Reckless Souls (Saints Academy, #1)(55)

so damn nosey, her story hasn’t changed.

“Nothing at all,” she breathes. My brain struggles to imagine what that must feel like as I stroke

my thumb across her long, delicate fingers.

“What did the Box give you?” Khaos asks, glancing back over his shoulder as he slows his steps

and falls into line with everyone at my side.

Rhea eyes him for a moment, before quirking an eyebrow at him. I can’t tell if she’s pissed,

annoyed, or curious. “Why do I feel like that’s a personal question?”

“Because it is,” Xander states, glaring from the other end of our line to stare Khaos down, but he

doesn’t acknowledge it as he waits for Rhea to respond.

She rubs her lips together as we make our way up the Academy steps, before looking at me. “Is it

like asking someone what they are?”

Her question catches me by surprise. It’s hard to remember or even imagine what it must be like

to have no idea about this entire part of the world, lifestyle, and even yourself like she does. Just the

thought makes my skin crawl.

“It’s worse,” Khaos responds before I can, being completely honest with her. “But since you don’t

know what you are, I thought I might try my luck,” he offers with a wry grin that has a small chuckle

slipping past Rhea’s lips.

“You’re some ballsy assholes,” she grumbles, not offering them anything beyond that, and it makes

my lips tilt up at the side, watching her stand her ground with them.

No one utters a word as we head for the portal to Agion. As we appear in the usual hallway, we

all immediately turn to the first door on the left; Xander’s room. It’s bigger than the rest, for when he

starts to garner his powers and shifts unexpectedly, so it tends to be our main hangout.

Plus, I didn’t want to give Rhea the chance to be near her room. She would definitely give us the

slip then.

Xander places his palm against the wood, letting the door fall open, and my hand instinctively

tightens around Rhea’s. I’m acting like a damn child, but fuck if I care, there’s something here that I

can’t put my finger on, and I’m desperate to explore more of it, with her.

I pull her into the room beside me, watching as her eyes dance around the gray and cream colored

walls, but before she can take anything in properly, Xander speaks.

“I’m a shifter, expected to be a wolf, and my parents are the alphas of the Bishop pack.” The

words fall from his lips without care as his brown eyes fixate on her piercing blues, and it takes a

second for me to understand what he’s doing.

We admitted it was a personal question to ask someone what they are, and he’s offering that

information up to her freely, the knowledge shining in her eyes as she offers a simple nod in response.

“You know what I am,” Adonis says with a wink, dropping down on Xander’s bed as Rhea rolls

her eyes at him in response.

“And I know what you are,” she murmurs brazenly, eyes moving to Khaos with a knowing glint,

and he flashes her a wide smile in response, the memory of Halloween clearly still fresh in both of

their minds.

“I’m an angel,” I remind her, before any awkward silence can consume us, and her eyes widen as

she turns to look at me, fingers still interlocked as I offer a small smile.

“Of course you are,” she replies, like it really is that obvious. “Please tell me you have snacks

somewhere because a bunch of greedy assholes ate most of my pizza before taking me out into the

freezing cold. I’m hangry,” she states, slipping her hand from mine and offering us all a pointed stare.

Fuck, she has fire in her belly, and I love it.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m glad we were able to get her here. The urge to know more about her is

desperate inside of me, but she’s not like other girls, not one bit.

And I approve.

Anyone else would be falling over themselves to be whoever we wanted them to be, but she

seems unapologetically herself, and it’s definitely part of her charm.

“A few of us can head down to the cafeteria to—”

“All of you go, except Rhea,” Xander says, his voice dropping in tone as he looks at the girl in

question, and it makes me frown until his eyes flash to mine.

They’re almost amber, a clear sign his wolf is playing havoc on his body right now, and

something tells me this has everything to do with the girl present.

“Are you sure that’s a good—”

“It’s fine,” Rhea says just loud enough for us all to hear. “I’m fine,” she adds quickly, her gaze

searching Xander’s. She can clearly see the difference in him, and whatever it is, she doesn’t feel

unsafe and she’s willing to accept it. If anything, Rhea’s felt more comfortable around Xander and I’m

sure she’s curious to learn more about him.

For someone who grew up as an earthling, her reaction is extraordinary.

With a simple nod I move to the door, Adonis grumbling behind me as Khaos follows suit.