She gave me a pointed look, then she pointed at Lucas.

He offered her a short wave, not letting go of me, or losing the balance of my pillow still perfectly placed in his lap.

I felt a smile creep up at the corner of my lips once more at the sight.

Lidya’s eyes widened, looking between the two of us. Quickly, she closed the door, her voice lowering into a shocked whisper. “What’s he doing here?”

“I just… I couldn’t leave him outside.”

She balked. “Who even is this?”

“Lucas.”

“Lucas?” She repeated. “The class partner alpha friend you talk about?”

“Nice to meet you,” said Lucas.

Lidya completely ignored him. “He was outside? Here? At the residence halls? How did he even… Here?”

“Yes,” I answered like it was no big deal, making my way back across the room towards him and away from Lidya’s confused frustration.

Her voice hurt my ears a little.

“How did you even get him in this building, Ella?” she asked, tone high-pitched and stringy. I didn’t understand why she was panicking about all of this. Then again, I did have another alpha in her room so I guess I did understand a little.

It was kind of rude of me. I just hadn’t thought about it all until now.

“We walked in,” I offered, slightly more meekly.

“There are guards everywhere on this campus and you just walked in?” she asked, enunciating each word.

I shrugged. So did Lucas. Both of us remained the pictures of calm it appeared to Lidya, which only served to make her mouth drop wide open into an “O” as she stared at both of us.

“What are you doing?”

“They must be busy still watching the courting dinner?” I offered.

“No,” Lidya clarified. “He needs to leave. Now.”

I paused. He probably did. I understood where she was coming from but I didn’t want… I couldn’t…

Tears started to press in on the corner of my eyes again.

Lucas was immediately standing. He took two steps to me, dropping my pillow to wrap me back into his arms and pur. I took a deep breath from him and felt like I was being wrapped in a warm maple hug. I wanted to fall into his scent and never get out.

My heart rate started to slow.

He murmured gently in my ear, stroking my hair like I was something precious.

It had been a little while since I felt that way. I grasped onto him, holding tight.

“It’s okay. We’ll figure all of this out. You just need to take a few deep breaths. I’m not going to let what is going on happen to you.”

I still didn’t understand how that happened so suddenly.

“Oh shit,” Lidya said from where she stood with her back still against the door. For the first time, I think she started to notice just how close we were standing and how much I didn’t mind. “You said he was a friend.”

I blinked, still holding him as I turned to face her a little better. “He is,” I said, my voice slower and a little drowsy as if I had taken a sleeping pill.