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My cock twitches once more, and I can’t help but grin at her. “We’ll see, sweetheart. I’m happy to wait for you.”

As I turn to walk away, I throw a wink at her over my shoulder, trying to ignore the way my heart is racing in a way it never has before. I’ve never responded to a girl the way I do to her, and I’m starting to worry she might be a very dangerous bump in my plans.

Despite being concerned that this beautiful girl might be my undoing, I can’t help but think this is going to be the start of a great three years at Shadowmere University.

END OF FIRST YEAR AT SHADOWMERE UNIVERSITY

As soon as I’ve finished reading the text from Wren, informing me she’s sick, I let out a loud groan as I slide my books into my bag before exiting the classroom. I should feel sorry for my best friend, but we both know her sickness is self-inflicted due to the large quantities of alcohol she consumed last night.

Besides, I’m too busy feeling pathetic to worry about Wren. I’m twenty-years old, but I need either my best friend or my boyfriend to walk me across campus to my next class. I mean, it’s not like I specifically asked them to walk with me; it’s just something they started doing after the Crow’s Welcome Party.

It’s been nine months since then, and life has not gotten easier for me. Not only do the campus bitches, Tillie Langston and Sienna Ball, go out of their way to make my life hell, but so does Lawson Radley.

I don’t really know how it happened, as I’m well-liked by most people at Shadowmere University. My father is a high-ranking Obsidian Order member, and that brings a certain level of respect from any students who are aware of the Order.

For the students on campus who don’t know about the Order, they simply see me as a nice, friendly person, and I’ve had no issues with them in class. Besides, everyone on campus knows Ryan, and our relationship status grants me the same respect they show him.

The only exception being the mean girls and Lawson. Obviously, I know what I did to annoy Lawson, standing up to him the night of the Welcome Party, but I have no idea why Tillie and Sienna dislike me.

Both come from Order families, with Tillie’s ranked much higher than Sienna’s, yet that doesn’t create any loyalty between us. In fact, they seem to think it’s more of a competition.

Wren is sure they’re jealous that I’m Betrothed to Ryan, as he’s an incredibly sought-after Crow Pledge, given that his parents are filthy rich and have a high social standing. When combined with my family name, our Betrothal makes us a formidable couple—not that I think like that.

I don’t go around boasting about my family’s wealth or status. In fact, if I had a choice, I’d love to swap lives with Wren and see what it’s like to live a normal life. She hadn’t even heard of the Obsidian Order before meeting me, and I can’t even imagine a world where the Order isn’t the centre of everything you do.

I’ve been raised my whole life knowing I’d marry an Obsidian Order member, but to do that, I had rules to follow. My father has been training me to be an Obsidian Wife for as long as I can remember, and I don’t think there was ever a time that I dreamt of a different life. This is just how it’s always been, no questions asked.

Given that Tillie, and maybe Sienna too, were raised in the same way, you’d think that would give us some sort of bond, but the opposite happened, and now they purposely make my life hell. And if it’s not them, it’s Lawson.

I pull in a deep breath as I remind myself I only have to get across the courtyard and I’ll be at my next lesson. Yes, it will be full of people, but they might not be there. Maybe I can use the people as a distraction, keep my head down and slip into the crowd unnoticed.

Come on, Harper. You can do this, I tell myself, though I’m not entirely sure I feel as confident as my brain suggests.

After pulling my bag over my shoulder, I take another deep breath to steel my nerves before putting one foot in front of the other, keeping my head down. If I keep my eyes on the ground, they might not see me.

I count each step, moving with as much speed as I can without drawing unnecessary attention to myself. I hope that by looking down and not attracting attention, no one will speak to me, because I cannot afford any delays.

I’ve made this journey so many times before that my heart races when I see the shadow of the building ahead of me, letting me know I’ve almost reached my destination. Just a few more steps, and I will arrive without incident.

I should have known even thinking that would be enough to tempt fate, because sure enough, I’ve barely finished the thought when the obnoxiously loud clicking of high heels reverberates through me as the sound gets closer. Just as a pair of designer pink heels appears in my line of sight, a shoulder knocks into me hard enough to throw me off balance, and I fall to the ground with a yelp.

I crash down hard enough to send a cascade of pain over my arse and up my back as I land on the concrete courtyard. My bag slips from my shoulder, and as it hits the ground with a thud, the contents spill out around me.

A pair of black shiny heels joins the pink ones, consuming my vision, as the weight of the stares from everyone in the courtyard presses down on me. Where before it was a rush of movement and conversation, the noise has now dulled, and everyone has either stopped or are moving slower as they watch this scenario unfold.

“Well, well…if it isn’t goody-two-shoes Harper. What are you doing down there? I thought good girls like you didn’t get on your knees,” Tillie taunts, pressing the tip of her pink shoe against my fingers.

I bite my lip to hold back a squeal as I pull my hand from beneath her shoe, steeling my nerves enough to look up at the two girls who seem to get off on making my life miserable.

Tillie is the shorter of the two, and has a sleek black bob that stops just above her shoulders. The pink mini-skirt and vest top match her shoes, and I don’t need to see the labels to know they’re designer, as that’s all she wears.

Her makeup is heavier than is necessary for a Wednesday morning, particularly since we’re on our way to class—or should be. The glitter in her eyeshadow makes her brown eyes glisten, and the bright-red colour on her lips only emphasises the filler that makes them much bigger than they need to be.

Sienna looks equally as fake and perfectly put together, with her bleached-blonde hair straightened to the point it sits unmoving down her back. Her pale-green eyes are almost difficult to see, given how much eyeliner and mascara she has on, and though her lipstick is more of a pale pink, the lip filler that matches Tillie’s still stands out.

Both girls look like they’re dressed for a night out instead of a mid-week class, but that’s what gets them the attention they crave, and why people have stopped to see what they’re going to do to me this time.

“I just want to go to class,” I tell them, trying to project even the smallest amount of confidence.