"Awesome," I muttered under my breath, smiling grimly.
Amanda pulled through the gates, pointing to different buildings as we circled around to the parking lot of the left side. In the fading light, I could make out some tall buildings, lights twinkling in them, showing someone was home.
I took a deep breath and got out of the car after Amanda parked. I met her at the back of the car, pulling out my suitcase and backpack when she opened the trunk.
She pointed to a building down a well-used path from the parking lot. "That's the female dorm. You're going to be in room two-ten on the second floor. The first floor has a communal kitchen that's stocked with drinks and snacks. It also has a game room and a big communal living space. You're welcome to use it, but lights out are midnight on Friday and Saturday, ten on school nights. There's also a dorm monitor on the first floor. If you need anything, go to the monitor's room."
I nodded to show I was paying attention as I wheeled my suitcase down the path to the dorm she had indicated.
Amanda fell into step with me. "They have you rooming with Larkin. Since there’s fewer females here, the dorm is smaller and there are less rooms, which means some of the girls have to room together. Larkin's part of Blackwater. She’s a year younger and an absolute sweetheart. I think you'll really like her."
Amanda paused at the entrance to the dorm. "Do you want me to walk you up to your room? Are you hungry? The cafeteria is probably closed, but I can-"
"I think I'm good," I said quickly.
"You're sure?" Amanda pressed. "You remember your room?"
"Two-ten. Second floor."
"OK." She let out a long breath and snapped her fingers. "Class schedule! Larkin said she would take you to the main office tomorrow so you can get your schedule. She'll give you the whole tour. I'm sure, at some point, you'll meet your other pack mates. They're really curious about you."
Fan-freaking-tastic.
So tomorrow I would get the tour and then be a new exhibit for a group of teenage wolves to study. Wolves that were now part of my pack.
I swallowed hard.
"I got this," I told her, praying I would find some of the confidence I hinted at in my tone.
"Okay. Right." Amanda stepped back. "This is me leaving and not hovering. At all."
I laughed and picked up my suitcase by the handle to walk up the steps to the dorm. I opened one of the glass doors and turned to see Amanda still standing there. She gave me a big smile and a wave.
Laughing, I waved back and walked inside the dorm.
The large foyer was open, with a bank of elevators to the left and a set of double oak doors on the right. The plaque hung beside the doors said "Dorm Monitor". There was a hall leading to the back and I could hear music and loud laughter coming from it.
I hurried to the elevators, not exactly wanting to meet anyone right now. I wanted to get to my room and get settled in. Maybe I would even manage to fall asleep before my roommate came up from hanging out. I didn't think I was in the right state of mind to handle any more questions. I needed to decompress.
I got into the elevator and pressed the number two, waiting as the doors slid shut. Looking around I saw several posters in the small box with different activities going on over the next few months. I was still reading the one about intramural archery when the doors slid open.
Stepping into the hallway, I was grateful to see there wasn't anyone about. I hurried down the hall, stopping when I got to two-ten.
"Here goes nothing," I whispered with a sigh. I slid the key into the lock and turned, pushing the door open. My gaze immediately fell to the girl sitting across the room at a desk. She spun in her seat as soon as she saw me, a bright smile on her face.
"Hey," the brunette grinned, getting up from her desk. She held out a hand, the glitter purple polish of her nails catching in the light. "I'm Larkin Dawes. I guess you're my new roomie?" She was dressed in cotton yoga pants and a blue tank top, her dark hair pulled into a messy bun.
"Um, yeah. Hey. I'm Skye. Parker," I added, remembering my new last name as I looked around the room. I didn't know what I had expected, but it wasn't this. I dropped my backpack on top of my suitcase as I closed the door.
The room was large with two full beds tucked into opposite corners with nightstands that had matching lamps. There was a desk at the foot of each and two closets on either side of the room. Everything was symmetrical except the large flat screen hung over one desk. One half of the room was obviously well lived in. There were pictures on one nightstand and framed black and white photos of landscapes on the wall.
"I like taking pictures," Larkin supplied, noting me studying the photos.
