Running with Wolves (Shifter Country Wolves Book 1) by Roxie Noir

heart plummeted in his chest.
    “Professor Whiting!” a woman called. It was the woman who’d been in his Latin class earlier that day. He knew it without even turning around, and instantly, he wished that he could somehow take back the entire class, go back to that point in time and say please, act like you don’t know me if I ever see you outside class.
    For the life of him, he couldn’t remember why he hadn’t done that.
    Elliott didn’t turn around. He pretended not to hear.
    For a moment, it worked, and then his mom steered him and Shane away from the person they’d been talking to and, suddenly, he was face to face with Tamara.
    “I thought that was you,” she said.
    Then the man she was standing with turned to face Shane and Elliott, and Elliott’s fists clenched involuntarily.
    It was Zeke.
    Of course it is , thought Elliot. Because nothing can ever be simple.
    “Hi,” he said, at a loss for what else to say.
    “Welcome to the pack,” Tamara said brightly. “I’m so glad you joined, we’ve really been needing some fresh blood.”
    “How do you two know each other?” Zeke asked, his eyes narrowing, and his heavy brow beginning to frown.
    “Professor Whiting teaches my intro to Latin class at Cascadia State,” Tamara said.
    A kid, maybe seven or eight, came over and leaned against her side.
    “I’m bored ,” the kid said, making sad eyes up at her.
    “Ten more minutes, honey,” she said, petting his hair.
    “Elliott teaches Latin?” Zeke asked.
    His eyes lit up in a way that Elliott absolutely hated, and for a split second, he felt like he was being punched outside the doors of Rustvale High again.
    “I’m pretty sure your mom told me you were managing a ranch the next county up,” he said. “Something with horses, she said?”
    He started to smile nastily, and Elliott could almost feel himself break out in a cold sweat.
    Stop it, he thought. You could kick his ass. You know you could .
    Elliott just shrugged. He had no idea what to say, and Tamara was just looking at him sort of strangely.
    “Do you just teach part-time?” she asked.
    “What are you teaching, honey?” Elliot’s mom joined in, her voice behind him.
    Elliott felt boxed in. His wolf started to growl and snap at memories of being surrounded by a group of huge, hulking shifters during lunch break.  
    That was when they’d liked to beat him up, all those years ago. They’d find an empty hallway, then drag him out there, surround him, and take turns punching him in the belly.
    “He’s teaching Latin ,” said Zeke. His voice was vicious, and Elliott could see all his teeth, his smile turning awful. “At the college.”
    “You didn’t tell me that,” his mom said. “It’s nice that you kept up with that. You always did like your Latin classes in high school.”
    He looked at Tamara, her face frozen in surprise.
    I’m sorry , she mouthed, but Elliott just shook his head, his wolf pricking at the inside of his skin, practically begging to get out and tear all these humans to pieces before they could even blink.
    “The guys are gonna be thrilled to hear that you kept up with your studies,” Zeke said, that same vicious smile still on his stupid face.
    Once, in high school, a teacher had come across Elliott getting beaten up in the hallway. She’d sent all the other boys back to class with a light scolding, then patted Elliott on the shoulder and told him that he needed to stand up for himself more. Elliott hadn’t bothered explaining that he’d tried and found it useless.
    Not anymore , Elliott thought.
    “I’m an associate professor at Cascadia State,” he said, standing up straight. “That’s why I moved back.”
    “I thought you got a job on a ranch?” his mom said, seeming more confused than anything.
    “He was so ashamed that he lied about it!” Zeke crowed. “Once a fucking dork, always a—”
    Shane’s fist caught Zeke squarely in the nose, and Zeke stumbled backward, clutching at his face.