Chapter 2

"Miss Brighton, I'm sorry, but we won't be able to approve a loan for your tuition amount." The loan officer behind the ornate desk clicked his pen away, then tucked it into the breast pocket of his Armani suit. Had he ever had money problems? Probably not.

When I'd walked into Evington Mutual Credit Union I hadn't considered I might be denied a student loan.

"Then what am I suppose to do?" My knuckles turned white as I gripped the stuffed arms of the chair I sat in. "I can't take out another loan against the house. So, what do you suggest?"

"I'm afraid I don't have a suggestion at this time."

My mouth went slack. How could he tell me no? We hadn't missed a mortgage payment in three months, since we'd refinanced the house. And medical students always got tuition loans.

I stood, my acceptance letter in hand, but holding it now felt like a slap in the face.

He gave me my folder of financial papers. "I'm very sorry."

What was I going to do?

In the parking lot, I sat in my car, crying. It wasn't fair, and there was no solution. Not unless we had some rich uncle on his deathbed, who was leaving us everything. I was more likely to win the lottery.

A movement outside caught my eye. I wiped my tears away with the back of my hand. Tiny droplets of rain coated the windshield, as I peered into the thick bushes encircling the bank's parking lot. An obsidian-colored wolf, nearly hidden by the bushes, watched me. What the hell was it doing in the middle of downtown?

My hand eased toward the ignition. Fear kept my gaze locked on the wolf. I turned the key, but the engine didn't start.

I looked at the ignition. Yep, I had the right key. I turned it again. Nothing.

Why wouldn't my damn clunker start? Probably, because it was old as hell.

I glanced back at the wolf, but all I spotted were trees and bushes. I turned the key again, and the engine cranked. I sped home, trying to forget the bank's rejection and the wolf.

Over the next two month, I didn't see a single wolf, nor did I experience anymore hallucinations, which was a relief. Desperately needing money, I'd spent my time working every shift I could in the emergency room. I'd cleaned out the storage locker we'd been renting and gone through Mom's things. I'd sold her Irish porcelain on eBay and thrown out nearly a hundred bottles of what I believed were spices. I'd saved two thousand dollars, but I was still twelve thousand short of the amount needed to reserve my seat for school. I had four days left to raise the funds, no clue how to do it, and I still hadn't told Aiden. I was so screwed.

I paced the living room, fiddling with my bracelet, causing it to make the soft metallic tinkling sound. It'd become an extension of my own flesh—I only removed it to shower. Hearing it jingle reminded me my mother was near, in spirit. At least, that's what I told myself.

I flopped onto the couch and pulled my knees against my body.

The loan officer I'd talked to never gave me a single suggestion, and I didn't know who else to ask. The only way I was going to school was if I did something horrible, like rob a bank or sell my body. Neither of those was going to happen.

The doorbell rang, and the sound echoed though the quiet house. No one ever came to the front door. I got up and peeked through the peephole, but there wasn't anyone there.

I eased the door open, stepped onto the porch, and glanced around. A letter lay in the rocking chair, next to the door. With a gold embossed seal, the envelope appeared very official. Was it from the medical school? Probably delivered by messenger.

The wind picked up and the trees rustled. Something big and black moved in the bushes between our house and the neighbor's.

The wolf.

My heart rate escalated. I snatched the letter, ran inside, and locked the door, then peered out the living room window. No wolf. Another hallucination? Or had he really been there?

The letter in my hand was no hallucination. My hand trembled as I gripped it. I knew what it would say. They were giving my seat to the first person on the waiting list. That person would certainly received a student loan and would be able to pay the fourteen thousand dollar deposit.

I opened the envelope and slid out the paper, as I fought back tears. Everything I'd worked for, everything we had, was being taken away. I read silently.

Miss Brighton,

The W Foundation has selected you, from the entering class of Evington Medical School, to receive The W Scholarship. You were chosen based on your undergraduate academic performance. This scholarship will cover all your financial needs. We wish you the best of luck in your endeavor.

Sincerely,

Robert Jensen

President of The W Foundation

My hand covered my open mouth. It made no sense. There were only two private foundations in Mississippi that gave scholarships to medical students, and I hadn't applied to either.

