Ezra Harland's PoV:

I never wanted to go to College.

I was happy with my high school graduation and ready to take on the world because I'd always known that my calling was not in studies.

Sure, I wasn't dumb. I could get A's if I tried, but I'd always tended to lean more toward the physical exertion of labour, of the thrill I got when my adrenaline went rushing, making the blood roar in my ears as I pushed my body to it's limit, making it scream out in the sweet torture.

'Yeah, like that's the only physical thing you love.'

Yup, you guessed right, that was my Wolf. My inner animal.

He didn't like me for the fact that I'd been so ready to give up my V-Card when I was fourteen, while my Mate was out there somewhere, "probably waiting for me." His words, not mine.

The rational part of my mind screamed bullshit at that.

So far, I'd not had any luck finding her.

And I'm slowly starting to lose hope, all this waiting is getting to me.

Sorry, off topic.

SO, I never wanted to go to College,

I'd already decided that I would coach the team or something in GreenVille High when I grew older, and since it basically belongs to our Pack, I hadn't worried about any college qualification for the position.

That's why I'd been so ready to go back to school with Seneca — my best friend and confidant — when she'd wanted to score enough marks to go to her dream school; marks, she couldn't score the first time around because of reasons she didn't like to talk about, ahem *cough* Daemon making her go on a rampage after her father died, by stupidly taunting her in school *cough*, which earned her black marks that eventually tainted her application.

Now, I'm regretting letting Seneca rope me into this college bullshit, because at that time, I'd been so sure that a university like freaking HillBridge was never gonna accept me.

Apparently, I'd been wrong in my assumption.

I guess it's right what they say about 'assuming'.

"Seneca, our mail is here!" Micajah, my brother and my best-friend's Mate, calls loudly as he almost sprints into the living room, cradling three thick envelopes to his chest as he bounds up to the couch in excitement.

Excitement I'm not the least bit ready to share.

Next thing I know, Seneca is running inside, a loud bang of the door following in her wake, as she jumps over the side of the railing of the stairs from the first floor, landing with the grace of a panther on her legs, too much in a hurry to take them. I roll my eyes at her feverishness to get to the envelope that holds the answers to her dreams, not because I didn't understand the value of it, but because the answer in that envelope was already glaringly clear, if the thickness of them were not a dead giveaway.

Like any college wouldn't accept their spotless applications with marks high as the Mount Everest and recommendations stronger than iron pillars.

What I don't understand is, how was my application accepted!?

Still, I let them have their moment, letting them open the cover they so badly wanted to open — including mine — and squeal like little kids when they finally read it and get to the line where it's made one hundred percent sure that they're in.

They hug and jump around, too immersed in their happiness to realize I hadn't moved from my position yet.

They turn to me instantly.

Crap, I shouldn't have thought that and alerted them.

"Ezra!" They chorus in unison as Seneca and Micajah throw themselves at me, literally, pulling me into a group hug as they smoother me with their stupid happiness. At this point, no matter how much I try, I just can't stop the smile from watching them be so delighted.

They're the closest family I have.

And the only people I love.

"Aw, we love you too!" Micajah croons at me as he pulls back first, patting my head like I'm a little kid.

My cheeks color faster than ink on a tissue.

"Damn you, Micajah! Stay out of my head!" I complain, glowering at him as I cross my arms, trying to remain stoic.

It's true though. With increased training and Micajah's natural Alpha genes,  he was proving to be very strong and developing at an extremely fast rate. We'd found that though he'd not trained physically like most heirs do from childhood, he'd always honed his mental skills and kept his brain very sharp. A tool that was now coming in very handy as being the Aleph, he was at the top of the Telelink chain along with the Alpha, making it natural for him to read Pack members' thoughts unconsciously, without even trying to tap into their heads first.

Not even the Beta is immune, it seems.

"But I just said we love you," Micajah says dramatically, looking at his Mate with a mock hurt expression. She stares back at him with a glint in her eyes, and before I can try and decipher the message passing between their heads, both of them turn back to me, their eyes shimmering with an even more malevolent sheen in their silver and cyan orbs.

I gulp as they close in on me, scared for my life.

Suddenly, two sets of arms go around my neck — it seems they've decided to kill me with a pseudo-hug that's actually more of a throat constriction — and then they're yelling so loudly, my eardrums feel like they would tear and puncture from the excessive vibration these two morons are causing, "WE LOVE YOU, EZRA!"

Fracking idiots.

The next moment is even worse, because I'd stupidly thought that it was over and left my guard down. That's when they take advantage of my surprise and lean forward, both of them smacking a loud kiss on both my cheeks, making me ultimately feel like a two-year old being kissed by his parents simultaneously.

Goddess, save me!

