Chapter Seven

I realized shortly before going to sleep that I had no way of making sure I woke up on time. Sure, I had a watch, but it didn't have an alarm. Lying there in the darkness, truly alone for the first time in my life, I recognized the gaping hole in my heart from leaving Angie behind. She had run toward a future of her own, but I missed her as though I had a limb amputated.

Good thing the others at Werewolf Academy weren't quiet and I had shifter hearing. The bustle and voices woke me up just in time to take another shower and get ready for the day. I put on jeans and a light long-sleeve shirt along with my boots, aware I needed to get more clothing but having no money to do so. Suddenly money was a thing in my life.

But all of this was worth it, I hoped.

I didn't even have notebooks. The only pen I had was the one Pax left on my desk.

Maybe my sisters could help me find a place off campus to get some things that I needed. If I could figure out how to do that with no money. How did people get money anyway?

I paused before opening the door to this new experience. Fear flopped in my stomach and spread out in my veins. I was autonomous now, but everything was so new. People. Places. Experiences. There were so many things normal and everyday to others that I'd never had or taken part in. I'd never been on a date or bowling or to a movie in a cinema, all things the people did on TV. Was there a beach nearby? I wasn't even sure where I was in relation to where I had been.

And my supernatural side wasn't one-dimensional as I believed the other students' were. It was called the Werewolf Academy, after all. Would I be accepted as I was, or would I have to hide my true nature while I was here? Angie had explained that most shifters had just one animal… That must be very limiting.

My father would've scoffed at such an idea even popping into my head. My true nature was identical to his and as he always said, something to be proud of. Also, as he never said but practiced, something to hold himself above others. That part I would never do.

The moment I steeled myself to go out there and get this new life going, a knock made me jump nearly out of my skin. "Who is it?" I asked with a shaky voice. I hoped it was one of the guys from the day before, but hope made us fools. At least, that's what Father had drilled into me.

He was on his annual excursion, but I wondered if he had checked in. If he already knew I was gone.

If he was already on the hunt for me.

"It's Minx and Ava and Kiki," Minx called out from the other side.

"Oh." I pulled open the door, and their eyes widened as they scanned the place behind me.

Ava stepped forward. "Cleo, have you not unpacked?"

"I didn't come with much." I tried to shrug it off. I was so ignorant and naive. But in showing up, I was enough of a burden without adding my lack of material items.

"Girls," Minx said. "All of us have extra stuff, right? Until we can take a girls' day and go shopping."

"I don't have any money." It was enough that I was here!

"I've got extra sheets and a comforter," Kiki offered.

They ignored me, discussing who could loan/give me what. By the time they were done, a tear flowed down my face.

"Minx, you broke her," Ava said, pushing the redhead's arm.

"Oh no. What's wrong, Cleo? Are we overwhelming you?" Minx patted my shoulder. "We can be thoughtless. I am so sorry."

I shook my head. "No. I, um, I've been sheltered. This is all new. The friends. Sisters. People doing things for me they weren't paid to do. It's a lot."

Kiki stepped forward and hugged me tightly. "Get used to it. You're one of us now."

Minx reached for the door to shut it behind us. "Let's get some food because Ava is starving to death, and we all need coffee. Maybe while we eat you can tell us about this dad guy you ran away from?"

"We can do that," I said. "But don't you want to have breakfast with your mates?"

If I had mates, I would want to share all my meals with them.

We made our way down the hallway and into the dreaded elevator. How all these people trusted their transportation and lives to that steel box was crazy to me, but I seemed to be the only person who had a problem with it. Besides, climbing all those stairs seemed like an unnecessary way to sweat.

"We have breakfast with our mates all the time," Kiki asserted, giving me a reassuring smile. Perhaps she sensed my trepidation about the elevator and all the people, and life.

I followed them down the food line and took things one or the other of them did, figuring if my sisters liked them, I might. Thank heavens for the full scholarship that brought me here. My favorite shows were about girls going away to school, and in most cases, either their parents had to pay a ton of money, or they had to work three jobs to make it happen. I was still going to need money for extras like clothes, so I'd have to see if there was a program on campus for that, or I'd have to venture out to find a job. I couldn't let my sisters supply me forever. If only I'd been able to get my hands on some of my father's wealth before I left, but I had no idea where he kept any of it. Probably not in a bank.

"Let's sit down," Minx said, nudging me with her tray.

"Yeah."

As I crossed the room, I noticed the guys from the day before. Jude winked again, making my knees weak. That had to be his power.

Pax smiled and so did Miles.

My stomach sank as I realized this was no ordinary breakfast. I had to tell them about our father. And this story didn't have a happy ending.