Rhett moved closer, his voice taking on an urgent tone. "Kael, he’s at serious risk of being sent away. Like expelled..."
Despite myself, I looked up sharply.
"Alpha Raymond Riggs, Slater’s father, was here today. He came all the way from Duskveil and is refusing to sign the indemnity form," Rhett said. "It’s the final requirement for student admission before induction. He’s not willing to accept responsibility for Eamon as his bastard child, and without it, Eamon can’t stay."
"Headmistress Vale," Rhett said quietly. "You don’t know this, but I am a member of the school board and the closest to her. She has to tell someone, and thankfully, she met me—I’m not sure the other members would have tried considering things like I have done, and since I was within her reach, she decided to tell me instead."
I straightened, turning to look at Rhett fully with reluctant interest. "So, what do you want from me?"
"There’s a way around the family signature requirement created for special cases ," Rhett explained. "All we need is three signatures from a member of the board, an upstanding current student and one from the student board. So, me, you and Slater. I’ve spoken with Slater, and he agreed."
Rhett continued. "By giving our signatures, we’re attesting that for the short period Eamon has been here, he has demonstrated qualities that make him an ideal fit for Ravenshore and formally recommend that he be allowed to stay. But we only have until tomorrow morning before induction."
I rubbed the back of my neck. "You want me to lie?"
Rhett watched me silently. "C’mon, you’d hardly call it a lie. I know Eamon’s being here for a few days, but you’d agree with me, he’s..."
"He’s handful, disorganized and I have no idea why he thought he would excel here," I filled in for Rhett. "How about we do the boy a favour by doing nothing. This is not his thing. He has gotten into more trouble than any other student, and I know this because somehow, he involves me in it."
"He’s just getting used to the academy, and you know that. With time, he would adjust."
"I’m not interested. Find someone else to play hero."
"C’mon, Kael," Rhett sighed. "He has no one. You can imagine how lost he feels, being denied by his father. We’re fortunate to have choices. Even if we don’t excel here, our packs will forever be waiting for us. But for him, this could be his only chance at securing his future."
"If we sign those documents, we’re telling the school that we would take responsibility for him. That is risky. I won’t do it."
"If Eamon leaves now," Rhett’s expression grew more serious. "You’ll be the one most affected by his absence. You’re new to feeling this kind of attachment, and losing him before you’ve even figured out what it means will leave you emotionally devastated."
"I don’t know what you think you see—"
"You’ll spend the rest of your time here wondering what might have been," Rhett continued. "Every morning, you’ll look for him at breakfast. Every afternoon, you’ll catch yourself listening for his voice in the corridors. You’ll replay every conversation, every moment when you could have been brave, could have said something that mattered."
"You’re making this a big deal. I don’t like Eamon enough to lose sleep or disconnect with my smoothly running life."
"And when you finally graduate and leave this place," Rhett pressed on, still ignoring me, "you’ll carry the regret of knowing you let fear stop you from protecting someone who needed you. Someone who, despite all your analytical detachment, managed to matter to you."
"Stop," I said quietly, but Rhett didn’t listen.
"You think you can go back to your old life, pretend this never happened. But his eyes will haunt you, Kael. The memory of his smile, the sound of his laugh, the way he looked when he was crying, that made you buy all of this stuff, the feel of his lips against yours at the pool—it will follow you everywhere."
"For fuck’s sake, Rhett..."
"You’re new to love..."
"I don’t love him," I yelled, stopping Rhett, who stared at me calmly. "Fine, it worries me when—I see him in distress but this is a phase and it would pass. I can let him go. But I am not attracted to him in the way you’re making it seem."
"That’s what everyone who first falls in love says. I’ve been there, Kael. You will regret it, and I’m sure you like Eamon... much more than you’re willing to admit. Did you see the way you kissed him that night? Like it was the last thing..."
"Damn it," I exploded, glaring at him. "You don’t have to go into details."
"I am only looking out for you, believe me."
"Fine! Gods, fine! I’ll sign the damn recommendation form!" I sighed. "Will that make you happy? Will that finally get you to stop psychoanalyzing my feelings?"
Rhett grinned. "Yes, that’ll do perfectly."
He pulled out a form tucked inside his coat and handed it to me. Without bothering to review it, because if I did, I would change my mind, I penned my signature, attaching my stamp next to Rhett’s and Slater’s.
When I handed the form back to Rhett, he wore a satisfied smile. He had identified exactly what buttons to push to get the reaction he wanted.
But more disturbing was the realization that everything Rhett had said was probably true. Losing Eamon now, when these feelings were so new and confusing, would likely haunt me for years to come.
"I hate you," I muttered, giving him a death stare.
"No, you don’t," Rhett replied cheerfully, folding the form back into his coat. "You hate that I’m right. But that’s okay—we’ll work on your emotional intelligence later. Right now, we have a boy to save."
Then he turned to leave.
"Rhett," I called out just before the door closed.
"If he ever finds out what I almost did to him...What I felt... I’ll rip your expired heart right from your chest, you know I don’t bluff."
He smirked. "I’ve chosen to die naked with two women beside me, Kael. But don’t worry, I’ll keep your secret."