Fated To The Lycan Brothers
Chapter 38

Suri Nightingale

They say the morning after a party is usually hell, but for some reason, when I woke up today, I felt oddly fine. For someone who drank a ton of shots the night before, I'm thoroughly and pleasantly surprised I'm not hugging the toilet bowl at seven in the morning. But then again, maybe I've had enough of that last night in one of Raquel's gold-filled bathrooms.

Shudders traveled all throughout my body when a thought invaded my head out of nowhere.

Atlas' lips on mine. Atlas' hands on my body. Atlas' scent rubbing off on me.

"Ahhh! Erase, Suri! Erase!" I shouted at myself before burying my face on one of the cottony pillows and screaming my frustrations out.

After a few minutes of what I believed was enough to gain my sanity back for the day, I began to count backwards from fifty and in Spanish. It was a weird coping mechanism I started to do right after my mom passed away and I learned that the real reason for her death was going to be covered up. I thought I was going to explode in a way that would harm many people, but all of whom deserved it.

But I knew once I did that, I would never be able to come back to a normal life-not that my life is normal in the first place-again so I managed to control myself.

On the same day, while leaving that shitty town in a bus, there was a little girl learning how to count in Spanish. I listened to her during the entire duration of the bus ride and I realized counting with her calmed me down.

"Cincuenta, cuarenta y nueve, cuarenta y ocho... dos, uno, cero." I let out a loud breathy exhale and opened my eyes.

Perfect. All calm now.

Now let's get this new day started.

I hop inside the marble rose gold shower and as soon as the warm water hits my body, I'm melting in a good way. It feels so nice I wish I could just stay here until I turn into a very wrinkly prune, but I know I have only about half an hour to get ready if I want to be on time.

Like a good little Thorne Academy student, I put on my uniform and make sure everything is spick and span, there is no dirt on the crisp whites, and no creases on the shirt and skirt. When I think all is perfect, I grab my things and head out of my room for my favorite part of every morning - breakfast time.

I don't mean for my body to stop when my eyes land on a certain someone's door, but it does and I hate myself for it. I have this weird feeling traveling throughout my body and I can't tell if it's out of pleasure or annoyance.

I aggressively shake my head and scream at myself internally to cut it out and forget about him. Forget about all of them.

Even Dev who was apparently also a piece of trash like his brothers. Or maybe he was even worse since he was lying to me this whole time.

Ugh, whatever. Screw all of them. Study, graduate, and get the f**k out of here and never see these assholes again.

I repeat that last part in my head over and over like a mantra until I get downstairs and I see Lucy with a bright smile waiting for me. I wonder where breakfast will be held this time.

"Good morning, Miss Suri." She greets me like usual, but there's something awkward in the way she smiles at me. What is going on? The uncertainty makes me feel iffy.

"Uh, hey, morning." I reply warily, but she doesn't seem to notice this as she turns around and continues walking.

"Breakfast is in the dining room today, but if you would like a different location anywhere in the house, we can set it up for you as well." She says while I trail behind her.

"No, it's okay. The dining room is fine with me, but why do you ask? Isn't Keith there?" I feel nervous all of a sudden.

Lucy glances for a quick second to look at me and shake her head. "No, Sir Keith had an important meeting and left early this morning, as did the boys. It's just you."

"Oh... I see. Okay." I say, biting my lip to stop myself from asking any further questions.

This should be good. This is good, I reassure myself. No stupid brothers to bother me, and as much as I like Keith, I can eat my breakfast in peace without him interrogating me because I don't think I have the capability to answer him this morning either. I reach the dining room and all my worries fly out of the window as soon as my sense of smell is filled with every delicious scent I could possibly think of.

The only time my food trance is disrupted is when Lucy appears with a cup of peppermint tea. She places it next to my coffee and I blink at her, confused.

She must have seen the confusion in my eyes because she says, "It's good for hangovers."

Ah.

I smiled. "It's alright. I don't have one." I reassure her, but it's her turn to look at me oddly.

"Are you sure, Miss Suri? When you got home with the boys past one in the morning, you seemed to have been very... um... not sober." Lucy said, the pink forming on her cheeks tells me that she probably had seen something embarrassing for me that it makes her uncomfortable just remembering it.

And then it dawned on me.

I had no freaking idea how I got back home.

Oh my god.

"I'm sorry, can you... elaborate on that, please?" I asked Lucy and hoped she would be able to enlighten me because as far as I know and can remember, I got home in one piece and the fact that I was still wearing last night's clothes and messy makeup meant nobody had touched me in any inappropriate way.

