Chapter 7

7

T hree days, two shopping trips, and one airplane later, I was getting into a car in Montana on my way to Granite Peak Academy. I had called mom after the plane landed to tell her I had arrived and promised to call again when I got settled in at the school. Both of us had been fighting tears for days. Now that I was actually in Montana, I wanted my mom in a way I never had before.

I felt like I was going to get sick as the car pulled away from the curb. The driver, who held up a sign with my name near baggage claim—strange to think I was a girl who now had luggage—had introduced herself as Amanda. She was one of the teachers at the school and a member of the Blackwater pack. Since there were no classes on Saturday, she had offered to come and collect me from the airport.

I sank into the leather seat as she pulled onto the highway. Montana was so flat compared to Washington. Similar to New Mexico except for the massive mountain range looming in the distance, the cooler temperature, and it had a more muted version of the fall colors in Washington. I was glad for the coat Zoe insisted I bring.

Amanda hummed under her breath. “Looks like winter might start early.” She tucked a lock of blonde hair behind her ear and then adjusted the red rims of her glasses. Her lips were painted a bright red to match. With her pale skin, dark jeans, and a leather jacket, the style seemed effortless and chic. I wished I could pull off anything like that.

I looked out at the gray skies. “Snow?”

She grinned at me and nodded. “I always love the first snow. There’s something supremely magical about it. We always cancel classes for the first snow. The packs usually go out together for a run to celebrate.”

I tried not to show my unease at a pack run. The last few days, my wolf had gone back to her silent self. Mom had gone out with Zoe on a run the other night, letting her wolf get to know the smells and sights of our new home. They offered me to come and I declined, but not because I didn’t want to. I couldn’t get my wolf to come out and shift.

Finicky bitch.

“How long have you taught at the school?” I asked, trying to change the subject.

“About five years now. My mate and I both teach. Ricky teaches math. I teach English. You’re a senior, right?”

I nodded.

She beamed at me. “Fabulous. You’ll be in my senior English class.”

I had always loved English, especially when we had assigned novels to read. Escaping into a world of fiction was one of my few salvations at the compound.

“Mallory said you came from a pack in New Mexico?”

I swallowed hard before nodding. “Yeah. We just transferred to Blackwater last week.”

Amanda snorted. “Bet you’re loving this cold weather, huh? You came from the land of warmth and sun and now you’re basically moving to the arctic tundra. Spring here is nice, though.”

“It’s different,” I agreed as I forced myself to smile around the words.

Gabriel and Mallory suggested that for the time being we not mention the Long Mesa pack specifically. Mom had eventually explained everything to Gabriel and Mallory, including exactly why we left.

Mallory had cried. Gabriel had snapped the phone in his hands like it was made of toothpicks. Michael and Zoe looked physically ill. All of them swore they would let us stay in Blackwater for as long as we wanted, and Gabriel promised Zoe he would find Zara.

“You’ll definitely get seasons here,” she agreed. “Maybe a little too much of winter, but it is gorgeous when everything is sparkly and white.”

“It sounds amazing.” I looked around as the scenery passed by in a blur. There weren’t many cars on the road at all. Nothing like in Washington. “How long does it take to get to the school?”

“A little over two hours, but we’ll be on the academy grounds in about an hour.”

“Alpha Gabriel said that you guys just bought a bunch of extra land a few years ago.”

A teasing smile played on her lips. “Alpha Gabriel? Clearly your last pack was super formal.”

“Oh. I.... Um—”

Amanda burst out laughing. “I’m kidding. Seriously. But we just call him Gabriel. The only time anyone uses his formal title is if they’re at the Summit, an official pack meeting or trying to kiss his ass.”

My jaw dropped.

She glanced at me and waved a hand. “Gabe’s my cousin. I’m not being disrespectful to our fearless leader. But it’s hard to think of him as anything but an older brother most of the time.”

