Astrid

Chapter 17 - The More I Know The Better

"Astrid, I thought you couldn't talk to me."

Pierce had been heartbroken when he saw the caller ID. Ever since she left that letter on his doorstep, he had been a mess. His heart lay broken in pieces, and no amount of drugs or alcohol could fix it.

     "Uh... I can't. But Pierce please, I need to talk to someone."

     Hearing the desperation in Astrid's voice had caused Pierce to become worried for the girl he loved. He loved Astrid and that's why he picked up his phone, even after vowing never to talk to her again. That's why he was still on the phone being her shoulder to cry on, even if she wasn't his.

     "What's going on?"

     "I just... I'm all alone and the people here hate me. Like really hate me. They think I'm some spoiled bitch."

     "They think you're a spoiled bitch, or are you acting like one?"

     The words that came out of Pierce's mouth shocked both him and Astrid. He spat them with such venom, but he was angry. Angry that she would call him to complain about being alone when she had left him here with a crappy handwritten note and a hole where is heart was.

     "Astrid, you know I didn't mean it like that."

     Astrid paused and thought about what he had said. He was another person in her life to call her out on her behavior.

     "No no it's ok. You're probably right. It's just, I've never been accepted in the were world because I was different. It's not like at school where I had lots of friends."

     Pierce wondered if Astrid was unaware of her own existence. Those people she surrounded herself weren't friends, they were people who mooched off of her money and popularity. They had introduced her to substances that she couldn't control. He even had a part in that.

     "Astrid, were those people really your friends. I mean look at what happened. Maybe..." Pierce began to choke up at what he was going to say. "Maybe this could be good for you."

     He hated that she wasn't the one for him even though he loved her more than he would ever love anyone else. But he knew she needed to change her life so she didn't end up like him. She deserved better. Even if that better didn't include him.

     "I guess. It just sucks that I can't go through this personality change montage at home. It has to be miles away in a school where they make you run."

     Pierce and Astrid began to laugh at Astrid's hatred for physical activity. She would always find a way to get herself out of doing the mile run and any other strenuous activity.

     "Wow running? They sure know your weaknesses."

      Astrid continued her laughter until she heard distant footsteps.

    "As much as I love talking to you Pierce, I think they're doing room checks. I have to go."

     "Bye Astrid, I lov-"

     "Oh Astrid I see you're on the phone."

~~~{ }~~~

     Astrid quickly hung up the phone after muttering a quick bye to Pierce. Standing at the doorway was the devil herself, Achilles whatever the fuck her last name was. Of course she was the one to check each room to make sure everyone's lights were off. She was going to snitch for sure.

     "I was just talking to my Alpha. He wanted to know how I was doing since it is my first day and all." Just be nice and maybe she'll disintegrate.

     "Well tell your Alpha that 10 pm is lights out. I'm sure he'll understand."

     "Of course. Bye now." Astrid waved her hand in a dismissive manner before lying down and pulling the covers over head to block whatever else Achilles would say.

     "Goodnight."

     Achilles closed Astrid's door and smiled. She knew Astrid wasn't talking to her Alpha; she could hear the conversation from down the hall since Astrid was the only one making noise on the whole floor. The Alpha of the Silvis Territory wasn't named Pierce.

     Walking back to her room, she woke up her roommate, Valencia. The girl was shy and was Achilles' right hand woman. Anytime Achilles needed to get dirt on someone, Valencia was next to her digging.

      "Wake up Valencia. We have a mission to go on."

      Valencia groaned, hating the missions that Achilles made her go on. She had just fallen asleep and now she was being dragged out of bed.

     "Ach but I don't want to go."

     Achilles rolled her eyes. Valencia would complain at first and this was always the most annoying part.

     "We don't have a choice Val. This is very important information that can't wait."

     Valencia reluctantly got out of bed and followed Achilles to the records hall.

     "We're looking for Astrid Forrester's record."

     "The new girl? Why do you care about her. She just started today."

     "Because you idiot, she thinks she's better than us. She needs to be knocked down a few pegs and I want to find information that will do just that."

     Valencia knew that whatever this girl did really pissed Achilles off. And when she got pissed, her target would be better off just dropping out of the academy. Becoming Achilles' enemy was social suicide.

     "Here I have it." Achilles pulled Astrid's file out and sorted through her papers looking for her personal statement. Wolves who wanted to train at the academy had to write an essay on why they wanted to come here. In Astrid's case, her Alpha did one on her behalf to explain why she needed to come here on such short notice.

     She scanned the paper for the name Pierce to pop up, and she knew it would.

     "Jackpot!"

     From what the file explained, Pierce was Astrid's human boyfriend and had been complicit in her drug addiction. Having contact with humans was frowned upon in the were world and something forbidden at the academy. This could have Astrid kicked out and gone for good.

     "Who is Pierce?"

     Achilles smiled while formulating a plan in her head.

     "The piece of the puzzle that I never knew was missing."