The stalking. It’s like deja vu.
Oh shit.
These two are both Arlowe’s mates. I mean, I’d already figured the big guy was, but I never met Lucas before.
“Thanks, Lucas.” Mira turns to me and nods toward the building behind us with wide eyes, encouraging me to turn around and walk with her inside.
“What the hell is happening?” I hiss when we’re right in front of the double doors.
She pushes them open and says, “Let’s find out.”
All the lights are on, yet the interior of the building is darker than usual. The dull wooden floor audibly pops in certain places as we walk through the inner entry, a second doorway that leads to the main room. As soon as we pass through, an oppressive weight settles on my chest, making it difficult to take in air.
“This is insane,” Mira breathes before crossing her arms over her chest, he expression on her face a mix of concern and frustration.
I follow her gaze across the room and up the opened bleachers where shadowy swirls of purple encase the broodiest Arlowe I’ve ever seen, and I’ve known her for more than a decade.
“Lowe!” I shout without missing a step, closing the distance between us, climbing the bleachers like stairs as fast as my legs will carry me.
Pain seeps into my pores the closer I get to my friend. Emotional pain. Utter and complete devastation so strong the weight on my chest is like this whole building was dropped on me.
I can just see her face beyond the shadows, her deep purple eyes match the swirling power, but they glisten with tears, the whites reddened. When I kneel on the bleacher seat below her, Mira is beside me, and Arlowe’s shadows subside a bit.
“We’re really worried about you, Arlowe.” Mira’s voice is calm, soothing, her expression pinched as she looks up at our friend.
Arlowe sniffs, wipes her eyes with the palms of her hands, then slaps them on her knees. “Sorry,” she mumbles, gaze cast downward.
I shake my head from side to side, carefully place my hand on top of hers. “Don’t apologize. Talk to us.”
She blinks and fresh tears flow. Her voice is just above a whisper. “I have mates.”
Mira’s head tilts and she says slowly, “We saw them outside.”
The tears fall faster down her cheeks. “You don’t understand.” Her voice nearly cracks. “There are three.”
“Three?”
“Here at the academy!”
Three of her mates are here at the academy? And two of them apparently want to know her, given the following and hovering. She should be happy...
Mira blinks, looking confused, when realization zaps me in the ass like my electric power, and I choke on a name.“Kiyoshi…”
Mira jolts at the mention of her mate’s brother. The one Lowe had always had a crush on. The one who was auctioned off to war years back.
Her feelings were more than a crush.
She never told me. She never said a word!
Kiyoshi Sato was her mate.
And now that she has three mates here, she thinks...
“Wait,” Mira says, catching on immediately. “That doesn’t mean anything. You’ve seen the real histories. There have been plenty of packs that contained more than four members.”
Lowe huffs bitterly, head shaking. “You’ve seen the real histories, too, Mi. It’s extremely rare today for there to be more than four in a pack. Cursed populations are too low.” Her fists clench tight, knuckles going white. “What chance do I have to be lucky—orunlucky—enough to have four mates?”
“But there is a chance,” I chime in, imploring. “Lowe, there’s a chance. Please don’t write Kiyoshi off. Especially not now, when the rebellion is making moves.”
