“Nothing.” She bristled. “Stop doubting me.”
“How can I do anything but doubt you if you do stupid things like that?” North stomped down the stairs.
“Ugh. Stop!” She wrung her hands. “Stop, stop, stop!”
“All we did was talk, like she said. Stop thinking less of your sister.” I scowled at North, burning a hole into the back of his head with my eyes.
“I realize she wouldn’t be stupid enough to do something with you, but that doesn’t mean it wasn’t stupid to bring you guys down here alone. Stupid and dangerous.”
“Get over this obsession you have of me hurting her. I won’t.” I’d never hurt her. Not that I’d hurt any other girl. I understood the concept of consent and respect.
“I have no reason to trust you.” North reached the bottom of the stairs and pivoted to glare at me.
“You have no reason not to trust me either.” This was ridiculous. I shouldn’t have to make my case every time I was around this guy.
“All right. You two don’t like each other.” Dameon held up his hands. “I get it. I get it loud and clear. Nothing we can do about that now, but there are other things we can deal with.”
“Agree to disagree for now?” I held out a hand to North. Generally, I wouldn’t have given in like that, but I wanted to know how to hell I tied into whatever was going on in the woods.
“Sure.” North accepted my hand. “For now.”
“Good.” Dameon smiled. “Aren’t you glad that’s out of the way?” He looked at Nadia. “I don’t know about you, but I get tired of the alpha bullshit.”
Nadia laughed. “Oh, yeah? Right.”
“What?” Dameon stepped backward until he was close to the stone wall of the room at the back.
“Like you don’t do the same alpha bullshit?” Nadia rolled her eyes. “If anything, you’re worse.”
“Worse than Grayson?” North laughed dryly. “No one is worse than him.”
“I do have a first name.” Normally, I didn’t care. Tons of people called me Grayson, but I was already pissed off at North.
“Didn’t you two just agree to stop this pissing contest?” Nadia frowned. “Come on. Keep it together.”
“Yes.” North let out a slow deep breath. “We did. But Grayson here—”
“Ryan,” I interrupted.
“When have you ever cared what I call you?” North pointed at me.
“He doesn’t.” Nadia sat down on the third from the bottom step. “He’s just giving you a hard time. Just like you’re giving him a hard time by calling him Grayson. So how about we stop worrying about names? We don’t need names.”
She was right, of course. “What was going on out there?” I asked.
“Dameon, why don’t you explain since you seem to know all about it?” Nadia yawned. She looked exhausted. “After all, you were the one who wanted us to see it.”
“Absolutely.” Dameon walked away from the wall over to where North and I stood. “But first, I need to know that you three will help destroy them.”
“You want us to agree to destroy a group we know nothing about?” He couldn’t be serious.
“Well, they are okay with killing humans…” Nadia trailed off.
“What the hell?” Where did that left turn come from.?
“Jackie killed a human.” Nadia visibly shook. “She called it a termination, but I’m pretty sure she killed someone. My roommate killed someone.”
“You’re switching rooms.” North walked over and sat beside her. “But I am sure you knew that already.”
“She can’t.” Dameon shook his head.
“What?” Was he crazy? Also, it wasn’t his decision. “You want her to sleep in the same room with a murderer?”
“Jackie won’t hurt her. You heard what went down, Nadia. They want you. She can’t kill you. Plus, you’re a Wolf Born. Your bloodline is pure. That means something to them.”
“Okay. Start talking.” Knowing I was involved was one thing. Knowing Nadia was sleeping in the same room as a murderer crossed the line. “Obviously, we don’t support the killing of innocent humans.”
“Obviously?” Dameon laughed dryly. “I’m not so sure it’s obvious.”
“Why would we want to kill humans? What am I missing here?” Sure, humans were far weaker than we were, but that didn’t mean I wanted them dead.
“Just explain things to us.” Nadia put her hands in her lap. “You know we’re not joining them.”
