by brett hicks
What I noted above all else was the fact that both males were perfectly comfortable putting their backs to me. There was some strange part of my brain that felt annoyed and even antagonized by this action, but I decided to ignore that bubbling anger. They had been relatively nice to me and they had saved my life so I could bite back a few curses, just because they deemed me below their sense of danger.
“What part of the Academy are we in?”
Yellow eyes swung in my direction for a moment and then his gruff tone answered, “Fall segment.”
I blinked a few times.
“Werewolves or lycanthropes—whatever you call yourselves—are fall aligned?” I frowned and my disbelief made my tone sound almost accusatory. Jace’s chest rumbled with deep growling sounds. The redheaded guy Patrick threw his head back and laughed earnestly.
“Easy there big guy, she really doesn’t know anything about our kind. Heck, I don’t think she knows much more about her own kind.”
His lips twitched in his deep amusement. The girl next to them only showed her amusement in her gleaming eyes. She looked the picture of reason and silent dignity otherwise.
Jace growled out gruffly, “We are Lupine and we do not limit ourselves to a single aspect of the natural world. Nor do we exist inside the limited scope of Faerey politics. No wolf bows to a faerey.”
Patrick quickly added, “Well, and lives for more than five minutes.”
Jace stepped through a wide opening and we found ourselves in a large banquet hall. Oranges and reds tinge the leaves of the indoor plants. The crisp scents of maple leaves and the changes of season tickled my nose.
Arrayed on the table before me was a grand feast that only a bunch of teenagers could have produced. Pizza, lasagna, and even rows of Chinese food options were all laid out before me.
“I don’t know what you faereys like, so I opted to keep our menu lupine friendly.”
Jace said this as if I had some special dietary needs that might not get fulfilled. My dad hadn’t informed me of any particular allergies. I shrugged and said, “Pizza is always good.”
Patrick looked back to me with humor in his blue eyes, “Right!?”
Jace growled again and Patrick huffed lightly and he waved me forward.
“Let’s get seated before his royal grumpiness eats one of our limbs, yeah?”
I grinned widely and nodded. I was pretty sure that I looked a lot like my father right now, filled to the brim with barely veiled mischief. Twenty-some teenagers quickly came to the table from various areas of the room where they had been milling about. Once Jace was seated and he began to help himself to meat lover’s pizza, the rest of the pack descended on the food like well hungry lupine.
The shy little redhead girl seated herself beside me. And she seemed intent on not looking anyone in the eyes, while she scooped loads of deeply fried chicken and thick fried noodles onto her plate.
Several of the wolves even seemed to pile the Chinese food onto their pizza. I managed not to cringe at the sight, reminding myself that teenage boys did tend to concoct some strange dishes during puberty!
I helped myself to some meat lover’s pizza and managed to grab three nice slices and not lose a limb in the process. Hungry lupine did not speak at all, just began to gorge themselves on junk food and many made low growling sounds, but this time it sounded more like contentment and less like they were actually about to attack someone. I guessed that they were about as docile as they got while eating food.
After a moment I was lost in the process of downing my weight in pizza. I had been much hungrier than I expected. My body seemed to be attempting to replace what it had lost earlier.
Thirteen:
Dining with wolves was not so bad, considering they had ordered their own take-out. Well, as they insisted on calling it, “take-away.”
Jace kept studying me like I had an extra head or something. Part of me was just too hungry to snap and ask him what his problem was, but the other part told me to act like a good little faerey. This was clearly the lupine domain at the school. Almost thirty of them attended Cambridge Academy and they seemed to radiate a sort of magic power and pure body heat.
As the meal was consumed and a couple of lupine siblings fought over the last slice of pizza, people began to rise and file out of the dining room. Patrick waved his hand ahead of us and pointed vaguely towards some sofas near a large fireplace.
Unlike the frosty domain of winter, these flames were orange and red like a regular campfire. The smell of smoking and burning wood tickled my nose.
“Why don’t we have a seat and Jace can discuss certain things with you.”
Patrick smiled politely and I followed the tall teen over to the fireplace and I tried hard to keep my hesitancy out of my expression. If half of what I knew about animals was true of these lupine shapeshifters, then I would likely be advertising my fear if I gave it even an inch to spread and grow.
Jace turned and locked his deep powerful gaze on me again. He leaned in closer and sniffed deeply right in front of me. I felt a mixture of confusion and mild annoyance at the act of openly sniffing me. I scowled at him and crossed my arms over my chest.
“Could you not go around sniffing me, please?”
My tone came out edgy and slightly flat. His nostrils flared widely and his deep rumbling sounded like an old muscle car purring deeply.
“What exactly are you, Amelia Edwards?”
I felt a tug at that weight of debt from him. I didn’t need to know much to know he was trying to use the debt to elicit an honest answer from me. I ground my teeth and I felt my jaw tighten down.
“I don’t know, just a Moch Sidhe according to my father.”
Jace’s eyes held deep and unfiltered doubts about the validity of my claim. His growl was rougher and filled with lupine annoyance.
“Don’t lie to me, little freshman faerey.”
