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Blaire thumped her forehead against her knees.

She wished she had more information to prepare for this. Maybe if she stayed conscious, she’d know more, but no, passing out ruined everything. She sighed and shook her head, looking back up at Riley. “No… I wasn’t told who that was.”

“What have you been told exactly?” Aiden raised an eyebrow at her.

“Um… I know you’re not human, and this school is actually a school for your kind.” She frowned, hugging her legs close again. “Oh… and Professor Velastra told me about the Korrena. That it’s something like a soulmate.”

Aiden chuckled. “That’s… one way to describe it, sure.”

Lukas cut a sharp look at Aiden, glaring at him, before returning his attention to Blaire. Despite the fact he gave her no way inside his shell, he stayed hyper-focused on her every move and sound.

“She told me one of the students had seen their mark on me, but I haven’t seen any weird markings anywhere.” She lifted her arms and looked about, inspecting herself for the offending mark, causing Aiden to chuckle and Lukas to roll his eyes.

“So, like, yeah, Lukas is your Korrena. Aaaand, he’s also your roommate.”

The air grew tense again.

Roommate? Blaire had to share a room with a guy? No, not just a guy; a supernatural being whom they all believed to be her soulmate—whom she knew nothing about—and who could potentially suck all the blood from her body the first time alone together. She didn’t put it past the guy with the way he stared at her like she was something to eat, with a dash of hatred for the seasoning. Nope, she wasn’t on board with that. She shook her head in denial.

“See, all Korrena pairs share rooms because it can get difficult to not be together,” Riley said, when Blaire didn’t say anything.

Doubting this could get much weirder, Blaire lowered her legs to sit cross-legged on the bed, resting her hands in her lap. “That doesn’t make any sense. Do we really have to share a room?” She glanced at Lukas, not wanting to offend the guy, but needing to know if she could get out of this predicament.

“Yeah, it’s kind of part of the package when you meet your Korrena,” Aiden said.

Blaire tensed, her shoulders drawing up tight, and she wrapped her arms around her stomach. Lukas shifted on the bed as if to come over to her, but he cursed under his breath and sat back, clenching his jaw instead. She thought the reaction strange.

Aiden looked over at him and sighed.

“Hey!” Riley exclaimed, bringing the focus back to her. “It’s going to be totally fine. I’ll come visit and hang out with you all the time if you want. Because honestly, Lukas is boring as hell, so he probably won’t be much fun as a roommate.”

Aiden laughed and played it off by running a hand over his mouth when Lukas glared at him.

“What? It’s true!” Riley said with a pout. She was certainly funny, and her ease with all three of them helped Blaire relax despite the chaotic mess of her situation.

“Why can’t I share a room with another girl?” Blaire said quietly, broaching the subject as delicately as she could. Sharing a bedroom and a bathroom with a guy violated every rule of conduct she’d been raised with. This wasn’t the normal in the world she came from. The adults here condoned this? Encouraged it?

Aiden said, “Until we find our Korrena, we either have our own private rooms or share with the same sex, sure. It’s just… like Riley said, it can be difficult not being together with your Korrena.”

“I don’t understand…”

Aiden rubbed the back of his neck. “We’re taught that once we find our pair, being physically away from them can sometimes cause distress emotionally, and physically wear on us. Putting us in the same room with our pair soothes those feelings and allows the pair bond to grow without additional stressors.”

Blaire didn’t entirely understand. Maybe the guidebook would give her insight, or the professor could help her later.

Aiden stood from the bed. “We should get going. Let Blaire settle in and get her things sorted.”

Blaire looked up at him in confusion. “How do you know my name?”

He rubbed the back of his neck. “Professor Velastra told us when she brought you in unconscious earlier.”

“Why can’t we stay longer?” Riley flopped onto her back and whined. “I can help her unpack and stuff.”

Aiden raked a hand through his hair again in frustration. “If you get off your ass and come with me, I’ll buy you that jacket you’ve been wanting.”

Riley squealed, and jumped from the bed, startling Blaire. She rushed out of the room without even saying goodbye. Blaire ached for the only nice girl she’d met to stay, even for the illusion of security.

Aiden laughed before turning to Blaire. “It was nice to finally meet you, officially.”