CHAPTER 3
1700 Words
“I disagree!” a loud voice boomed from among the students, snapping her from her thoughts.
Silence fell on the whole auditorium as Instructor Sam paused in his steps.
Antonia's eyes widened at the words. Did someone actually say that?
Bringing her fingers to her lips, she bit down on them, her gaze running round the auditorium to find the culprit.
“What did you say?” Instructor Sam boomed, his gaze sweeping across the auditorium.
“Who has the guts to offer a complaint?”
“I do!” A tall lanky boy stood up from his seat, his gaze focused on Instructor Sam.
“That isn't fair. What if our bunkmate is a weakling? We should have the choice of selection,”
“Isn't that right?” He glanced around at the students, hoping that they would take his side.
Instead, everyone shifted their gazes to the ground or somewhere else.
“Why don't you come over and say it clearly to my face?” Instructor Sam offered with a small smile.
A dangerous smile.
“Don't be shy. You're quite bold, right?” He waved him down.
Antonia watched as the boy made his way down to the stage until he was facing Instructor Sam.
Leaning forward, he said, “Now, what did you say up there?”
Shaking, the boy answered, “I said it isn't fai–thwack!”
It happened so fast. One moment, the boy was standing and trembling before the instructor, the next he was lying face down on the ground.
The whole crowd flinched at the sound as fear filled the atmosphere.
“Who said anything about fairness?!” Instructor Sam boomed, “We make the rules, you follow them,”
To add to his point, Instructor Sam stepped on the boy’s fingers and a loud cracking sound followed suit.
“Make no mistake. This isn't your father's house. Here, you're nothing but weak pups that have no idea what they're doing.”
“You are nothing! Don't EVER question me,” he said as he glared at the boy who was still not moving.
“Oh, I forgot to add,” Instructor Sam started, “The card you picked up for your room already has you registered. You're already paired up, so you don't even get to select among your roommates.”
“No switching allowed. You're all DISMISSED!” he thundered and walked away from the stage.
*-*-*-*--*-*-*-*-*-*-
“I'll fix this,”
Sighing, Charles shook his head as he carried his tray of food towards a table at the far end of the hall. “Didn't you hear what the instructor said? You can't switch,”
“I have to find a way,” Antonia pressed as she settled into her chair and dropped her tray. “There has to be someone I can talk to,”
As soon as they were dismissed, all the students hurried to the cafeteria to grab some food.
But after the display on the stage, Antonia's appetite seemed to have disappeared. If she didn't do anything quickly, there was a great chance that things would worsen.
“I don't know about that, Antoni–” frowning, he corrected himself, “I mean, Anton,”
“We need to be paired up together, Charles. My roommate already hates me,”
“Maybe you're paired with your other roommates, and not him,” Charles suggested as he took a scoop of his food.
“Oh, you're right. There has to be other roommates.”
Her mind flashed back to the fact that there were only two mattresses available.
“Or not. I can't depend on that.” Focusing on Charles, she asked, “Do you have any idea what the first test will look like?”
Charles arched a brow at her, “I should be asking you that,”
Leaning forward, he lowered his voice as he teased, “Seer,”
“Stop that,”
“You didn't see this coming?”
“Well, I can't see everything, okay?”
Bullshit! Evans didn't mention this buddy system when he used to whine about his days at the academy.
Was that why he failed? Because of the partner he was paired with.
Damn! If she couldn't pass this hurdle, then she wasn't ready to protect her family and pack.
The image of her pack mates' bodies flashed before her.
Over the years, it had become a diminished, faded memory, but she had held on to the pain.
“It doesn't matter. I'll ask around, or get chummy with an instructor,”
“You really think that would work? After we've been assigned?”
“I don't know,” she sighed.
A booming laugh drew her attention away from her thoughts as she turned her head to the side.
Speak of the devil.
Her gaze settled on her roommate, who was smiling with a group of other guys.
Hurt pierced through her heart at the sight.
So, he could smile, huh?