I huffed and I leaned in and I held his hot yellow gaze. His breath smelled Italian and he himself smelled of sandalwood and musk. A very delectable male scent of muskiness was sub toned beneath these stronger scents.
“I’ve not lied to anyone since I arrived. I’m getting sick of people telling me how to act, or what to do! It’s like everyone in this damn community seems to be looking to pick a fight with me!”
He spread his arms wide in a gesture of “what do you expect?”
“You reek of power; even those without a nose can feel it on you. Mists gather around you like none I have ever seen before. Your father is weak, so how is it that his daughter could recover from a very dangerous stab wound within five hours? How do you bend the mists to your will even while you slumber?”
I frowned and huffed again and pointed my finger at his face.
“Stop calling me a liar. It sounds like I should be plying you for information. You seem to know a lot more about me than even I do!”
Jace looked at Patrick and the other boy shrugged and shook his head slightly.
“I don’t scent any deception in her body chemistry. Her heart-rate stayed even the entire time as well, Jace. I don’t think she knows the truth about herself, much less to tell anyone else if she were willing.”
Jace’s teeth ground and he nodded stiffly one time and his gruff voice stated, “That’s what I read from her as well. She is telling the truth, as far as she knows it to be.”
I raised my hand up like I was in a classroom and I chided, “Can you two stop talking about me like I’m not here listening to you?! It’s freaking rude, dude!”
Naomi mumbled lowly, “My brother can be a jerk sometimes…”
She bit her lip and tried to bite back her small shy smile. I didn’t understand shy chicks, but she seemed okay, despite her quite withdrawn nature. I beamed a bright smile at her and winked.
“I know what you mean. Guys don’t seem to have any common sense when it comes to girls.”
She nodded slightly and I heard Patrick lean in and mutter to Jace, “It’s like they forgot we’
re sitting right here.”
Jace muttered gruffly, “That’s the entire point, turnabout, Patrick.”
Comprehension seemed to sink into Patrick.
“Ah, vindictive, I like it.”
He winked at me playfully and his sister sniffed lowly in amusement. I noticed she didn’t seem to do the whole growling constantly thing. Part of me wanted to ask about this, but my common sense told me it might be a bad idea. Sort of like breaking some unwritten lupine law, maybe a very real written law for all I knew about the supernatural. All I really knew was what I had managed to absorb over the past day and what little my father had shared with me.
Damn Maris for leaving me to fly blindly into this hornet’s nest of trouble!
My thoughts were grim and my mood was tittering on a razor’s edge. One thing was certain; I was going to give Maris some hell for all the crap I’ve been experiencing without any real help from the man who sired me! I mean, keep your body to yourself, if you don’t plan to actually help the kid you make!
Now I was sitting with wolves and I was being pressed for information I didn’t have. Maris had mentioned that it would be impossible for me to spill what I did not know to begin with. Damn him for being so cunning and clever!
Daddy dearest is going to have a lot of splainin’ to do!
I made my private vow to myself and I kept my emotions closely guarded, remembering how these two men seemed to sniff me and detect much more than I wanted them to knowing about me. The whole act of sniffing another person also seemed to come off as gross, too!
“Is that all? I still need to find my damn dorm room and I’m pretty sure I could use a bath after bleeding all over myself. That’s not a smell a girl wants lingering on her body.”
I spoke evenly and calmly. My eyes probably told that I was less than excited about the direction of this strange interrogation. Jace frowned deeply and he flicked his gaze to Patrick, who shrugged and then he huffed.
“I’ve upset you.”
I blinked in surprise at his statement, but otherwise kept my features schooled.
How did he smell that on me?!
I shrugged and waved my hand around in a sweeping gesture.
“Look, I don’t pretend to know the many nuances of leading a segment of supernatural beings. I really just want to go take a damn shower, sleep, and hopefully wake up in my own bed with my own life. Since I can’t have that third option, I will settle for the first two. You have my word that I don’t mean your pack any harm.”
Patrick seemed satisfied with this, but Jace was frowning. Not angry at me, but he seemed disappointed by something. I didn’t dare to pretend like I knew a damn thing about lupine behavior. Though, his behavior seemed to be a lot more personal and less business-like.
“I will see you to your dorm room. It is on the opposite side of this wing. You were placed in autumn since your powers are, unusual to say the least.”
I frowned at that and I met his eyes and I spoke calmly, but fiercely.
“What does that even mean? You make it sound like I’m a freak. I’m Moch Sidhe, there are plenty of other Moch Sidhe at this school. Hell, they seem to have their own damn preppy gangs!”
His lips twitched and Jace nodded in agreement.
“They do and they are, but your power doesn’t seem to be elemental in nature, which is unusual for one of your kind. As you might have noticed, that dagger that stabbed you was made of ice magic. That is one of the more common kinds of elemental power you would expect from a Moch Sidhe. You, on the other hand, seem more potent in mist, glamour, and regeneration.”
“Is that really so bad? I mean, I wish I had the ability to shape ice or maybe to start fires with my mind—like Carey. Those both sound infinitely more appealing to me than being good with illusions and playing with mists.”
Jace shrugged casually.
“You are just coming into your powers and you need training. There is no telling what direction your powers will grow or how strong you are going to become.”
