90

ALINA

When Lisa told me I was expected to have dinner in the dining room, I had a brief moment of panic. My mind instantly jumped to the possibility that Alexander was back and that he had been the one to request my presence.

The idea made my stomach tighten. I was still trying to figure out where we stood after our last conversation, but every time I replayed it in my mind, I came up empty.

The truth was, there was no predicting him. He could decide one thing now, only to change his mind seconds later, without warning or reason. He ran hot and cold on a whim, leaving me constantly unsure whether I was supposed to brace for his warmth or his frost.

When I walked into the dining room, though, it wasn’t Alexander I found. Claude was seated in his usual spot. A tiny thread of hope tugged at me that maybe he would join us. My gaze kept flicking to the door without me even realizing it until Claude caught me.

“Expecting someone?” His tone was light and teasing. His dark eyes glinting with amusement.

I shook my head too quickly, but he had already read me. Lisa always said I was far too easy to read, and I hated that she was right.

“He’s not back yet,” he went on, leaning back in his chair. “And knowing him, he won’t bother telling us when he is. We’ll just wake up one day to find his delightful presence looming over the house again.”

He deepened his voice in a poor imitation of his brother, and I couldn’t stop the laugh that burst out of me.

“Don’t ever do that again,” I managed between breaths.

Claude pressed a hand to his chest in mock offense, his face twisting into an exaggerated pout. “You’ve wounded me.”

I shook my head. “Your feelings are fine.”

He grinned at that, but before I could say anything else, dessert arrived. I took a bite of the unfamiliar cake like thing in front of me. I didn’t know the name, and I didn’t care. I wasn’t one of those people who made an effort to remember what they ate. If it was good, I ate it and moved on.

“So,” Claude said, leaning his elbows on the table, “I have good news for you.”

I tilted my head slightly, silently asking if he was serious. His smile widened at whatever he saw in my expression.

“You know how he mentioned you could enroll in something if you were bored?” his tone was casual, but I caught the deliberate choice of words. “I’ve been thinking about that.”

I tried to keep my face neutral, not wanting him to guess how much I wanted him to follow through. The last thing I needed was for him to suspect I had any personal motive. He was the only person I had in this house who could stand up to Alexander and even that was rare. Lisa was on my side too, but she would never directly challenge him, and I would never ask her to.

Claude, though… Claude could.

“There are some part time classes not far from the pack,” he continued. “The only catch is, most of them are outside the territory. He might throw a fit when he finds out, but if you start before he decides to reappear, he might just let you keep going.”

It was a gamble, but one I was willing to take. Even a small escape was still an escape, and right now, any window was worth climbing through.

“He agreed to this?” I asked, more hesitant than I meant to sound. I didn’t want to take a single step that might set Alexander off.

Claude hesitated. “Not exactly,” he admitted, running a hand through his hair. “We haven’t talked since the other day. He’s busy, always away from his phone. But it was his idea in the first place. When he argues, I’ll remind him of that, and he’ll give in just to avoid admitting he’s wrong.” The corner of his mouth lifted into a smirk. “He hates being wrong.”

That part, at least, I believed. I exhaled slowly, feeling the smallest bit lighter. “Thank you. I’m interested in whatever you think will suit me.”

“You don’t have anything in mind already? Something you’ve been hoping to try?”

I thought briefly of the conversation I’d had with Lisa last night. They were our small, tentative dreams. I had no idea how that could fit into the real world.

“Not really,” I said, nibbling my lip without meaning to. “I’ve never thought about it.”

“Come on,” he said with a smile, “you must have thought about something. Even when you were younger?”

I shook my head again. His brows lifted in surprise, but he quickly masked it. “Don’t worry,” he said. “You’ll figure it out. You graduated high school, right?”

The question made my chest tighten. I shook my head slowly, feeling heat creep into my cheeks. Graduation was normal for most people, but I’d never had that chance.

“We were mostly just taught in groups at the camp,” I explained.

A shadow passed over his face. “I’m sorry about what I said the other day,” he said quietly. “I didn’t realize how privileged I sounded.”

I shrugged, forcing a small smile. “It’s nothing. Really.” I cleared my throat. “My parents were healers or at least, that’s what I was told. They knew traditional medicines. I don’t know if there’s anything related to that I could study, but… I would like to.”

He leaned back, nodding thoughtfully. “I’ll find something that works for you. I promise.”

This time, my smile was real. “Thank you, Claude.”

Hope was a fragile thing, but sitting there across from him, I felt a new thread of it begin to weave itself through my chest.