Chapter 31 Ellie POV I just wanted one peaceful meal. One. But by lunch, I honestly thought things couldn't get worse. That was my first mistake. The cafeteria felt like a coliseum, and I was the sacrifice of the week. My friends and I barely stepped into line before the whispers started circling like vultures. "I heard Ellie set Vivian up-" "She deserves it after stealing her sister's mate-" "Oh my god, imagine the Mate course. The tension is going to be insane." I froze mid-step, fork in hand, because excuse me?

Before I could decide whether to throw the fork or swallow it whole, Sarah beat me to the punch. "Hey!" she snapped, slamming her tray onto the table with enough force to silence a ten-foot radius. "Watch your mouths. Ellie didn't set anyone up. She has every right to choose her own path, and you all know nothing." I blinked at her. Damn. Okay, Sarah. Go off. The gossipers shrank back instantly. One girl muttered something about "overreacting," but Sarah's glare shut her up faster than an Alpha command. She was sweet, but even I knew she wasn't one to be poked.

Sarah reminded me more of a bear than a wolf at times. We settled at our usual table, but the tension hung overhead like soggy clouds. "Seriously," Sarah huffed as she opened her juice. "People act like you personally planned the apocalypse." "I mean," Mimi, a girl from our second period, said, grinning, "if Ellie had set Vivian up, I'd respect it." I snorted. "Please. I don't have the energy to set myself up, let alone her." "Oh! Speaking of energy," Sarah said, popping a grape into her mouth, "you should probably just partner with Lucas for the Mate course.

He clearly has your back." My entire table erupted with laughter, although Mia seemed serious. I rolled my eyes so hard I swear I saw the back of my skull. "Hilarious. Truly. But no. I'm not partnering with Lucas or Dominic. I'm not partnering with anyone." Mimi waved her fork. "You say that like The Moon Goddess isn't already rehearsing your matching outfits." "I'd rather fight a mountain lion barehanded." Sarah laughed, but there was a knowing edge to it. "Still... Lucas would be better than most." I opened my mouth to brush it off-but I couldn't.

Because a thought hit me so hard I froze, fries halfway to my lips. To enroll in the Healer Academy... I needed a recommendation letter from an Alpha family. And I just dramatically withdrew from the Management Academy, so my options were: Option A: Ask Dominic. (Absolutely not. I'd move to another continent first.) Option B: Lucas. Slowly, I reached for my phone. Sarah noticed. "Are you seriously texting him right now?" I pretended not to hear her as I typed. Hey... are you free? I need a favor. Before I could overthink it, I hit send.

Because maybe my life is a cosmic disaster right now, but he seemed like the best option. Lucas spotted me before I could even figure out where to sit to meet for the rest of lunch. One second I was scanning the courtyard for a quiet bench, and the next he was waving me over like he was trying to flag down a taxi. "Ellie!" he called, grinning like the sun personally blessed him. "There you are! Over here." I walked over, ignoring the rising wave of whispers behind me. The moment we sat down together-side by side, barely a foot of space between us-the entire quad went silent.

Then the whispering started. "Oh my god-" "Is she serious?" "But isn't she fated with Dominic now-?" "Is Lucas trying to die?" Lucas heard it too, and I started thinking of an apology when he leaned back, casually draping an arm along the bench behind me. Not touching me but very aware of how it looked. He smirked. "They probably think you're cheating on your fated mate." I raised an eyebrow. "Not my problem. I tried to reject it." He actually froze, his eyebrows climbing nearly to his hairline. "You what?" "Tried to reject it," I repeated, picking at the food I wasn't really eating.

"He didn't." Lucas let out a long, low whistle. "Wow. That was fast." "Yeah, well," I muttered, "I'm efficient." He laughed under his breath. Not mocking. Just... amused. And warm.