Chapter 65
Trust is strange. It grows slowly, yet dies in a single decision.
~ Rebel Beast
If there was ever an opportunity to convince the others to come to House Therion, Professor Maverick had all but destroyed it.
After witnessing what happened to Shannon, no amount of persuasion would convince the remaining girls that living among beasts was the safer option.
Except that didn’t stop Aria and her clique from leaving the residence. At this point, they had no choice.
Professor Maverick’s violent outburst had only reinforced Shannon’s twisted theory that Aria and the professor had conspired to lure everyone into House Therion.
As absurd as that sounded, Aria couldn’t ignore the reality of the situation either. Staying behind meant sharing a house with Karen, and after everything that had happened, she wouldn’t put it past the girl to convince one of the students, desperate enough to slit her throat in the middle of the night, thinking it would solve their problems.
So yes, she would take her chances with the beasts. Even if their leader made her heart pound for all the wrong reasons. Still, one thing had become abundantly clear.
Professor Maverick wasn’t going to hurt her.
At least, not physically. His wolf had already proven that. That didn’t mean she trusted him. Far from it. Something was going on, and Professor Nightshade was hiding it from her.
Truthfully, Aria didn’t want to know.
There was an instinct buried deep inside her that whispered that if she ever uncovered whatever secret he was keeping, her life would never be the same again.
Aria wasn’t sure she was ready for that.
“We’re almost there,” Dimitri announced, briefly meeting Aria’s eyes through the rearview mirror before returning his attention to the road.
With Maverick nowhere to be seen after his abrupt departure, Dimitri had been left with the responsibility of escorting the girls to House Therion.
“Would Shannon survive?” Brittney suddenly asked, voicing the question that had been lingering in everyone’s mind.
She was seated beside Dimitri in the front passenger seat of the jeep, and he glanced at her before answering.
“If they get her to the infirmary in time, then yes.” He sounded confident. “Our healers should be able to save her p>
“Healers?” Brittney repeated. “As in those blessed werewolves with magical healing powers p>
“Not quite,” Dimitri replied with an amused smile. “Healer wolves are incredibly rare, and most of them have long since been recruited by Asterion Region p>
He continued, “Beasts have another group that’s just as valuable. The spiny mouse clans p>
“The tiny rodents?” Trisha blurted out in disbelief.
“The very same p>
Dimitri chuckled at their expressions.
“Don’t let their size fool you. They’re arguably the finest healers in the beast territories. Their understanding of herbs borders on frightening, and their concoctions are often more potent than some of the medicines used in your human hospitals p>
He added, “And when herbs aren’t enough, they use themselves p>
Silence filled the jeep.
“Excuse me?” Brittney asked cautiously. “Did you just say they use themselves p>
“Their bodies possess an extraordinary regenerative ability,” Dimitri explained. “They can safely donate tiny pieces of their own tissue without suffering permanent harm. Those tissues are then processed into specialized grafts capable of repairing complex wounds that ordinary medicine can’t p>
“Oh my God.” Brittney visibly shuddered.
Trisha gagged. “I was having such a good day before you said that p>
Even Aria felt her stomach turn slightly.
Only Alek leaned forward with genuine fascination. “That’s actually incredible p>
Her eyes practically sparkled. “Can I meet one p>
Dimitri laughed. “If you’re really that interested, visit the infirmary sometime. You’ll probably find at least one of them yelling at a beast for refusing to drink one of their bitter concoctions p>
Alek grinned. “I’d love that p>
Trisha snorted. “Such a nerd p>
Alek rolled her eyes without the slightest hint of offense.
“Something doesn’t add up,” Aria said suddenly, disrupting the moment.
“What doesn’t add up, Miss Aria?” Dimitri asked.
“Miss?” Aria frowned at the sudden formality.
Dimitri coughed into his fist. “I mean Lady Aria?” Catching the look she shot him through the rearview mirror, he quickly corrected himself. “You don’t like that? Would you prefer another title p>
“Why would I want a title in the first place?” Aria asked, completely baffled.
Low key, Dimitri. Low key, he reminded himself. She doesn’t know yet.
“What I meant was,” he corrected smoothly, “what’s bothering you, Aria p>
Even then, it still felt strange addressing her so casually, knowing she would one day become the Luna of the pack.
Aria continued watching him for another moment before answering.
“There were thirteen of us at the residence instead of fourteen. We’ve already confirmed Abigail is dead, and we assumed Philippa and Debbie were gone as well. So who’s the other one p>
Since none of the girls, aside from her clique, wanted anything to do with them, Aria hadn’t exactly gotten around to learning everyone’s names.
“Oh, about that,” Dimitri replied. “The girl Debbie survived. Her injuries were severe, but the healers managed to stabilize her. The two students officially confirmed dead are Philippa Davids and Enika James alongside your chaperone, Abigail, of course p>
“Oh Alek murmured. “I know about Enika. She was a lot like you p>
Aria immediately understood what she meant. Enika had been poor. Just like her.
That explained why almost no one had mentioned her name. The girls had cried for the others, yet Enika had faded into the background, unnoticed even in death.
Aria slowly clenched her fists.
Somewhere tonight, a family would hear the news that every parent dreaded.
Aria caught herself. Why should she waste her anger on their behalf?
Those parents had known there were risks before allowing their daughters to come here. They had accepted them the same way every other family had.
If there was anyone deserving of her anger, perhaps it was the government that continued sending innocent girls into this nightmare under the guise of coexistence.
Silence settled over the jeep after that. No one seemed interested in speaking anymore. It remained that way until Dimitri finally slowed the vehicle and said.
“We’re here p>
Aria turned toward the window, and the first thing she noticed was how different House Therion looked from their human residence.
Gone was the isolation of the forest. Instead, the building occupied one of the academy’s most prominent locations, where neatly manicured hedges and carefully landscaped grounds gave the entire estate an air of prestige.
Dimitri climbed out first. The girls followed one after another until all four of them stood outside the jeep, their eyes slowly traveling upward.
House Therion towered before them.
The five-story residence stretched so wide it looked more like a luxury hotel than a student dormitory. Built from elegant slate-blue stone, the structure was complemented by towering glass windows, spacious balconies, and black steel accents that gave it a bold, contemporary appearance.
Wide stone walkways led to the grand entrance, where an enormous relief had been carved directly into the façade. Wolves, bears, lions, tigers, and other great land beasts were sculpted in stunning detail, their fierce gazes seeming to watch over everyone who approached.
The immaculate landscaping softened what would otherwise have been an overwhelmingly imposing structure. Everything about the residence spoke of wealth and refinement, making it difficult to believe this was home to the very beasts humans had always dismissed as mindless animals.
For several long seconds, none of the girls spoke. Then, almost at the same time, they breathed,
“Wow p>