Pick her up

ALPHA MAVERICK'S POV

"Sir, is everything alright? The sudden change in the audit team alerted everyone," The Principal of the University rushed as soon as our car stopped at the gates of the University.

He probably got nervous thinking why the main founder of the University was coming to see things personally.

I can't really blame them. I don't have enough time on my hands, and if someone had asked me to do it, I wouldn't have come here either.

"Things turned that way," I said, looking at Shadow, who immediately nodded back at me.

"We would like to tour the area already. Our boss doesn't have much time on his hands. Also, I don't think your assistance is needed. Just send the dean of the particular building with us. We will meet you directly at the office," Shadow said, and the principal looked at me as if confirming what my subordinate was saying was my decision too.

However, one look at me, and he quickly scurried away after nodding.

'Do you feel anything, Reaper?' I asked my wolf, who shook his head at me as he sat leisurely in my head space.

'I don't -' Reaper suddenly paused before he stood and raised his snout as if trying to smell something.

"Can we go to the left?" He asked me, and I nodded before walking towards the left side, making my men follow me.

I noticed a few students trying to film us silently, and I looked at the dean who joined us. I really didn't like being filmed.

There was something about the word enigmatic that I liked when they described me because only a few people know the real me.

The dean immediately understood my silent indication and asked the students to not film anymore as we walked toward the science building.

"How are things going with the laboratory?" I asked, rolling my sleeves as I suddenly felt a little uncomfortable with the scorching heat in this area.

"It's going well, sir. The funds you sanctioned this quarter have been used in buying the chemicals for the new batch," The dean said, and I noticed how he was using limited words to interact with me.

A smirk appeared on my face as we walked to the elevator.

However, before I could get inside, Reaper started walking in my head space again.

'I think we should take the stairs,' He said, and I rolled my eyes at him.

'Are you sure you are not doing this because you want to make me sweat?' I asked.

Reaper grinned, making me sigh.

Even though the possibility of him joking with me was high, I wanted to trust his instincts since we were trying to catch a very cunning rogue.

Judging from how the students were filming us, the rogue might try to run away from the staircase thinking I would take the elevator.

Without wasting another second, I took the stairs, Shadow following behind me.

"Why are we taking the stairs, sir?" Shadow asked, and I was about to answer him when I felt it.

It was so small that if I hadn't been focusing, I would've really missed it. The faint scent of lavender, which was coming towards us earlier, was suddenly gone.

There was no doubt someone had run away from the stairs just now.

"Quick, we need to catch whoever it was," I said, slightly confused by the scent.

Was this rogue cunningly using a female's scent to confuse us? I gritted my teeth as we rushed to the third floor, towards the other side of the building.

I was walking fast, but then suddenly, I couldn't help myself and halted in my steps.

The scent suddenly changed. It was almost as if the person I was following didn't exist anymore.

Where did it go? I looked around while Shadow moved ahead to look behind the stairs.

"A cat? What is a cat doing in the University?" I heard Shadow speak, and I furrowed my brows.

What did he say? A cat?

Shadow stepped away from in front of me, and I looked at the cat, her big wide eyes looking at me, making me squint my brows even more.

"Meoww," The cat mewed, making Reaper immediately stand on his paws.

'F*cking Adorable!' Reaper snarled inside me, and I didn't know how to respond to that. It was good that he found a cat adorable, but did he really need to be so extreme with his expression of liking it?

"A cat?! How can a cat come here?!" The dean, who was probably informed we stopped at the third floor, rushed to us as he looked at the white cat with big grayish-blue eyes.

"I swear this is Cia's doing," The dean said

"Central Intelligence Agency?" Shadow asked.

I really wanted to smack my own subordinate for saying something like that.

It was obviously a person's name.

Was this really a time to joke around when we weren't even able to find that one rogue who has been hiding right under our nose?

'Sorry, sir,' Shadow immediately bowed in apology through the mind-link.

"Cia?" I looked at the dean who sighed.

"I am sorry that you have to see this, sir. There is this student of mine. Quite intelligent I must say, but she is also the naughtiest student among all. This isn't the first time she snuck a cat into the University. If this cat is here, she must also be here somewhere looking for it," The dean explained, the awkwardness clear in his eyes as he looked around.

I won't lie. I was slightly intrigued by this Cia girl.

"Come here, you brat," The dean crouched down to pick up the cat, but to everyone's surprise, including me, the cat hissed at the dean and almost scratched his hand before moving to my foot and looking up at me.

I don't do cats.

I rolled my eyes and was about to move my legs away when the cat widened its eyes at me as if pleading to me.

Seriously. Can they even do that?

Poor luck, cat. I don't get easily influenced by such things. I scoffed.

'Pick it up. I want to look at her closely,' Reaper said.

'You are not serious,' I looked at my wolf, deadpanned.

'Do you want me to growl to let you know I am serious?' Reaper asked, a clear threat in his voice.

Honestly, it surprised me.

Reaper was never a fan of Felidae species like cats, panthers, or others. Maybe it came down to us being from the Canidae species.

So for him to urge me to pick up the cat was definitely surprising.

"She likes you," Shadow said, and I glared at him.

She might like me, but I don't really- I looked at the cat, unable to think of the word.

She was really cute, no doubt.

As if dejected by my rejection, the cat turned around, her head down, and I felt a sudden pang in my heart.

Yes! I felt a f*cking pang in my heart for a freaking cat!

I gritted my teeth and picked up the creature in my hand before looking at her face and eyes that looked like they immediately lit up as she looked at me.

"Let's go," I said.

This way I would be able to meet that Cia girl too, who has been breaking laws by bringing animals into the University. Human or no human, they need to be punished for breaking laws either way.

I nodded to myself, reasoning with myself why I have to hold this creature, holding the cat close to my chest, making it mew softly as it rubbed her face on my chest, making me feel a bit ticklish.

"Behave!" I hissed at the cat, who once again looked at me with those doe eyes, making me grit my teeth.

'Have you seen her enough? I want to put her down. Just look at the way she is looking at us. She will grow attached for sure, and you know I don't do attachments,' I asked Reaper who was silent for some time before he said something that made me almost lose my control.

'Let's adopt this cat and take her home,'