Chương 197: WHEN MY WORLDS COLLIDED

I was just about to release my last arrow when I heard Coach Roberts shout behind me, "No, don't!" Startled, I let go, and the arrow whizzed straight into the bullseye. My first bullseye today, and completely by accident. It was just my luck! River yelled out in the same moment. Something snapped back really bad. A piece of bow shot out at me. It happened so fast, I thought it was part of a broken arrow. But after I stepped aside and avoided it, I noticed it was a piece of something else, wood-colored.

"I TOLD YOU NEVER TO ANCHOR WITHOUT AN ARROW!" Coach Roberts shouted. River looked shocked at his wrecked bow.

"Are you injured?" Coach Roberts asked River.

"Ah, no, sorry." River looked down at himself.

"How did this happen?" Coach Roberts looked at the wrecked bow. Both limbs were broken. She called everyone over and started explaining about dry firing.

"You were very lucky to be unhurt," she told River gravely. So drawing and releasing your bow without an arrow wouldn't end the world. But Coach Roberts made it sound like a super reprehensible mistake anyway.

"Sorry," said River again.

"I just wanted to practice my form before I used a real arrow." Coach Roberts nodded.

"Never draw your bow without an arrow." She looked at the rest of us.

"I don't want this to ever happen again, understood?"

"Yes, Coach," we answered together. There were three high DON'Ts of archery that I had to take extra care to follow: Never run into the range to retrieve your arrow until the command is given. Never pull on your bow without an arrow in it. Never aim your nocked arrow at anything that isn't the target. Because I did have the urge to run in and collect my arrows once I was done. I did, like River, have the urge to practice drawing my bow so I'd remember the right stance while waiting for my turn at the target.

And I had sometimes nocked and started pulling back on the bow even before I looked up at the target. Maybe I was taking archery too seriously, but I wasn't just picking up a new hobby. I had every intention of hunting rogues and vamps with this, and the last thing I wanted to do was accidentally kill one of my betas or something.

So on top of my stance, posture, and all the steps to shoot an arrow, I also focused on good training habits, like never even stepping on the range line, only reaching for the arrow when it was my turn to shoot, and never pulling on my bow unless the arrow was nocked. Yeah, I guess being trained from young to hunt and fight helped give me the mindset to pick up the nuances, but I was still such a beginner!

You know how in movies and stories, someone is gifted with a beautiful bow and voilà, she becomes a super archer and saves the world, etc.? Not quite about to happen for me. In stories, the bowstring didn't snap back in her face, her arrow didn't fall out, she didn't dry fire her beautiful bow, thereby destroying it. And she always hit the target, even if it was moving, she was under pressure, and she only had a split second to react. Like I said, not quite about to happen for me.

Unlike those stories, my life seemed to require a constant and daily grind to get through. Like archery club practice and putting away all the range equipment after that—folding the nets, stacking the boards, taking everything back to the storage room... The competitive team got back from their outdoor training after Coach Roberts dismissed us. One of them saw the broken bow.

"Woah... Who did that?" I picked up my things to leave. It was getting late.

"Hey, River, Keanu. Let's just get out of here." Keanu grinned.

"Good idea." He grabbed River and tugged him along. We left the hall together. River looked at his watch.

"Do you think we can still buy tickets for the concert?"

"You still want to go for that?" Keanu asked.

"That school is in the Green Packlands. I don't think it's safe."

"I don't think River is safe anywhere," I joked. Keanu laughed a bit.

"That's true."

"But I must hear them play again! Come on, Keanu, it'll be fun." River said.

"You too, Sam, let's go together." I nodded then. River's enthusiasm was catching. I did want to hear them again.

"Yeah. I don't have the money on me, though."

"Horio said that you can place an order, and if you give your name to the student council, they would hold your ticket for you till the end of the week," Keanu told me.

"Yeah, or we won't have the money on us either!" River admitted sheepishly.

"It's really expensive," I said.

"Yeah, but I really like that kind of music!" River said.

"They don't hold that kind of concert back home."

"The concert just now was fun," I agreed. Before I knew it, I had followed him down to the student foyer. I hadn't meant to meet my pack at school. Dean was one thing, but I wondered if I could just lie low and pretend I had nothing to do with all of them at the same time. Because the last thing the "legendary warlock princess" needed was more visibility. Maybe I'd just pay the extra $20 and buy the ticket online. Apparently, it wasn't just River who wanted the tickets.

The other archery club students were also heading down to the student foyer, which was bustling with activity. Did no one go home after school? There wasn't a long line in front of the tables selling the tickets. Most of the students were just hanging around chatting, checking out the band members like they were a new exhibit at the zoo, and every now and then someone would go up for an autograph or to pass a slip of paper to one of the guys. Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent.

