How Embarassing

Ariah parted ways with me before lunchtime, informing me she promised one of the teachers she’d help him with something.

I agreed to meet up later with her, Nate and Celeste, making my way up a flight of stairs toward the library.

I wanted to find the book of the divine, among things, to see if I could learn anything about my mark or the meaning of it.

I scarcely rounded the corner where the library was, spotting a sign that said: Be back in an hour. I sighed, falling back against a wall, contemplating what I could do next. I didn’t know how long an hour would be, considering there wasn’t a time stating when it was written.

I didn’t want to go back to my room because I have virtually nothing there to keep me occupied. Maybe this would be a good time for me to drop in by June and see what there was that I could use for my side of the room?

As I stretched out my arms, yawning and turning back the way I came when low voices behind me drew my attention.

“I told you to leave me alone,” a familiar voice snarled, followed by the pounding of feet. “I’m not interested.”

“Oh, come on. You can’t run away from facts.”

Curious, I peeked past a bookstand that was the only thing hiding me from sight, to find non-other than Elijah and Valerie arguing.

Well, Elijah was. It looked more like Valerie was in heat, fawning over his broad shoulders with her hands and smiling coyly.

Elijah pushed her hands away. “Don’t touch me.”

Valerie sighed. “Why? Is it because of her?”

Elijah’s head turned my way, and I quickly ducked in behind the stand, my heart loud inside my ears. “No,” he bit out. “It has nothing to do with her. It has everything to do with you. I can’t have a relationship with someone when I know the only thing the person cares about is my status.”

“Oh, come on Eli, you know as well as I that my family, and my status, is great for yours. You need me as much as I need you in that department,” she mused. “Besides, we know how to have fun together.”

“I don’t give a rat’s ass about status. If you knew me at all, you’d know that.”

“Really?” Valerie paused. “You, the future alpha of the tribe, doesn’t give a shit about its people? What do you think your dad will say?”

“I didn’t say I didn’t give a shit about our people,” he snarled. “I just don’t care about you!” Elijah was shouting through clenched teeth.

“So what we had is nothing to you? Valerie sniffed. “You can’t be serious?”

“For a spare moment, I thought you were the real deal. But you’re just like the rest of those girls trying to gain favour with me in hopes to become the future luna. I’m done, Valerie. Now leave me alone. I have a lot to deal with.”

They moved toward where I was hiding. I quickly ducked for the stairs, hoping they didn’t see me in the process.

They stopped. “It is about her? It already started, didn’t it? You’ve imprinted on that new bitch.”

I froze midway down the stairs, straining my ears. My chest heaved from breathlessness, and I had to work hard to steady it so I could hear his response.

“The only bitch I know is you,” he snapped. “And so what if I have? You know no one can control that.”

“Wow, really, just like that?” Valerie sounded exasperated. “You are dumping me for her?”

“Valerie,” he pushed her name out through clenched teeth. “I’ve been trying to get you to leave me the hell alone for months. You know damn well it has nothing to do with her.”

“It’s not what you said last week when I was in your bed.”

My cheeks flushed. Okay, this was the part where I decided I’ve eavesdropped enough and quietly worked my way downstairs. The moment I reached the bottom of the flight, I broke into a run, straight for my room.

***

“What does it mean to imprint?” I asked, taking a bite out of my cold lunch offering from the cafeteria.

Three sets of eyes swiveled in my direction at our lunch table. Nate was the one to speak up first, his one cheek bulging with food as he chewed through words. “You’ve been to the library, haven’t you?”

“Yeah, read something about that,” I lied, the heat on my cheeks expanding. “But I didn’t really have much time to look everything up. There was just so much information.”

“Makes sense. There’s still a lot for you to learn. To answer your question—”

“I wish some hottie would imprint on me,” Celeste sighed wistfully. “It’s every girl’s dream, trust me. If a guy imprints on you, he’d do anything for you and protect you with his life.”

“Unlike the sore losers in this place,” Ariah muttered through bites of pizza. “None of them are imprint-worthy.”

“I can think of a few,” Celeste’s fluttered her sooty lashes. “There’s Adam, Vic, Elijah, Cory—”

“Excuse me, I was talking,” Nate quipped before turning his attention back on me. “To answer your question, it’s an unbreakable bond that forms between two werewolves. It usually happens when two souls are eternally aligned—”

“What Nate is trying to say is you’re destined to be with this person. You’ll find each other in every life you live. Happy, in love,” Ariah explained.

“Ah, the passion!” Celeste winked.

“I think ours got stuck somewhere in the cosmos,” Ariah said.

“Or the afterlife,” Celeste sighed. “Maybe the dumbass hasn’t been born yet.”

I bit down a smile, turning to Nate. “Is it something you can feel when it happens? Does it go both ways?”

He threw an annoyed glance at the other two. “You both feel it. It’s like when two magnets pull to each other. It’s pretty powerful.”

“Kind of when you’re in love?” I tested.

“Yes, times a million. I can’t explain it to give it enough justice, but you will know if you’ve been imprinted. Trust me.”

I bit down on my bottom lip, considering if I should tell them what I overheard from Elijah and Valerie’s conversation. Sure, Elijah was absolutely swoon-worthy, but I didn’t feel the crazy, wild attraction to him that they were talking about. “Maybe it takes time?” I asked.

Nate’s brows shot up. “Time? What are you talking about?”

I shook my head. “I mean, the imprint thing. Does it take time to feel it? Or is it instant the second the two people meet each other?”

“Not sure, really. Could differ with everyone,” he shrugged. “I can’t testify exactly how it feels since I haven’t had it happen to me yet. I wouldn’t mind, though.”

My heart was loud in my ears as I opened my mouth, “See, earlier I overheard—”

“Hello, everyone!” My voice died in my throat as Elijah appeared beside our table,with a short girl with auburn curls, shadowing him. “This is Katie. Another new pup.”

I expelled a breath of relief, my cheeks burning fiercer than the deepest depths of hell. Well, what do you know? I almost made a complete fool of myself.