He’s tall. The same height as Liam. But he has this authority… this power that surrounds him, nearly choking me. I want to cower behind the guys, but I won’t do that. I want to prove to everybody in this room that I am worthy to be their future alpha’s mate.
“Penelope.” Alpha Mutatio nods and smiles at me. “It’s wonderful to see you again.”
He seems genuinely happy to see me.
He holds out his hand to shake mine, which surprises me. He knows what I can do—he knows that when we touch, I can read his thoughts. Yet, he still offers his hand to me, unafraid. I like it.
Chin up, darling, he says to me through his thoughts. You’re the envy of every female in this room tonight.
I doubt that but hearing him say it certainly makes me feel good about myself.
“Thanks for… all of this,” I say, as he lets go of my hand.
“It’s all for you.” He winks. “Enjoy it.”
I will.
Maybe.
Hopefully.
Then another thought hits me.
“Is everybody going to want to shake my hand?” I ask, turning to Liam.
Because that would be my literal worst nightmare—to have to touch a lot of people. I don’t want to hear their thoughts or feel their emotions. Just thinking about it literally terrifies me.
“Nobody is allowed to approach you without the permission of your mates,” Alpha Mutatio answers. “Nobody would dare touch somebody else’s mate, especially not this early on. You won’t have to worry.”
Thank God. Because the last thing I need is one of the guys punching somebody for thinking I’m a slut, which I’m sure a lot of people are thinking right now.
“Stop thinking that, please,” Liam groans.
“Please. Wow. I don’t think I’ve ever heard my son say “please” in his life.”
I look at Liam. I didn’t realize how much my negative thoughts were bothering him. “Sorry.”
And I am sorry. I don’t mean to think the things I do. It’s not like I can help it. Cleary, none of the guys have the same self-esteem issues I do. Maybe it’s because I’m a girl. Or maybe it’s because they’re freaking hot and they know it.
Parker, Cole, and Aiden laugh.
“You’re the most beautiful girl that any of us have ever met,” Liam says softly.
My face grows warm as I look from Liam to his dad who is still standing there.
“You completed the mate bond?” Alpha Mutatio asks Liam.
“Not yet,” he answers. “Whenever she touched each of us, it opened our mind links fully.”
“Interesting,” the alpha muses aloud, then looks at me again. “Penelope, I would love to get together later and fully find out what you can do.”
He’ll be disappointed.
“What did I say?” Liam asks.
I roll my eyes at him. “If you don’t like my thoughts then stay out of my head.”
Alpha Mutatio chuckles. “You have many people to meet tonight, so I won’t monopolize your time. Have a great evening.”
Okay. So, Liam’s dad definitely still likes me.
One down.
Three to go.
Well, two, technically, cause I already know Cole’s family and I love Hannah.
Maybe I’m worried for nothing. The guys are great. I’m sure their families will be too.
And in a few months, I am going to do the same thing to them.
Except my family won’t know I’m dating them all…
What would my family think if they knew?
I push that thought aside for another time, because right now it’s about the guys.
“That’s where you’re wrong,” Cole says. “It’s always about you.”
My heart races at his words.
If we weren’t in a room full of people staring at me right now, I’d kiss him.
But we are.
Chapter Twenty-One
Are you sure?
PENELOPE.
Aiden’s parents are so nice.
But they look young. So young.
Aiden assures me that his parents are in their seventies, which is so freaky to me. They don’t look older than their mid-twenties. I know shifters live a long time, but geez.
After that, Liam explains that once wolf shifters reach their twenties, they age very slowly. Since my dad is a doctor, I do wonder about the biology of it all, but it’s not really science. It’s supernatural. Maybe everything isn’t meant to be explained.
I’m sad that I didn’t get to meet Aiden’s younger brother, but I know I’ll get to meet him soon.
After meeting Aiden’s parents, I’m introduced to Parker’s family.
Parker has a large family. He is one of ten children. He is the oldest. I only get to meet two of his siblings because the other ones are too young to come tonight. His mom is also pregnant again—with twins. And I thought my family was big.
To my surprise, everybody is nice. They all seem genuinely happy for their sons.
I was worried they would resent me for “trapping” their sons. Like, maybe they would believe that I’m some evil witch who cast a spell on them. I’m glad to know that isn’t the case. And I should have known better anyway. These boys were raised right.
There is only one person left to meet and I think I’m more nervous about meeting him than I was about meeting the guy’s families. Maybe because meeting him confirms that my worst nightmare has come true—I really am adopted.
My siblings joked about it my whole life.
I’ve always asked my parents.
They’ve always venomously denied it.
My mom’s mom was short, they would tell me.
My great-grandfather had black hair.
Genetics aren’t always simple, Dad would tell me. And he would know. He’s a doctor.
But it was all just a rouse. A lie. A really, really good lie.
How will I get over being lied to?
