He Will Be Mine

Chapter 78: The New Normal

*** Alyssa's POV ***

We run into Ronnie on the way to my dorm after our first class. She is just returning from her own class and seems startled to see us. Actually, startled doesn't even begin to describe her reaction. It's as though she doesn't even recognize me when her eyes first glance over me from a distance, not until I break away from Matt at a run and hurry over to her. She freezes in place, her eyes wide in terror and wonder.

"Aly?" she asks in disbelief right before I crash into her for a hug. Thankfully, she recovers in enough time to hug me back a little.

"Gosh, I missed you," I gush, pulling back and holding her at arm's length. "How was your break?"

"Pretty good. I mostly stayed home and babysat the twins, but I did manage to hang out with Clarice a couple times. She taught me some basic protection rituals, but don't tell my mom that."

"Yeah, no kidding," I laugh. "I didn't even know that humans could do spells."

"Well, I can't. But I can use materials that she has imbued with protective energy and learn how to place them, sprinkle them, and so on," she explains. "Plus, Clarice says there's power in words when you know what to say and how to say it. You have to embody the sentiment of what you're saying, though. If you say the words but don't mean them, it won't work."

"Fascinating. You officially know more about all that stuff than me now. I know very little about witches."

"It's all so interesting," Ronnie gushes.

She has come alive talking about what she learned from Clarice, shifting from meek and uncertain to emboldened with knowledge and wonder. I love seeing her so animated, her eyes shining with excitement.

But once she catches sight of the two guys with Matt, she retreats back into herself a bit.

"Are they with you?" she asks quietly, unconsciously stepping closer to me.

"They are," I sigh. "Some stuff happened back home, and my dad is insisting on sending his bodyguards with us everywhere. So, if you want to hang out with me, I come as a package deal for the foreseeable future."

"Is that why you didn't come home last night?"

"Yeah. My dad wants me to stick with my mates as much as I can, so I'm going to be staying with Matt and Tyler at their apartment," I inform her, noting the look of disappointment that flashes across her features when I do. "But don't worry. We'll still hang out. I'll come by as much as I'm able, and you can come over and hang out sometimes too."

"Okay, I'd like that," she agrees, reaching to open the door to our building so we can all go in.

Then I watch as some horrifying thought crosses her mind, her eyes going wide again.

"Did he send Jason with you?" she wonders, and I can tell she isn't asking because she's looking forward to seeing him.

Quite the opposite. She seems horrified at the thought of him being here, invading her safe little school bubble. Poor Jason. I know he's disappointed that she's being so resistant to the idea of being his mate.

"No, my dad decided that wasn't the best idea. He thought being so near you might be too distracting, so Jason's still back home," I assure her.

"Wait, is this Levitt's mate?" Billy asks, grinning with excitement.

"Oh my gosh, she's the tiniest person I've ever seen," Caleb comments, though I don't think he means it as an insult.

He seems fascinated by her. We have omegas of similar stature to Ronnie, but somehow, Caleb isn't making that connection. Or maybe he means how delicate her features are, not just how short she is. Even omegas have strong shoulders and hands, and none have feet as small as Ronnie's.