My hands scrubbed through my wet hair as steam rolled off my shoulders, but the heat of the shower wasn’t enough to melt the image of the scar on Charis’s stomach.
I wish she would be more forthcoming about what truly happened in my absence. And it didn’t help that my body still hummed with desire for her after our intimate moment last night.
Despite everything that had happened between them, despite the accusations and misunderstandings, being close to her again had awakened feelings I’d tried so hard to bury.
I stepped out of the bathroom, wrapping a towel around my hips, only to freeze in surprise when I saw my door was standing wide open.
"Charis?" I called out, stepping further into the room.
Looking around with growing confusion, I spotted her bag still on the bed – a clear indication that she should still be here.
"Charis?" I called out again, moving toward the small kitchenette area. "Where are you?"
The kitchenette was empty too. She couldn’t be in the bathroom either, I’d just come out of it. I was beginning to get alarmed now. I reached for my phone to call her, but halfway through the swipe to call, I stopped.
She didn’t have a phone here. There was no direct way to contact her.
As I moved toward the door to close it, wondering where she could have gone so quickly, a boot slid between the frame and blocked it. When I looked up, it was Kael.
He looked tired and pissed.
"What’s up, man?" I said quietly, trying to pull the door closed and hoping he would get the initiative and move his foot, but he didn’t move.
He sighed heavily, running a hand through his hair before he said. "I wish you and your brother could keep me out of your drama."
I stared at him, completely confused. "What are you talking about?"
"A moment ago," Kael said with another exasperated sigh. "A sentinel came and dragged Eamon toward the administrative block. He didn’t look like he was taking him for a friendly chat."
"Why? What did they want with him?"
"I don’t know," Kael shrugged. "I need to understand if he does it on purpose. He’s been here for barely a week, and he has gotten into more trouble than any other student. You have to do better, Slater. You’re his big brother, you should guide him."
"That doesn’t matter now," I spun around, sprinting into the room, then back out, and then back in again.
"It matters because he always manages to embroil me in these things, and you know how much I hate being the talk on everyone’s lips," Kael shook his head.
"Shit!" I muttered, ignoring Kael as my mind raced through terrible scenarios. If Charis was being taken for questioning, if someone had discovered her true identity, if her disguise had been compromised...
I ran back into the room, grabbing my wallet and key, and then rushed back toward the door. The only thought in my mind was getting to the administrative block before whatever was happening got worse.
But before I could take more than a few steps, Kael’s hand shot out and pulled me back.
"What the hell, Kael?" I turned to him, angry. "I need to—"
"Do you really want to go out dressed only in a bathing towel?" he asked dryly. "Are you sure Eamon is really your stepbrother? I think you’re overreacting."
I looked down at myself, realising with mortification that I was indeed wearing nothing but a towel around my waist.
I bolted back inside, flung open my drawer and pulled on the first pair of jeans and t-shirt I could find with frantic haste. I ran my hands through my wet hair, trying to make myself presentable, all the while still worried about what might be happening to Charis.
At the door, Kael stopped me again. "He’s not your stepbrother, right?"
I adjusted my shirt, holding his gaze. "What makes you say that?"
"You’re acting like a man who’s just being told that his mate is about to give birth. Stepbrothers don’t act ."
I looked away, masking my face with a scoff as I tried to think of an answer. When I turned back to him, I had a quiet smile on my face. "This isn’t about Eamon, my pack, and my family are on the line here. I wouldn’t want anything to mess up with my legacy."
I touched his shoulders, brushing past him.
"Please lock the door behind you when you leave," I threw over my shoulders and started hurrying towards the administrative block.
I half ran, half walked, pushing students aside as I made my way towards the administrative block. As soon as I reached the headmistress’ office, I burst through the main door, ignoring her secretary who was calling out for me to wait and sign in properly.
"Student, you can’t just—" the woman protested, but I was already past her desk and heading straight for the headmistress’ office.
I didn’t bother knocking. I turned the handle and walked into the office, bracing myself for the worst.
However, the scene that greeted me stopped me in my tracks.
Sitting in one of the leather chairs, facing the headmistress’s desk, was my father and standing next to him was Charis, who stood with her head bowed in submission.
Charis immediately looked up, and the relief that flooded her eyes made my stomach clench with guilt.
She trusted me to protect her, to keep her safe from discovery; she had no idea that I was the reason she was in this.
I entered the office properly, my heart hammering against my ribs as I tried to maintain some semblance of composure.
"Dad," I said tentatively. "What are you doing here?"
My father arched his brow at me in confusion. I could tell he was equally surprised to see me in the headmistress’ office already.
But he laughed it off and turned to me with a pleasant smile. "I’m here because your school invited me, son."
The blood drained from my face completely.
The night I’d met Charis at the academy—that same night, before I went to bed, I’d called my father. The conversation came back to me now in painful detail. I’d been so angry, so hurt by what I thought she’d done to me a year ago.
"Dad, you’re not going to believe who I found at Ravenshore," I’d said into the phone. "Charis Greye.The daughter of that bastard, Alpha Greye. She’s here, disguised as a boy, using forged documents with our pack name."
The memory of my own words made me physically sick. I remembered the satisfaction I’d felt at the time, the sense of justice finally being served. I’d been so consumed with hurt and anger that I wanted nothing more than to watch Charis suffer the way I had suffered.
But that was a week ago. That was before I’d seen the scars on her body, before I’d learned about Darian, before we’d kissed and everything had felt so right again. That was before I’d realised that my assumptions about what happened between us had been wrong.
That was before I’d remembered that I still loved her.
Looking around the office now, I noticed with growing panic that Marcus Webb, the student president and Peter, the Alpha Prime, were also present. If they had been invited, that could only mean one thing.
I took a deep breath and turned to my father. "Dad, can I see you for just a second? Privately?"
My dad turned to me with mild irritation on his features. "I’m in the middle of a serious discussion with Headmistress Vale, Slater. Whatever you need to say can wait."
Panic clawed at my throat. From the relieved look in Charis’s eyes, it was clear she didn’t understand why she was here yet. But my father’s presence meant that the conversation about her true identity had likely already begun. I had to stop this before it went any further.
"Dad, please," I said, moving closer and placing a hand on my father’s arm, trying to encourage him to stand. "It’s really important. Just for a minute."
My father shook me off with obvious annoyance. "What’s wrong with you? Behave yourself."
But I couldn’t behave myself. Not when Charis’s safety was at stake. Not when I was the one who had put her in this position.
"Dad, you don’t understand," I said, my voice rising with desperation. "I need to talk to you before you say anything else. Please, just—"
"Slater!" my father snapped, his voice filling the office with a quiet growl. "Fix that attitude right now, or you’ll face consequences you won’t like."
But I was beyond caring about consequences. All I could think about was the trust in Charis’s eyes.
"You can’t do this," I said, trying to control the emotion in my voice. "Dad, please, I was wrong. I was angry and hurt, and I made a mistake. You can’t expose him. You don’t know what he’s been through."
I could feel tears threatening at the corners of my eyes as all the hurt from the past year came pouring out.
"There’s so much I didn’t understand. So much I got wrong. I thought..." I trailed off. "I thought he’d betrayed me, but I was the one who..."
"Slater," Charis suddenly called, her brows scrunched in confusion. "What are you talking about? What’s going on?"
Headmistress Vale turned to her. "Slater filed a formal report against you, Eamon. He said you are not his stepbrother, that your documents were falsified. We reached out to Alpha Raymond here, and he confirmed."