The Alpha Weredragon's Favorite
CHAPTER 21

Lyra

We entered the Quad to find more than half of the outdoor seating occupied and the smell of a hundred different lunches wafting through the air. As it was an unseasonably warm day. The small eateries that made up the square bustled with students who were either eating, talking, or reading in the shade.

The energy, which came from such a happy place, made me forget about my troubles for the moment.

Whitney, Sally, and I, managed to find an empty picnic table that was half under a canopy of trees and half facing the sun. I sat in the light with my plate of steaming pasta, while Whitney, with a burger, and Sally, with a salad, stuck to the shady side.

I had barely unfolded my napkin when Whitney asked, "You two stay on campus or off?"

"Lyra and I are roommates. We stay on campus. Were in the "

"Wonderful. I am off campus myself. Daddy didn't want me in a co-ed dorm. Said I would be too distracted." She laughed, a tinkling sound. "He was right about that. My poor, Liam. Until we are mated, he just has to put up with my roving eye." She laughed again, head titled back and brown eyes twinkling.

Sally shot her a wounded look.

"We are actually in the female-only dorm." I said, watching as Sally pushed her food around her plate.

"Is that right," Whitney replied, and promptly turned the conversation back on her. I didn't mind, it was a welcome distraction from the anxiety building in my gut. My fingers tapped a nervous rhythm against the table as I tried to focus on the sound of Whitney's voice instead of the image of me not being able to shift into a wolf.

Whitney kept up her one-sided conversation about life in her pack, her dad being the Alpha of the Silver Tail pack, and her in-the-works mating ritual with Liam. As she chatted so easily, I found myself drawn to her just like Sally. Those two had a way of making me feel so at ease. It was like we'd known each other for years instead of minutes.

I glanced at Sally, the fork half-way to my mouth. With shoulders slumped and a dejected look on her face, I knew something was wrong. I waited until Whitney went for a napkin then I nudged her "You, okay?" Sally started, a faint blush creeping up her cheeks. "Y-yeah, I'm fine," she stammered, poking at her food with more force than necessary.

I wasn't convinced. There was something off about her.

"You sure?" I pressed, leaning in closer. "You seem a little... distracted."

Sally's eyes snapped up; her voice tight. "Really, I'm fine. Just a little tired, okay?" She forced a smile that didn't quite reach her eyes.

Whitney came back and flounced down. While she concentrated on removing the ketchup stain on her coat with spit and furious rubbing, I followed Sally's heated gaze across the Quad.

The blush in her cheeks had come from Liam, weaving his way through the crowds. He was all easy confidence in a button down rolled up at the elbows and blue slacks, sandy colored hair tousled by the breeze. "Oh, there's my Liam!" Whitney squealed, jumping up from the table. "I'll be right back!" She flashed us a grin before hurrying towards him, her heels clicking on the pavement.

"Liam, darling!" Her voice carried across the Quad as she reached him, linking her arm through his. "I've missed you so much!"

Liam's eyes widened, his smile faltering for a moment. He glanced around, as if searching for an escape route. "Whitney, hey. I wasn't expecting to see you here."

I glanced at Sally, noticing how her eyes followed Liam and Whitney, a flicker of pain crossing her features.

Could it be...?

A light bulb clicked on in my mind. It finally dawned on me just what my roomie was upset about.

I reached out and touched her arm. "Sally, do you like"

Sally flinched, tearing her gaze away from the couple. "I... I have to go." She grabbed her bag, nearly falling flat on her face in her haste to stand up. "Wait, Sal-" I started, but she was already hurrying away, her head bowed.

I watched her go, my heart aching for my friend. There was definitely something between her and Liam-something more than him being her Beta.

Across the Quad, Whitney leaned into Liam, her laughter ringing out. But Liam's smile seemed strained, his posture stiffer than a rake.

I sighed, gathering up my own things and throwing away my half-eaten meal. I could relate to Sally keeping a secret or two.

The Moon Goddess knew I had plenty of my own.

***

Thirty minutes later, I was back in the cramped lecture hall, Whitney's never-ending chatter about Liam a constant buzz in my ear. "He was so surprised and pleased to see me," she gushed.

Puh-leeze.

Surprised maybe, but pleased? I had my doubts. The way his gaze had skimmed over her face, cool and distant, told me a different story.

In any case, I held my tongue. What did I know about mates and their complex bonds? My track record said it all: dumped by Blake, rejected twice by Ryan. I was hardly an expert.

Whitney's gushing about Liam thankfully dissolved as a man entered the room. The man was tall and fit, with a muscular body. He wore dark blue robes that made him look distinguished... powerful. His hair was dark and his eyes were the silver of a new coin. When he looked at us through his glasses, his lips grew tight with disapproval.

I had this naive hope that before the placement test, I could maybe corner the professor and explain my whole "wolfless wonder" situation. Basically, beg for mercy. Not with this guy. He looked like the kind of uptight wolf who wrote rules in his spare time just to met out punishments for those who'd broken them.

In short: I was doomed.