JACOB

I had a blast.

Last night, it was the singles' party, the chance for the students who are yet to find a prospect to do something about it before our parents arrive here next Saturday. Unfortunately, the time to be picky is over. Now the best chance that you have is to work your way into someone you are yet to take a second look.

No one is rushing you into making a decision now, but if you don't take advantage of the fact that all the parents are coming here, they will be in the same place, and at the same time, you are not thinking strategically.

Think about my mom and Skylar's parents. She lives in Colorado, they live in Texas. It's not long of a flight, but it's not something one can do on a whim. For them to meet up, it would have to be planned ahead. My mom is a busy college professor, the Strongholds run a pack and a multi-million dollar corporation. The time for them to sit down together is now because otherwise, who knows when they will have another opportunity like this?

The same applies to Jayden's parents. They will also come here, so they will have the opportunity to discuss the contract between Jayden and Seth. It's a marriage of convenience, maybe, but it still needs to be debated among the powerful parents.

I saw a bunch of students going around the rooftop in search of a viable option for them. Not to be alarming, but if they miss this window of opportunity now, it will only get tougher next year when we return in January. The class remains the same until April, so what you see is what you get.

Skylar and I had so much fun at the party - and before that, in the shower stall...

I am honestly enjoying our relationship so much lately that I am starting to think we were made for each other. I know we play around the idea of the two of us breaking the curse, though it's more wishful thinking than anything else. I really am so in love with him, and I know he feels exactly the same about me.

Oh Goddess, what are we going to do once the academy breaks for Winter? How are we going to commute between Colorado and Texas?

Well, I am not opposed to traveling back and forth, as long as I don't miss Christmas with my family. That's non-negotiable!

It's Sunday, December 8th.

After a rather lazy morning in which most of us barely made it to the cafeteria for breakfast, I had a power nap until lunchtime.

Earlier this morning, the school was buzzing with the repercussions of last night. Who hooked up with whom, who didn't, and who is one step closer to finding a prospect.

We all know that Kyle and Roberto were going at it last night in the latter's dorm room. But the real buzz was discovering who we didn't know had slept together.

I cannot say that this school does not keep us entertained with all the hot 'dish' being served left and right. It's very amusing.

I tried to ask Seth how his relationship with Jayden was going, but he kept a tight lip on that one. I don't know if he thinks it's too weird for me to find out more about their romance or if he is just being protective of it, but I have to respect his wishes.

I am sure that whenever he is ready, he will tell me about it. All I want is for him to be happy. Jayden as well. If they're happy, then so am I.

Seth is tossing and turning in his sleep. I hate to wake him up from his nap, but it seems that he is having a nightmare. His forehead is sweaty and he is mumbling some incoherent words. I would let him sleep past lunch, but he wouldn't want that.

It's his favorite meal of the day.

I walked up to his bed and tried to wake him up with a gentle nudge.

"Seth, Seth, wake up." I spoke up, trying to get a reaction from him.

He woke up in a state of panic and the first word he said out loud was:

"Jayden, NO!" He looked horrified, taking a minute to get his bearings and realize that whatever it was, it was all a bad dream.

"It's okay, it's ok. You're safe now." I tried to calm him down, considering the state of panic he was in. After a moment, he got up from the bed and went to the restroom to wash his face. When he returned to the bedroom, it was already time for lunch, so he quickly changed his clothes and we left for the cafeteria before the time ran out. We are on a schedule here...

Quietly, we served ourselves some food as most of the other students were already eating by now. We took our seats and I couldn't help but wonder what kind of terrible nightmare he had.

"I've never seen you this shaken up before! What kind of petrifying nightmare were you having just now?" I asked him, worriedly.

"It was horrible! I dreamed that Kyle came to our room to apologize for saying that Jayden wanted to prospect me to get his revenge on my brother." He replied, instantly getting attention at the other side of the cafeteria.

"I already don't like where this is going..." I muttered, afraid of what was to come. No scenario is good for him and it is already giving me chills just to imagine what's next. And not the good kind.

"Anyway, he apologized to me. You weren't in the room at the time and when he hugged me, my heat struck me one month before it was supposed to happen!" He told me, exasperated.

"Oh my God!" I gasped in shock at the horror.

"The same thing happened to me and Skylar!" I blurted, relating to the situation.

"Yeah, but Kyle wasn't trained to deal with Omegas' heats like Sky was. He was able to resist you. Kyle on the other hand..." He told me, expressing disgust and horror at the prospect.

"I am so sorry, my friend! I won't leave you alone anymore from now until the Winter break." I felt so horrible for him. I know full well the dread he must be experiencing. I can relate to that as a fellow Omega.

