Chapter 98: She Saw Him
"There are moments so small they last only seconds, yet divide a life into before and after."
~ Rebel Beast
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"That is House Aetheris," Variant said, pointing ahead while Valerie drove, prompting Aria and the others to look through the window.
"Whoa."
"Damn."
"Impressive."
"Impossible."
The first time they had arrived at the academy, there had been no opportunity to appreciate the House properly. Their attention had been fixed on Maverick, the academy, and their survival.
Now, there was nothing to distract them.
House Aetheris rose proudly from the landscape, its red-brick exterior practically glowing beneath the morning sun. Broad balconies stretched from every level, most without railings, while towering stone columns and sweeping archways gave the structure an almost fortress-like presence.
It was obvious the entire House had been designed with dragons in mind rather than humans. The building was as magnificent as it was intimidating.
"So..." Brittney began, still staring out the window. "You’re telling me Charlotte and her gang of mini devils live here?"
She shook her head in disbelief. "Damn, that’s so enviable."
The words had barely left her mouth before she caught the looks Variant and Valerie exchanged through the rearview mirror.
"I mean no offense, of course. I love Therion. It’s beautiful in its own way. But this place feels..."
"...like something humans were never supposed to see," Aria finished, her eyes lingering on the towering structure even as they drove pass.
"Exactly!" Brittney exclaimed. "Dragons are practically mythical creatures, and here I am looking at the place they actually call home. It almost feels sacred." She sighed dramatically. "I’d totally live here."
"Well, I wouldn’t," Alek said.
Her roommates looked at her.
"As impressive as the architecture is, look at those balconies. Most of them don’t even have railings. That’s practically an invitation to fall to your death, especially for humans who can’t fly. One shove and Charlotte and her goons become pavement decorations."
"R.I.P.," Trisha supplied solemnly.
Variant said. "Well, no offense taken. Not when we’re friends with Rhydian Drakhar."
"Sort of," Valerie corrected with a knowing smile.
Variant shot her a look. "They didn’t need to know that."
Valerie shrugged. "The whole academy already does. They’ll find out sooner or later. Better they hear it from us than through some ridiculous rumor."
It hit Trisha.
"Wait a minute..." Her eyes darted between the two women. "You’re sleeping with the dragon?"
A beat passed.
"Which one of you?"
Variant and Valerie exchanged another look. Then Valerie shrugged.
"Both of us."
"What?!"
"No way!"
Aria, Alek and Trisha stared at them in open disbelief.
Brittney merely said. "That’s actually kind of cool."
The girls gave Brittney a long look. She had always been weird.
It was Aria who finally spoke. "I don’t understand how this works."
She hesitated, gesturing helplessly with both hands instead of finishing the sentence aloud.
Trisha rolled her eyes. "Just say it, Aria. None of us are kids."
Aria swallowed.
"So... do you two take turns or something?" she asked, the words tumbling out faster now. "Like... some sort of timetable so you don’t clash?" She immediately regretted saying it, but there was no taking it back now. "Or do you all..." She felt her face grow warmer. "...share the same bed?"
Variant and Valerie burst into laughter.
"You’re kind of adorable, Aria," Variant managed between laughs. "You couldn’t even bring yourself to say ’sleep with him.’"
Valerie wiped at the corner of her eye.
"’Share the same bed,’" she repeated, trying and failing to keep a straight face. "That was genuinely precious."
Aria wished the seat would open up and swallow her whole.
She knew beasts often had more than one partner. Maverick’s own mother was in a plural marriage with four men. Yet hearing about it and asking people who actually lived that life were two entirely different things.
When their laughter finally died down, Valerie told her. "You humans always think of relationships as though there’s only one right way to build them."
Aria frowned. "What do you mean?"
"We’re beasts," Valerie said simply. "Every one of us has two natures living inside us. There’s the person and then there’s the animal. Most of us spend our entire lives learning how to balance both."
Variant nodded.
"Animals don’t all bond the same way. Some choose one mate for life. Others naturally gather several partners. Some live alone unless it’s breeding season. The instinct isn’t identical across species, so neither are our customs."
"And then there’s status too," Valerie added. "Power changes things. Strong Alphas have always attracted attention. The same goes for powerful Alpha females. Some beasts are naturally drawn toward strength, protection, or bloodlines. Sometimes those relationships become plural marriages. Sometimes they don’t."