I took a step towards them. A beach scene hung next to snow-covered mountains. Beneath them, a lush forest was juxtaposed beside a barren desert.
"They're beautiful," I told her softly, wondering how far she had traveled to take each picture.
Larkin blushed, the apples of her cheeks turning a pretty shade of pink. "Thanks." She scuffed the toe of her converse sneakers into the area rug in the middle of the floor. "It's a hobby."
"You've traveled to these places?" I asked, glancing back at her.
She nodded, excited. "Yeah. My parents like to travel, too. We pick a new place to go each summer during break." She pointed to the desert. "We went to Death Valley in California two summers ago. Last year we went to the coast in Texas. The forest is back home in Blackwater." She smiled wistfully, letting her index finger trace one of the trees.
She touched the last image. "The mountains are from here. I took this last year before Christmas break when we had a blizzard."
"So, it snows here a lot?" I asked, moving to the window. I couldn’t see much in the dark.
She laughed. "In Montana? Oh, yeah."
I touched the window, feeling the cold seep into my fingertips. "I've never seen snow in person."
"Wait - seriously? Never? Where did you grow up?"
"New Mexico," I said quietly. I turned and smiled sheepishly. "I've actually never been outside of New Mexico until last week."
Larkin's jaw dropped, her mouth forming a perfect 'o' of surprise. Her brown eyes sparkled. "Seriously? Not even on vacation?"
I tried to shrug it off. "We didn't go on vacations."
"Wow," she murmured. "Your parents never-"
"Just my mom," I cut in quickly. "It's just ... us."
"Oh. Shit, sorry," she apologized. Sadness flooded her eyes and I knew she assumed the worst - dead father. I considered correcting her but didn't want to open that can of worms my first time meeting her.
Or ever, really.
"Well, it snows here. A lot," Larkin said with a mischievous grin. "You'll love it. There's nothing like running in the snow. Your wolf is going to seriously flip her shit."
"I guess we'll find out," I replied with what I hoped was an encouraging smile. Who knew what the hell my wolf liked.
I looked back at my bags. "I guess I should unpack."
She clapped her hands together. "I can totally help! You look about the same size as me - we can probably share clothes!"
"Share clothes?" I frowned. Was that a common thing? A good thing? She seemed excited about it, but at the omega house, sharing clothes was a necessity. It definitely wasn't something that we were happy about.
"Yeah!" Larkin was still smiling. She glanced at me, and her expression fell. "I mean, only if you want to. We don't have to or anything. Some of the other girls do ... It's like a sister thing. Not that we're sisters. Or even friends. But we can be! If you want. Since we're living together it might be weird if we hated each other." She covered her face with her hands, peeking at me from between her fingers. "I'm acting like a complete idiot."
I cocked my head to the side, amused at her rambling. She reminded me a bit of Maisie. Or who Maisie might have been if she had never been completely broken.
"We can be friends," I said slowly. I'd never had a friend. It might be nice. Larkin definitely seeme
d nice. I looked her in the eyes and tried to smile. I held her gaze for a long beat.
Larkin let out a long breath, breaking my eye contact and looking down with a small, nervous laugh. "Damn. Wow. Are you sure you're on the right floor?"
I felt my smile slipping. I tried to remember exactly what Amanda had said. "I think so. Floor two, room two-ten, right?"
Larkin nodded, looking up quickly and smiling again. She shrugged a shoulder. "You just don't seem like one of us by that stare you've got." She winked at me.
"One of us?" I repeated, confused.
She nodded with a chuckle. "Yeah, an omega. This is an omega floor."
8
I was going to throw up. Actually throw up all over the plush area rug with little white daisies in the middle of the dorm. Panic flared violently inside me and I felt my wolf stir, pushing against my mind. She whined, sensing danger.
Wanting to fight.
This had to be the biggest fucking joke of my life. A mistake. No way in hell did I escape Long Mesa to be shoved right back into the same situation.
This is the omega floor.
Her words rang in my head like a freaking marching band parading through, jarring and loud and impossible to ignore.
