He looked tired— there were bags under his amber eyes, like he hadn’t gotten enough sleep the night before. Still, he seemed cheerful. There was a beautiful grin on his face. I loved his smile. It was crisp and white. It lifted me up and made me feel everything good about the world. He was the most gorgeous guy I’d ever seen.
I really wanted to see him change— see what he looked like as a wolf. I bet he was gorgeous to observe. I wondered what color his coat would be.
The guy laughed, and lifted his hand to wave his fingers. Purple sparks and smoke flashed out of his hand. It was incredible to witness. I briefly noticed something change in his gaze.
That’s so weird. He did magic… and his amber eyes flashed violet. Just like the color of the spell.
He was talking to a curly-headed girl. When he cast the spell, she laughed, and a flash of intense jealousy rose up in me. It was hard to keep down. I wanted to walk over and punch that girl in the face for looking at him, though I didn’t have any reason.
As fast as it came, it was gone. I was left standing there, shocked. Why was I jealous of that girl talking to some rando guy? I didn’t know him. I didn’t even know his name.
Odette caught me staring. “I’d suggest looking the other way,” she hushed under her breath. “He’s taken.”
“I wasn’t looking,” I said, feigning ignorance.
She laughed. “Liar.That’sEthan Nowak,” she told me.
My heart dropped. “He bonded withher?” I stared at the girl. Ethan told another joke, and she laughed again. I had no good reason, but I already hated her.
“No.” Odette shook her head. “He hasn’t bonded with anyone.”
A bit of hope rose in my chest, but I pushed it down. I was here to get an education, not find a man. “How can he be taken if he hasn’t bonded?” I said, confused.
“Well,” Odette said, flustered. “He’s been here for three years, almost, and he hasn’t found his mate yet. It’s assumed he’s never going to. He’s supposed to find a bride before he participates in the King’s Contest this December, and since he can’t find a mate, Chastity is probably going to be his first choice. They’ve been on and off forever, and she’s a wolven, like him. She’s the girl he’s talking to.”
Ethan’s eyes connected with mine. When they did, time seemed to stop. Everyone— and I meaneveryone— in the square disappeared. Odette was no longer by my side. It was just me and him. My breath hitched in my throat and caught, and my heart literally ceased beating. A deep shiver started at the top of my head and flowed throughout my entire body. The way he was looking at me, so intensely… I felt as if I could sink into those amber eyes and fall forever.
Ethan seemed confused. He stared at me with a blank look, his mouth slightly hanging open.
Then he did the most awful thing. He turned away. The effect was equal to feeling a knife slide into my chest. It hurt. Badly. I never wanted him to turn his back on me ever again.
In response, I faced away from him and headed the other way, in the direction of the entrance to the school.
“What’s the King’s Contest?” I asked, as a way to get my mind off of Ethan. For some reason, when he looked at me… I don’t know. Everything about Arcanea University changed.
“It’s the way the Arcanea determine who’s going to be king,” Odette explained. “Whoever wins gets the crown, but participants have to be bonded or engaged to enter. Prince Ethan just declared his intent to enter.”
“He’s afreaking prince, too?” Could this guy get anymore perfect?
“Yes. He’s part of the Malovian monarchy. If Ethan wants to participate in the Contest this December, he’ll have to hurry up and find a girl.”
“Oh.” The word came out in a tiny rush of breath. It sounded small and quiet.
“Well, even if you did want to be with him, you’d have to get in line. Every wolven girl this side of Malovia is desperately in love with him. The ones who aren’t are still after him, because they want to be queen,” Odette said.
I put the prince out of my mind. He was out of bounds. Off-limits. I was new here. I didn’t know anything about the monarchy. He was way out of my league. Ethan was a walking target, and I was no queen.
Odette was right. Best to stay away.
We finally left the ballroom, and Odette hooked her arm in mine. “Now, who wants crab legs? I’m starved!”
Chapter Seven
Ethan
My mate had arrived at the school. I could feel it. She was here somewhere, among the new arrivals.
It was driving me crazy. I was sure I’d go mad with the want. I didn’t know what having a mate would feel like before, but now that she was close, everything was different. My entire life, my whole existence— it all centered around her.