We drove several miles in silence, the radio playing an unfamiliar song in the background. I snorted softly to myself; almost all songs were unfamiliar to me. At one point we had a radio that got one station, but it broke when I was nine. There had never been a replacement. Occasionally I would hear music at school playing from phones or portable speakers, but I didn’t usually hang around long enough to catch any lyrics.

“Are you nervous?” Amanda asked suddenly. “I mean, starting a new school, leaving your friends...” She trailed off and slapped a hand over her ruby lips. “Shit, I’m making it worse, aren’t I? Also, sorry. I shouldn’t curse around a student.”

I couldn’t help but laugh at her rambling. “It’s fine. Cursing doesn’t bother me.” I shrugged, tugging at the hem of my long sleeved shirt, curling my hands inside the sleeves and tugging them down over my knuckles. “I didn’t really have many friends.”

She stared at me for a beat before turning her eyes to the road. “A girl as pretty as you? I bet you had boys lining up at your door.”

I was glad she was focused on the road so she didn’t see the jolt that physically rocked my body. I shuddered, remembering every time Cassian, Preston or Marc touched me. Every time they managed to corner me.

If I had stayed in Long Mesa, I would have had boys lined up at my door, but for all the wrong reasons.

“Hey, you OK?” Amanda reached over and touched me. “Jesus, you’re shaking!” Her wide blue eyes looked back and forth from me to the road. “Are you carsick? Do you need me to pull over?”

“No, no,” I stammered, trying to calm my racing heart. My wolf stirred within me, sensing the impending wave of panic rising in me. I kept reminding myself I was half a continent away from my former pack. My former life.

“You’re scaring the shit out of me here, Skye,” Amanda pressed. “I can pull over—”

“Seriously, I’m okay. I swear.” I met her eyes and forced a smile on my lips. “I promise. Just a minor panic attack.”

“Was it something I said?” Amanda looked completely horrified at the thought she did something wrong.

“No. It just... happens. Sorry if I freaked you out.” I ducked my head. God, I was a total basket case. I considered asking her to turn the car around and take me back to the airport. How the hell was I going to survive a world of new people asking me completely normal questions without losing it?

But I couldn’t do that.

The last three days, my mom had smiled and laughed more than I remembered in my entire life. Her bruises were almost completely faded, and she was planning on starting to work at the café Zoe owned in town. She was happy, and she deserved time to simply be by herself.

It was only a few months until Thanksgiving break when I would see her.

I could last two months.

“Well, we are now officially on academy grounds,” Amanda said. She waved a hand in front of us with an exaggerated flourish. “All this? Academy grounds. There’s a perimeter fence around all of the property so you’ll know where you can and can’t run. It’s one of the reasons we expanded—more wolves meant more of a chance at being caught. About ten years ago a farmer reported seeing a massive wolf on his property. A bunch of other farmers, worried about their cattle, decided to hunt the wolf down.”

“Oh, God.” My eyes went wide. “Did they catch the wolf?”

“Nah,” she said. She glanced over and winked at me. “We’re smarter and faster than that.”

Another forty minutes of driving and we pulled up to an impressive gate, flanked by two stone and wood guard houses. The sun was starting to set in the mountains in the distance. A shifter stepped out of one of the guard houses and approached the car.

Amanda rolled the window down with a smile. “Hey, Paul.”

“Amanda,” he greeted with a nod. He looked past her to me and smiled. “This must be our new student.”

“This is Skye Parker,” Amanda explained, glancing at me.

Gabriel had suggested we use a name other than Markham for my mother and me. When we couldn’t figure one out, Zoe mentioned that Mallory’s maiden name had been Parker, and we adopted it, both happy to be free of the Markham name. Parker was a common enough name that no one would think twice.

“Welcome to Granite Peak,” Paul said with a grin. “The whole school has been buzzing about your arrival since yesterday.”

A tendril of dread crept up my spine. So much for staying under the radar.

“We don’t get a lot of new students, plus the vast majority are male,” Amanda explained. She rolled her eyes at me. “I’m afraid you’re going to be a bit of novelty around here for a while, especially with the boys.”

