Chapter 8

Dylan

T he dining hall was buzzing with conversation while Dylan and Serafine ate. Dylan's hearing made it difficult for her to focus on a lot of what her friend was telling her. Many voices were speaking about so many things, and Dylan had to narrow her focus on the person in front of her before her wolf went crazy. Being inside a large room like this was horrendous for Werewolves. Their heightened senses became overwhelmed, and the wolf could see that as a threat. It had been a long time since Dylan had experienced this amount of people inside the same room. Normally, if a bunch of people were coming to the pack for a meeting and everyone had to be involved, it would be held outside. Managing in clubs was simple. Drinking or listening to music could make the wolf focus on what was happening around them. The wolf understood it was a key preparation before even going to a club. Sometimes, Dylan would block her wolf from even surfacing so she could have fun. While in a new place, her wolf refused to be locked behind a wall so Dylan could experience this in peace. There were too many scents and noises she didn't recognize, so the wolf wouldn't leave her unprotected.

Another reason why I need to just eat what is on my plate and get back to my damn room.

Serafine looked like she was on vacation. Her smile lit up the room, and she was conversing like she was used to this level of interference with her wolf daily.

"How the hell can you stand this?" Dylan snapped.

Serafine looked as though she was slapped in her face. "What do you mean?"

"All the scents, all the noise, all the chatter... how is your wolf not going crazy?"

Serafine smiled. It irritated Dylan to see Serafine so at ease.

Maybe I am a lot more dominant than her.

Dominants had a horrible track record of needing control of everything around them, which is a huge reason why Dylan didn't want a dominant mate. To her wolf, there was nothing in this room she could control, and that was a problem.

"My wolf and I have an understanding. She can be close to the surface and listen in while we are in unfamiliar places as long as she doesn't ruin my fun. Shockingly, she can keep track of everything. I swear she zeroes in on conversations, listens for keywords that would mean trouble, and if she doesn't find anything, she just moves on. It helps."

"How? My wolf is trying desperately not to lose control and run back to the room right now."

Serafine reached across the table and patted Dylan's hand, which was balled into a fist, and her knuckles were white. Feeling her friend's calming energy as she kept her cool, her wolf settled a little.

"We can go back. I saw some bags up there that said takeaway or something on them. I think they are meant for us to take back to our rooms so, if something happens, we have some food to tide us over until the next meal."

Dylan nodded. "That might be best."

They gathered their things and stood up when three girls flanked their table. The one in the middle was taller than the others. Her hair was chestnut brown with a little bit of a red tint, and she had bright green eyes, high cheekbones, and pink-glossed lips. Every hair on her head was perfectly placed, her nails were manicured, and her outfit looked as if she belonged on the runway for whoever the designer was. Dylan could smell the secretion from the worms that wove the threads of her red silk blouse, and the black slacks she wore screamed money. Dylan wanted to roll her eyes as the girl placed her hands on the table, the two blondes cocking a hip while having their arms across their chest as they stared down her and Serafine, but she thought it would cause more trouble. The one on the right had her hair in loose curls, her steel gray eyes staring past her at the wall. She wasn't sure if it was because Dylan outranked her, or she didn't want to cause Dylan to want to challenge her when the boss seemed to be doing just that. The other blonde's green eyes were doing the same, but Dylan noticed this one had the hard lines of a resting bitch face since practically birth. The blondes were just as manicured as their leader, and Dylan felt a decent amount of power rolling off her.

Is this supposed to make me fear her or something?

Maybe we need to teach this pup a lesson.

No!

Dylan felt her wolf surge to the surface, and Dylan winced at how hard she had to pull back on the reins just so these girls would not feel her power. Her wolf snarled at her inside of her head, and Dylan had to tell her wolf how it was better to lay low right now. If other wolves knew how dominant she was, it could mean they would want to buddy up to her. Werewolves have an uncanny ability to form a hierarchy once dominance is established within the room. She even noticed a room full of Alphas doing the same. If she allowed her wolf to show off her entire hand before she was ready, this place would notice a bunch of the werewolves following her around like puppies.

The leader smirked at Dylan's face, and it was difficult not to stifle a laugh.

This chick thinks I am wincing at her power. This should be fun.

"I understand you are new here. Let me introduce myself. I am Camilla Adler." She pointed to Dylan's right and said, "That's Hazel James," and then to the left, "Gianna Adams."

Dylan held out her hand to Camilla. "Dylan Pierce."

Camilla took her hand and was sure to squeeze it. Dylan pretended to wince. She wasn't going to give a damn thing away right now. This was the Queen Bee trying to make Dylan feel inferior since she was new at the school. It wasn't going to work.

"I'm Serafine Osmera." Serafine wiggled her fingers at them.

Camilla dropped Dylan's hand and stood straight. She folded her arms over her chest and plastered a fake smile on her face.

"We werewolves will have a little fire tonight behind the dorm. We'd love for you to join us so we can all get to know each other better."

"That sounds like fun!" Serafine exclaimed and bounced in her seat.

