Page 2 of Beginning Fate

“That's disgusting. You're practically an old man now. I'm not even sure it's legal for you to look their way.”

“What?” I asked innocently. I may be a flirt, but I rarely acted on it, especially with underclassmen.

He shook his head.

“In all seriousness, I'm really looking forward to our next class. I do love pledges. Chase Westin called and gave me a heads up that his nephew will be here this weekend. I think he's hoping the kid will rush this semester.”

“Whose kid?”

“I don't know, why?”

“I'm pretty sure Liam Westin also attended. If it's his kid, the guy could be a legacy.”

I scrunched up my face and shrugged. “I know Chase is the baby of his family, but I was honestly surprised to hear any of his siblings were old enough to have a kid enrolled already.”

“Or you're just getting to be that old.”

“Hardy har har. Laugh it up. He said the kid wasn't a wolf, so I'm guessing it comes from Jenna's side.”

Monte shrugged. “Don't know anything about her family except they’re a bunch of panthers. I guess it wouldn't be the first panther brother we've had, huh?”

“No, it would not.”

I smiled fondly thinking about our frat brother, Kian, the panther prince. He'd found his princess, graduated, and moved on to bigger and better things.

And before that, Chase Westin had shocked the hell out of everyone by mating a panther princess. It had caused a short-lived war between the wolves and the big cats, or so I was told. Chase graduated before I arrived at Archibald Reynolds, but his legend lived on. Well, that and the fact that he returned often to visit friends, so I'd gotten to know him over the years.

There was a bond of brotherhood between the men of Delta Omega Gamma, and I was proud to be setting my own legacy here. Someday future brothers would be sharing stories about me too. I just hoped they were good things and not some of the boneheaded things I'd done in my first few years here. I liked to think I'd matured some. Then again, not enough to actually want to grow up and leave, much to my parents' dismay.

We walked into the cafeteria and grabbed clean plates to load full of everything the buffet had to offer. Shifters ate a lot more than humans. We needed it to sustain our high metabolisms. So I didn't feel guilty in the slightest for taking an extra plate and piling them both high with food.

“I'm starving,” I said as I followed Monte to a table where several of our brothers were sitting.

Remy nodded my way.

“Welcome home brothers,” I said.

Several of the guys had arrived yesterday, but I'd been too busy prepping for freshman orientation to see them.

“It's good to be back,” Caleb confessed.

“Senior year!” Braxton cheered.

None of them had to be back so soon, but Remy, Monte, Caleb, and Braxton always did everything together. That also meant that Pete and Sadie were nearby because they seemed to always be with them as well. The other girls, too.

“I can't believe we're actually seniors,” Braxton said.

“Seems like only yesterday we were the freshmen and Sadie was just figuring out what she was. So much has happened in these four years. I'm going to miss it when we all go our separate ways,” Remy said.

“So don't leave. Archibald Reynolds has been growing their grad program over the years. Stay. It works for me.”

“You're not in the grad program,” Monte reminded me.

“Yet,” I said with a grin. “I'm considering switching my major to education, then after completing grad school I'll just get a job here.”

Caleb groaned. “Of course you are. You change your major more than most people change their underwear. You could have graduated a year early, but now you're already a year behind and thinking about another major change? Dude, just pick something and stick with it.”

I shrugged, completely unbothered. “That works for you. This works for me.”

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