Chapter 68

Chapter 68

“Because,” Daphne says, giving a happy little sigh and taking a long sip of her wine, “you’re

–

right the boys here would throw themselves at my feet just because I’m the only girl here

– at least, the only admitted girl here.”

I raise my glass in toast to her, conceding the point.

“But,” she continues with a shrug, “I’m not going to throw myself at the first boy I find myself attracted to

– fall in love, get wrapped up in a marriage I haven’t really considered, find myself ten years from now

tied to a life that I didn’t want. I want to be more careful than that.”

I nod, understanding. “So, you want to choose your boys carefully. Clever work, Daphne.”

She grins at me, accepting the compliment. “Seems a waste sometimes, though. All these boys for the

pickings and I just….leave them on the vine.”

“A job perk left unused,” I murmur, agreeing. “Is the job worth it, besides that? You seem really isolated

here.”

“I am isolated,” she says, shrugging before grinning at me, “which is partially why I’m so

–

glad you’re here now seriously, you’d better make it through to the spring semester, I’ll be desolate if

you leave me after only a couple months.”

“I’ll do my best,” I say, nodding seriously, “just for you.”

She laughs along with me but then I tilt my head to the side, considering her again, wondering about

her past. “Daphne, how did you end up here?”

“My uncle got me the job,” she says quietly. “He was the tailor here before me he brought me in two

years ago, when his heath started to fail and he couldn’t keep up with the work. And then when he

died, they gave me his spot, because I’m fast, and I work hard, and I know the uniforms inside and

out.”

“I’m sorry,” I say quietly, realizing that she really is all alone here now that she’s lost her

uncle as well.

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“Don’t be,” she says, her smile soft. “He had a long life, and I’m not unhappy here. I’m cozy. and warm,

and busy I like all that. And the Academy pays incredible wages, so it’s well worth being alone for a

little for the money I can stash away and send home to my mom. I figure a few more years of this and

I’m…totally free.”

“What’s that mean to you?” I ask, genuinely curious. “Total freedom?”

“Doing whatever I want, whenever I want to,” she sighs, her eyes going a little far–off at the idea. “I

don’t need a big mansion or anything – just…the ability to travel where I want, to support myself.

Maybe get a cat.” She shrugs.

“That does sound nice.” I say quietly, considering that…well, I never even thought of that as a

possibility for myself. Total freedom, a life on my own terms…

“You can come along if you want,” she says quietly. “But…I would request that you bring your hot

brother.”

I burst into laughter at this, stretching my leg across the bed and giving her a little kick. “Do you

seriously think he’s that hot?”

–

“Ari,” she says, laughing a little low laugh. “Every girl in the nation. human and wolf- has had a crush on

Rafe Sinclair since he hit puberty. That height? Those shoulders, those eyes?” she sighs, leaning back

against her pillows.

“Ewww,” I say, wrinkling my nose at her but laughing anyway, “you wouldn’t think he’s so cute if you

had to listen to him snore day in and day out.”

Daphne smiles but shakes her head, letting me know that not even that would be enough. I sigh

because I mean, I know Rafe’s reputation in the world I’ve seen the tabloids, and I’m aware that my

brother is objectively good looking. But still, a national heartthrob?

I guess I’m just too close to it. “Poor Jesse,” I sigh, resting my head against the wall. “You’ll break his

heart, you know, crushing on Rafe like that.”

“Yeah well,” she murmurs, smirking at me. “Something tells me your Jesse needs to have his heart

broken a bit, doesn’t he?”

“Probably,” I say, nodding and meaning it. Jesse – I love him so much, and I know his heart. is in the

right place, but all of my friends? He would certainly deserve it.

Chapter no

But still, he’s my cousin and I love him. He deserves some loyalty, after all. “Jesse’s not a bad guy,

Daphne, I don’t want you to think that. Just a flirt.”

“I don’t think he’s bad,” she says, nodding with a smile. “I just think he’s maybe a little bit… dangerous.

A little too easy to fall in love with, that one you’ve got to watch your step around him before you find

yourself swept off your feet.”

“But not Rafe?” I ask, curious,

–

“Rafe’s impossible,” she says, grinning at me. “Nobody actually expects Rafe Sinclair to look their way.

You cousin the duke,” she shakes her head, “a little too possible.”

I huff a sigh through my nose as I look down at my wine, not precisely disliking learning about this side

of my brother and my cousin that I hadn’t thought of before, but certainly unnerved by it. Daphne,

perceptive, moves on.

“So, enough about me,” she says, leaning forward and smacking me on my knee. “Tell me everything.

Ari – how the hell did you get in here!?”

The time passes fast, then, as I fill her in on my journey. Daphne’s a good listener – rapt, asking

questions when necessary, but always letting me take the lead. But as the story continues, I see her

perk up a little, her intuition tingling, when Luca’s name starts to be repeated more and more as I go

on. By the time I get to the part where Luca and Ben are coming over to our room every night for

dinner, there’s a full–on smirk on her lips.

“What!” I say suddenly, interrupting my own sentence to lean forward and give her another little kick.

“Nothing!” she says, bursting into a laugh and grabbing the bottle to refill my glass of wine, just a little

bit. “Just…you light up a bit, when you talk about Luca Grant.”

“I do not,” I protest, but my cheeks redden..

“You don’t blush like that when you talk about Ben,” she teases, her voice sing–song as she leans back

against the pillows.

I sigh, leaning my head back, wondering how much to tell her. Daphne she’s very easy to talk to and

I’m dying to have a girl to talk to about all of this mate stuff. But still I can’t talk to her about it before I

talk to Luca about it. That feels…unfair. So, I compromise.

–

Chapter os

“Fine,” I sigh. “I like him.”

“Ariel!” she shrieks, giggling, “that is so cute!”

“It’s not cute” 1 protest, sitting up and laughing too. “It’s terrible

“Oh no it’s not,” she murmurs, cozying up against her pillows and holding her wine glass with both

hands. “It’s adorable you two are totally going to end

up together.”

My blush deepens and I put a hand on my hot cheek. “It’s so dangerous though.”

“Yeah,” she says, agreeing. “You’ve got to be careful. But…you should also totally make out with him.”

I burst into laughter, shaking my head. “You sound like my wolf,” I murmur.

“Wolves are very wise,” she says sagely. “You should listen to her. And then come back here. And tell

me everything.”

“You just want gossip,” I grumble, but I can’t keep the grin off my lips.

“Ariel,” she sighs, “beyond an enduring friendship that we can trust and build? Yes. Gossip is precisely

the thing I am starved for most.”

I burst out laughing.

“And!” she continues, laughing with me, “Considering that you’re a hidden princess at an all–boys

Alpha Academy? And you’ve somehow gathered around you like the hottest collection of celebrity boys

I have ever seen? You are precisely in the best position to provide it.”

I grin, shaking my head, because I had not considered it in that light not at all.