Chapter 3 Chapter 3

Elari 

The skirt hit me just above the knee. Pleated, the navy blue and silver plaid matched perfectly the blue blazer trimmed with silver and the striped matching tie that I had handing around my throat.

My shirt was white and kind of stiff.

Glancing at myself in the mirror, I took in the ashy pallor of my complexion. I was almost as white as the frost on the windows. Of course my long dark hair didn’t help. It kind of washed me out and made me look even paler. Only my blue eyes stood out, bright and ringed with silver.

The sight made me smile. My eyes matched my uniform. 

“Are you about ready or-“ the door to the small attached bathroom opened and there he was again. Looking well, looking just like every other time I had seen him. Cockily leaning against a door frame.

I clamped my arms around my chest. “Hey, I could have been getting changed. I could have been naked. You should at least knock,” I trailed off. The look in his eyes had turned darker.

Cocking his head to the side, he let his eyes travel down my front. Which of course was completely covered. “You’re not naked and I’m hungry. Could you at least hurry up. I want to eat.” He paused. “Why is your tie like that?”

My hands reached for it. I’d done the best I could but I had no clue on how to tie a tie. In my old school we hadn’t had these ridiculously itchy old fashioned uniforms. 

“I-“ I stuttered to a stop when his hands reached for it. His fingers swiftly and deftly trying it before letting it fall across my shirt front.

Not once did he touch me but my skin seemed to spark. Power flowed downward again, just like it had at his game. This time though it wasn’t a wall of ice that went up in front of me, maybe because my newly found power knew I didn’t need protection. It was a flurry of soft snow flakes. Only they didn’t fall on our heads, they swirled around our feet and rose higher and higher.

“Interesting.”

His mutter made my head snap up and I did a double take. His eyes which had always seemed kind of amber gold from afar now looked like a deep fiery red. How could a man or a boy or any kind of person have red eyes- unless. I swallowed hard. I was looking at his wolf’s eyes, not his.

“Your wolf.” I muttered. “How?”

I knew he had just turned eighteen. A year above me in school because I had done my research but I hadn’t realised he had got his wolf already. Let alone that he had enough control over it to allow only a partial shift.

Almost self consciously his hand went up and brushed against them. A crooked smile spread across his face. “Yeah.” He grinned at me lopsidedly. “Got him when I was fourteen.”

I did a double take. “Fourteen?” I whispered. “Wow.” 

“Yeah.” Something flickered in their depths, he reached out and touched my hair and then my cheek. “I wonder what colour eyes your wolf will have?” He glanced up to meet my eyes. “Have you met her yet?”

Mutely I shook my head, words wouldn’t come because I was lost in his eyes. Falling and falling with no hope of ever reaching the bottom. And I was ok with that.

Deep inside me, something stirred. Like a sleeping animal coming awake after a long hibernation. Kades hands slid across my cheeks and the upside down snow storm raged about us like an invisible tornado but there was not one brush of wind against my face- only his hands.

“I think her eyes will be silver.” He gave me another soft lopsided smile. “Like yours.”

I blinked slowly. “My eyes are blue.”

He shook his head. “Not anymore they aren’t. Am I seeing her? Am I seeing your wolf for the first time little Lari.” 

The way he shortened my name. Made it something special made my heart rate speed up. I didn’t know what was going on here but I wanted more of it. 

“You bring mine out as well, don’t worry,” his voice cracked into a growl. “I noticed your scent first, back there on the ice. But I knew who you were when I saw your eyes.”

Who I was? I opened my mouth to ask the question when a girlish giggle broke the spell. Kade stepped away like he had been electrocuted. 

Peering around his shoulder, I saw three girls. All of them were taller, slimmer and much more beautiful than I was hovering in the open doorway. 

“Dean Maren asked us to come and show the fre- new girl where the mess hall is.” The blonde at the front said, her eyes raking over me like I was something on the bottom of her shoe to be scraped off. “But I guess you want to do that yourself.” She flicked her eyes up to him. “Because this sure does look cosy.”

Kade blanched and stepped away again. “You’ve got a disgusting mind Serephina. Lari and I were just talking.”

Forest green eyes narrowed into snake like slits. “Talking in her bedroom. You know you’re not allowed in the first year dorms.” Sauntering forward, she placed a hand on his arm. Complete with perfect polished nails. I looked down at my scrabby broken ones and frowned. “Not that the rules have stopped you in the past, hey.” She winked.

I felt sick. Was she his girlfriend? It was pretty clear that no matter what their relationship status they were more than just friends. 

He shook her hand off, a sneer replacing the grin on his face. “She’s my step sister Serephina. I’m here because -“ he shrugged. “Well because it’s what my father wanted me to do. Do you honestly think I’m interested in,” his eyes raked over me. “Her. I mean she completely made me lose that shot earlier with her freaky little magic show.”

I bristled, he had missed that shot before I had lost control of my newly emerging magic, not before.

Serephina and her posse of little bitches- because that’s exactly what I was going to call them from  now on fell about giggling. “A little freak show from a little freak.” Serpentine laughed, hooking her arm through Kades she led him away. “You coming little freak?” She asked over her shoulder.

I didn’t even look at her, my eyes were glued to Kades back. What had just happened? One second he was staring at me and talking to me like I meant something and the next he was calling me a freak and looping his arm around a literal bitches waist.

What was it with boys? It didn't seem to matter whether they were human or shifter, they were all douches.

“You go on ahead. I’m not hungry anymore.” I hated the way my voice shook. His head snapped around. His eyes back to their normal colour. They seemed to plead with me for understanding but he wouldn’t get any from me. A second passed and then his face hardened again. “Suit yourself little sis. I’ll see you around.”

They walked away, giggling and chatting to themselves and I was sure I heard the word freak being batted around. I hadn’t even been here a full day and it felt like I already had enemies. 

And this whole thing with Kade was unsettling to say the least. His wolf had come forth for me, and he sparked my newly awakening magic. That had to mean something right?

Unless it was an act.

Slamming my door shut to blot out their laughing, I flopped face down on to the narrow bed and groaned. No it didn’t feel like an act, it felt like something really really real.

And completely forbidden.