“He can’t have me. Not even in his wildest dreams,” Grace muttered.
Andrea laced her arm with Grace’s and giggled. “There, there. Calm down. I was only teasing you.”
Halting, Grace threw her bag inside the passenger seat and looked at her bestie. “Do you want a lift or not? I didn’t need you to escort me to the parking lot. Not that I don’t enjoy the company.”
Andrea shook her head. “Nope. I have to go to the library. Group study, and then we are going out to have some drinks. Do you want to come with us after your duties at the Academy?”
“No, I have a lot of homework. Plus, don’t forget that we need to wake up earlier tomorrow morning for an extra defense class.”
“I haven’t forgotten.”
“Good. See you later, then.” Grace climbed into her car. Pulling down the window, she blew a kiss to Andrea before turning on the car and leaving.
Tuning the radio, she hummed a song playing as she drove away from Enin City and into the outskirts where the Hunter Academy was located.
Minutes later, the large mansion that belonged to her grandfather loomed ahead. She stopped in front of the enormous gate that gave entrance to the academy’s estate.
“It’s me, Grace,” she said into the intercom and waved at the cameras.
The large iron gates screeched open, and she squinted at the unwelcoming noise.
Speeding down the pathway, the wheels crunched to a stop, and she stepped out. Sauntering to the entrance with her backpack hanging from one hand, she opened the door to her family home and stepped inside.
She always felt a thrill when entering the Delacroix mansion. Maybe it was because of all the good memories she had while she lived there. Yet not everybody would find it so welcoming. Weapons hung as decoration from the walls in case an enemy infiltrated the academy but also because those were ancient relics that belonged to her ancestors.
Her grandfather, Vincent Delacroix, was the headmaster of the academy. Many in her family had followed the path of a hunter. Her grandfather’s academy was well-known for his top-notch techniques in training the elites. Only the most promising students were trained by the Delacroix. Being a certified hunter gave status in her world and directing an academy like that was only reserved to the elite families since there were only two training academies per kingdom in all the Alorya world.
A voice called from the top of the stairs, “Grace, sweetheart, is that you?”
Her eyes looked up as she stared at the wooden staircase and heard her grandfathers’ footsteps.
At three hundred years, he was in his prime. His black hair was combed back with a small ponytail and strong muscles fitted the cotton shirt with a loosen tie.
Grace rushed up the stairs and welcomed the engulfing embrace that warmed her heart and soul. She inhaled his musk scent and rubbed her nose against his neck.
“Where were you this morning?” she mumbled as she looked at his smiling face.
He patted her head. “Did you miss me for breakfast?”
She nodded.
His lips curled further up, and he looped her arm around his as he escorted her up the stairs. “I had an important meeting in town.”
“You didn’t tell me last night.”
“Are you my personal assistant now?” he teased.
“Yes. Have you forgotten that I help you with your duties?”
He nodded and chuckled. “True. But it’s nothing you should worry about. I was just meeting an old friend.”
She pursed her lips, looking down at the rug covering the wooden stairs.
“What’s with that sad face?” her grandfather questioned. “Did something happen?”
She shrugged. “No. I just thought that you spend too much time working and don’t really have time for personal matters.”
“The only personal matters that interest me is you.”