“None of us know anything for sure.” Dameon walked to one of the exterior walls and ran his hand over it as he had done upstairs. He pressed his palm into it; there was a small groaning sound and a bookshelf appeared. “You never know what’s hiding right under the surface.”
First a secret room and now a secret bookshelf? What other secrets did the Wolf Born dormitory hold?
“Yeah, I do.” Nadia moved to stand. “I’ll never support anyone hurting an innocent. That’s preposterous. I love humans. My family loves humans. That’s why we’ll never be fully accepted.”
“That’s not true.” It bothered me to hear her say that. “You are accepted.” They were—mostly—but there was no secret that there were some of our kind who didn’t like those of us who closely aligned with humans. Still, that didn’t mean they weren’t welcome. If anything, it was a lack of financial resources that set the Hazels apart—as Lauren had so callously pointed out on move-in day.
“Yes, it is.” Nadia sighed. “Please don’t lie. I was starting to tolerate you, and if you start lying, that will change.”
“Fine. Do some of our kind look down on your family? Yes. That’s as far as I’ll go in terms of agreeing with you.”
“At least it’s not a lie,” Nadia mumbled.
“Okay. Just explain everything.” North gritted his teeth. “They need to know.”
“Wait.” Nadia leaned back against the railing, her eyes glued to North. She was exhausted, and I understood why. I felt the same way. “You already know?”
“I know some. Not all.”
“Just explain.” I was done asking. If I didn’t get answers, heads would roll. “I know North finding out first might annoy you, Nadia, but this is getting old.”
“Fine,” Dameon insisted. “Nadia and North came with me to see a meeting of a group called the Elites.”
“The Elites?” Was I hearing this right? “There’s a group of wolves out there called the Elites?”
“What you want to say is how the hell aren’t you apart of it?” Dameon’s eyes gleamed. “And why weren’t you told of them until now?”
It irked me the way he seemed to always know what I was thinking. I’d never admit to it though.
“Continue.” I folded my arms over my chest, eyeing him.
Dameon smirked. “Very well. These Elites are hell bent on bringing the wolves out into the public eye no matter the cost to humans. Even if it brings a war that leads to the death of millions.”
“The death of millions?” I wasn’t surprised by his words, considering what I’d heard about Jackie, but it still made no sense to me. “Why? I mean, I understand wanting get out of the shadows, but why risk hurting innocents?”
“Some want to enslave them if they don’t cooperate. Is that much better?” North clasped his hands together. When his hands made contact, the sound echoed in the small room.
Nadia shivered. I wanted to put an arm around her, but I wasn’t sure if that would upset her more. Also, I knew the action would set North off again. Since that wasn’t top on my list, I refrained.
“No. it’s not better. Although, I suppose anything is better than death,” I said. Death was so final.
“Not everything is better than death.” Nadia’s eyes had clouded over when I shifted my attention back to her. “I’d rather die than become a slave. To lose the ability to have free will.” Another shiver slipped through her.
“Same here.” North nodded. “I couldn’t live that way.”
“The whole ide
a is that you don’t have a choice.” Dameon pulled a book from the bookcase and flipped through it. “You have to live that way regardless of what you want.”
“At least you’d have a shot—at freedom, and a second chance at life.” Death was the end. After that, there was nothing. They couldn’t really mean they’d take that option.
“Wow.” Nadia put a hand to her throat. “I wouldn’t have pegged you to be that type.”
“What type?”
“A romantic.”
I shifted on my feet. “I’m not a romantic.”
“Not in terms of relationships,” she explained. “But in the way you view the world. What you just said is something a romantic would say.”
“Okay. This is a great whole psychoanalysis and all, but let’s keep moving.” North joined Dameon at the bookcase. He looked at whatever book he held, but didn’t seem particularly interested in whatever was on its pages.
“This isn't psychoanalysis. You know that, North.” Nadia sighed. “Don’t play dumb.”
