voice chipper. “Now if I could just find the bright side to this wolf shifting exam…”
Silas laughs. “You’ll do fine, Boots.”
“I’m glad at least one person thinks so,” I say.
He takes a step closer to me, his eyes meeting mine, and my stomach floods with warmth. “That’s what I’m here for,” he says quietly, echoing my earlier words, and then he leans forward and kisses me. It’s gentle and brief, but sweet enough to leave me swaying on my feet when he pulls away and flashes me his crooked grin. “Goodnight, Boots,” he says, before turning and heading up the stairs towards the boys’ dorms.
I’m left to watch him, my insides like jelly. But a small part of me feels conflicted. How can a kiss feel guilty and perfect at the same time? A scoffing sound is the only thing that’s able to pull my attention away, and I turn to see Amelia Ash watching me from the opposite corner of the room, her arms crossed over her chest and an unimpressed look on her face. Our eyes meet for a moment and she raises an eyebrow, but before I can say anything, she’s turning on her heel and disappearing into the downstairs bathroom.
I sigh—she’s got eyes like a hawk, and I’ll no doubt have to deal with more of her snark sooner or later. There’s no winning, it seems. Running a hand through my hair, I make my way in the direction of the girls’ rooms. It’s getting late, and by the sounds of it, we have a big week ahead of us.
A very big week.
Chapter 4
“What’s the weather like in Boston, anyway?” asks Landon, scratching his arm as he looks around my room from his seat on my bed. He’s kicking his feet, leaning back as he watches me pack; my meagre possessions are all strewn about, littering the floor around my still-empty duffel bag. Who would have thought packing would be this difficult when we wear uniforms, for god’s sake? But I’m having trouble figuring out what’s important. I left home in such a hurry last time that I wasn’t really even thinking about what I brought, but this is a different situation. We’re talking about an international conference here, and I’ve never felt so woefully unprepared.
It’s been a couple days since Hawthorne’s announcement, and the student body has been abuzz with excitement about the trip. Even the professors seem to be in a better mood than usual, and if I didn’t know any better, I’d say they’ve started to ease up on the workload just a little. My wolf shifting practical was yesterday—it went okay, but the knowledge of the upcoming conference has been looming in the back of my mind, bringing with it equal parts excitement and nervousness. In spite of my reassurances, I haven’t been able to shake the feeling that Silas was right—that this all feels a little too sudden, in the aftermath of the disappearances. I guess time will tell if I end up having to repeat the class or not. Shade’s not going to let me hear the end of it, either way.
“I’ve heard it’s nice this time of year,” I reply, although what they mean when they say “nice,” I have no idea. “I just don’t know if I should even bother with normal clothes. We’re still going to be wearing our uniforms, right?”
Landon shrugs. “I don’t know. Maybe they’ll give us new ones.” He grins, lifting his head and meeting my eyes. “That’s why I came in here to watch you. I figure I’ll just copy whatever you pack.”
“Gee, thanks,” I say, giving him an exaggerated eye roll. “I’ll make sure to stick with the girliest stuff I can find, then.”
“Hey, who says I can’t pull off girly?” Landon retorts. “I bet I could rock one of those skirts.”
“It’s an interesting image, that’s for sure.” I sigh, shaking my head, and then throw my hands up. “You know what? Screw it. I’m just going to pack one of everything and hope for the best.”
Landon laughs. “You’re starting to sound like me.”
“Thanks for the company,” I tell him as I begin to fold my clothes and stuff them into my bag. “It’s kind of a weird time right now.”
“My pleasure,” Landon replies, giving me a mock bow. “It wouldn’t be right to leave the lovely Millie Brix to do the packing all on her own.”
I raise an eyebrow. “‘Lovely,’ is it?”
“Sure,” he responds gamely, without missing a beat. “Lovely, ravishing,