“Yeah, magical puberty really seems to suck for me so far.”
Patrick snorted derisively at this and his sister covered her mouth and giggled lightly. Her laughter sounded as soft and gentle as everything else about her, dainty, but not brittle.
Jace rose and he offered me his hand like an old-world gentleman. I took it without thinking. His touch was searing hot and his grip was vice-firm but not uncomfortable. He pulled me up to my feet with a gentle slight motion.
I remembered him throwing the dude twice my weight like a baseball. Lupine strength was pretty insane by all current accounts.
After moment’s awkward staring, Jace led me out of the room gently by my hand—which he had not bothered to return to me yet. His lingering touch seemed to scream “possessive” and that made hormones I didn’t even know I had fire off in rapid bursts. I just hoped that furry-pants couldn’t smell the deep effect his touch had on my body.
I have always known I like guys, but never have I ever been so bothered by a guy’s touch. He was just holding my hand and walking, yet I felt like I was raging with a wildfire in my veins.
He should scare me, but somehow the honesty in his lupine assertion and overt danger appealed to me. He was not one to smile and stick a girl in the back with a dagger. No, Jace would boldly confront you to your face if he didn’t like you. Being new to a school full of creatures and powerful immortal beings, I preferred the brutal honesty in his species.
I didn’t think myself dense enough to believe Jace would not turn on me, given the right motivators, but at least I could see that coming. It was the hidden daggers of the pretty-boys of this school that worried me more now. Knowing someone is dangerous seemed to make things a lot simpler.
“I would like a favor from you since you freely offered one, little faerey.”
His words sent chills down my spine. I had no idea what an alpha lupine might ask of me. I cleared my throat and bit my lip and then I nodded.
“Sure, as long as it’s not my first born or to murder someone.”
Jace snorted in amusement and shook his head in a wide “no” gesture.
“Nothing so crass, I assure you. I want you to train with me this year, just until you are capable enough to defend yourself properly.”
I spun and I looked at him through wide eyes.
“What…”
My breath caught in my throat at how close he was suddenly. Damn these narrow hallways and their ability to make a girl feel trapped!
Jace leaned in slightly and I could feel his deep rumbling vibrations. The sound was pleasant, almost peaceful and contented.
My mind fled from the scene of the future crimes about to be committed.
Fourteen:
He was leaning into my personal space and I thought for sure he was about to kiss me. His lips were lingering so low, so close to my mouth. I don’t remember how I had gotten myself cornered in such a compromising position, or why my body seemed to heat up at the prospect of his touch—of his kiss.
I leaned in slowly as if I expected him to pull back from me at any moment. His feral eyes seemed to narrow slightly and his expression was hooded with male intent.
My door opened and I heard Casey step out and she practically yelled, causing me to wake from the trance of hunger I had been so caught up in.
“Amy! You scared the hell out of me!”
I hopped back a few steps, as much as I could considering the narrow corridors of the halls. I finally broke contact with Jace and I looked at my new vampire friend. He looked worried like she might even have been crying. I managed a weak wave and a slight smile.
“Hey, how’s it going tonight?”
She rushed forward and clasped her hand on my shoulder and she looked me over. Her gaze was intense and thorough in its sweep for damage.
“Damn, I heard you were stabbed, but I don’t see any damage, but I do smell some dry blood.”
I shrugged casually and just stated, “I healed apparently,
but I was stabbed. Not exactly something I recommend, by the way, it freaking hurts!”
Her eyes widened slightly and she seemed to look me over again and then she looked to Jace.
“Thanks for your care wolf, but I will crash with Amy.”
Jace lingered for a moment and then he was off in a blur of motion. I felt the void his vanishing heat caused. I felt so cold like I might never be warm again.
Get a hold of yourself, Amy, he’s a damn werewolf! He would sooner bite you than kiss you! They all seem to pretty much hate your kind!
I chided myself and I turned and gave Casey a weak smile.
“So, how long have you been waiting here?”
She shrugged and she casually said, “Just a little bit. I wanted to know you were okay before I even attempted to get some sleep.”
I made an O shape with my mouth and she smiled lightly. Her eyes kept flickering over my body.
“They didn’t hurt you, the lupines?”
My eyes widened a fraction and I shook my head.
“Not unless their grand plan for my destruction was meat lover’s pizza. In that case, I think they might have me firmly in their thrall.”
She snorted in amusement and moved aside for me to enter the room. There was a living area in the first room and I noted that there were desks on either opposite wall; two of them and a door going into a bedroom on either side of the living area.
“Bathroom is the door on the very back wall and that little cutout space along the far back is our little kitchenette. Not room for much, but I think we can manage, considering your food would probably take up more space than mine.”
“We? We are roommates?”
She shrugged and said, “I might have compelled a bitchy little river nymph to change rooms with me. Seeing as how welcoming the rest of the faereys have been to you, I figured you could use a friend?”
I smiled widely and I probably looked more surprised than happy.
“Thanks for that, but you just met me, are you sure you want to hang around me? I seem to be positively radioactive around here. You might stand a better chance of fitting in if you disavowed all relations with me.”
