The Unknown Alpha

Chapter twelve

Bailey stayed in the restroom so long, she was certain she had missed fourth period. Skipping class would usually send her into a panicked frenzied, but as Bailey crouched low against the tiled floor, she couldn't bring herself to care.

After a while, Bailey could feel her magic begin to retreat enough she could think clearly again. No longer with the urge to remain in wolf-form, Bailey quickly shifted. Now fully human, she pushed away from the ground, sliding across the floor until her back was pressed against a toilet stall.

Bailey sat there, her head tilted back against the peeling wooden door, and she just breathed. Her entire body seemed to hum with energy, but at least she had enough sense to remain in human form. For how longer, she didn't know.

As the bell rang, the sounds no longer threatening to cause her eardrums to burst, Bailey left the restroom. After a sneak at her phone to confirm the time, and seeing half a dozen texts from Emily, Bailey headed off to fifth period.

As she rushed across half the campus towards the gymnasium, she was quickly intercepted.

"Bailey?" Shay stepped out of nowhere, blocking her path. "You got a minute?"

Bailey snuck a glance at her watch. She already felt guilty about missing one period, she didn't want to be late for another.

"I'd just be a minute," Shay reassured her.

Bailey exhaled softly. "Fine. What'd you want?"

"To apologise."

Bailey silently raised an eyebrow. Not what she was expecting.

"Maylin, she was completely out of line. She shouldn't have used magic on you."

Oh.

Bailey shifted her backpack on her shoulders. "You should get a better handle on your girlfriend."

"Not my girlfriend," Shay said.

"Whatever." Bailey studied him quickly, her eyes roaming over his frame. He was well-built, tall. Suddenly, the green flecks in his eyes seemed to be brighter than she remembered. It was like she was looking at him through a magnifying glass.

Bailey blinked her eyes roughly to settle down her vision, but it was as if the world was put into focus. "Just forget it, okay? Just remind me, what's an alchemist again?"

Shay smiled. "So you figured out what I am, huh?"

"The blonde alchemist kinda gave you away."

Shay laughed. "I suppose."

"You're not gonna tell me you're hunting for immortality, are you? Hate you break it to you, but vampires kinda beat you to it."

"First of all, vampires aren't immortal. They just live long."

"In my world of Vampire Dairies and Twilight, they are immortal, thank you very much." Bailey's vision settled down enough for her to catch his smile. Her fingers tenderised her side as her stomach refused to settle down. Like butterflies.

God dammit. This better not be the start of a crush. It couldn't be . . .

"Fair enough," Shay said. "And we gave up the search for immortality in the Dark Ages."

"So alchemist does . . ." Bailey let her sentence trail off.

"Magic. We do magic."

Bailey snorted. "I do magic too, Shay. Different type of magic from you, but magic, non-the-less."