O

still t

elf the heat she felt had nothing to do with the man standing two feet

omething shifting at the edge

ared a

hing. Patient. Unhurried. Like he had a filing system i

m. It was the wrong conclusion, and it was

hing to tell him what his wolf should be recognising. He just saw a freshman

d work w

n travelling for three days. I'm not used to shared rooms." She g

hi

ther vague gestu

ar, but enough. He picked the shirt off the bunk and held it loosely at his side without putting i

"Roommate privilege." He nodded toward the

m f

He said it plainly, with no edge to it. "Ho

d I'm

s discussing a training schedule. "We're going to see each other in worse states than this.

Nova had sto

t her collar. The binding underneath. The look on his face when he

she would never

honestly never, I'm not big on showers; I go weeks sometimes, months, it's a preference thing, some people find it -

xpression

at once, the w

is eyes moved over her with something that

eyes still on her face like he was trying to figure out if she was se

st sa

out th

he window. Seco

d in the

d. Counte

nd laughed until her ribs hurt. Quiet, shoulders shaking, completely und

. Breathed. Looked

m off tha

bunk and stared up a

r eyes. Actually, forever. Transfer. Expulsion.

that pressing

the ceiling. "I'm aw

************************

he meal hall

of the hot food was gone. She grabbed what was left, found the end of the last table, back to the wall,

fine until s

kind of grin that meant he'd already decided how his morning was going to go. His name, she'd clocked from the intake board; she'd memorised her

all." Bren didn't lower his voice. Was

te her

mall?" Dex said, leaning back

lau

ept e

he tracked it in her peripheral vis

of hers. Tray in hand, grin cranked up. Close; he

ly. "You find your way okay? Signs are hig

ked up

ack at h

group, and she caught it. That sma

seco

r, her chest, and the table. Metal on stone, lo

what, five foot nothing? Basically invisible. His f

ed up h

ed it. Di

r, ran down her arm, and dripp

of her. Gentle. Considered. "Th

ay said something about intake s

oked at

at th

hands, flat

et; you are not here to put second-years through the floor before b

cleaning u

er. She gave him nothing. Just moved methodically through the mess, with the same f

hed for

all c

eople orienting toward the same point without deciding to, conversations cutting off m

lders we

tu

ark eyes moved across the hall, the way they moved across every

sto

n, still standing at the end of her table with her

face did

en's g

around the edges, like something that w