Chapter 2

Leah stood frozen in place.

Those three words hurt more than any mockery could.

She opened her mouth, trying to say something, but her throat felt clamped shut. No sound came out.

So he had forgotten everything.

Cecily laughed, looping her arm through Blake’s, her eyes dancing with amusement.

“Blake, your charm is truly something. She’s only just enrolled and already she’s set her sights on you.”

Several upperclassmen nearby joined in the laughter:

“She wasn’t here to confess, was she? Is she in heat or something?”

“Look at her, her eyes are all red. Is she going to cry?”

“Omegas, you know. Emotional. Crying at the drop of a hat. Perfectly normal.”

Leah lowered her head, her face burning, tears pooling in her eyes. But she fought them back with everything she had, refusing to let them fall.

The letter was crushed into a wrinkled mess in her hand.

She no longer had the courage to bring up what happened three years ago.

“Alright, that’s enough.”

Blake cut them off calmly, then turned and left with Cecily.

From start to finish, he never looked at Leah again.

Leah stood there, the letter clutched in her hand, watching his silhouette disappear down the hallway.

The exact same silhouette from three years ago.

But this time, there was no jacket.

No warm words.

Nothing at all.

She didn’t know how she made it out of the auditorium. By the time she got back to her dorm, the sky had already darkened.

Leah pushed open the door.

Her three roommates were busy putting on makeup and changing clothes. No one noticed her come in. Everyone was chattering excitedly about the welcome party that night.

Head down, Leah walked to her bed.

She had zero interest in the party tonight.

Her whole heart was drowning in the grief of Blake forgetting her.

Then the dorm supervisor knocked on the door.

“Leah, you have a phone call!”

Leah startled, sitting up.

The three roommates paused too, looking at her curiously.

“Who would call her?” her roommate Mia whispered.

Another roommate sneered. “She’s an Omega. She has plenty of tricks for seducing men.”

Leah couldn’t be bothered with their mockery. She slipped on her shoes and walked out.

She went to the pay phone at the stairwell and picked up the receiver.

“Hello?”

A deep male voice came through the line.

“This is Blake. Tonight’s welcome party—do you have a date?”

Leah’s fingers tightened abruptly.

Her mind went completely blank.

Blake was calling her?

But he didn’t even remember her?

“No,” Leah said softly.

“Then…” There was a pause on the other end. “Would you be my date?”

Leah’s heartbeat spiked. Her whole body trembled.

She took a deep breath, trying to contain her excitement.

“Do you remember me now?”

Silence on the line.

Then Blake’s voice came through, vague and indistinct.

“Yes.”

Tears welled up immediately. Leah fought them back, her voice cracking.

“I’ll go. I’ll definitely go!”

“See you tonight.”

Blake hung up.

Leah stood in the hallway, receiver in hand, feeling like she was floating.

Everything felt unreal.

So Blake really did remember her!

All her efforts hadn’t been in vain!

When Leah got back to the dorm, her three roommates had already left.

She dug through her closet for a long time before finally pulling out a pale blue dress from the very back.

She had bought it last year with pocket money she’d saved up for ages. She’d only worn it once and couldn’t bear to wear it again after that, keeping it hanging in her closet like a treasure.

The dress was light blue with a thin silver belt at the waist.

She put it on in front of the mirror, curled her hair with a curling iron, and applied a touch of light-colored lipstick to her lips.

The girl in the mirror looked like a different person.

Leah looked at herself, her heart beating so hard it felt ready to burst from her chest.

She had never dressed up so carefully before.

At the Winter house, she wasn’t allowed to wear pretty clothes. Her three stepsisters always said she dressed up just to attract men.

At school, she hid herself even more thoroughly, terrified of drawing anyone’s attention.

But tonight was different.

Tonight, Blake had invited her.

Leah took a deep breath, picked up the wrinkled letter, and carefully placed it in her clutch.

Then she walked out of the dorm.

The party was being held in the academy’s main ballroom.

When Leah reached the entrance, the room was already roaring with voices, the lights dim, the music deafening.

The moment she appeared, people cast strange looks her way.

“Is she a freshman too? She’s gorgeous!”

“She’s the only Omega in the department. Dressing up that pretty—wonder who she’s trying to seduce.”

“Seduce an Alpha, obviously. What other reason would an Omega have for coming to a party?”

The whispers surrounded Leah like a rising tide.

She clenched her hands, lowered her head, pretended not to hear, and scanned the room for that familiar figure.

“Leah.”

Suddenly, a familiar voice came from behind her.

She turned around.

Blake stood before her.

He had changed into a black suit that emphasized his broad frame. His deep-set eyes and sharp features looked striking under the lights.

Leah’s breath hitched.

Blake extended his hand with gentlemanly courtesy.

“May I have this dance?”

Leah looked at that hand, the knuckles well-defined.

She placed her hand in his.

Blake led her onto the dance floor. The eyes of everyone around them followed, and the whispers grew louder.

The stage lights gradually dimmed.

Blake held one of her hands and placed his other arm around her waist, drawing her closer.

Leah’s mind went blank.

Fortunately, she had learned to dance at the Winter house, so her steps barely kept up with his. But her heart was pounding so hard it felt ready to leap out of her chest.

“You look beautiful tonight.”

Blake lowered his head, speaking into her ear.

His breath brushed her earlobe, and Leah shuddered, her cheeks burning.

“Th-thank you,” she stammered, lowering her head even further, unable to meet his eyes.

Blake didn’t let go.

Instead, he pulled her closer.

They were close enough that Leah could smell the cedar scent on him.

The exact same smell from his jacket three years ago.

Her eyes grew hot again.

The music reached its climax. The lights grew darker, until only the faint glow of a few candles remained in the corners.

Blake stopped.

His long fingers gently lifted Leah’s chin, tilting her face upward.

Leah’s heart stopped.

His face was so close.

Close enough that their breaths tangled together.

Was Blake… going to kiss her?

It all happened so suddenly. Leah’s mind went blank, her legs going weak, barely able to stand.

She closed her eyes, her lashes fluttering slightly, her lips instinctively tilting upward.

But several seconds passed, and nothing happened.

Blake’s voice sounded in her ear:

“Less than an hour.”

Leah’s eyes snapped open.

Blake had already stepped back, standing before her with a half-smile.

Before Leah could react, the dance floor lights flared on.

Cecily walked over from the edge of the floor, followed by a large group of upperclassmen. They were smiling and clapping, their faces lit with the excitement of spectators enjoying a show.

“Well.” Cecily’s laugh was sharp and biting.

She walked up to Blake, looped her arm through his intimately, and tilted her head to look at Leah.

“Blake, I lose. You actually got this Omega hooked in less than an hour?”