Chapter 71
I let go.
Lucas leaned back slightly, eyes wide, jaw flexing as he fixed his shirt. “You’re faster then I remember. Noted.”
He was already turning when he added, without looking at me, “And Dominic? If she wants me around, I’ll be around. Whether you like it or not. Alpha.”
He walked off.
I couldn’t tell if he was confident or not. I didn’t care.
I stood there, hands curled into fists, breathing steady but too sharp.
Gods.
I looked at my hands.
I didn’t feel like an Apha.
More like a boy who couldn’t look away from Ellie no matter how hard he tried.
So why… did she keep running away?
“Dominic?” A light voice asked. “Are you okay?”
Ellie POV
I was doing the same thing I had been doing for the last few days. Over and Over.
Studying.
But thanks to Lucas, I had gotten some sleep.
I blinked hard at the parchment. The formula in front of me blurred, swam, split into two versions of itself, neither of which made sense.
I just needed to get through one more section.
Just one more-
“ELLIE!”
A body slammed into the grass beside me.
I didn’t jump. Mostly because I no longer possessed the reflexes of a fully functioning human being.
Sarah landed face-first in my study notes, hair sticking in every direction as she gasped, “Guess what I saw! Ha! They were fighting over you.”
I flipped a page. “Mm.”
She pushed herself up on her elbows, glaring at me. “Hello! Did you hear me? Dominic and Lucas. Fighting. Over. You. I totally over heard it.”
Her voice rose on every word like she was narrating a dramatic play.
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I underlined a symptom chart. “Fascinating.”
“Ellie!”
“What?” I said without looking up.
“You didn’t hear a single thing I said.”
“I heard you,” I corrected.. “I just don’t care what those two do.”
“Yeah,” She shrugged. “And then Karina walked up to him all doe eyed, ‘Dom,”” She faked a high voice. “Omg are you okay?’ Like girl have some self respect. She’s been throwing herself at him more then usual.”
I froze, finally looked up, and immediately regretted it.
Across the courtyard, two silhouettes stood close together, a few lingering students whispering around them. Lucas was walking away. Dominic’s arm in Karina’s as she seemed tobe checking over him.
My stomach tightened-not in the fluttery way.
When had they gotten close? They were never…close.
I snapped my attention back to the stack of notes like the sight had no effect on me whatsoever.
Sarah followed my gaze and groaned. “See?! They were totally fighting. Dominic looked ready to throw Lucas through a building.”
“Good for them,” I muttered. “Maybe they’ll punch each other unconscious and give me two less problems to worry about.”
“Ellie. Ellie.” Sarah scooted closer, lowering her voice. “Are you okay? Because you’ve been… different.”
I attempted a smile. It probably looked like a grimace. “I’m studying. That’s all.”
“You haven’t spoken to anyone in days.”
“I’ve spoken to you.”
“You told me ‘pass me the pen’ and ‘don’t touch the notes.’ That’s not conversation.”
“That’s communication,” I corrected weakly.
She sighed and nudged my knee. “You need a break.”
“No, I need to memorize the entire diagnostic codex before Friday.”
She shook her head. “You’re going to burn out. You can’t keep doing this. Whatever’s going on-with Dominic, Lucas, with the exam-you can’t solve it by burying yourself alive in textbook pages.’
My throat tightened a little. “I actually can. And, I don’t have a choice. If I fail
“You’re not going to fail,” she snapped gently, like even the idea offended her. “But if you don’t stop now, your brain is going to leak out your ears and I’m going to have to mop it up. I don’t want to mop things.”
“I don’t have time for-”
“A couple of hours,” she insisted. “Just us. Something small. A walk, a drink, literally anything that isn’t you reciting herbology formulas until you pass out again.”
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I stiffened. “I didn’t pass out.”
“You collapsed in the library.”
I cringed. “That was… gravity’s fault.”
“Ellie.”
Ugh. Why did she have to say my name like that? Soft. Worried. Like she cared.
My chest squeezed, something tender and unwelcome blooming beneath all the exhaustion.
“I just…” I swallowed hard. “I can’t afford to slip right now.”
“You already are,” she said quietly. “And it’s not your fault. You’re under too much pressure. Anyone would crack.”
I looked at her-really looked. Sarah always had kind eyes. We had grown apart as we got older in my old life, but still it was still odd seeing those eyes without a few wrinkles.
The noise in my brain eased just a little.
Only a little.
“I don’t know if I remember how to take a break,” I admitted.
Sarah smiled. “That’s why I’m here. I’ll teach you.”
Against my better judgment, against the tidal wave of fear and responsibility and anonymous threats crashing inside me, I nodded.
Just barely.
Sarah beamed. “Perfect. Come on before you change your mind.”
I let her pull me up, my fingers squeezing her hand a little too tightly.
“Where we goin?” I said.
“It’s a surprise!” She smiled. “Ah, but you’ll need your suit!”
“…What?!”
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