by D. R. Perry
I wondered when I’d find my mate. It hadn’t been in high school, like most of my family going back a few generations. On Mom’s side, they’d found their mates later. One thing they had in common was the dreams. After meeting, every one of my shifter relatives had dreamed of his or her mate that same night—which reminded me of the sorry fact that I wouldn’t be able to have any kind of dream until after the exam.
“Doesn’t failure to sleep make people insane? Dammit.” I sighed, glancing down at my study coach. “That was supposed to have been my inside voice.”
“It happens to people who are overtired.” She shrugged. “Be prepared for more of the same as time goes by.”
The door opened on another generically painted dorm hallway. Even though dorms at PPC were renovated Edwardian buildings, they kept them simple and easy to clean with durable things like paint, fixtures, and furniture. We walked down to the end of the hall, where Lynn turned right and opened the door to room 566.
“Huh.” I blinked sleepily at the two beds, only one made up. Lynn put her backpack on the messy one with the plain green plaid comforter and sheets. The other was much girlier, with a lacy coverlet in black and even some throw pillows that would have been at home in my grandmother’s parlor if she’d been a Goth. “There’s a roommate, but there isn’t. I think you were talking to her in the dining hall, too. It smells like jasmine and myrrh in here.”
“I hope she isn’t sometimes dead like the cat in that crazy guy’s theory.” She sat in the chair in front of the desk, which was the opposite of her bed in the tidiness department. That was the only neat thing on her side of the room. It looked like a shrine to studying, with neat stacks of Post-it notes and index cards, one cup of highlighters and another of Sharpies. Lynn even had a dictionary, a thesaurus, and an MLA style handbook in a cubby. There was a wall-mounted stand for a laptop, which she removed from her backpack and hooked up. In contrast, the roommate’s desk was bare except for a silver-embossed sketchbook.
“Think fast!” At the sound of Lynn’s voice, I reached out, plucking a thick stack of rubber-banded index cards from the air. A sting on my pinkie made me wince. The hibernation urge had me off my game. Usually, I could catch just about anything in human form, and most things in bear. That was another thing I wouldn’t be able to do this weekend—let my bear out.
“What are these?” I blinked my bleary eyes. The top card had one word on it, but the wide band across the middle blocked too much of it to read.
“My Ecology flashcards.” She switched on and moved a wireless mouse, waking up her laptop. Then, she pulled open a drawer to reveal a USB keyboard. She plugged it into a port, then pulled up an audio app. “Shuffle them.”
“Why do we need those if you’re setting up your computer?” I sat on the bed to use the nightstand as a card shuffling surface.
“Study aids.” Lynn looked over her shoulder and smiled. “I’ve got all kinds. Trust me, I’m a Valedictorian.” She dropped a wink, and I laughed.
“Can you get more specific for the sleep-deprived among us?” I pulled the band off the cards carefully so they wouldn’t go flying.
“This music ought to help keep us awake.” I couldn’t help but sigh with relief. Study tunes were like a last-minute pardon from listening to recordings of Watkins’ lectures. With a few sweeps and clicks, a wailing voice backed by heavy metal thunder poured out of her speakers. I recognized it.
“Iron Maiden?” I had to think for a moment before trying to shuffle them. There were so many, I had to split the deck a few times and shuffle the sections. These cards were serious business. Once they’d been thoroughly mixed, I gathered them together and held them out to Lynn.
“When you want to stay awake, there’s nothing quite like music that chases down your eardrums like a hellhound.” She took the flashcards back from me and smiled. “Let’s do this!”
And we did. We studied all night, only taking bathroom and vending machine breaks. Once the sky lightened, Lynn and I took turns washing up. The dorms had disposable toothbrushes in the medicine cabinets, thank goodness. I wasn’t sure I’d be able to stop by my room without lying down. When I got back, Lynn had gathered all the books and cards. I grabbed my bag and got ready to leave.
Chapter Six
Lynn
After we shuffled out of the room, I locked the door and followed Bobby down the hall. The sleep deprivation had me light-headed. For a moment, I imagined I could sail right out the window at the end of the hall and float to the dining hall. Some shifters and a few Extrahuman types could have actually done that. I, however, was just an earthbound human.
