Chapter 20
Phoenix
“So… did you have a good weekend?” Lila asked me the moment I sat down in Elemental Theory the following Monday.
“Uh…” I said, blushing the brightest shade of red before I could help myself. “It was okay.”
“I knew it,” she replied coolly. “You and that Beastkin got it the fuck on, didn’t you?” She leaned closer, her smile so big I could see her vampire fangs. “Tell me every juicy detail. I want to hear it all.”
“Jesus, Lila,” I hissed, glancing around to make sure no one was listening. “Could you be any louder?”
Her grin only widened. “So I’m right. You two finally sealed the deal.” She leaned a little closer. “So, Phoenix… who was the bottom?”
I felt myself flush with heat. “Isn’t that a little personal?”
“My money is on you,” she continued, completely unperturbed. “You seem the type. And that Beastkin… well, let’s just say he doesn’t seem the type to take it if you know what I mean.”
She was making it difficult not to know what she meant.
“I’m not discussing this here,” I muttered.
“Fine. Coffee after class.” She made it sound like a command rather than a suggestion. “And don’t even think about ditching me.”
I spent the rest of class trying to focus on Professor Blackwood’s lecture about elemental resonance frequencies, but my mind kept drifting to the weekend out in the woods beyond the wards.
To Karrick’s hands on my skin, the way he’d whispered my name like a prayer.
The phantom ache between my legs made me shift uncomfortably in my seat.
It was made even harder by the fact that he was sitting only a few rows away from me in the back of the class.
Our bond was complete now and I could feel every single time he glanced at me.
There was a sudden surge of arousal that I felt down to my very bones, and it took everything I had not to turn back and look at him.
However, my dick wasn’t listening to me at all.
So, glad for the desk, I remained at full mast for the entirety of the class.
When class finally ended, Lila was already standing, slinging her bag over her shoulder with the kind of predatory grace that made other students step out of her way.
Good thing I’d chosen to wear a long-ish hoodie because my cock was still misbehaving.
Karrick glanced at me from across the room and quickly left, holding his bag in front of him to hide his similar problem.
We’d both agreed to act like we didn’t know one another while we were around other people.
“Come on,” she said, linking her arm through mine. “Let’s go find a cozy corner at the cafe and chat.”
Twenty minutes later, we were tucked into a corner booth at the student center cafe that was fairly dead this time of day. Lila ordered a black coffee, no surprise there, while I nursed a chai latte, grateful for something to do with my hands.
“Alright,” she said, settling back in her seat with that same expectant grin. “Spill.”
I stared down at the foam swirling in my cup. “It’s… complicated.”
“The best things usually are.” Her voice softened slightly. “Phoenix, you know I’m not just asking to be nosy, right? Believe it or not, I want to be actual friends with you. And if this guy makes you happy...”
“He does,” I said quietly, surprising myself with how easily the words came. “God, Lila, he really does. But that’s the problem.”
She frowned. “How is that a problem?”
I took a shaky breath. “We’re... we’re mates. Bonded mates.”
Her coffee cup froze halfway to her lips. “Holy shit. Phoenix, that’s incredible. Do you have any idea how rare—”
“I know how rare it is for Beastkin to bond with anyone,” I cut her off, panic creeping into my voice. “And that’s exactly why I’m terrified. If anyone finds out...”
Lila nodded, a look of grim understanding on her face. “Your parents… they probably aren’t gonna get used to the idea of that, huh?”
“Get used to it?” I let out a bitter laugh.
“Lila, they’ll kill me… or worse…” I wrapped my hands around the warm mug, trying to steady myself.
“They moved us away from the Pacific Northwest when I was a kid because they found out I was friends with him. Just friends. If they knew we were bonded...”
“They can’t break a mate bond,” she said fiercely. “It’s impossible.”
“Maybe not, but they could hurt me… or Karrick.” I took a sip of chai, the spices doing nothing to calm the knot in my stomach.
“And it’s not just them. Half the Academy would lose their minds if they knew a witch was bonded to a Beastkin.
They think Beastkin are cursed creatures that don’t deserve… anything.”
“People think the same thing about vampires,” Lila nodded.
“But I’ll tell you one thing, my existence is no curse.
And I guarantee you Beastkin feel the same way.
The only curse we’re under is the fact that everyone treats us like monsters.
” She leaned back in her chair, taking a sip of her coffee.
“But the truth is, we’re just people, like everyone else. ”
“Why do people feel that way though?” I asked, honestly curious. “My parents never let me read about the monster races, so I really don’t know their origins.”
Lila sat thoughtfully for a moment before responding. “Have you read the French fairy tale by Gabrielle-Suzanne Barbot de Villeneuve?” she asked in a perfect French accent.
I shook my head. “Fairy tales were not on the approved reading list.”
“Well, it’s what the Disney movie is loosely based on, but I doubt you’ve seen that either.
” She shook her head. “Anyway, weirdly enough, Disney got the story nearly correct. The first Beastkin was actually a prince or king that had pissed off a witch instead of a fairy. And that witch cursed him into a beast-like form. However, this curse couldn’t be broken. But that wasn’t the end of the story.”
“It’s not?”
“Nope,” she smiled. “Apparently the first Beastkin eventually found his mate, another witch. By then the pair of them had developed strong prejudices against the other. But thanks to the mate bond, they couldn’t resist one another.
Eventually they fell in love and the witch, though she was considered a great beauty and very powerful among her kind, transformed herself into a Beastkin to be with her mate.
