Chapter 35
NEVEN
It’s odd going to class after everything that's happened. Between the Outlaws and Esper’s heat, life is so different than how it was a mere week ago, let alone a month ago before I matched with Esper on Heat Seekers.
“At least I wasn't kicked out of school,” Esper says. The reminder of the shit her friend and Resident Director pulled makes my blood boil, but Esper made me—made all of us—promise not to do anything about it. She’s happy it pushed her to take a step forward with us.
“I can still attend classes despite being kicked out of the dorms.”
I would go behind her back and make sure they regret it, maybe making Penny's grades drop low enough that she's kicked off the tennis team, or for heavy porno to somehow magically appear on the Resident Director’s computer.
But my respect for Esper far exceeds my selfish need to seek revenge on her behalf.
We spent the weekend unpacking her things, as much as we could. But we simply don’t have enough space. It’s something Asher and I are working on. None of us thought we’d have an omega, let alone a full damn Pack, so we have huge adjustments to our living situation to make.
“You shouldn’t have even been kicked out of the dorm,” I grumble, but she just laughs as we walk onto campus. She had color theory this morning, and then we had a huge study day planned with Red since we’d all missed so much during her heat.
She’s finding her normalcy again. Today she wears one of those cute little skirts and oversized sweaters. My oversized sweater in fact, since I started purchasing some in her favorite maroon color.
Well, correction. She likes to wear the maroon color, but her favorite colors are actually pink and gray. Light pink and gray to be specific.
She’s got these lacy tights on that I just want to rip off of her, but I think she'd kill me if I did that.
Since her heat, and really this entire fucking time, my need for anything and everything Esper is nearly all consuming.
“Oh wait…” She suddenly stops and I almost bump into her. Pushing my glasses up my nose, I read an unfamiliar number come across her screen. “I have to answer this. It's Fleur."
She has their number memorized? She steps to the side, off the sidewalk and I follow. Leaning against a tree as she picks up the phone. One hand on the phone and the other plugging her other ear so can hear better.
That was another issue I couldn’t fix for her.
Something about how I can’t force them to accept her.
A blown interview is a blown interview and other opportunities will come.
Her words, of course. See, I wanted to hack into their systems and ensure her resume was pushed to the managers, but once again, she shot me down.
Though she didn’t wrestle any promises out of me that time. So I consider that door still open.
“Yes? Oh, wow. Yes! Thank you, I’m so grateful—Okay. Perfect. Okay, bye!” Esper’s face is a whirlwind of emotions during this call. From confused to excited, to flushed, to shocked, she hangs up the phone, her pretty brown eyes wide as she stares at me.
“Well?” I ask.
“I got in!” she shouts, throwing her arms around my neck. I swing her around and then set her on the ground.
“Into Fleur? Baby, that's amazing! Congratulations!" I kiss her lips, her soft lips making my soul feel that much better at not hacking into Fleur.
“Yes! I'm in the nest division, but I—I’ll take it! It's a foot in the door!”
Her eyes are so bright, the brown in them shines like stars and her smile—god, her fucking smile warms my chest.
I’m quick, grabbing my phone and snapping a picture, the campus greenery and natural light of the outside sky coming in handy as I capture the moment, her happiness in my pocket to keep forever.
Nothing will compare to seeing it in person, and I’ll work damned hard to make it happen again and again.
“I can’t believe it!” she reveals as we continue our walk to her class. “I thought I bombed my interview. Maybe—ugh, I don’t know.” She rambles, and it's so cute. I love that she’s following her dreams, her happiness, and damn, it makes me want to do the same. Reach for the stars. Find my path.
But I…
I don’t know what that looks like anymore.
I know what it has, though. It has Esper. My Pack. White Pine Crest.
And… Midnight Wolves.
Last week was a reminder why I loved the MC. Why I stayed so long. That job offer to computer testing has long expired, but it’s not something I think I'd explore again.
Not something I want anymore.
Not if it takes me away.
Maybe I need a proper job, something consistent. Maybe I’ll see if they need help in the books, or maybe in the garage? I’ve had to fix my bike a time or two.
I don’t know. I’ll figure it out.
For both our sakes. Esper deserves an alpha who is going somewhere in life. With goals, meaning. I can’t be her dead weight.
“When do you start?”
“Next week! I meet with the head, Holly Lovewell, for my first day on Monday. They’ll send me my schedule in an email soon.”
“I’m so proud of you, omega.” I wrap my arm around her shoulders, meeting her lips with mine, a quick kiss was all it was supposed to be, but when her hands grip the front of my shirt I can’t help but slip my tongue in.
She breaks our kiss though, nodding towards her class, and I let my omega go.
“Reed will be here after to walk you to your next class,” I say, watching as she takes a few steps away from me before pausing.
“That’s not really necessary, as cute as it is.”
“It's no issue. We love it,” I say.
It’s not a lie, but it’s not the whole truth either. The Outlaws threatened her, and we’ve yet to see them since the brawl, meaning they are using the two brain cells they have to plan something.
Something that could impact Esper.
She nods, a light blush on her cheeks before she walks into her class. They won’t have a chance to touch her if we’re constantly around.
That’s the plan we're working with until we come up with something better. Her safety isn't something any of us takes lightly. Including Ace. So we have a meeting tonight, after she goes to sleep.
I turn towards my own class, and I wonder how she’d feel if I installed a tracker in her phone.
Better yet, make an anklet or something.
I walk into Photography 101 early with Professor Wilde. He’s a younger professor with thick glasses and messy dark hair.
He’s on his computer, his glasses lit by the blue screen as I walk up to his desk. We’re not close, but his admiration, his love for photography has me wondering something.
“Professor, can I ask you a question?”
“Of course,” he says, turning away from his computer, staring at me with his hands clasped.
“It’s not about the class,” I clarify and he nods encouragingly.
There are so many people I could go to—my parents, Prez—but I feel like I need an outsider’s opinion.
Someone who truly loves what they do.
“How did you know what to do with your life?”
He laughs. Like a full belly laugh. I scoff a bit, rolling my eyes. Okay, okay, yeah, it was a loaded question. But it’s a valid one.
“What makes you think I know?”
“What?”
“I don’t know.” He shrugs. “I do what I love. That's it.”
“That’s it?”
“That’s it.” I nod, and he waits for me to ask something else but… I think I have my answer.
I’ll just do what I love, and I guess the rest will come…
“Hmm, well… Thanks, Professor.”
“Anytime, Neven. Now, do you have the shots I assigned for homework? I’d love to see them now.”