Professor Mason remained in a staring contest with Rubeetha due to the inability of the two to come to a consensus about the proposed extent of Rubeetha's involvement in the ongoing research.
As a sponsor, Rubeetha demands that professor Mason shares every finding he makes with her, without withholding anything back.
Professor Mason on the other hand does not agree to such terms. As a researcher, his findings are very important to him and he does not see himself telling Rubeetha everything he finds along the way and even go as much as telling her about how he got his findings.
Even though Professor Mason could not see the exact expression on Rubeetha's face, he was certain that the woman was determined to take hold of his hard work, by offering him money.
No amount of money is enough a price, to place on what he is currently looking into. Agreeing to the terms his newfound sponsor proposes means that, she co-owns every finding he makes and Mason would not sign for that.
Especially not after what he had seen on that fateful night.
The red-haired lady could even have ulterior motives for approaching him. How she found out about his current experiment is another mystery that Mason didn't want to worry himself over.
Just as the tensions were rising between the two occupants of the room, due to the stifling silence, a knock on the door diffused the situation quite a bit.
When the student walked in and saw Rubeetha, she apologized for disrupting the professor's meeting before announcing the presence of Lolita Clint.
At the mention of her name, Rubeetha perked her ears and shifted her undivided attention to the professor and his student.
Lolita was ushered in and professor Mason offered her a seat beside Rubeetha, after which he introduced himself as well as Rubeetha. Then he explained to Lolita, why she was summoned to his office.
After the brief introduction, Lolita couldn't help wondering why a professor of medicine would decide to venture into a study about the possible existence and adaptability of werewolves in the current age!
She wasn't one to mince words and therefore decided to go straight to the point "professor Mason! Could you tell me what I'm doing here exactly?"
Mason smiled briefly and responded, "you may think that this research has nothing to do with your course of study!" He then paused to look at Lolita as if expecting a negative response from her.
However, as a person of very few words, Lolita stared back at the professor with a look that reads, 'my thoughts exactly!'
Mason had no other choice than to continue his submission. After explaining the relationship between the current research project and their work, Lolita could vaguely deduce that the professor seems to be researching extinct lifeforms but decided to zero it down to werewolves.
She could tell that the professor was hiding something about his motivation or the exact reason for selecting such a topic to research. The topic of werewolves doesn't pique Lolita's interest, as she didn't want to waste her time on things that do not benefit her.
Lolita then speaks after a while, saying, I am a person of science and I believe in empirical evidence.
"Professor Mason, do you have anything to tell me that I haven't heard in rumours?"
It was clear to the two people that Lolita wasn't taking the whole werewolf research thing serious.
"Professor Mason, don't tell me your favourite student doesn't believe in the existence of werewolves!"
Rubeetha butt in when she saw the mentor and student at a stalemate.
Lolita looks at her with an expression which says," what if I don't" Then she adds, I believe in scientific facts and evidence. As we can all see there is none here! Unless you have something on the contrary"
She then turns to her mentor and says "No offence, sir."
Professor Mason smiles in glee and says "This is so ridiculous! I know!" Pointing to Lolita, he says "But that right there is why I chose you! Objectivity in the face of power and authority. Very few scientists in their later years have the same focus you have at this young age."
Mason could clearly remember Lolita Clint as the only candidate who spoke her views and opinions clearly, without the usual fear of being rejected afterwards.
Rubeetha then stopped the two from further back and forth by saying
"Lolita Clint! You amaze me. Disbelief in werewolves, coming from someone who has come face-to-face with an alpha?"
Lolita couldn't help wondering to herself, what the heck is this woman trying to say? She could see clear malice in the woman's heart and knew for a fact that she was up to no good.
There was also this inner prompting she couldn't explain. She couldn't even tell what the woman is.
Rubeetha then continued her taunts by saying, "I don't believe you are either dumb or stupid! Right?"
Lolita observed the woman before her as she had a very bad premonition, suddenly followed by the memory of a certain conversation "the Dark-Dawn Pack will forever remember your kindness"
It suddenly dawned on her that wolves are said to move in packs.
Then she also remembers the soft mumblings of Ortiz and Wesley. Something she took for granted at the time, but now... "is Alpha Gavin really smiling?"
Rubeetha allowed her no time to recover from her shock as she continues, "Sweetheart, permit me to remind you that, you met Gavin in the Hardwood forest!"
She then paused to allow her words to sink in and says, "or let me say, you saved Alpha Gavin of the Dark-Dawn Pack! Remember?"
Lolita dropped the tablet in her hands at that particular moment of shock and became rooted to her spot, shocked speechless.
The only words recurring in her chaotic mind are "Alpha Gavin... Dark-Dawn Pack!"
Professor Mason on the other hand, as clueless as he was, became overly excited as he couldn't wait for his student to share her experience with this supposed Alpha Gavin.
He reached for his notes, ready to jot down everything, up to the very last detail, when Lolita suddenly stormed out of the office with her emotions scattered all over the place.
The
She needs a place to cool down.
She desperately needs the wind to work its magic in soothing her tense nerves at the moment.
So lucky to have worn a jacket with a hoody, she pulled it up to hide the pale expression she knew she had at the moment, then hopped on her inconspicuous-looking modified bike and sped off towards her house.
Reaching home, Lolita dumped everything she had on her at the gate and headed for the woods, anywhere with trees, for enough breeze to calm her down.