“Regardless, we can’t let the Elites continue to build its numbers.” Dameon slammed the book closed, setting off a plume of dust. “We need to infiltrate them.”
“And that’s where Ryan comes in, right?” North’s voice was barely a whisper. “I knew there was a reason you wanted to deal him in.”
“Excuse me?”
“You’re their number one target for recruitment.” Dameon returned the book to the shelf and pulled out another.
“Why me?”
“Why not you?” He held out the book.
I accepted it. It was a book on the history of pack politics.
“You’re a Grayson.” North perused the shelf. “Need I say more?”
“I’m not the only student here from a well-known family.”
“Your family is more than well-known.” Nadia was looking right at me. “And you know it.”
“Still, I don’t believe they’d go through much effort to recruit me.” Being from a well-known family meant I tried to stay under the radar and out of trouble.
“Should I tell him what Jackie said, or do you guys want to?” Nadia asked.
“You can.” Dameon gestured for her to continue.
I prepared myself. I had a strong feeling I wouldn’t like what I was about to hear.
“She thinks she can use your supposed interest in me to help recruit you.”
“My supposed interest in you?”
“Yes. I know how ridiculous that is.”
“What’s ridiculous? Me being into you, or her using it to recruit me?”
“Both.”
“Well, the first part isn’t ridiculous. The second part is.” Did Nadia really think it was that hard to believe I wanted her? Had she looked at herself recently? Didn’t she realize how gorgeous she was? How perfect her breasts looked in that tank top? How her smile alone was enough to turn me on?
“It’s all ridiculous.” Nadia redid her ponytail. The edge of her tank top slipped up when she lifted her arms, revealing a trace of skin that did things to me. “But either way, that’s her plan.”
“My vote is that you let her think it’s working.” Dameon pressed his palm next to the bookcase. There was a groan, and then the shelf disappeared.
I held out the book to him, but he shook his head.
I shrugged. I guessed I was keeping it for the time being. “Wait. You really want me to pretend to be part of this Elite group?”
“Yes.” Dameon rubbed his hands together. “It’s our ticket to inside information.”
“What about us?” North gestured between himself and Nadia. “Do we play along too?”
“I take it they want to recruit you guys as well?” I asked. Dameon had alluded to that earlier when discussing why it was safe for Nadia to continue living with Jackie.
“Yes.” Nadia pulled the hair tie out of her hair, evidently giving up on the ponytail. The result was that her long curly hair now hung down her back. She looked so good with her hair down. “They don’t think they can, but Jackie seems to think she can turn us. It’s weird, and it makes me super nervous.”
“This whole thing should make you nervous,” Dameon pointed out. “If it didn’t, I’d worry.”
“I need more information.” That was the bottom line. I wasn’t agreeing to anything until I knew more. “You can’t expect me to take this all at face value. I haven’t even seen these wolves. Who are they anyway? I mean, would I know any of them?”
“You think I’m lying to you?” There was something akin to hurt in Nadia’s voice. “I don’t know most of them, but that doesn’t mean it didn’t happen.”
“No.” I didn’t hesitate. “But how do you know what you saw was what you thought it was?”
She seemed to think over my words. “I don’t. Except I saw and heard Jackie. I know I didn’t imagine that.”
“I know, but how do we know Dameon isn’t playing games with us?” Because for me, that was what this all came down to.
“You don’t.” Dameon started toward the stairs.
“Then why should we agree to your plan?” Was he really admitting that so easily?
“Because if it’s all a game, what does it hurt to play along?”
“What does it hurt? We might get caught in a trap. We might get framed for something I want no part in.” And those were only the tip of the iceberg. If my mom would be pissed about my facial hair in the picture, I didn’t want to think about what she’d do to me if I was part of a scandal this size.
“So be careful.” Dameon started up the stairs. “If you’re as powerful as everyone seems to think, that shouldn’t be a challenge.”
