"Then that's all that matters. And I'm here for you." Her grin returns.
I hug her even though I’m not a hugger. "Thank you."
"Now go, before they smell you and come looking."
The dining hall is half-full when I arrive. I help myself to my usual tea and toast, morning light streaming through tall windows.
The door opens.
Tyler walks in, scanning the room. His gaze finds me, and he starts over immediately. Then he stops, mid-stride, understanding crossing his face.
He knows.
Crossing the rest of the distance, he slides into the seat across from me. "Elowen." His eyes search mine, but he’s still the same Tyler he was yesterday.
"Hi." I hide behind my tea taking the cowardly way out. For now.
"Calder?" Gentle. No accusation.
I nod.
His smile is genuine. "Good." He reaches across the table, tucks hair behind my ear. "I'm not going to lie. I wish it had been me. But whatever Calder did, it was right for you."
The door opens again.
Calder enters. Even from across the room, the moment he catches my scent is visible; his gray eyes sharpen, find me immediately, then shift to Tyler.
Tension ripples through his shoulders for half a second.
Then Tyler turns, meets his eyes, smiles, and Calder's tension dissolves. He crosses to our table and sits down.
Calder's gaze shifts to me, intense. "You told him."
"He could smell it." I glance around the dining hall. Some people look away; others are studying their phones while they eat. It’s just a regular day at Elderwood Academy.
For everyone else.
For me, it feels like stepping onto the yellow brick road, excited about what I’ll find at the other end.
"Are you worried aboutJulian?" Calder asks.
"A little."
"He'll understand." Calder pauses. "We talked. During your heat. We agreed we wouldn't compete."
"You discussed it?" I blink the words into focus, my gaze hopping between the two of them.
"We agreed to support your choice. Whichever one of us you chose first." His thumb brushes across my knuckles. "We're not rivals. We're building something together. With you."
“Even if you chose one of us, period,” Tyler adds. “We’ll respect that.”
My throat tightens again. "Thank you." It’s all I can manage. I feel like a walking talking ball of emotions right now.
"Julian will be here soon,” Tyler says. “He had early library hours."
"How do you know that?"
Before he can respond, the door opens again.
