Page 8 of The First Year

Sol was a softie. It suited him. He wouldn’t be an alpha, as he was destined to at birth, but if he had, he would be a damned fine one. He cared about people. So did Odin. Caring about people, in my experience, got a person taken advantage of and left with a broken heart.

“If we see her, we’ll try to befriend her. Is that fine? What’s so special about her?”

Odin shook his head. He was as confused as we were, seemed to me. “I don’t know.”

“Is she cute?” Sol asked.

Odin looked at us. His eyes were glassy. His cheeks got redder, and the blush extended all the way down his neck. “She’s goddamned gorgeous. One of the most beautiful females I’ve ever seen.”

“Now we’re getting somewhere.”

“It’s not because of that. I mean, it doesn’t hurt, but there’s more than her looks. I’m telling you, my wolf wants to protect her.”

“Don’t tell me you’ve found your mate, Odin.” Sol picked on him constantly. It was their thing.

“No. I don’t think that’s it. Come on. Let’s find something to do before dinner.”

Chapter Six

Roxy

A crackling noise jerked me out of the blackest, darkest, deepest sleep of my life. In seconds, I shifted right there and landed on the cold floor with a growl. The shift was painful after the bite. I kept that little detail to myself, but changing from human to animal and back again now felt like being set on fire. The muscles ripped. The tendons snapped. Nails and claws thrust through my skin with no grace whatsoever.

Maybe my wolf was angry. Angry at the vampire. Angry at me.

She wasn’t the most docile of creatures under normal circumstances.

I raised my snout to the speaker near the door. Odin had mentioned something about it. They gave us calls to different things through that intercom, but I was only half paying attention.

First because I felt like absolute shit.

Second because Odin was so nice and attractive. My thoughts drifted more than once, and my eyes focused on his lips more than they should’ve.

“Fifteen-minute warning before dinner.”

I checked the plain, minimal clock on the wall. Yep. It was time. Odin did say something about being on time for meals. It was my first day here. Didn’t want to get in trouble on my first day. I needed this. The other choices for my life, well, they weren’t acceptable.

I checked the conduct book quickly to find out what the dress code was for dinner.

“Please don’t be the bloody uniform. Please don’t be the bloody… Oh, casual. Thank goodness I can wear my jeans.”

I was still in the black scrubs given to me by the medical team before transport. They’d made me shower and try to look clean and not like I’d just stepped out of war and then put me in these. They weren’t so bad. Comfortable and clean, but they made me feel like I was a patient in some institution.

I slipped on a pair of jeans and sighed as I pulled them up. There was something comforting about a good-fitting pair of jeans. I picked out my favorite black T-shirt and put on some green sneakers. My hair had always had a mind of its own, so I pulled it all up in a bun and called it a day. There was no reason for makeup because that would be like putting lipstick on a zombie.

Didn’t detract from the dead look.

Outside my room, people moved in lines toward the stairwell. Following them sounded like a good idea and, once outside, I recognized the dining hall building. I remembered Odin and how the ladies cooking meals loved him.

If we were allowed phones and if I’d ever had one, I might’ve asked him for his number. Even if he only wanted to be a friend, he would be someone kind and good to have in my corner.

I did see a few students shoving phones into their pockets before entering the dining hall. Maybe taking mine was temporary? Or theirs were contraband. Something else I’d like to ask Odin.

I’d clearly offended him by asking him about his scars, so there was a chance he might not speak to me at all.

“Get in. You’ll get in trouble for being late.”

I felt pressure on the small of my back. A shudder passed through me as I realized it was Odin’s hand. His voice.

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