“Ye canna change the laws of physics, Jim.” I rolled my eyes. “Stupid inside voice.”
“Ha!” Bobby’s laugh started as a bark but unfurled into something rolling in the deeps. It wasn’t exactly contagious but damn was it good to hear something so genuine. “Blaine owes me ten bucks.”
“When did you have time to make a bet with Trogdor the Burninator?” The elevator dinged at the end of my joke. “Ding, joke’s done.” We snorted together.
“I texted him when you took a bathroom break, what was it, like four-thirty?” He followed me into the elevator. “I told him you had a geek streak. Anyway, he accused me of bragging, and that was how the wager happened. He bet you were a one-franchise pony. I told him he was being an ass and would owe me ten bucks.”
“I’m not a pony at all. I’m Lynn Frampton. But I’m not from Kansas, pal, so I ain’t taking you to see a wizard.” My mouth was running. Too bad I didn’t have the energy to go out and catch it.
“You’re cute when you’re punchy.” He put his hand on the fake wood panel behind me, leaning forward. “Champion studier and heroic tutor, too. I could kiss you.”
For once, I couldn’t say a word. Even my inside voice had shut up. He leaned in closer, tilting his head to one side. When his lips brushed mine, I thought maybe I was dreaming. The alarm on my phone would go off at any second, breaking the illusion that a guy as sweet and hot as Bobby Tremain would do anything with a mouth like mine besides cover his ears and run.
It didn’t. He was still kissing me, but he’d stop if I didn’t give him a clue I enjoyed it. Maybe it’d be better for him if he did. Some memory I couldn’t quite put my finger on banished that thought from my mind. I tilted my head up, increasing the pressure between our lips, and raised one hand to stroke the strong line of his stubbled jaw.
One of his arms circled my waist, hugging me closer. I felt his firm torso press against mine, increasing my heart rate like I’d gone for a jog. The exhale that had started as a sigh morphed into a moan as his lips parted, tongue tasting my lips. I might not have been on many dates, but I’d done plenty of kissing, and even a respectable amount of necking. Usually punctuated by slaps or laughter, but maybe this time would be different. A girl can dream, right?
Bobby’s other arm went behind my shoulders, supporting me as he pulled me even closer than before. His hand stroked my hair, which I’d brushed, thank goodness. I felt like the inside of a lava lamp, except a billion times sexier. I finally understood the appeal of that old Aerosmith song. We were pressed against each other in the middle of the elevator when it dinged again, opening.
“Oh, my GAWD!” A feminine giggle followed the strong New England accent. “Bobby Tremain the hibernator’s been up all night with a girl?”
Bobby broke off our kiss, a growl starting deep in his throat. I turned my head to see a tall blonde punching a code into the vending machine, buxom up top, with skinny arms and legs. She clapped her hands excitedly, a smile with fluorescent wattage catching us in its harsh and unwelcome glow. In a second, Bobby let go of me and rushed out of the elevator, his stubble looking thicker than it had just a moment before.
“Stop that charge, Padawan!” The volume of my voice startled me. So did its confidence. Being kissed like that must be some kind of courage tonic. Maybe I actually had been to see a wizard. “No mauling the mall rat.”
“Hi, Jeannie.” I grabbed her hand and let her pump our clasped mitts up and down three times. “Lynn.”
“Oh, the human majoring in Alternative Therapies! I think that’s awesome.” She smiled. “I’m a bear shifter too, by the way.”
“Cool.” I kept my mouth in a straight line. Even though the situation was silly and my punchiness meant more snark on the Frampton Scale, I had something serious to say. “So, Jeannie. Since you’re a bear shifter, can you tell me why you think Bobby’s hibernation is funny? You know he could flunk his exams all the way out of this school, right?”
It was Jeannie’s turn to stand there like a mannequin. She blinked a few times, reminding me for all the world of a deer caught in the middle of the road instead of a bear. Or Bear-shifter Barbie. I tapped my foot in a slow-motion expression of mock impatience, waiting for her answer. The elevator closed behind me, its ding interrupting nothing at all for once.
