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Tears blurred my vision and I stopped reading. I put the letter down and looked around at my family. "I got in. I really got in!"
Dell let out awhoopand leapt from his chair. He grabbed me around my waist and lifted me from my chair. He swung me around while I curled as tight as I could to avoid knocking anything over.
"Congratulations, big sis! You deserve this! I'm so excited for you. You're going to get the best education and come back to us full of knowledge! I'm so very proud of you!"
"Thank you, Dell," I said sincerely.
He placed me back down on my feet, and I looked over at our parents. They didn't seem as enthusiastic about it, but they gave me big smiles and congratulations. Then, they asked us to help with dinner as if it were any other night.
I didn’t care. Nothing was going to wipe the smile off my face. I’d still be grinning at the front doors of Omega Rising Academy in January. I was having trouble wrapping my head around it. That I, Riley Druman, had gotten a scholarship to thebestomega school in the country. The one that had a one hundred percent success rate of graduates finding a pack before they left the academy. I would have a pack in just two short years.
Nothing was going to rain on my parade today.
Chapter2
Riley
Iwas going to throw up. Nothing could have prepared me for this. The shuttle bus I rode to Omega Rising Academy—or the ORA, as I heard the other students call it—slowed to a stop in front of an enormous building. It was a brisk morning but thankfully, there was no snow to contend with. I had left that all at home.
I swallowed thickly past the tightening of my throat and got out of the shuttle. I collected my bags, my shoulders hunched up around my ears. Behind me, I could hear the excited squeals of my new classmates as they greeted one another.
Steeling my spine, I turned around and faced the chaos. All around me, I could see families kissing and hugging their sons and daughters goodbye. They wished them luck and let them know they would see them for spring break.
A pang went through me. No one was here to see me off and I wouldn’t be seeing my family until the long winter break. It had taken every penny we had to get me here today. My parents didn’t have the money for me to come home and back to school multiple times a year. That had actually been the reason they were so hesitant to celebrate with me. They were worried about where the travel funds would come from. Thankfully, the ORA didn’t close during breaks, so I could stay here.
I wanted to move toward the buildings, but I wasn’t sure which one my dorm was in. I readjusted my duffle on my shoulder and tried to see where I should be heading. It also became apparent rather quickly that while I had one duffle to carry, all the other omegas here had heaps of bags and belongings. My face flushed with embarrassment again. Apparently, no one else was going to be banking on the academy providing everything.
That didn’t get me down. I was here to learn, to get the best education an omega could. And hopefully, I would find myself a pack at graduation.
A smile tugged at the corners of my mouth, and I took my first step toward my new life. And immediately got knocked down a peg. My bulky bag bumped into an omega talking to her friends. With a gasp, I turned to apologize, but I didn’t get anything out before she sneered at me.
“Watch where you’re going! You almost stepped on my Valentino sneakers!”
“Oh, I’m sorry—”
“You should be, charity.”
“My name’s not—”
The girl sniffed haughtily, cutting me off, and turned back to her friends, dismissing me. My shoulders curled up around my ears, and I kept my head lowered. Making sure not to bump into anyone else, I moved toward what I hoped was the admin building. I crossed my fingers that there would be an office or a staff member there that could help me figure out where to go.
I climbed the steep stone stairs, passing by the large griffin statues on either side, and pushed open the glass door. The light inside was much duller than outside. I blinked several times, trying to adjust. I turned my head to the right, finding a large sign labeled “Main Office & Registration.” Exhaling in relief, I entered the room.
Behind the desk, a beta woman sat, typing away at her keyboard. A severe bun, that looked like it was pulling her skin upward to her hairline, tied back her graying hair. I noticed her eyes flick toward me momentarily, but she didn’t acknowledge my presence.
She knew I was there and I didn’t want to be rude, so I shuffled my feet anxiously and waited. Above the office door, there was an analog clock that ticked the seconds loudly. I stepped forward two paces and when she still didn’t look up, I coughed lightly into my arm.
Her eyes closed as if she were frustrated, and she let out a deep sigh of irritation. She pinned me with a glare and said, “Yes?”
“Oh, um, hi. I’m Riley, uh Druman, Riley Druman.” I cleared my throat. The woman raised her eyebrows as if to say,And?but remained silent. “I-I was wondering if someone could tell me where my room is?”
Her gaze raked me up and down, and then she snipped, “Wasn’t it in your welcome packet?”
“Oh. Maybe? I’m sorry. I’m just really overwhelmed right now and . . .”
The woman huffed. “I’ll check, hold on.”
I swallowed past the lump in my throat as she turned back to her computer and clicked away at the keys. Then, without even looking at me, she gave me the information.
