"You bought noodles?" I grin.
"Obviously. I want gossip." She pushes past me into my room, setting the food on my desk. "Come on. I went to the good Thai place. The one with the spring rolls you like."
We settle on my bed, food spread between us, and I tell her about Millbrook. About Catherine's warmth and Thomas's bookshop and Maya asking omega questions with such hope in her eyes.
"Wait," I interrupt. "How did your date with Mateo go?” She’d mentioned a coffee date with the alpha from her chemistry class, and I’d forgotten about it with everything else going on.
Lila scrunches her nose. "It was... fine? He's really nice. Like, genuinely sweet. Held the door open for me, asked questions, listened when I talked. Perfect gentleman."
"But?"
"But no spark. Zero. We talked about chemistry homework and campus, and it was pleasant but..." She shrugs. "I spent the whole time thinking about how I'd rather be studying. That's probably a bad sign, right?"
"The worst. Worse than washing your hair and waiting for it to dry."
"He texted to arrange a second date. Dinner this time." She picks at her spring roll. "I don't know. Should I give it another chance? Maybe I'm being too picky. He's nice, he's respectful, we get along?—"
"Do you want to go out with him again?"
She's quiet for a moment. "No. Not really. I keep trying to talk myself into it because he checks all the boxes, but..."
"But chemistry isn't a checklist."
"Exactly!" She throws her hands up, full dramatic flair now. "I mean, where is my fated mate? Or is that all just romance novel nonsense? Because I am ready. Ready for some alpha to look at me and just know, you know? But instead I get nice boys who bore me to tears over coffee." She flops back on my bed.
I'm trying not to laugh. "Lila?—"
"No, I'm serious. My mom met my dad and she knew in five seconds. Five! It helped that he was exactly what she was looking for of course. But here I am giving perfectly nice alphas multiple chances and feeling nothing." She sits back up, passion in her eyes. "I want what you have. That certainty. That this-is-my-person feeling. Is that too much to ask? Or am I just numb?"
"It's not too much to ask, and you’re absolutely not numb." I lean closer and pinch her thigh, and she squeals.
"Thank you." She takes a breath. "Okay. I'm done being dramatic. I'm going to let Mateo down gently. Better than dragging it out when I already know it's not going anywhere."
"That's fair."
She hugs me tight as she’s leaving. "Now go charm Julian's family. And then come back and tell me everything so I can live vicariously through your perfect pack life."
"It's not perfect?—"
"It's pretty damn close." She slants her eyes at me. “Threealphas and none of them has a brother you could introduce me to. Just plain selfish if you ask me.”
32
ELOWEN
The campus mailroom smells like paper and old wood.
I'm checking my box out of habit more than expectation; Tuesday afternoon, nothing usually arrives mid-week. But there's something there. A cream-colored envelope, thick cardstock that feels expensive even through the metal grate.
I pull it out, noting the embossed crest in subtle gold. Ashford family seal.
My stomach drops.
The student worker behind the counter notices. "That looks fancy. Someone getting married?"
"Something like that," I manage, clutching the envelope against my chest.
I make it to the library before I let myself really look at it. My pack is at our usual table on the second floor, quiet corner, away from most foot traffic. Calder, Tyler, and Julian are spread out with textbooks and notes.
