The Immortal Beast

Chapter 10

                                                                                       The Wolves

I left the office feeling ready to explode. More time with Damon. Of course. Because apparently being stuck with him as a class partner wasn't bad enough, now I get to start my mornings planning an event with him that's basically destined to crash and burn. Lucky me.

By the time I slipped into English, the bell was seconds from ringing. I dropped into my seat, trying to scrub the scowl off my face before Mrs. Thompson noticed. She bustled in, clutching her beloved copy of Romeo and Juliet.

"Alright, class," she said, smiling like she'd just bitten into her favorite candy. "Today we'll be reading Act II—the famous balcony scene. A timeless portrayal of young love."

I nearly gagged. Timeless portrayal? More like proof teenagers shouldn't be allowed unsupervised near windows.

Sam muttered just loud enough for me to hear, "If any guy tried climbing into my backyard at night, he'd be leaving in an ambulance."

Morgan gasped, "But it's romantic!"

"Romantic?" I scoffed. "No. It's reckless, dangerous, and a huge violation of privacy. Juliet deserves a restraining order, not a love letter."

Nora laughed softly. "You're such a cynic, Seraphina."

Not a cynic, I thought, staring at the open book. Just someone who's lived long enough to know what love actually does to people. But I didn't say it out loud.

The rest of class passed in a haze of sarcastic commentary from me and Sam, dreamy sighs from Morgan, and Nora trying to play referee between us.

When the bell finally rang, I gathered my books and made my way to math—Sam dragging her feet like she was walking to her execution.

"Remind me again why math exists?" she grumbled.

"Because numbers make the world work," Morgan chirped.

"Numbers can choke," Sam fired back.

I stifled a laugh. Truth was, math was painfully easy for me. After lifetimes spent studying everything from astronomy to ancient engineering, quadratic equations were child's play. I could solve these problems blindfolded with one hand tied behind my back.

Mr. Grant handed out worksheets, and while the rest of the class groaned, I breezed through the first half without even trying. My mind kept drifting—back to the office, back to Damon, back to the stupid Mystic Games Dr. Blackthorn wanted us to organize.

Meanwhile, Sam was stabbing at her worksheet like the numbers had personally wronged her. "Why the hell are there letters in math?!" she whispered furiously.

"Sam," Morgan said patiently, "variables represent unknown values. It's—"

"No. Stop. I refuse to learn a language inside another language," Sam snapped, tossing her pencil down.

I smirked, sliding my finished paper to the side. "Here, Sam"

She shot me a look. "Marry me!"

"Seraphina if you just give her the answers she is never going to learn." Morgan stated giving me a disappointed look.

"Morgan trust me Sam will never use this stuff in the real world so her knowing it wont matter." I stated

"I am with Seraphine on this one Morgan its just not that used in the real world." Nora stated patting Morgan om the shoulder.