Dylan smiled at her friend. "It does sound like fun. I guess we are in."

"Awesomeness. Can't wait to see you there!"

Camilla snapped her fingers, turned on her heel, and walked through the cafeteria while wiggling her ass. The other two were on her heels and mimicking the same walk as they did. Dylan shook her head and then looked at Serafine.

"I know girls like that. We need to watch ourselves while at this bonfire."

Serafine waved her off. "You are thinking too much into it. We are all here for the same reason. Just because she came over here and acted like that doesn't mean she is malicious. She's probably trying to learn more about us so we can make an alliance. You know people here tend to make those, right?"

Dylan wanted to believe her positive outlook friend, but she wasn't buying it. Every girl she ever met who acted like that tended to try to push her dominance over everyone to make them bow down to her. Camilla was powerful enough to be fated to an Alpha or someone in line to be one, so she would want to look like a Luna and show off to her mate how she had people fawning all over her and listening to her every word while here, so he would want her back.

I wonder why she was rejected.

No personality?

Dylan smiled at her wolf's words. Maybe she would try to find that information out while at this bonfire. Curiosity was getting the better of her because, normally, Dylan wouldn't care. It also wasn't often that people stepped up to her and tried to establish that they were more dominant than her. Her wolf was still unhappy with her for pretending to be lesser than this she-wolf, but Dylan still felt it was the best course of action.

Tonight is going to be very interesting.

Serafine was throwing clothes left and right out of her closet as Dylan sat on the edge of her friend's bed. She shook her head as Serafine frantically tried to find an outfit she deemed worthy for the first social event of their academic career.

Her words, not mine.

"We need to look our best, Dylan! Those girls were manicured from their heads to their toes. If they want to be friends with us, we need to be on their level."

Dylan scoffed. "Sweetie, no we don't. Why would we even be interested in being friends with them, anyway? They were trying to intimidate us."

"No! That's not what they were doing at all. They were trying to invite us into their circle. They just had to establish a boundary."

"A boundary? What boundary would they need to establish for the two new girls to the school other than they are the queens and we need to learn our place?"

A look was tossed over Serafine's shoulder before she went back to digging in her closet. "You are so off about these kinds of things. You are so high up in the hierarchy that you only have dealt with people trying to knock you down a level."

"Yet none have ever managed to do that. Neither will Camilla. Just so you know, I've seen how this normally plays out, Serafine. She will try something while at this bonfire to establish the pecking order with the new people here."

"She's not going to try a thing. The whole dorm is going to be out there."

"Exactly my point. She is going to try something because everyone is going to be there. The best time to establish your dominance is when everyone is in the room to see you win the fight."

"You're paranoid. It's going to be fun. It's a great way to start the semester by having fun and blowing off the nervous jitters."

Dylan agreed with her on that. It could be fun, and a party was always a good way to burn the nervous energy before a big day. Serafine settled on a low-cut pair of jean shorts and a deep purple blouse. Dylan shook her head for the hundredth time at her friend for trying to look like the three girls. She could understand wanting to fit in, but that should only go so far. Being nice or civil with the Queen Bee, sure. But never try to look like them. Serafine was smiling while looking at herself in the mirror. Dylan complimented her and told her they should get moving now that the sun had set. The fire would be built, and people would be mingling. If they wanted to be a part of this, they needed to actually be a part of it.

A clear night sky is a canvas of cosmic wonder stretching wide above them. It's a velvety expanse punctuated by the twinkling of distant stars, each a fiery beacon from lightyears away. The moon, in its silvery splendor, casts a gentle glow, illuminating the contours of the landscape below. Meteors streak briefly, their fiery tails burning bright against the dark, a reminder of the universe's vastness and beauty. It's a sight that humbles and inspires, where the infinite feels close enough to touch. Dylan smiled at seeing the moon in its waxing gibbous phase, looking as if it was smiling down at them all. She could feel the moon's pull, basking in its magic that could feed into her power if she wished. The moon aided werewolves in their shift. The gibbous stage would only give her a slight advantage in shifting faster, but not nearly as much as a full moon.

Thank God it isn't a full moon tonight. Running with all these people when I don't know them would make me on edge instead of relaxed.

And would give those girls more reason to push our buttons.

They walked behind the dorm and heard the murmurs of conversation as they rounded the corner. There were at least twenty people there, and Dylan felt her skin beginning to crawl at seeing them all. She would rather grab some alcohol and hang with Serafine in one of their rooms, but that wasn't an option. The bonfire was three feet in diameter and already stood four feet tall. The air filled with burning wood, a comforting and exhilarating fragrance. Shadows play across the faces of those gathered, making Dylan remember the ones she attended at home.

