Chapter 58

KATHERINE.

I got into the UTV with a grin on my face and Blake began to drive down the path. “So where were you heading to?” he asked and I slightly raised my brows. “When you came out of your dorm?”

“Oh, I saw you through the window–” I snapped my mouth shut as I realized I just told him I came out because of him and the corner of his mouth turned up while his gaze was still fixed ahead. “Forget I said that.”

“Said what?” he replied, making my lips curve into a smile.

“Have you run into any ghosts yet?”

He nodded. “Just one. It was a tame one though so I ignored her. She’ll go back to her haunting place before dawn,” he answered and I muttered an ‘oh’ before opening my bag of chips and holding it in front of him.

“Want some?”

“No, thanks,” he said and I nodded as I found myself admiring him again before moving the bag away from him. “I heard you got hurt at Renfield.”

“Yeah. They’ve all healed now.” I couldn’t feel my body working to heal the wounds anymore so I’d take off the bandages when I got back to my room.

“Sorry I wasn’t there to heal you,” he stated and I returned my attention to him.

“Why are you apologizing?” I would have liked it if he had healed me but he didn’t owe me anything. Healing was a precious ability and if a healer wanted to use it on an injured person, it always took a toll on them. The worse the wound, the heavier the toll, and my wounds had been quite bad.

Blake shrugged and the corner of my mouth quirked up as I shook my head. “Thank you,” he added and I drew my brows together.

“For what?”

“Coming to tell us what happened.”

“Oh,” I muttered, glancing at the chips in my hand as I remembered how I just stood there after Josie went after the ghost. “I didn’t follow Josie because I was scared.”

“Everyone’s scared of something,” he replied, drawing my attention back to him.

“And what are you scared of?” I only realized how heavy that question was after I asked it and I pressed my lips together, waiting for him to say ‘Nosy Katya’, but he didn’t.

Instead, he said, “That my pack’s never going to take me seriously” with a grim expression on his face.

‘Oh…’ I blinked at him, surprised that he felt that way because I also felt the same way regarding my pack. They didn’t think I was mature enough to take over the pack and they’re not even running important pack matters by me before making a decision. It was infuriating… and saddening.

“So what are your plans for today?” he asked, a smile lighting his face once more as he glanced at me. It was clear he didn’t want to say anything else regarding his pack so I didn’t ask. Even if it was just a little, he just opened up to me and that was okay for now.

I cleared my throat. “Nothing much. The girls and I are going for a run in the morning.”

Today was Sunday and after what happened last night, Priyanka wanted us to do something to get our minds off it. I had been the one to bring up going for a run in the forest because I missed doing that – I hadn’t done it since I came to Blackwood – and they agreed. We weren’t worried about running into a ghost because they didn’t come out during the day.

“Oh. Which trail?” Blake asked and I raised a brow.

“You wanna join us?”

“Perhaps,” he said and the corner of my mouth twitched because him joining us sounded like fun.

“I don’t know which trail but I could text it to you when I find out.”

“You don’t have my number,” he stated and I nodded. “What’s yours? I’ll text you.”

I immediately gave it to him, glad that I’d have a method of contacting him now, and a moment later, my phone buzzed with a message from a number. It was a funny hello GIF and I smiled at it before saving his number and returning my attention to him.

“So which places on campus are under your watch?” I asked.

“From the staff lounge to Stormwind building.”

My brows creased. “That’s quite a lot. What if a ghost slips by you?” There was a high chance that could happen. He gave a noncommittal shrug in response and I couldn’t help but let out a laugh. “Shouldn’t you take that seriously?”

“Meh,” he muttered and when he saw the incredulous expression on my face, a smile swept across his. “I’m kidding. I put defenses up in some places, I’m just patrolling to make sure they stay up.”

“Oh.” That made sense.

“Wow. Don’t tell me you think I’m unserious because I told you I’m a bad student,” he stated, mock disbelief on his face, and I laughed after remembering him telling me I’d fail if he tutored me.

“It’s not that. Why do you skip class so much though? You do know you won’t be allowed to write exams if your attendance is less than sixty-five percent?”

“Really?” He sounded genuinely surprised and my mouth fell open because he was a second-year. How did he not know this? Then he smirked and I realized he was messing with me before tsking. “Sorry, ‘mom’. I won’t skip classes anymore.”

It was my turn to smirk at that. “Don’t skip club meetings too.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

Talking to Blake was nice… really nice.

I heaved a sigh and glanced around, taking in our surroundings. I could hear howls coming from the distance as we drove past a couple of students who were drinking on a lawn and were too engrossed in their conversation to notice us, and after glancing at the boy’s dorm next to them, I returned my attention to Blake. He immediately looked forward and I blinked at him before realizing he’d been staring at me.

A smile tugged at my lips. “Which dorm are you in?”

“Why?” He glanced at me with a teasing smile on his lips. “You wanna come visit me?”

My smile widened at that while my cheeks warmed. “Maybe.”

He raised a brow at that before answering, “Bolton Hall.”

“Noted… What are your plans for today?”

He hmmed and straightened in his seat. “A run in the morning, perhaps,” he said before I realized I hadn’t taken into account the fact that Priyanka hated him when I told him I’d text him the trail we would be taking. Josie wouldn’t mind him being there and I didn’t know if Lenore still disliked him since he saved her last night, but Priyanka wouldn’t want him there.

‘Why does she even hate him?’ I’d seen nothing but his sweet side since I met him so I really wanted to know what happened between them. And he and the rest of their friend group, except Hunter. I mean, they grew up together. What could have happened?

“I’ll be hanging out with Hunter in the art studio in the afternoon,” he added, snapping me out of my thoughts.

“Oh.”

“You’re more than welcome to join us.”

“I’ll be taking you up on that,” I replied before the UTV came to a stop and I glanced around, wondering if he’d spotted something, only to see that we were in front of Stavenger Hall. “We’re back,” I muttered, a bit confused, and he tapped the steering wheel as he turned in his seat to face me.

“I’m afraid I won’t be able to focus with you in the vehicle.”

‘Oh.’ My cheeks heated and I pressed my lips together before getting down from the UTV. After shutting the door, his words replayed in my head and I tipped my head to the side. “Wait, was that a compliment or an insult?”

A line appeared between his brows at that as he glanced heavenward like he was thinking about it and when he returned his attention to me, he grinned. “What do you think?” With that, he drove off, leaving me standing there in surprise, and as I watched the UTV leave, my lips curved into a smile as I shook my head sideways.

Then I walked into my dorm.