Academy Of Mates novel Chapter 8

Chapter 8

but somehow it was nice. It’s nice because she understands the pressure no matter how much she hates it. “It’s not your fault for being hopeful, Vareesa. Being hopeful is what keeps us going. It’s what makes us survivors.”

“I don’t know…” I trailed off quietly.

She brushes my hair back, smiling at me with a look of mischievousness. “You’re a pretty girl, Vareesa. There are at least a few hundred men at the School of Love. You might as well make the most out of it. If they’re screwing us, we might as well screw them. And anyway, if we don’t get chosen, at least we have fun doing it.”

I lifted an eyebrow, smiling back at her. “Is that what you’re planning?”

Kelcey shrugged, a knowing look on her face. “I want to take control of this weekend as much as I can.”

The words from the two girls from earlier come back to me. And the hopelessness combined with the sounds of wetness coming from Jeff brought a coldness that I wanted to wash off immediately. “Yes. Let’s dance, feast and… flirt.”

We toast, staring out into the party and observing the attendees. There were hundreds – nearly thousands of people at this year’s School of Love, all dressed in their finest and flashing whatever they had to offer. All eyes were on the prowl, searching for the best candidate for themselves.

From what I can see, farm packs stay with the other farm packs and the city packs stay with the city packs. No one really intermingled and that was normal. It was to be expected. For why would a wealthy city pack be with someone from a poor farm pack?

There weren’t any Cinderella stories here.

No one mated above their rank and if they could help it, no one mated lower.

This was a business deal.

A game of our futures was being played and no one wanted to risk it.

With nothing to lose, I let myself go, drinking more and smiling widely. Like Kelcey said, I was coming home mateless anyway. Might as well make the most out of it.

Kelcey winks, taking the glass of sparkling liquid from my hand before walking off to join the festivities, her hips swinging like a weapon ready to be unleashed. I stayed on the swing for a little while longer, knowing I had until the afternoon before some of the activities began. There are supposed to be a lot of events to try and get everyone to meet.

I use this time to look around more. To my surprise, some met my gaze and not all were disgusted. Kelcey was right. Most are here on business, but a little pleasure wasn’t all that discouraged.

My stomach grumbles, calling out to the food- a masterpiece in its own right. I walk

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Chanter S

to the table with piles and piles of delicious smelling food. There was meat and they weren’t just wild birds and malnourished rabbits that we ate back at home on special occasions, but chicken and pork and beef. All of the things I’ve only ever heard from stories before.

They all had different tastes; savory but sweet, tangy but herby, mint and honey and so many more things I didn’t know were possible.

I take a bite of each, hell, I take two and three more bites. Kelcey at one point joins me, introducing me to her friend- a boy from another pack that clearly wasn’t with her for the mating our Alpha hopes we get. The boy tells us about a few other meats we weren’t familiar with, like duck and turkey and bison and lamb. A new wave of tastes played in my mouth and I sighed, eyes fluttering close.

“You guys don’t eat this normally?” He asks, confused about our enthusiasm for the food.

My eyes widened at the question. “Do you?”

The boy shrugs. “This is what we usually have every day.”

Kelcey made a face and I knew this boy wouldn’t get too far with her. With a roll of her eyes, she turns to another boy that was waiting on her and almost deletes the other boy from existence. She and I share a smile before losing each other in the crowd. All in all, I was enjoying myself and I didn’t think of Jeff once.

I was picking at a fruit bowl when I felt something looming over me. Turning with a grape between my teeth, I saw a tall man at least twice my height with a deep frown on his lips.

There wasn’t time to smell or even check his identifier before he went right into business.”Name, rank and pack?”

My lips parted with the grape dropping on the floor. I fumbled to remember my name, mostly out of surprise that someone was talking to me rather than anything else. “Uh,”

“Never mind.” He dismisses with a glare before moving away, his nose in the air. “Poor quality blood.”

This happens to me four more times. Each time I don’t get a word in, their eyes are on my face and then on my wrist where my identifier is.

In their defense, it’s hard to smell my quality of blood in a crowd of people with different scents.

Hard as it is to admit, it still stung every time I’m left alone, lips parted as I watched them speak to another girl. I remind myself that it’s okay, that I’ll be okay, but it’s getting harder with every minute that passes.

I heard ‘I thought you smelled different’ a couple of more times before I went back to

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Chapter S

the swing, facing the lake and away from people. It seems that even fun eluded me here. My blood and rank are just too low.

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