The Silver Dagger

Birthday

So this was what it was like to be twenty-one. It felt just like twenty. She called her aunt again. No answer. She was probably sleeping in and would call later - Aunt Aimee had never failed to remember her birthday. The sun hadn't yet risen over the dorm to the east but it was already another lovely day - perfect for a ride to Shortcakes for a birthday breakfast before the dorm volleyball showdown. Did she dare go on her bike? She hated to call anyone this early on a Saturday. For Pete's sake, she was a wolf. She could defend herself. Besides, the guy who had tried to kill her was probably sleeping or watching her bike. He couldn't be watching the whole dorm, unless there was more than one of them after her, but there was no evidence of that. She just wanted to go across campus and up the road a bit. If she went out one of the back doors he'd probably never know.

She got dressed and went downstairs. The cavernous lobby was nearly empty. Her senses alert for any sign of another wolf, she stepped out one of the lobby doors that led towards the volleyball courts. The hairs on the back of her neck tingled and she smelled...

"Hi Aiyana."

She relaxed her grip on the letter opener she'd been about to pull out of her purse before turning to face the curly-haired boy. "Kobe! What are you doing here?"

"I was in the lobby. Where are you going?"

"Do you live here?" How could she have lived in the dorm three years without knowing that?

"No. Alpha Miguel asked for volunteers to keep an eye out for that wolf that attacked you and I didn't have anything planned for today other than studying."

"He's having the dorm watched?" she said weakly.

"Yeah. You didn't know?"

"No."

He waved at her purse. "Are you going somewhere? I can escort you."

Was it worth it? She had a feeling Kobe was interested in her and she didn't want to give him any ideas. It was her birthday though and he was a friend. "Breakfast at Shortcakes."

"I haven't eaten there all year. I'd love to go. I'll drive."

"You don't want to walk?"

"Driving is safer."

Breakfast was nice. She splurged on the strawberry pancakes and the waitress gave her free coffee when she told her it was her birthday.

"It's your birthday? How old are you?" Kobe asked.

"Twenty-one."

"What? I thought you were older than that. We should go out tonight and celebrate."

"You're twenty-one?" He was cute but he had a very young face. She'd assumed he'd gotten into college a few years early.