Chapter 17
El 65 vouchers
I didn’t know my grandmother was in the King’s guard. I asked her a couple of times, and she changed the conversation both times. The second time, she asked me not to ask her again. Ever.
I walk into the room to find that it’s fancy. My trunk and both my suitcases are beside the bed. There are a couple of shopping bags on the bed. There is a pile of big shipping boxes in a corner and a letter on the vanity. It’s from her.
-I knew you would need a few things. I had them brought up. You’re allowed to leave the school over the weekend. Buy what you need then. For the love of the moon, stay in the dorms. Don’t go home, Sophia. I can’t protect you there. All you will find is madness anyway. Be good and make sure you don’t embarrass me. Zaraphine Helvig.-
I sit on the edge of the bare bed, feeling a little guilty now. I reach for one of the bags to find sheets for my bed in a pretty lavender shade. I place them on the mattress and go for the bigger bag.
The comforter is black silk, embroidered with black yarn. I check the time to see that there are still a couple of hours until sundown. I think I have a little more respect for my grandmother now. I didn’t think she cared. I guess she has her way of loving us.
I change and start cleaning up. A tap on my door catches my attention. I close the drawer where I put my clothes and make my way to the door. Lieza is here with Poppy.
“Ready?” Poppy beams. Her attitude is entirely different from what it was earlier.
“Yeah, let me get my jacket,” I say. The two of them follow me in. Poppy looks around and then stops when she sees the shopping bags on my bed.
“Where is your roommate?”
“I don’t have one,” I answer.
“What? Why not?”
“My grandmother paid for me to have my own room. She’s swamped, so I’m going to be staying over some of the holidays as well.” I inform them and grab the key from the vanity along with her note.
“This is such a cute jacket,” Lieza compliments me when I slip it on.
“Thank you.”
“I love it,” Poppy smiles. “Maybe you’ll let me borrow it sometime.”
The junior boys‘ dorm is a little further than I expected. There are a lot of people here. Older wolves who have already shifted are running around in their wolf form or half–naked. Everyone seems to be happy to be back here, and it feels good to be out later than six o’clock. My grandmother tended to be a little overprotective.
“There’s Alpha Santiago,” Poppy points out.
At the sound of his name, he turns around. He has changed out of his formal suit and is now wearing dark jeans, a white fitted T–shirt, a zip–up hoodie, and a black leather jacket. His entire demeanor changes. He smiles when he spots me and makes his way over to us.
Poppy is dying for him to look at her, but I doubt he even knows she’s here, and it doesn’t go unnoticed. Some of the other girls come over and catch her attention before she can say anything. When I look over at them, I see Kaylee. She winks at
- me.
1/4
Chapter 17
EL 55 vouchers
“We match,” is the very first thing he says to me, and it takes me a moment to process. We do match. I didn’t notice, even though I checked him out as he walked over.
“We do,” I smile.
“I didn’t think you were going to come out,” he admits. I don’t know what cologne he’s got on, but it complements his natural scent perfectly.
“I said I would come.”
“I know, but it’s the first day of school, and everyone knows you were in the hospital for a long time. You caught up on schoolwork online and through some of the seminars at Artume High. You’re a big deal.”
“Everyone knows that?” I ask. I scan the crowd, and I see that a few people are looking at us, but he is the next alpha of the Artume pack. It’s only natural for them to look at him.
“It’s not a bad thing. A lot of people hold an interest in you,” he shrugs.
“Why?”
“Your father was one of the best betas we ever had. Those are some pretty big shoes you have to fill in.”
“Oh, right,” I nod.
My grandma has been reminding me since I opened my eyes, horrified that I had survived the attack. I’m not sure how to respond to a compliment like this. I feel like I’m being congratulated for failing.
“Do you want a drink?” he asks when I don’t know what else to say.
“What are we having?”
“Water or orange Crush. Lady’s choice.”
