When We Were Mates (Demetra and Emris) novel Chapter 182

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182

Luna Demetra.

It’s eight in the evening when we all walk back into the school building.

I think it’s obvious that everyone is mentally and physically drained. The students shuffle through the hallways hike zombies …heads down, shoulders slumped, feet dragging. Some of us are still damp from the rain and some have leaves in their hair.

girl is missing a shoe.

took another direction after dropping me off away from the woods, so it doesn’t look like we’re coming in together.

Annoying, but smart.

end fell,” I hear Lolly yelling before I even get through the doors.

ald someone please just send backup to find her-” Wren adds, directed at someone I can’t see yet.

that her?” I see Laura.

lly and Wren turn.

The squeal and both reach me at the same time and I get squeezed from both sides simultaneously. I let it happen/ because honestly I need it after that damn training Emris put me through.

“Demetra-”

“Are you okay, are you hurt, what happened-”

“I’m fine.” I hug them back. “Are you guys okay?”

“Are we okay? Are YOU okay?” Lolly grabs my face with both hands and stares at me like she’s checking for damage.

I glance over their shoulders and I see Travis is standing near Laura, mid-explanation, gesturing in a way that suggests he was building a case for sending a search party on my behalf.

I also see Cassie, staring at me with shock like she’s seeing a ghost!

This damn bitch. I thought she just wanted to claw me. I didn’t think she was really out there trying to kill me. Those are different categories of problem and I’m filing this in the more serious one.

I look away from her and back at my people.

“You both have your onions?” I look at their hands.

“Travis helped us find them.” Wren holds hers up.

Travis walks over. His hoodie is damp and hair is messy. There’s a scratch on his cheek that wasn’t there this morning.

“Heard you fell.”

I did but it was a soft landing.” I look him over. “How are you? You’re not injured, are you?”

“No. I’m fine.”

“You got your onion too.” Wren looks at my hand. “How!?”

“Found it…In the soft landing.”

Cassie scoffs from across the room.

“That damn bitch! She really tried to kill you.” Lolly yells.

“Not just her. The twin idiots too. They broke the rules of the assignment.” I glance toward Laura. “Let’s just wait for Professor Emris. We’re gonna tell him.”

“Everyone.” Laura’s voice cuts through the chatter. “Are we complete? Or did anyone else fall from a cliff?”

She says it looking directly at me and the boredom in her voice is specifically calibrated too as if she’s mildly irritating rather than a student who almost died. Af anyone would intentionally lie that they fell off a damn cliff.

“Sis, Wren and Lolly

“It’s Professor

I walk over to

I have bee

this qua

At th

tually fell-

without looking at him and looks down at the chart in her hands.

with me since the expulsion hearing. Every interaction has friction directed specifically at me.

n her and me. Why is she bitchy toward me!? And I can’t be be tussling with a professor too?

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I am done wondering about it from a distance.

“Cassie pushed me off that ledge.” I say it clearly, in front of everyone still gathered, making eye contact with Laura and holding it. “And Axis and Atlas attacked our group in the woods-

sh

A

The cameras caught Axis and Atlas which means they’re suspended until further notice.”

“Then what about that bitch that pushed me?” I point at Cassie.

She’s smiling. Standing in the corner with her arms crossed.

“Be careful with your language.” Laura sets her pen down. “I’m not a fellow student. Cassie did not show up anywhere on the footage that she attacked you.”

I squint.

I’m about to say get Professor Emris here, he saw when it happened but of course, no one should know that Emris was even there.

And it clicks. It literally makes sense. Of course.

The arrow sign. The one Lolly pointed at that led us into the dense section of woods with the different trees. Cassie must have moved it! She took the sign and replanted it somewhere that redirected us into an area with no cameras installed.

“At least-” Travis tries.

“At least nothing. Are you sticking up for her because you like her?”

That gets Travis gets off guard for a second…. hearing his sister say that he likes me. And why does Laura say it like it’s the biggest mistake he could make in his life?”

“Professor Emris is here.” Wren whispers and I let it go.

Laura turns and speaks to Emris as he comes through. “Eighteen students out of three hundred found an onion.”

“My office. To submit.” Emris goes in with his hands in his pockets and his shirt slightly damp. Laura follows him in.

I watch that and I squint because that is not her office. Her name is not on the door.

“Come on.” Lolly pulls my arm. “Let’s submit.”

We join the line. Students file in and out, writing names, showing onions, and Emris uses his side-eye to verify each one because apparently Laura is standing next to him, speaking in low tones and has to speak to him.

“Where were you?” Laura asks.

“Just a quick meeting in my car. Pack meeting.”

Emris glances at me when Wren and Lolly leave the line. I’m the last person remaining.

I write my name down and there’s no one else in the office anymore.

Laura turns to me.

“What are you still doing here?”

I look at the name tag at the beginning of the office. It definitely says Professor Emris Covenant in bold gold letters. So what is she asking for?

“I’m not in your office.” I say it with an attitude.

She smiles. “Yeah, I can tell. You’ve submitted…so you can go.”

“Don’t tell me what to do. It’s not your office. Who knows? I may just want to speak to the professor.”

Laura walks away from Emris. Toward me.

Her heels click against the floor and the look on her face is nasty. It’s like she wants me to remember that she’s a trybrid and I’m just a little omega.

“You talk too much for an omega.”

“And you bitch too much for a professor.”

I land it right back!

She scoffs…

“I think you’re used to getting your way with men.” Laura tilts her head. “They see pretty and they become dumb. You forget that you’re talking to a she-wolf. And that damn attitude isn’t gonna put you in my good books. If I were you, I would be on my way to the dorm. And be ready for my class tomorrow morning.”

“Like I said.” I repeat it very clearly. “Don’t. Tell me. What to do.”

“Okay, um…” Emris’s voice comes from behind us. I forgot he was here. “Laura, it’s okay. I’ll just deal with her.”

“No, Emris. It’s past working hours already!” Laura doesn’t look away from me. “Whoever she is to your family, she’s obviously spoiled and rotten to the core. She speaks like someone who thinks everything should be handed to her. And it’s

not so

“Oh “I let out a laugh. “Says the trybrid who comes from a family that owns this school. I don’t need your damn advice on being humble Goodnight-”

I’m still talking. Get back here!” Laura growls and I stop.

For a moment. Just a moment. Why did that sound like she’s trying to teach me a lesson just now? Still, I don’t turn around.

I hear footsteps fast and rapid, coming toward me. I even hear the rustle of her blazer, like the sound of someone who’s about to grab me

I turn and Emris’s hand is on Laura’s wrist.

She was reaching for my hair. If that had happened, my wig would have come off. My white hair would have spilled out. “Just let it go. She’s a student. You’re the professor.” Emris says and Laura’s hand drops.

“Are you kidding me? You were trying to-”

“I was trying to tap your shoulder.” Laura says like she didn’t just lunge at me. “Did I hit you? of course not but remember, you’re just a student and this is my world.”

Your world?

No.

I don’t wanna leave without having the last say. There’s no way her and I can ever be on a clean sheet.

“Your world? Oh, baby. No one is competing for this world with you. It’s all ours. Ugliest shit I’ve seen, by the way. And you fit right in it.”

I see it land in her jaw. The flash in her violet eyes.

“Again. Goodnight.” I smile and walk out.

I trust Emris isn’t gonna let her touch me. But at the back of my mind, I’m thinking.

I have her class tomorrow?

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