Page 139 of A University of Betrayal

I turned to him slowly. The conversation was getting awkward. It felt like he was asking more of me than we had actually agreed on.

“I like you.”

I swallowed.

I liked him too. Attractive, muscular, future Alpha position, athletic and maybe even musically gifted. The fact that he could cook was the icing on the cake...

“I don’t know Mikhail... You seem like a great guy, but I can’t force feelings all of a sudden.” I didn’t want to turn him down either,dammit.“Can’t we just play by our parents’ rules?”

His jaw tightened, then he sighed, his expression rigid as if he was thinking over my words.

So, I stepped back up to the railing to look across the garden.

My head was a battlefield of thoughts by now, and I needed time to process this evening. I would love to roam the woods out there now, to lose myself in the hunt.

The pack knew that the Rolanows had arrived today. And if it got back to my father that I had sneaked off for a run, he would not be pleased. Unnecessary problems, the last thing I needed.

I sensed that Mica had come closer behind me when I heard his whisper.

“I wantallof you, Emely Copeland.” I held my breath. “And I will leave no stone unturned.”

Director’s office

Methods of Madness

Secession Studios, Greg Dombrowski

“She wants to abolish the elections!” the Vanderwood director huffed and didn’t even try to hide his frustration, even though the new co-director, who fancied herself in her undeserved post, wasn’t the only thing that infuriated him.

His brother had actually meant what he said and invited the Rolanows again. And once again he had done so out of fear of the Ruisangors, afraid that they would take his family away from him. But what his brother didn’t want to see was that – in order to save them – he was actually destroying his family with all of this bullshit.

“Alarik,” the mayor sighed, still standing next to the door. He had noticed that she had barely looked around, knew that she wanted to get out of here as quickly as possible. “I can only emphasize again and again that I will do everything in my power to get the Councils...”

“What does Gloria want this time?!” He was beside himself. “What else does this insatiable woman want?!”

He noticed how the woman in front of him flinched and tried to calm down. It wasn’t her fault that everything was going haywire here.

“Alarik...” she began, but the director was gripped by a new wave of rage.

“I know what she wants!” He hurried across his office and poured himself a glass of whiskey, offering one to the mayor, but she just shook her head. “This university.” He took a sip, one of his dark brown strands falling into his forehead. “But she’ll never get it!”

He put his glass down as a knock sounded.

Doggedly, he stared at the door. He knew who knocked twice quickly and never waited to be invited in.

The door flew open and the new co-director – wearing a black skirt, white blouse, and leopard print scarf, as well as the ridiculous horn-rimmed glasses – entered the office but stopped to push her glasses down her nose and look snidely at the mayor.

“MissBlair,”she said observantly, pushing her glasses back. “What bringsyouto this hole?”

Anger rose again in the director’s chest.

This place was a veritable treasure trove, full of history, full of memories... He wouldn’t let her take that away from him.

“I didn’t invite you in,” he pressed out.

“Because you have no manners, Professor Copeland,” the co-director remarked sharply, not even acknowledging him with a glance, instead looking around as if she were disgusted. “And I see you still haven’t vacated your office.”

“Rebecca,” the mayor reminded her with concern.

---