Chapter Eight

The rest of the day mimicked the first half. Information overload. But I would organize myself and get the work done. I had to. It was either success in the Werewolf Academy or some entry-level job that would leave me eating ramen every day.

While there were worse things, I was determined to earn my scholarship even though it was simply given to me.

"There you are," Minx said. She and Ava were dressed in jeans and tank tops, almost identical, leaning on the wall outside my dorm room.

"Here I am," I said. "What's up?"

"We thought we'd hang out a bit. Take a walk somewhere. Unwind and decompress after your first day. You looked spent at lunch." Ava produced an iced coffee from behind her back. "And we brought coffee."

"Give me ten minutes. Should I try to match your twinsie freak here?" I asked, pointing to their outfits.

"Yes. You have to match us or else." Minx laughed. "Besides, I had this on first. Ava is a big copycat."

While they went back and forth over who had what on first, we went inside my room and I quickly changed into a flowy V-neck T-shirt. My favorite one, actually.

Minx and Ava brought me up to the roof where they said all the physical activity took place. Weapons training, archery, and defense classes.

"Let's sit over there in the sun. My skin needs the vitamins," Ava exclaimed. We sat side by side on a bench in a safe zone away from the zipping arrows of an archery session.

As soon as my ass hit the bench, my gaze was drawn to someone on the other side of the field.

Artemis.

"Tell us everything about your first day. There's no one's ass we need to kick, right?" Ava asked.

"Should there be?" I eyed them both.

"Well, the other females around her get a little catty once they think one of the bachelors might be unavailable. That's why we pretty much keep to each other. And now you. Dahlia too. She's cool."

"I'm so confused," I admitted. "No one has been catty to me. They haven't exactly been friendly, but Dahlia mentioned they mostly come from established packs and don't accept new people right away."

Minx cocked her head. "Dahlia is kind of a loner. I hate the way they treat her. I don't have any classes with her, but she deserves better. She used to sit alone at mealtimes before you. We should've included her earlier."

While we spoke, my wolf demanded my attention stay on Artemis. He stopped his shooting to take off his shirt, and I nearly died of lust on the spot. My throat dried up. My heart fluttered so hard I thought it might sprout wings and get away from me. He had sculpted abs and some of those abs had abs. Shiny little rivers of sweat made their way down valleys and peaks of rippling tendons and muscles, my body swaying toward him without permission.

He really was a god. Artemis raised his bow and set the arrow in place. My eyes followed the motion as he pulled the string back and took aim at the bullseye at the end of his lane.

Holding my breath, I watched every second until the tip of the arrow hit the target, exactly in the center, and I let a breath loose.

"You all right there, Sister?" Ava fanned me with her arms. Minx took up the movement as well. I slapped at their hands. Surely someone, probably Artemis, would notice, and I would be thoroughly embarrassed.

"I think I'm gonna faint," I said, laughing.

"Well, that boy is a tall glass of water. Maybe you're just thirsty."

"Stop it!" I covered my face with my hands. "Can we go somewhere else?"

Ava blew out a breath. "No damned way. This is too entertaining. So you like Ian and Neo too? I mean, they always hang out together. Or do you only have a lady boner for Artemis? I mean, no one can blame you. He certainly knows how to handle his…arrow."

Ava went on with all kinds of innuendos about arrows and aiming until Minx and I had tears running down our faces from laughing so hard.

"Okay, okay." Ava put up her hands. "I'm done. I swear. But I'm not above texting you if I think of more. Expect texts in the middle of the night from me, Kiki. I do my best thinking at night and in the shower."

"Oh?" I said. "I thought with three mates you'd be busy at night, and in the shower, for that matter."

Minx cracked up. "She's not wrong, Ava. You're giving your boys a bad rep."

"No, I'm not. They are the muse for my dirty thoughts, after all. I'm glad I could make you laugh. You need that."

I agreed.

"Well, one thing is for sure," Minx said. "He likes you too. He hasn't been able to make a bullseye since he realized you were over here."

I took a chance and looked at the target in Artemis' lane. Minx was right. His arrows were all over the place.

"Everyone has a bad day. It has nothing to do with me being here. You two are terrible."

Ava bumped my shoulder with hers. "Sure. Keep telling yourself that. In the meantime, we're taking bets."