SOPHIE PUSHED Mr. Wolfe from her mind.

Just the thought of him was enough to send her heart pumping into overdrive. She watched, disinterested, as the other contestants bolted across the platform. Her gaze traveled over each, picking apart the differences. The members of the Night Class bolted forward, like bullets. Their bodies were lean, and more athletic. Each member seemed better prepared for activities like this. The Day Class lingered behind, however, trudging along as fast as they could.

Then she settled her sights on Margret. She watched her struggle to get herself over the first obstacle. A small part of her hoped that Margret would fall.

"I just wish that you could have seen yourself yesterday," Eli murmured beside her. His words dragged her attention back toward him. He shifted a bit, his grip tightening on the back of her chair.

With an eyebrow quirked, she asked, "What do you mean?"

He glanced down. A stretched across his lips. He shook his head and licked his lips. "You were fast. Like a cheetah. The second Headmaster said go, you were almost finished with the first obstacle. It was just amazing."

A sigh escaped her lips and one hand clenched into a fist. "I guess I did a real good job at proving just how much I wanted to be here." Sarcasm dripped from each word like honey.

Eli's laughed. "Face it. You do want to be my mate deep down."

"Maybe," Sophie said, rolling her eyes. "Deep, deep down."

The contestants rushed toward the next obstacle, and then the last. Members of the Night Class dashed across the finish line. Most of the Day Class still struggled with the last obstacle. Sophie was pleased to find Margret fumbling behind most of the others.

Then the first game was officially finished.

As the other contestants gathered around the finish line, Eli stepped forward and turned toward Sophie. He held a hand out. She gave him a look and placed her hand in his, allowing him to help her up. "What happens now?" she asked.

Eli lead her down the stairs of the platform, Evangeline and Natalie trailing along behind them. He shoved his hands into his pockets. His gaze remained focused on the finish line. "I believe we'll take a break for lunch," he explained. "Then the second challenge will start."

Sophie scowled. "Just what I wanted to do." Then a thought struck her, and she tugged on Eli's arm. "Can I quit?"

He glanced down at her, shocked. "No."

"Drat," she cursed. She folded her arms across her chest and pouted.

Eli frowned at her. "Is it really that bad for you?" He slowed to a stop in front of the cluster of other contestants, ignoring Margret's obsessive look. "I thought you'd started to enjoy it."

"I just find this whole thing stupid," Sophie explained. "Like, it's kind of pathetic that the school interferes with your personal lives like this. And I feel like I'm being forced here against my will."

"It also moves you into the Night Class faster," Eli added.

Her nose scrunched. "That means I have to change into a vampire, don't I? All the Night Class members are vampires."

He eyed her from the corners of his eyes. His lips pursed, and he hesitated. Sophie caught the pause and looked at him. Her gaze hardened. "What?" she pressed.

"I'm about ninety percent certain that you won't have to worry about that," he said quietly.

Sophie stared at him. "What do you mean?"

His gaze locked with hers. She watched him fidget, her gaze narrowing even more. He seemed to teeter back and forth between his decision to tell her. Her jaw clenched as she waited for him to elaborate.

"After what I saw yesterday," Eli started. He glanced around. The other contestants had vanished, already starting toward the dining hall. A sigh escaped his lips and he looked down at her again. "I think you already are one. At least half, anyways."

Her blood ran cold.

"You think?"

He reached out and grabbed her hand. "Come on," he ushered her toward the courtyard doors. "Let's go get some food."

"No," Sophie ripped her hand free. "What do you mean, you think? Do you really think I'm a vampire?" Her heart pounded inside her chest. Her thoughts became frantic. She couldn't be a vampire. Her father would have known, or Sophie would have known.

"Food first," Eli insisted.

Her jaw clenched. She stormed past him, across the rest of the field. Eli frowned and hurried after her; it didn't take much effort for him to match her pace. "It's not a bad thing! I'm a vampire. Most of the students who come here are vampires, or have the potential to be one. That's the whole point of this school!"

"What?" Sophie stopped. Confusion rippled through her.

Eli huffed. "This school is a vampire school. It ensures the survival of our race. Not only does it teach us how to act in the normal, human world, but it also helps us find mates. In the real world, it's almost impossible to find another vampire. We would have died out ages ago, had Headmaster not started the academy."

"The school lures people here to turn them into vampires," Sophie snapped. "That's not right."

He shook his head. "No! I mean, yes, it does. But it's not so bad. The only people that actually get changed are those who complete the games or do very well on final exams. The higher the mental and physical capabilities, the more of a chance the human has at surviving the change. And you can't be changed without permission first. If you don't want to be a vampire, you don't have to be."

