Page 11 of Cleo

“No, it’s from the school. We have a fund to provide students who do not have other income to have what they need. Part of the scholarship you received.”

“But I can never pay it back. This had to cost…” I had zero idea what amount of money anything cost. One more flaw I would have to overcome to survive in this new environment. Or any other part of the outside world. “I don’t have a way to repay the school for any of it.”

“Scholarships do not require repayment.” She led me to the front row of desks and settled me in a seat then took the one next to me. “That’s how they work. Not just for you but for everyone who receives one.”

“Then how do I show my gratitude?”

“By studying hard and getting good grades.”

I shook my head. “That isn’t fair. I mean, I’m getting value here.” I might not know how much, but I knew when things had worth. “And I have to give back.”

She clapped her hands. “Yes. And I believe because you said that you were an excellent choice for the scholarship. When you graduate, you can give back by using your education to help others when they cross your path. It’s how we all pay back.” She shrugged. “I chose to use my degree to teach here.”

“Were you, that is, did you…” It was not my business, but she picked up on my question.

“On scholarship? You bet. So I know what it’s like. In human schools, sometimes scholarship kids are bullied, but not here. At least not usually. Nobody even knows who is paying and who is not.”

“Wow.” I’d seen bullying on Netflix and Hulu and Prime shows. “That’s a relief. I promise to use my new tablet and everything to study hard and get the very best grades in the whole school.” I bounced to my feet and grabbed the box, hugging it close to me.

She laughed. “Just do your best, and nobody can ask more. But I wouldn’t be surprised to find you are a superstar student.”She glanced at the clock over her desk. “Unless you rack up a lot of tardies.’

“Oh no!” I thanked her for all her good advice and raced out the door where Pax waited in the hallway to guide me to my next class.

Chapter Eleven

What a daunting day! Finding the dining hall on my own had turned into a fiasco despite the crowd flowing in that direction.

So when I looked down at my schedule and saw that the next class was shifting and moreover, would be held outside, I nearly sprinted to be the first there.

Except, I had trouble finding out how to take the elevator to the roof. It still scared me, to start with, that moving enclosed box. What if it stopped? I didn’t dare ask for help. Not that I believed everyone had bad intentions, but I felt stupid for inquiring in the first place.

“Cleo?” I turned to see Miles walking at top speed to catch up with me. “You’re going the wrong way.”

“How do you know?” I croaked out. Did I look lost? I looked down at my chest, thinking he could see right through me, or maybe I hadLoststamped right across my shirt.

“Because we have our next class together, and you’re walking in the opposite direction.”

I snorted and let out a hysterical laugh. Way to make him think I was ridiculous. “That will do it. Point me in the right direction?” My cheeks filled with heat. I really wished they would stop doing that. It gave so much away. Like the fact that Miles was adorable and sexy in a boy-next-door kind of way. If Miles had been the boy next door, if there had been any neighbors at all near our compound, I would’ve run away next door to meet him.

“How about I walk with you? Jude and Pax are already there, I bet.”

“Oh, okay.”

As we moved along, several females said hello to him. He waved or slightly smiled, always being polite but rubbed at the back of his neck. He was uncomfortable with the attention, I thought. I wasn’t good at reading males except to determine if they were an enemy or not, but I was sure that was the vibe coming from Miles.

Except he had gone out of his way to talk to me. Walk me to class. Pax had as well.

Pax had been a safe house in my earlier mental tornado.

He showed me how to operate the elevator, and once the door slid open, there was nothing but green as far as I could see. My supernatural side picked up a bit of a glimmer in parts of the sky. I knew that glimmer. There was an enchantment on this place. Of course there was. This Werewolf Academy right in the center of an urban sprawl. And we were about to shift right here, high above where humans got coffee or went to work, whatever humans did.

We gathered in front of a teacher and listened while she laid out the rules. No fighting. No challenges. Nothing dangerous.

While the teacher was talking, Jude came to stand beside me. His hand brushed mine causing a full-body shiver.

All of these males had such dramatic effects on me, but for all I knew, they could be players. Males who had many females they had sex with or dated without commitment. I never understood that part of the human movies. Why mate with all kinds of males and females when none of that would compare to the connection we could have with our fated mate. Despite my father’s complete resistance to the idea of fated mates, my heart still believed in them.

“Now, let’s shift everyone.”

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