JUNE
MISS FIONA DID NOT SPEND ONE MINUTE MORE THAN SHE NEEDED TO IN MY ROOM.
As soon as she told – recited – me all I needed to know, she left and I was left alone.
I explored the bathroom first, grinning from ear to ear when I discovered how beautiful it was. It was all marble and stone. There was a big bathtub and a shower stand. All the luxuries I would never have been able to afford, even in a thousand years.
I spent two hours taking my bath. I would have spent more time if Miss Fiona had not kept enunciating how important my presence at the dining hall was and that I was not allowed to be late.
Well, I could grace them with my presence at the dining but I couldn't care less about going there early. Wait. Maybe I had to because this was my first time here and we were talking about food. What if it finished before I got there?
My stomach grumbled what it will do to me if I allowed something like that to happen.
I shrugged on the dress quickly and rushed out of the room, trying to remember the direction Miss Fiona had given me to get to the cafeteria. I hurried down the corridor already salivating at the thought of food.
I stopped to check where I was going. I was sure that Miss Fiona had said the common room opened up to the cafeteria, right? I was sure I missed something. Maybe I had made a wrong turn somewhere?
Everything looked the same.
I continued walking this time paying close attention to my surroundings and where I was headed. I turned a corner and halted when instead of the common room, I was met with a small, dimly lit hallway and no sign of food or people.
I sighed, smacking my temple. "Goddess, I really should pay more attention to people when they are telling me something."
"Are you lost?" the voice that spoke to me was small but that did not stop me from jumping out of my skin in fright. I spun around, clutching my chest as if that would stop my heart from jumping out.
I glared at the girl I saw behind me. She was about my age, with bright copper eyes that glowed in the dim light. "Okay so, tell me you're not a ghost and you weren't sent here to kill me."
She chuckled. "I'm certainly not a ghost. I was asking if you were lost because you've turned around the place like three time now. And its looks like you're either about to burst into the cafeteria or accidentally wander into a broom closet."
I narrowed my eyes at her then winced when my stomach growled. "I was aiming for the cafeteria, but the broom closet sounds more on brand for me."
She stepped closer. "I'm Lily Theobald." She said, offering her hand.
"June Fallows." I answered, shaking her hand.
"Well, June," she smiled, nudging me playfully. 'If it's the cafeteria you're looking for, you're definitely going the wrong direction. It's the other way and we are almost late."
I groaned. I knew I missed something. I glanced up at Lily and grinned. "Race you?" without waiting for her answer, I took off. She chuckled, picking the pace behind me. I stopped once I burst into the common room, grinning as Lily appeared by my side, seemingly out of breath.
"Aren't you a werewolf? Racing should not affect you like that." I raised a brow at her.
"I got into my wolf a few days ago. Being a werewolf is as new to me as everything is that's going on here." I winced. I definitely couldn't tell her I've had my own wolf for three years not when we looked to be the same age.
We began walking, slower this time. Lily fell in step beside me easily. "So, first day here?"
"Yup. And I take it you've been here a couple of days?"
"Three days." She answered. "Are you excited for the selection?"
"Erm…"
She grinned. "As of now, we are one hundred and twenty girls. So, I guess the selection hasn't really started. Eighty-five girls will get sent home and then the selection will start in proper."
My brows shot to my hairline. "One Hundred and Twenty girls? You mean they sent those letters to more than a hundred girls?"
Lily shrugged. "A lot of girls are interested in the Lycan King."
"Have you seen the Lycan King before?"
She shook her head.
"Have any of the other girls seen him before?"
"Not likely. No. He is a very private person. So private that even his identity is private."
I snorted. The smell of food halted whatever words were about to leave my mouth. My stomach growled. Lily jumped forward, pushing the double doors open. The noise that met us told me Lily was right. More than a hundred girls were in this room and all of them were looking at us.
Lily shifted in her shoes, clasping her hand behind her back. I rolled my eyes and grabbed her hand, pulling her with me towards the buffet table where I spied mountains of food.
"Grab a plate." I said, nudging her forward gently. I picked a plate for myself, ignoring all the stares I was getting. First, I will deal with my hunger, then I will get back to them.
"Hey, servant. We meet again." I did not need to turn around to know who the voice belonged to. Adeline was standing behind me, arms crossed in front of her chest and of course flanked by her two side-kicks.
"Hi, Adeline." I greeted distractedly. "I didn't think I'd run into you here."
She glanced at Lily whose expression jumped between fear and concern. "I see you've made a friend."
I turned my back to her, proceeding to fill my plates with whatever I could get my hands on. "I guess so. Are you going to eat something? Or will you just stand there?"
She smirked. "Yeah, no. thank you. Eat as much as you want. Some of us have to watch the way we eat so the excess doesn't store in our bodies as fat."
I looked down at myself. I wouldn't actually call myself fat. No, I wasn't fat at all. More like curvy with an insanely full chest. I hated my chest but that did not mean I was fat.
I shrugged. "More food for me then."
The girls moved away from me after that and Lily shot back to my side as though she'd been summoned by an invisible force. "You know Adeline Greyworth?"
I raised a brow. "What part of the conversation that just happened right now is giving you that idea?" I sighed. "I don't know her. She and her minions were just kind of the first people to welcome me to Warding." I flashed my fangs at her. "They were really warm."
Lily rolled her eyes. "Adeline and her crew will do anything to get attention. We've only been here three days but they're already popular. They especially like to pick on anyone new."
"Yay," I muttered dryly. "Lucky me. I guess I'm on their list now."
Yup. First days and I was already having so much fun. Alpha Roger will be proud of me.