Variant shrugged.
"Some people choose one partner because that’s all they want. Others choose more because everyone involved wants the same thing. There’s no rule saying one way is more respectable than the other."
"The important part," Valerie finished, "is that everyone chooses it."
Silence settled over the vehicle.
"So..." Brittney said at last, looking between the two women with unmistakable curiosity. "You two actually chose to share Rhydian?"
"Yes. Sort of."
"Oh my God, you two are confusing me." Brittney groaned, dragging a hand down her face. "Just when I think I understand, I don’t."
Variant chuckled. "It’s more of a friends-with-benefits arrangement. Rhydian isn’t exclusive to anyone. Valerie and I just happen to be his favorites."
"So..." Aria hesitated before settling on the closest conclusion her human mind could reach. "So he’s a man-slut."
"Pretty much," Valerie admitted.
"I see." Aria nodded in understanding. "Thank God he’s into beast females and not human females."
"Yeah, thank God," Variant agreed seriously. "Because I don’t think any human woman would survive that man."
Variant finally pulled into the parking lot before bringing the car to a smooth stop. The moment the engine died, the girls piled out.
"Thank God," Trisha groaned, stretching both arms above her head until her back gave a satisfying crack. "That was crampy."
She wasn’t exaggerating.
With Trisha, Brittney, Alek, and Aria all squeezed into the back seat, the ride hadn’t exactly been comfortable. By the time Aria climbed out, her legs were already begging to be stretched.
Variant and Valerie stepped out moments later. The girl checked the time on her phone before slipping it back into her pocket.
"Breakfast is already over, but Dimitri would’ve taken care of everything." She looked at each of them in turn. "Most of the students should be in class by now, so it’ll probably just be your fellow humans and whichever beasts are chaperoning them."
Her expression grew noticeably more serious. "So act cool. No matter what happens, no fighting. You got that?"
"Got it," the girls answered almost in unison.
While everyone else started gathering themselves, Aria found herself tugging self-consciously at the hem of her cropped T-shirt.
This wasn’t her. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d willingly shown this much skin.
Just a few more minutes, she reassured herself. Then it’ll all be over.
Variant glanced toward Valerie. "Lead the way, girl."
Valerie flashed a proud smile. "With pleasure. Follow me, ladies."
Brittney pumped a fist into the air. "Let’s do this!"
Without waiting for anyone else, she strode after Valerie, with Trisha and Alek close behind. Aria naturally drifted to the back of the group, while Variant remained a few steps behind them all, her watchful gaze sweeping the surroundings as though making certain nothing could reach them unnoticed.
Together, they headed inside.
The moment they stepped into the dining hall, every one of them came to an abrupt stop.
The hall stretched so far ahead that Aria couldn’t immediately tell where it ended.
Seriously, did Bestiaris Academy have too much land on its hands?
Everywhere she looked, there was space,
wide walkways, tables that could seat dozens at a time. Even after everything she had seen since entering beast territory, the academy still found new ways to remind her just how different this world was from her own.
Valerie gestured toward the far side of the hall. "The food stations are over there. Dimitri must have already—" Her words stopped abruptly.
"...Wait."
Variant had to step forward.
"What?"
Valerie frowned toward the center of the dining hall. "Isn’t that Rhydian?"
Everyone instinctively followed her gaze.
"What is he doing here?" Valerie muttered. "He should’ve been in class by now."
Before Aria’s mind could even process the question, her eyes had already begun searching and she found him almost instantly.
Rhydian stood among Charlotte and her goons. But even from a distance, there was no mistaking the broad shoulders, and striking crimson hair that caught the morning light.
He turned at that same time and their gaze collided.
Aria drew in a sharp breath.
Fuck. He was handsome as hell.
The same way Aria stared at him, Rhydian looked back, except his gaze drifted lower, settling on the strip of bare skin exposed between her crop top and pants.
Heat rushed through Aria’s body and she
could have sworn she felt his eyes trace the curve of her waist, lingering just long enough to leave her suddenly aware of every inch of exposed skin.
It wasn’t even a touch, yet it felt dangerously close to one. Instinctively, Aria tugged at the hem of her crop top, trying to cover herself, only to remember there wasn’t enough fabric to pull any lower.