AllFreeNovel
Share Us
That trust gives me strength.
It also makes me vulnerable to being betrayed, but that’s the tightrope we all have to walk, shifter, human, or anything else.
Every good thing has a dark side. And vice versa.
Thirty minutes later, once Natalie returns and drives me to my new digs, my dark side allows me to take the temperature of my new living situation quickly. The jaded thing inside me studies every curious face and hopeful smile on the way up to my third-floor room—in a building that looks more like a park toilet from the 1960s than the gothic palace reserved for the wolves—and quickly realizes we have nothing to fear here.
These people mean me no harm. They want to welcome me, to assure me that I’m safe here, and to offer me their friendship, if I’m willing to accept it.
And suddenly, I decide that I am.
I not only need allies to survive; Iwantto expand my circle of trust to include these fragile, anxious people who clearly know what it’s like to be vulnerable. But they aren’t letting that stop them from reaching out and offering their fellow rejects kindness and support, which is an act of bravery bigger than anything most wolves will ever know.
“Here we are,” Natalie says, smiling at me over her shoulder. “Room 315. Since you’re the last new student to check in, you’re in a triple instead of a double, but one of your roommates is a special case and won’t take up much room.”
“A special case?” I ask, just as a girl with dark brown skin and corkscrew curls pops out the open door and says, “She’s an owl!” making Natalie and I both flinch.
“Sorry,” the girl says with a laugh. “I was so excited to meet you that I was lurking by the door.” She thrusts her hand out toward me. “I’m Layla. Incoming freshman. I hail from Georgia originally, but I’ve lived all over, and I spend my furry time enjoying everything the black bear life has to offer. But I’m a big old teddy, so you don’t have to be nervous if you’re a smaller furry. I’m not the bullying kind.”
“I can tell.” A genuine smile curves my lips—I like this girl already—as I take her hand. “Juliet. From Alaska. Phoenix shifter. Also, not a bully.”
Her eyes widen as she releases my fingers. “A phoenix? Wow, that’s so cool. I’ve never met a phoenix before. Can’t wait to see what you can do.”
I huff out a laugh. “You and me, both. I’ve never shifted.” I motion toward my wrist. “Implant. So, I’m going to be jumping into a lot of new things in the next few weeks.”
Her expression sobers, proving she’s no dummy. “That’s a lot for sure. Well, just know you can count on me for whatever. You missed the first dorm meeting last night, but basically, we all decided to help each other in whatever way we can.” She glances between Natalie and me as she adds, “We’re determined to get every Variant in this dorm through the trials and prove we have just as much to offer Lost Moon as the wolves and the cats.”
Natalie beams. “I love that. And I fully support you. I think we’re going to have a really special orientation this year.” She nods toward the room as she asks, “Have the things I had my office send over for Juliet arrived?”
Layla nods. “Yeah! About an hour ago. I went ahead and made your bed and stuff. I hope that’s okay. I just wanted you to be able to relax and settle in right away, since the festivities start tomorrow.”
“That’s great, thank you, I appreciate it,” I say as we move into the small space and Layla motions toward the twin bed on the right side of the room. It’s covered in a luxurious duvet covered in blue flowers with a matching lamp on the table beside it. A blue steamer trunk sits at the foot of the bed and the desk next to it is piled with notebooks, pens, and other school supplies, as well as a supple brown leather backpack.
“There are clothes in your size inside the trunk,” Natalie murmurs, placing a gentle hand on my back. “A gift from me to help make your first few weeks here a little easier.”
I look up at her, my eyes stinging. “Thanks, Natalie. I appreciate everything you’ve done for me. Truly.”
She smiles, her eyes shining, too. “I know you do, darling. And I know you’re going to do so well here. I mean that. You have challenges to face, but if anyone can rise to meet them, it’s you. You’re an impressive person.”
“Aw, you guys! You’re going to make me cry,” Layla says, sniffing. “Seriously, the staff here is so nice, Juliet. I’m crossing all my fingers and toes I get in just so I can get my nerd on with sweet teachers for once. All my teachers in high school were mean or boring. Sometimes both.”
I pull in a breath to respond, but a flapping sound from the corner behind the door pulls my focus. It’s a snowy white owl with light gray markings around her bright yellow eyes.
Eyes that are way too intelligent to belong to an owl who’sjustan owl…
“I thought you were kidding about the owl,” I murmur.
“I know, shifters usually only have mammal forms,” Layla says, smiling at the owl. “But Diana’s different. Special. But I’ll let her tell you her story in her own time.” She motions toward a black device beneath the owl’s perch that looks like a complicated calculator. “She communicates with her word board but it’s charging right now. We were up late gossiping about all the things.” She gives my arm a meaningful squeeze. “We have so much to catch you up on. We’ve only been here three days, but it’s beeneventful, if you know what I mean.” She cuts a quick look Natalie’s way before adding, “But that’s a conversation for later.”
Natalie smiles, clearly taking the hint. “Well, then, I’ll leave you girls to get caught up. If there’s anything else you need from me, Juliet, you can reach me at the admissions office during school hours or the operator can patch you through to my private number. I’ll be sure to let them know that I want you to have access to that. You and Ford.” She turns to Layla. “Ford is her good friend from back home, a wolf shifter. But I’m sure Juliet will tell you all about him. He’s a very sweet young man.”
I accept Natalie’s hug goodbye and promise her I’ll reach out if I need to. I thank her again for all she’s done and join Layla at the door to wave as she walks down the hall.
The moment she disappears into the stairwell, Layla turns to me and says flatly, “So is this wolf actually a ‘sweet young man’ or a flaming asshat of epic proportions? Because, girl, the wolves I’ve met here so far are not what I was promised in the brochure. If you know what I’m saying…”
I sigh. “Yeah, that’s what I heard from another source. We should talk. Share what we know.”
“Hell yeah, we should,” she says. “But let’s do it over snacks in the quad. I don’t know about you, but I don’t intend to cower in my dorm just because the cats and the wolves have claimed the lawn as their territory. I didn’t come all this way and survive what I did to be some kind of second-class citizen.”
