Chapter 10

Tobias Trevino

Mixed emotions filled me to the brim. I must be assuming that he was the Tobias that I knew. Even if he was, shouldn’t I be happy about it? Why was I feeling more anxious then? Besides, they must have had the same given name. He couldn’t be the only Tobias in this town. 

My mind went on a spiral and was completely distracted after the blonde woman rudely took the folder away. I thought I might have stared too long at the applicant's list because her face said it all.

“You will receive an email soon whether you’re accepted or not.” She didn’t give any expression other than her ill-tempered face.

“Uh— thanks?” I said to the blonde and left her post.

“Hi again.” I approached the brunette who was sitting idly on the other side of the concierge post. “I heard there were seminars conducted here?” I took out the crumpled paper that I got from the park and showed her what I was referring to.

“Oh! Yes, we do conduct seminars but for tomorrow, it’s canceled.” She pointed her index finger at the announcements board. “There will be a briefing for the newly accepted members of the organization.”

Tomorrow, immediately? I was going to spend my time today waiting for an email from them. I had to attend the briefing. If I did attend, I could also confirm whether the Tobias that I know was the one on the list.

“I see . . . Thanks for everything.” I beamed my sweetest smile and sashayed outside the building.

“Hoping to see you tomorrow, Miss Laurent.” She walked with me and stopped at the glass doors, waving her hand with her lips curled in a perfect smile. Leaving the building, I never knew whether the brunette was a concierge or maybe a higher rank that was checking up on the visitors.

It was still early and I had nothing much to do except wait for their email. I didn’t make any plans with Valerie since we just saw each other yesterday and we usually didn’t require each other to catch up now and then. It was safer not to see her yet because my mouth might blurt out the truth subconsciously.

I hopped on the bus, plugged my earphones in, and waited until I reached the station nearest to home. Maybe I would try to go for a jog to spend my time.

The common streets were busy with a lot of people on their way to work. The crowds included several people who were filled with families and some who were wearing their office attire. There were also children wearing their white and blue uniforms and their innocent grins as they hold both straps of their backpack with their parents walking side by side with them. Looking back, I never felt the excitement to go to school. It was always Aunt Odessa who dropped me to and picked me up after classes. Sometimes, Aunt Odessa would invite me to learn about her medicine making such as ointments and herbal drinks. Because of those, our house literally smelled like the pharmacy. It also had books that seemed to be related to medical stuff which I had no interest in. Not that I didn’t like being in Aunt Odessa’s care, it was just that any child would naturally yearn for their parents’ real love and guidance. If only those stupid mythical creatures didn’t exist, I would’ve lived a better life.

The bus door opened, some other passengers left and others rode. I continued to look outside the window, taking my time leisurely for contemplations. The bus was almost full and all the seats must be occupied. I felt one passenger sat beside me that accidentally leaned on the strap of my bag.

“Excuse me.” I tried to get the attention of this man wearing a hoodie and headphones. I unplugged my earphones and I could already hear the music that was blaring from his.

Since he didn’t respond the second time I called, I decided to just pull the strap and let him feel what he sat on.

“Oh shit,” he mumbled, shocked by the slithering sensation under his buttocks and I was also surprised when I saw who he was. My heart raced tremendously seeing Tobias on the same bus ride once again.

“Hi again? This is getting weird,” Tobias awkwardly said. Same with how I felt, this was actually too much for a coincidence. 

“Are you following me?” I raised my brows at him. It was cute at first, but shouldn’t I be skeptical of this repeated coincidence? It left me feeling unsettled that my hands were starting to sweat. He was hot and all but creepy guys were a red flag. 

“What?” He scoffed. “I mean, I admit that you’re attractive, but I’m not that kind of guy.” Tobias removed his hoodie and unveiled his face.

The way he blatantly complimented me made the heat rush to my face. The coincidence surely creeped me out, but Tobias didn’t seem like the guy who could kidnap someone. He didn’t scream danger, unlike some guys that I knew. It was pure joviality and good nature. I mean, he was too sweet to even stalk me.

“Right,” I stammered, biting my bottom lip to suppress my smirk. Tingles in my stomach arose which was an indication of my hunger. I looked outside the window again and noticed the familiar streets that meant the next station would be where I would stop. Even if I wanted to stay here longer, I stood from my seat and excused myself to him so I could go near the bus door and have my exit.

“Already leaving?” Tobias held my arm and stopped me from walking away.

