I dropped into my chair with my head in my hands, feeling cold sweat run down my back. My thoughts were a whirlwind with the image of Maren holding James in the darkness of the cinema. I was cursing myself, hating every decision that had brought me to this point, when a soft knock on the door put me on alert.
I took a deep breath, forcing Fenris to retreat and my Alpha aura to cool down. I wiped the trace of blood from my hand with a silk handkerchief and adjusted my tie.
"Come in," I said, my voice regaining that cold, professional cadence.
The door opened and a student entered with a wavering step. He was a second-year boy, tall, wearing a varsity jacket that looked familiar to me. He stopped in front of the mess on the floor, his eyes wide with surprise.
"Professor Thorne... I saw t
