I previously in a pack? Yes, in college, but the alpha and I decided it would be best if I parted ways for various reasons. Ones I wasn’t ready to confess.

A light tapping noise came from the room’s doorway and I was thankful for that distraction. A male student was standing there; you could smell his nerves before he spoke. “Uh, hi. Um, I was recently added into this course. I think. Rothi’s Laws of Mass Communication?” Clearing my throat before answering, “Yes, this is the right room. However, Dr. Rothi is on sabbatical and I’m the one who’s in charge for the rest of the quarter.” Instantly his demeanor changed as relief took over. “Am I too early? I can come back later when class has actually started.” I shook my head no and motioned for him to sit. “Please, allow me to introduce myself. I’m Jaden Hendrix and I’m an assistant professor to Dr. Rothi. I will be doing all the lectures and grading for this course.” The male acknowledged by responding with his name. “Lucas, sir.” I nodded. Aspen was still on high alert, so I ventured towards the door to ease him, hopeful to catch a glimpse of this rogue he was desperate to find. Another deep breath. The scent is less potent now. Disappointment clouded my mind. Sorry, but you agreed to do this with me. I will find us a pack, promise. He wasn’t happy with that, but it was enough to keep him satisfied for now and that was enough for me. We’ll go for a quick run around the campus and through the woods later if that’ll make you happy. I knew it would; he was desperate to be let out any chance he could. A huff echoed in my head, and I knew he was done with our conversation for now. I refocused my attention back to Lucas. Sweat beaded on his forehead and his heartbeat was starting to slow. Gangly arms and legs; sandy blond hair swept in a combover fashion. I just shook my head.

Others were beginning to file into the room and take their place among the rows. Musty scents and outlandish perfumes filled the small room within a couple of minutes. I glanced down at my wrist; time to start the class for the day. “Alright, listen up. Today we’re looking at the difference between law and ethics in journalism. It’s important to realize the different between the two if you want to report sensitive or controversial issues. There are five steps we’ll look at over the next month: Develop ethical fitness; Verify information and sources; Seek truth; Value free expression; Think critically while making decisions.” I flicked the projector on to reveal a Google Slides presentation. The lecture went smoothly and most everybody seemed to be understanding the consequences, which was nice. This bout of students was much more intelligent than the last few classes. The last thirty-ish minutes were dedicated to questions. Only a few seemed interested in asking so I dismissed those who were ready to leave and had the others stay behind to answer whatever questions they threw at me. As the last student left, Aspen went on high alert again. Something’s not right. I could feel my skin begin to crawl. Aspen was starting to take control and on the verge of coming out. Not now, Aspen. Nobody can know what we are. It’s too much of a risk; I promised we’d do a round once everyone was gone. He wasn’t happen about being reminded but pulled back on the transformation. Thanks. I sighed softly and shook my head. This wolf was going to be the death of me.