Fated To The Lycan Brothers
Chapter 22

Suri Nightingale

It was the sixth of July. Two days after the fourth of July festivities and the first day of classes for the school year.

Frankly, I don't know how I managed to survive the weekend in this house-no, mansion-where evil lurked around me and in every corner I felt like I was going to be jumped and get a heart attack.

And by evil, I mean Atlas and Wes. The two boys that have so far been thoroughly enjoying making me feel uncomfortable no matter what.

I let out a deep and nervous sigh as I stood in front of the mirror in my bathroom with only my underwear on. It still blows my mind that I had a whole bathroom to myself and it wasn't infested with creepy crawlies from God knows where, and to top it off, it wasn't just any bathroom. It looked straight out of a castle as if I was a Disney Princess or something.

Rose gold and pink accents were everywhere just like in the bedroom, but this time, everything was like a marble haven. Pink marble shines from floor to ceiling in the walk in glass shower. A glowing mirror on top of the marble vanity table lights up the place effortlessly. Though the sophisticated and glamorous bathtub that could fit five or more people was certainly the crème de la crème.

I would love to just turn on the water, light one of the scented candles, and float in my own world inside the tub, but I know that it's impossible because one, I have a bigger fish to fry, and two, I certainly have no idea how to go about that.

I walked over to where the Thorne Academy uniform is hung by my door. Lucy had brought it up earlier and at first I thought it was some kind of brunch outfit because of how pastel it was, but she told me that it was the designated seasonal outfit.

Spotless white uniform shirts, pastel-hued pleated skirts, and matching slim plaid ties of the same pastel color. It looked straight out of a fashion show and that intimidated me further just imagining what kind of girls paraded in them in the halls of the academy. And then I realized... that makes me part of the same girls once I wear them and enter the school premises?

God, I think I'm going to pass out from nervousness.

A knock on my bedroom door brings me back to the present though, and I hear Lucy call out for me.

"Good morning Ms. Suri, breakfast is ready. Sir Keith asked to pick you up as he wanted to eat with you before he leaves for work."

Crap. Right.

I was so terrified of today's first day of school I completely forgot I had to show up for breakfast first.

As much as I appreciate Keith wanting to always be around me like some kind of doting stepparent, it was still kind of difficult for me because, for starters, he came with three boys - two of which hate me, and the other reason is that this is all still a little too much for me and it hasn't sunk in.

Overwhelmed is just one of the many things I am feeling and him being so hands on sometimes has me on edge thinking that I'll somehow mess up and he'll see me as someone he regrets bringing in.

But alas, this is my life now and no matter how overwhelmed I am or terrified of not fitting in, the Earth won't stop rotating around its axis and I have to keep going.

Or in this case, I have to woman up and endure half an hour of daily breakfasts with my new 'family'.

I gave myself one last disbelieving glance-because I still can't process that the girl in the purple pastel uniform and french braided hair is me-and let out a deep sigh before pushing open the door.

Lucy greeted me with a smile, that was to be honest much too bright for seven in the morning, before she started walking and I followed her diligently, palms getting clammy and my heart pounding in my chest.

"Suri! Top of the morning. That uniform looks like it was made exactly for you, wow." Keith greets me like he's had the best twelve hours of sleep in his life.

Seriously, how do they have so much enthusiasm and energy this early?

"Good morning," I said softly before walking over to the other side of the marble table, sitting down adjacent to Keith while a grand Italian chandelier hung atop us.

First it was the pool house, then the dining area, and now a breakfast nook that was overlooking their vast garden. Do these people not eat at the same place in a day?

The only good thing about this morning is that I don't see Atlas or Wes. Maybe they went to school earlier? Did Atlas manage to get a ride from Wes?

Devon, on the other hand, he's one person I wouldn't mind seeing. As much as I wouldn't like to admit it, I kind of missed him. Especially when I hadn't seen much of him the past couple of days since the party where that girl-whom I learned was Princess Destiny Omilanie of Nigeria-showed up and took him away from me.