Larkin looked at me, her face worried and then ... ashamed?
She shuffled back, hands clasped in front of her. She fixed her eyes firmly on the floor. "I'm sorry. I'm sure it's a mistake. You don't have to stay here. I mean, of course you're not an omega. Obviously." She swallowed, still not meeting my gaze. "I can sleep downstairs in one of the couches, or bunk with another omega tonight so you can have the room."
Wait - what?
I blinked, my panic attack loosening its stranglehold on me as I processed her words. It took a second for them to fully penetrate the fog of my mind, but when they did, I was stunned. "What are you talking about?" I flinched, my tone raspy and harsh. Larkin visibly shrunk.
From me.
"I'll go. It's fine." She hurried to sidestep around me, fully intending to cede ground to me. She was all but running to the door. She didn't have to be in wolf form for me to see her tail firmly tucked between her legs.
Thinking fast, I blocked the door.
Larkin yelped and skittered backwards, nearly falling. She tripped over her feet in an effort to put maximum distance between us.
"Wait, stop!" I cried, holding up my hands. "Please, please stop. I didn't mean ... It's not. Shit. I'm so sorry. This is on me. Please don't leave."
Larkin looked up, her chest heaving. Her big brown eyes were wide, scared. Freaking terrified. My heart ached. I knew that look so well. Too well. The idea that I made her look like that had my stomach roiling all over again.
I ran a shaking hand over my face. "I didn't mean to freak. It was a ... reflex."
"Reflex?" Larkin echoed softly, licking her lips. "I don't understand." Her body was still tense, poised to run.
I squeezed my eyes shut for a second, trying to figure out the most tactful way around this. How much could I tell her that made my reaction understandable without getting into the entire mess that was my life story?
"You said this is an omega floor," I started slowly, measuring my words carefully. I leaned against the door, trying to put more space between us to show I wasn't a threat to her.
That I wasn't a threat. That was fucking ironic as hell.
"I don't have anything against omegas," I said quickly when she frowned. "In my old pack ... I was an omega."
She cocked her head, eyes narrowed. "No way."
"Yeah," I said, looking away. "And there being an omega ... was a bad thing. A really, really ... bad thing." My jaw clenched, teeth grinding together.
Her expression softened as she sat down on the corner of her bed. "You mean, like, you were bullied or something?"
"Yeah," I whispered, swallowing hard. Now I was the one unable to meet her gaze. "Or something."
"Wow," Larkin replied. "I mean, I've heard of that happening, but ..." She crossed her legs and leaned her elbows on her thigh, resting her chin in her hands. "It's not like that here, Skye. I mean, some of the omegas get picked on or whatever, and sometimes it's pretty nasty, but nothing really bad. The teachers and the alphas step in before it can get too far."
"That's good." Unable to support my weight anymore, I slid down the door and sat on the floor, hugging my knees to my chest.
"Sierra - you'll meet her, she's part of the Blackwater pack," Larkin explained with an eye roll, "she made me do her history paper last year. I guess I could have said no, but she made it hard to. But then Remy found out and went off on her. Sierra apologized."
"Remy?" I asked.
Larkin nodded. "Remy's our campus alpha here. He's Gabriel and Mallory's oldest. Since we're not in Blackwater, Remy's technically in charge."
I frowned. "Is he one of the teachers?"
She laughed loudly, throwing her head back. "Oh, no. Remy's a senior. He’s in line to be Alpha after his father."
My heart sank.
Remy was this pack’s version of Cassian.
Larkin leaned back, watching me curiously. "How much do you know about the school?"
I shrugged, glad we were moving past the omega issue. "They told me the school is about thirty years old, there's twelve packs that run it, there's like two hundred and some students."
Larkin rolled her eyes. "Leave it to the adults to just talk about the numbers." She stood up and walked to a mini fridge by her desk. She reached in and pulled out a can of cola. "Want one?"
"Sure." I accept the can she offered, cradling the cold aluminum in my hands for a beat before opening it.