"Eww!" I jump up, pushing them both of as I rush to grab a towel, a cloth, a piece of tissue, anything to wipe at my poor cheeks.

Who knew where they'd put that mouths the last time!?

"Ew, ew, ew, ew!" I holler as I rush to the kitchen, sounds of their wicked cackles echoing in the living room as I grab tissues from the counter, wiping my cheeks thoroughly and double-checking if it's clean before I venture back, a calm and a disturbingly anger-free expression plastered on my face.

Wait and watch, you little mortals.

Their amused laughter dies quickly when they see my face and they scramble backwards on the couch, trying not to show their nerves. I grin maliciously, claiming my earlier place between them on the leather three-seater, leaning back as put one leg over the other, spreading out both arms behind their necks on the backrest.

"Nice weather, isn't it?" I ask serenely, smiling.

It was raining heavily, One of those occasional summer rains.

"Um"

". . . yeah."

"Perfect to go out and play." I comment, still smiling uncharacteristically in a cool manner.

They share a panicked look.

"On three!" Seneca, that little shit yells, and as expected, she leaps over the coffee table, without even counting three, as she runs around it. Micajah follows suit in a second, and I chortle with glee as I jump over the backrest, chasing them in the direction of the main door, leaving them no choice but to run outside.

"Revenge will be served!" I call loudly, letting out a battle cry as I make sure I stand true to my statement.

* * *

"What. The. Hell."

Seneca and Micajah look up, both their faces breaking into identical smiles when they see me. "We're packing."

"I can see that," I roll my eyes in a 'duh' manner as I walk in, surveying the crime scene that's their room. Clothes strewn everywhere, shoes, belts and other accessories lined up, sheets, covers, etc. basically, everything one would take to start a new living. Amidst it all, a few huge suitcases open in the middle of the bed, with Micajah checking things of a list and Seneca throwing them in, in no particular order.  Well, technically it wasn't a crime scene, but I'm, dramatic that way. Sue me. "But we're going next month! Why are you guys packing now!?"

"It's the eighteenth now. We leave on the fourth of next month. That gives us sixteen days." Seneca explains, as if the answer should be obvious.

I stare at her blankly.

"Ezra, moving to a place is not simple. We need to make a list of everything we need slowly, otherwise we might miss something in the end." Micajah elaborates further, raising his pale brows in emphasis.

I nod dumbly.

"Don't worry, we'll pack your stuff too. Just show up on time to leave." Seneca grins cheekily, tucking her loose hair behind her ears as she goes back to her job of arranging stuff.

Wow. These two are very, very enthusiastic about college.

"What about the living arrangements?" I ask, finally sitting down on the corner of the bed.

"Oh yeah, that." Seneca clears her throat, "I may have forgotten to mention it, but HillBridge has a compulsory policy that freshman should stay only in the dorms. You can't stay off-campus." She meets my alarmed gaze with guilty, yet apologetic one of her own, "So don't worry, I spoke to the management and pulled some strings. We all get single dorms."

How convenient that she "forgot" to mention that.

"So no partying, or anything off-campus?"

"C'mon, Ezra. We're not kids, they're not gonna restrain us and they can't. So, we can do whatever we want. It's college, not school."

"Sure." I mutter under my breath, hating all this even more.

"What was that?"

"I said, sure!" I exclaim, throwing up my hands in defeat. "Not like you two nerds are gonna party and have fun anyway. I'm doomed, I'm gonna be stuck all alone in this godawful Uni filled with nerds and surrounded by puny humans with whom I can't even talk for fear of giving us away. Goddess, I hate all of this!"

The room falls silent after my declaration, the tension in the air thick enough to smother me, to constrict the air flowing into my lungs.

"Ezra." Micajah sighs, throwing his notepad as he walks around the bed to sit near me. I throw him a piercing glare as I look away, pissed. "Look here, bro, we can't force you, you know that, but you can't not go to college, it's an essential part of life."

"Yes!" Seneca chimes in, putting a hand on my arm which I shrug off. "We know that you think the company is there and you feel that education is unnecessary because you already have everything, but you have to try and understand that college is not just about studying. It's when we grow into real adults, and it's a free pass to make all the mistakes you want so that you can learn from them. It's where we get to decide who we want to be and how to pave our way for it. Please, Ez. Think about it, you know we only wish the best for you."

When she put it like that . . .

"Fine!" I give in, shaking my head at myself, at how easily these two have me bending to their every whim, "But you guys are honor bound to spend at least one day a week outside campus with me."

"Deal." They say together in that creepy, twin-like manner.

I grin.

Maybe college will end up being fun.

* * *

Dedicated to @FuzzySocks ! Thanks for the awesome comments! :)

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