“I couldn’t even manage that much,” I muttered to myself, covering my face with my hands. I had been holding back tears, trying not to cry like a child, but sometimes, it’s okay to let it out.
“You did your best.” I looked up at the sound of Emmett’s voice. I thought he’d left with his brothers. He wore white pants and a shirt with a long, gray coat.
“I wanted to be part of the academy so badly,” I groaned, hunching forward with my elbows on my knees, my face buried in my hands. Emmett looked around for a place to sit, then settled on the edge of the mattress across from mine.
“I know. I’ve never seen someone so-” he began, but I interrupted him with a scoff.
“Desperate?”
He shook his head and corrected me, “Determined.”
“Thanks for being nice, but it doesn’t change the fact that I’m still out,” I sighed, watching him gently push his coat aside as he slipped his hand into his pocket.
He was a devilishly handsome man, and his rugged demeanor only made him stand out more.
The issue was the mate bond. I wanted to blame the mate bond even though I couldn’t feel the pull anymore, and neither could he, especially with the absence of my wolf.
“Don’t be too hard on yourself,” he said, finally pulling his hand out and revealing a red card. “There might still be a way for you to get into the academy.”
My heart skipped a beat, and I looked up to meet his gaze.
“But I failed the last test,” I replied, wanting so desperately to believe him, but the reality was clear.
“Actually, there’s one more chance. I’m not sure how much it will help, but…” He extended his hand, offering me the card.
It bore the academy’s logo, with ‘Professor Emmett’s Recruit’ written on it.
“What’s this? How can I use it?” I sat up straight, clutching the card tightly as I looked at him, excitement flickering across my face.
“This is a special card that each of us brothers holds,” he explained. “It gives us the right to choose one recruit. If any candidate fails, we can give them this card to present at the backup tests, allowing them to take just one additional test for a chance to re-enter the academy. But there’s a catch.” His voice softened, making me rise almost out of anticipation, then settle back down, eager to know what else I’d need to do.
“What’s the catch?” I asked.
“This card can only be used by a family member.” The word family made my body tense.
“Oh!” I relaxed, though a wave of disappointment surged within me. That stung. I’d raised my hopes for nothing.
“But you can use it,” he added, and I looked up to see him smiling in an almost unbothered way. “You are my stepsister.”
For some reason, hearing him say that with such a casual smile bothered me. I’d told the Moon Goddess many times that I wouldn’t accept any fate she chose for me, yet there was a strange little twinge when Emmett called me his stepsister.
But once that fleeting feeling passed, I sat up straighter, a smile tugging at my lips.
“I can?” I asked, and he nodded.
“Yes, go ahead. Use it. But-” he paused, his tone becoming more serious, “you’ll need to use it wisely. Just holding a pass doesn’t guarantee admission. You’ll have to rely on your skills.”
He stood up, having helped me yet again, and I watched him walk away. After a few steps, he stopped briefly and turned back to say, “Best of luck, Helanie. I want to see you in my class soon.”
A smile returned to my face, and I held the card tightly, tears of relief filling my eyes. But I had to vacate the shelter quickly; the warriors had arrived to lock it up.
That’s when my anxiety spiked. Where would I go now? I knew how dangerous the wilderness was, especially for rogues without a home or any connection to the rogue kings or the academy. Slinging my small bag over my shoulder, I carefully tucked the card away and prepared to leave.
But as soon as I stepped outside, I noticed a warrior pointing at me. I followed him hesitantly as he led me through the trees to the main road.
“Where are you taking me?” I finally asked. I recognized this warrior; he worked for Kaye.
“Young Rogue King Kaye has instructed me to take you to a hotel room and serve as your driver until you find a place of your own.” He didn’t elaborate, but his words meant a lot to me.
I was in shock as I continued following him. Just when I thought I had no one, someone had been quietly looking out for me.
Emmet:
“Kaye!” My steps felt heavy as I walked toward my car. I had seen what happened today, and it filled me with anger. Watching Sydney and Lamar participate felt like witnessing something terrible unfolding right in front of us-while we stood helpless to stop it. That’s why I decided to use this moment to bring Helanie’s name into association with ours. At the very least, it might help keep her safe.
For now, though, we needed a place for her. I knew Kaye was on the same page. Although we hadn’t openly discussed it, we both understood that we didn’t mind if she stayed in our lives. We didn’t blame her for her mother’s actions.
“About Helanie,” I said, staring at the hood of my car. I felt the need to calm down. The full moon always left me drained and worn out. My muscles ached intensely, and I could barely work out for two days afterward, yet I still pushed myself.
I’ve been trying hard to eat well and stay strong. Another full moon had just passed a few days ago, and I’d done my best to prepare for it, but now I was still recovering. I needed to be at my best for every full moon, but I also found myself worrying about that innocent young girl back at the shelter.
“Don’t worry, I arranged a hotel room for her. I told the staff to look after her.” Thankfully, Kaye was thinking along the same lines and not acting like a bitter child unwilling to share a father.
I understood why my brothers resented her mother, but why take it out on Helanie? Her mother left her when she was only six-how could she possibly be like her? And if we were to hold grudges, then our father was just as responsible. So why not be angry at him, too? After all, it takes two to tango.
“What about her admission?” Kaye asked, sounding concerned. I was puzzled why he wouldn’t just give her his card and introduce her as his stepsister.
“I gave her my pass. I just want to know who’s on the test team.” I was worried she’d get banned if she didn’t use the card correctly.
“Oh, no. Maximus and Norman are on the team,” Kaye said, his exhausted tone already hinting that things wouldn’t go well for Helanie.
“But why Maximus? Doesn’t he want to rest or anything?” I complained as I opened my car door, wincing as I moved. Every little minute that I spent after the full moon hurt my body.
“I don’t know. He said he wants to work hard this year,” Kaye replied. “Let’s just hope the last test is educational.”
If Maximus and Norman were on the list, there wasn’t much we could do.
“Yeah, let’s see what we can do,” I said, determined to do everything I could to convince my brothers to make it an educational test.
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