I push those thoughts aside for now, though. I don’t want the guys thinking that I’m being melodramatic. I know my thoughts have been dark today, ever since I found out.
Maybe it’s not true.
“Penelope?” a voice says from behind me.
I turn around and look at a guy who must be my grandfather.
He looks a lot like Margot Westwood.
Exactly like her.
But nothing like me.
“I am Robert Westwood,” he says.
Robert Westwood.
He doesn’t introduce himself to me as my grandfather.
He doesn’t reach out to shake my hand or hug me or anything of the things that the guys’ families did.
Nope.
He just stands there, looking at me.
“You have your mother’s nose,” he says.
I have my mother’s nose?
Is he serious?
“Are you my grandfather?” I ask.
He nods.
Robert Westwood and I look nothing alike.
His hair is blond.
Mine is black.
His eyes are golden brown.
Mine are purple.
Well, sometimes.
He’s over six feet tall.
I’m not even five feet tall.
“Are you sure?” I ask.
“I’d never forget your eyes,” he says.
I can’t argue with that.
My grandfather doesn’t look old. Not like my dad’s parents. He doesn’t look a day over thirty, which is kind of strange. Like looks younger than my parents do. There is not one wrinkle, not one gray hair. I would question if this guy is even old enough to be my grandfather if I couldn’t see it in his eyes. I can see his age—his wisdom. I wonder how long he’s been around, but I think it’d probably be rude to ask.
I have so many questions that I don’t know where to start. Questions about my mother and my father. Questions about him. About why I was given to another family to be raised. But before I can ask anything, he’s focusing his a
ttention behind me.
“I hear a congratulations are in order.”
He’s talking to Liam, not me.
“Yes, sir,” Liam says. “For all of us.”
I can’t quite read the look on Robert’s face when Liam says for all of us. Of course he knew that I had four mates. I haven’t been here long, but I know it’s the talk of the shifter community. People have two emotions when they hear—shock or disgust. Some people are happy after the shock wears off, but they never look at me the same way.
Because they all think I’m having sex with four guys. Little do they know that I haven’t even kissed a boy yet. Not that I haven’t been tempted a time or two.
I want to reach out to Robert and touch his hand. I want to know what he’s thinking. But that feels wrong. It’s an invasion of privacy. Maybe I don’t want to know what he’s thinking. It’s probably better if I don’t know.
“I just wanted to come and congratulate you all,” Robert says, smiling. His smile is tight though. “I will be seeing you all around a lot, I’m sure.”
He’ll be seeing us around?
Before I can ask, he turns and walks away, leaving me alone with the guys.
Is this dude serious?
I didn’t even get to ask him anything.
I turn to the guys and they looked just as shocked as I am.
“Maybe seeing you for the first time all these years was too much,” Aiden suggests.
Yeah, maybe.
I mean, my mom gave me up for a reason, right? Maybe she was young when she had me. Maybe she gave me up because she couldn’t be a mom yet. Or maybe after she got pregnant with me, she met her mate.
“We can’t have offspring with somebody who isn’t our mate,” Parker says. “It’s impossible.”
Impossible?
Wait… so my mom definitely had me with her mate. If that’s the case, why didn’t she…
Before I can finish the thought, I hear screaming.
Liam and Cole run towards the commotion. Parker and Aiden both grab my hand and we follow behind them.
“What’s going on?” I ask.
They don’t answer, but I can feel how anxious they are through our link.
Before we even leave the room, Liam abruptly stops and turns toward Aiden, Parker, and me. Cole stops too.
“Get her to the safe room,” Liam orders.
Parker tugs on my hand, but I don’t walk with him.
“Liam…”
“I’ll come get you soon, I promise,” he says.
I look at Cole, who is watching me.
“We will come for you,” Cole says.
And I believe them.
I’m just worried.
Parker tugs me again and this time I walk with him. Aiden stays on the other side of me.
My heart is racing, and my stomach is in knots. I don’t like being separated from Liam and Cole. Something is wrong. I can hear the chaos in the other room. I can hear people screaming. They’re scared—terrified. And I know it’s Liam and Cole’s job to protect them. But I hate being separated from my mates.
Parker and Aiden lead me through the castle, to a part I’ve never been in before—there is a door I’ve never even noticed in the library that leads down a long staircase.
“Unless you’re a council member, you can’t go through that door,” Aiden tells me.
“How?” I ask.
“Magic,” Parker answers.
I suppose that is as good of an answer as any. How else could they hide an entire island in the Caribbean?
“How come I’m allowed down here?” I ask. “I’m not a member of the council. Wait, neither are you guys.”
“Not yet,” Aiden says. “We will be. When we’re older.”
“And you’re allowed here because you’re our mate.” Parker pulls harder on my hand to get me to walk faster.
Right.
We’re now in a large room underneath the school.
Aiden and Parker are both quiet when we get down there. They look at each other for a moment, then at me.
