I move from the bedroom to the living area, and another knock confirms there’s someone outside my suite.
My heart races at the thought of Falcon coming back.
I pick up my pace, moving quickly toward the door.
One last inhale before I open it, and I’m left sighing out my disappointment on sight of Lana standing in the corridor, alone.
“Hi Robin, I’m sorry to disturb you. I just wanted to check in with you now that Mr. Falcone has left the building.”
I nod slowly, trying to smile for my guardian.
“Oh,” I murmur. “Um, what did you need to know?”
“I know this is an unusual situation,” she starts, glancing around. “Would you mind if I came in? Or you could accompany me to my office, if you’d prefer? I have a few … sensitive questions I need to ask.”
“Um, sure,” I reply, stepping back to invite her inside.
She moves forward and closes the door behind her.
“Thanks. This should only take a few minutes.” Her smile tightens for a second, and then she clears her throat. “Mr. Falcone seems certain that you’re meant to be mated to him and his pack. I need to make sure he didn’t pressure you into anything you didn’t want to do.”
I blink at her, realizing what she means when her gaze drops to my throat.
“Oh. No. He didn’t. There was no pressure, at all.”
She looks at me carefully. “I know he took you off site for a while, when you found that security breach in the fence.”
Oh my God. She knows about that?
How could she know?
How much does she know?
My skin burns, as I stare back at her. “We … I wanted to walk in the forest. He did too. He didn’t pressure me into … anything.”
She’s quiet for a few minutes while I wonder if she knows what we did.
I must have been crazy to think we could escape the security of the academy, even if it was just for a little while. She has so many guards. One of them must have been following us.
“Okay,” she says. “I just had to be sure. You don’t have to rush into anything with him, or his pack. If it’s right, he’ll wait for you to be ready. For as long as it takes.”
“What if … I mean, if I want to spend time with him in my suite, is that allowed?”
It feels like a strange question, almost as if I’m asking for permission to sleep with him, but this place I’m living in is under Lana’s supervision and I don’t want to break any of her rules while I’m here.
She takes in a deep breath and pauses for a second before she responds.
It’s enough to let me know she’s not happy, even if she might not give me an outright no.
“If you want to spend time alone with any of them, that’s up to you, Robin. I’d prefer it if you’d consider spending any initial visits in the gardens and cafeteria. I want to make sure …” she trails off and sighs before she goes on, “My guards will be on hand if you decide to cut a visit short. And if you do decide to bring them up here, I’d like to make sure you have a cell phone so you can make a quick call if you need to.”
“I’ve never had a cell phone before,” I admit. “I wouldn’t know how to use it.”
“I’ll show you, or Erika can show you. I’ll let you know when it arrives. If you could keep your visits to prearranged places that are under guard until then, I’d appreciate it.”
“Of course. Um, so, can I see Shayne tomorrow night?”
This time, she presses her lips together before she answers me. “I have a security breach to deal with before I can allow any onsite visits. I’ll let you know tomorrow if you can have him visit.”
