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“Right. So…” Blaire swallowed, her throat suddenly tight. “What does that mean for me?”

Lines formed between Aiden’s brows. “Nothing. What do you mean?”

“I’m not going to be…” Blaire looked around nervously.

“Oh, gods no!” Riley exclaimed. “I told you we wouldn’t hurt you. And the rest of the students here have access to enough blood”—she held up her bag—“to not need another source.”

Blaire looked down. She needed to know, but the question came out in a strangled whisper. “Whose blood is that?”

The group exchanged wary looks among themselves before Kai put his foot on the floor, sitting forward and resting his elbows on his knees, locking his gaze on Blaire, his face turning serious. “We do not attack or feed directly on humans. Not only is it forbidden, but it’s also not necessary to our survival, thanks to generous donations.”

“Donations?” Blaire asked flatly.

“From what I understand, our administration has connections with blood banks, hospitals, and such, across the Southeast that keep our academy and its branch locations supplied with clean blood.”

Blaire stared blankly. Her mouth opened and closed several times before she could form words. “They just… give it to you?”

“Money makes the world go round, Blaire. Between Vasirian on staff, and the exchange of funds to support these clinics and hospitals, it becomes a mutually beneficial transaction,” Kai said with a dismissive wave of his hand.

That certainly cleared things up, but a lot still bugged her about the whole situation, and she wasn’t sure how to approach the topic without upsetting them. They took this stuff seriously, and if she expressed the desire not to bond with Lukas, they might be angry.

Blaire took a deep breath.

“Is the bonding absolutely required? I mean, I received a booklet that detailed the expectations like sharing a room together and… blood.” She shuddered, and Aiden frowned. “I just couldn’t read anymore after I hit the section on reproducing, so I’m not sure what else there is, and if it’s really mandatory.”

Mera frowned. “Bonding with your Korrena isn’t exactly required, no, but it’s something we find ourselves desiring, so it’s never been an issue of whether it’s a necessity. That said, if you were brought to Blackthorn because you’re Lukas’s Korrena, then it’s likely you’ll need to follow through with bonding with him if you intend to stay here.”

Blaire narrowed her eyes and shook her head. She did not like the idea of being forced into anything, especially into something that reshaped the rest of her life. She’s spent the last several months trying to get away from that very thing. She didn’t want to be like her mother. She loved her, but Blaire watched her walk away from a comfortable life of just the two of them to step into a gilded cage for a man.

Blaire pushed her tray forward, resting her elbows on the table, and put her head in her hands. “I don’t think I can do that…” Looking up at Mera, she sighed, her expression tightening. “I don’t think I can stay. I know I have a contract, but the idea of being bound against my will…” Her eyes grew hot, and she closed them in an effort to hide.

Blaire had never felt comfortable taking her stepfather’s charity without earning it. It was why she insisted he allow her to work at the diner. She couldn’t be like her mother and give up her independence to tie herself to a man in a world that wasn’t like her own, where strict rules governed her every move. This situation sounded like the same thing. Felt like the same thing. To accept it would make the last several months of planning a waste.

She couldn’t get comfortable with the idea that, because a silly mark may have appeared, they expected her to fall in line. Being out of the reach of Caleb and his family was a benefit she couldn’t overlook. Professor Velastra promised her safety from them as long as she attended Blackthorn.

Riley frowned. “No one is forcing you… you don’t have to be with Lukas. You don’t have to stay here, really. I’m sure there’s a way out of the contract, but it’s not like that. No one is forced into anything. I mean, if it helps… I’d like you to stay.”

Blaire looked at Riley. The girl barely knew her, but she had been so warm and welcoming. Comfort in the middle of all the chaos.

“Being bonded with a pair isn’t imprisonment. It is freeing,” Mera said, setting a bottle of water on the table. “Once you join together with your pair, you will feel a lightness within. They share everything with you and you’re not alone. I can’t comprehend how someone would reject that. I know you don’t understand it but give it time before you reject this. Take the opportunity to learn our kind, what a Korrena bond really is, before you make a rash decision.”

“I just don’t want to be bonded to some jerk who was forced into being my roommate.”

“Jerk?” Mera looked at Blaire, puzzled. “Lukas is rough around the edges, but I’d hardly call him a jerk…” She looked at Kai, and he nodded agreement.

Aiden laughed, then stopped short as he looked up, a strange look crossing his face. He shook his head, returning his attention to Blaire, narrowing his eyes as he focused on her with a serious expression.

“Listen… did you really call Lukas a monster?” Aiden held her gaze. His expression said he wasn’t happy.

Kai stiffened in his seat, visibly upset as Mera hung her head and Riley’s face held a deep hurt.

Blaire conceded she’d messed up big time, and there wasn’t a lot she could say to take it back, but she could be honest. “I… Yes, I did. I’m so sorry. I said it in anger.” She bit down on her thumbnail as she glanced around the table. “I don’t think you all are monsters—I mean, I did, but not anymore. The way Lukas acted just really pissed me off, and when he told me to leave, I lashed out. That was the first thing that came to mind in the heat of the moment.” She looked down at her tray and whispered again, “I’m sorry…”

Riley sighed. “It’s okay… it’s just hard to hear.”

Kai waved a hand dismissively. “While it does sting to hear the old stigma is still out there, I cannot blame you for thinking we’re monsters, considering how the media portrays supernatural beings. Preying on humans and turning them or killing them at will.”

Blaire shuddered.