“We have to go help them.” Parker holds my gaze, his eyes imploring.
“I’ll come with you,” I offer, taking a step closer to them.
“It’s not safe,” Aiden says. “We would all protect you above everybody else. You’re safe down here.”
“But—"
“Cole and Liam need our help,” Parker cuts me off.
It’s the one thing that could actually make me stay down here.
My fight is completely gone now.
I sigh. “Okay.”
“Everything will be okay. I promise.” Aiden squeezes my hand firmly before letting go.
I nod.
He’s right.
Everything will be okay.
Aiden and Parker look at me one last time before heading up the stairs to help Liam and Cole.
I just wish I knew what was going on.
COLE.
I’m pissed.
How dare somebody ruin Penelope’s night.
This is her night. The night we get to introduce her to the shifter community as our mate. And somebody dares to start chaos, they dare to start a war, on her special night?
Liam is about ready to murder somebody.
When we get into the room, I’m confused by what’s in front of me. It’s shifter against shifter—wolf against wolf. There are a few witches, but for the most part shifters are acting on their own.
What is going on?
“Give us the girl and nobody gets hurt.”
It’s one of the witches.
Everybody is asking what girl.
But I know.
Liam knows.
“The hybrid. Where is she?”
That’s when I know.
Tonight isn’t going to end well.
They’re not getting my mate.
Chapter Twenty-Two
Darkness.
PENELOPE.
I’m not sure how long I sit in the basement alone. It can’t be all that long, but it feels like hours.
I’m anxious. I can’t hear any noise above me and haven’t since I got down here. The guys haven’t tried to talk to me through our mind link. I know nothing about what’s going on.
What’s even happened?
Did somebody try to attack tonight?
Why would they attack?
I know that there is a lot of tension between the shifters. They don’t exactly get along. Most of them clash. But this school is supposed to help that. They don’t want war. Nobody does.
But maybe this is the start of a war.
I know from my shifter history class that there hasn’t been a war in the shifter community for hundreds of years. And even then, the last big war was over a millennia ago. The entire supernatural community fought, and an entire species was wiped out—the fairies. It’s sad that there aren’t any left.
The fairies, from what we read in history, were a pretty peaceful people. They didn’t deserve their fate. But some people thought they were too powerful. Too dangerous.
That is the reason dragons don’t have anything to do with the rest of the shifter community. They themselves have been on the brink of extinction because of war. People think they’re too big—too powerful.
Why does it matter if they’re powerful? The dragons are peaceful. I don’t see what it matters if somebody is stronger.
I hear a noise at the top of the stairs. My heart leaps.
Thank God.
The boys are coming to get me.
As I look over, the lights go out, casting me into darkness.
“Guys?” I ask, hating how shaky my voice is.
I can’t see in the dark. The guys can. I can sometimes, but it’s on and off again. I don’t exactly understand my powers but being able to see in the dark would really help right now.
Nobody answers me, but I still hear footsteps on the stairs.
It’s not them.
I scream, but there is not use. Somebody much
stronger than me jumps on me, knocking me over. I try to kick, but I’m being held down against the ground, unable to move my arms and legs. I feel a sharp pain in my arm and look over to see something shiny cutting into my arm.
There are two people there—men, I’m pretty sure. They’re tall and bulky. But I can’t bother to pay attention to anything about them because all I feel is a burn in my arm. It feels like somebody is simultaneously cutting me and burning me at the same time. I scream out in pain.
The marks don’t make sense. There is some kind of pattern being carved in my arm, but I can’t make them out. I just burn all over.
Suddenly, the weight on top of me is gone and the burning in my arm eases slightly.
The knife is gone.
“Penelope.”
A familiar voice.
The guys came for me.
I should’ve known they would come running when they felt my pain.
The pain is too much, so I give into the darkness that is overtaking my vision.
PARKER.
I carry Penelope up the stairs with Liam, Aiden, and Cole following me.
We have to get Penelope to a healer, but even then, I’m not sure what a healer can do.
Silver.
They had to use a silver knife.
There’s so much blood on her arm, but thankfully her bleeding has slowed down.
She heals fast.
Like us.
But silver always leaves a scar.
Liam runs out the door in front of me, screaming for a healer. The healers are all busy tonight. So many people were hurt. They were hurt trying to defend my mate.
My chest hurts as I look around. There are so many people lying on the ground. Some of the lucky ones are just injured, but there are a few unlucky ones that sacrificed their lives tonight.
Nobody was expecting this. It completely took us all off guard.
We don’t know who was behind the attack. We know nothing.
Well… I suppose we now know it was an inside job considering two council members attacked Penelope.
They’re dead now. Nobody could hold us back when we saw Penelope. She was lying on the ground, a small pool of blood surrounding her arm.
Those bastards cut her.
A healer rushes over when she sees that Liam was calling for a healer.
Different (Shifter Academy Book 1) Page 13