“I, um… Well, I guess…” Her lower lip jerked a few times, revealing bottom teeth like a white picket fence. “I guess it’s not so funny. I’m sorry, Bobby.”
“Um, it’s okay.” Bobby blinked at Jeannie, then at me. After that, he yawned so widely I saw tears at the corners of his eyes. “I knew Jeannie didn’t mean anything by it.”
“Come on. We should go do our morning coffee-summoning ritual.” I held my hand out, and Bobby took it. As we left the building, I heard the whirr and thump of the vending machine behind us as Jeannie finally got her snack.
I might not have bear-shifter hearing, but her voice carried enough for me to hear her say, “Keep that one, Tremain.”
Outside, the early morning sunlight still wasn’t strong enough to give us snow-blind headaches. Even though I was used to lake-effect blizzards, this was ridiculous. I wondered whether it might be unnatural. Blaine had been right to check the almanacs. Maybe he should look again for more than just hibernation temperatures.
The dining hall had just opened, so there wasn’t much more than cereal and beverages available. That was fine by me, of course. Cereal was my default food choice for any meal. I got a bowl and checked for spoons before pouring any milk. Plenty. I loaded my tray and turned, intending to find a table. I didn’t need to.
“Hey, Blaine.” I put my tray down across from him, plunking my bag of books on the floor.
“Spoons right away this time, nice.” He hadn’t looked up from his notes. I rolled my eyes even though he probably couldn’t see them. Dragons. “So, I found some stuff last night. Want to hear about it?”
“Do kids like ice cream?” I took out my notebook, then had a few bites of my cereal. Bobby sat down next to me with coffees and a stack of Pop-tarts. He pushed a mug of deep-brown wakefulness in my direction and I raised it, saluting him before taking a much-needed sip. It was early enough not to taste burnt..
“Bear clans migrating north would make sure anyone too big to carry was an adult with a mate. Single bears did their family mate-seeking ceremony months ahead of time.” Blaine grinned ruefully at Bobby, blinking slowly. Even with all the smoke trails last night, this was the first time Blaine had looked reptilian since I’d met him.
“Why?” Bobby didn’t stop munching down Pop-tarts, just chewed harder. He didn’t seem confused, just frustrated.
“Mates share a bond that helps them keep each other awake until it’s safe to hibernate.” Blaine sipped tawny liquid from a mug. I mistook a flutter of white at its side for a moth until I saw the string. Tea. The piquant aroma of bergamot wafted over. The dragon was drinking Earl Grey, hot.
“Oh.” Now Bobby shrugged. “I can’t do my family ceremony, if you can call it that. It’s all about dreams, and falling asleep will defeat the purpose. There’s no way to be completely sure who my mate is unless I take a vacation to Destination Dreamland, even if…” Bobby shut his mouth before he said anything else. Coffee must be reining in that inside voice . I drank as much as I could without burning my throat. I might need a little more brain filtering of my own soon.
“Yup. Mate’s the only thing that can keep the sleep away or wake you up. You’re S.O.L., my friend.” Blaine shook his head, but I could see a flicker of mirth in the dragon shifter’s eyes. “Almost.”
“What do you mean by that, Trogdor?” I arched my eyebrow, trying to look more fierce than I felt. A deep yawn sank that effect like the Titanic.
“Wow, that’s a jibe from the way-back machine, Frampton.” He smiled. Bobby chuckled. I blinked. Back home, a remark like that would have ended with rolled eyes and an empty table. “Last night, I met a vampire.”
“Well, go on.” I twirled my spoon in a cranking motion, the universal sign for “Keep talking, you scaly jerk.” I had to focus on Bobby’s issue, not my own. “What’s so special about a vampire?”
“He was a Psychic before he got turned. Makes memory amulets.” Blaine reached for his tea, then leaned back in his seat. “I got you one last night. It’ll remind you to stay the hell awake. It only works in one short burst, though, so you should only use it on exam day.”
“If I make it that far.” Bobby broke one of his Pop-tarts into pieces, not even taking a bite.
