Star Crossed Liars ✔

Chapter Sixteen

Valeria's POV

As I walked out of my bedroom, the room was completely silent. Althea's door was wide open, and both Lia and Ivy's room were closed shut, not a sound coming from either of them.

Colton and I had sorted out the details of us leaving yesterday, I would go to his room and then the two of us would head out to the forest edge, shift, and make the hour and a half run back to Vindex. The only thing I had was a small, drawstring bag to hold my clothes in whilst we run.

We had done goodbyes last night, so I felt no remorse in just straight up leaving.

Just before I opened up the door to leave, I heard the creak of something opening. Lia walked out of her room, a bag in her hand. Her hair had been somewhat styled, wearing a pair of denim overalls.

"Morning, I'm just about to leave," I said quickly, my hand still on the doorknob.

"Have fun up in Vindex," she said with a yawn, "I'll see you when you get back."

I cracked a smile, "You bet, have fun!"

I pulled open the door, walking out into the near-empty hallway and to the elevator. I let it go upwards, wasting no time in exiting and getting down to Colton's room.

When we were first organising everything for the tournament, they had given me the option to room with the boys, instead, I had chosen not to, wanting to meet some new people. I had grown up ordinary, both my parents being pack warriors, training me and my younger brother in the same direction. My parents would always tell me that they chose to room randomly at their tournament, and their closest friends even now where the people that they had roomed with. It had always been my plan, to try and hit the jackpot like my parents had, so even though Colton was slightly annoyed, I had been allowed to room with three strangers.

I was grateful that I had.

Even if Lia and Ivy hadn't ended up being mates with Julian and Gabe, I knew that we would have stayed friends, somehow keeping in contact, Althea too. Except Althea wasn't mated to any of us, putting a damper on my mind every time I thought about it. We had certainly sulked about it, about Orion and Althea having no mating bond whatsoever, meaning that some other girl was destined to be the Vindex Luna.

Not exactly something I was too happy about.

Between the high families, there was always a connection. Since I had mated with Colton, I could feel a bond not only between him and me, but with Julian, Gabe and Orion. I could feel it faintly with the others, a bond that would increase once they were mated.

I felt it with Ivy and Lia,

But I had felt it with Althea too.

Was it because she spent almost all her time with Intendeds? Did she have some sort of connection with Crew? Who knew, it could be many things, even a combination of them. But even if Althea truly turned out not to be mates with Orion, which I would only need to wait another three months for a certain answer, then somehow we would find some way to keep in contact. And who knows, maybe she would end up moving to Vindex after she gets all her credentials. I knew that chance was unreasonably low, but there was still a chance.

I cleared my head, knocking my fist against the door. It opened up immediately, revealing Colton leaning against the door frame, a sickly sweet smile on his face,

"Good Morning Mi'lady," He said cheerfully, "You ready to go?"

I sighed, grabbed on to his extended hand, "As ready as I'll ever be,"

Like me, Colton had an empty drawstring bag hanging out of his hand. We walked back into the elevator, quickly getting back onto the ground floor and out underneath the sun. My eye caught onto the crowds that were surrounding the hall entrance, groups of three wandering around. I tried to find a head of blonde among them, but to no luck. So I kept walking with my head straight, facing the oncoming woods.