Chapter 4

Back in my dorm, the door shut behind me, sealing out the cold air in the hallway.

I leaned against it and drew a deep breath. My body still carried the lingering exhaustion and peculiar sensations after the medical assessment. It was a constant reminder of what had just happened.

"Aria? You're finally back!"

Lily Chase looked up from her bed, half-buried under balls of yarn and herbalism textbooks. "Serafine's throwing a party at her place tomorrow. You're going, right?"

"Of course."

Her green eyes were full of concern when she noticed the medical assessment report I was holding. "Did you get your medical assessment? How did it go? Is everything alright?"

When our eyes met, I instinctively tightened my fingers around the collar of my gray robe.

"Well, it was fine," I murmured, my voice dry. I then turned toward my bed, pretending to tidy my desk as an excuse to avoid her gaze.

"Oh, did you meet Dr. Goliath at the health center?"

I twisted open a bottle of hazelnut-flavored energy drink and took a small sip, answering with a vague hum.

"Oh my god, you're so lucky, Aria!" Lily exclaimed, filled with awe. "He's the most notable wolf among the entire younger generation of the Northlands. He originates from an ancient bloodline and is powerful and good-looking!

"He's been interested in medicine since he was a pup and would rather not inherit the position of Alpha just to work as a healer at the health center… It's such a shame that the last time I went for a medical assessment, I waited forever and didn't even see him anywhere."

Deep down, I thought to myself that meeting Kael was anything but lucky.

"What's weird is that someone as powerful as him doesn't even have any rumors surrounding him. Plenty of she-wolves tried to make advances on him back at the academy, but he politely turned all of them down."

She shrugged, and a curious glint flashed in her eyes. "Honestly, I wonder who could ever win him over."

"Who knows," I replied too quickly and subconsciously rubbed the cold glass bottle. "Maybe he's just putting on an act at the academy.

He was no gentleman. What happened in the assessment room was something I couldn't tell anyone.

Lily leaned back, looking a little disappointed. But soon, she drifted back into daydreams about the mysterious he-wolf.

…

That night, I fell into a restless sleep.

I dreamed of a boundless white snowfield beneath a pale sky. Snowflakes slowly drifted and landed on my hands.

A tall, warm figure hugged me from behind, his arms circling my waist and his chin resting on the crown of my head.

He nuzzled my hair. When he lowered his head, his warm breath brushed across the tip of my ear. He chuckled softly and whispered into my ear, his breath turning into white mist in the cold air.

In the dream, I laughed and playfully tackled him into the soft snow. He rolled over and pinned me beneath him.

I closed my eyes as he leaned down to kiss me. His lips were soft and sweet.

When I looked up, I found myself looking at Kael's gentle, smiling face.

Shit!

I bolted upright in bed, my heart racing. Sweat clung to my temples. The dorm was dark, filled only with the sound of Lily's even breathing.

Damn it! Why would I even dream about Kael?

Sleep had abandoned me, and I fumbled for the phone by my pillow. The screen lit up with a faint blue glow.

3:27 am. There were two unread notifications quietly sitting on the lock screen.

Kael Goliath has sent me a text message.

"There are some details in your medical assessment report that need confirmation. Regards, Kael Goliath."

The message was sent at 2:09 am. He was everywhere like a ghost.

While I hesitated about whether to accept, my body reacted, and I accepted it.

What a terrible day.

I tossed the phone aside in resignation and lay back down. Staring at the ceiling, I started counting sheep and hoped it would bring sleep.

Just as drowsiness began to pull me under, my phone buzzed. A new message popped up on the screen.

"Good night, Aria. We'll meet at the usual spot tomorrow at 9:00 am."