11. Frankie

Chapter 11

Frankie

“I can’t take it anymore.” Tori clutches her stomach. “I need to eat.”

“Come on.” I tug her in the direction of the cafeteria. “Best feed you before you die of starvation.”

I don’t mean to say the words, but they come out anyway, and as they do, my memories dance in my mind’s eye. Unlike before, though, they don’t take me out. They are like a whisper of a recollection, at the back of my mind as we head toward the line.

“Please,” I beg, my stomach cramping painfully as I twist on the bed. Luckily, she only chained me to the room by my ankle, but the chain burns my skin. “I’m so hungry,” I plead. It’s shameless, but I’m completely past that after Valerie set me free in the world.

There is no more room for shame or modesty. There is only survival, and I’m dying of starvation. I can feel it every time I take a sip of water and my mouth completely absorbs the liquid.

“Frankie,” Valerie says softly, setting my bone broth on the end table. Nothing else. Just the broth.

“You only give me enough to keep me alive,” I accuse, curling into myself as I try to chase away the stomach cramps.

“Of course, silly.” She bops me on the nose, and I imagine cutting her fingers off one by one.

I’d probably eat them.

“That makes no sense.” I groan, burying my face in the pillow.

“Sweetheart, I’m not trying to torture you.” She pushes my sweaty hair off my face, uncaring that this is just that — torture. “I can’t feed you more than what I am.” There is a hidden sadness in her tone as though she truly believes that.

I don’t care if it’s true.

I blink hard, forcing the memory away. The bustling cafeteria comes back into focus, a stark contrast to the isolation of my past. The chatter of students and the clinking of cutlery ground me in the present, but the phantom pain in my stomach lingers.

“Oh my god, chicken sandwiches!” Tori’s eyes light up like she just discovered buried treasure. Her excitement yanks me back to reality, away from the dark corners of my mind where memories lurk.

I grab a tray, my gaze drawn to the wall of drinks. The sheer variety is overwhelming. Colorful bottles, cans, and fountains offer more choices than I can count. A lump forms in my throat as I remember a time when even a sip of water was a luxury. The contrast is dizzying.

It isn’t their fault.

I grab a smoothie because even now, food sometimes hurts to eat, and sometimes I look over my shoulder to see if anyone is around to steal it from me.

There’s no one.

“Get it,” I encourage her.

Tori grabs two. “Grab me that BBQ packet, would you?” she asks.

Reaching for the packets, I remark, “Where do you put it?”

“We have to consume enough calories to shift,” she says casually as she adds fries to her tray.

Calories.

I stare at my tray and the lone smoothie.

Is that why I couldn’t call my shadows when I was with Valerie? Or now?

I glance down at my body, a frown on my face. I only threw on sweats and a hoodie. They give a false appearance of health, but I know underneath all my layers, I’m not much more than skin and bone.

I grab fries, determined to change that. I have no excuse not to eat the food in front of me.

We pay and find a seat.

As I’m sliding in across from her, I see their shadows before I see them, and then I feel their weight on the bench seat.

“Hello, ladies,” Leo greets us, sitting down next to me with a warm grin on his face. “Frankie, I got you something to perk you up.” He hands me a cup of coffee, steam wafting up invitingly. “I thought you might need a little extra jolt to espresso your feelings today.”

I roll my eyes but can’t suppress a smile. “You’ve really bean thinking about that one, huh?”

Leo laughs, the sound rich and genuine. “What can I say? I’m trying to keep our conversations brewtiful.”

“Nice one.” I smirk, taking a sip of the coffee. It’s perfect, just how I like it. “Thanks, Leo. I needed this.”

“Anything for you, Frankie,” he says, his eyes twinkling with mischief. I’m pretty sure he isn’t talking about the coffee. “Matteo, don’t you think Frankie looks a latte better with a smile?”

Matteo, who sits down next to Leo, nods, his dark eyes focused on me. “Definitely,” he agrees, his voice deep and steady. “You look good, Frankie.” There’s a hint of concern in his gaze, as if he’s trying to see beyond my fa?ade, yet when he looks at me, I see his dark eyes roll over my body, reminding me of his touch.

