#Chapter 5: Different

Lyra & Kael

Lyra

The asphalt was making my feet sore. Despite the cool morning mist, a fine sheen of sweat had begun to glisten on my forehead, plastering my bangs to my skin. And although I’d been walking for what felt like ages, there was nothing but empty road and towering trees in either direction.

No bus stop in sight.

I could have turned around, but I certainly wouldn’t go back on my decision now. I was too proud for that.

Suddenly, I heard the sound of an approaching car. I gasped and whirled around, sticking my thumb out in the hopes that Kael hadn’t mindlinked this one and told them not to pick me up.

To my surprise and relief, the vintage orange pickup truck that came around the bend slowed and came to a stop beside me. The window rolled down, revealing a handsome male with brown curls, broad shoulders, and a varsity jacket with the letter “H” on the front.

Shit.

Luca Hayes—notorious playboy and one of Kael’s best friends.

Of course it would be him. He was probably here by Kael’s bidding and was going to mock me.

Luca leaned out the window, golden eyes flicking over me with obvious disdain. “Out on a brisk morning walk?”

I folded my arms across my chest. “What do you want?”

He tilted his head and looked at me for a moment longer, and for a second, I thought he might laugh at me and drive away. But instead, he opened the door from inside and gestured for me to get in.

“Come on. Don’t want you to be late for school.”

I lifted my eyebrows, wondering what sort of angle he was playing at. But when he just sat there and waited for me to get in, I finally figured he was at least being somewhat genuine, so I tossed my suitcase in the backseat and climbed into the passenger seat.

“Thanks,” I said, buckling my seatbelt as Luca continued down the road.

“Mhm.” There was a long silence that was broken only by the sound of some pop song or another crackling through the truck’s old radio. Suddenly, he said, “I heard about what you did a few weeks ago—drinking until you threw up just because someone dared you.”

My face flamed as the memory of that long-ago night—not so long ago in this life, I supposed. I had humiliated myself at a party by accepting a dare to impress Kael and drinking myself stupid during a keg stand.

I’d thrown up right away, of course, right in the bushes behind the house. I rarely drank, so my body didn’t even know what to do with that much alcohol.

I supposed that made two embarrassing experiences that had to do with vomit. I was beginning to see a pattern emerging.

“Yes,” I finally managed, clearing my throat. “Well, that was foolish of me. I shouldn’t have accepted that dare so easily, and I definitely won’t do it again.”

Luca shot me a sidelong glance from the driver’s seat. Something that looked like a smirk curved his lips.

“Well, color me surprised.”

I arched my brows at him. “What?”

He shrugged one of those stupidly muscular shoulders and pushed his brown curls back on his head. “No, it’s just… You’re prettier than I thought. Smarter, too.”

My mouth dropped open. Without thinking, I reached out and smacked him firmly on the arm. “Luca Hayes! I should tell your father on you, you pig!”

Luca just threw his head back and laughed. “I didn’t know you were feisty, too,” he admitted.

I rolled my eyes, but had a hard time holding back my smile as I settled back into my seat. “Keep it in your pants,” I grumbled.

“Don’t worry,” Luca said, “I already gave up on asking you out. I never dated a girl like you anyway, and besides, everyone knows you’re obsessed with Kael.”

…

Kael

My knuckles were white around the steering wheel from how hard I was gripping it.

“Come on, baby,” Cassidy whined, clutching at my arm. “Stop thinking about her. She’s just being her usual weird self.”

I didn’t reply. Couldn’t reply because I couldn’t stop thinking about what had just happened. What had gotten into Lyra today? She wasn’t acting like herself at all, had even somehow defied my Alpha authority, and the way she looked at me…

There was no getting that look out of my head.

“How about I distract you,” Cassidy said, leaning closer so her lips brushed the shell of my ear. Her manicured hand came down to grip me by the groin, something that might have normally made my body respond but now just made me stiffen.

Jaw ticking, I replied curtly, “I’m not in the mood.”

Cassidy pulled back as if she’d been burned. “This is ridiculous,” she huffed, plopping back into her seat. “I don’t know why you seem to care so much about that fucking wolfless freak. All she’s going to do is ruin your reputation and follow you around like a creep. In fact—”

“That’s enough.”

Just like before, I let my Alpha authority bleed into my voice. Cassidy, a Beta, immediately snapped to attention like I’d slapped her.

“Wolfless or not, Lyra is family,” I continued, forcefully hitting the turning signal as we made our way onto the main road leading to Ravencrest. “And I won’t allow you to slander my family.”

Cassidy’s eyes flashed. “I’m not just anyone. I’m your girlfriend.”

“That changes nothing.”

Cassidy looked like she wanted to argue, but she kept her mouth firmly shut. As we pulled down the road, the towering cypress trees on either side gave way to sprawling lawns, trickling fountains, and the tall, ivy-covered wrought iron gate that led us to the university of Ravencrest.

“Welcome to Ravencrest,” Cassidy sighed, checking her nails as we pulled toward the expansive campus consisting of various brick and stone buildings with ornate gargoyles sitting like sentries on the roofs. Students were already milling around with their books in hand, some kicking balls back and forth on the quad, others sprawled across picnic blankets or carrying coffee cups.

I didn’t see Lyra among them, but if Luca had picked her up, then they would probably arrive soon.

“Quite the place, isn’t it?” I asked, shooting Cassidy a glance as I parked the car.

She shrugged and wrinkled her nose at an elderly professor shuffling by in his tweed suit, satchel in hand. “It’s alright, I guess. Wish they would update the architecture, though.”

I climbed out of the car and opened Cassidy’s side for her. She took her time gathering her things, all the while chattering about her plans for her dorm, but my mind was wandering back to Lyra again—because Luca’s orange pickup truck had just pulled in.

Lyra.

Unbidden, I thought back to the drinking spell she’d had a couple weeks ago at that party, when she had taken one of my friends’ dares too seriously and had drunk enough to make herself vomit all in the bushes.

That must have been the reason behind her sudden change in behavior.

It was my fault, of course. I hadn’t intervened in time and she had taken the dare, apparently believing that she could impress me by doing it. Clearly, she was hurt and embarrassed by what had happened. I had no doubt that some comforting words and perhaps a hug would smooth things over.

But when she climbed out of Luca’s car and I moved toward her, she didn’t even look at me. Just passed me by, smiling and laughing at something Luca had said.

I watched them go, stunned. Lyra had never ignored me like this before. Never.

As I stared after them, I could practically feel my expression darken.