Page 5 of Alpha's Hated Mate

I shake my head, remembering her phone calls home. She’s been saying the same thing for months now. “Yeah, yeah. So you say.”

“It’s true. And you’ll have plenty of chances to find out. There are about fifty clubs you can join. I’m sure you’ll find one with people who share the same interests as you. And then there are special events like the big faculty dinner at the end of the semester—”

I groan and sit down on the edge of my bed. “We don’t have to go to that, do we?”

“Uh, thanks to Dad, yes. They’ll be expecting us, too.” She gives me a little smile, noticing my discomfort. “It’s not all school shit, though. I’ve got an in on several parties around campus all year. The biggest of them is the Midterm Break at Howler House.”

I scoff. “What the hell is a Howler House?”

“It’s a club. It’s not a real house or anything. It’s just what they like to call themselves. It’s mostly jocks and stuff. Annoying and dumb as rocks, but they know how to party. You should at least go to that one.”

I sigh and shake my head. “And why should I?”

“Because I’m in charge of organizing it, that’s why. You wouldn’t let your little sister down, would you?”

I scowl at her. I havenodesire to get drunk in a room full of untrained wolves.

“Oh, come on,” she says. “You have to come. I want to introduce you to my friends. Maybe you’ll like one of them. Maybe one of them will be your fated mate—”

“Maybe I’ll stay in my room and sleep instead.”

“Aydan.” She sits down on the bed next to me, putting her head on my shoulder. “I’ve been talking you up to everybody on campus. You’ve got to come. You’ve just got to.”

I don’t want to. And really, I don’t like to do anything I don’t want to do. But . . . but it seems important to Nadia. I pat her on the head and say, “Fine. But I’m only going to make an appearance. Thirty minutes.”

“An hour.”

“Nadia—”

“Okay. Just long enough to have a drink. How about that?”

She looks at me with these big blue eyes, and I have to give in. My little sister has always had me wrapped around her finger. “Fine,” I say. “One drink.”

Chapter Three—Saffron

Ihaven’t been able to stop thinking about him since I saw him checking in. Tall and blond in his white dress shirt and black slacks. He had the sleeves rolled up a little, so his biceps showed and . . .wow.

I think it was him that I smelled as I was getting ready for class. As sweet as the air after a rainstorm. I was sniffing the air as I walked through the halls, trying to nail down the scent. I stopped at the foot of the stairs, and that’s when I saw him.

I didn’t look at him as I passed him by. What’s even more interesting is that he was there with Chad, Yarra’s husband, since Chad doesn’t usually escort new students around. Anyway, I’ve got to find out who he is.

I waited until this class to ask my questions, though. This year, Yarra and I only have two classes together—Clarion History and Lycan Defense. And since I can’t exactly ask Chad right now, I’m going to ask her. I watch the door as the other students file in, looking for her telltale purple hair.

Finally, she walks in and takes her seat next to mine. “Hey,” she said. “You wouldn’t happen to have the notes from the last lecture, would you?”

“No. Yes. I don’t know. Not important right now.”

Her eyes widen a little. “Uh-oh. What’s wrong? More newbies messing with you again?”

“No,” I say. “I need to ask you about somebody I saw Chad with today. He was helping him check into the dorm. Blond hair, rocking body—”

A look of recognition washes over her face, and she nods. “Sounds like Aydan Vaultmore.”

“Aydan . . .”Vaultmore.Ugh, he’s related to Nadia? If he’s anything like her, this school does not need another Vaultmore.

“Yeah. I guess he’s a big deal or something around here,” she says. “As soon as Jean told Chad that he was enrolling, all the faculty heads were buzzing about it. Except Chad, but then he’s hard to impress.”

That’s true. The Alpha King and his Luna Queen actually made an appearance at their wedding, and upon greeting them, Chad just nodded and said, “My Lord. Thank you for attending,” while the rest of us were fangirling behind him.

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