"Oui, just let Rafe know the verdict, merci." He ends the call and slides the device into his pocket before turning to face his younger brother with an expression that can only be described as serenely unbothered. "I did not do anything except notify the administration of an existing error. The system locked you out. I simply explained why."
Rafe's jaw clenches so hard I can hear his teeth grind.
"You piece of..."
Another knock at the door interrupts his building explosion.
This knock is different. Professional. Three measured raps that carry the cadence of official business rather than personal grievance.
Cal, who never quite made it back to his bacon, opens the door again.
Miss Phillips stands in the hallway, her expression warm but professional, a folder of paperwork tucked under one arm and a new keycard visible in her hand. Her dark hair is pulled back in its usual sleek ponytail, and her eyes take in the tense tableau of the apartment with the practiced assessment of someone who has seen Alpha posturing before and finds it mildly exhausting.
"Good morning," she says, stepping inside with the confidence of a woman who knows her presence supersedes whatever drama was unfolding. "I apologize for the early visit, but I wanted to handle this personally rather than sending it through the usual channels."
She turns to Rafe, extending the keycard.
"Mr. Beaumont, your housing assignment has been corrected. You have been temporarily reassigned to the unit next door while we sort out permanent arrangements. Same floor, same building, different apartment number. This keycard will give you access."
Rafe stares at the keycard like it is a personal insult.
"Next door," he repeats flatly. "You are moving me next door."
"Temporarily," Miss Phillips emphasizes. "The permanent resolution will depend on several factors, including pack status confirmations and student preferences."
The irony is not lost on me.
Rafe is being removed from my immediate space, evicted from the apartment he has been treating like his personal kingdom since I arrived. But he will still be literally on the other side of the wall. Close enough to hear through the thindorm construction. Close enough that his scent will probably drift through the vents. Close enough to be a constant, irritating presence without having the authority to actually be present.
The universe has a sense of humor, and it is petty.
Miss Phillips turns to me, her expression softening.
"Miss Rose, I also wanted to check in with you. This arrangement," she gestures to the apartment at large, "is still considered temporary while we process your housing request. If the current situation works for you, we can formalize it. If you would still prefer a different assignment, we can discuss options in two weeks. Just keep me posted on your preference."
I nod, acutely aware of every set of eyes in the room shifting toward me.
"I understand. I will let you know."
Miss Phillips smiles, gathers her folder, and excuses herself with the professional efficiency of someone who has a hundred other tasks to complete before noon.
The door closes behind her.
The silence that follows is approximately three seconds long.
"Are you fucking kidding me?"
Rafe's voice explodes through the apartment, making Cal wince and Etienne stiffen.
"I lose one fucking race and suddenly I am getting kicked out of the place I was in first? For what? For some Omega who showed up two days ago and decided to make my life difficult?"
He gestures at me with the hand still clutching the keycard, his gray eyes blazing with an anger that feels disproportionate to the situation.
"This is bullshit. Complete and total bullshit. I have been in this apartment for three years. Three fucking years. And now I am being shuffled next door because the administration found a clerical error that conveniently benefits the new girl?"
Etienne rises from the couch.
"Rafe, calm down. This is not..."
