"Significantly."
We share another laugh, and I realize this is the most I have laughed in months. She pulls it out of me like music from an instrument that forgot it could play.
"Alright." I grab my bag from the back seat. "Let us get to class before we are late on the first day."
She nods, gathering her things. But as she reaches for the door handle, she pauses.
"Wait. You never told me."
"Told you what?"
"Why Cal was actually mad this morning. You said he punched Rafe, but you never explained the whole story."
Right. That.
I glance around the parking lot, scanning for anyone within earshot. Cal is intensely private about his history, and spreading his personal details without consent is not a line I am willing to cross carelessly.
The lot is mostly empty. The few students heading toward the buildings are well out of hearing range.
"Cal does not like this being discussed," I say carefully. "So I need you to keep this between us. At least until he decides to share it himself."
She nods immediately, her expression shifting into genuine seriousness.
"Cal used to be homeless," I say. "His family, I mean. When he was younger. They went from comfortable to having nothing practically overnight. Bad investments, a betrayal by someone they trusted, and suddenly everything was gone. They lived in their car for months."
Mae's mouth falls open.
"No way."
"It is the truth. And it is a big part of why he reacted the way he did this morning. When Rafe made those comments about homelessness and dignity and handouts, it hit a nerve that goes to the bone. Rafe knows about Cal's past, but sometimes he does not think before he speaks."
She is quiet for a moment, processing.
"It is a longer story," I continue. "And honestly, it is his to tell in full if you two become close. But the short version is that he went from rich to poor overnight, and he has never forgotten what that felt like. It is actually why he tutors here."
"Tutors?"
"The university offers a program for students from disadvantaged backgrounds. People who cannot really afford to attend but have gifts or potential that deserve a shot. Cal tutors for a small fraction of what he would normally charge, and the university covers the rest so it is completely free for the students he helps."
I pause, watching the information reshape her perception of Cal in real time.
"He takes it very seriously. Sees it as a way to give back. To make sure other people do not fall through the cracks the way his family almost did."
"That is so admirable," Mae says softly, her voice tinged with genuine respect. "I would never have guessed. He acts so carefree and easygoing. Like the world is just one big joke he is in on."
"That is the mask," I say. "Same as yours. Same as mine. We are all wearing them."
She smiles, but it is bittersweet.
"What about Rafe?" she asks. "Do you actually like him as a friend?"
The question catches me off guard in its directness, but I find I do not want to deflect. Not with her. She has a way of making honesty feel safe.
"I do not know," I admit. "Which probably sounds terrible. He is my packmate. I should feel bonded to him, connected, loyal without question. But whenever I think of Rafe, I just assume I am my brother's replacement. That is all he sees whenhe looks at me. Not Etienne. Not the person I actually am. Just the body that filled the spot Bastien left behind."
The honesty costs more than I expected.
"Maybe one day I will feel like I actually belong in this pack," I add quietly. "But as of now, we are just there. Three Alphas sharing a label without the substance to back it up."
