Page 158 of A University of Betrayal

“That woman. The devil sent her.”

“If you mean Gloria...” I said and heard him take a deep breath.

The Quatura of this town must be an enormous obstacle for him. Especially since he was the director of Vanderwood.

“Anyway, she said she’ll keep an eye on me and if she finds out...”

“She won’t,” Alarik interrupted me confidently.“God,Gloria. That woman is truly the spawn of hell. Already back in the day, she did unacceptable things to the young Circle members.”

My ears perked up. How could he know so much about the members and the Circle if he had never been part of it and the species hated each other so much?

“How do you know so much about the Quatura?”

He was silent, and I felt as if I had asked the wrong question.

We drove through a peaceful part of the forest with scattered larger rustic houses along the edge of the woods, and something told me we were already in Copelands’ territory.

“Bayla. I don’t know why that is, but you make me feel like I can trust you with certain things and that you understand them. Probably because you haven’t been in this system for that long,” Alarik began more insistently and quieter than before, although it was clear that no one could hear us.

I didn’t know if I should feel honored. After all, he was one of the people I was hoping to get the most answers from, and we didn’t even know each other that long.

“It’s complicated and I have to be careful what I can really say without risking my neck.” Now I was curious. “Please remember that our species weren’t always the way they are today.”

“Enemies?”

Alarik nodded, focused on the road.

Ever since I had witnessed all the rancor on campus, I had wondered when all this had started.

“How did it come to this?” I asked further.

Alarik gave me a serious look. “Many conflicts over territories, disputes during the founding period... upheavals in society and changing norms...”

“Why do people make it so complicated?”

Alarik laughed ironically. “Believe me, if I knew that, I’d solve the problem.”

I looked at him.

He didn’t have the slightest intention of being part of these conflicts any longer.

“You want peace.”

He looked at me again briefly.

“Unofficially, yes.”

“Unofficially?”

“It’s important that you know that everything we discuss at this and other meetings stays between us.” He looked focused on the road. “I’m probably giving too much away again.”

“I’ll keep it to myself. I promise.”

I had to gain his trust. Maybe he really could answer all my questions, although I wouldn’t bang the door down by asking him all of it now.

He turned to me with a warm look. “Thank you.”

If I was honest, I didn’t know the extent of the danger he faced by telling me all this, being politically against this war, and on top of that, training me against the pack’s knowledge.