"I didn't take anyone."
"Then why was he in your dorm?" Her voice drops to a hiss and I see it now - her pupils dilating, her breathing getting shallow, the muscles in her jaw tightening as she fights for control. Her wolf is right there beneath her skin, wanting out, wanting to tear into me for touching what she considers hers.
"That's between him and me."
Wrong answer. Her hand moves fast and for a second I think she's going to hit me again, but she stops herself. Her fingers tremble with the effort and I catch the edge of a snarl before she pulls it back.
"You're making a mistake," she says, and her voice is shaking now, the careful control slipping. Her hands clench into fists at her sides and I can see her fighting it - the wolf pushing against her human skin, demanding she defend her territory. "I don't know what you are or what game you're playing, but Caspian belongs with his own kind. Not some pack less nobody who doesn't even know basic hierarchy."
"Maybe you should take that up with Caspian."
Her chest is heaving like she's been running. A low sound rumbles in her throat, not quite a growl but close, and her canines catch the light for just a second before she pulls herself back.
"Stay away from him," she finally manages through clenched teeth. "This is your last warning."
She turns and walks into the dining hall, her friends materializing around her like bodyguards. I watch her go and try to calm my racing heart.
I take a breath and follow her inside.
The whispers get louder the moment I enter. I keep my eyes down and head for the food line, hyper-aware of every gazetracking my movement. Someone at a nearby table is watching a video on their phone and I catch a glimpse of the screen before they tilt it away.
Footage of Caspian descending the wall of my building last night. Someone filmed him climbing down in the darkness.
Of course they did.
I fill my plate with food I'm not sure I can eat and turn to find a seat. The far corner table is empty and I'm heading for it when I feel him.
Caspian.
I look up and find him at the Dominion table, surrounded by his usual group. His eyes are already on me and when our gazes meet, the corner of his mouth lifts in a small smirk. He remembers. Remembers every second of that night, what his hands felt like, what I sounded like when I came.
Heat creeps up my neck but I don't look away.
Someone at his table says something and he responds without breaking eye contact with me. Then he stands, picks up his tray, and walks across the dining hall.
The whispers stop entirely.
Caspian Jett doesn't leave the Dominion table during meals. He doesn't sit with random students. He definitely doesn't cross the room in front of everyone to sit with the pack less new girl.
But he does it anyway.
He sets his tray down across from me and drops into the chair like he owns it. "Morning."
I stare at him. "What are you doing?"
"Having breakfast." He takes a bite of toast. "Sleep well?"
"Caspian, everyone is watching."
"I know." He glances around the room, taking his time, making sure everyone sees him seeing them. "Let them."
"You can't just..."
"Can't what? Sit with you?" His eyes find mine again. "I think I just did."
"Sera's going to kill me."
"Sera doesn't get a say in who I sit with." He says it loud enough that it carries to nearby tables. Making a point. Claiming territory in the most public way possible.
