Chapter Fifty-Four

The drive to school is slow due to the narrow roads, but luckily there are a few pick-up trucks idling at the gas station by the traffic light with snowplows attached to the front bumpers, about to start another day of plowing for the small city. One of the men looks oddly familiar as he checks the security of the plow on his old truck, raising his head as we pass by. I remember seeing him on the first day of school when I was confused about how he could see who was inside of the Mercedes with the tint on the windows. Now it makes more sense.

“Is he part of your Pack?” I ask, gesturing to the man as we slowly roll by through the snow. “I know I’ve seen him before.”

Adrian glances back at the station in the rear-view mirror before returning his focus on the snow-covered road. So far, the only other vehicles that we’ve passed have been trucks similar to the guys at the gas pumps, so I assume that most of the locals know to wait to come outside until they’ve finished clearing the roads. “Yeah, he is. He’s well respected in this community, so I’m relying on him for help with certain things.” His mind seems to travel elsewhere at the mention of these “things” that he’s referring to, causing his knuckles to turn white against the steering wheel.

I purse my lips and resume sipping my coffee, relishing the warmth as it slips down my throat. “Oh? And here I was thinking that you didn’t make friends,” I say off-handedly so it doesn’t sound too strongly like I’m trying to call him out on what he said before we left the house.

Adrian picks up what I’m getting at and shoots me a look from the corner of his eye. “I don’t. Jasper is the closest thing to a friend that I have inside of the Pack. Consider Roman the manager of this town. Like I said, the people both human and wolf know and love him. They would listen to him over me any day, which is why I use him to speak on my behalf. He loves this town, so he protects it, too.”

I nod in understanding. Small-town folks tend to stick together, so it only makes sense that they would take the advice of a local man instead of a complete stranger. I’m sure they all know who Adrian is though, and would listen to him if need be. “You consider Jasper your friend?” I ask quietly, finding myself clinging to his confession.

Adrian is silent for a moment, where the cabin is filled only by the faint crunching of the snow under the tires. We’ve begun nearing the treeline that flanks either side of this desolate road, where I doubt even the local snow plows care enough to venture. I get the feeling that the locals know not to travel to this place, though maybe it has more to do with the ghost woman we saw the other day, rather than knowing anything about the school. “I said he’s the closest thing to it,” Adrian says, reminding me that he’s in the car with me. His eyes dart from the road to the trees on either side, beautifully covered by the thick blanket of snow. “Speaking of Jasper, don’t let him find out that you know about his condition. He would be mad if he knew I told you.”

I feel a slight frown tug at the corners of my mouth. I had already planned on keeping it a secret if only to not let him worry about my reaction to his disease. Adrian must really consider Jas his friend if he cares enough about his feelings to keep a secret this monumental for him. “Right,” I say firmly, draining the last bits of coffee as we pull down the off-beaten path towards the campus gates. The gates swing open for us in acknowledgment, allowing us entry. “So, the whole sensor thing was a lie,” I add, giving Adrian a pointed look. “It’s magic, isn’t it?”

Adrian’s expression forms a grimace as he recalls the fib, shooting me a sheepish look as we make our way into the parking lot. Despite being the only ones on the road, there are several other tire marks in the snow leading to the lots, making me remember that we’re not the only ones who live off-campus. This means, there are Vampires, Sorcerers, and other Werewolves roaming the streets with the humans. The thought unsettles me a bit as I recall the role that Roman from the gas station plays for the town.

There must be thousands, maybe hundreds of thousands, of wolves in North America. One Alpha can hardly be expected to control all of them, right? It only makes sense that they would appoint managers to each group of wolves to keep them under control. Amongst other feelings that arise as we find out a parking spot, I’m faced with the realization of the magnitude Adrian’s position puts him in. With that many people to lead, it only makes sense that he would have to excuse his power and act intimidating in front of them. How else can they be expected to respect him? The prowess of leadership speaks volumes that friendliness can’t. I suddenly understand what he meant by the CEO analogy; except he’s the leader of an entire continent’s population of Werewolves.

I don’t realize that Adrian has parked the car until he reaches to touch my hand, jogging me out of my thoughts. He peers at me with concern, the golden sunlight kissing his irises that put the beauty of the gods to shame. “Are you okay? You seem a little lost.”

I lean into the touch of his hand on my cheek, soaking in the warmth that radiates from his skin. He hadn’t even bothered to bring a coat this time, trusting that his internal furnace and the long sleeves of his sweater will be enough to keep him warm. Since I brought my own this time, I won’t need to steal his anyway. I force a smile as I shake my head clear of the intimidating thoughts. He may be the Alpha of the nation, but he’s still just my Mate.

“I’m fine,” I say, reaching to release my seat belt. “I was just realizing how important you are to the Werewolves. It’s a significant weight to bear.”

Adrian smiles a bit wistfully, reaching to stop my movement by the elbow of my coat. I turn to face him again, realizing that he has more to say within the privacy of the car. His golden-cast eyes hold my gaze, emitting a sort of raw honesty that makes my heart flutter. “It is. I need you to know that you’ll always be more important to me than even the Pack is. Don’t ever forget that, okay?”

I feel like the breath has been knocked out of me by the profession, finding it strikingly resembles a love confession. What else could it mean? He’s putting me above his duty as Alpha to his people, which makes me feel a little uncomfortable if I’m honest with my feelings. I understand that we have a bond that surpasses normal understanding, but we’ve still only just met a week ago. It feels strange to hear something so serious about his feelings so soon, but what scares me, even more, is how happy I am to hear it, deep down. I should know better, but something inside me goes weak when I’m around this guy.

“Adrian…” I say, allowing his name to trail off on my lips. I don’t know what else to say to such a sudden confession, so I fill in the gap with a kiss, allowing him to fill the response in for me. His lips are sweet and soft against mine, kissing me deeply in a way I’m not used to. It used to be that when a guy kissed me, it was to gain something in return. This time, though, it feels like a promise that makes my stomach tie itself into knots.

By the time he pulls away, I can feel how red my cheeks are. I’ve never felt so flustered by someone before, so I’m finding it difficult to handle the feelings that it evokes. His smile doesn’t help my heart regain its usual rhythm as he smooths his hand over my head, brushing the hair back down. “You’re so cute when you’re nervous,” He says, his dimple appearing with his smile.

“Shut up,” The heat from the air vents combined with the deep tone of his voice makes me feel suddenly too warm. I clear my throat and open the door, stepping out into the brisk air to calm my nerves a bit before we head inside. I pin the flaps of my coat against my chest by folding my arms, not bothering to wait for Adrian to catch up to me as I begin striding for the doors. The scent of pine and mint surround me within an instant, followed by the chirp of the car as he locks it behind him.

Adrian doesn’t bring up my pink cheeks again, mercifully leaving me to myself as we near the other students. Now that I know the species that attend the academy, it’s not as hard to tell them apart from one another. The Werewolves still scramble like roaches in the light when they see Adrian approach, though they don’t stare as much anymore. The Vampires continue to stab their condescending looks in our direction and whisper amongst themselves, like little bullies in middle school. Meanwhile, the Sorcerers are the ones who weave in and out of the bodies without issue, not caring about anyone else around them. Despite being the only humans here, they carry themselves with the most confidence. I hope that I look like that, too.