The next day, I skipped classes yet again. I wasn't feeling it and I wouldn't be here for much longer anyway. It didn't matter if I had a perfect attendance record or not. I woke up late, took a long shower, missed another opportunity to talk to my roommates and had breakfast for the first time in what seemed like ages.

I tried my best to not think about what was about to happen that night. I had made a conscious choice and I was going to stick to it, no matter how hard it was. Instead I pulled out the campus map and began listing possible locations the great god might be in. 

The campus was as large as about 700 football fields. After all, it was the biggest and most reputed institute in the entire world. Everyone who wanted to be someone hoped to get an offer letter from here. But the admission was strictly limited to important families. 

Representation was obviously not what they cared about here. As I looked through the map, I couldn't help but sigh in annoyance. It still irked me that Lord Dragomitus wouldn't just tell me where he was. But I was coming to terms with that too, or at least was trying to.

I spent the entire day cooped up inside the room. All three of my roommates were nowhere to be seen and I couldn't care less if they had classes or not. I had drawn the curtains shut. 

The change in the position of the sun outside made me miserable. I didn't want to know the time. I couldn't think productively. After what felt like a very short day, I heard a knock at the door. I got up to open it.

Clad in a strapless red bodycon dress with a sweetheart neckline, Keelin stood leaning against the door frame. She held a dress cover in her hand and looked extremely impatient as she tapped the wooden flooring with her stilettoed foot. 

I raised my brow questioningly. She huffed before pushing the door wide open and inviting herself in. She forced the bag into my hand then, looked away. Her deep brown curls bounced back and forth.

"What do you want me to do?" I asked.

"Isn't it obvious? Open it. It's the dress we bought for the rosa this time. Didn't think it would be you," she said, rolling her eyes.

I unzipped the bag and pulled it out. It was a red slip dress with crochet lace details. The light and airy skirt had a tiered hem that would probably fall just under my butt.

"I'm not wearing this," I said.

"And why is that?" she asked as she sat on my bed, crossing her legs and folding her arms across her chest.

"It's barely there. I might as well not wear anything," I said, putting the dress down and leaning against the table.

"Well, that's the point, isn't it?" she said.

I just stared at her, unable to come up with a smart response.

"Look, it's sacred to be the rosa. Yes, you get down and dirty with the wolf who wins you and that too in front of everyone. But, the red rays of the moon increase the core energy of all who participate. The rosa, as the head of the ceremony gets the most of it," she said uncrossing her legs and attempting to dignify my role.

"What do you mean by the wolf who wins me?" I asked.

"Well, the rosa is the head of the ceremony. She wouldn't just give herself to a random wolf. So, the boys usually have a sort of competition and the one who wins it gets to... you know," she shrugged.

"By the way..." I brushed my fingers across my bracelet. "The energy would be of no consequence to me," I said, "I am a human."

"Which is why it's your punishment," she replied with a grin.

I shook my head, "Then there's no point in making it seem divine." I picked up the dress, "Let's just get this over with."

"Oh, no! As the head of the werewolf echelon, I won't have any of that. If you are fulfilling a role, you need to do your best at it. And if you're going to be the prize of a competition, you should be desirable enough for the boys to want you."

I was annoyed at her for calling me a 'prize'. "Then what do the rest of the girls do today? Spectate?" I asked with a scoff.

"Oh, please. Do I look like someone who's going to stand and watch from the side-lines?" she walked to the full-length mirror and checked herself out.

"Um... so you're participating too?"

"Of, course! The rosa begins the ceremony with the victor. Then, the girls get to choose their men from among the rest of the competitors. This is a carnal ceremony. So the more powerful the guy, the more energy is absorbed and shared between each other. It's going to be fun!" she said with a genuine smile and I was taken aback by how friendly she was being. Especially after the way she treated me yesterday.

"But, don't you like..."

"Hmm?" she asked turning to look at me.

"No, it's nothing, never mind that," I said quickly. It wasn't in my place.

"Ryne?" she asked with a sigh. I chewed my bottom lip and nodded.

"Yeah well, sex is sex and love is love. The ceremony has nothing to do with feelings."

"So, you do like him. I knew I wasn't wrong," I said with a smirk.

"I mean, I was being obvious yesterday. I would be surprised if you didn't get it," she said as she grabbed me and sat me down in front of the mirror.

"Are you going to doll me up?" I asked with a gulp. A chill ran down my spine and I couldn't help but shudder. I had ignored my feelings up to this point. But it was all suddenly feeling very real. My stomach felt like jelly and I tried to keep the anxiety from showing on my face.

"I'm just going to give you pointers," she said as she wildly tugged my face left, then right and examined the mirror. "Well, you have a pleasing face. Just light make up would do. Do you have red shoes?"