Chapter 44

Emely

Noah's hand pressed against mine and he moaned softly. I looked deep into his dull blue eyes, but he couldn't hold my gaze. Sweat trickled down his forehead. The one vein protruding from his temple pulsed violently.

The corners of my mouth moved upwards with confidence. Then I pushed his hand down onto the log and shot upwards.

"Damn it!" Noah groaned in frustration and pounded his fist on the log.

The guys around us started cheering loudly and a few people on campus glanced over at us, but I had learned early on to ignore the looks from the girls here.

I smelled their jealousy over the fact that I was often the center of attention for the most desirable guys on the football team – without even wanting to be – and their distaste for my challenging side.

I might dress like a girl, I might have long hair and feminine features, but growing up as the only girl among my brother's friends had definitely left its mark.

It was in my nature. And even if I didn't take my shirt off or – unlike most of the pack – wasn't often on the verge of getting into a fight, I liked to join in the games.

"Someday, Emely..." Noah warned me with an acted somberness and I laughed.

There were only two men who had beaten me at this game so far. One was running around campus with a witch like he was her bodyguard, and the other was spending his semester abroad in the United States.

I was jolted out of my thoughts, which had been about to wallow in old memories. It was the loudspeakers on the far too classy-looking campus lanterns.

Someone cleared his throat, and I knew immediately that it was my absent-minded uncle who seemed to be having trouble with the microphone. But his throat-clearing was enough to make everyone on campus pause, probably because he'd just torn Nash and Julian apart half an hour ago.

I still cursed them both for their recklessness.

"Dear students of Vanderwood. It's that time again. Three years are almost up, which means the next presidential elections for the Student Council Committee are coming up next March."

The elections. Something that only existed at Vanderwood in this form.

"Any student at Vanderwood University who is nominated by at least eighty students and wants to actively participate in shaping campus life, in addition to the general student challenges, can participate."

I snorted.

This campus was in a disastrous state. Witches and Ruisangor offspring trying to mess with us and, most recently, Jenny Bexley's news channel project, which had wanted to interview me four times last week.

Wasn't it enough her parents were already terrorizing the town with their ridiculous news station?

"The election will proceed as it does every year, which means that after the nomination period of four months, votes will be collected for the nominated candidates in the first week of March, and the top four who advance will have to develop their campaign program, including suggestions for improving campus life, and defend it in the form of a campaign speech."

My gaze wandered across the campus to the two sports cars. A Lamborghini and a Ferrari . The Ruisangors were leaning against the engine hoods. Three young men in their twenties with sunglasses who had no business being here.

The body had been found in their wooded area just a few hours ago. A young woman with the pictures of two little girls in her locket, as word had spread half an hour ago.

If the two girls had been her children, she must have been very beautiful before someone had peeled the skin off her face.

The turmoil in my stomach grew louder and louder as I became more and more certain that those heartless bastards were behind it. I didn't even want to think about what they were capable of.

I'd had a quick word with Alarik this morning, begging him to follow the code for once . And I had stupidly given up. My mistake, as I realized at that very moment.

"You have four months to get nominated and already work on an election program."

There was one more way to get the DeLoughreys off this campus. With democracy.

"Feel encouraged to get your friends and fellow students to nominate you for the election. This is your chance to make a difference."

The speakers fell silent with an electric crackle.

My gaze drifted down to the bracelet with the Esadowas' patterns of blue, red, and orange woven into it. It was one of the last mementos of a woman I had never had the chance to meet. But I knew that she would have stood up for her people.

Determined, I wheeled around to the guys.

"Nash, how about this?" Cody laughed. "You're going to be the new campus president?"

" Fuck man , forget it," my brother said grimly, his chest rising and falling as if he'd just run a five-hour marathon. He was still holding tissues to his nose.

"Why not?" Cody replied with a teasing smile. "I'm sure the girls would all vote for you."

"He's right," I interjected before Nash could protest. "You should get nominated." I pointed at his closest friend. "And you too, Hunter."

Nash looked at me, unimpressed.

Sometimes you just had to force him to be happy.

"What?" Hunter stammered.

"I'm putting myself up, too," I added quickly. Then there was only one person left to take us to the final. I looked around, and my eyes fell on Harry, Hunter's big and reasonable brother.

"Wow, wow, wow..." Hunter exclaimed and stood in front of me, placing his strong hand on my shoulder. "Wait, Emely."

I narrowed my eyes determinedly.

"This is our chance to get rid of the DeLoughreys."

The guys exchanged conflicted glances. Nash and Hunter looked at me searchingly.

"You want to kick them out by becoming president?" Cody asked, confused.

"Not such a bad idea..." Noah returned with a raised thumb before tapping the tree stump. "I'd be happy to support you."

"Then take part in the election," I urged him. "We'll all nominate each other and round up people to help us."

Noah looked at me, thinking.

Why were they all so hesitant? Just like me and the rest of the pack, they wanted the DeLoughreys to crawl back into their bush and preferably never come back.

