“Because you know we’ll have fun.”
The sun dipped below the horizon, twilight painting the sky in rich fuchsia and violet. Wolf-shifters occupied the beach, most of them crowding around the three fires, roasting marshmallows or drinking mage wine. One girl squealed as a guy hefted her over his shoulder and ran into the surf. Not all of them were students. I recognized a few king alpha guards who patrolled the palace and school grounds.
My gaze fell to Noble and Honor, both wearing huge grins as they waved me over.
Kaja told me to find her in a bit and left to follow her sisters, probably in search of food, leaving me with the two princes.
Noble settled back in his beach chair and pointed to the empty one next to him. “Come sit with me. Tell me how your week’s been. You’ve got meal duty every day, right? That sucks.”
I rolled my eyes, thinking of my sad little life here at school in comparison to the others, but accepted the chair. “You don’t have to remind me how much my life sucks. I’m living it—one hundred percent of it—so I know.”
Honor set down two more chairs on the other side of the coolers and winced when he came down on his right leg.
Noble froze. “Pain bad today?”
Honor nodded, but I didn’t dare ask. Whatever made my friend permanently limp must have been a bad injury. Wolves healed from almost anything, and pointing out weaknesses could be considered a challenge.
Honor opened the lid of the cooler, and my mouth dropped open. Bottles and bottles of mage wine were interspersed with water in one and food in the other. Kaja went to the wrong place. I wanted to cry when I saw chips and…
“Is that pico?” I asked, reaching for the chips and chunky salsa. I hadn’t seen anything resembling salsa in a week. Belatedly, I remembered my manners. Meaning my mouth was already full of chips and salsa when I mumbled, “May I have some?”
“Umm, are you getting enough food?” Noble poked me in the ribs when my shirt rode up as I reached for a bottle of water. “I don’t remember you being this bony when we picked you up last week.”
Last week? It seemed like an eternity ago. “How would you know if I lost weight?”
Hey, man, I only got a bagel from the coffee cart some mornings, two meals, and barely any snacks. For a shifter’s diet, that was practically starvation, but Nolan and I were getting by. Kinda.
Noble shrugged. “I may or may not have noticed your body. I am a guy.”
“You totally checked me out!” A grin pulled at my lips before I shoved another chip in my mouth.
“It doesn’t take a genius to see it.” He leaned forward, looking past me at his brother. “Don’t you see it, Honor?”
I dipped another chip and shoved the entire thing loaded with tomatoes, onion, cilantro, and jalapeno into my mouth.
So good.
Before Honor could answer, I felt someone approach at my back.
“Answer his question, Nai,” Rage growled. “Are you getting enough food?”
His voice washed over me, and heat radiated within the narrow space between us. The strength he exuded was like a magnet. I gritted my teeth, steeling myself before I turned to look at him.
Snapping my mouth shut, I nodded, nearly choking when I forced a swallow. Rage and Justice stood there; both their sets of emerald green eyes skimmed over my body like hungry wolves.
No pun intended.
The Midnight boys were paying attention to my weight? Noble was all goodness and kindness and light, so I could see him looking out for me. But Rage? He’d spewed his eternal hatred a week ago and ignored me ever since. Why the hell did he care now?
“I mean our fridge isn’t exactly stocked, but I eat three times a day.” My cheeks flamed red. I’d shifted for a run at night, and that burned at least a thousand calories, and I hadn’t exactly been eating as much as I would’ve back home … but I couldn’t really afford to.
Rage’s eyes flashed orange. “Are you ever hungry?”
“Doesn’t the school deliver groceries?” Justice chimed in with a growl.
“Nai, are you seriously not getting enough food?” Noble asked as his voice crashed in with his brothers.
I dropped the chip in my hand and cringed. Too bad I couldn’t shrink myself or turn invisible.
“Dudes, drop it,” Honor snapped at his brothers. “You’re embarrassing her. Can’t you see that?”
Bless you, Honor.
Rage shook himself, eyes back to green,