The photos from last night were not as damning as the first ones, but the energy was the same. Most girls gave up chasing Valentin Dietrich, who was completely smitten by that icy maestro. However, those who were confident in their non-vanishing chances grew angrier. Their manicured nails could only clutch pillows and phones as they stared at Len and Claude pressed so close together.
Courtney's eyes were among the reddest. She long knew to despise that violinist. However, she couldn't throw a tantrum at Len for it. Neither would he soothe her; he would even ignore her more.
It was already past midnight. She was in her room in the Knights of Diane sorority house. As expected of a female-dominated house, the interior design was filled with pinkish hues, as well as light blue and cream. The beds and pillows had light-colored cases, showing off the room's cleanliness. They even had a pair of sorority-exclusive pajamas.
"Why does he go out with someone like Lavallee?" Courtney groaned and tossed her phone on her bed. She heavily sat down and huffed in annoyance. "He doesn't want to get near me, but his hands keep touching another man.
"Do you think something's wrong with me?" Courtney flicked her gaze at her roommate. "Why don't Len hug and kiss me the same way? We're supposed to be mates."
The roommate sat on her bed, scrolling through her phone. She glanced at Courtney after a second. "Are you sure you're mates? How many full moons have passed since he tried to mark you? Also… if you're sure he belongs to you in the long run, why don't you let him play? He's stuck with you as soon as he finishes his degree. Let him live outside the pack."
Courtney gasped in offense. She pounded on the space beside her, causing the mattress to wave. "Why would you say that? Are you calling me boring, Jane?"
"Girl, I mean to say… Let him explore whatever he wants. We're in the cage for a reason." The roommate named Jane pouted her lips. She turned her phone around. "You're not the only one crying about Len's fruitless endeavors."
"Fruitless?" Courtney shifted her expression into confusion and intrigue.
"Of course, it is!" Jane scoffed with a ridiculing smile. She scrolled through her phone again. "There's no way the elders will let Len mate himself with a lowly rogue. His bloodline is too precious to be diluted. No one even knows where Lavallee came from."
Courtney raised a brow. "Excuse me? What… rogue? Why talk about bloodlines? What is going on? Did Marvin tell you something about Lavallee?"
Jane immediately clamped her mouth with her hand. She looked away and grew desperate of not meeting Courtney's gaze. "No! Of course not! What could he tell me about that nobody?"
She then gasped and got up, tossing her phone on her bed. Jane held Courtney by the shoulders and pushed her down. The other person hurriedly covered Courtney with her blanket. "You know what? Maybe Len hates your growing pimples. Didn't your mom tell you the air here is bad for your skin? Go on. Sleep tight. There's no rogue flirting with our Alpha."
"Lavallee is like us?" Courtney fought the blanket from covering her face. When she grabbed the edge, Jane stopped pushing her with it. Courtney sat up again. "Tell me what you know."
"Marvin never told me about that guy. He didn't say anything about Lavallee being a rogue with no pack. Not even about when he wolfed out and ate a few students." Jane's gaze grew sharp as if warning Courtney. "Girlie, I swear to the Moon Goddess. If you get ideas…"
"He ate people, and Len is covering for him?" Courtney pounded at the soft blanket. "Why? What did Lavallee do? Even rogues can't be any better than that… guy Len brings around."
Jane didn't say more. She just got off Courtney's bed. She slipped under her blanket and positioned her body to sleep. "Just don't mention anything to Len, Courtney. You will get yourself in trouble… and me. You'll get me and Marvin in trouble."
Courtney huffed and dove into her bed. She rolled to her side and glared at the darkness. "This is unfair. Why would he do this for someone…? Wait…"
The lady rose from her bed again and faced her roommate. In a horrified voice, Courtney asked, "Jane…? Please don't tell me this has something to do with Gracie's disappearance. Did that fucking bastard ate one of my friends?"
"We don't know, girl." Jane rolled away from Courtney. She lied again, "Marvin never confirmed it."
…
Len said he would go home that weekend, but Claude didn't expect him to go earlier than that. It was as if one decisive conversation convinced Len to go home the next day. Jameson and the others remained in class, but Irving was also gone. Claude didn't have anyone else to ask but Len. Even if that guy didn't forget to tell him, Len never replied to his messages for a few days.
The last reply he got was a package arriving at their dorm again. This time, it was a pair of mountain bikes they could use to trek the woods behind the university.
After spending two nights in practice, Claude had to leave the dorm for his weekend trip. Eugene came with him since their houses were in the same neighborhood. Claude just wanted to check up on his grandfather, who had been alone ever since he left for college. Three weeks was too long for an old man like Charles Lavallee.
"Grandpa! I'm home!" Claude used the big wolf knocker at their old house. He remembered this knocker as his favorite thing when he was a child. However, on this day, it only looked old and rusty. It surely belonged to the breaking and creaking ancestral house where Charles raised Cosette and Claude.
"Claude?" An old man's voice came from behind the heavy double doors. Charles opened one panel and smiled at the young man before him. "You didn't lie."
"Why would I?" Claude chuckled and walked inside after Charles cleared his path. He looked around the old house that used to be speck-free because of his mother. Right now, it continued to be speck-free as if Charles couldn't bear to feel like Cosette had left. Even if it was pure speculation, Claude could simply read those thoughts in the energy in the house.
Charles didn't keep his smile. "Don't sense the house, Claude. Are you hoping to lecture an old man? Who made you your mother?"
Claude stopped tapping into the energy. "Sorry, Grandpa. I… I feel freer doing what I like when I'm home. Uhm, can we talk about something?"
"Finally, you're getting to it."
The old man invited Claude to the lounge, where a glass kettle of tea rested on the table. Two cups waited for them; one was already filled halfway through. Claude sat down across from the table. Before he could talk, Charles placed a Polaroid picture of him making out with Len. Claude froze then and there.
Charles frowned deeply and dangerously. "Claude, why are you kissing Valentin Dietrich? Are you trying to get yourself killed?"