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Hunter sighed, and I noticed the pleading sideways glance he gave Cody. One of the thousand glances the two exchanged.

In front of all of us, Hunter played the confident, annoyed guy who pretended Cody was getting on his nerves. But just a week ago, when I had returned early from a lecture to the student accommodation, I had seen the two of them in the kitchen.

They had been standing close together, and when I had entered the kitchen to greet them, Hunter had immediately backed away and left the room, snorting. And from then on, I understood.

Maybe the others in the pack didn't want to see it, but I knew there was some strange chemistry between the two of them.

The only problem: the Code didn't tolerate those kinds of things, which was why I hoped I was just imagining it all. As far as I was concerned, they had nothing to fear. I would definitely cover for them in front of Father.

“Those three are like babies,” Emely whispered beside me, and I uncrossed my arms and smiled.

Noah, Cody, and Hunter really couldn't be left alone together because the combination of the three of them was the epitome of a time bomb. It was almost as bad as on campus when the DeLoughreys were around, except that the difference was that I was just playing a role there and would never let things escalate.

People might not believe me, and I would never admit it to anyone, but the DeLoughreys, as dangerous as they were, weren't the people whose necks I wanted to snap.

It was the damn witches.

“Hey, I heard that,” Noah muttered, turning to Emy. “Just you wait.”

He sped forward, starting to chase after her, while my laughing sister tried to hide behind me, but I stepped out of their way with a grin.

“Noah!” Emely eventually cursed and sprinted away, but Noah was faster and grabbed her arm. “Let go of me!”

Emely’s eyes began to glow yellow and the veins began to stand out from under her black sports bra and the waistband of her black sweatpants where they traced the contours of her well-defined abdominal muscles.

“I said...” she began, this time more irritated. And suddenly she threw Noah into the snow, threw herself after him, only to push him into the cool wetness. “Let. Go. Of me!”

She bared her teeth, her gums black, showing that her controlled transformation – something that not many Senseque could restrain, and that distinguished Betas from Deltas – was beginning, and the veins traveled across her face, along her temples.

Noah raised his arms in defense and looked at Emy as if he had the utmost respect for her. And I knew he did.

“All right,” he gasped hoarsely.

Emely's veins receded and the corners of her mouth turned up in satisfaction before she rose from him.

Cody and Hunter exchanged amused glances with me.

“You're cocky and arrogant,” Emely sighed, holding out her hand to Noah. “And Cody's right. Full-body workout, Noah.”

Noah let himself be pulled up, and Emely pulled her ponytail tighter before turning away from him, shaking her head.

“Your sister is a smartass,” Noah said to me.

I just laughed quietly, because here, in front of my close circle of friends, I luckily didn’t have to be quite so extroverted, even if that, sometimes, irritated Noah. I noticed that.

“I have to get going anyway,” said Emely, who walked past me and patted me on the shoulder. “Have fun with puppy training.”

All of us except Noah had to grin.

“Hey!” he groused, throwing his hands in the air. “I want revenge!”

“Maybe another time!” Emy shouted, disappearing toward the house. “I have to study.”

“Nerd!” Noah shouted, as if it were part of a melody.

“Shut up,” Emely replied melodically, without turning around.

With a graceful movement, she skipped up the three stone steps of the terrace before she disappeared into the house.