Page 12 of Stalked By Monsters

I force a smile on my face, but I can tell that it’s weak at best judging by the way her brows furrow. What other choice do I have though? I can’t tell her about Denver and me, not at least until I know for sure that it’s over. I mean, it’s definitely over. Maybe?

“Is it seeing Greyson again?” Harper asks, giving me a sympathetic look as if she’d cracked the code.

“I guess there were some nerves about seeing him again,” I say hesitantly. It was partially because of Greyson, so it’s not technically a lie, right? After the party I’d been a bit more distant, not wanting this exact situation to happen.

“I knew it,” Harper exclaims, a smile spreading across her lips at the fact that she’s able to sleuth her way into my private life.

She remembers herself at my pointed look and wipes the prideful glee from her face. Taking my hands in hers, she looks up at me with what I’m guessing is supposed to be commiseration. She’s lucky I understand how competitive she is, otherwise to someone else she would seem disingenuous.

“I know you don’t want the rumors to fly, but would it really be so bad to let yourself get close to him?” Harper asks, like we haven’t had this conversation a million times before. “You’re supposed to have multiple partners after all. One can still be a Glenda-appropriate suitor.”

I huff out a breath of annoyance at her reminder of my future. As she so aptly put it, as the coven leader it’s tradition to have multiple partners as decreed from the goddess to harness and wield our magic properly. My mother had only ever had my father as it’s common to add partners once taking on the position. And of course, that’s another reason why I have to be careful about who I’m seen with. My deadline is fast approaching for having my partners together and if I don’t choose my own, Glenda will choose them for me. And despite Harper saying I could entertain some of Glenda’s suitors if Greyson even wanted to be with me, I’m not sure I could. It’ll be hard enough to endure this extended lifetime with someone like Bryan, I’m not sure I’ll be able to do it if I have someone I actually care for to compare them to.

“You know I don’t trust her,” I say, lowering my voice as though Glenda has stashed one of her spying paintings here. “I don’t want to put him in harm’s way. Besides, I’ve always heard that wolves don’t like to share and that’s impossible for me unless I pull what my mom did.”

“I wouldn’t be so sure about that,” Harper says conspiratorially. “I just heard that the new Draven Alpha is mated to four alphas including Everett Whitlock.”

“That aside,” I whisper, hating that her words spark a glimmer of hope in my chest. “It still wouldn’t keep him safe from Glenda and the elders.”

I pull my hands from hers, giving her an awkward pat before standing. “Let’s go to dinner,” I urge, wanting to put a pin in this conversation.

My long black skirt flows around me, settling to hide the waist high slit in the side. I’ve paired it with a low-cut black form-fitting shirt, grateful for the opportunity to wear my own clothes. I swear, if I had to wear that uniform every day I would probably curse the headmistress into wearing one as well, and that wouldn’t bode well for escaping expulsion.

“Fine, but this conversation isn’t over,” Harper huffs, standing too and straightening her black pencil skirt and blood-red flowing shirt. Her usual outfits honestly look more professional than the school uniform, but that’s what makes her who she is. The look oozes power and ferocity, two things Harper has in droves.

I’m sure it won’t be the end, and that’s exactly what I’m afraid of because I’m already starting to imagine the possibility.

“What did you end up doing for the rest of the day?” Greyson asks from the opposite side of the table before he takes a bite of his steak.

I hurriedly take another bite of my chicken and point to my mouth with an apologetic look as I chew. It also gives me a chance to glance back down at my plate and break the magnetic eye contact between us. My stomach twists at the thought of lying, but what the hell am I supposed to say?Oh, I just fucked Denver in the closet, no big deal.That sure as hell isn’t going to happen. We haven’t seen or spoken to each other in five years until today, so it’s not like I owe him anything, I remind myself, but it does little to quell my nerves.

“Just got my room set up a bit, before this one barged in on me,” I say after I finally swallow my food, glancing at Harper beside me.

I peer up at the high cathedral ceilings of the dining hall, grateful for the noise-dampening spell I can sense lining the walls, otherwise the hall would be a clash of voices attempting to be heard over the cacophony.

“Can you blame me?” Harper asks, swallowing a bite of her salmon. “You basically ran to your room as soon as you got your key. I’ve barely even seen you today.”

Of course at that exact moment Denver walks by our table with his two lackeys, Samuel and Luke, at his heels.

“Hope I didn’t ruin your afternoon plans today after our little run-in,” Denver says, goading me with the seemingly innocent statement. But little do the others know his words have a double meaning.

“Bite me,” I growl, not wanting to get into it with him already. Especially not after how our argument ended the last time.

His brows lift in surprise, and he gives me a lascivious look as he scans down my body, pausing on my bare leg, uncovered by the long slit in my skirt.

A deep growl vibrates from Greyson’s chest, but thankfully he doesn’t say anything, but it takes every ounce of willpower I have not to turn to him. Is he responding like that to protect a friend, or is there something more? At least he’s on the other end of the table with Carter directly beside him, blocking off his access to the Prince heir. Not only would it be a horrible idea to attack him as a wolf, but he’d be stepping on my toes as a Hart heir and I’d need to take action against both of them then.

“Careful, Hart, or I just might,” Denver drawls, completely unperturbed by my glower and Greyson’s warning. Denver gives me one final once over before he turns on his heel and strides away, his friends trailing after him.

I angrily stab a fork into another piece of chicken and shove it into my mouth, wishing it was Denver. Then I’m nearly choking on it as I realize the double meaning of that thought.

Carter lifts a brow in silent question but thankfully doesn’t say anything else. I know he’ll have his own round of questioning, and besides that, I have to make it up to him. Today was supposed to be about the two of us, being in the place where our parents first met and walking in our ancestors’ footsteps. Dad had always shared his fond memories of the academy with us, which only made us more excited to attend one day.

I wasn’t here when Carter stepped through these halls last year, and I would have walked them for the first time since we were children today if it hadn’t been for Denver.

A voice at the back of my mind reminds me that he actually helped me today, but I quickly stifle it. Nope, I’m not letting my feelings towards him soften, no matter what he did for me.

“I still needed some time to cool down,” I whisper, not wanting the other tables to overhear. I pick at my food as an excuse to look down, but I’m honestly not even hungry anymore. I just want to go to bed and put today behind me.

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