AllFreeNovel
Share Us
The kitchen had vintage appliances. We could go into it anytime, though they had someone on hand for meals. There was a shared bathroom, several courtyards, and even a small library filled with dusty books I intended to return to and explore.
Taking it all in, the antiquated beauty of the place was growing on me. But it was during our tour, passing a cracked open door, that I caught a glimpse of something, or rather someone, who made me do a double take.
A man, shirtless, with his back to us in black pants and his back a canvas of ink. The ink was a work of art in its own right. I blinked, unsure if I was really seeing what I thought I was seeing on the man with pitch-black short hair, thick muscles, oversized biceps, and powerful shoulders. Each muscle was well-defined—this man worked out—but what caught my attention was the prominent snake—its body coiled, ready to strike, its scales meticulously detailed—on the middle of his back.
My heart throbbed in my chest, a strange fire burning in the pit of my stomach, and I realized I was holding my breath. I had never seen anyone so built and with tattoos like this before. This was different. This was... stunning.
Who was he? The caretaker?
“Kat?” Lily’s voice pulled me out of my hypnotic state, and I tore my gaze away from the captivating sight. I turned to look at her, my cheeks heating up, realizing I had been staring a bit too long and enjoying the view.
“I... uh.” I tripped over my words, my mind tangled on the beautiful man.
Lily followed my gaze, then let out a soft laugh as we strolled down another long hallway, which had us passing at least a dozen closed doors.
“Oh, that’s just Father Mason,” she said, a mischievous gleam in her eyes. “He’s not what you’d expect, huh?”
I was left with the lingering image of the tattooed man and stunned to hear he was a teacher at the institute. I had assumed the place was run by priests or the like, considering the looming cathedral in the mountain. But this man, with his inked skin and muscular build, did not fit the image of a priest I had in my mind.
As we strolled farther down the hall, Lily’s light chatter filled the silence.
“So, Father Mason and a couple of others are new here while the other Fathers were sent away for training,” she began, her voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper. “And they’ve brought in a whole new approach to how things are run around here.”
I glanced at her, my interest piqued. “How so?”
She grinned mischievously, and part of me was convinced I wasn’t the only one who reacted that way around Father Mason.
“Well, for starters, they’re big on discipline, but not in the you’ll-go-to-hell’ kind of way,” she quickly added, seeing my alarmed expression. “They believe in helping us achieve discipline through self-discovery and conversation. A lot of exploration in the woods, lots of meditation, too. They hold group sessions and lectures on topics of real life, which is very different from the old teachers’ approach. It’s all about introspection, understanding our feelings, and expressing them in a healthy manner.”
“That doesn’t sound too bad,” I said, somewhat relieved, part of me feeling hopeful it wasn’t going to be so horrible at the institute. “They must be good at their job, I guess, if they work here.”
“Maybe too good.” She giggled, pausing in front of a doorway. “Let me tell you, no one can concentrate when he’s in the room.”
“Why not?” I asked, feeling like I knew the answer but had to ask, regardless.
She gave me a knowing look. “Let’s just say that every girl in this place is hot for the new teachers. And they don’t seem to mind the attention.” Lily must have noticed my surprised silence because she laughed, patting my arm reassuringly. “You’ll see, Kat. You’ll see.
“This is your room.” She pushed open the door to a small and sparsely furnished bedroom with a double bed, dresser and window overlooking the woods. “Settle in, and I’ll come to get you later.”
When she left me alone, I shut the door and turned to my plain room, staring at the small pile of clothes folded on my bed that looked like jeans and tops. Being finally alone, my muscles uncoiled enough for me to breathe easier.
Everything felt strange and uncertain, and while part of me was homesick, I started to hyperventilate at the idea of facing my stepdad again. He had a brutal temper. But I missed Emma, my college friends, and the sense of freedom.
It could have been worse.
It was difficult to concentrate when I couldn’t stop thinking about the muscles and tattoos on Father Mason because what priest works out like that?
But that wasn’t my problem, right? I was here for six months, I reminded myself.
How bad could it be?
CHAPTERTHREE
KAT
After Lily had bounced back into my room with her endless energy, saying I had to get changed for dinner, I decided I’d take a shower and wash off the past to assimilate in the new place. After all, if I was going to be stuck at the institute, I might as well try to make the most of it, right? Even if I desperately wished I had my cell phone to check up on Emma, to tell her about the priests because she’d always find a way to make me laugh.
Rifling through my bag, I quickly unpacked the belongings I brought and stuffed them in the drawers in the wardrobe, then set the two notebooks and stationery I grabbed from home when I’d packed in a mad rush. Officer Garcia had told me I couldn’t bring my own laptop or any electronics as they weren’t permitted, so I packed super light.
