Admittedly, it was a quiet place. Yet it was clear to me in whose territory I was in and what that – theoretically – meant for me.
My thoughts landed back on the campus lawn, where the Copelands had already hit at least ten people with their football on the first day, including two professors.
Loud laughter, coming from downstairs, snapped me out of my thoughts.
Clearly, I wasn’t the only one who had heard Nash, because that Adrian guy who had just been staring out the window next to the blond was now turning around.
If this kept up, something was definitely going to happen soon. Senseque and Ruisangors under one roof were like a lighter at a gas station.
Just then, the door to the room burst open and Nash entered along with his six closest friends.
Hunter Jones, girl crush and best football player after Nash; Harry Jones, his two-year older brother and the embodiment of common sense, just like their father; Cody Kaheel, the dark-haired jokester of the group with the biggest mouth; Noah, the dark-blond thug; Caleb, to whom the same applied; and Marten, the guy with no opinion of his own.
In short, a group of obnoxious pricks.
I noticed that Kieran was missing. In fact, I hadn’t seen the most cunning one of them on campus yet. He probably would have hit the ceiling if he’d seen the DeLoughreys here.
The grin on Nash’s face slipped out by leaps and bounds.
“You messed with the wrong one!” he growled, glaring suspiciously at the three Ruis. One by one.
Miles, still wearing his black shoes on the uncovered bed, put on his annoying grin.
“How dare you-” Hunter began, but Nash held him back.
The two of them were like the best bros. Hunter had actually always been pretty okay, but ever since he officially joined the pack, he did everything he could to prove his loyalty, doing everything for Nash. You could tell who was soon to become the new Alpha, even though I found this decision extremely questionable.
I remembered that it was really none of my business and looked over at Miles, who was now slowly getting up...walking toward Nash. Arriving in front of him, he stopped and gave another snooty grin. Nash clenched his hands into fists.
You could clearly feel the tension in the room. Only one person had to say something wrong, then this invisible wall would fall and there would be a massacre.
Miles took another step toward Nash. That was the stupidest thing he could do.
He just sneered again. “You guys are much more adorable up close.”
“Miles,” Adrian pressed out impatiently, but before anything could happen, I jumped up and put myself between Miles and Nash. My gaze was on Nash as I did so.
“What are you doing, Julian?” he pressed out.
His gaze darkened, and I knew what he was trying to do. But since I wasn’t part of his pack and wasn’t planning to be anytime soon, it wasn’t working. Did he really think he could get me out of the way that easily?
“Scum!” he growled, turning away from me and the DeLoughreys.
Miles was no longer standing behind me, but leaning against the desk.
“And my sister still thinks you’re one of us!” Nash looked at me grimly, and I wanted to punch him in the face. He could have saved that stupid look on his face for himself. “If she knew you were surrounding yourself with these freaks.”
“I didn’t choose this,” I said snidely and walked past him into the hallway, his friends giving me disapproving looks. But they couldn’t do anything against me. Not without Nash saying something.
At least I still had a mind of my own. One would look in vain for that among them.
“You’ll be sorry you ever betrayed us like that, Bardot,” Nash called after me, but I was already on my way down the stairs and didn’t give a damn about his empty words.
I had already received many threats, so this was no longer anything significant.
Nash should run to his father, like every time. It just showed once again how pathetic the Copelands really were. Because without money, they would only be a miserable pile of ashes, far away from this city.
Chapter 21
Mady
“And there’s supposed to be something going on here?” Larissa sounded skeptical as she glanced back and forth between the glowing orange sign that read Midnights and the wooden one with a raven on it, swinging peacefully back and forth.
“There’s always something going on here,” I laughed, pulling the girl through the door, into the inviting campus bar, where several students were already sitting at the wooden tables, playing some sort of drinking games, eating something, and talking excitedly.
“Are we even allowed to be here?” it came from Bayla, who looked around nervously. “I just turned eighteen.”
I whirled around. “Relax. British Columbia is different from California. Nobody gets kicked out here.” I led the two girls through the raised walkway that surrounded the bar. “Besides, you’re a student now, and that means a new phase of your life is starting, and that means you’re going to have to go out and party hard.”
“I like her,” Larissa laughed as Bayla continued to look around at Midnights.
Just then, Love Is a Bitch by Two Feet stopped playing, and the stereo started playing Eat Your Young by Hozier.
“Mady, honey!”
Frustration spread through me and – suppressing a sigh – I turned to Jenny Bexley.
The tall reporter girl was smiling, and the iPad and accompanying pen in her hand indicated nothing good.
