Chapter 72

“Come on!” Loren begged. “It’s her first day on campus. You really think she’s going to go to a party tonight?”

I dragged my hand over my face. We’d been at this for the last half-an-hour. Loren was beginning to bog me down.

“It’s not Amara,” I said for the hundredth time. “It’s going back to that stupid house with those stupid people.”

“But it’ll be different,” Loren tried. Again. “We’re bringing our own drinks. Maximus said he’d be on the lookout and Jeckell is gone.”

“Doesn’t mean there’s others that won’t try the same shit,” I palmed my face. “Really, Loren. All I want to do is read my tacky romance novel and go to bed.”

I turned back to the book in my hands. It was something I’d picked up from the “free” part of the library that afternoon. A cliché novel about mermen and sirens. It was highly unrealistic but damn, did it have good sex scenes.

Loren “hmphed” and crossed her arms over her chest. Then she jumped across the room, snatched the book out of my hands and threw it away from me. I stared at her, slack jawed and completely baffled.

“I was reading that—”

“I refuse to let you live your life in fear!” Loren said. “You have two more years here and one will be without me. I need you to actually have fun for once!”

“My book was fun,” I grumbled but Loren was already dragging me out of my bed. She sat me back in her make up chair and started musing about with my hair.

“Shush,” she said. “Braids or straightened?”

An hour later, we were walking back to the same damn house we’d been nearly two months ago. This time, Loren had allowed me to wear my own clothes. My boots were slapping against the concrete as I walked. I wrapped my arms around myself as the breeze swept across campus, kicking up the first falling leaves as it did.

Loren was power walking in front of me. She was wearing a similar outfit to the last party; a tight black skirt, cherry red heels and a black mesh top that floated around her midsection. Her heels clacked against the pavement as she turned around to usher me forwards.

“Come on you two!” she shouted. “I wanna dance!”

“I hope she’s not assuming I’m dancing,” a voice besides me grumbled.

I tried to stifle my smile as I looked sideways at Maximus. He’d met us outside our rooms as he promised Loren he’d walk us to the party. He was dressed nicer than his usual attire in a pair of dark jeans, crisp white shoes and a long sleeve grey shirt he’d pushed up to his elbows. His hair was getting long and was starting to curl at the back of his neck.

A weird part of me wanted to run my fingers through it.

Not weird, Mona mused from the back of my mind. Being as he is your fated mate.

I fought the urge to roll my eyes. Go sniff someone’s butt or something,

Mona grumbled as she took off into the back of my mind. I only could make out part of it but it sounded something like “ungrateful” and “I am thousands of years old.” Normal bitterness for my inner wolf.

“You alright?” Maximus’s voice cut through my inner monologue. I shrugged.

“Fine,”

A beat passed.

“We don’t have to go,” he whispered.

“Loren wants to,” I said back. “Plus, she’s right. I can’t spend my entire life in fear of parties.”

“Given what happened to you,” Max grunted. “I think you can.”

I nudged our shoulders together. A small electric snap surged through us. “But I have the big bad wolf to protect me now, don’t I?”

I watched Maximus’s jaw tick slightly as he cast his eyes towards me. He licked the front of his teeth then opened his mouth like he was about to speak. He slammed it back shut as we got close enough to Loren.

“Are you guys flirting back there?”

“No,” I said just as Max said “Yep.” I glared sideways at him as Loren’s lips broke into a massive smile. She bracketed her hands on her hips.

“Okay, we’re going in,” she said. She reached into her purse and pulled out a small can. She tossed it to me. The label was something I hadn’t seen before but said “Craxxy Punch” in bold letters. I raised an eyebrow at her.

“S’good,” she assured before cracking open her own can. I followed suit and we cheers-ed before starting up the steps into Kairos’s house.

As I faced the front porch, the lines swayed a little bit. I swallowed thickly and almost turned and ran away until I felt Max’s chest at my back. His breath ghosted over the shell of my ear as his hands went to my waist.

“You’re okay,” he said, gently. “I’ve got you.”

My body shivered with the jolt that flushed down it like water. I instinctually leaned into Max. I couldn’t help but smile when I felt his smile in my ear. I took one more breath and plunged into the roar of the party head first.

The noise was just as debilitating as the first time I’d been to a party. A cacophony of voices and bass lines and God knew what else. But seeing Loren begin to dance, brought a sort of freedom over me. I started to move my hips and then sped up a bit as Loren grabbed my hand and dragged me into the center.

I tentatively sipped my drink, half concerned there would be wolfsbane in it again. But then I remembered that I brought it. There was nothing to be concerned about. Time seemed to pass effortlessly as I danced with Loren. Maximus stood off to the side, sipping a beer and watching us intently. Though, no one seemed to want to bother Loren or I as we danced.

Soon, I felt the familiar hum of alcohol. My eyes fell shut to the music as I swayed. But as soon as I opened them, I began to feel the rise of panic. My heart started thudding for no reason and all of the lights suddenly seemed too much. My head swam and I started feeling itchy all over.

Without even so much as a look as Loren, I ran off the dance floor. The room was thudding and spinning and swirling all at once. A wave of nausea coursed through me. I heard my name being called but I needed to find a bathroom. I needed water. I pushed through the halls of the party, gasping for air.

Finally, the music became too much. I wrenched the first door I saw open and stumbled inside of the silence.

“What the fuck?!”

I finally took in my surroundings as my heart slowed. Sitting on the bed in the center of the room, was Amara. Her skirt had been shoved up to settle at her hips. Her cheetah print heels were half on. Her shirt was missing, and one cup of her bra was shoved under her small, perky boobs. Sitting next her, was a third-year Alpha I’d seen directing Basics with Kairos a few times. He was also shirtless, pants unbuttoned.

“Shit,” I cursed and averted my eyes. “I was – There was – I –”

“Your servent’s a little perv, huh?” The Alpha said.

“No, no, I –“

“Zora, Gods almighty!”

I whipped around to see Loren and Maximus had finally caught up to me. They both looked panicked. As they took in the scene, their eyes bulged slightly.

“I was looking for a bathroom,” I finally managed to get out. My voice was small and weak compared to the roar behind me.

“There’s one downstairs, dumbass,” the Alpha tossed at me. I glanced back and saw Amara had righted herself back in her bra. Her snake-like gaze was fixed on me, observing my shaking hands.

Maximus growled behind me I shrunk to the floor with my head in my hands. Tears pricked my eyes as the panic rose in my chest again. My hands shook violently as I pressed my palms into my skull. My head was swarming and every time I closed my eyes, I felt Jeckell’s eyes on me or I saw Amara writhing on the bed.

Max’s hands were on me in an instant. His touch instantly soothed me. I was unaware I was sobbing until the gasps turned into hiccups. Maximus got on the floor with me and wrapped his arms around me. Amara and the Alpha stood over me, both hungry with power.

“I didn’t know you were this pathetic, Zora,” Amara taunted. “It’ll be fascinating to see what Kairos does with you in round two.”

“What I do with who?”

We all looked to see Kairos standing in the frame of the door to the room. He looked pissed. He crossed his arms over his chest and looked back in forth between all five of us.

“And what the fuck are you doing in my room?”