“I need to do my own research.” That was the only way I would even consider going along with this plan.
“Go ahead.” Dameon stopped at the top of the stairs. “You won’t find anything. The Elites aren’t stupid.”
“Nadia can find something. She’s the ultimate researcher.”
“Thanks for the confidence.” She put a hand on my arm. The contact sent a wave of awareness through me. “But I’m not promising anything.”
“Promise to try.” Otherwise, we had to tell someone. We couldn’t play this game, but clearly, we also couldn’t let it go. “I’m not agreeing to anything unless you do.”
Nadia looked me straight in the eyes. “You have to help.”
“That works for me.” I couldn’t let her do this without me. I’d worry about her too damn much. Plus, this was a reason to spend more time with her.
“Deal.” Nadia held out her hand. “Come on. I know you like to shake on things.”
I accepted the handshake. “Deal.”
Nadia
“Hey, Nadia. You up?” Jackie asked as the door cracked open. I’d been back for hours, but I most definitely had not gotten any sleep.
“Hey, kind of.” I tried to sound tired, but really, I was nervous, angry, and stressed.
“Can we talk a little bit?” She was changed already somehow. There was no sign of the dirt that had been all over her when I saw her in the woods.
“Sure. Everything okay?” I wondered where she’d cleaned herself up. Her shower stuff was still in our room.
“Yeah. Things are good.” She sat down on the edge of my bed.
I searched her face in the low light coming from the lamp on her side of the room. I’d left that on for her, so she wouldn’t blind me with the overhead light. “What’s up?”
“We need to catch up. I have no clue what’s going on with you.”
“I can say the same thing about you.” Or rather I knew what was up with her. Well, some of it.
“Not much for me to share. My life is boring; you know that.” Her eyes twinkled when she said that. Was that her tell when she lied? Or was she having fun messing with me?
“That’s not true.”
“Sure it is. What exciting things have ever happened to me?” She put a hand to her chest. “But you. Exciting things always happen to you.”
/>
I sat up, bolstering my pillows to make it easier. “Not true. My life is not exciting.”
“Ryan Grayson?” She patted my legs through the blanket. “That isn’t exciting?”
“Him as a wolf? As a person? I’m not following how that makes anything exciting for me.”
“Oh?” She laughed. “You still pretending there’s nothing going on there?” She was really doing this? She wanted to try to manipulate me? What I wondered was whether she thought she could recruit me, or was this part of getting on Ryan’s good side? Not that it would help. He was attracted to me, but that didn’t mean he was interested. He could get any girl he wanted.
“There is nothing going on between us.” At least not in the way Jackie meant. We were working together, but that wasn’t what she was getting at. Not to mention we were working together against her.
“Come on, Nadia. We’ve known each other nearly our entire lives. You can’t lie to me.” What a hypocrite. I could barely take it.
“I’m not lying. There is nothing going on between us.”
“Really?” There was an edge to her voice now. “So it’s Dameon, then?”
“No!” I yelled louder than I meant. This probably wasn’t playing it cool the way Dameon wanted us too. But then again, it was my normal reaction.
Jackie laughed. “Okay. Okay. I was just asking.”
“Well, stop. This is ridiculous. I’m not here to have boyfriends.” I would have been annoyed about that assumption even if I hadn’t seen her in the woods. Seeing her only made things worse.
“I never said anything about boyfriends.” She raised an eyebrow. “There is something called sex.”
“Ugh. Stop it. You know I don’t do casual sex.” Not that I did any sex. I was a virgin and totally okay with that. There were way more important things in life that had nothing to do with sex.
“No. You don’t,” she mumbled. She knew the truth herself.
“What does my sex life have to do with anything?” I pulled the blanket up higher. Suddenly, my tank and shorts pajamas seemed revealing. I’d known Jackie forever, but was this really the same girl? I found it hard to believe.
Wolf Born: Lunar Academy, Year One Page 7
