Page 42 of Wings of Ashes
“We all know what you’re doing, slut.”
Elle raised her hands to try to act as a mediator. “Whoa, now.”
“Don’t stand up for her; you know what she’s doing is wrong,” the girl—whose name Nix could not remember, due to having six years of future memories taking up space in her head—told Elle. “She is hurting your marriage chances too, Elle.”
“By getting an education?” Nix asked.
“Wow, you won’t even admit it.”
Nix clenched her fork in her fist and spoke slowly, “I amonlyin those classes to learn about somethingotherthan how to be a good wife. I have no interest in the alpha men.”
“Of course, she doesn’t. She likes my brother,” Elle told the girl.
Nix’s mouth opened in surprise. Elle just threw out Nix’s crush like that? It wasn’t even a real crush now. It was a crush from six years ago, not that Elle knew that.
“So, not only are you trying to get all the eligible alphas’ attention, but you’re trying to steal Elle’s brother from her, too? How selfish can you be?Andstupid if you think your ugly fuckling ass can claim those men.”
Nix blinked.
Nix had lived through four years of torture. Being bled out and poked and prodded and kept starving in a cage. This was just petty, meaningless drama.
This conversation was boring. “I’m not interested in any of the alphas.”
“You’re lying.”
“I’m tired of you accusing me of idiotic things.” Calmly, Nix went back to eating her lunch, completely ignoring the feminine rage bursting from the other girl.
“Stay away from them or you’ll be sorry,” the girl threatened her. “Ugly slut.”
Elle gaped as the girl stood and left their table. “Gods, Nix, I’m so sorry you had to hear that.” Elle reached over to touch Nix’s hand in a show of support. “Astrid went over the line.”
Astrid. So, that was her name.
Nix shrugged and continued chewing a delicious bite of buttered bread. “I really don’t care.”
Something dark and angry flickered across Elle’s expression for a quick second before she was back to appearing sympathetic. “Of course, you care; you just don’t want to show it.”
The old Nix would have burst into tears and hid in her room for days after being verbally attacked by the other cygnus shifter. The old Nix would have taken the verbal assault, lowering her eyes and agreeing with whatever the other person said.
But that’s not me anymore.
Nix had survived worse. She haddied.
“Elle, it’s fine. I’ll see you later?”
Elle nodded and winked. “I’ll bringitover.”
“You cannot keepup with the class, Oadess,” Nix’s female combat instructor, Professor Matten, told her when Nix clutched her side and laid on the field after running only one lap. “What are you doing here, Oadess? Why are you taking this class?”
Nix ground her teeth as she watched all of her other classmates easily run their fifth lap around the field and laugh whenever they passed her. “I don’t want torun. I want to learn how to fight. I want to be stronger.”
“Swan shifters don’t have the same bodies as the other shifters here,” Professor Matten explained. “Building muscle is going to be difficult for you.”
Well, I’m not a swan shifter.“I’m dedicated.”
“Verydifficult.” Professor Matten crossed her arms and looked Nix over. “You need a strong motivator. Do you know your ‘why?’”
“Yes.”