At least, that's what I thought.

Lucy rubbed her neck sheepishly as if she couldn't understand how to begin answering my question before she finally opened up and said, "While Sir Wes was helped by Sir Atlas, Sir Devon was the one holding you, Miss Suri. You seemed to have been already half asleep, mumbling something, as Sir Devon carried your weight on his shoulders and he finally got you to your bed."

No. Fucking. Way.

I think I'm going to faint from shock.

But I don't and I'm surprised I'm still firmly seated on the plush velvety chair in one piece.

Though I can't say the same for the piece of baguette in my hand that had turned into tiny crumbs as I accidentally crushed it from the horrifying realization that I was somewhat so drunk I didn't even remember Atlas carrying me all the way to my room. What. The. Heck.

I chuckled awkwardly, trying to appease the weird tension that had amassed in between Lucy and I.

"Right, right... That part. Um... sorry you had to see that. I'm usually not that type of person, you know, that drinks too much, but... yeah. I- I promise it won't happen again!" I said, embarrassment flooding my cheeks and all I wanted to do was get sucked into a massive black hole.

Lucy lets out a soft chuckle as she waves her hand in front of her. "No need for apologies, Miss Suri. We've seen more in this household and it also wasn't the oddest thing that happened last night."

My curiosity gets the best of me. "What was the oddest thing?"

Lucy shrugged her shoulders like she was nonchalant about the whole thing. "Oh one of the staff said she saw what looked like a big bear out by the gardens. It was too dark and it had come and gone quickly but she was sure it was like some wild animal that growled. I don't believe in things I don't see or hear though so I won't dwell on it too much."

"I see..." I processed her words, both perplexed and thankful that it happened because then the staff would be less worried about my sudden embarrassing drunken appearance.

I thank Lucy for her time and I finish up my breakfast.

All throughout that entire time, my mind couldn't stop thinking about how Dev cared enough to carry me and what the hell happened after I heard him and Atlas talk that I couldn't remember anything after it?!

Ugh. I seriously hope Elle might have some answers because if not... I'm going to have to ask the brothers and I would rather choke than do that.

-

The drive to the academy is so blissfully quiet that a part of me is reveling in it, and the other part is cautious of what's going to happen next because nothing good ever stays that way.

It's a reality I've had to come face to face with at a very young age.

At four years old, my mother met a kind man that took us in and gave me doll houses. He lavished my mom and I with presents every little girl would wish for and I slept as soundly as a baby on my nice pink princess bed. Until one night, it all changed.

The gifts stopped and were replaced with screams. My mom no longer came home with a smile on her face but a new bruise on her body. I could never sleep like a baby on my bed anymore because all I could hear were my mom's cries every night.

A few more years of that and a different guy each time soon made me realize that with the good always comes the bad.

"Thanks for driving me, Allen." I gave a kind smile towards another one of Keith's drivers-because I assumed he was using Benjamin-before turning around, taking in deep breaths, and bracing myself for another day here.

As soon as I walk into the door and take my first few steps in the hallway, I immediately can't help but feel that something... is amiss.

I can't pinpoint it exactly, but it's as if there are more eyes staring at me as I walk and there's this feeling that is looming over me like they know something that I don't.

Amidst all of that, I keep my head held high and my face as unbothered as possible.

Fortunately, my first class of the day is Foreign Language and none of the boys are in that class.

Unfortunately, so are Elle, Polly, and Ariana.

I was about to pull my phone out to text them on the group chat when I realized one crucial thing I didn't have my phone because I left it in my bag with Elle and Polly!

Fun-freaking-tastic.

I try not to bring myself down by that devastating thought, telling myself that I once haven't owned a phone in months and it wasn't a bother to me, but with each passing second that I'm out here in the jungle and suspicious eyes staring at me, I feel like I'm completely vulnerable.

Thankfully, I managed to make it to class without any casualties. Yet.

I am extremely ecstatic to learn that not only is my language for the semester Spanish, but our teacher was a very laidback young, around mid-twenties, woman who was obsessed with telenovelas.

So all throughout the class, she talked about what the semester would look like and made us decide on which movies, shows, and even books we would learn from.

It was awesome.

Mostly because she seemed super nice and also because I was hoping to learn more about the language and culture and this seemed like the perfect opportunity to do so.