Report sightings. Henry and Marcus were at one of the benches with Harvey, Lola, Link, and the Morning Side goons. The goons were guarding Lola like gold.

"Hey, hey! Princess is here!" Ethan announced, sounding way too happy to see me.

"All right, we can go home now." Nix got up from his seat, stretching his arms above his head.

"Eh, do you know them?" River asked me. I flared.

"No, I've never met idiots before."

"HAHAHAHAHAHA!" the hyenas laughed so loudly, I was sure whoever wasn't looking was looking now.

"HAHAHAHA." Their sarcastic laughter stained my cheeks red. I turned away from the table where it came from, pretending I didn't hear them.

"Sam!" I looked to see Krystal, Zara, and Leia at the next table, waving to me.

"Look, there's where we can reserve tickets." Keanu pointed to another row of tables manned by the student council members. This turned the attention of the archery club members around me to the tables on the other side of the foyer.

"Where?" Priya suddenly popped out from nowhere.

"Where do I line up?" The level of stealth Priya had never failed to impress me.

"Priya!" It was Bra from one of the tables across.

"What took you? You know we had to get home early today."

"I need to buy tickets. Do you have money?" Priya asked.

"No? How about you, Captain?" Captain looked put on the spot.

"I only have enough for one."

"You don't need to pay now," Matt said.

"Just leave your name to reserve a ticket." He pointed them to the table.

"Sam!" Krystal demanded my attention. I went over to her table, leaving my archery club friends. They ambled over to join the short line while I dealt with the cool girls.

"What are you three doing here?" I asked.

"Leia can't decide who to give her number to," Krystal rolled her eyes.

"Yeah, she wants to give it to the super bad boy over there but is too scared," Zara explained. Marlow?

"I told her to give it to the happy one," Krystal said.

"That's more like her level." Ethan?

"I gave mine to the guitar guy," Zara informed me.

"They were selling the tickets just now, so I passed him my number when I ordered mine." Who? Which one was the guitar guy?

"Your prince charming was accepting numbers too," Krystal told me.

"So I gave him mine. No hard feelings. You already broke up with him." Yeah...

"I hope he calls me," Zara said. Who? The guitar guy? Which one?

"Can you help me?" Leia asked.

"Just go give this to him?" She held out a small white note folded in the shape of a heart.

"Which one?"

"The one that rapped and played the bass," Leia answered. She sounded like she was trying to remain calm.

"Marlow?" I asked. Leia looked uncertain, as if she didn't remember the name. The band members were picking up their things to leave. I saw Harvey and Matt clapping each other on the shoulder.

"Quick, Zammi, they're leaving!" Krystal ordered. At this point, Marlow had tripped Dean on purpose. He fell forward, but Ben caught him by the back of his T-shirt and pulled him upright. Woah, Ben did get taller and stronger too. The hyenas laughed loudly.

"Quick, Sam! Do something!" Krystal hissed.

"Marlow!" I yelled. The hyenas stopped laughing. Marlow tilted his head rebelliously.

"What?" Henry and Marcus were standing up. Harvey started walking over. Matt raised a brow but remained where he was, watching. Priya and the other guys turned to look from where they were lining up. Oops. Grrr... I shrugged and pointed to Leia, who still had the folded note in her hand.

"She wants to give you something." Marlow stalked over. He plucked the note out of her hand.

"For me?" he asked her. Leia made a high-pitched squeaking sound and nodded.

"Thanks." He put it in his pocket. Harvey reached our table.

"Are you ready to go, Princess?"

"Eh, wait, you're still together?" Zara asked.

"No," I answered.

"We were never together." Harvey smiled politely, then picked up my things. Krystal frowned.

"Okay, answer me this — who was the girl you were singing for?" Harvey shook his head.

"It's a secret." Zara gasped. Krystal said, "You obviously haven't gotten over Zammi yet. Give my number back. Or no, give my number to him." She pointed at Ben.

"No!" It was Zara.

"I gave him my number first."

"Call me," Krystal told Ben.

"That's not fair!" Zara said.

"Get to the truck, guys," Ben ordered, flat-out ignoring them.

"Lola sits up front." To my surprise, the guys obeyed. Nix even added, "You heard the Beta, move it!" Lola looked like she wanted to say something to me, but she just smiled from a distance and followed Link out.

"See you at home." Ben left too. It was getting late.

"Ki said he sent a car for you," Harvey informed me in his beta mode again.

