Ariah parted ways with me before lunchtime, informing me she promised one of the teachers she’d help him with something. I agreed to meet up later with her, Nate and Celeste, making my way up a flight of stairs toward the library. I wanted to find the book of the divine, among things, to see if I could learn anything about my mark or the meaning of it. I scarcely rounded the corner where the library was, spotting a sign that said: Be back in an hour. I sighed, falling back against a wall, contemplating what I could do next. I didn’t know how long an hour would be, considering there wasn’t a time stating when it was written. I didn’t want to go back to my room because I have virtually nothing there to keep me occupied. Maybe this would be a good time for me to drop in by June and see what there was that I could use for my side of the room? As I stretched out my arms, yawning and turning back the way I came when low voices behind me drew my attention. “I told you to leave me alone,

Elijah didn’t stay much longer after, claiming he had some guardian business to tend. I hoped he’d make better progress regarding finding information about the mark on my neck than I have thus far. It would have helped a great deal if I knew more about this world I now find myself bound to. A sad tug inside my chest was hard to ignore each time I thought of my parents. A big part of me hoped my dad would reason with my mom, or maybe bother to call me, or send a message at the least. I haven't heard a thing from them since Mom dumped me at that train station. I gathered my things, about to leave, when my eyes caught the small sign that said the library was hiring assistants. I remembered Ariah—or was it Celeste?—mentioning it. It was getting hard for me to keep up with everything, but I couldn’t wait to get a job. I needed to take care of myself, even if I was overwhelmed. I stuffed my books into my backpack and headed for the front desk, thinking of how I could confidently phrase

The crowd fell silent when the headmistress appeared, and the gigantic doors slammed shut behind her. The click of her heels echoed through the cavernous room, and every set of eyes traced after her. I felt drowsy and stifled a yawn behind my hand, trying my best to stay upright. I leaned toward Elijah. “What time is it, anyway?” Without taking his eyes of Humphrey, he stuck his hand into the pocket of his sweats and pulled out his cellphone. He waited for the headmistress to focus her attention on one of the teachers before he flicked on the screen and peered down at his phone. “Three-forty-five.” “No wonder I’m this tired,” I muttered. “I probably had like three hours of sleep, if I’m lucky.” He sighed. “You and me both.” I peered at him. “You didn’t sleep either?” “It’s complicated.” I frowned. “You always give me that answer. I’d like to know at some point what is so complicated.” He glanced at me, his brows knitted together, and didn’t say anything. I shifted, offering hi

Things went back to normal as they could the following day at a school for wolves. Well, except for me and Ariah, who both hadn’t slept a wink. We kept rolling around in our beds, jumping up for every tiny sound, from a branch scraping against the window to someone moving outside in the hallway. By two, we both gave up sleeping and played cards until the sun came up. By then, we were drowsy, giving in to sleep, only to be jarred awake by our bedside alarm. “We can’t go on like this,” Ariah yawned, stretching out her arms above her head. “We have to do something.” I stifled my yawn, kicking my legs over the side of the bed. “What do you reckon we can do?” “I don’t know,” she sighed. “Can you see her now?” I shook my head. “I hadn’t seen her again since the last time.” “Was it the first time you saw her?” she asked. I had told Ariah about my encounter with Humphrey and that, according to her, I had the ability to see the dead. She thought it was the coolest thing ever. I didn’t. W

I kept my eyes closed, painting a picture in my mind’s eye of my wolf form, as instructed by Mrs. Krane. Except, I was having a hard time. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn't picture my own wolf, except for the ones I’d already seen. Elijah’s. Or the ghostly wolves I’ve seen roaming the hallways. Apparently, you’re supposed to conjure your wolf from thought. I had not the faintest clue how I was going to pull this off. I wasn’t precisely the imaginative or creative type, and in this lesson, I was starting to think this was an essential quality to have if you ever wanted to make it as a werewolf. Elijah, however, had transformed over ten times already within the past hour while he spent the remaining time focused on me, trying to encourage me. “You know, to turn, you actually need to breathe, Hails.” I snorted a laugh, opening my eyes to find him grinning at me. “Breathe,” he nodded. “You don’t want to pass out. You can’t transform if you’re lying on the floor unconscious.” T