Academy Of Mates novel Chapter 20

Chapter 20

Chapter 20

From where I came from, we weren’t ever a loyal pack and we didn’t have the same kind of unification as the others, but this, with the two of us, certainly felt like it.

Kelcey disappears in a corner and, with her gone, Benedict takes me to my room. I move quickly, feeling excited.

In less than five minutes, I was showered, dried and changed. My white dress was nowhere to be seen-Andrew’s help must have brought it down to wash or something, so I opted for one of the other dresses in my bag.

The older girls from our pack that returned from the Academy unmated are required to donate their dresses to the younger girls. I was given three of them. I chose the one closest to my size: a simple black dress. The other two didn’t really fit well, most of them slipped off my shoulders but it would have to do.

I’d rather wear these than something from Andrew.

At least these felt like mine.

I came out of the bathroom to find Benedict lounging on my bed. He had his head on my pillow and his feet up while he whistled.

He easily catches the shirt I toss him and tugs it on. “Ready?”

My heart leaps out of my chest, watching him so casually be with me. “Ready.”

Benedict takes my hand as we grin at each other. He led me out of my room and I noticed how the hallways had been dimmed a little. As we start walking down the stairs, we hear loud music playing from somewhere in the mansion.

We followed the music and stopped right in front of the ballroom, the doors wide open. It was dark with only the flickering neon lights to guide our way.

Crowds and crowds of attendees were hurrying inside, grabbing alcoholic drinks that the organizer staff was holding in trays. It was never ending. A free flowing of

beverages that never seemed to stop.

That’s where we find Kelcey, standing with another boy. He smelled like someone from a pack beside the sea, salty yet fresh.

She spots us and waves. “Over here!”

Benedict shared a smile with me and I can tell he was wondering if this boy was her future mate or a night time enjoyment.

Kelcey doesn’t bother to introduce the boy beside her- answering our question for us. “Grab a drink and let’s go in.”

We all take one sparkly drink each and tip our heads back. Benedict reaches for

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Chapter 20

another two shot glasses and offers one to me.

“To the School of Love.” He whispers in my ear.

I can’t help but smile, feeling exhilarated. “To the School of Love.”

We take the shot together, interlacing our hands and head into the ballroom. Much has changed since this afternoon. The entire place was decorated with bright neon lights and glowing dance floors.

The raised platform where the Alpha made his speech earlier was now occupied by a man in front of what looked to be a machine that the music was coming from.

Some way or another, we lose Kelcey and the night time enjoyment boy leaving just Benedict and I in the middle of the dance floor. Benedict noticed this and used this

opportunity to bow low dramatically.

“May I have this dance?” He shouts through the loud music.

The smile on my lips grew even bigger. “You may!”

The two of us dance, moving with the beat of the music. Hot bodies press us closer together and I let the music control me. One of Benedict’s hands finds its way to my waist and one of mine is on his shoulder.

At that moment, it was just the two of us.

Benedict pulled me impossibly closer to him to the point that I could feel his breath on my face. Our bodies move in sync, eye contact never breaking.

I don’t know how long the two of us danced like that, but I’m brought out of my stupor when a familiar shiver runs down my back. Goosebumps found their way to my skin and it wasn’t because of the lack of space between Benedict and I.

It was something else.

It was almost familiar now.

I was being watched.

Only this time, I knew I wasn’t just imagining it for I saw him.

From across the room, in the shadows, were the same amber eyes from earlier staring right at me.

This time, the neon lights and the moon’s brightness gave me my first glimpse of him. Despite being hidden partly by the shadows, it’s clear as day that this man is dangerously handsome.

My eyes drift from his sculpted high cheekbones, down to his strong sharp jawline and to his prominent cleft chin. He’s tall and muscular, leaning against a pillar with a glass of dark liquid in his hand. A plain white dress shirt that he rolled up to his elbows

showed off the hard toned biceps of a trained fighter. I tried not to notice that a few of

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his buttons weren’t done, revealing a strong chest under his top.

I’ve never seen him before. He didn’t look familiar at all. Not once did I see him the entire day.

Was he an organizer?

He didn’t look old enough to be one… he looked around our age. The School of Love age.

But surely, I’d remember someone like him? Especially with those eyes.

The eyes that I’ve come to admire from him, however, don’t stay a bright amber for long. It drastically darkens into the color of a storm until it’s completely black.

He tips his head back, drinking the remaining liquid in his glass, and turns away.

Who was he?

I don’t get to question this any longer because a man approaches us. By the smell, what little I could smell of him, he was from Benedict’s pack. He bows his head at me before staring into Benedict’s eyes.

It didn’t take long for me to realize they were speaking.

A quiet conversation happens in front of me and for a moment I think he’s going to tell Benedict that he found my identifier, but Benedict’s reaction to whatever the man said says the opposite. He recoils away from his pack member, eyes darkening.

“It’s time to go, Beta.” The man says out loud and I glance at Benedict with

“I promised-” But Benedict’s head fell. “I’ll be right there.”

“What’s wrong?” I asked, holding his hand tightly.

worry.

“Pack business.” He says vaguely, unable to meet my eyes. “Let’s find Kelcey.”

Numb and very confused, I followed behind him as he scoured the ballroom. It took a good half an hour before we found Kelcey. Standing in front of the man on the platform, she was giving him the ‘look’ and he winked back.

“Kelcey,” Benedict calls, breaking Kelcey away from her little stare match with the man. “I have to go.”

Suddenly, like the man she was eyeing doesn’t exist anymore, Kelcey glances at me, a flash of concern in her eyes before shooting Benedict the coldest glare. “You’re just like everyone else, Beta Benedict. Predictable.”

The sharpness of her tone surprised me. She was talking to a Beta but her stance said she was ready to fight him, whatever his rank was.

Benedict flinched at her words.

There was guilt.

Chapter 20

But more prominent than that was the truth.

“I thought you would be different but I guess you left her like everyone else has.” Kelcey continued, taking my hand and pulling me away from Benedict. “Come on, Vareesa. There are a few shots with our names on them at the bar.”

Her words hit me deep and I allowed her to take me away, leaving Benedict behind though he didn’t attempt to say anything more or to follow us.

Kelcey and I squeezed between bodies and more bodies until we made it to the side where a table was set up. A few of the organizer’s staff were behind it, mixing and shaking colorful liquids. A powerful smell was coming from whatever they were mixing.

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