CHAPTER 12: BROTHER'S ARRIVAL
1041words
Friday arrived with a sense of impending doom. Classes proceeded normally, but whispers followed me everywhere—excitement about Dominic Blackwood's impending visit, speculation about the still-missing princess, curious glances at Damon and by extension, me.
"You sure you don't want to come?" Noah asked as we left our final class. A special dinner was planned to welcome the distinguished alumnus. "Everyone will be there."
"Stomach bug," I lied, clutching my abdomen for effect. "Probably best if I stay in."
Noah looked concerned. "Want me to bring you something later?"
"I'll be fine," I assured him. "Just need rest."
"And to avoid all human contact?" he suggested with a knowing look. "This wouldn't have anything to do with your weird reaction whenever Dominic Blackwood is mentioned, would it?"
I froze. "What? No. Why would you think that?"
"Because you look like you're about to throw up right now." He studied me. "What's the deal, Ari? You owe him money or something?"
"It's complicated," I said, which wasn't a lie. "Just... family stuff."
Noah nodded slowly. "Okay. But if you need anything—"
"I know where to find you," I finished with a grateful smile.
My plan was simple: lie low all weekend, emerging only when absolutely necessary. With luck, Dominic would conduct his business and leave without incident.
Back in my room, I gathered toiletries for a long shower—one luxury I allowed myself only when the bathroom floor was guaranteed empty. I'd just locked the bathroom door when I heard the main door open. Damon returning early, I assumed.
Until I heard the voices.
"Nice place," said a deep, unfamiliar voice. "Better than when I was here."
"They renovated last year," came Damon's reply. "You're in the guest suite, but I thought you'd want to see the regular dorms."
My blood froze. Dominic. In our room. With only a bathroom door between us.
"So this is where you've been hiding," Dominic continued. "Father says you've been ignoring his calls."
"Been busy," Damon replied, his tone cooler. "Classes, training, you know how it is."
"Too busy to help find my missing fiancée?"
A pause. "What do you expect me to do, Dom? She's not here."
"Are you sure? The Silver Moon Pack thinks she might have had help. Brothers at this very academy."
My heart pounded so loudly I was certain they could hear it. I pressed myself against the door, straining to catch every word.
"And you think I'm harboring her?" Damon's laugh sounded forced. "In my dorm room? Check under the bed if you want."
"Don't be ridiculous," Dominic snapped. "But you have connections here. People talk to you."
"If I hear anything, you'll be the first to know."
I heard movement, then Dominic's voice again, closer to the bathroom. "Who's your roommate?"
"New kid. Ari Silver. Western packs."
A pause. "Silver? Any relation to the Silver Moon Pack?"
My heart stopped.
"Different Silvers," Damon said quickly. "Common name out west."
"Hmm." Dominic sounded unconvinced. "I'd like to meet some of your friends while I'm here. Get to know the next generation."
"Sure," Damon replied. "There's a reception tonight. Most of them will be there."
The bathroom doorknob rattled, and I nearly cried out in panic.
"Occupied!" I called, deepening my voice as much as possible and making a retching sound for good measure.
"Your roommate?" Dominic asked.
"Yeah, he's got some stomach bug," Damon replied. "Been complaining about it all day."
"Unfortunate," Dominic said, sounding disinterested. "We should head to the reception anyway. Headmaster will be looking for you."
The door closed, and silence fell. I waited five full minutes before emerging, heart still racing. That had been too close.
I texted Rafe immediately: *D on campus. Close call. Need advice.*
His reply came minutes later: *Stay calm. Keep your head down. Will call tonight.*
I spent the evening huddled in my room, jumping at every sound. When my phone finally rang, I answered on the first ring.
"Rafe?"
"It's me," my brother's voice was reassuring. "Lucas is here too. You're on speaker."
"Dominic's here," I whispered. "He asked about me—about Ari Silver."
"Why?" Lucas asked.
"The name. He made the connection to Silver Moon."
Rafe cursed. "We should have chosen a different surname."
"What do I do?" I asked, anxiety rising. "If he sees me—"
"He won't recognize you," Lucas assured me. "You look completely different."
"But he'll smell me," I insisted. "Neutralizer can only mask so much."
"Just stay in your room as much as possible," Rafe advised. "He's only there for the weekend, right? You can handle two days."
A soft knock interrupted our conversation. "Someone's here. I'll call back," I whispered, hanging up.
"Who is it?"
"It's me," came Noah's voice. "Brought you soup."
I opened the door to find him holding a container and looking concerned.
"You didn't have to," I said, touched by the gesture.
"What are friends for?" He peered past me. "How are you feeling?"
"Better," I lied. "Thanks for this."
Noah nodded, but his expression remained troubled. "Everything okay? You've seemed on edge all week."
"Just stressed," I assured him. "And now sick. Bad combination."
"Okay. But Ari?" His voice turned serious. "Whatever's going on... I hope you know you can trust me."
I stared at him, startled by his perception. "What makes you think something's going on?"
He smiled sadly. "Takes one to know one." With that cryptic comment, he left.
I spent the rest of the evening alternating between homework and anxiety, jumping at every sound in the hallway. When Damon finally returned around midnight, I pretended to be asleep.
"Feeling any better?" he asked, clearly not fooled by my fake sleeping.
I opened my eyes. "A bit."
"Good. Dominic's staying through Sunday," he said casually. "Just so you know. Big Alpha meeting or something."
I nodded, trying to look only mildly interested. "Thanks for telling him I was sick. Saved me from having to socialize."
"No problem," he replied. "Though you might want to actually rest if you want to sell that stomach bug. You look more stressed than sick."
As he disappeared into the bathroom, I let out a shaky breath. Two days. I just had to avoid Dominic for two days.
How hard could that be?
