3. A Broken Image

SELENE

[8:25am]

[Lavender Heights School]

When we secured a parking spot, we quickly got out of the car before Margaret could rush us.

She locked the car and ran to the front doors. Just as I expected.

I created distance between my feet and stretched. "We're here."

"And I'm just about ready to go back to sleep." Lucas yawned, his single-strap black bag hanging across his chest.

Lucas didn't hold my hand or try to get too close to me, he barely does when we're on campus. A decision that I approved of. As much as I liked my teachers and some of the students, I didn't like the idea of everyone knowing my business.

Most of the attendees were humans. About 70% of them. The others were werewolves who knew about Lucas' family, but not what they looked like.

The Lycan royal family had done their best to keep the identity of their heirs under wraps. Yet, word still gets out. Talia and Margaret knew who he was because their parents were gammas with high positions in the state.

Talia hooked her arm around my elbow and started dragging me off. "Okay, so, I have band practice later. You can either hitch a ride with Samantha or have your family driver take you home."

"Argh, I rather wait for you," I groaned. "Besides, if I go with her, Samantha will start gossiping about-"

"Hey," Lucas grabbed my other arm, stopping us both. "Keep your eyes on your phone, 'kay?"

I nodded, not asking why. "Sure thing."

He winked and let me go, running a hand through his dirty blonde hair. My friend pulled me away with a smile that was too big to fit on her face.

"What was that?" She teased.

I smiled. "You're not blind, you saw."

"Seems your hot boyfriend wants to steal your attention away from class. And you're fine with it. What a bad, bad girl you turned out to be, Selene."

My gaze travelled back to where Lucas stood in the parking lot. A few of his friends joined him, the height difference between him and them as clear as day.

Once Talia and I spotted Samantha, we placed our books inside lockers and headed to class right as the bell rang.

________

It was during Chemistry class that I got a text from Lucas.

|"You have free study after lunch, right? Meet me. Room 32. Third floor."|

I blinked then quickly returned my phone to my bag after sending him |"OK"|.

Why did he want to meet up there during school hours? If it was about the event later, he could have just texted me or let me know during lunch. Since we're both seniors, we shared the same lunch period. Unless it's not about the party.

Talia's teasing seeped into my head.

A blush spread across my cheeks.

I hid it behind my hands before my lab partner could notice.

We had kissed before. Cuddled a bit while hanging out with the girls on the weekends. But we had never made out. I'm not sure if I'm ready for what that entails.

My heart was pounding so much that it was starting to hurt my chest.

It's not that I'm not attracted to him, by all means, I am! Lucas could capture anyone's interest as soon as they heard him speak.

Light brown eyes that expressed a tender side to him. Thin lips with a tiny dash of pink. When he holds me, I would feel my pulse racing, and my wolf calmed at his presence although he wasn't my mate.

Yet, I wasn't in love with him. And honestly, I don't think I did a good job of faking it.

In a fantasy world, waiting for my ideal mate to come and sweep me off my feet would be my first choice. But my grandma told me those types of mates were things of the past. She said I was lucky to even be considered as a prospective bride for someone so important.

However, I often catch myself dreaming about who my destined partner would be. Imagine a life with someone heaven made specifically for you? But, alas, life doesn't care about our dreams.

After the bell rang letting us know that lunch ended, I separated from my girls and waited a few minutes before making my way up to the classroom Lucas instructed me to meet him at.

Before I could make it inside Lucas dragged me in by the elbow and locked the door behind me. Then he hugged me and laughed. "Didn't think you would come."

I wrapped my arms around his waist, giggling. "Why wouldn't I? It's not like I'm here to meet a stranger. I'm here for you."

"Aww." He gifted a kiss to my forehead. "That's my good girl."

At the mention of the phrase, I folded my arms and rolled my eyes. "No good girl here, who wants to be one of those, anyway? I'm entering my bad girl era. It's much more liberating."

Lucas laughed again. His soft fingers caressed my right cheek. "Alright 'bad girl'. Turn around."

Without thinking, I did as he instructed. I felt him place something cold around my neck, my short hair not getting in the way while he attached the lock.

"Done," he said, letting his arms drop to his sides.

I touched it and realized he had given me a pendant in an upside-down tear shape. Its shimmering amber shade matched my irises. The chain supporting it was silver, ironic considering the rumors surrounding my genetics.

When I turned to face him, still fiddling with the necklace, I made sure to smile, so he knew I appreciated it. "Thank you, Lucas," I said. "It's beautiful."

"Not to mention simple, just like you like it."

For the second time since I got here, I received another kiss on my forehead. The action successfully made me blush.

"I'm glad you don't hate it. I have to make sure the person they're giving to me at least smiles. Who would want someone who's constantly unhappy?"

His words hit me harder than they should have. I knew my purpose, and I should have been used to Lucas' straightforward attitude by now.

But his attitude usually wasn't directed at me. Most of the time he snapped at some kid who pissed him off. Is he insinuating that I did something to displease him?