"How about this," Noah suggested. "We all nominate one of us. And since Nash obviously doesn't want to, and Hunter doesn't exactly look like the campaign champion either, I'd suggest you."

Noah seemed serious. And the guys around us, except for my brother, nodded in agreement.

"Just me?" I asked suspiciously.

I could already see the booing, because I was definitely not one of the most popular students.

"You've got what it takes," Noah said. "Besides, you're studying law. I'm sure you can defend yourself well."

Funny . I had only just started studying.

"I'm all for it," Cody said, patting my free shoulder.

That was the moment Hunter finally let go of me and backed away in thought.

"If anyone can kick the DeLoughreys out, it's her," Cody added.

I really appreciated how much Cody always supported me in everything.

"You guys should still get nominated." I looked back up at my brother, who hadn't said much about my plan until now. " You , Nash. You're popular."

And suddenly, I had an idea.

The guys started arguing.

I wheeled around and started walking.

"Where are you going, Emy?" I heard Nash call out.

"To see Alarik."

Alarik shook his head, and disappointment instantly spread through me.

"No way."

"But you make the rules here," I returned impatiently. "And it would only be fair if we had a voice at this university. This place belongs to us." I pointed outside through the huge window next to his desk. "It's the last thing our family still owns."

At least when it came to real estate, and you left out the Pavati Lake housing project and the hospital.

"I won't support any sort of hatemongering," Alarik replied sharply. His look was filled with...disappointment? "It's time you learn to coexist with the other species." Shaking his head, he turned back to his papers. "I found it alarming enough that you transformed in front of the Quatura and attacked one of them."

I crossed my arms in indignation.

"That was Vivienna . Everyone hates that girl."

My uncle sighed, lowered his quill and looked at his open laptop.

"Apparently, just as many people like her because she's already been nominated with 40 votes."

I widened my eyes.

"What?"

It had only been half an hour since Alarik had announced the elections, which would take place in early spring ...

Of course , that arrogant little witch had already let herself be nominated. I didn't even want to know what her intentions were.

I would wait until November... I probably needed the time to find someone who was willing to vote for me.

"By the way, I'm glad you want to join the campaign." I thought I could see the hint of a smile on Alarik's lips. "Here you can show the potential that's drowning at home."

I stared at him. It was all I was capable of.

"Alarik."

I wheeled around and spotted my father in the doorway. He looked at me, but only for a split second before he looked back at Alarik. And he didn't look happy at all.

I wonder if he had heard what Alarik had just said, or if it was still the news that was driving him up the wall.

"A word," he demanded, looking at me again. "Emely, if you'll excuse us."

The formality in his voice left a tug in my chest. But before it could become more than that, I nodded.

"Of course..."

I left the office and closed the door behind me.

This time, just go down the hall and let Father and Alarik talk.

I really wanted to, but my father's angry voice made invisible chains grow around my feet like tendrils, forcing me to look around and then put my ear to the cold wood of the solid office door.

"Do you realize who you've let into our university? These young men are murderers !"

I was aware of who Father was talking about. There was only one family in town he would call murderers.

"I doubt that any of these three young men are responsible for the murder in Fogs Forest," Alarik replied in a calm voice.

The only reason Father hadn't yet taken the Director title from his younger brother was because Alarik was the only Senseque in the pack worthy of leading a university. And he was a Beta.

"Think, brother!" Father pressed out impatiently. "The timing of their clan leader sending them here right now..."

" Bastien sent them," my uncle replied immediately. "From what I understand, the clan leader himself was less than enthusiastic about it."

Silence . I knew Father was struggling with himself.

"I don't like the fact that you know these criminals by name."

Alarik sighed. "I assure you I have nothing to do with them, yet we cannot simply exclude students. This institution is public. And having them here might help you keep the peace."

I almost snorted in annoyance.

Alarik really was living in fairyland if he believed that.

"Don't be a fool, Alarik!" Father snapped at him. "Even if I wanted peace, Nicolaj DeLoughrey doesn't."

Nicolaj . The clan head about whom dark stories circulated in the pack.

"He wants me dead; he wants my sons dead, and he intends to see the pack bleed... He can't wait to wipe us out!" I heard Father pacing nervously. "And he proved that by almost completely wiping out our line before the witches' treaties."

I wondered where we would be without those treaties. If one species would have wiped out the other by now?

" Now , we have the treaties, which, mind you, have kept peace between the species for two centuries."

The urge to tear open the door and defend Father against Alarik's optimistic arguments grew stronger and stronger.

"You really are a fool if you don't also sense the instability of these treaties!" Father stopped walking. "Nicolaj never wanted peace. He was forced to sign the treaties. And these attacks on humans are just the beginning!"

Alarik said nothing in response to Father's words.

Something distracted me. I felt a strange cold sensation on the back of my neck as if someone was watching me.

I looked around. The corridor was empty. I smelled... nothing. But the feeling remained.