"What 'cha got?" Aiden studied me as he entered the living room. "What's the matter?"

I shook the letter at him.

"What's it say?" Aiden reached for the paper, but I crushed it to my chest.

"I got a full scholarship from a private foundation." My eyes were pinned open as I stared blankly at him. I couldn't believe it. It was like the Fates were having pity on me, but I knew that wasn't possible.

"That's great." He frowned. "What's wrong with that?"

"I didn't apply for a private scholarship." I chewed my lip.

"Maybe someone nominated you?"

"Maybe." I didn't know anyone at the college. So who'd have nominated me?

I contacted The W Foundation to find out. Apparently, the selection process was confidential. The W Foundation was formed a month prior and had randomly selected me from the entering medical class, based on academic record and need.

I mailed a thank you letter to the return address on my envelope, but it didn't seem like enough.

A week later, the money was in my account. Three weeks after that, I paid my tuition, made a mortgage payment, and started medical school.

I was emotionally mixed up, like an unsolved Rubik's cube, the first day of medical school. My shaky hands smoothed out my navy blue dress, as I scrutinized my reflection in the floor length window outside the lecture room. I looked like a kid playing dress up in her mother's clothes, felt like one, too.

There were only fifty people in the auditorium. The majority were guys around my age—twenty-one. There was one other girl. She was willowy with long golden hair that hung down her back—it reminded me of corn silk. Her features appeared to have been perfectly sculpted out of alabaster, and her dazzling eyes were accented with thick eyelashes. Venus in the flesh, that was who she was. She could go her entire life on her beauty alone but obviously chose not to. I had to respect her for that.

I took a seat. The room went silent as the instructor turned on her computer, the PowerPoint screen lighting up. The woman behind the podium stood with hands clasped behind her back, her chin high. She had shoulder length, brown hair and absolutely no smile. The screen glowing above her head read, "Dr. Nash".

The first thirty minutes of lecture centered on requirements and rules, then Dr. Nash jumped straight into Basic Biochemistry. My worst subject. With eyes squinted to see the screen and my jaw clenched, I scratched out notes as quickly as I could.

I'd gotten about half the notes, when she turned off her Power Point presentation. Not good. I needed to find a better system or I'd certainly fail.

After class, I bent down to pick up my backpack, and when I stood, I looked directly into the face of the golden girl.

"Intense lecture. I'm not certain I got all the notes down." Her voice was a high-pitched hum, like wet crystal when the rim was rubbed, and her eyes glistened. They reminded me of peridot gems, with flecks of amber settled around the centers and outer edges. She smiled. "I was hoping you would be my study partner?"

"Um… Sure." I returned her smile. Two people taking notes and sharing them was definitely a better method.

"Oh, how rude of me. I'm Izabell Weatherstar. Iza."

"Lexi Brighton." We shook hands. Her skin was soft, like cashmere.

Iza sat her bookbag on the floor. "I was delighted to see another girl. I'd been afraid I'd be the only one."

"Yeah. Me, too." As I twisted my bracelet around my wrist, its silver charms rubbed together, causing a soft ringing that filled the room.

"Maybe we could grab coffee tomorrow and go over our notes?" She scratched her cell number onto a scrap of paper and handed it to me. "Text me."

I wasn't about to tell her I didn't like coffee. "I don't have a cell phone."

"Really?" Her brows rose slowly as realization hit her. "You're the girl who received The W Scholarship."

I swallowed hard. I hadn't wanted anyone to know. "Yeah."

"My brothers started The W Foundation this year."

Oh my God. I finally knew who to thank. "Well, please tell them I greatly appreciate it. I wouldn't be here if it wasn't for the scholarship."

Iza nodded, her corn silk hair bouncing. She reached into her pants' pocket, took out her iPhone, and flicked it to life. "Let's plan on coffee tomorrow then, after class. See you."

She texted, her concentration on her phone, as she slung her bag over her shoulder and walked out.

My luck had to be turning. I'd gotten a scholarship and a study partner without trying. Or, the Fates had found someone they enjoyed torturing more than me.