Shaking her head, she pushed the thought away. ‘Whatever, she wasn't here for friends.’
“Why not get chummy with your roommate? I don't think instructors are friendly here,”
Focusing on Charles, she nodded, “Right. I could do that,”
Turning to the side, she caught his gaze on her. With that, she gave him a small smile, but in return, he threw her an icy glare her way.
Great. This wasn't going to be easy, but she wasn't going to give up now.
*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*
“What's your name?” Antonia asked as soon as her roommate walked into the room. After eating, Charles had gone to his hall while she tried to ask some questions.
With the glares most people were giving her, it seemed like being friendly with her roommate was the only choice.
“I already told you mine,” she finished as she stood beside her neatly arranged bed.
“I didn't ask,” he bit out as he walked to his side of the room, and plopped on his bed.
“Aren’t we supposed to be working together?”
“Fine. I'm Nikolas,”
Antonia released a sigh. Of all the things she thought she would deal with in this school, a moody alpha heir wasn't one of them.
She had to keep trying.
With a smile, she stretched out her hand as she approached him, “Oh, Niko. Can I call you Niko?” a chuckle left her lips at the question, betraying the twitchy feeling in her stomach.
Nikolas glared at her outstretched hand, then shifted the glare to her face, “Don't call me that. Ever.” He warned.
“Fine,” she tucked her hand back in her jacket as she nodded, trying to think of something else to say.
“Look, I don't like people in my space,” Nikolas started, “so you better be invincible…” he paused as his brows furrowed and looked around the room.
“Do you like it?” Antonia tilted her head to the side as she spread her arms towards her handiwork.
While waiting for him, she cleaned and arranged the whole room, putting his things in his corner and vice versa.
“I'm not sure when our other roommates will come over, but isn't it better if we divide the room, and stay clear of each others’ paths?”
He released a dark chuckle as he rose to his feet, “Shouldn’t I be the one saying that?”
Taking a menacing step forward, his eyes glowed as he continued, “Are you ready to stay now? I thought you were going to switch rooms,? Why? Did your plan fail?”
Her eyes widened as she took a step back. “Th-That was before the announcement, bu-but you also made a call,” she stammered.
“Weren’t you going to chase me out too? What happened to that?”
“Let's get one thing straight,” Nikolas started as he pointed a finger at her face. “I was here first. I decide what happens in this room.”
He took another step forward. “One, no eavesdropping on my conversation,”
“I didn't eavesdrop,” she argued as her back hit the wall. You talked loudly. What was I supposed to do?”
Ignoring her words, he continued, “Two, don't piss me off…” He suddenly stopped advancing, his brows furrowing as he looked her up and down.
Sweat rolled down her back, her heart pounding wildly in her chest, “Wh-what is it?
“Why are you so short?”
Opening and closing her lips, she blinked before shouting, “What? I'm.. I'm not short!”
He arched an eyebrow at her, “You barely come up to my neck,”
“s**t, even your hands are small!” he observed.
Her heart thudded in her chest as he continued to study her.
Was Charles right? Was it obvious that she was a girl?”
“You look like…” his face twisted as he tried to come up with a word.
Please don't say girl. Please don't say girl.
“...like a shrimp?”
“What?!” Antonia exclaimed at his words, “Excuse me? I'm still growing!”
“At this age? Then you should have stayed at home.”
He crossed his arms against his chest as he narrowed his eyes, “How did you even get here?”
He leaned forward until his face was almost touching hers.
Her nose twitched as a sweet smell drifted from his body. It was so tempting, and yummy…
“What's that?” she asked.
Arching his brow, he looked at her, “What's what?”
“That smell…” she leaned closer as she inhaled more of his scent.
MATE!
She jerked back from him, her head slamming on the wall behind her as she stared at him with wide eyes.
Her hands flew to her lips, covering her mouth as her heart thundered within her chest.
Nikolas looked at her, his eyes widening as he asked “Did you just…?”
No! It couldn't be.
- Writer