"Actually, it gets worse." Seth spoke, voice trembling in apprehension.

"Worse than Kyle and you alone in a room when you're in heat?" I was baffled to hear that.

"Technically, we weren't in our room. It was in front of our door. Anyway, Jayden was outside on the patio when this happened. Somehow, he shifted into a wolf right there on the patio, tearing his clothes apart in front of his friends who were talking to him. Jayden's wolf darted to the Gamma House and when he found Kyle on top of me, he pulled him away from me and eviscerated him. It was horrible!" He replied, looking terrorized.

"Oh my Goddess!" I was horrified to hear this. As were all the other students hearing this tale, especially in the Alpha section.

"How did Jayden know you had been struck by heat if he wasn't in the same room with you?" I questioned him, perplexed by this. I know it was a dream and anything can happen, but it still is puzzling.

"Beats me. I have no idea how he discovered it, but in the dream, it was like Jayden was possessed by his wolf spirit. As soon as it learned that I was in danger, it was as if Jayden's wolf took over his body and then killed Kyle to protect me from harm." Seth replied, conjecturing what his dream was about.

Despite the horrible experience, he looked kind of impressed by Jayden. It is an entertaining idea that he would be protected by Jayden from harm, but why would he sense that? It doesn't make any sense...

"Wow! That was a horrible nightmare indeed. Can you imagine the repercussions if Jayden kills Kyle? Their packs would be at war. It would be horrible!" I commented, imagining the worst-case scenario in this reality.

"Plus, Kyle doesn't deserve to die. He did nothing wrong, strictly speaking. Unless you count forgetting to close the door behind him yesterday." Seth snickered, referring to the fact that we could hear his bedroom activities with Roberto last night when we were walking past his dorm room.

I laughed out loud at that, which was a release after that nervous tale. So did most of the other students who were listening to our conversation take place. We all listen to each other during meals.

"Wow! That was very colorful. And horrifying. How would Jayden's wolf know my brother was in trouble?" Skylar spoke out, as disturbed by that nightmare as the rest of us.

"Shouldn't be my wolf eviscerating Kyle? I mean, he is my brother..." He continued, perplexed. Kyle glared daggers at him for that snarky comment.

"How about not eviscerating Kyle? How about Kyle is innocent and he is not someone who would stalk a vulnerable Omega so that he could catch him in heat? I have standards and a moral compass. I may have wanted Seth to be my prospect, but I am not a psychopath. Especially against a Stronghold." He was pissed off about his name being involved in the tale.

"You *may* have wanted?" Skylar stared at him with a smirk plastered all over his face.

"What do you think about it? Have you ever had a premonitory sense?" Roberto asked Jayden, who was equally disturbed by that nightmare as the others.

"No, never. But maybe he is my fated mate and that means Kyle should steer clear of my prospect or my wolf will catch him." He replied, turning to glance at the Alpha from New Mexico with a threatening glance.

"That wasn't funny, Jay. Not even a little." He growled at him, irritated.

"Oh, so Jake and I won't break the curse, but you and my brother will?" Skylar stared at his roommate in disbelief, rather irked by that statement.

The two Alphas stared at each other for an awkward silent minute before a confrontation sparked.

"Jake had a lot of dreams of you. I never heard of him dreaming of you saving him. Maybe Seth is the boy I was meant to find here all along." Jayden argued, fiercely.

"Oh, you son of a bitch! I have been telling you that since school started in August!" Skylar was irritated at his presumptuousness.

"Are you mad at me because I finally listened?" He smirked, amused by this conversation.

"He has a point there." Kyle chimed in, intrigued by the discussion.

"Shut up, Kyle!" Skylar was aggravated, mumbling to himself.

"If you and he will break the curse, can you claim him already so I can find my mate? Maybe my mate is here at this school and I will never know..." Roberto suggested to Jayden, teasingly.

Jayden then stood up from his table at the Alpha section and walked all the way to the Omega section, stopping in front of our table. Seth was utterly shocked that he was going to do this right here, right now.

"Seth, can you stand up for me, please?" He asked him, sounding determined.

The entire room full of students were watching this play out in curiosity. Is he really going through with this? Right here and right now? Is he actually going to claim Seth on a dare?

"I, Jayden Lockwood Johnson, claim you, Seth Stronghold, as my partner and my Luna."

Seth was flustered at the sudden bold statement from him. But he could not deny that was all he wanted to hear. Everything that he imagined should happen from the moment he laid eyes upon Jayden on that fateful day.

"I, Seth Stronghold, accept your claim..."

https://youtu.be/gPCCYMeXin0

A|N: BOOM!

Oh, did you want a twist?

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Love,

Léo.