Collecting Misery

Chapter 7 - Part 2

A/N: I think that I'll start posting again like I did with HYM. This means that many chapters won't be as well edited as before, but I'll be able to advance the story faster. 

I was drying my hair with a towel in front of the bathroom's mirror. Watching my reflection for the first time in what I figured were a couple of months had been jarring. The girl in the mirror looked nothing like the one in my memories. My eyes were dull, my cheeks bony, and my skin dry and at least two shades paler than usual.

Just as Jerry had predicted, I needed a haircut. At least, it wasn't a complete loss. I sighed and walked out of the bathroom. 

The room they had so kindly offered me was acceptable, not fancy or shabby, but whoever designed this has been high on orange smoothies. The walls were carrot, the linens were apricot, and the curtains reminded me of pumpkins. Even the wood of the dresser and bedside table had been painted tangerine. 

Maybe, this was my conscience warning me of the lack of vitamins in my diet. Whatever the reason was, it was like an eternal Fall into this room and I favoured Spring. I walked up to the double sized bed and picked up the horrendous orange dress they had left there for me. 

I sighed. Beggers couldn't be choosers. Living with Salvador had spoiled me.

They were supposed to retrieve my things soon but even if I got my phone back, it wasn't safe to contact Salvador just yet. What should I do? I put on the dress, flopped on the bed and hugged a pillow. My stomach growled.

I was so hungry. Would they give Alexander food if I wasn't there? My stomach dropped. He must be so thirsty. Would they allow me to give him water?

Someone knocked on my door. I sat up, the pillow still in my arms. I threw it to the side and stood up to open the door.

Rob was standing there with my bags. I stood aside and let him into the room. He dropped off the large suitcase and the backpack by the foot of the bed.

"Do you have any training clothes? We're supposed to start training today but if you need some more time to recover I can give you a few days?"

Training? Was this boy on drugs?

"Excuse you?"

"If you're gonna be part of the pack, you need to pass the entrance exam. The Luna will fight you and assess your strength. It shouldn't be difficult for you since you're a Beta like me."

Entrance Exam? Fighting? What?

His eyebrows knitted together and a slight frown formed on his lips. "Alpha Tobias explained everything to you, right?"

"Nope."

Rob groaned and ran a hand through his brown hair. "This is why I get for skipping school."

"Skipping school? How old are you?"

"Seventeen."

"Are you serious? Did they just send a kid to train me?"

Rob growled and fisted his hands. "I'm as thrilled as you are, granny. Don't confuse yourself. This is my punishment for getting myself expelled from the last school in pack territory."

I laughed. "Aw, Robbie. Do you want to talk about it? Did those mean kids bully you?"

That joke sounded ridiculous even to me. There was no way this kid was bullied. The only non-threatening thing about him was his soft fawn eyes. He was almost six feet tall and muscular as heck. Maybe, to a girl who hadn't lived much of her adulthood surrounded by criminals, he would be scary.