CHAPTER 347: 347-THEY LOOK DISAPPOINTED IN ME

Clementine:

I took a shower and got ready for the day. I was expecting a knock on the door from the lurkers, but it never came.

I checked the time, and it was around 11 AM. This had never happened before.

They usually woke us up pretty early, so this was new.

I opened the door and stepped out to look around. Everyone else was wandering along the road.

"What is going on?" I asked them as I joined the group.

My mates stepped toward me while Joshua sat on the other side of the road in isolation.

Oriana did the same. She kept kicking the rocks and trying to stay away from the others because we had been judging her often, and rightfully so.

Mira, Sebastian, and Renee gave me a nod, greeted me good morning, and let me speak with my friends.

"The lurkers arrived and told us that we would be having breakfast in our rooms, and that if we wanted to sit together, we can," Troy informed it in a way that confused me, making me wonder what the lurkers, or more specifically the ringleaders and the headmaster, were trying to do.

"What do you think they are trying to do?" I asked the four of them, trying not to look at Ian too much because the smirk on his face made me feel shy around him.

I wondered if they were trying to offer us small breadcrumbs, trying to make us feel like we had freedom because they did not know the state of mind Joshua was in and if we could convince him to vote in our favor next time.

"Anyway, let’s get together for breakfast then," I said, because I had been feeling very hungry.

However, it seemed like they had other plans.

The moment I said it, I noticed Yorick gently nudge Troy, and Haiden shared a glance with him.

The only one who seemed unaware was Ian, because he stood one step away from them, and none of them included him in the conversation.

"What is going on?" I asked, frowning at the three for acting strange.

"We need to have a talk with you," Troy replied as he stepped forward, and I remembered he had told me the same thing before.

We had not gotten the time to discuss it, so I could already guess what it was about.

"Okay," I replied, shrugging my shoulders to loosen them.

"Ian, you wait here," Troy told him. Yorick gently patted Ian’s shoulder to show he was not welcomed.

"Sure," Ian remarked while staring at me a little too hard before he stepped away.

I followed the three into the woods while keeping an eye on Ian for as long as I could see him, until he disappeared from my sight.

We had wandered several steps deeper when I finally stopped.

"What is it?" I asked, refusing to go any farther.

Whatever the conflict was, it could be discussed from here. No one would hear us anyway.

The three turned around to face me.

"We want an explanation," Haiden stated.

"An explanation to what?" I asked, folding my arms across my chest and shifting my weight to my left leg while keeping my eyes on them.

"For what we saw in the north," Yorick replied, sounding exhausted that they had to clarify it to me.

I began to think about whether to be fully honest with them or hold back because it might be too much for now.

Still, honesty seemed like the better choice.

"It is exactly what you think it is," I uttered, and the shift in their energy was alarming.

I had expected an explosive response, but the way Haiden stepped back, Yorick clenched his fists, and Troy narrowed his eyes at me was not something I had prepared for.

"Explain it to us," Yorick demanded.

"I have been having feelings for Ian for some time, but mistaking his brother for him in his pack made me step back from him," I explained.

I paused because I noticed the way their bodies flinched.

Their gazes sharpened on me in a way that made my heart feel unsettled.

"Carry on," Haiden told me as he pointed at me with his fingers, speaking with heavy breaths.

"And then when you left me among the ogres, it was Ian who came to save me. After that, we slept together, and I realized I loved him."

As soon as I said that, Haiden stepped back while Yorick turned away, and Troy kept glaring at me.

"So you did want to pick him until you mistook his brother for him, and then you decided to come and sleep with us out of anger," Troy remarked, instantly placing the blame on me.

I prepared to defend myself because that was not how I remembered it.

"Troy, I wasn’t the one who initiated it. If I had been sleeping with you out of anger, it would have been me coming to you and demanding intimacy. If you are forgetting, let me remind you."

I paused when I noticed Haiden trying to speak.

"No, wait," I warned, raising my finger.

"The truth is that I was in heat and suffering, and so were you three. You came to me and convinced me that it was okay for us to sleep together. It isn’t as if I manipulated anyone."

It finally felt good to say it out loud after feeling at fault for so long.

As I explained everything clearly and told them they should not place all the blame on me, I noticed their expressions shift.

They looked a little sad instead of angry.

"So you’re picking him?" Haiden asked.

I looked into their eyes and nodded.

"I have already picked him," I finished.

The three stared at me for a while before they began leaving one by one.

"I don’t want to hurt you," I tried to say, but Haiden rushed past me on my right, almost brushing my shoulder.

Before I could straighten myself, Troy struck my left side as he walked away. Yorick stared at me for a moment before he also began to depart.