And their children, both magical and bestial, became the foundation of what Beastkin are today. ”
I sat there for a long moment, staring with my brows knitted together. “Is that true?”
Lila just shrugged. “I have no idea. I’m only a couple hundred years old.
Beastkin already existed before I was born.
” She leaned forward again, lowering her voice.
“But if it is true, that explains why witches, especially purist witches, hate them so much. Beastkin represent a blending of the species and of magic that witches feel should only belong to them.”
I let that sink in for a moment, staring at my chai latte. If Lila’s story was true, it would explain so much about my parents’ hatred. And why they’d been so horrified to find me playing with Karrick as a child.
“That’s... actually kind of beautiful,” I said quietly. “Two people from different worlds finding each other despite everything.”
“Right?” Lila grinned. “So don’t let anyone make you feel like what you have with Karrick is wrong or shameful. It’s fucking magical, Phoenix.”
I felt a small smile tug at my lips, but anxiety still gnawed at my insides. “It’s not that simple, though. If my parents found out...” I trailed off, unable to even voice my fears.
“They won’t,” Lila said firmly. “Not unless you tell them. And you’re an adult now. You don’t have to tell them shit. And you took care of the pendant, so they have no idea, right?”
“But what about everyone else? I mean, you figured it out right away.”
“Because I’m exceptionally perceptive,” she said with a wink. “And I was looking for it. Most people are too self-absorbed to notice what’s happening with others. You’re not the only witch here trying to impress Mommy and Daddy. Everyone is too busy with their own shit to notice.”
I wasn’t convinced. “What about the bond, though? Can other people sense it?”
“Only if they’re specifically attuned to that kind of magic. And trust me, most people at this academy couldn’t sense a mate bond if it danced naked in front of them wearing Christmas lights.”
That made me laugh despite myself. “So, we just... keep it secret?”
“For now, if that’s what makes you feel safe.” Lila reached across the table and squeezed my hand. “But Phoenix, don’t let fear keep you from experiencing this fully. Mate bonds are rare and precious.”
I nodded, feeling the constant warm pulse of Karrick’s presence in the back of my mind. Even now, somewhere across campus, I could sense him, like a comforting hearth fire I could always return to.
“So,” Lila said, her voice dropping into a theatrical whisper, “now that we’ve covered the serious stuff… was it good? And don’t you dare hold back on me.”
I felt my face flush hot again. “Lila!”
“What? I’m living vicariously here. Humor me.”
I bit my lip, glancing around to make sure no one was listening. “It was... beyond anything I could have imagined,” I admitted, my voice barely audible. “Like every nerve in my body was on fire, but in the best possible way.”
“I knew it!” she crowed, then immediately lowered her voice when I shot her a panicked look. “Sorry, sorry. But I could tell by the way you’ve been walking today.”
“What’s wrong with how I’m walking?” I demanded, mortified.
“Nothing’s wrong with it. It’s just... distinctive.” She smirked. “So, he’s big, then?”
My mouth just fell open, but no sound came out.
“That’s a yes,” she nodded. “I figured. He’s seven feet tall on a bad day.
Dude’s gotta be hung like a horse.” She leaned closer.
“And I would know. I fucked around with a centaur a few years back. Dude’s front dick was totally normal human stuff, but that rear dick…
woof. Let’s just say it’s a good thing I have nearly instantaneous healing because we got a little carried away. ”
I just stared at her. It was all far too much information to process. “They have… two dicks?” I asked at last, barely above a whisper.
“Yep. Human up front, horse in the back.”
“But… why? That makes zero sense biologically.”
She shrugged. “They’re just lucky I guess.”
I shook my head, trying to banish the mental image of centaur anatomy. “We’re getting seriously off-topic here.”
“Right, right. Back to your sexy Beastkin.” Lila’s eyes sparkled with mischief. “So, when are you seeing him again? Tonight? This weekend?”
I felt that familiar warmth spread through my chest just thinking about it. “We haven’t exactly worked out the logistics yet. It’s not like we can just hang out in the dorms or go on normal dates.”
“Why not? There are plenty of places on campus where you could meet up without drawing attention. The old greenhouse behind the herbology building is usually empty after dark. Or the third floor of the library. Nobody ever goes up there except to make out.”
“You seem to know an awful lot about secret meeting spots,” I said, raising an eyebrow.
“What can I say? I’m an empowered slut.” She grinned, showing those sharp fangs again. “The point is, you have options. Don’t let paranoia keep you from your mate.”
I nodded, though anxiety still churned in my stomach. “I just... I’ve never had to hide something this big before. What if I slip up? What if someone sees us together?”
“Then you deal with it when it happens.” Lila’s voice turned gentle.
“Phoenix, you can’t live your entire life afraid of what might happen.
Trust me, I’ve tried. It’s exhausting, and it’s no way to live.
” She reached a hand across the table, her cold fingers grasping mine.
“Besides, you’ve got a support team here.
I’m here for you, so is Karrick, and it sounds like Professor Blackwood is on your side too.
Not to mention the school board is pushing for this kind of integration of our kinds. You’re not alone.”
I stared down at my hands wrapped around the mug.
“My parents have controlled every aspect of my life for as long as I can remember. They chose my friends, my classes, even what books I could read. This is the first time I’ve ever felt like.
.. like myself. And I’m terrified they’ll find a way to take it away from me. ”
“Well, then they better bring an army,” she grinned. “Because I don’t plan on going down without a fight.”
“Yeah,” I nodded, feeling suddenly more confident thanks to my new friend. “Me either.”