“Awesome,” I muttered under my breath, smiling grimly.

Amanda pulled through the gates, pointing to different buildings as we circled around to the parking lot of the left side. In the fading light, I could make out some tall buildings, lights twinkling in them, showing someone was home.

I took a deep breath and got out of the car after Amanda parked. I met her at the back of the car, pulling out my suitcase and backpack when she opened the trunk.

She pointed to a building down a well-used path from the parking lot. “That’s the female dorm. You’re going to be in room two-ten on the second floor. The first floor has a communal kitchen that’s stocked with drinks and snacks. It also has a game room and a big communal living space. You’re welcome to use it, but lights out are midnight on Friday and Saturday, ten on school nights. There’s also a dorm monitor on the first floor. If you need anything, go to the monitor’s room.”

I nodded to show I was paying attention as I wheeled my suitcase down the path to the dorm she had indicated.

Amanda fell into step with me. “They have you rooming with Larkin. Since there’s fewer females here, the dorm is smaller and there are fewer rooms, which means some of the girls have to room together. Larkin’s part of Blackwater. She’s a year younger and an absolute sweetheart. I think you’ll really like her.”

Amanda paused at the entrance to the dorm. “Do you want me to walk you up to your room? Are you hungry? The cafeteria is probably closed, but I can—”

“I think I’m good,” I said quickly.

“You’re sure?” Amanda pressed. “You remember your room?”

“Two-ten. Second floor.”

“OK.” She let out a long breath and snapped her fingers. “Class schedule! Larkin said she would take you to the main office tomorrow so you can get your schedule. She’ll give you the whole tour. I’m sure, at some point, you’ll meet your other pack mates. They’re really curious about you.”

Fan- freaking -tastic.

So tomorrow I would get the tour and then be a new exhibit for a group of teenage wolves to study. Wolves that were now part of my pack.

I swallowed hard.

“I got this,” I told her, praying I would find some of the confidence I hinted at in my tone.

“Okay. Right.” Amanda stepped back. “This is me leaving and not hovering. At all.”

I laughed and picked up my suitcase by the handle to walk up the steps to the dorm. I opened one of the glass doors and turned to see Amanda still standing there. She gave me a big smile and a wave.

Laughing, I waved back and walked inside the dorm.

The large foyer was open, with a bank of elevators to the left and a set of double oak doors on the right. The plaque hung beside the doors said “Dorm Monitor”. There was a hall leading to the back and I could hear music and loud laughter coming from it.

I hurried to the elevators, not exactly wanting to meet anyone right now. I wanted to get to my room and get settled in. Maybe I would even manage to fall asleep before my roommate came up from hanging out. I didn’t think I was in the right state of mind to handle any more questions. I needed to decompress.

I got into the elevator and pressed the number two, waiting as the doors slid shut. Looking around I saw several posters in the small box with different activities going on over the next few months. I was still reading the one about intramural archery when the doors slid open.

Stepping into the hallway, I was grateful to see there wasn’t anyone about. I hurried down the hall, stopping when I got to two-ten.

“Here goes nothing,” I whispered with a sigh. I slid the key into the lock and turned, pushing the door open. My gaze immediately fell to the girl sitting across the room at a desk. She spun in her seat as soon as she saw me, a bright smile on her face.

“Hey,” the brunette grinned, getting up from her desk. She held out a hand, the glitter purple polish of her nails catching in the light. “I’m Larkin Dawes. I guess you’re my new roomie?” She was dressed in cotton yoga pants and a blue tank top, her dark hair pulled into a messy bun.

“Um, yeah. Hey. I’m Skye. Parker,” I added, remembering my new last name as I looked around the room. I didn’t know what I had expected, but it wasn’t this. I dropped my backpack on top of my suitcase as I closed the door.