Camilla and her posse sat in camping chairs by the fire. It was slightly on a hill, giving them the edge of looking higher than the rest. Dylan noticed the rest of the females sat lower than Camilla. The guys were all standing in various places, talking in groups of two or three. Dylan's eye caught the eye of one, and her heart fluttered at his smile. His dark hair was styled to a small point, and his strong jaw had a tiny notch halfway between his chin and ear. She noticed his moss-green eyes were staring at her from across the fire. The way his broad shoulders were muscled, and how the guys around him looked at him, he was dominant. They listened intently while he talked, which normally was a sign of wolves waiting to hear a command they needed to follow from their Alpha. He cracked a joke, and they all laughed. Dylan heard his laugh, and she felt her stomach flip-flop.

Really Dylan? You are at this stupid place because of a guy rejecting you, and you are getting all girly the moment a cute guy smiles your way? Stop it.

Dylan noticed movement in her peripherals, and she turned in time to see Camilla getting up from her seat. The effort she put into looking like she wanted to be here made Serafine nudge her with an elbow. "If I can hear you growling, so can they."

I didn't even realize I was growling.

Camilla approached them with a smile and embraced Serafine first. "I'm so glad you two came!" Then she embraced Dylan. "I can't wait for you to meet everyone!" She then introduced them to every female there. Dylan would ask why she wasn't introducing them to the guys, but Camilla must have anticipated the question. "Jackson over there prefers to introduce new females to the males. With everyone so heartbroken over our mates, he keeps them in line from trying to take advantage of us. He's an Alpha like that." Camilla looked over at the guy Dylan was ogling adoringly, and she felt another growl climb through her throat.

I don't have ownership of that guy. Why do I care if she looks at him?

"We've totally been dating since we both got here. There's no guarantee our mates will take us back anyway."

Dylan's head snapped to look at Camilla. "Are you two fated?"

Camilla laughed and put her head on her chest. "What? No! I wish though. The way he commands the room and takes care of whoever he feels worthy…" sighing as she batted her eyes and smiled to show she was in that category before finishing with, "I would never need another mate again."

Dylan tried not to gag, but she still felt that growl in her throat. She didn't like hearing Camilla talk about this guy. The stirring inside her chest told her the one thing she didn't want to happen.

Jackson was possibly another fated mate of hers.

The urge to walk over to him and touch him so she would know for sure was strong. Her wolf paced inside her mind at the idea, and Dylan knew if she didn't shut out her wolf, the wolf would push into a shift just to do it herself. They were at odds, which was rare for Dylan. The two of them got along, and they agreed on everything. The way the wolf was waging war inside her mind told her exactly what she needed to know. Dylan didn't even want one mate, and now she had two. If Jackson accepted his mate back, and the mate accepted him, how would that even work? She didn't want to know. That was too much right now when she still needed to get through these damn classes so she could go home.

I will just need to avoid touching him. If I can do that, the bond will never show, and he can return to his mate.

The wolf inside her howled at that thought. She wanted to know. Jackson looked over at her, and their eyes connected. She felt a wave of tingles through her body as he licked his bottom lip. He gave her a nod that told her he noticed her staring at him. When a hand slapped Dylan across her face, the wolf reigned in and growled. The growl emitted as Dylan's focus squared in on Camilla. Her face was red with anger, and her chest was shaking with her heavy breathing. Dylan saw Camilla's hands balled into fists.

"I tell you that he is mine, and you stare at him like you are undressing him with your eyes? What is wrong with you?

"First off, you lay your hands on me again, and you will no longer have hands. Second, it's not my fault I got caught up in the stare. He is a handsome guy. I'm sure many ladies are looking at him like that. Probably from other species. You mean to tell me you are slapping everyone looking at him like that?"

Camilla growled at the challenge. "I am keeping all the females of our species in line as a Luna should."

Dylan laughed. "You are acting as though you are mated. I believe Pack Law indicates that the only wolves off the market are the ones that have proof of being fated mates and are mated. Until then, anyone can freely explore a possible bond. If you think you will be a Luna without understanding Pack Law, I think you have another thing coming."

Camilla swung her hand back to slap Dylan again, but Serafine caught her by the wrist before she connected. Her red-headed friend stepped up to Camilla, and a fierce growl left her throat. "You touch anyone with malicious intent like this again, I will be the one ensuring your hands are cut from your body myself." Then Serafine threw Camilla's arm back into her, and Camilla's feet shifted until she regained balance.

"Who do you think you two are? How dare you walk into this friendly get-together and turn it into a fight!"

Dylan realized all the wolves were looking at them now. Jackson folded his arms across his chest and leaned inward to get her attention. She looked back at Camilla, knowing that if she just challenged her, it would end everything, but she also knew that it was against the rules just to blurt it out while on school grounds.

"I'm going to say this once, Camilla. Don't cross me, and I won't cross you. If you think for a damn moment you can boss either of us around because you are the top bitch at this school, think again. I will lay your ass out every time. Instead of embarrassing yourself, just stay the fuck away from us." Dylan looked at Serafine. "I'm going to my room to prep for tomorrow. You staying?"

"Fuck that. I'm coming with. Don't need to be around bitches who think their shit don't stink."

Dylan and Serafine walked back to the room, and Dylan could feel the heat forming at the back of her head from the glares and stares of the wolves they left behind.

The quicker I get through these classes, the better.