Midnight Kisses (Shifter Island #1) - Leia Stone Page 0,15

I located Rage.

“Yours is that one,” Rage said, dropping my duffle at my feet. He pointed to a dilapidated building facing west. “Your cousin can help you—or not. Just be at the atrium in an hour. Opening ceremony starts at five.”

Without giving me an opportunity to ask questions, he pivoted and strode away.

Kicked to the curb—just like I’d thought. Glaring at his back, I wished for air magic so I could force him to kneel before me. Or better yet, fire magic so I could light him up.

Thanks a lot, Prince Asshole.

He froze—which meant I’d probably said that out loud.

Oops.

“That’s Prince Courage to you,” he growled. “Don’t make me teach you respect.”

Respect?

I laughed maniacally. “Pretty sure you need to know what that is to be able to teach it.”

We’d gathered an audience, and while I might not know much about the ins and outs of this place, being an alpha meant not letting others dominate you, Rage included.

I crossed my arms. “If you want my respect, you’ll need to earn it.”

Someone gasped, and someone else snickered.

Maybe I’d find the snickerer later; they might be the only other sane person here. Right now, I needed to leave—pronto. I hefted my bag and marched toward the Crescent Clan’s quarters. Hopefully, Nolan would be nicer than I remembered. I was done with asshats for the day.

I stormed toward the building with the crescent moon on its faded door. The grounds on either side of the walkway were overgrown with weeds—not a bloom in sight. Several steps leading up to the door were broken and crumbling, and I grimaced at the vines crawling up the gray stone … poison ivy.

Leaves littered the ground of the portico, and the volume of debris in the corners indicated years without attention—probably ever since our clan’s banishment.

Great.

Reaching up to the door, I knocked, but the sensation of attention from behind served as motivation to try the handle. This was my clan’s dorm anyway, right? The knob turned, but the wood grated against the jamb as I shoved the door open.

Stepping inside, I noted the afternoon sunlight filtering through the windows, illuminating the layers of dirt and grime. Everything was covered in years of dust, from the chandelier above to the—I dragged my flip-flops through the gray dust and shook my head—marble floor below.

Gross.

After kicking the door closed behind me, I shouted, “Hello?”

Nothing.

The stale air carried the scent of rodent droppings. I saw no evidence that this area had been disturbed recently. Did Nolan even live in this dump? Not that I’d blame him if he didn’t. I’d rather camp in a tent then live in this biohazard. I dropped my bag next to the stairs, figuring the bedrooms would at least be one level up, and then set off to find Nolan. Hopefully, I’d find a snack along the way. I was starved.

My flip-flops slapped against the floor as I wandered in and out of the dusty, unkempt rooms. This place was massive. I spied a ballroom, a game room with foosball, pool, and air hockey, and a study, all down in the south wing. But the neglect made it all the worse. Seeing a dusty, half-broken foosball table was a crime but less so than the books piled on the floor in the library.

My stomach rumbled in protest of my missed meal, and I closed the door of a musty sitting room and then headed back to the foyer. From there, I moved to the north side of the first floor, getting my bearings around this place.

The sunlight waned, and I flipped the light switch in the kitchen, groaning in dismay. How could we have no electricity? Did that mean no refrigerator?

What little light streaming through the windows illuminated the boxes covering the counter. I knew they were food. I could smell it. Rotten bananas and sour milk—which meant someone had lived here recently enough to spill milk and still have it stink.

Nolan, you filthy pig.

The groan of the door protesting its abuse caught my attention, and I shouted, “Nolan?”

“Eww, this is nasty,” a young woman griped, her voice floating down the hall to me. “Effin’ alpha king and effin’ Midnight Clan.”

No idea who she was, but I liked her already.

“Hello,” she called in a singsong voice. “I know you’re in here, Crescent girl. I’ve come to save your sorry tail from an alpha heir beatdown.”

I chuckled—couldn’t help it. Is that what the others thought? That Rage would actually hurt me? I mean he was a total