"Mom?" My voice breaks as I choke on my tears.
"Aurie! It's you!" She screams in joy and sniffs. "I have been missing you so much. Where are you? And why did you run away?"
"Mom, I—I can't explain it to you right now. You won't understand."
"Why wouldn't I,sweetie? All my life I supported you. But leave that, how are you? Are you safe?"
I close my eyes to restrain my tears and exhale sharply. "Yes mom. I am completely fine. How are you? How is everyone?"
"We are not good, sweetie. Thomas has been crying since you are gone and your dad is so silent. He doesn't talk to anyone. He locked himself in his room and MoonGod knows what he's doing."
"Oh, I'm so sorry. I know I screwed up mom. But I...I thought this is the best option."
"But where are you, honey? Is it far?"
I don't feel like waking up from my bed…I lay there,for half of the day, thinking about my fault."Cinn? Are you sick?" Tessa pulls the cover off my body and I grunt."No, I'm fine. I just—I don't want to wake up.""Huh? But why?" She tilts her head and sits on my bed.I sit on the bed, with my hair all over the place and wearing my PJs. "Last night, mom called me.""Salty sugars! How?""She searched in my room or I don't know...did some spell." I move my hands frantically. "She told me that—" I gulp in the lump of my throat. Everytime I think about it, I feel terrible.Tessa sighs and rubs my back. "It's okay. We can talk about it later—""One of our pack members is dead!" I say out loud.
Tessa shrugs. "Maybe they found this place and hid inside the forest?""You think that's possible?" I raise my eyebrows, questioningly."Okay, maybe not. Maybe it is something related to this Academy. I always had a feeling that this place is very creepy. Think about those horrible chefs! They add jam in pizza! In pizza!""Eww. Gross." I cringe. "But that's not the point! I'm not talking about jam in pizza. I'm talking about the creature that lurks in the forest. Do you think that this place has a lot more than it gives into? Like Hogwarts?"She gasps and leans over. "You mean, like Voldemort? Salty sugars! I spoke his name." She palms her mouth."Yeah, kind of like that.""I can't tell. I didn't really—" Tessa stops and looks into space, contemplating."What? What happened?" I ask,
I look at the mike that I hold in my hand with a blank face. "What do you want me to do with this?""It is very simple. You will sing!" Tristian says and I sigh."Why do I need to sign?""Because if it's true passion,then I will know that by watching how you sing."I widen my eyes. "You're going to—hear me?""Of course. Or else how will I know that you are not the next Beyonce?" He wiggles his eyebrows."How did you know?""Know what?" He raises an eyebrow."That I'm a Beyonce fan?""Pfft! I didn't know, I just guessed. She is my favourite till date. I met her." Tristian grins."Wow! You did? Wait. I hope she didn't feel like calling the security when she spoke with you." I smirk.
Tristian stares at me for a few minutes in silence. Meanwhile, I try my best to keep my tears at bay. The emotions are overwhelming, but I can't show him my cry baby side. I can't show him that I am weak.Just then he closes the distance between us and his arms wrap around me in a hug. Oh my MoonGod! "I'm sorry to hear that. I really am." He says in a soft voice, making me warm under his touch. Bloody hell! Why does it feel so good? He pulls away and then stares at me. "How did it happen?""Nightcrawlers. They attacked the pack at the border."Tristian blinks his eyes in confusion. "Oh. I see.""The nightcrawlers were the reason my dad wanted—us—to get married. But I didn't want to." I press my lips tight."So you came here." He cups my face and rather than feeling repulsive, I close my eyes to relish the warmth that only hi
"Salty sugars!" Tessa's scream jolts me awake from my sleep."Ugh—What is it?" I grunt, squeezing my eyes to adjust with the early morning rays."Look! The academy is taking us on a trip!"My eyes shot open." Wa–What? A trip? But how is that possible?" I move to the edge of the bed and take the card from Tessa.Dear Students,We invite you to join us in our first Academy trip to the streets of London. Gather today at the Academy hall at 9a.m."Huh? How is this possible? Didn't Cynthia warn us that we can't come out of the academy once we are in?" I frown."Yeah, but maybe she lied?""Why would she lie about something like this?"Tessa shrugs. "I don't know. But we can't tell until we move our asses. Come on! Get ready! It's trip t
"We are traveling in a bus?" I hear myself say and gape at the horrendous bus in front of us."Yeah. Isn't that cool?" Tessa grins. "We would all be together." She claps."Tessa, would you sit beside me?" Peter asks."No way, Peter Pan! She's sitting with me." I say and hold her hand."Omg! I doubted you two had a thing." Jessica clicks her tongue. Her two minions gasp dramatically behind her. What a shit show!"No." I grimace. "I want to sit beside my friend, that's all.""Oh really? But she isn't your rag doll,is she? Did you ask her whom she wants to sit with before you 'declared' your decision upon her and poor Peter."I narrow my eyes and whirl my head at Tessa who stands cluelessly. "I don't need to ask her! She is my best friend. She would always want to sit with me! Right,Tes
"Horns! Horns!" Alex screams as he points his hand at me and I nod my head. They got the horns but how do I explain the whole thing? I move my hands on my back to show wings."Wings! H-huge ones!" Tessa shouts this time. "But something with horns and wings...an unicorn!"I nod my head sideways. Then I gesture as the wings are broken. "Uh? Chopped wings?" Peter says this time and I nod my head in positive. At least this guy is not completely useless for the record."Boo! You guys! We don't have all day." Tristian says in between and I snort at him, while he winks back at me.What should I show next? They should understand what I mean by chopped wings and horn. "Wait! Chopped wings and horns on head. Who has that?" Alex puts a finger on his lips while his eyes stay upward in thought."Um... maybe... Lucifer?" Branson mumbles, straightenin
"Aurora! Aurora! Wait!" His voice comes from behind me, so I pace up my walk to get out of his sight. I don't know how one gets out of sight from an Alpha, especially a royal Bloodline one, but the last thing I want is for him to watch me breakdown because of what he said to me.Yes, his words hurt me! More than I thought they would. And I thought that it wouldn't be that bad. But it feels like someone tore my dress into shreds. Like the day my cousins ruined the dresses I made for them. I was only eight at that time. I had pulled out some fabrics to create something for my cousins for the night of Halloween. I wanted to impress them. So, I put day and night in creating ghost attires. And the next day, when I gifted them…"What is this?" Mia shouted, looking at the pumpkin dress I made for her. "Are you seriously expecting me to wear this?" Her green eyes shot daggers at the short-heighted me as I hid behind my mot