"This university is yours." My father's words rang through the door. They were closer now. "But sometimes, I wonder if I haven't made a mistake leaving it to you."

Footsteps approached the door. And as always, I stole away unnoticed before anyone could spot me.

We had just arrived at our family's country estate when Finn hurried through the doorway across the stone terrace, one of the countless Jeep car keys in his hand.

"Finn..." I called out, and he looked up, pausing briefly. "Are you all right?"

Finn looked in a hurry, as if something had happened. He must have just come back from school.

"Dad's out of his mind," he replied with a pitying expression. "So, watch out and just do what he tells you to do." He waved the car key in the air. "I have to go to the guys."

He could only mean his high school friends, who were all about to undergo their first transformation soon.

As a result, the stronger among them would not only rise from the Omega rank to the Delta rank, they would also all have to submit to Father's alpha bond.

Finn hurried down the terrace into the pebble front garden and disappeared along one of the paths that led through the bushes around the house.

Nervousness grew inside me.

I looked at Nash, then at my father's office window.

"Come..." I urged Nash, and we disappeared into the house, walking through the wide entryway to Father's double office door.

Nash knocked and after Father invited us in. I closed the door.

Father was pacing back and forth like he was getting ready for something. When he looked up, he looked grimly at Nash, stepped toward him, and put his hands on Nash's shoulders.

"Listen to me, son. Your uncle doesn't want to do anything about the Ruisangors."

I had tried to keep my mouth shut, but the comment just slipped out.

"You're his Alpha, Father. He's under your command. He must obey you."

Father had wanted to say something else to Nash, but he fell silent, looking at me instead, for longer than a second...longer than two, three...

My nervousness returned, and I began to fiddle with my bracelet.

Had I interrupted him?

"Emy's right."

Father was still looking at me, but it felt more like he was looking through me. Then, in a hurry, he turned his eyes away from me.

"That man has a mind of his own," Father growled in displeasure. "I didn't call you here to discuss Alarik. I want you to be careful and tell your men to stay away from the borders of Fogs Forest." He let go of Nash and paced around his desk, rummaging through his files as if looking for something. "My men already know."

He didn't find what he was looking for, tapped the top of the desk for a moment, then hurried away from the desk again, past his organized chess table, toward the window.

Nash stared at Father with concern. Or was it confusion? The same confusion I always felt in this room?

Father wheeled around and looked at Nash urgently.

"What are you waiting for?"

Nash snapped out of his stupor, turned and hurried past me, out of Father's office, while Father turned back to the window.

I felt like I was glued to the floor. I wanted to leave the office, but it didn't feel right. I didn't want to leave Father alone with these problems. I wanted to support him somehow.

The words left my mouth on their own, even if they were well-chosen.

"I'm going to get involved in the university's election campaigns and make sure the DeLoughreys are de-registered."

Euphoria filled my chest. Father would be proud if I managed that. And I wouldn't let him down.

He turned toward me. Something I hadn't expected, because he often tended to stare into the garden, or rather, into the void.

But now he was looking at me, fixating me with his gaze, which, as always, I couldn't interpret.

Father had never put his alpha bond on me, and I had stopped worrying about it. He probably didn't want to make it difficult for me to accept Nash as my Alpha someday.

His stare brought me back to the present, pooling all my nervousness in the center of my chest until I couldn't take it anymore and reached for my bracelet.

Father's gaze traveled down my arm and lingered on the spot where the fabric of the bracelet nestled against my wrist.

Something in his expression hardened.

I fought the urge to clasp my hands behind my back so that he could no longer see the bracelet.

Somewhere outside the house, tires squealed.

The sound was enough to snap Father out of his stupor. He turned his eyes away from me, paced across the room, past me.

"Tell Nash he has to be in my office at eight o'clock tonight."

I nodded, even though he couldn't see it. Then he was gone.

I didn't know how much longer I stood there staring into nothing, just like him, until the confusion inside me was enough that I had to move to get rid of it.

Lost in thought, I wandered through the hallway to the lounge, where old paintings from the early days and model ships were displayed in glass cabinets next to the floor-to-ceiling windows, past the seating furniture to the burning fireplace.

I simply stood there and stared into the fire, which brought out the veins in my arms as well as my glowing eyes and captivated me with its fascinating flicker.

Almost of its own accord, I slipped the bracelet off my wrist. It took effort to look away from the flames, not only because I was magically drawn to them, but also because the bracelet in my hands seemed to repel my gaze.

My eyes settled on the fabric anyway, scrutinizing the zigzag pattern and the wooden pearls.

I had always tried to feel something when I looked at them. Devotion, longing... guilt, regret. But all I felt was painful confusion.

Mind drifting, I held out my hand... And let the bracelet fall into the flames.

A crackling sound made the hairs on my arm stand up, and I watched as heat ate into the pattern, reducing the fabric to ashes far too quickly.

A tear tried to escape my eye, but I turned away from the fireplace in time, left the lounge, hurried up the stairs, and retreated to my room to study for law school for the rest of the day.