Untamed (Rejected Mate Academy #1) - E. M. Moore Page 0,31

of their life. If I had a greenhouse, I could grow different plants, sending them out to continue brightening the world.

“I think that’s the first real smile I’ve seen from you, Kinsey Walker.”

I blush. “I’m sure you’re right about that.”

“Just a hint,” Ms. Ebon says, leaning over her huge, wooden desk. “Open up about your tastes, what you’re passionate about. My aim isn’t just to get you and Mr. Livestrong together, it’s to get you to be happy about it too.” It’s her turn to blush. “Our happiness is of the upmost importance. Now….” She gets serious again as she pushes the schedule toward me. “You’ll have to excuse me. I need to read up on what the hell botany is so that when you show up and start spouting off technical terms, I’ll be able to keep up.”

She gives me a smile, and I pick up the paper and stand. I wouldn’t say my schedule is an entire waste. Only three quarters. I’m not sure what forcing Jonah and I together will do instead of giving us more opportunities to fight, but I’m willing to try.

I give Ms. Ebon a short wave before leaving the room. Something she said resonated with me. Part of this is getting him to know me more. I’m not going to hold back, that’s not my personality. I held back for too long, and that’s just not me anymore. It’s time to be the girl I was in my parents’ house everywhere. I’m not going to retreat into my shell in Jonah’s presence as I was prone to do in Lunar. It’s not happening. If he has to decide whether he accepts me or not, he might as well know the whole truth.

The hallway stretches ahead of me. A quick peek at my schedule shows that I could make it to one of the science classes today. Just as I’m about to find a directory, a door slams to my right.

Mia runs from the room. I catch her red face and glassy eyes. As she rounds the corner and out of sight, a guy walks out of the same room. He swaggers down the hall dressed in real clothes. His face is pure calm—the complete opposite of my new friend’s. His gaze barely meets mine before he saunters toward the exit, hands in his pockets.

I’d bet fucking anything that’s her mate.

I don’t think, I react. He’s tugging the huge doors open when I start running to catch up with him. He’s halfway down the steps when I take them three at a time, knocking our shoulders together at the same time he takes a step so he’s off-kilter. He stumbles forward, loses his footing, and has to pull off a true wolf move to save face so he doesn’t trip down the stairs.

I keep running. “Sorry,” I call out over my shoulder. “I’m in a rush.”

He mumbles behind me, but I can’t wipe the smile off my face. Dick doesn’t deserve my friend. What he deserves is a hell of a lot worse than almost falling down the steps.

I wait until a bright red car ambles down the driveway before walking back into the school. Science can wait because my friend needs me, and apparently I have a lot of upcoming socializing to do anyway. I better start preparing for it now.

After picking my book bag up where I left it in the middle of the hallway, I follow her steps until I find the library and walk in. Sure enough, in the back of the stacks, Mia and Nathan are huddled together.

Mia glances at me over Nathan’s shoulder and turns away, wiping the mascara from under her eyes. Nathan turns, and when he sees me, he relaxes. I sit next to him, dropping my bag on the chair to my right.

“Typical meeting day,” he grinds out.

Looking at Mia now, I know I don’t want the pure turmoil Mia is going through right now. Ms. Ebon was right in some respect. I don’t want to always pine after a guy who doesn’t want me. That can’t be Mia’s future, can it? Mate or no mate, couldn’t she find happiness with someone else? Screw pack laws. Screw mate laws.

I don’t utter any of this out loud— instead, changing the subject and telling them all about how I almost got kicked out of school on my third day.

It turns out, laughing at someone else’s problems is a huge mood booster. After about ten minutes, Mia’s whole