She sat back down in her desk chair, straddling it backwards as she took a long drink. "Okay, so there are twelve packs. Each pack has ten to twenty-five students in it, depending on the pack."
"Blackwater has twenty-two, right?"
"Twenty-three, counting you," she corrected with a grin that made a dimple appear. "Each pack has an alpha. Not a full alpha, but someone who is likely to take over as alpha for their generation. It's usually pretty clear cut, like us. Everyone in our generation knows Remy will take over after his dad."
"What about the teachers? Shouldn't they be in charge?"
"They are when it comes to school and stuff like that. None of the teachers are alphas or even betas. When GPA first started, they tried having alphas and betas as teachers, but it basically turned into a giant pissing contest so they decided that unranked pack members made the best instructors.” Larkin waved a hand. "The teachers do just that - they teach. Some of the security guards at the gate are betas and deltas, but there’s always a campus alpha who handles all pack issues. Remy is ours, and he also happens to be one who is going to eventually be an actual Alpha.”
I nodded slowly. "Okay, so what keeps the alphas from-"
"-starting their own pissing match?" Larkin grinned. "For starters, no more than two of the alphas have classes together. They all rotate so they aren't in the same class. They also have individual housing."
"They aren't in the dorms?" That sounded freaking amazing. I cracked the top of my soda and took a long pull, loving the combination of sugar, caffeine, and bubbles.
"Each pack has their own cabin around the lake. The alphas stay there. Sometimes their beta lives with them. Depends on the pack. Rhodes is one of our betas and since he's best friends with Remy, he stays at the Blackwater cabin. The cabin is also where we have pack meetings. Like tomorrow. Remy called a pack meeting so everyone could meet you."
I groaned with a long sigh. "Fabulous. Sounds awesome."
Larkin chuckled. "I swear it's not that bad. Our pack is pretty close. We don't have a lot of the in-fighting and stuff other packs deal with."
"In-fighting?"
"You know," Larkin replied, waving a hand, "betas who think they can be alphas, alphas who are too busy trying to get laid than watch out for their pack mates." She rolled her eyes. “Remy keeps everyone in check, but he’s a good guy
.”
I stretched out my legs, crossing them at the ankles in front of me. "You said this is an omega floor - so only omegas are here?"
She took another drink. "Yeah. This is the female omega floor. The other dorm has a male omega floor. Guys in one dorm, girls in the other. It's like they think we're like horny teenagers or something and we need to be separated."
I couldn't help but laugh at that, but I was slightly glad to know this was a girls' only dorm. It gave me a layer of protection.
"Betas all have a smaller dorm on the other side of campus. That's coed, but there's like special key cards to get onto each floor so the guys can't go onto the girls' floor and vice versa."
"I'm sure that's a foolproof plan."
She laughed again. "Exactly. Half of the alpha cabins double as party pads. For the most part, the teachers and advisors leave us alone. Hell, we all know half the reason this school exists is to play matchmaker."
"Matchmaker?" I asked.
Larkin stood, tossing her now empty can into the recycling bin. "Oh yeah. It's the best place to spot potential marriage alliances. You'll see. Some of the girls around here treat it like a season of The Bachelor."
"The Bachelor?"
Larkin frowned, confused. "Yeah. The TV show? Brainless bimbos throw themselves at a hot guy, hoping that while he's dating the other umpteen chicks that he'll fall madly in love with them?"
She tapped a finger on her jaw. “But I guess here it’s more like The Bachelorette since it’s multiple guys trying to impress one girl.”
I was still confused.
She cocked her head at me. “You still don’t know what I’m talking about?”
I shrugged. "I never really watched TV."
Her jaw dropped. "Not even Netflix?"
I made a face. "What's that?"
With a gasp, Larkin pressed a hand to her chest before falling backwards onto her bed. "Dear Lord."
I got off the floor, setting my drink down on the empty desk. "Sorry?"
She propped herself up on her elbows, looking at me sternly. "Tomorrow we're starting with Stranger Things." She motioned to the TV. "We'll binge watch in here after the pack meeting."
Sanctum (Blackwater Pack Book 1) Page 7