Chapter Thirty-One
We all stepped out of the elevator and made our way to the front desk. The girls decided I couldn’t go downstairs alone, and since we were already there, after this shit show of a conversation, we could go out to eat.
“Jora.” I smiled and gave him a small wave. “How’s your family?”
He smiled wide and pulled out a card, handing it to me. “This is from the twins. They wanted to thank you personally for their birthday gift.
I smiled as I took the card, pulling it back as someone tried to snatch it out of my hand. “Who gives a fuck about this card?” Nina’s snarl frayed the last thread I had in my control. But I slipped the card back to one of the girls, keeping it safe.
“What I do with my card has nothing to do with you. And it’s mine, so I care.” I lifted my brow and tilted my head. “Why do you care so much is the actual question?”
She bared her teeth at me but I stayed calm on the outside. But I could feel my anger rising. She kept pushing my limit and eventually I would snap. “You kept me waiting.”
“And?” I crossed my arms. “We are not friends. I have zero obligation to even come down here to meet you. And you do not live here, so you are not allowed up unless given permission by a resident.” I gestured to the lobby and then to Jora. “Jora, does she have permission to enter the building?”
“No Amy. I explained that to her, but she tried to command me to let her up.” I threw back my head and laughed.
“Are you stupid?” I turned back to Nina. “First, you have no right to command anyone that works at the school. Even people with lower rank, because the staff are all from the king’s pack.” I shook my head. “Second, did you really think the king would have Gammas manning the door to his personal home when he is here, that they'd be easy to command and let just the riffraff through? He probably commanded them to follow the strict rules he put in place to protect himself from she-wolves just like you.” Jora snorted and Nina growled.
A few girls laughed, but then someone cleared their throat. “Hey Amy. I came to see if you were okay.”
I turned to face Brandon, and surprisingly, there was no mourning howl from inside of me. “Hello.” I felt my face scrunch up in confusion. “Doing okay? About what?”
“Well, with everything that happened…” He trailed off.
“What do you mean?” I played dumb, but Nina scoffed.
“Your sister told us everything.” She spat as I turned to her in confusion.
“I don’t have a sister.”
“I think she means Shannon,” Brandon offered.
“Oh, how is your girlfriend?” I offered a tight-lipped smile. “I honestly haven’t seen her around. Mainly because I’m in a different program. I live here, and I avoid her at all costs.” Hanna choked on something and Micca patted her back.
“She isn’t my girlfriend.”
“Oh no, you broke up. I’m sorry.” I patted his shoulder as I moved past. “Now, if that is everything you two needed, we are heading to dinner.”
“Can I come?” Brandon’s question was needy, but it was Nina’s words that had me pausing mid step.
“Rowan is choosing his mate, and it will not be you.” The smile in her voice was annoying, but I turned around with a blank face.
“What are you talking about?” Usually this is where Nix would run to the surface, but all that was there was a soft hollow wind whipping through my mind. Leaving me more desolated than Nina’s words ever could. Men were just men, but my wolves were choosing to sulk about their men instead of working with me to stay strong, to find a path that we chose to walk. When I came back, I swore off men and they were with me, but now, now I was alone.
“The king is announcing that he is accepting applications for a mate. The council and he will go through all the choices and then he will pursue them.”
“Okay…” I twirled my hand, asking her to get to the point.
“He will select his mate from the pool of women that enter.” Nina rolled her eyes.
“Get to the point you are so desperately trying to get to.” I looked at my phone screen. “I get it, you’re trying to break me with your words, yadda yadda, but can we speed this up? I’m hungry.”
Nina stomped her foot. “The council has already made the decision that your application won’t find its way into the pool of names.” She smirked and wiggled her shoulders.
I laughed. “That’s your big play?” I walked closer to her and patted her head. “Sweet Nina. You act as if I don’t have the king’s email from class. If I wanted to…well,” I smiled. “I could just send him my application directly.”
Nina snarled, and I laughed. Actually, that gave me an idea. I turned back to the ladies and smiled. “Nina just gave me an amazing idea.”
