"Oh, yeah. Our cafeteria is in the building across from us, and it's part of the meal plan." She headed to my door and waved me on. "And I meant to tell you earlier that you have orientation tomorrow around nine."
"Like a tour of the campus or something?" That was probably one of the most normal things I'd heard yet about this school.
"Yeah, our campus is large, but most of the main stuff is here in these four buildings. Still, it's good to get acclimated before classes start. You'll also get your class schedule at the end of orientation."
"Good to know." I followed her out of the dorm room. Soon, we’d taken the elevator down to the first floor and were walking out of the dorm.
We headed to the largest building directly across from the dorms.
"So how shocked were you when you received the acceptance letter?" Bree turned her head to look at me as she walked across the grass.
"Very. I hadn't even applied." To be honest, I was still getting used to the idea of being at Wolf Moon. It was probably going to take a while.
"Well, Dad agreed that you should be here after what you did to Liam. No one stands up to them. They are meant to be feared. The fact that you did that, for me, after only knowing me that short amount of time, makes you different." She bit her bottom lip. "I'd never seen anyone, let alone a girl, try to stand up to him. Your wolf actually challenged his."
"He wasn't pissed?" I'd assumed he'd be all mad and grumpy like Liam was over it.
"Oh, no ..." She shook her head so hard her hair whipped from side to side. "Well, yes but not at you. He grumbled about the fact that Liam still had a lot to learn." She shrugged. "But he was more than willing to bring you here. You are here for essentially two reasons. The first and main one is that you challenge Liam and that has to stop. And two, you need to learn your place, especially since your father is one of the alphas reporting to a regional representative. So it made sense for you to be here."
Great, it sounded like I was going to be some kind of lesson for his boy and that they wanted to teach me fear. I had to stay under Liam and his father’s radar, which meant I couldn't let my mouth get the best of me. “But why did you go through all that trouble?”
“Honestly most people only want to hear about what my family does or can do for them.” She shrugged her shoulders. “I know it was only for a minute, but you hung out with me just like I was a normal person, like you.”
“Wow. Really?” She thought that was a compliment.
“I didn’t mean it like that.” She bit her bottom lip. “I meant, you have a strong wolf who meshes well with mine, yet you weren’t brought up with all the perks. You’re down to earth and not a snob. I like being treated like I’m a real person.”
“Except, your dad is the one who got me here.” I arched an eyebrow. “So you think you aren’t spoiled?”
“Look, I’m sorry.” She paused, and her shoulders dropped. “See, others wouldn’t care what I did, but you … you do. This is a good opportunity for you, so it’s a win-win.”
“One that I didn’t get on my own merit.” I hated the fact that I was here now, and that counted for something.
“So, earn it now that you’re here.” She shrugged her shoulders. “Kick ass, and blow everyone out of the water. We need more people who are individuals here. You’ll see what I mean if you give it time.”
It wasn’t like I had another choice at this point. “Fine, but when I’m ready to go home, don’t give me any lip.”
As we approached the doors at the far left end of the building, Bree hurried over and opened one of them. "Here we are."
When I stepped in behind her, I couldn't believe what I was seeing. This was no normal cafeteria but rather a restaurant. It had a cafeteria feel, but there were waiters and waitresses taking orders.
Booths lined the walls with various large rectangular and small circular tables placed strategically inside.
"Let's sit over there." Bree pointed to a booth that was away from the crowd.
"Sounds perfect."
As soon as we slid into the booth, a waiter appeared. "Hi, what can I get you ladies?"
"Two burgers?" Bree arched an eyebrow as she tossed me a menu. "Does that sound good?"
I quickly glanced over it and nodded. "Yup. All the way."
"Great, it'll be right out." He turned and headed off toward the kitchen.
"So, how long have you and Nate been a thing?" I took the seat so I could see the front door. I don't know why, but I’d always had a thing where I didn't want someone to walk up behind me.
"Oh, about a year now." Her eyes lit up at his name. "We don't get to see each other a lot, but when we do, it's amazing."
She sounded way too happy for it to be a normal kind of relationship. "Is he your mate?"
"Shhh ..." She glanced around and lowered her voice. "Yes, but no one knows. Okay?"
"But that should be a good thing." Why wouldn't she want everyone to know?
"Yeah, it should be." She sighed and glanced at the ceiling. "But he's not even going to be a pack alpha. My dad won't allow it."
"Allow it?" Mates were mates. I couldn't even imagine what my parents would do if they hadn't found one another. "Fate kind of trumps job status."
"One would think so, but that's not the case for me." She took a deep breath. "It's like I can't do anything without Dad or Liam showing up."
The front door of the cafeteria opened, and I glanced up to meet her brother's eyes. The three other heirs were close behind him.
He frowned and shook his head as he beelined straight to us.
I already regretted leaving the dorm. It wasn’t even an hour later, and I was about to go round two with him.
Chapter Five
"Hey, what's the matter?" Bree turned her head to follow my gaze. Her shoulders slumped, and she shook her head. "Of course he’d show up here. It's like they have ears everywhere."
As weird as it seemed, that didn't sound like a far stretch from what I was seeing.
"What are you doing here?" Liam's voice was deep as he approached me. His jaw was clenched, and his buddies flanked him once again.
It felt weirdly like they were keeping tabs on me. "Eating. What does it look like?" I'd just resolved myself to not run my mouth, and yet here I was.
"Wait, isn't that the girl from that party?" The guy whose skin was light olive tilted his head as he stared me down. He ran a hand through his ash-blond hair, and his amber eyes danced with mirth as he took me in. "How the hell are you here?"
"It doesn't matter how." Liam cut his eyes at his friend in warning. "Don't encourage her any more than she already is."
"Your brother has a weird definition of encouraging." He was challenging me in every way. Our wolves were at war with one another, and I just couldn’t help myself. "Between you and me," I said the words as I lifted a hand where the guys couldn't see my lips move. However, I didn't lower my voice. "Yup. I think he's definitely overcompensating for something."