Chapter 36

Rowena & Eric

Rowena

Taking a deep breath, I walked up to the bulletin board in the lobby, where the ballots were being counted. The afternoon sun was casting a warm golden glow across the room, a view that normally would have been peaceful and relaxing; but instead, I only felt my heart pounding in my chest.

I leaned in, counting the tally marks beside my name. And I felt my breath catch in my throat.

“Oh my god…”

I clamped my hand over my mouth, too shocked to even breathe. I had done it; somehow, I had matched Heather’s votes. And now we were neck-and-neck.

Our votes were tied.

“That doesn’t mean anything, you know. The count is still weeks away.”

I looked up abruptly at the sound of that all-too-familiar voice, and instantly felt my heart sink. Heather stood beside me, wearing her cheerleading uniform with one hand on her hip and the other twirling her blonde ponytail around her finger.

Unsure of what to say, I swallowed and tried to pull my shoulders back, pushing my glasses up a bit on my nose. “Well… May the best woman win,” I managed.

Heather let out a wry, mirthless chuckle. “You only made it this far because of your little performance at the party,” she said without even looking at me. “Not to mention Eric’s obsession with you. If it weren’t for his and Adrian’s help, you would be nowhere.”

I frowned. “I do appreciate their help, I won’t deny that,” I said. “And for what it’s worth, what happened at the party wasn’t a ‘performance’. That warrior could have died.”

“Oh, please. As if you would have lifted a finger to help him if everyone hadn’t been watching.”

Heather’s words struck me like a knife to the gut, almost making me physically wince. Those moments at the party had been treacherous, and terrifying. A boy’s life had been in my hands.

“I didn’t see you doing anything to help, Heather,” I blurted out.

Slowly, Heather turned to look at me. Her eyes were wide, although with shock or fury I couldn’t quite tell. A long moment passed between us, and I wasn’t sure if she might hit me or start with more of her shrill screaming.

But then, with a laugh, she tossed her ponytail over her shoulder and turned on her heel.

“We’ll see how long your fame lasts!” she called, swinging her hips as she sauntered away.

…

Later, as I sat in my office, I couldn’t have felt more at ease. Heather’s words had stung, but I didn’t fear her. My skills would get me into the championship, and that was all that mattered. She could laugh and insult me all she wanted, but her petty words would never change that truth.

“Thanks for coming!” I called out to my last patient of the day, a young warrior who needed help healing a pulled muscle. As I watched him go, I leaned back in my chair and let out a satisfied sigh.

Finally, it was happening—after all my hard work, I was finally being recognized as a viable combat manager. My little utility closet office had been bustling all afternoon with a steady stream of patients, a surefire sign that things were finally working out after all.

However, it was as I was closing my notebook for the day and preparing to close up my office that I was suddenly startled by a sharp knock on the door.

Jumping slightly at the sudden sound, I jerked my head up. My eyes widened when I saw who was standing there.

“Emma,” I breathed, taking a hesitant step backwards. “Do you need something?”

For a few long moments Emma just stood there, staring at me. I hadn’t seen her since the pool party, specifically when I had won the swimming contest. Part of me wondered if she was here to start some more drama, or say something cruel.

But when I saw the sheepish look in her eyes, I knew that something was wrong.

“I… I need help,” she said, taking a shaky step forward. As the light hit her face, I could see it now: the pale pallor of her skin, the dark circles under her eyes, the frightened look she was wearing.

And the way that she was clutching her stomach.

…

Eric

A fine sheen of sweat layered my back as I peeled off my training shirt with a sigh. I tossed my shirt into my bag to be washed later, then reached into my bag to grab my towel.

After a long, sweaty combat training session, an even longer shower was in order. And then, I had plans; a party at my cottage.

It had been a while since I had thrown a party at my place, and I was looking forward to it. And if I was being honest, part of the reason why I was looking forward to it was Rowena. I was already imagining seeing her at the party, maybe even getting some time alone together.

Ever since that pool party, the hold she had on my mind had grown even stronger. Every time I closed my eyes, all I could see was her face, her strong voice, her deft fingers.

She had impressed me, even more than usual, that day.

“Some training session, huh?”

The sound of Adrian’s voice echoing in the locker room pulled me out of my reverie, but I couldn’t bring myself to look at him as I dug through my things. Even his presence made my blood boil; after all, he had gone on a date with my mate, and he had tried to kiss her.

But after tonight, I was certain that he would finally slip out of Rowena’s mind. Soon, she’d only see me.

“Uh, yeah,” I said, grabbing my towel and turning to head toward the showers. “It was a decent workout.”

It was as I turned, though, that I saw it: a talisman around Adrian’s neck. The chain was made of metal rather than leather, and the pendant was different, but I recognized it as the same category of protective talismans to mine.

“Nice talisman,” I blurted out, nodding my head toward the necklace. “Where’d you get it?”

Adrian smirked. “You’re joking, right?”

“What?” I asked, genuinely confused.

Adrian blinked at me for a moment, then crossed his arms over his chest. “Rowena got it for me. She didn’t tell you?” he asked.

“No,” I replied, shaking my head slowly as the thought crossed my mind. I couldn’t help but reach up to touch my own talisman, thinking back on the night that Rowena had given it to me—the night I had caught her trying to throw it into the pool.

“Funny,” Adrian said.

I quirked an eyebrow. “Why?”

He shrugged. “Oh, nothing,” he said as he dug through his bag. “It’s just that, well, I helped her pick yours out.”

“You did?”

Adrian nodded, retrieving something from his bag. He straightened, slung his bag over his shoulder, and met my eyes with a grin. “It was actually my idea,” he said. “She bought one for me, and I told her she should get one for you, too, just to be nice.”

I was taken aback. So she had bought them not only at the same time, but at Adrian’s suggestion. I didn’t know what to say; I had thought… I don’t know, that it was somehow more special than that.

Before I could say anything, though, Adrian walked past me, his shoulder bumping me as he walked by. The gesture elicited a low, soft growl to rumble in the back of my throat, and I felt my wolf bristle at Adrian’s obvious show of disrespect. But he ignored me, and just walked over to the door without looking back.

“Actually,” he said, pausing in the doorway, “if I hadn’t told her to, she wouldn’t have even thought of you at all.”