Mated to Four Heirs

Chapter thirteen

SAMANTHA CARTER

General dinner at Nightshade Academy was nothing like I had imagined it would be, and although I had only been here for a few days, I was already beginning to understand that nothing about this place could ever be described as ordinary.

The dining hall alone was larger than my entire high school back home, while enchanted chandeliers floated beneath the high ceiling, casting a warm silver glow across hundreds of long wooden tables. Students from every pack filled the hall with conversations and laughter, yet despite the noise around me, I couldn't shake the feeling that I didn't truly belong here.

I balanced my tray carefully as I searched for an empty seat, hoping I could eat quietly without attracting unnecessary attention. Unfortunately, that seemed impossible these days. Ever since the Blood Moon Initiation, people had either stared at me with curiosity or whispered the moment I walked past them, and although they tried to lower their voices, they never lowered them enough.

Their voices drifted toward me from different directions, making me tighten my grip on my tray before pretending I hadn't heard any of it. If I reacted every single time someone whispered about me, I'd probably spend every day arguing with strangers.

"Princess!"

The familiar voice made me stop walking, and although I tried not to smile, the corners of my lips betrayed me anyway.

I turned around just as Adrian waved enthusiastically from one of the tables near the center of the hall.

"We saved you a seat!" he called, grinning broadly as several students turned to look at him.

I let out a quiet sigh before walking toward them.

Karl was already seated, eating silently as though nothing around him existed, while Adrian sat beside him with his usual cheerful expression. Across from them, Darius leaned comfortably against the back of his chair, lazily spinning a fork between his fingers with a playful smile that somehow made him look like he didn't have a single worry in the world.

Carla was there too.

Unlike the others, he sat slightly apart from them with his attention fixed on his untouched plate. His face remained unreadable, and he didn't even glance in my direction when I approached.

"Good evening," I said politely as I reached the table.

"Good evening," Adrian replied immediately, smiling warmly before gesturing toward the empty chair beside him. "Sit before Darius finishes everything."

"I heard that," Darius said, chuckling as he pointed his fork toward Adrian.

"I wanted you to," Adrian replied with a laugh.

Karl merely looked up from his meal.

"Sit," he said simply before returning to his food.

I nodded before lowering myself into the empty chair.

For a few moments, nobody spoke. The silence wasn't uncomfortable. It was... different… comfortable enough that I could actually enjoy my meal.

Well… almost.

Every now and then I caught students stealing glances at our table. Some looked jealous. Others looked confused. A few simply stared.

"They're doing it again," I muttered quietly before taking another bite of my dinner.

Adrian followed my gaze. "They'll stop eventually," he said with an encouraging smile before shrugging lightly.

"I doubt that," Karl replied calmly as he cut another piece of meat. "People fear what they don't understand."

"I wish they'd stop looking at me like I'm some strange animal," I admitted, lowering my eyes to my plate.

"They're not looking at you like an animal," Darius said before leaning forward slightly, his golden eyes dancing with amusement. "They're looking at you because you're interesting."

"I don't want to be interesting."

"Too late."

His grin widened. "You became the most famous student in the Academy before attending a full week of classes."

I couldn't help laughing softly.

"I don't remember asking for that."

"No one ever asks for fame," Adrian replied with a chuckle before taking a sip of his drink.

"They just survive it."

I smiled faintly. Maybe… just maybe… I wasn't completely alone here.

Halfway through dinner, Darius suddenly cleared his throat.

"I almost forgot something."

Curiosity flickered across my face as I looked at him.

"What?"

Instead of answering immediately, he reached beneath the table and picked up a small black box tied neatly with a silver ribbon.

My eyes widened.

"Darius..."

He casually slid the box across the table toward me.

"This is for you," he said, smiling as though giving gifts to people he had only just met was the most natural thing in the world.

The entire table fell silent. Even Karl looked up. Adrian blinked in surprise before glancing between the two of us.

Carla's fork stopped moving.

I stared at the little box without touching it.

"What is it?" I asked quietly.

"A gift," Darius answered simply before resting both elbows on the table.

"I can see that."

"Then open it."

"I can't."

His smile faltered ever so slightly. "Why not?"

I looked at him before letting out a small, nervous laugh.

"We've only known each other for a few days."

"I know."

"So..."

"So I bought you a gift."

I shook my head in disbelief. "You really don't think things through, do you?"

"I think plenty."

"I'm not convinced."

Adrian laughed under his breath.

"I warned him."

"You did," Darius admitted before shrugging dramatically.

Karl rubbed his forehead. "I warned him too."

"You also did."

"And yet you still bought it," Karl observed.

"I did."

Adrian smiled at me. "You should probably open it before he explodes from curiosity."

"I won't explode," Darius protested before laughing.

"You've clearly never seen me explode."

"Let's keep it that way," Adrian replied.

Their playful argument eased my nervousness enough that I finally reached for the small box.

"I really shouldn't accept expensive gifts," I said softly as I untied the silver ribbon.

"It's not expensive."

"You don't sound convincing."

"I wasn't trying to."

Rolling my eyes playfully, I lifted the lid. Inside rested a delicate silver bracelet. A tiny crescent moon charm hung from its chain, reflecting the enchanted lights above us.

For a moment, I simply stared. It was beautiful.

"I saw it today," Darius said quietly before scratching the back of his neck, an unusual hint of shyness crossing his face. "It reminded me of you."

I looked up at him. "Why?"

"I don't know," he just smiled.

Then he shrugged lightly.

"It just did."

Something about his honesty caught me off guard.

There was no hidden motive. No expectation. No attempt to impress me.

He had simply seen something that reminded him of me.

My heart softened a little.

"It's beautiful," I admitted before carefully lifting the bracelet from the box.

"I'm glad you like it."

"I do."

A smile slowly spread across my face.

"Thank you."

His entire expression brightened immediately.

"You're welcome."

Before I could say anything else, I became aware of another pair of eyes resting on me. Instinctively, I looked across the table.

Carla.

For the briefest moment, our eyes met. His expression remained unreadable.

Then, without saying a single word, he looked away and quietly resumed eating, as though the exchange had never happened at all.

I lowered my gaze to the bracelet in my hands, but somehow, Carla's silence lingered in my thoughts much longer than Darius's gift.

One day, I'm going to find out what he's hiding from me.