Wolf Girl (Wolf Girl, #1)(10)
He stood and gestured to the door. “You can go. You missed the first day, but classes start eight a.m. sharp, and Sawyer will be picking his first date tomorrow night at the dinner gala.”
My eyes widened.
Picking a date?
Dinner gala?
Freaking Werewolf Bachelor.
“Umm, gala usually means a dress … right?” I gestured to my clothes.
He pointed to the backpack. “Check the campus map. There’s a mall behind the tennis courts that has everything ladies like to wear. Use your keycard to pay. Sawyer picks up the bill, no questions asked.”
What. The. Fuck. Was. Happening?
At this point I just felt stupid for asking questions, so I nodded and stood. “Thanks for um…” I pointed to the broken cuffs and shoved them in the bag. “Everything.”
He tipped his head, standing as well. “In twenty years of serving the alpha, I’ve never seen him get in a fight with his son. Until today. Sawyer fought for you. Don’t ever forget that.”
Then he walked out and left me shocked.
Sawyer fought for me? Those words stuck with me all the way to Lexington Hall.
Lexington Hall was clear across campus and I rode a badass electric scooter to get there. This place was amazing. Minus all of the assholes who kept staring at me and whispering. It took me four tries to get the dorm door open, until some blond waved her key at a little square thingy and it opened automatically. I stepped in behind her into a large entryway with a concierge type of woman sitting behind a desk. She had a phone to her ear. When she saw me, she hung up and flagged me down with a flustered look on her face.
“Miss Calloway?”
I nodded. “They didn’t put your food preferences in. My chef needs to know, are you vegetarian? Gluten free? What are your dietary restrictions?”
I forced myself not to laugh. “None, ma’am.”
She frowned. “Paleo? Keto?”
Keta what?
“Umm. I like all food.”
This seemed to confuse her and her eyebrows drew into a frown. “No special diet, then?”
I shrugged. “Pizza, pasta, chicken sandwiches.”
Her eyes ran over my body and she seemed … I don’t know what she seemed, but I was confused. Luckily, Sage popped into view and saved me from further embarrassment.
“She’s normal, Kendra. Normal food,” Sage told her, speaking the last two words slowly like Kendra didn’t understand.
The front desk woman glared at Sage and waved her off. “Very well.”
Sage looped her arm through mine and leaned in closely. “All of the ‘prospective girls’ are on special diets to be rail thin for my cousin.”
“Gross,” I said. My thighs definitely jiggled when I walked and my nickname all through middle school, before Wolf Girl, was Bubble Butt.
“Eugene texted me that you would be across the hall from me. Have you eaten dinner?”
I shook my head, taking in all the girls walking around in high heels and the luxury of the open entry room.
“We can go to the mall and go shopping so you have clothes to wear to school tomorrow. We can grab a bite to eat there. Or you can just borrow mine and we can order in.”
Eugene texted her? He probably guarded her too since she was … I dunno, were they royal? She was the alpha’s niece, so obviously that was special. My head was spinning. I did need clothes, like … I didn’t even have extra underwear. They basically kidnapped me midday without any of my stuff.
“Sure … um, let me just freshen up. Call my parents.”
She nodded. “Meet you in the lobby in thirty minutes?”
I gave her a thumbs-up and then she gestured down the hall. “You’re on the first floor, down to the right.”
I started to walk that way, and she broke off to talk to some girls who were playing ping pong. I was pleased to see that the bedroom doors were not in fact made of glass. A few of them were open and girls were sitting on each other’s beds talking, but they quieted when I passed. Suite eight, suite nine, suite—
There was a tall blond leaning against my doorframe, wearing a feral grin. My wolf immediately rose to the surface as the blond pushed off the door and looked me up and down. “This is the girl Sawyer begged his dad to free from banishment? Hmm, I expected more.” She stalked a slow circle around me, looking at me like I was a piece of trash.
A low growl rose in my throat, and she matched it with a growl of her own. Stepping forward quickly, she forced me to back up until my back slammed against the door.
“Sawyer and I dated for two years. He only broke up with me because the bylaws state you must be single when you enter your mating year. He’s mine, so don’t even think about entertaining this as anything other than a charity case.”
She’d caged me against the door and my wolf did not like it.
“Back. Up.” Fur rippled down my arms, but she didn’t look scared or surprised, she looked … excited.
“Meredith! I thought that was your shrill voice I heard,” Sage called out as she barreled down the hallway.
Meredith, AKA Darth Vader, backed up then and plastered a fake smile on her face. “Sage. Hey, girl!” Her voice held so much fakeness it made me sick. “Just welcoming our new little friend.”