“I’ll have a Crush,” I nod.
“You got it,” he says and walks away.
“The alpha is totally into you,” Lieza laughs when he disappears. “I wouldn’t boast about it to Pops. She’s had a huge crush on him since we were kids.”
“You cousin is a little-”
“I know,” she grins. “But she’s like a sister. Her parents don’t have much. She’s here on a scholarship. Actually, she was given the scholarship you turned down.”
“Oh, yeah? My grandma thought I’d leave it for someone who actually needs it. She’s paying my tuition. She wanted me to come here. It has some of the best basic training.”
“She’s right. I’m glad because Poppy deserves it, and we don’t have to split up. Here he comes. I’ll see you later,” she pats my arm and joins the other girls. They all giggle when he offers me the soda can.
“Did I miss something?” he asks.
When I look back at them, Poppy seems genuinely upset. I feel bad. I’d hate to see my crush show interest in another girl.
“Would it be okay if we walk around? Is that allowed?”
2/4
Chapter 17
“Yeah, let’s go,” he agrees.
65 vouchers
I’ve never been alone with a boy before. My brothers would kill me if they knew, and the idea makes me both miss them and a little giddy. How would they react if they saw me walking around campus with a boy this late at night? Even if he is the Alpha.
“What are you majoring in?” I ask.
“Combat and civics. You?”
“Combat and finance.”
“What?”
“What?” I ask. His tone is teasing, and I feel a little defensive all of a sudden.
“Nothing, you just don’t seem like someone who would major in either of those things.”
“Really, and what do you think I look like I’d major in?” I laugh. He takes a deep breath and stops right in front of me to take
me in.
“Medical, and not just like an assistant. The hard shit. Something that not many people can handle. You look like you can kick some ass, but you prefer not to. You have a gentle smile despite everything that’s happened, and I saw the way you were looking at Lieza and Poppy. You seemed happy to see them.”
“I am. There wasn’t much I could do to save my brother. Seeing them helps cope with all of it. Some of us were fortunate to make it out alive and in one piece.”
“I’m really sorry about your family, Sophia,” he says gently. “I can’t imagine what that would feel like.”
“You can call me Soph, and thank you, Alpha Romano. I appreciate it, but I’d like to ask that you refrain from bringing it up anymore. Everyone always does.”
“Of course. I understand, but you have to call me Santiago,” he smirks. His eyes glisten in the moonlight.
“Best I can do is Alpha Santiago,” I laugh. He grins, his eyes darken as they did before.
“You have a beautiful laugh,” he says unexpectedly. “In all the pictures I’ve seen of you, you’re always serious. Like your grandma.”
“She’s an earnest person. I hear that’s a thing with soldiers.”
“Right,” he nods. “I hear that as well.”
The rest of the night we spend asking each other questions and laughing. We have a lot in common. We both like the color purple and playing video games. Our favorite go–to snack is beef jerky. I like the sweet stuff, and he’s into the spicy kind. We exchanged numbers, and he walked me back to my dorm after promising to text me when he got back to his place safely.
I go up to my room and sit on the bed again. I reach for my trunk and pull out the last family portrait we took, setting it on my lap. There are so many things I want to talk to them about. I have so many questions. There’s a little guilty nagging feeling there as well.
Guys, I met a boy. His eyes look like dark emeralds. When he looks at me, I swear I don’t feel anything but him. What are the odds of me finding my mate on the first day of school? How is it that the King and the Prince both stood where you should have been? Things are looking up for us.
“I can do this,” I say, caressing the edges of the frame. I set it down on the nightstand beside my bed. “I’ll be great at it. I
3/4
:57 pm P DD
Chapter 17
promise I’m giving this my all. The same way I did with physical therapy.”
4/4
Sara Lili is a daring romance writer who turns icy landscapes into scenes of fiery passion. She loves crafting hot love stories while embracing the chill of Iceland’s breathtaking cold.
