Loren laughed. “Of course,” she said. “You wanna hit the cafeteria?”
“Please,” I said back.
Loren led me to the cafeteria next to the gym. She told me there were several places across campus that I could eat at. There was even a steakhouse. I shook my head in awe. I didn’t think I’d ever been to a steakhouse. It certainly wasn’t my first choice when I had no money in the orphanage.
We walked inside the big cafeteria next to the gym and I was immediately overwhelmed. There was every type of cuisine I’d ever heard of and some I hadn’t. Everything was luscious and bright and covered in vegetation. Loren darted off towards something called the “sushi station” while I sauntered towards the sandwich station.
I got myself the usual, turkey on white with mustard, and a thing of water. I was incredibly dehydrated and exhausted after Basics that morning and contemplating getting some of the sushi Loren was walking around with as well. God knew my body could use the calories.
Instead, I stuck with my sandwich and walked up to the cashier. I tried to fish around my person for cash but the cashier said I was okay. He handed me my receipt with my balance on it and I felt my face fall.
Victoria had placed more than enough money in my account. Maybe I could’ve had the sushi? Instead, I waited for Loren to pay and then walked around with her to find an open table.
As we looked, the doors to the cafeteria swung open and Maximus strolled in. He was followed in by two other men. Both were equally as hulking. The man on his right had a permanent scowl on his face. His hair was a dark brown and he had slightly paler skin than Maximus. It was darted with freckles. It was an odd juxtaposition to his demeanor.
The second I recognized immediately. His name was Thorne Blythwitch. He had been around the castle when I was there. Victoria told me he’d be my knight one day. I shrugged it off at the time but now he was here.
And he had no clue who I was.
His hair was shaved on the bottom, a light brown. The top part was dyed blonde, pulled into a small ponytail, back off his face. He had a sharp jaw and a bit of facial hair above and below his lips. His face was neutral until he saw me. He paused and watched me walk by, eyes locked together.
I held his gaze as I kept going. I knocked into something and my sandwich flew off my tray leaving a smear of mustard in it’s path. The sandwich smacked against something and I cringed in response, eyes snapping shut.
When I slowly pried them open, Maximus was looking down at me, with murder in his eyes and mustard all over his white shirt.
“Oh she’s done for,” I heard over my shoulder.
I wanted to turn and glare at whomever said that but my eyes were locked on Maximus. He slowly ran a hand down the front of his shirt and some of the mustard sloshed to the ground. The rest coated his hand. He looked at me and pierced me with his golden eyes. I opened my mouth to speak and was cut off.
“Fucking hell!” Somone close screamed. I jerked my gaze. It was the man with freckles and dark brown hair. His scowl had somehow gotten worse.
“Watch where your fucking going!” He snapped. “I’ve never seen such a clueless person before.”
Maximus hummed, glancing down as his mustard covered hand. “Maybe if she wasn’t eyeing Thorne up and down, she would’ve paid better attention,” he said. Then he looked back up at me. “Though, I should’ve expected this kind of behavior from a wolfless human.”
That damn word again.
“Oh, I see,” the freckled man hissed. “This is the idiot who chose to scar you in Basics?”
Scar? Had I really cut him that deep? I was too busy musing my own strength to realize that the freckled man had stepped in closer to me. He was so tall, taller than Maximus. His entire being engulfed mine in a shadow and it showed what I really was.
An ant amongst giants.
Angry giants.
“Listen to me, girl,” the man snapped.
“Kairos,” Thorne warned. Though it had no actual warning. If anything he sounded bored.
Kairos.
I knew that name too.
Holy shit, were all three of these men supposed to be my potential husbands?
