Chapter 1: Iris Miller

One

Iris Miller

There were so many ways this could go wrong. The human program was fairly new, in its second year, and it meant living on a campus with creatures that could definitely kill me if they wanted. My heart pounded against my chest as the car pulled to a stop in the parking lot across from my dorm room. Maybe doing the exchange program was a bad idea. But Immortals University was the only place that had offered me a full ride scholarship. As long as I didn’t do anything to screw things up, I would graduate debt free in a field that was in demand. Community Creature Liaison Coordinator.

“Are you sure about this?” Mom asked for like the millionth time. “You got into other places. And yeah, they didn’t offer you full rides, but we could figure something else out. This seems dangerous, Iris.”

I took a deep breath. “It’s going to be fine, mom. This is a really important program. Besides, how much of a coward would I be if I showed up and went away?”

Mom sighed, and brushed back a strand of her blond hair behind her ear. “Okay. Let’s get you to your dorm. Who are you rooming with again?”

“At least two witches, a human like me and two werewolves, I think.”

Mom grimaced. “I’ve mentioned I don’t like this, right? I’m sure if you talked with---"

“Mom, don’t be such a monster-hater. And besides, it was bad enough that James’s dad made the call for me to get into this place without me asking. I don’t want to be that girl that uses her rich boyfriend to get everything.”

“I’m not!” she insisted. “I’m sure they’re all great people. But I’m worried. Magicked People tend to be very possessive if they have mates, and I don’t want you hooking up with someone and getting caught up in something you don’t understand.”

I shrugged. “You don’t have to worry. I’m not here to hook up. I’m here to study. Nothing is going to happen.”

“Right, right.”

I smiled at her. “Come on. Let’s just get my stuff ready, okay? Besides, you forget I’m not the only other human here. I could marry someone completely respectable that is majoring in magical law.”

Mom snorted. “Sure. After four years on a campus with Immortals? Who all look like they’ve hit the genetic lottery? I seriously doubt that.”

“Don’t worry,” I said, “I’ll be safe. I promise.”

The two of us got my stuff out of the car and started to head to a large, brick and stone building that was named Baum Hall after L. Frank Baum. When we got to my dorm room, 13, I was greeted by a gust of wind as a girl bounded over to me. “Hello!” the girl exclaimed. “You must be Iris. We’ve been waiting for you.” She had blue eyes, and auburn hair that was pulled up in a pony-tail.

I smiled at the girl, and put one of my boxes down for a moment. “Nice to meet you.” I looked at her closely, and saw a white wolf pacing in her blue eyes. “Are you Dawn Crescent?”

She nodded. “That’s me! And that’s my brother.”

There was a window with a window seat that looked out over the campus lawn. We were on the first floor of the dormitory building. Sitting in the window seat was a tall guy, stretched out and reading a book. He had short, spiky brown hair and blue eyes exactly like his sisters. He wore a black shirt, black jeans, and heavy combat boots.

“I wasn’t waiting,” he said pointedly, without looking up, “apparently, it’s a requirement that I be friends with all her roommates. She thinks I’m destined to have a great love with one of you.”

I blushed. “No need to worry about me. I’m just here for school.”

He glanced my way and snorted. “Sure, that’s what all of the little humans say. Then, within the first week, they’ve hooked up with one of us and they’re disappointed when we don’t turn out to be their mate. You’re all about the drama.”

I glared at him. “I’m not.”

Dawn sighed. “You’ve got to excuse Malaki. He’s an Alpha and he thinks that the world revolves around him.”

He looked up from his book at his sister, a smirk on his face. “That’s because in most cases, it does. You’re coming to the welcome back party, right?”

Dawn nodded. “I wouldn’t miss it.”

“Bring your little friends. Although the Little Human might want to tread carefully,” said Malaki, “but I suppose she’s welcome too.”

He got up from his window seat, then brushed passed the two of us. As he did, his shoulder brushed against mine, and I felt a strange, tingling sensation that I had never felt before. His gaze met mine briefly, but then he looked away. He was gone from the room and Dawn let out a sigh.

“You’ll have to excuse him,” said Dawn, “he’s the future Alpha of our pack. He’s under a lot of stress with this whole human exchange program. They have all of the senior werewolves guarding the campus to keep everyone safe. Anyway, want some help? We’re sharing a room together.”

I smiled. “That would be nice.” I glanced at mom. “I know you’ve got a long drive back home, so you can head out if you want.”

Mom hugged me tightly. “Just remember what I said. Be careful.”

“I will.”

She left, and then Dawn helped me carry our boxes to our room. Dawn’s side of the room was filled with a lot of pinks, including the cover of her laptop. My side was completely bare because I hadn’t put anything up yet.

“The other girls are all out doing things,” said Dawn, “but when Sinead gets back, she can always change your wall color if you ask. She’s great at that.”

“Sinead’s one of the witches, right?” I asked.

Dawn nodded. “Her and her twin sister Keavy. They went to go get coffee with the other human girl, Anna.”

“And there’s one more werewolf living with us, isn’t there?”

Dawn nodded. “That’s Celestina. She’s part of a separate pack. She’s not fond of another one of my bothers, Milo. They’re mates but she was hoping to be mated with someone from her pack. It’s a whole thing. They drive each other crazy.”

“I’m surprised,” I said, “I thought mating was a good thing.”

She smiled. “It can be. Sometimes it gets complicated though.”

“And I mean, when you said you thought your brother was someone’s soulmate, you were obviously talking about someone magic, right? I mean, humans being mates is kind of rare?”

Dawn grinned. “It’s going to be a long, four years. We’ll see.”