Chapter 5

By midnight, Elena had acquired a new circle of friends, a few admirers and I was now forced to sit quietly in her shadow while she entertained them. I felt she did this to punish me because she found me talking to Grey.

I looked down at the handkerchief in my hand. The cut on my hand was now completely healed like it never even happened but the memory of how he gentle he was was still so fresh.

"Oh I know," a she wolf suddenly said and turned to her friend. "Do the thing."

"No..." the other girl looked resistant.

"What thing?" Elena asked.

"She's an oracle," the girl said. "Come on Sarah it will be fun."

The girl looked uncomforatble. "Well alright," she said looking across the room.

"So how does this work?" Elena asked.

"She can sometimes see things about someone's future, your mate, whether you will loose your wealth and maybe even get rich. I don't know whatever it is she can see it."

"That sounds dangerous," I said, feeling uneasy. Oracles were rare gifted wolves that had an open line to unravel and predict the hidden mysteries of time.

Elena laughed. "You're such a coward."

I moved to leave and Elena grabbed my arm, stopping me. "Be brave for once in your life, Dahlia."

"Go ahead Seraphina," Elena said.

"Yeah, Sera. Do me next," someone else added.

I should have returned to the dormitory, climbed into bed and forgotten the entire evening.

But then the Seraphina looked up. Her violet eyes found mine. For a second, her expression changed.

She looked almost frightened. Then she blinked, and the expression vanished. No one else besided me and her seemed to have noticed.

Elena leaned forward. "Can you tell me who my mate is."

Seraphina smiled. "The future isn't always clear."

"Try anyway."

Seraphina nodded and tilted her head up to the sky. She took Elena's hands and began running her fingers across the lines on her palms.

Elena straightened, looking delighted. For several seconds, nothing happened. Then Seraphina's breathing changed.

The air around the fire seemed to grow colder.

When she opened her eyes again, the violet colour had deepened until her irises looked almost luminous. "You've been searching for a powerful man to claim you."

Elena's smile faltered. "Aren't we all."

"An Alpha with a name that will make others bow. You believe that being chosen will prove you are worthy of love."

The laughter around the circle died.

Elena stiffened. "What does that mean?"

Seraphina didn't seem to hear her. "But the heart you seek is not here."

Elena's face went pale. "What?"

"Your mate is not at this academy. You will find him when you are ready, when you can put pride and envy aside."

Silence fell over the group. Someone muttered a curse in dissapointment. Elena stared at Seraphina as if she'd just been insulted her in front of everyone.

"That doesn't make sense. I'm supposed to find my mate here. This is ridiculous. Maybe she's having an off night."

But I saw the hurt behind her eyes. For once, I almost felt sorry for her. Then Seraphina turned towards me."You."

I froze.

"I don't want to know," I said but she didn't listen.

She studied my face. "Come closer." I hesitated before moving forward.

The moment I sat opposite her, my wolf surged.

A low growl rose in my throat. I pressed my lips together. Seraphina's eyes widened. "What are you?" She asked.

The question was so quiet that I almost didn't hear it. "What do you mean?" She reached towards me, then stopped before her fingers touched my skin.

Her expression shifted from confusion to disbelief. "No," she whispered.

My heart pounded. "What is it?"

Seraphina swallowed. "You have been told you are weak." I couldn't breathe. "You have been made to believe there is something wrong with you because your wolf has not emerged."

My hands began to tremble. "Yet you are more powerful than anyone in this circle can imagine. Your future is tied to a choice. Three paths but only one will lead to you unlocking your full potential... It's not clear yet-" she started to stutter.

"Are you talking about her mate?" Elena asked.

Seraphina looked like she was struggling to talk. "She is too powerful-" she groaned, "she is blocking me out..."

The fire died down completely now. "Lu-" she couldnt get out the words she looked like she was in pain and the wind picked up, "Lucien," her voice came out eerie.

A collective gasp swept through the students. I looked up to see him standing completely still.

His eyes locked onto mine. My wolf stirred.

I clutched my chest. Seraphina turned towards the other side of the fire. "Kieran." The red-haired boy stood so abruptly that his chair fell backwards.

"Two of us?" he demanded. His brown eyes were fixed on me.

Shock, disbelief and a bit of hurt flashing in his eyes.

The students began whispering. "Two mates?"

"That's impossible."

Elena stared at me. Then at Lucien and at Kieran.

Her expression had gone frighteningly blank.

"That's not funny," she whispered to Seraphina.

No one answered.

Seraphina swayed and then she fell to her knees. "Its too much-" he screamed and it was ear splitting. Her fingers curled into the grass. "Wait," she gasped.

The flames of the bonfire suddenly returned and higher than normal, sending sparks spiralling into the night sky.

Seraphina's eyes rolled back."The other," Her body jerked.She clutched her head."No. No. The third… the third is..." Her breath caught. For one terrifying moment, her eyes locked onto mine. And I saw something in them that made my blood run cold.

Fear.

Then she collapsed.

Chaos erupted.

Students scrambled to their feet. Someone called for the academy healer, while another tried to help Seraphina sit up.

I dropped to my knees beside her. "Seraphina? Can you hear me?"

Her eyelids fluttered from luminous purple back to brown. Geez, what is all the commotion about?" She sat up and clutched her head. She looked around and groaned when she realized what had happened "Crap. I hate when this happens."

"You were about to tell us who her third mate is." Her friend said, going over to her.

She pressed a trembling hand to her forehead.

"I don't remember."

"But you were just..."

"I don't remember!" she repeated, panic rising in her voice. "When the vision takes hold of me, I don't always remember what I see."

Suddenly a roar shattered the night. It came from beyond the hedges, followed by the unmistakable sound of bodies crashing against stone.

My stomach dropped. Kieren and Lucien were fighting. I immediately rushed over to them without them thinking. A group of students gathered none of them trying to stop them.

"She's mine, Lucien," Kieren shoved him.

"Yours?" Lucien growled. "If you want her you're going to have to kill me."

Kieran suddenly shifted into his wolf form. A large reddish brown wolf stood where he once stood, snarling and snapping its jaws at Lucien.

Lucien was quick too. Transforming into his wolf form and attacking Kieran, gripping him at the neck. I was almost paralyzed.

My wolf growled inside me. I didn't want them to fight. I stumbled forward. "Stop!"

Neither boy listened. Lucien lunged.

Kieran met him halfway both of them trying to grip and get the advantage over the other.

They collided with enough force to send both of them crashing against the stone walls of the estate.

I moved to get in between them and I felt a pair of arms wrap around my waist and pull me back. "Don't," his voice warned. I turned to see Grey standing behind me. His silver eyes were no longer unreadable. I tried to pull away and he grabbed my wrist instead.

"Please stop them. They're going to kill each other!" I pleaded with him.

"Let them," he said, coldly.

I stared at him. "How can you say that?"

His jaw tightened. For a second, he looked as though he were fighting an internal battle of his own. "Because they are acting like idiots." He suddenly began pulling me away. "Where are we going."

"I'm taking you home."

"I don't want to go home!"

"I wasn't asking, Dahlia."