CHAPTER 77: WHILE SHE WAS DRUNK...

It was time to return Sylas’s Clothes.

Classes had just ended for the day, and she was headed to his office. His clothes were neatly folded in the box she was holding, and every step closer to his office made her more nervous.

She arrived at his door and knocked.

She was met with silence.

After a few seconds, she knocked again. This time, she heard a click from the door. Then, she turned the doorknob and pushed it open.

His office was just as she remembered. A cold, perfect blend of white and black, with not a spec of dust in the air. And of course, his scent that filled everywhere.

His desk was empty, and she looked around for him.

Was he not here? If he wasn’t, then who the hell unlocked the door for her?

"Professor?" She called, still looking around.

There was no heartbeat in the room, or any sign of life. It was best she turned around and left.

Instead, her curiosity got the best of her and she walked up to his desk. It was filled with documents and papers, which she thought of ransacking through - maybe find some dirt on him.

*Don’t do it, Theo* Seraphina warned.

*I’m only tempted. I won’t touch anything* she replied, and dropped the box on his desk.

As she did, her elbow knocked over a pile of files stacked on top of each other, and they scattered all over the floor.

"Crap, crap, crap!" Theo gasped, panic rising in her as she quickly bent over and began picking up the papers as fast as she could. Something told her Sylas might just walk into the room any second and find his papers flying around his neat office.

She was grabbing the last few sheets when a small paper fluttered free from the stack. She picked it up - and the feel of it was different from the rest.

It was thinner, older and looked like it had been deliberately hidden between the office files.

She shouldn’t have looked, but she did anyway.

She first saw a small symbol atop the paper, some kind of sigil drawn in black and Golden ink. Beneath it was something written: VEIL ~ Operative: Golden-black.

Golden-black? She had heard that name before. In a lot of Pack meetings back home she had eavesdropped upon, she’s heard her father say that name. They said it was a shadow in the underworld, someone untouched who pulled the strings behind the scenes.

A dark figure who’s been the sole reason why Cain’s Influence hasn’t spread all over the wolf realm.

Below that, she also saw a short list, more fragments than sentences.

"The other side’s expansion... breach attempts... containment required,"

"Veil integrity compromised if contact persists."

The other side? It was familiar too. They were also a very dangerous group, probably related to Cain.

And Sylas was involved in all this. Not as a bystander, but someone in control.

Wait... could he be the face behind Golden-black? Did she really just make the discovery of the century?!

Suddenly, a shadow fell over her and a polished shoe stepped into her line of sight. The cold in the room deepened and Theo’s stomach dropped.

Her hands trembled softly as she slowly stood up with the stack of files, unable to lift her face to meet his gaze.

Where on earth did he even come from? She didn’t even sense him till he was right there!

She swallowed tightly and shoved the small paper back between the files and dropped it back on his desk.

Her legs shifted uncomfortably, and her anxiety increased to immeasurable levels.

"So, uhhhh," She began with a shaky tone, "I brought you your clothes. That’s a good thing, right?"

"Where are your honorifics?" He sounded so calm it made her shiver, "And the dignity you left on the floor while snooping around?"

She snapped her head up, meeting his cold eyes, "I promise I didn’t knock off your things on purpose," She picked up the box, "I only came to return your clothes that I... borrowed...sir,"

"Borrow?" He echoed, "And how exactly did you borrow them?"

"That’s what I came to know," She murmured, "How did...I end up in your clothes?"

He studied her for a moment, "You don’t remember?"

She nodded, "Liam said you dropped me off at his place. That’s all I know,"

"No wonder,"

She arched a brow. What did he mean by that?

"So you want me to tell you what happened while you were drunk?"

She nodded, "If you tell me something, that should jog my memory,"

His eyes remained unreadable, then he stepped closer to her, "I think it’s best that you don’t remember what happened,"

"But sir, you don’t get to decide what’s best for me,"

"What?"

She shifted again, "I want to know everything that happened. I want to know if I made a mistake, if I said something or did something I shouldn’t, and I would really like to know...," She swallowed so much saliva and whispered, "...who changed my clothes?"

Something flickered in those eyes of his, but he didn’t say anything. If she were left to decide, she would say he looked somewhat amused but didn’t want to show it.

"Why are you so curious about who changed your clothes? Is there something about your clothes you don’t want anyone to know, or something you’re hiding behind them?"

She almost took a step back, "No, sir. I’m simply curious, that’s all,"

There was a long silence, then he spoke, "I helped you take them off, while in the shower,"

Theodora recalled Zeke’s question the other day ’Is that why you kissed him in the shower?’ and her face instantly burned with heat.

She looked up at Sylas and looked back down. Finally, she let the question out, "What else happened in the shower?"

"Seems like you remember something," He said.

"D...did we...k...kiss?"

He didn’t hesitate, "Yes,"

She sighed, her face now burning from mortification, "What else happened while I was drunk?"

"You threatened me," He continued and took another step. Then, his gaze dropped to her chest, "With those,"

"With what?" She also looked down at herself. What the hell was he talking about?

"I don’t understand,"

"Let me quote your exact words, Venom," Sylas stated, and then his voice dropped, "The next time you act like the world is beneath your feet, or you subject me to one of those horrors, I’m gonna find my boobs and I’m gonna slap your stupid, handsome face with them so hard!"

His words were familiar.

Very familiar. She had heard it somewhere before.

Theo tilted her head a bit, as the memories began hitting her like a slow, creeping horror.

At first, it was just distorted noises and images at the back of her head. Then, the rest came crashing in.

*Oh my Goodness!* Seraphina whispered in horror, *I wish my soul could pack its bags and leave this body right now. What the hell did we do while we were drunk?!*

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