“Uh, yeah. I have to step out at the next station.” I did my best for him not to see the embarrassment exhibited on my face because of his touch.

“I’ll see you soon, Portia.” He removed his grip from my arm and flashed a smile.

As soon as I hopped out of the bus, I sat on the nearest bench and tried to calm myself. I guess I had the slightest crush on him but this feeling was quite overwhelming for someone who hadn’t experienced any romantic affair with anyone else. I grew up as a serious person with an overprotective guardian. Even as a youngling, some other boys dared to approach but they ended up avoiding me for unknown reasons. 

I walked through the crossing and went my way home. It was just a few blocks away from the bus station and walking for a while didn’t pose a problem for me. The sun was scorching hot but the wind blew like the breeze of spring. On the west side of the town, there was a forest that’s almost the same size as it or maybe even bigger. That forest must’ve been the hideout of the werewolves that would suddenly show up to capture some locals.

I was a few steps away from our doorstep and I could already smell the strong essence of herbs. If I was a normal person walking by in this apartment building hall, I’d be weirded out because of how odd it smelled. 

As I went in, Aunt Odessa greeted me as usual and asked if I wanted anything specific for lunch. I frequently asked her to cook my favorite but, today, I just told her that anything was fine. My mind was currently clouded in anticipation of me getting accepted in the Silver Stag.

As soon as I entered my happy place, I lodged myself into my bed and stared at my phone. The clattering of casseroles in the kitchen was ringing in my ears but I could only focus on waiting for the email.

“Portia! Lunch is ready!” Aunt Odessa shouted from the dining which I rolled my eyes at. I needed to wait on this so my heart and mind could rest assured.

It was already afternoon and still received no email. I was beginning to lose hope and was thinking to give up my fantasies like Valerie was saying. The moment I put my phone down, it buzzed. I picked it up once again, crossed my fingers, and checked my account. An email was sent to me from Silver Stag. 

Dear Portia Laurent,

Thank you for applying to our organization. We are pleased to tell you that you are one of the accepted applicants for the newest batch. There will be a briefing for all new members tomorrow at three in the afternoon. We hope to see you there.

Regards,

Rudy Shelton

Senior Manager

Silver Stag Organization

The corner of my lips curved upwards and I laid flat on the bed. I grabbed a pillow to cover my face to lessen the noise from my scream and paddled my feet from excitement. It was a good time to be alive.

~*~

Yesterday, I spent my time researching more about werewolves until I fell asleep. My heart still raced when I thought about the fact that I was accepted at the Silver Stag because, finally, I would be able to come closer to the truth.

I hopped on the bus going to the building of the Silver Stag and read the notes that I wrote from my research. There weren’t many passengers and I looked around whether I would coincidentally ride with Tobias again. Common streets weren’t busy at all, and the crowd from yesterday wasn't present but there were still a few loafers in some remote streets.

The trip was smooth maybe because it was a weekend. I stood in front of the building and admired it once again. It was a quarter to three in the afternoon and I was fifteen minutes early. I fixed my office attire and sashayed into the building, and I was immediately greeted by the brunette girl from yesterday. She beamed at me as I averted my gaze to the front desk and didn't see the blonde girl.

“Hi! I knew you’d make it. Maia, by the way. I’m one of the batch leaders here.” She winked confidently. Her aura was more light today and I could feel how happy she was to see me. “Proceed to the seminar room, go straight at the right hallway and you’ll see people flocking there.”

“Thanks, Maia.” I left her and went to the seminar room that she was talking about. As I turned right, I could already see the swarm of people. It wasn’t that packed, there were just enough people here. I continued to stride closer to the crowd and noticed they were actually lined up. One by one, people entered after presenting their identification cards so I followed my common sense and joined the line. It wasn’t too long so I wouldn’t have to wait for a while. When it was my turn, my heart raced and the fact that I was pursuing this path dawned on me.

The checker allowed me to enter the room. At first look, everything was organized. Every person was sitting in their respective seats. There was a white screen in front and a projector was placed at the ceiling— like a common class in college. The neutral design remained the same in the interiors. I sat on the seat that had my name on it which was on the third seat of the fourth row on the left side. The middle was open for those who would need to walk through it. The atmosphere seemed intense for whatever reason that I had no idea about.

After I settled in my place, I looked around to observe the other applicants. Coldwater washed through my body when I saw who was sitting on the corner of the very first row. His side profile was very familiar to me since we always sat side by side on the bus. 

Tobias.