Page 14 of Lured By Shadows

Even then, I could still feel his gaze on me.

And I didn’t want it to leave.

As I slid into my seat, I became painfully aware of how many eyes were still on me. Some were curious, some assessing, a few cautious, and others openly interested, as though I had been introduced without my permission and somehow shifted the atmosphere of the room just by being there.

This was not how my first day was supposed to go.

I smoothed my top and crossed one leg over the other, forcing myself into something composed even as my nerves buzzed beneath the surface. There was no fading into the background now, not after everything that had just happened. A couple of girls near the window were still watching me, giving me the sort of attention usually reserved for accidents or something sitting right on the edge of scandal.

The professor shut the door and moved to the front, his voice flattening into something steady and detached. “Right then. As I was saying, we’ll be splitting into groups of three today to begin the project.” His gaze landed on me. “And you are?”

I swallowed. “Ira Loshe.”

“Ira. Excellent. Your group will bring you up to speed. We had a pair in need of a third, so this works well. Everyone, into your groups.”

“Ah, thanks,” I said quietly.

Around me, the room shifted into motion. Voices rose, chairs scraped, people moved. The energy swelled and folded around me while I sat in the center of it, scanning for where I was supposed to go. I didn’t know what I expected, maybe someone easing their way over and offering a quiet invitation.

Instead, I heard confident footsteps approaching.

Two students stopped in front of me as though I were the missing piece they’d been searching for. Without hesitation, they slid into the seats beside me.

One was a girl, tall and slim, with refined features and eyes that swept over me with a mix of curiosity and quiet judgment. Her uniform was immaculate, her hair pulled back into a sleek ponytail that gave nothing away. Everything about her radiated polish. Dark slacks, a neatly tucked blouse, and subtle jewelry that looked as though it cost more than everything I’d packed combined.

The other was a guy with messy hair and a grin stretched wide across his face. His eyes crinkled at the corners as he dropped into his seat, shrugging off his backpack with no grace and way too much energy. He was all elbows and movement, skinny in a loose, uncontained way. Honestly, he looked barely old enough to be here, maybe not even old enough for high school. For a second, I wondered if he was one of those genius kids who skipped grades to end up in places like this, but something about him didn’t fit that idea. His energy was too chaotic for it.

“What’s up?” he said brightly.

“Hey,” the girl added.

I suddenly felt underdressed next to her, and that was saying something. She looked as though she belonged in a corporate office instead of sitting in a classroom. She was gorgeous, and she knew it.

“So what’re we supposed to be doing here?” I asked, trying to gather some version of the confidence I’d left back in the U.S.

“Hm. We’ll tell you,” the girl began. “But first, why were you with Scarbrough?”

My brows pulled together.

Scarbrough. Not Culver.

Just like the professor had said.

There was something about the way they all used his last name that made him feel distant, almost untouchable. As though they weren’t talking about a person but something larger than that.

“Uh…” I stalled, biting my lip while searching for something simple to say. I’d hoped to avoid this conversation entirely, at least for today. “How about we start with introductions first?”

She opened her mouth to respond, but the boy cut in first.

“Name’s Oliver, and this is Sienna,” he said, wiggling his brows in a teasing, almost flirtatious way before leaning forward with an exaggerated grin.

“Ugh, Oliver, shut up,” Sienna muttered, though there wasn’t much bite behind it. She turned back to me, her expression sharpening again. “Anyway, you didn’t answer my question.”

I exhaled softly, trying to sidestep it one more time, but it was obvious I wasn’t getting out of this easily. “Well… he was just showing me to class.”

Sienna rolled her eyes dramatically.

“Oh, really? Is that why he was holding you so endearingly outside the seminar room?” She gestured with both hands as though she were recreating the scene. “All protective and romantic.”