"It's waiting outside." Henry and Marcus passed us to leave. Eh? Why was it like this? I was supposed to say, "I want a ticket! You were great! The performance was amazing! I'm so proud of you!" Why did it turn out this way? I walked forward without another word. This was my pack. They did great, and I just all but pretended I didn't know them and pushed them away. I guess I just wasn't ready for my two worlds to collide. School had always been school. Pack had always been pack.

Now that they were together, I didn't know what to do. Outside, there was a familiar white beat-up van — the rogue van! It was parked behind Harvey's black pickup truck. The back door was left open. Omo, they were using it to transport instruments! I watched Link open the passenger door for Lola, and the guys climb into the back of Harvey's truck. There was an expensive-looking dark red car behind the van. Beta Peter got out to open the door for Henry and Marcus. Hm? What happened to Maxwell?

But Henry was more interested in the white convertible behind his car. He stopped and went closer for a better look. I followed Henry over.

"Nice Merc," Henry said.

"Is this one yours too?" The driver's side opened as we approached, and I knew who he was even before he turned to face us.

"Yes." I grinned widely.

"Mine." Mate came over to our side and opened the passenger side for me, his wild curls blown in the wind. He was wearing his usual long-sleeved black T-shirt and jeans. I ran down the few steps, still grinning like an idiot. And then I stopped and ran back up the steps. Link had closed up the van and was just about to go to the front. Harvey was headed back to his truck. He opened the truck door to get in.

"YOU WERE ALL AMAZING!" I yelled at my pack.

"I CAN'T WAIT FOR YOUR CONCERT! I'LL BE YOUR NUMBER ONE FAN!" I was about to turn back to the car when the guys in the back of the pickup truck hooted and cheered. They stomped and shook the pickup roughly. The van honked wildly. I laughed at their antics. And then Ben shouted, "Our loyalty to the Alpha Princess, yo!" And the guys all echoed, "YO!" punching their fists into the air the way Killion had taught them that first time after my fight with Gamma Endo. Now the truck was honking too.

They pulled out of the school driveway, hooting and honking, Ethan nearly falling out and Marlow pulling him back on. Yeah, that's mine too. My pack, the wolves I was proud to run with. Rebel came up to me and smoothed down the wildest bits of my hair. Henry smirked.

"Who's the boyfriend?" I didn't deny it this time.

"My mate!" I declared proudly.

"But how do you know he's your mate?" Marcus frowned.

"I met him in a dream," I said.

"What?" Marcus asked. He laughed.

"Sam, I'm asking seriously."

"Do you mean a prophetic dream?" Henry asked.

"Oh," Marcus said.

"Henry, next Alpha of Silver Moon Pack." Henry passed Mate a name card.

"Hey! How come you never gave me one?" I complained.

"You have my number, Sam. You can use it anytime," Henry told me. Henry liked to talk to me as if he were speaking to a very young child and was forced to be patient. Mate pulled out a small case from his pocket and handed Henry a card from it.

"James Lorent the Fourth, from the Lorent Pack."

"You have a card too?" I was more than a little surprised. Where did Mate get that from?

"That explains the car," Henry said knowingly, completely ignoring me. Wait a minute.

"Is that your car?" I asked Mate.

"When did you get it?" James Lorent the Fourth gave me an imperious look.

"I always had it." So I guess he wasn't the penniless, shirtless fight dog I thought he was. Of course, now that I saw him like this, I managed to connect the dots. Mate was the Alpha heir of the Lorent Pack. What did I expect? Did I ever tell you what a show-off my mate was? Sometimes I want to smack his handsome face. Henry, on the other hand, snorted a laugh and shook his head at me. James Lorent the Fourth smirked. Why was my mate the kind of guy who needed to be smacked?

He was like the epitome of a Lorent male right now — arrogant, rich, powerful, and high-handed. Just the type of guy that I had very little patience for. Henry, on the other hand, bonded immediately. They were brothers in the same strata of society, after all. He clapped James on the shoulder and continued the introductions.

"My pack's future Beta, Peter. And Mountain Mist Pack's next Beta, Marcus." Each Beta made a quick bow in turn. It seemed the Lorent Pack was well renowned across the continent, although I'm not sure whether it was for their name in the medical industry or just their well-heeled public image. James nodded very minimally in return. But for some reason, his haughtiness only seemed to gain him more favor.

"It's an honor." Beta Peter quickly informed him. I wanted to cross my arms and roll my eyes and maybe even huff aloud at all that, but I was better brought up than that. I had watched my own dad going through the motions of Alpha introductions before. The world was made of all kinds of Alphas and there was space for everyone. So even though I found it stupid, I was able to wait patiently for it to be over. So this was James Lorent the Fourth. I stared at Mate as if it was the first time we met.

I liked him better as a grouchy stubborn fight dog.