The room was large with two full beds tucked into opposite corners with nightstands that had matching lamps. There was a desk at the foot of each and two closets on either side of the room. Everything was symmetrical except the large flat screen hung over one desk. One half of the room was obviously well lived in. There were pictures on one nightstand and framed black and white photos of landscapes on the wall.

“I like taking pictures,” Larkin supplied, noting that I was studying the photos.

I took a step towards them. A beach scene hung next to snow-covered mountains. Beneath them, a lush forest was juxtaposed beside a barren desert.

“They’re beautiful,” I told her softly, wondering how far she had traveled to take each picture.

Larkin blushed, the apples of her cheeks turning a pretty shade of pink. “Thanks.” She scuffed the toe of her converse sneakers into the area rug in the middle of the floor. “It’s a hobby.”

“You’ve traveled to these places?” I asked, glancing back at her.

She nodded, excited. “Yeah. My parents like to travel, too. We pick a new place to go each summer during break.” She pointed to the desert. “We went to Death Valley in California two summers ago. Last year we went to the coast in Texas. The forest is back home in Blackwater.” She smiled wistfully, letting her index finger trace one of the trees.

She touched the last image. “The mountains are from here. I took this last year before Christmas break when we had a blizzard.”

“So, it snows here a lot?” I asked, moving to the window. I couldn’t see much in the dark.

She laughed. “In Montana? Oh, yeah.”

I touched the window, feeling the cold seep into my fingertips. “I’ve never seen snow in person.”

“Wait—seriously? Never? Where did you grow up?”

“New Mexico,” I said quietly. I turned and smiled sheepishly. “I’ve actually never been outside of New Mexico until last week.”

Larkin’s jaw dropped, her mouth forming a perfect ‘o’ of surprise. Her brown eyes sparkled. “Seriously? Not even on vacation?”

I tried to shrug it off. “We didn’t go on vacation.”

“Wow,” she murmured. “Your parents never—”

“Just my mom,” I cut in quickly. “It’s just... us.”

“Oh. Shit, sorry,” she apologized. Sadness flooded her eyes and I knew she assumed the worst—dead father. I considered correcting her but didn’t want to open that can of worms my first time meeting her.

Or ever, really.

“Well, it snows here. A lot,” Larkin said with a mischievous grin. “You’ll love it. There’s nothing like running in the snow. Your wolf is going to seriously flip her shit.”

“I guess we’ll find out,” I replied with what I hoped was an encouraging smile. Who knew what the hell my wolf liked.

I looked back at my bags. “I guess I should unpack.”

She clapped her hands together. “I can totally help! You look about the same size as me—we can probably share clothes!”

“Share clothes?” I frowned. Was that a common thing? A good thing? She seemed excited about it, but at the omega house, sharing clothes was a necessity. It definitely wasn’t something that we were happy about.

“Yeah!” Larkin was still smiling. She glanced at me, and her expression fell. “I mean, only if you want to. We don’t have to or anything. Some of the other girls do... It’s like a sister thing. Not that we’re sisters. Or even friends. But we can be! If you want. Since we’re living together it might be weird if we hated each other.” She covered her face with her hands, peeking at me from between her fingers. “I’m acting like a complete idiot.”

I cocked my head to the side, amused at her rambling. She reminded me a bit of Maisie. Or who Maisie might have been if she had never been completely broken.

“We can be friends,” I said slowly. I’d never had a friend. It might be nice. Larkin definitely seemed nice. I looked her in the eyes and tried to smile. I held her gaze for a long beat.

Larkin let out a long breath, breaking my eye contact and looking down with a small, nervous laugh. “Damn. Wow. Are you sure you’re on the right floor?”

I felt my smile slipping. I tried to remember exactly what Amanda had said. “I think so. Floor two, room two-ten, right?”

Larkin nodded, looking up quickly and smiling again. She shrugged a shoulder. “You just don’t seem like one of us by that stare you’ve got.” She winked at me.

“One of us?” I repeated, confused.

She nodded with a chuckle. “Yeah, an omega. This is an omega floor.”