Chapter 20 The Boy in the Next Bed
POV: Mina
I barely escaped the infirmary.
Dr. Chen had been mid-sentence, demanding to know what I was hiding, when an emergency call came through on her radio. A student had shifted violently during night training and was mauling other wolves. All medical staff were needed immediately.
She'd given me one long, suspicious look before rushing out, calling over her shoulder, "We're not done with this conversation, Sterling."
The moment she was gone, I'd grabbed my things and run.
That was three days ago, and I'd been avoiding the infirmary ever since. My ribs were still healing, the stitches in my scalp itched like hell, but I couldn't risk another encounter with Dr. Chen and her too-perceptive nose.
What I hadn't expected was to return to my dorm room and find Dante packing his belongings.
"Finally," he'd said when I walked in, not looking at me. "Been waiting for you to show up so I could tell you in person instead of leaving a note."
I pulled out my notepad, confused.
Where are you going?
"Requested a room transfer," Dante said flatly, shoving clothes into his bag with more force than necessary. "Got approved this morning. Moving to the West Wing."
Why?
He'd finally looked at me then, and I saw fear in his eyes. Real, genuine fear.
"Because you're not normal, Sterling. I don't know what you are, but I'm not sleeping in the same room as someone who glows in the middle of the night and has weird shit happening around them constantly." He zipped his bag closed. "Find yourself a new roommate who's okay with freaky magic bullshit. I'm out."
He'd left without another word, and I'd stood there in the empty dorm room feeling a strange mixture of relief and loneliness.
Relief because I wouldn't have to hide as carefully anymore. Loneliness because Dante had been neutral at worst. The next roommate might be actively hostile.
That had been yesterday. I'd spent last night alone, practicing my binding technique and trying to reinforce the suppressants that were clearly failing.
Now, standing in the dorm room with my bag packed for afternoon classes, I heard footsteps in the hallway. Someone was coming.
The door opened without knocking, and a boy walked in carrying a single duffel bag and an expression that said he'd rather be anywhere else.
He was shorter than me by a few inches, with dark curly hair that looked like it hadn't seen a comb in days and sharp green eyes that took in the room with quick, analytical precision. He moved with an easy grace that immediately marked him as non-Alpha. No dominance in his posture, no aggressive energy. Just casual wariness.
"So you're the freak everyone's talking about," he said by way of introduction, dropping his bag on Dante's old bed. "Great. Just great. This is exactly what I needed."
I pulled out my notepad, already exhausted by this interaction.
Nice to meet you too.
He read my response and snorted. "Oh good, you're mute. That'll make this easier. I talk enough for both of us anyway." He started unpacking with quick, efficient movements. "Name's Lyro Vale. Non-Alpha, packless, generally considered disposable by Academy standards. You're Rafe Sterling, heir to some noble bloodline, recently discovered to have forbidden magic and possibly not human. Did I miss anything?"
I stared at him, caught off guard by his bluntness.
That about covers it.
"Fantastic." Lyro pulled out a well-worn book and tossed it on his bed. "Here's the deal, Sterling. I don't care what you are or what weird shit you can do. I got stuck with you because nobody else wanted to room with the freak, and I'm too low on the social ladder to refuse a room assignment. So let's make this work, yeah? You don't bother me, I don't bother you, we both survive until graduation."
It was the most straightforward roommate negotiation I'd ever heard.
Deal, I wrote.
"Good." Lyro flopped down on his bed and picked up his book. "Oh, and fair warning. The Elite Trio has been looking for you. Like, aggressively looking for you. They've questioned half the campus about where you disappear to between classes. You might want to invest in better hiding spots."
I wrote quickly.
Why are you telling me this?
Lyro glanced up from his book. "Because I hate those entitled assholes, and anyone they're hunting is probably alright in my book. Enemy of my enemy and all that."
There was a story there. I could see it in the way his expression hardened when he mentioned the Trio.
They hurt you?
"Logan broke my arm last year for 'being in his way,'" Lyro said casually, though his grip on the book tightened. "Asher manipulated me into doing his entire thesis project, then claimed I'd plagiarized his work when I tried to use my own research. Nearly got me expelled. And Jax..." He trailed off, jaw clenching. "Jax is the worst because he's smart about it. Ruins people systematically, legally, so there's no recourse."
I felt a surge of kinship with this sharp-tongued boy who'd been victimized by the same three Alphas who'd made my life hell.
I'm sorry.
"Don't be. Just don't expect me to feel bad when whatever weird power you have eventually destroys them." Lyro smiled, sharp and bitter. "Actually, I might buy front-row tickets to that show."