CHAPTER FOUR: THEY'RE MY MATES?

LYSARA

Every eye in the room is on me and suddenly I'm the center of attention. Everyone is staring at me now with shock filled eyes, including the professor.

The whispers begin slowly, then multiply till I can hear them clearly.

" Oh My God! Was that Lysa just now?”

" Never thought for once she's this powerful. Why does she keep sucking up to Jessica then."

“And that aura surrounding her? I’ve never experienced anything like it. It's surreal."

Jessica has shifted back to her human form and is fuming at me. Her eyes are practically red and she's breathing hard. " What. Did. You. Just. Do?”

I don't answer. I weigh my options to see which will favor me in this situation. I could lie and tell her and everyone here that it was really nothing and they just imagined it. But there's no way over fifty people would imagine me leaving my seat to the ring in less than two seconds.

“What did you just do, Lysa?" Jessica yells. “I thought you were wolfless. How come you have such speed and strength to throw me across the room! And that aura wafting off you, what the hell is it? Who even are you?" She rants, clenching her fists in anger.

I obviously can't lie so I tell her the simplest version of things. “You heard the pack seer that day, didn't you? It's not that I don't have a wolf. My wolf was just too weak to shift or manifest. Besides that was three years ago."

Before anyone can say anything else, a group of other professors, the headmistress included rush into the hall like they're being chased.

Their eyes collectively search the room and find me in no time. They all stare at me like I'm a world wonder.

" It's you,” Headmistress Peters breathes out, pointing at me. “That wave of magic, was it you?"

I manage a nod. I've already been exposed, no need keeping it a secret any longer.

"Lysara, my office. Now!” The headteacher orders, turning around and leaving with the little envoy she brought along. I take in a deep breath and walk out of the room, leaving students whispering behind me.

The walk to the principal’s office is painfully silent and unusually long. When we get there, the principal takes her seat and so do the other teachers.

" Lysara,” she begins slowly. " A wave of unusually strong wolf magic was released not too long ago. I felt it, your professors felt it and I'm sure everyone on campus did as well. Such magic is not possessed by any wolf alive. It's raw, untamed and unmatched. What I want you to know is if you are the one who released that magic.”

" Yes, principal Peters,” I nod. " It was I who released such magic.”

" Aren't you wolfless? “ The history professor says, staring me down through her black rimmed nose glasses like she's studying a specimen for scientific research. " There's no way someone who's wolfless can pull out such magic."

Professor Holden, the magic teacher leans forward and stares at me so intently, it's like he can see into the depths of my soul. “Are you truly wolfless, Lysara. Magic like yours is rare, almost nonexistent. There's no way you can be wolfless and still have such magic."

I nod slowly. “I do have a wolf.”

Zachary, another of the professor’s eyes open. " You do? Can you shift, let's see it?”

Panic seizes me and I shake my head instantly. I'm not in control of my wolf yet, and shifting will bring a lot of unwelcomed incidents.

Nana's words ring in my head from the last time I visited her at the orphanage. * Your wolf is strong but untamed my child. You are not like others whose wolves are already born tamed and under control. Your wolf has no control, and as such you cannot afford to shift until you have full control of your powers. And also not until your wolf has been tamed.*

I shake my head and smile apologetically at the professors. " The elder of our pack said my wolf is weak and as thus I can't shift.”

Professor Holden keeps his gaze on me like he can tell I'm lying. For some reason, he makes me feel more unsettled than all the other professors here.

Convinced she won't be getting the answers she wants, the principal sighs and leans back into her seat. " You are dismissed! You may return to your studies.”

I nod respectfully and walk out of the principal's office. I have arts history next, but I decide to skip the lecture and take the entire day off for myself.

As I make my way towards my dorm, my ears pick up on something. It's low at first, then I hear it more clearly. A whimper, then fervent begging.

Strange things happen at Arcadia everyday. I should just mind my business and head to my dorm. But as the saying goes, curiosity kills the cat.

I follow the sound, listening carefully for where it's coming from and find myself at the clearing that leads to the art library. Almost no one comes here.

I search around for the source of the sound, and it doesn't take me long to find Kaeren and Kirrian leaning against a tree. I look closely and see Kareal. He's got a girl man pressed over another tree while he…drinks his blood?

I clean my eyes and look again and it's definitely Kareal I see drinking blood from a fellow student!

Before I have the time to react, Kaeren's gaze snaps to mine and he smirks.

“Well well, if it isn't the wolfless Pyromaniac eavesdropping on us,” he says, drawing the attention of the others.

Kareal steps back from the man slowly without a care in the world and the man slumps to the ground, lifeless.

In a second, they're all at my side. Kaeren pushes me against a tree and I gasp. " What are you doing?” I ask even though my heart is racing right now.

Kirrian takes a long sniff of the air and hums. Kearen does the same, dragging his nose against my cheek and wrinkles his nose, even though his eyes flash with something unrecognizable.

" Of all the people in this world, we had to be mated to a pyro?” He grumbles and my eyes budge out of their sockets.

Wait…what?

I thought the whole mating thing is to be felt by both parties? Apart from the unappreciated attraction to them, I don't feel anything unusual.

Kaeren gently massages my pulse point and licks his lips.

“W…what are you doing?” I breathe out as he takes in another breath, my entire body tingling.

" Shut the fuck up, Pyro!” He growls. I see his fangs protract and just when he's about to dig them into my flesh, a voice tears through the clearing.

“Stop!"