Sophie shook her head. "I want to go home," she grumbled. "This place is just messed up."

"It's not so bad," Eli assured her, placing a hand on her shoulder.

"Hey! Is everything alright?" The familiar voice sliced through the air, and Sophie jumped. She whipped around and almost grinned at the sight of Mr. Wolfe. He walked toward them, a hand lifted in a lazy wave. "Shouldn't you both be at lunch?"

The sleeves of his sky-blue button up were rolled around his elbows. His hair looked unkempt, and strands of ink brushed against his cheeks. He cocked his head to the side, his smile tight.

Sophie stepped to the side a bit, adding a bit more space between her and Eli. Her stomach twisted with guilt and she ducked her head. "Yeah, we were just heading that way."

Eli stared at Mr. Wolfe. "What are you doing here?" he asked. He sounded irritated.

Mr. Wolfe smiled wider. "I volunteered to help clean up the arena," he explained and gestured toward the course behind him. Several other teachers fumbled around, dismantling some of the obstacles.

"That sounds fun," Sophie said.

His smile grew warmer, gaze focused on her. "How are you feeling?" he asked. He shoved his hands into his pockets and watched her. His attention made her cheeks flush bright red.

"I'm doing alright," she said. Her gaze dropped to the ground. "A lot better than I was doing the last time I saw you."

His lips pressed into a firm line at the memory.

Eli cleared his throat. "We're going to miss lunch," he said. His gaze had narrowed into a glare, focused on Mr. Wolfe. "And if we don't eat now, you won't get another meal until after the second challenge is complete."

Mr. Wolfe ignored Eli. He stepped forward and placed a hand on Sophie's shoulder. "If you need anything, don't hesitate to let me know," he said with earnest. "There's a directory just outside the teacher's dorm; you can find my place there. I know losing a friend is tough."

Warmth blossomed across Sophie's chest. It made her feel fuzzy, and all happy inside. She gazed up and him, nodding, absent.

Then Eli tugged on her arm. "Come on, Sophie," he insisted.

Sophie looked at him. His expression had soured, and he sent her a meaningful look. Her gaze flickered back to Mr. Wolfe, apologetic.

Mr. Wolfe grinned impishly at her. "Go eat," he said with a slight nod. "Good luck with the second challenge. I know you'll be phenomenal."

She watched him turn and started toward several of the other teachers. He glanced back and lifted a hand in another lazy wave. Eli grumbled under his breath and tugged at her arm again. This time, she allowed him to drag her toward the doors, and out into the hallway.

Her thoughts remained distracted, focused on a certain Mr. Wolfe.

Eli continuted to grumble. His gaze darted down, and locked onto her face. He noted her somewhat dreamy expression. "Do you really like him that much?" he asked.

Shock jolted through her. Her heart pounded inside her chest as she looked up at him. "I don't know," she answered honestly.

He nodded. His jaw clenched a bit, and he shoved the door to her dorm open. Sophie followed him inside and toward the kitchen area. A small part of her noticed that they never ate dinner with the other contestants. She pushed it back to the depths of her mind.

Eli opened the fridge and fished around. Then he pulled out enough food to make several sandwiches. "I guess that means you have some mortality in you," he commented. "You wouldn't really like him if you were a full vampire."

Sophie arched an eyebrow, thoughts drifting toward Aubrey, and her obvious relationship with Mr. Wolfe.

"Well, you wouldn't be able to mate with him, anyways," he amended. "For some weird reason, my sister decided to date him. I can't tell whether or not she genuinely likes him. Part of me thinks she was more in it for the power. She was the only student who could successfully land a teacher for a boyfriend."

"I see," Sophie muttered.

Eli passed her a sandwich and shook his head. "I can't tell whether he's imprinted on you or not," he admitted.

Sophie grimaced. "And if he has?"

He glanced at her. "If he has, then you would know. When you mate with someone, a bond develops. It's deep, but not necessarily romantic. Sort of like a weird sensation you feel, at least from what I've read about it." Then he sighed loudly. His lips twisted with a pout. "Though I know I wouldn't even have a chance until it was broken."

Her grimace deepened. Her thoughts drifted back to all her memories with Mr. Wolfe; the slight tugging sensations. Did that mean anything at all? She was almost afraid to ask.

Eli watched her eat. He put the leftover ingredients back into the fridge and waited for her to finish. When she did, he gave her a small smile and offered an arm to her. "Ready for the second challenge?" he asked.