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My wolf whined pitifully, reminding me of her stance when it concerned him. She was convinced that he was more to us than just a young friend. For the longest time, I couldn’t see it, until now.
My body’s reaction to him, even at a distance, spoke volumes. I couldn’t deny the longing I felt when we’d locked eyes, but there was no way I could forgive him.
I hated him.
He betrayed my family and ruined my life. There was no forgiving or looking past that.
I shut down any protest from my wolf and hurried through the grounds to the bus stop. My only thought was getting to the archives and Arden. She’d know what to do. She screamed main-character energy when I was doing my best not to draw attention to myself.
Thankfully, the bus arrived quickly, making the wait time minimal. I found a seat near the back then spent the next few minutes fixing my beanie and hood. The rest of the ride I fidgeted with my left sleeve, hiding the marks from view.
There were three stops before arriving at the archives, and while it only took minutes, it felt like an eternity.
I disembarked then made a beeline for the staff entrance. The thumbprint pad blinked green when I pressed my thumb to it, and I breathed a sigh of relief. I’d worried my changes had affected more than I thought.
The doors opened, and I rushed inside, hurrying down the hallway and to the elevator. I pressed the button then turned my face away from the three people who had gathered for a lift to the upper floors.
When the doors opened, I tucked myself into a corner, keeping my face down and angled away from the other shifters. I couldn’t hide my unease or my scent from them, but I could hide my face. That would have to be enough.
The elevator stopped, and a ding sounded, signaling the end of the ride. I let everyone disembark first then stepped through the doors, breathing in the familiar scent of old books.
“Pearl!”
I turned at my name while my heart jackknifed on my chest.
“What’s with the get up?” Arden skipped to my side, and I relaxed slightly. Her voice was naturally loud, and it carried. She was constantly reminded to keep it down.
“Not so loud,” I whispered as she linked our arms and did her best to get me to skip with her.
“Sorry. You know I have no volume control,” she hissed at me, obviously annoyed.
“I know,” I told her apologetically. “We need to go somewhere… private.”
“Oooo, okay,” she replied excitedly.
I rolled my eyes, glad she was a shifter, not a human. She was too trusting. I could just imagine her being easily kidnapped because she wouldn’t question why someone in a van was offering her candy. “Arden, this is serious.”
“I know,” she squealed, making me want to grab and shake her.
We made our way to a back hallway, where the extra special conference rooms were. And by ‘extra special,’ I meant soundproof.
I dragged Arden in then shut the door and locked it behind us. The room was empty when I quickly scanned it.
“I love the new grunge look you’ve got going on,” Arden complimented, having climbed up on the long table to sit cross legged on it.
“Arden…” I began then paused, not sure how to explain about last night.
“Did something happen? Meet someone and you’ve got to be inconspicuous because it’s forbidden?” She gasped, then clapped her hands, looking at me expectantly.
“No, I…”
“No…” She looked at me, eyes wide with understanding. “Rylan’s back, isn’t he?”
“Yes, but…”
“Did he come see you?” Arden asked, interrupting me again. “Did you resist? Girl, you have to stay strong. He might be your physical representation of a wet dream, but he’s got to seriously make up for what he did. Who knows if he even can?”
“Arden!” I growled, hoping the jolt would make her stop talking.