“You will. My new friend will bind the amulet to you later. He also said he’d help keep you company.” Blaine spoke from behind his mug as though holding something back. I still didn’t know as much about magical shifters as I should but remembered enough. Dragons weren’t the shadiest shifters out there. That title belonged to the Tanuki. At least Blaine wasn’t one of those. He meant to hide the cost, then. I wondered what he’d paid that vampire for a moment, then remembered how much money the Harcourts had.
“What’s the name of this philanthropist?” I twirled my spoon in the cereal-sweetened milk dregs at the bottom of my bowl.
“Henry Baxter.” Blaine handed the amulet to Bobby. “I’ll introduce you all at sundown. Meet me at the library then, okay?”
“Okay.” I yawned. “I need a nap before my last Anatomy lab practical practice session,” I grinned. “Say that five times fast. Frail mortal over here needs a couple of Zs.”
“Take some.” Bobby’s big hand covered one of my shoulders, rubbing gently. “I’ll see you later.”
“You sure he’ll stay awake?” I glanced skeptically at him, then Blaine.
“I Dragon-Scout-Swear he will get no sleep in my company.” Blaine held out one pinkie. I rolled my eyes but linked mine with his anyway. He let out a chuckle that sounded like a snort. Bobby’s sleepy smile was worth a zillion Dragon-Scout pinkie-swears. “Fine, there’s no such thing. But I won’t let him sleep on my watch, or anywhere else either.”
“Awesome.” I got up, about to flip the cover back over my notebook. “Wait.” I tore the uppermost page out and handed it to the dragon shifter. “I had a thought on the way over here about the storm. Might be nothing, but since your mate’s probably an almanac, it could be fun to look into.”
“Oh, this will be extracurricular. But you’re right. Fun.” Blaine folded the paper and stuck it in his notebook. “Later, Frampton.”
“Bye, Lynn.” Bobby stared at my lips. I leaned down and pressed them against his. Just before I turned to go, I caught the light of his huge grin. I dreamed about nothing but his smile and our kiss in the elevator until my alarm interrupted things just in time for lab.
Chapter Seven
Bobby
“Blaine?” The corners of my mouth still tilted up. There was definitely something that went both ways between Lynn and me, but I couldn’t be sure what it was. I resisted the urge to snap my fingers in front of his face. “Blaine!”
“Huh?” He finally looked up from the almanac Lynn had joked about him being mated to. “What’s up?”
“I have to talk to you
about something.” I still couldn’t eat my breakfast, even with the grill sending the scent of eggs and bacon all over the place. My stomach growled, but my throat felt tight.
“Well, go ahead.” He glanced up at me, then froze when our eyes met. “Wait.” Blaine glanced around at the rapidly filling dining hall. “Is this a topic better left for a private conversation?”
“Yeah.” I gestured at the frosted wreckage on my plate.
“Woah, you only ate half of those. Whatever it is must be serious, huh?” Blaine didn’t wait for my nod. Instead, he gathered his scattered books and papers, sweeping them into his backpack. “Let’s get out of here.”
I followed him out of the dining hall and back across to the dorm, my feet dragging. The snowfall had left me a drowsy mess, but the weight of my thoughts that morning felt heavier than the four feet we’d gotten. I glanced down the way at the giant pile of snow and ice on the library overhang, but my shudder got cut short by a yawn. The urge to sleep had gotten stronger since Lynn left.
Once we were in our room, Blaine waved me away from my bed and my chair. He actually handed me a jump rope, the scaly jerk. I took it and stood in the middle of the room, wringing it in both hands as I got up the gumption to talk. Jumping rope might help me stay awake, but I couldn’t bring myself to do it. The sudden rush of hot and cold anxiety worked well enough to pep me up, even if it kept my mouth shut.
“So, you spent the night with Lynn Frampton.” The one time I could have dealt with Blaine dancing around a point, and he impaled the subject right on it. That maddening directness was probably for the best, though. “Is her mouth anything besides snarky?”
“Wow.” I took a deep breath, the kind where you count to five. “All I did was kiss her.”
“Yup, and then she kissed you when she thought I wasn’t looking. I could tell.” He tapped his nose. Sometimes I forgot Blaine’s sense of smell was almost as good as mine. He waved his hand at me as though my nervousness was a PowerPoint slide. “And it’s got you all worked up like this.”