“Thanks, Matteo,” I say, feeling a blush creep up my cheeks. His words are simple, but coming from him, they feel like a warm blanket on a cold day.

Fuck, I missed them.

Matteo takes a seat next to Tori, his presence solid and reassuring. Unlike Leo, who fills the space with his energy, Matteo’s quiet strength is his polar opposite. He doesn’t need to say much to make an impact.

Except when he has you under him.

“So what’s the plan for the rest of the day?” Leo asks, leaning back in his seat and stretching his long legs under the table.

“I was thinking of hitting the library,” I say, trying to sound casual. “I have some research to catch up on.”

“Oh, come on, it’s move-in day,” Leo teases with a groan. “Maybe we can convince you to take a break later? There’s a winter rugby match this evening. Could be fun.”

“I don’t know…” I hesitate, feeling exposed. “It’s just… being around so many people still feels overwhelming sometimes,” I admit, surprised by my own honesty. Leo and Matteo exchange a glance, their eyes filled with understanding.

“Come on, Frankie. Remember what I said earlier,” Tori says slowly and gives me a strange look.

That’s right, she told me to watch the game with my shifter eyes.

“I’ll think about it,” I say, not wanting to commit. The idea of being around so many people still makes me uneasy, but I can see the hope in their eyes.

“We’ll be there if you change your mind,” Matteo says quietly, his gaze steady on mine. “No pressure.”

“Thanks,” I say softly, appreciating his understanding.

“So how are you settling in?” Leo turns, his entire attention focused on me. I’m honestly surprised they haven’t said a thing about Tori and me taking off for a few weeks, and I’m glad for it.

“We just got here.” I open my smoothie and take a sip of the mango peach concoction. The cool, sweet liquid soothes my dry throat. Next, I dump the fries on my plate and give them an offended look.

“He isn’t talking about move-in day,” Tori points out. She’s already devoured her sandwiches.

“Oh.” I grab a fry and nibble on the end. “A student popped out of the shadows.” I shift in my seat, feeling awkward. “Honestly, I’m still wrestling with everything.”

“Why don’t you tell Frankie what your shifter is?” Tori suggests, popping another fry into her mouth.

“Guess.” Leo leans his chin on his palm and bats his eyelashes.

“A lion.” I don’t even need to think about it.

Tori guffaws. “Too obvious.”

Leo pouts. “How did you know?”

“Because you have a whole vibe,” I tell him. “One about laziness and sex.”

“I don’t mind either of those things.” He sits up and reaches to grip my hips, probably to tug me closer if it weren’t for Matteo batting his hands away.

“Guess.” Matteo reaches out, and with one finger, he tilts my head toward him. His dark eyes roll over me.

He’s so fucking intense.

“You’ll never guess,” Tori sings as she reaches for one of my fries.

I push my tray toward her as I nibble on the same fry. “You remind me of a big cat, like a predator.”

“What kind?” he presses.

“A panther,” I murmur.

He doesn’t give me a yes or a no, just a smile.

Tori’s eyes widen, and she lets out a low whistle. “Damn,” she murmurs, both impressed and amused. “That was… intense.”

Ignoring her, I ask, “Do you all just have one shadow form? It seems silly, like you could manipulate a shadow into anything.”

“Well yes, and also no.” Tori points at me with a fry.

“It’s best to focus on one form and master it fully,” Matteo explains, absently playing with a fry on his plate. His eyes meet mine, intense and focused. “One form to master, another to practice,” he adds, his voice low.

Without breaking eye contact, he lifts the fry to his mouth then pauses. A mischievous glint appears in his eyes as he changes course, offering it to me instead. I hesitate for a moment, acutely aware of our public setting, before leaning in to accept it. The simple act feels oddly intimate.

I wonder what my form will be. Will it reflect who I am or who I’m meant to become? The thought both excites and terrifies me.