When the bell rings, I actually replace myself disappointed by it, but the disappointment quickly fades when I come out of the room and the girls, except for Ariana, are there to greet me with wide smiles.

"Suri!" Both of them squealed in delight and something about being greeted so enthusiastically has me feeling even happier too.

Old Suri would have never thought a day like this would come - a day where three girls were actually excited to see her.

"Cute hair!" Polly was the first to talk, commenting on the pink ribbon I used to tie my ponytail with.

It was just a last minute accessory to add to my rather dull look today. Plus I needed something to take the attention away from my post-party face.

"Thanks. Are you feeling better?" I asked Polly and she nodded quickly.

"Never better. You, on the other hand, how are you feeling?" She wiggles her eyebrows at me and I already know what she means.

Elle nudged Polly on her side before giving her a stern look. "Knock it off, Pols. We said we wouldn't talk about it unless Suri wants to."

Polly frowns. "Fine, fine. Désolée."

I smiled. "It's okay."

It really was. I was very shocked that they had even come up with something like that as well as being touched by it. Maybe they really were good friends.

"The thing is... I actually do kind of want to talk about it. Not that part, but after it when I left the circle." I confessed and the girls looked at me curiously.

We started walking to get to the lockers, but they still had their eyes glued on me.

"What? You don't remember?" Elle looked at me baffled.

I shake my head slowly. Unfortunately, I don't, and that's where my dilemma lies.

"Well all I know is that Elle abandoned me on one of the beach chairs while I cuddled with your soft bag, which speaking of-" Polly gets her bag and pulls out my cow print one I brought last night with all my things. "Thank you very moo-ch for your service." She giggled. "No problemoo," I joked and Polly and I chuckled.

"I did not abandon you!" Elle said in defense and now I really wondered what had happened after I was gone.

"I just... uh, I... I watched some waves and stuff..." She added, her voice getting quieter after each word and trying to hide her face using her locker door. And is she... blushing?

"Oh, yeah. Waves. Uh-huh. Did you enjoy riding those waves, too?" Polly grinned and Elle's face turned even redder in seconds. "Oh my god, I'm going to kill you." Elle said as she rubbed her hands on her face embarrassed while Polly laughed hysterically. "I seriously wish I knew what you guys were talking about." I said, lost.

"Don't you remember being with Wes?" Elle asked and that was what made me turn to her like she had just grown another head.

"What? Why would I be with Wes?" I lowered my voice into a whisper, making sure nobody else around us would hear because if for some reason this intel gets to Stefanie, hell knows what she'd do to me if she thinks I'm messing with her fuck buddy. "Girl, I don't know with you. I just know Wes came up to us while he was holding you half asleep and then I let you sleep off your hangover next to Polly by one of the beach chairs and then when I came back, Devon was pretty much carrying you out." What the actual hell? I came asking for answers and somehow I'm left with even more questions. How did I manage to become involved with Wes, too?!

Damn it, when is this going to end?

"Oh crap, Elle, we're going to be late for our meeting with the headmistress!" Polly suddenly said, making Elle panic.

"Shoot! You're right!" She slammed her locker shut as she quickly fixed her bag.

"What do you guys need with the headmistress?" I asked.

"Oh we have this last round evaluation with her before we get admitted to this one and a half month art course we signed up for in Paris. Damn, I wish we knew you before so we could all go!" Polly said with a pout. Me too, Polly. Me too.

The first bell sounds off, signaling the next class is about to start again, and the two girls waved goodbye as they hurriedly ran to the other side of the hallway.

Suddenly, the loneliness felt all too familiar and I tried my best not to let it affect me.

I've experienced far worse, I tell myself. I've never had people to call my actual friends, never had somebody I knew would have my back. So why would I let this bring me down?

But as I was walking to my next class and the feeling of people watching my every move lingering around me, I can't help but wonder if I'm really strong enough to be out here in the jungle alone.

Once I'm sure that I've gotten my bearings enough to keep me sane for an hour or two, I open the door to my Business Education class and as soon as I realize who I'm classmates with, my heart drops to the pit of my stomach.

"If it isn't the trash that was plucked from whatever garbage town she came from. What could you possibly do in Business cla*s? Learn how to start your own stripper club?"

I gritted my teeth and clenched my fists. How the hell did Stefanie replace out I worked for a club? I bet it was one of the brothers, but I don't care. f**k them.

I replace an empty seat as far away as possible from the back where her and her posse are seated.

As soon as I sat down, it hit me...

It's going to really s**k having no friends.