Evaline:
It took everything I had to remain calm as I stepped through the dim corridors of the Academy.
The quietness around me was pressing in on all sides like a thick fog. My footsteps were light, deliberate, while my ears were alert for any sound - shuffling boots, or the low murmurs of patrolling faculty or warriors.
It wasn’t against the rules to walk the halls after dinner hours, but it was unusual. Most students tucked themselves away after ten, a habit bred by routine... and perhaps by an unspoken fear. I couldn’t blame them. After everything I had just learned, I too felt like shadows were watching from every corner.
The tall staircases creaked beneath my steps as I climbed them, casting quick glances behind me every now and then, half-expecting someone to appear out of the dark and question me. But no one did. The Academy was asleep.
It was nearly midnight by the time I reached the fourth floor of the dormitories and slipped quietly into my dorm.
The moment I shut the door behind me, my heart seemed to finally acknowledge the tension it had been holding in. It was thundering against my ribs like a war drum, and my chest was tight with everything I had just experienced - Kieran’s secrets... and everything that happened after that.
I was still trying to process all of it when the bedside lamp clicked on, making me jump and gasp softly as light spilled across the room.
Rowan was standing beside his bed, with his arms crossed and his features carved in steel.
"It’s midnight," he said in a low voice.
Guilt rushed through me like cold water. I was expecting him to be still out there somewhere, actually hoping for it. But of course, he wasn’t.
"I didn’t mean to be out so late," I said, trying to keep my voice light as I slipped off my shoes and put them away.
"Where were you?" He asked. To my surprise, he didn’t sound angry or judging, instead, there was a hint of worry in his tone as he voiced the question.
"I was with Professor Kieran."
He narrowed his eyes slightly at that. "At midnight?"
"He asked me to meet him after dinner. About... Gavin and everything else that happened. It turns out the faculty seniors are impressed by my overall performance during the trip." I provided him with a modified story which wasn’t completely a lie considering it did happen, just earlier in the day instead of after dinner.
A smile finally made its way to his lips and I watched him visibly relax a little. "You indeed perform so well. You deserve their recognition." But then a frown made its way to his face and he asked, "Did you only talk about this for over two hours?"
"Of course, not." I tried to keep my tone normal. "Remember the herb samples I collected, we talked about it. We got so immersed that time got away from us. He even told me about some group of senior students who are good at herbs and potion-making. He asked if I want to join."
He nodded his head in understanding, finally relaxing completely. "That sounds like a good offer." He provided while taking a seat on his bed.
I moved to sit on mine as I answered honestly. "It sure does, but I’m not sure if I have enough time to be part of such an important group. I’m already full with the upcoming assignments, tests, and my internship."
As I watched him nod his head again, I had a feeling that I had managed to avoid raising any suspicion. But if I thought that it was the end of his questions, then I couldn’t have been more wrong.
I was about to slip under the blanket when his next question froze me completely.
"And what about Instructor Oscar?" His voice was low, but enough for me to hear him clearly. "Is he offering you ’rewards’ too?"
My breath hitched. "What?"
"You two," he said, gesturing vaguely. "There’s something going on, right? I saw it in the way he kept looking at you... or the way you kept looking at him throughout the trip. And he clearly treats you differently."
I looked away, my hands curling into the blanket. I was tired - exhausted, actually - of running circles around these truths.
Maybe it was the stress of everything I had just gone through, or maybe it was the pressure building in my chest since the moment I had stepped into this Academy. But something inside me snapped, and before I could stop myself, the words came tumbling out.
"He’s my soulmate."
The silence that followed was deafening.
Rowan blinked, completely frozen. "What?"
I met his eyes as I spoke in a much steadier voice this time. "Oscar is my soulmate. That’s why... it’s different. That’s why I act how I act. That’s why he-" I stopped myself before I said too much. "Even if people find out, they can’t call it inappropriate. It’s not my fault. The bond is real. I didn’t choose it."
He stared at me with his wide open, clearly reeling from the revelation. His mouth opened and closed again, but no words came out. He was looking like I had poured an ice bucket on his head.
Before the poor man could have recovered, I decided to hot Jim with another blow. "There’s more."
He looked at me, still stunned.
"Draven... He’s my soulmate too."
His eyes widened. "You-what?"
I nodded. "Draven is my soulmate too. I don’t know how or why, but I felt the bonds with both of them, and they did too."
Rowan just stared at me, unmoving.
And in that stillness, I felt the full weight of what I had just said.
Two soulmates. Two Rogue Alphas. And I was at the center of it.
And it seemed like my poor roommate was having a hard time digesting all that I just poured on him. But he asked for it.