Wait, nobody took anyone from me. First of all, Devon isn't mine, and second, I'm pretty sure I was the one butting in their relationship because it seems to me like they had more of a past than I do with him.

If anything, I was the odd one out.

"Eat up, Suri. You need a lot of energy and fuel for your first day. How are you feeling about it, by the way?" Keith asked as he took a sip of his dark coffee.

I feel like I'm going to throw up from nervousness, or better yet, get sent to the hospital for the concerning rate that my pulse is beating. Heart attack at seventeen years old? Count me in.

"I'm okay. Uh, just a little nervous, but that's normal, so... yeah..." I answered, a far cry response from what my brain was actually thinking.

I got a few pieces of bacon, fried egg, and pancakes on my plate before I started digging in. Breakfast food. I love it. Well, I love all kinds of food. I was never picky because really, when did I have a chance to be one?

Most people would think I'm too skinny for my age and though girls nowadays would 'die' for my figure, they certainly wouldn't be too impressed on how I got it which is from starving not by choice.

Keith nods his head in understanding. "Yes, absolutely normal. You'll do great. Your past grades weren't too bad either and I've put in a good word for you to the headmistress so you have nothing to worry about."

My brows furrowed at his words. My past grades? How did he get a chance to get a copy of my grades? And what did he mean he put in a good word? How did he manage to do that in the few days that I arrived and what does that mean for me exactly? Holy s**t, so many questions, but I was starting to realize that living here with all these people in high places would mean that - being confused. I would just have to accept the fact that many things in my life from now on won't make any sense and all I can do is go with the flow.

"Oh, uh... thank you, Keith." I said before stuffing myself with the food, concluding the best course of action is to enjoy what's in front of me because who knows what will happen next?

Living here, being around these people, living their kind of life - these are all the things I would have never been able to make up in my wildest dreams, but now that I'm here, I might as well make the most out of it before something happens and it all blows up in my face.

A ton of food meant for two or more people later, silence besides the birds chirping outside, and the sound of the water from the fountain moving around, Keith gets a phone call that looks very important because the next thing I know, he's rushing out of his chair and apologizing to me.

"I'm really sorry, but I suddenly have an urgent meeting that I need to attend. I hope you have a wonderful first day, Suri, and Benjamin is ready when you are, but your orientation with the headmistress is at eight fifteen. Please don't be late." Keith informs me before he's out of the door in ten seconds, not even giving me a chance to even say goodbye.

Now that the breakfast ordeal was over and I had the whole place to myself, I decided to open one of the windows to get in some fresh air. Since I still had about another half hour to kill, I figured I would just have this peaceful moment to myself before I enter chaos which is yet another day in teenage hell.

I watched as the birds circled around the fountain, their tiny beaks getting water while two relatively smaller ones swam around it. They looked like a family flock and I couldn't help but smile as I remembered my mother.

If she was here, things would be so much more different. She would tell me how beautiful I looked and how proud she is of me. She would drop me off on my first day, ready to talk to the academy staff and join whatever organization there would be for parents. She was always active like that. Whichever school it was that I enrolled in at whatever city we were staying for the meantime because of which boyfriend she'd be with, my mother was never one to miss out on extracurricular activities.

Bake offs, sports fests, fundraisings - she was never required to go to them, but she did for me. She went because she knew how much it meant to me and how much I loved having her around.

I felt a tug at my heart and I pushed back a tear threatening to come out.

This time, it was all just me. No more 'I'm here for you' or 'text me whenever you need me, sweetie' or a plate of cookies when I get home from a test.

"I miss you, mom..." I whispered, the words that came out of my lips a mere whisper carried away by the summer breeze.

I stood there for a few more minutes, just staring and taking in all the beauty of nature in front of me, and at the same time thinking, wondering, how it was all possible that just a week ago, I was struggling to make ends meet. I was waking up at the crack of dawn, barely getting any sleep, just so I could get to work and make it to class at the same time.

And now, I just had a delicious breakfast that was probably worth two weeks of my pay back then and a driver that was waiting to take me to an academy that only the most influential kids were enrolled in.

