Page 347 of A University of Betrayal

But I would take this secret to my grave.

Chapter 61

Julian

Andante Con Moto – Piano and Strings – “Vaulter”

Nicholas Britell

Julie had just shown up, giving Bayla the chance she had needed to escape the Circle. But I had been too distracted to see where she had disappeared to, and now, I was pushing my way through students standing around complaining and looking for her.

I didn’t realize that I was already far too close to the pack.

“Julian.Thereyou are,” a familiar voice called out, and I sighed, before turning around.

My father was standing there in a neat dark brown suit and beckoned me over.

I overcame the urge inside me to just leave and stepped toward him.

He and Mia had come all this way, and it wouldn’t be fair of me not to talk to him at least once.

“Is everything okay with Bayla and Diana?” He sounded worried.

“Her mother isn’t too happy with her choice of clothes,” I sighed, speaking the truth, and continued to look around for Bayla. Could she be outside already?

“Yet she’s wearing such a beautiful dress,” Dad laughed, and I agreed with him. The dress fitted her like a glove, as if it had been made for her body.

“I have to say, it looks familiar to me, but there are so many dresses here that it’s easy to get confused,” Dad laughed, and I looked at him in surprise.

He must have known Alice, even if only fleetingly.

“Well, anyway, what I really wanted to tell you, Son…” He came closer and put his hand on my right shoulder. “I’m sorry about the other day. I keep forgetting how much you did for Mia and our family when I...” He broke off and lowered his eyes. It was hard for him to say it. He’d never talked about his addiction before. Not to anyone. “When I was miserable.”

I was grateful that he had almost said it at least once, as if he was making progress. But I wanted him to know that he didn’t have to apologize. Not for whatIhad done to this family. If I didn’t exist, Mum would still be alive.The woman he had loved.

My heart began to pound without control, and I felt myself close to a possible transformation.I didn’t have a bottle of wolfsbane with me.

“You know that family comes first for me. You don’t have to thank me for something like that,” I said, and he looked down at the ground, concerned.

The monster inside me calmed down a little without me having done anything in particular.

“No. I do.You were young, and I shouldn’t have left you alone,” he said in a firm voice, and it broke my heart thatafter all these yearshestilldidn’t realize who the culprit was. Without me, he would never have sunk so low, would never have had to fight these shadows.

“I had a serious word with Nickolas about giving you a little more time. He didn’t seem enthusiastic, but you should be given more time... three months.”

My eyes widened.

“You asked the Alpha for something?”

My father lowered his voice. “Yes, and I would do it again and again to protect my family.”

My whole body tensed.

Fuck. What had he done?

“What did he ask in return?”

My father said nothing, and my anxiety rose immeasurably fast.

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