Chapter 5

Ryan's POV

They laughed and nodded. “Anytime. We will always be there for you.” Jake said as he sat back and relaxed.

Tom and Dylan approached to join in, with a smile still on my face, I knew that even though Alina was still haunting my thoughts. I have friends who always support me and for now, that is more than enough.

"Where's, Mark?" I asked them.

"We invited him but because you weren't there he didn't come either." Tom answered.

“There is the smell of loyal Beta.” Dylan joked at us.

"Of course!" I added to the joke.

We all laughed at Dylan's joke. The atmosphere is so familiar and warm. The tiredness after playing field hockey seemed to disappear because of this togetherness. I felt the burden that had been crushing my heart starting to disappear.

“How about we go to a coffee shop for a while? I need a cold drink.” Jake suggested.

"I agree! A cold latte seems delicious.” Tom added.

We all agreed and started moving towards our favorite coffee shop around the corner. During the trip, we chatted about everything from weekend plans to funny memories from the past. It feels good to forget about a problem, even for a moment. When we arrived at the coffee shop, we immediately ordered our favorite drinks. As we sat at a table near the window, I felt my mood getting better. While sipping my cold latte, I looked out the window and realized that, despite the annoying things, there are so many beautiful things around me that I sometimes miss.

“I'm glad we can spend time together like this.” I said.

“Yes, these are precious moments before we all focus on one woman.” Tom answered while raising his glass. "For friendship and a brighter future."

We all raised our glasses and toasted. In my heart, I thank my friends who are always there for me, who make this life feel lighter and full of meaning. Even though the problems don't completely go away, I know that with their support, I can face whatever comes.

"So, what's our next plan?" Dylan asked excitedly.

"But there is one thing I want to tell you." Tom said bringing a new topic.

"What's that?" I asked

"I accidentally met a new guy on campus in the middle of the crowd, he looked like an Asian kid but when we crossed paths he smelled like us." Tom explained then lowered his voice to a whisper, "Werewolf."

“What does it smell like?” I asked who wanted more detailed information.

“It smelled like an arctic wolf but I didn't know which individual it was because he was with his friends. After that the smell suddenly disappeared.” Tom explained.

“Is that a threat, Ryan?” Jake asked with a worried expression.

"It's not certain, but we still need to be alert." I said

"Don't worry, he's a solo player." Dylan added in the middle of the conversation.

"Then he should come with us." Jake said again.

"Okay, I'll deal with that later. Now let's enjoy our coffee.”

We all agreed to postpone talking about the mystery man and enjoy our coffee. However, the thought of another werewolf on campus continued to haunt my mind. Is he a friend or a threat? We have to find out more.

After some time, the atmosphere returned to being jovial with casual chatter. We laughed and talked about funny things that happened on campus. However, in my head, I was already planning steps to investigate further about the man Tom met.

As we were about to leave the coffee shop, I called Tom for a moment. "Tom, can you tell me the details of your meeting with that man? I want to make sure we don't miss anything."

Tom nodded. "Yes, of course. It happened yesterday afternoon when I was walking to the library. He was in the middle of a crowd, maybe about five people. I only felt the scent for a moment, then it disappeared. It seemed like he realized my presence and immediately hid his tracks."

"Okay, thanks. We'll be more careful and find out who he is," I said.

"How about we try to find out who the new students are registering for this semester? Maybe we can find a clue," Dylan suggested.

"Agreed. I can ask my friend in administration to look at the list of names," Jake said.

With that plan, we all felt a little calmer. I knew we had time to investigate further. For now, I want to enjoy this moment with my friends without thinking about possible threats.

"So, who's ready to chill out in the woods this weekend?" I asked excitedly to distract us from the problem.

"I!" they shouted in unison.

We laughed together, and for a moment, the worries about the mysterious man faded. I feel grateful to have those who always support me and are ready to face anything with me. With them by my side, I'm sure we can overcome all the challenges that lie ahead, whether it's about the clan, or just human relations.

After the afternoon atmosphere started to greet us and we spent a pleasant time at the coffee shop, we decided to go home. The sky was starting to turn golden orange, indicating twilight. Dylan and I got into my car, while Tom and Jake got into Jake's car. We parted ways in the parking lot, waving at each other before starting to drive to our respective homes. Dylan put on some relaxing music, and we made small talk the rest of the way. Even though our chats were mostly about weekend plans and campus activities, thoughts about that mysterious man still couldn't leave my mind.

“Actually, Ryan, what do you plan to do to find that guy?” Dylan asked suddenly, as if reading my mind.

“I was thinking about starting from the freshman list, like Jake suggested. After that, we might be able to monitor activity around campus and see if there are any signs of his whereabouts. If his presence is only just noticed like this, he usually doesn't pose a threat." I answered while focusing on the road.

“That sounds reasonable. We have to be careful, don't make him suspicious.” Dylan said as he took another sip of his drink.

After a few minutes of driving in silence, I finally said, “We need to meet Mark immediately. He must have some additional ideas or information.”

Dylan nodded in agreement. “Yes, we have to make sure he knows about this situation. Maybe he can help find out more too.”

After I dropped Dylan off and arrived at my house, I went straight to the living room and sat on the sofa, feeling relieved to finally be able to rest. I turned on the TV to watch the news while still thinking about my next move.

That night, I sent a message to our group chat, setting up a meeting with Mark the next day. “We should meet at the usual place tomorrow. There is something we need to discuss.” I wrote.

Not long after, all group members gave positive responses.

"Okay chief!" A reply from Mark appeared.

"Ready." Dylan's reply also appeared.

Then not long after that a thumbs up emoticon appeared in my chat bubble. I felt a little more at ease knowing that we would all be meeting soon and planning our next steps together. The day ended with mixed feelings, between worry, wariness, not to mention about Alina. Tiring too.