The Mating School

Chapter 46

It's been nearly two years since Lily left Rochester Academy. Two years spent moving between the packs and getting to know them and how they worked. Two years of meeting Alphas, and getting more aquatinted with her leadership position. 

They'd made incredible progress in that time. The ranking systems were a shadow of what they had once been and were no longer used for discrimination. There was something that felt right about seeing all as equal and valuable. That someone who prepares the food is no less valuable than the Alpha because they're both part of one system.

She'd seen Anne through the years. But it was good to be reunited with her as they walked through the snow towards the school.

A new council had been created a year and a half ago. One with both shifters and Lycans. One that worked together to better the community as a whole. Ryan would be there. He'd been focused on helping the new Lycans adjust. He did well in that position.

Sophie had found her mate just over a year ago. He's the Beta to the second-largest pack. Lily is happy for her. Happy because Sophie is happy.

The stone floors looked just as they had years ago. The sound as they walked across it triggered memories from when she was in school. Those times when she was so focused on figuring out how to control her powers. Other times when she'd felt so frustrated not knowing what others seemed to know.

She thought about how adamant she was about denying being a Lycan. She thought about the doubt she had in herself...

It seemed like such a long time ago when she hadn't been able to shift, and how disconcerting it felt to be in the same classes with others that were so powerful.

She wondered if Anne was thinking similar things... about her time at school. About finding their dorms for the first time. 

They took the stairs to the second floor. There was a sense of excitement. Exciting to hear news and progress. Lily was excited to hear about the new plans for the school going forward. A school that could be open to those wishing to come. 

The room was magnificent. A circular table with plants set along the middle stood at the far end of the room. One wall was a fountain made to flow like a small waterfall. And the light from the snowy day created prisms of light on a third wall.

The table was nearly full by the time Ryan arrived with a couple of Lycans that had shifted in the last three years. Both were males, and, Lily couldn't help to think, fairly attractive.

"This is Robert," Ryan said introducing the first. "And William."

"It's a pleasure to meet you," said Lily, shaking each of their hands in turn. Anne followed suit. 

She turned to Ryan after that, a small smile on her face. "It's good to see you Ryan," she said holding out her hand for him to shake too.

He paused for a brief moment that seemed to be frozen in time. A knowing look in his eye that was reflected in Lily's own. When his hand finally met hers, a foreign tingling feeling spread from her from her fingers up her arm. The feeling seemed to intensify the longer they maintained skin contact. 

It felt like a humidly hot breeze caressing your skin after spending an hour in a walk-in freezer. The warmth didn't just caress, but rather it was like it was absorbed. Like a warm sweet cup of tea when you've been thirsty for too long or eating food when you're perfectly hungry.

It was like a gong sounding unexpectedly also. Something that ..wakes you up, and you might look up and around curious to see the source of the noise.

"I hoped it'd be you," said Ryan, letting go of her hand.

Anne, who it seemed was chatting up Robert, didn't seem to notice the exchange. And Lily was glad for that. She wouldn't hear the end of it... She decided she'd wait for tomorrow to tell her... or maybe next week. It'd be hard enough to sit through the meeting without Anne knowing.

Lily found herself glancing at the door. She wasn't sure why. She wasn't going to run away. ..At least she didn't think so. Just that it was such an unfamiliar sensation. Not to mention what it meant.

She thought about years ago when she'd first come to the school. She'd wondered then if she'd even wanted a mate. And now... so much had happened... that she hadn't even thought about it.

And yet... she did want a mate. Someone to share her life with. It seemed odd to her that she hadn't understood that before.

Moving her head to look back at Ryan felt like lifting 400 pounds while also doing a handstand.

 "Ryan," she said. She couldn't help but smile. She'd said his name before, but it seemed different this time.

"Lily," he said back. She wanted to laugh at the sudden awkwardness. 

"Let's wait to tell Anne, ok," said Lily.

"Sure," said Ryan at the same time Anne, who had heard her name said, "Wait to tell me what?"

"The new policies document came in," Ryan said quickly.

"Oh," said Anne, sounding disappointed and glancing between them with a note of supicion.

Both seemed to think about saying more, but the meeting looked to be starting.

Moving towards her seat, Lily thought about her first trip to Rochester. She thought about the car ride and the gossip about the school being called the mating school. It seemed like such a long time ago now.

But now.. being Lycan.. discovering her mate at long last... something about it felt right. She was a different person now. She'd grown so much. She thought about a mate and respected the benefits that it offered. A life to share. A second opinion when she was not sure of something. Someone to have her back. 

She was pleased when Ryan took the seat beside hers.

The meeting was too important to skip. It felt impossibly long. And yet.. sitting near her mate, engulfed in presence it seemed impossibly short also.  

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