“But Dorian…” I begin.

“Dorian isn’t normal,” Tori states. “But that is a tale for him.”

Curious.

“It’s a power structure,” Leo says, grabbing my drink and a straw before tapping my lips with it. Him too? “The more power you inherently have, the larger the creature you can shift into.”

I sip my smoothie, savoring the flavor.

“Yep.” Tori says. “It’s a showy thing. When you shift through the veil, you’ll see. I’m pretty sure you have Shifting 101.”

“Yeah, probably with the freshmen,” I gripe.

“We all have to start somewhere,” she says, “but that class is in the shadow realm.”

Huh. I never thought about classes being in the shadow realm. The idea of classes in the shadow realm both excites and terrifies me.

“Did you look at your schedule yet?” Matteo prompts, grabbing another fry.

I give in, just letting them feed me at this point. I tug out my schedule to look it over.

“Alright, it’s broken into two. Light and shadow realm.” I look up to see if this is normal. When Tori nods, I go on. “Core classes in the human realm with a normal schedule.”

“I have ethical hacking with you.” Matteo taps the paper.

Leo whistles. “Six classes.”

“That’s like a lot of credits,” Tori says.

I frown. “My shadow realm classes are Shifting 101, history of the veil, and cryptic codes.” I groan. “Bishop.”

Tori giggles. “Make him grovel.” Clearly, he is not forgiven.

“I can’t seem to get away from my advisor.” I want to crumple up the paper, but I don’t. I force myself to fold it up and tuck it away in my bag.

“Who do you have?” Tori asks, stealing another fry.

“Blackwood.” I shiver as I say his name. Something about Blackwood sets me on edge. Is it just his demeanor, or is there something more sinister lurking beneath the surface?

“I’ll accompany you to every meeting.” Matteo taps my lips with another fry.

I sigh as I chew. “Dorian is usually there.”

“You feel safe with him?” Leo asks.

“I do.” I swallow. Hell, he saved my life. Of course I feel safe with him, even if he knows far more than he should.

“Blackwood reminds me of those professors who have affairs with their students,” Tori mutters.

“Like Bishop.” I blink at her, earning a laugh.

“We have to head out.” Leo smacks a kiss on my cheek. “If we don’t see you at the game, please come to the party. I haven’t seen you in six whole weeks.” He whines this time and tugs me closer while resting his chin on my shoulder. “I missed you.”

Tori grunts. “He just wants to get his dick wet.”

I throw a fry at her face, which she miraculously catches with her mouth.

“Please,” he drawls. “Come play with me.”

“See? Told you,” Tori mutters.

“Maybe,” I say.

Matteo presses a kiss to my forehead as he stands and silently drags Leo away, who continues to pout the entire way out of the cafeteria.

“About that potential pack…” Tori trails off, her eyes twinkling with mischief.

I toss another fry at her, which she catches effortlessly. “Shut up,” I mutter, but there’s no real heat behind it.

As Leo and Matteo disappear into the crowd, a whirlwind of emotions threatens to overwhelm me. Longing tugs at my heart, urging me to follow them. Fear whispers warnings in my ear, reminding me of past betrayals. Excitement bubbles up, tempting me with the promise of belonging. Uncertainty holds me back, questioning every choice.

This new world of shadow shifters is a double-edged sword, both full of potential and fraught with unknown dangers. Can I really trust these guys? Can I trust anyone?

I take a deep breath, trying to ground myself. It’s not a terrible start to the semester, I suppose, but as I glance around the bustling cafeteria, a chill runs down my spine. The lighthearted atmosphere feels fragile, like a thin veneer hiding something darker beneath.

“You know what?” I turn to Tori, my decision made. “Let’s go to that party.”

Her eyebrows shoot up in surprise. “Really? What changed your mind?”

I shrug, aiming for nonchalance even as my heart races. “We might as well have some fun while we can, right?”

As we gather our things to leave, I can’t shake the feeling that this might be the calm before the storm, and I intend to make the most of it.