Tasting 99

99-The Missing Friend

Nora:

It’s been two days since that incident, and I haven’t had a chance to speak to Cain or any of the

others. I was actually upset with Cain as well. The way he changed his mind when he found out it

was Ryker who tried to get me in trouble

disappointed me. I didn’t expect him to go all ninja on him, but to not even consider how I must be

feeling was really a blow to my ego. He didn’t come to talk to me, and his flirtatious remarks

stopped as well.

Ryker didn’t fight back against the punishment even when the brothers laid it on hard.. uldn’t believe

it when I found out Sials was requesting his father to let Ryker stay in the mansion. No way did I

want him in the woods because, unlike him, I didn’t want to take revenge. But hearing Silas, who

knew if the roles. were reversed, he would have faced judgment, was protecting his brother. I never

thought of them as being too close to each other. And that was because they were not.

“Ready for school?” Lord Atwood smiled at me. Obviously, he was not so affected, but I had

watched him stare at the woods from the top of the mansion many times. “Yes, I am,” I tried to

sound playful, but the energy in me had been killed after that day.

I got in the car with him and checked my phone. No new messages. Natalay never responded back,

and even her cellphone was turned off now. I was worried about her and had made plans to speak

to her about everything and the painting I

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99 The Milema!

saw of her in Cain’s studio. I didn’t have a reason, but I would lie about something along the lines of

Cain not drawing faces most of the time. I don’t know if she would believe me or not.

The car came to a halt in front of the school, and I was shocked I spent the whole ride thinking

about so many things. Once I was stepping into the school and making my way to the

announcement board, I found April walking alongside. “Hey! It’s nice to see you after so many

days,” she smiled, as always, being her giggly self. “Same,” I replied warmly.

“You have classes with me, by the way, I checked your schedule,” she quickly added before I

continued my journey to the announcement board.

“Oh! And Natalay? Who is she taking classes with? Did you happen to check hers to 1 inquired.

Maybe if we have the same classes, we can sit together and mend our relationship; which really

bothered me because this is what I feared, and that is what happened. Somehow, she got upset

with me over the whole Cain thing.

“Oh! You shouldn’t worry about her, though. She put in for a month’s leave, and I don’t know when

she plans to return,” April shrugged her shoulders, holding my hand out of the blue and dragging

me to the lockers.

“She is on leave? Who told you?” I asked, wondering how she knew and I didn’t.

“I heard the girls from her hostel talk about it. That girl is a weird one. She didn’t tell you?” April

stopped once we were at our lockers. She was wearing a cute white top with a pink skirt. She was

always upbeat, almost like there was no tension in her life.

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The Mining

“No! She didn’t,” I shook my head

“Huh! Would you look at that. You are always so concerned about her, and she doesn’t give a d**n. I

think you are wasting your time, energy, and friendship on her. Why can’t we be friends?” she

pouted, but suddenly smiled when bringing her hand forward for a handshake, “we can be besties,

and I am not like her who disappears out of the blue.”

I watched her hand, then contemplated if I was ready for another drama. April was happy all the

time, but people around. her tended to not be so happy at times.

She had this vibe about her that I couldn’t shake off.

“We can go to her hostel after school if you are so worried about her. But at least be friend’ with me.

I am not that bad,” she pouted, growing and waing me with sadness in her eyes.

At this point, I really couldn’t run away from her. So I had to shake hands with her. Her smile

returned, and she instantly hugged me, making me roll my eyes at her.

I knew why she wanted to be friends with me. She has a crush on Ryker. Is this what a girl with hot

brothers’ life is like? Everybody wants to befriend them just so that they could date the handsome

and powerful alpha king brothers. Not to mention, the two guys they had a crush on were my mates.

“Okay! Can you drive me to the hostel after school?” Well, since she wanted to be friends so bad, I

didn’t mind taking her help.

“Sure!” And well, she seemed pretty happy about it as well.

The rest of the day was easy to pass because the bully had

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The king I

befriended me. The combat classes were canceled for a month for unknown reasons, but I knew

why. The team leader was in the woods, facing his punishment.

I pouted as I sat in April’s car and stared out the window. I was angry at Ryker, but ever since he

was sent to the woods, I was worried about his safety.

“We are here,” April nudged me awake, and together we walked inside in search of Natalya.

“Mrs. Finlay! Can we go meet Natalya?” April interrupted the old lady’s journey to the kitchen with a

very giggly tone.

Mrs. Finlay looked at her with a smile before her eyes fell on me. She would have kicked me out

instantly had I not been known as the alpha king’s step

er.

“Sure, but she is not here,” Mrs. Finlay responded, and the big step I was ready to take towards the

staircase halted.

“You are her friend, right? She didn’t tell you anything?” As the same response I got from everyone

today, I was not surprised that Natalya didn’t tell me about her plans at all.

“No!” I shook my head.

“Well, she is not in the hostel for a month,” Mrs. Finlay delivered the news to me, shocking me as

the traces of Natalya had been wiped clean like she had never existed.

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