I guess in a way... I was also an influential kid now.

Damn. Who am I?

"Good morning, Ms. Suri. Ready for school?" Benjamin, a middle-aged and dapper-looking man dressed quite expensively, greeted me as I stepped out of the main entrance.

I've read chauffeurs make hundreds and thousands of dollars driving around the rich and it's no wonder that Benjamin looks pretty made up for someone just tasked to driving a car. If I could, I probably wouldn't mind doing the same job.

Heck, I'd do any job if it means getting extra money and feeling like I'm doing something useful, but mostly having an excuse to not have to stay under the same roof as everyone else 24/7.

I gave Benjamin a warm smile and nod as I tightened my grip on my light pink bag that transforms into both a backpack and a shoulder bag. It reminds me of a Kanken bag, but instead of the red logo in the middle, it's replaced by the Thorne Academy crest. "Great. You can get inside the car, but we just have to wait for another passenger." Benjamin said before he opened the door and gestured me inside.

I wanted to ask him who it was we were waiting for, but he had already shut the door and at that point, I couldn't really think of anything else besides trying my best not to end up hurling in the backseat.

I was so nervous. Damn it.

A minute or so later, the driver's seat opened and Benjamin stepped inside.

"We're ready," he tells me as he smiles from the rearview mirror.

"Oh, okay. Cool. Where's the other-"

I couldn't finish my question before the door next to me opened and a familiar scent invaded my sense of smell.

It reminds me of a misty, tropical mountain. Woody floral scents combined perfectly into one and hints of peach and apricot fruits make it sweeter. My mouth was almost watering when the door slammed closed and when I turned to see who it was, I realized it's my worst enemy.

And he's looking at me with a devious grin like he's ready to make my day even more terrifying.

"Suri," he says my name like there's more to it and as hard as I try, my heart still skips a beat.

Calm down, girl.

"What are you doing here?" I deflect, putting more harshness in my tone so he doesn't see the other effect he has on me.

The black undershirt-white polo combo he's sporting isn't really doing me any favors here either. Atlas looks like a bad boy ready to break hearts and look goddamn fine doing so.

I'm pretty sure what he's wearing isn't a school uniform, but if he's the infamous King of the academy, then I'm quite certain rules don't apply nor matter to him.

"The same reason why you're here, little sis. It's called school." He replied, sarcastically.

But with his sarcasm came with striking gray eyes looking back at me and a smirk that was undeniably making my heart beat faster.

Damn this guy and how attractive he looks. I could hate his every cell and all, but it would be impossible to deny that Atlas Wolfe was the epitome of perfection.

I cleared my throat and managed to turn away from him. Thankfully, because who knows what I would have done if he kept looking at me like that? I know I managed to stop myself two nights with him in his room, but that still took a lot out of me. I need to keep my guard up if I want to be able to keep controlling myself around a guy like him.

The engine roared to life and while I was anticipating nothing but silence in the car, I was thoroughly shocked to my core when out of nowhere, I felt the weight on Atlas' side shift and before I knew it, his face was so close to me and his arm was almost touching the side of my face.

What the hell?! Is he going to kiss me in the car?!

His touch was electric. It was fire. It burned through my skin until all my thoughts had turned into mush and I was nothing but a stuttering mess.

I swallowed hard. I can't let him know what he's doing to me.

"Wh- what do you think you're doing?" I tried to act annoyed, but with how close he is to me and his face was such an annoyingly beautiful distraction, I was not doing very well at it.

He grinned a much too handsome and irritating grin before licking his lips and whispering, "Seatbelt. Didn't you ever ride a car, Nightingale?"

His hand moved away from my face to the seatbelt strap next to it and buckled it on the lock before he sat back down to his spot.

And while he remained completely unaffected by our close proximity just seconds ago, I on the other hand had to close my legs together in order not to get turned on. Stupid hormones.

Stupid Atlas.

Dear God, or any higher being out there, I really hope this is the first and last time I ever have to be in the same car as this guy.