Year One

16

“You must be Raven.”

“Yes.” I couldn’t help my short response. This girl was mesmerizing. Her long ash blonde hair cascaded down her back, and she wore a small teal tank top with yoga pants.

“It is a little overwhelming, but don’t worry. You’ll get the hang of it in time.” Her pink lips spread into a smile, and light reflected off of her small diamond nose piercing.

“She’s already run into Jordan and Madison.” Cole arched an eyebrow and shook his head.

“I hate those bitches, but at least I didn’t date one of them.” She tilted her head and sauntered up to Cole.

It wasn’t ’til then that I realized just how short she was. She only came up to Cole’s shoulders, and I was at least a head taller than her. “Really … You dated one of them?”

“Dated is a strong word.” Cole cringed and glanced down at the ground. “It was more of a Netflix and chill sort of deal.”

“Wow, look who found some manners while they were gone.” Jess giggled, which sounded like bells ringing.

“What are you?” The words left my mouth before I could stop them.

“I like her.” She tilted her head again and turned to face me. “First off, what do I smell like to you?”

This must be some sort of trick, but what did I have to lose? “You smell like sunshine and rain.” It was an odd combination.

“I always like knowing what I smell like to others.” She headed into the kitchen and called over her shoulder. “I’m fae.”

“Oh, so you smell differently to everyone?” That very idea was beyond my comprehension. Everyone had their own unique smell, so that didn’t seem plausible.

“No, but that confirmed what I thought.” She grabbed a bottle of water and twisted the lid off. “You don’t feel supernatural to me, so it’s odd.”

“Well, I assure you I am.” Although at this point, I didn’t have a handle on my wolf. I wasn’t sure what it all meant. “I hate to do this, but I’ve gotta get some rest. I’m beat.”

Cole came over and wrapped me in a big, warm hug, and his cotton candy scent was comforting. “Of course, I’m beat too. So, I’ll head on out.” He turned and saluted Jess. “Bye.”

Both Jess and I watched Cole walk out the door. When the door clicked shut, she nodded in my direction. “Get some sleep. You’re going to need it for tomorrow.” She winked at me and headed back to her room.

Was that some kind of warning, or was she just being kind? At this point, I wasn’t sure of anything.

A

knock on the door jarred me awake. “Hey, you up?” Jess’s feminine voice called from behind the door.

“No, but I am now.” I glanced around, getting my bearings straight.

“Get your uniform on, and get your ass out here. We’re going to miss breakfast.” The door opened, and Jess came barreling into the room.

This had to be some kind of weird dream. Would someone I barely know just invite herself into my room? I pinched myself, which made me flinch. Ouch. That hurt.

She walked into my closet, and the sound of clothes hangers clanging against the metal shelving infiltrated my ears. “Are you needing to borrow something?”

“Uh, no.” She stepped out of the closet with a white button-down shirt that tied at the bottom and a red plaid uniform. “You’ve got to wear something acceptable but still show a little skin.” She threw the items on my bed. “Here, put these on.”

My blurry eyes seemed to focus and noticed that she had on a gray shirt with the same skirt. “Go put these on and get ready. I’m getting hangry, which is not good for either one of us.”

For some reason, the thought of her angry scared me. The super nice ones were able to flip a whole one-eighty if the situation presented itself. “Yes, ma’am.” I grabbed the clothes and headed for the bathroom.

It took me by surprise that everything I needed seemed to be there. My favorite jasmine shampoo was in the shower along with my usual makeup. I jumped into the shower, washing quickly and dried off. Within minutes, I was dressed and ready. I put on my favorite pink lipstick and fluffed my hair so it had a little volume. The humidity would make it limp within seconds otherwise.

Jess was waiting for me in the den. “Thank God, I think I’m turning into Betty White. This may be a snickers type of emergency.”

“Let’s go. We can’t have that.” I restrained myself from laughing … just barely.

We hurried down the hallway, and she punched the elevator button. “So, you’re already going to be on Jordan’s bad side. Be ready for it. Vampire-wise, she’s the head b***h in control.”

“Wait. Why would I be on her bad side?” Even though I figured as much, having it confirmed made my insides cold.

“It’s all because of Cole and how he treats you.” Jess spelled it out for me just as the door opened.

That didn’t make any sense. I followed behind her and leaned against the elevator wall. Somehow, we were the only two people inside. “How is that my fault?”

“There are three men here that any girl would die to have.” She held three fingers up and touched each one as she named them. “Cole, Rage, and Damien. They started the Academy at about the same time and have been here three years. They haven’t left this place yet because of how much value they bring Isadora. When another group comes along that can help in the way they can, they’ll head off to their own graduation.”

“Okay.” Still, it didn’t make any sense to me, but at least I knew the guys were around twenty-one.

“Rage has been in a relationship for a year, and the girl, Ashley, would cut any b***h that gets close to him. He’s only using her for one thing. I still don’t know why he picked her, but he didn’t ask my opinion.” She sighed dramatically and rolled her eyes. “So that really just leaves Cole and Damien up for grabs.”

My wolf whimpered, and I forced my face to remain indifferent. “Well, fated mates are nonexistent these days.”

“That’s not true. They are rare, but not impossible.” The elevator opened, and she stepped out before turning to me. “Are you okay? You kinda look like you might need to take a dump or something.”