Chapter 4 #2
His eyes appeared more green than blue today, almost aquamarine as they stared at me.
Like he knew my thoughts, the corner of his mouth curled in a sensual smile that sent heat zinging down my spine.
I crossed and uncrossed my legs, shifting in my seat from the unfamiliar feeling coursing through me.
This was more than attraction. That domineering asshole was turning me on, with just a look.
“Why is Kai staring at you like that?” Rani whispered, her head only slightly turned toward me, like she too was ensnared by the intensity that was our new TA.
“He’s not,” I replied because I refused to believe it. I refused to acknowledge whatever was happening right now.
“Oh, he definitely is,” she purred, and I elbowed her to stop before he heard.
How he saw me among the crowd of students was a mystery.
We weren’t even in the front row. The professor droned on about his expectations for the next few months while Kai practically undressed me with his eyes.
I conspicuously checked to see if anyone else had noticed, but my classmates were too busy jotting down in their calendars and listening to the key dates for assignments and tests.
Things I should be listening to but was too distracted to focus on.
Tired of the unfamiliar feelings taking over, I fearlessly returned Kai’s stare, determined to make him be the one to look away.
I failed. Spectacularly. His gaze was filled with molten hunger as he dipped his chin ever so slightly.
I lifted a brow, and his stare flicked to the front of the hoodie, then back up at me.
What was he–oh my gods, the hoodie. I was wearing his hoodie!
My face heated, and I gave in, ducking my head to hide from that knowing smirk.
It wasn’t a big deal, I told myself. It was just a piece of clothing; a soft, borrowed, piece of clothing that should be somewhere on my floor right now, ready to be returned to its owner, rather than being worn.
Again—or still—because I had yet to take it off. Fuck.
“Today will be an easy class, and you will be released early after you finish the test,” Dr. Carver caught my attention with that nugget of information.
Test? We hadn’t cracked open a textbook or discussed a single slide. What could he possibly test us on? The panicked murmurs circling the room told me I wasn’t the only one distressed at the thought.
“Don’t worry,” he chuckled, oblivious to the high blood pressure he caused in half of us.
“This is a placement test and won’t count toward your final grade.
It's only meant to challenge your current knowledge of the subject material and see whether you’re ready to take on the intensity of this course. ”
It helped knowing this grade wouldn’t count against me, but I was still nervous. Kai walked up the stairs, handing out a stack of papers to the head of each row. As the tests were handed out, the professor left us with one final requirement.
“Please turn your test in to Mr. Winmore on your way out. Lastly, on the table beside him is a sign-up form. Each student is responsible for choosing a time that works best with their schedules and must meet with Mr. Winmore to go over their grade from this test. He will point out your strengths and weaknesses and be able to set you up with helpful study materials and groups to get you through the semester. There are no excuses—if you fail it will be because you didn’t try. ”
The test was in another language, or I had suddenly forgotten how to read.
Letters swirled and blurred as I tried to read the question for the fifth time.
Half the class already finished, and I was stuck here, my mind going in a million different directions.
I filled in the little bubble, erased it, then filled it in again.
I skimmed my fingers through my hair, and the sleeve of the hoodie brushed my cheek in a waft of citrus.
Peeking at the table by the side doors, Kai was already grading while sporting a pair of dark-framed glasses.
When had he put those on? Focus, Eryn. I turned back to the last page of the test and tried to just get through it.
Calming down was easier said than done when I knew that finishing meant I’d have to approach the subject of my distraction.
He hadn’t looked at me in over an hour—not that I was counting—but the thought of drawing his attention again sent the never-ending throbbing in my chest into overdrive.
I needed to get it over with. Turn in the test, say nothing about the hoodie, and get the hell out of here.
With a sigh, I packed up and awkwardly squeezed past the others in my row who were still working.
I slowly approached the table, my fingers gently shaking.
Seriously. What the hell was wrong with me?
He was just a guy. Hot as hell with a smile that did things to my insides, but he was human.
I could crush him like a fly with barely a thought if I really wanted to.
My mental pep talk carried me the rest of the way, and I practically threw my test into the pile and bolted for the doors.
“Not so fast,” Kai chided, without even looking. I froze across from him, one foot pointing at the exit for a quick getaway. “Aren’t you forgetting something?”
He finally looked up, put the cap on the red marker in his hand, and gave me his undivided attention.
Great. The dark frames around his eyes made the blue pop, and I begged my cheeks to behave and not give me away.
No more blushing for the love of the gods.
He patiently waited for me to get a hold of myself, but the only thing I could think of was the damned hoodie.
He wanted it back, of course he did. But did it have to be now?
It was cold outside, and I had a decent walk ahead of me.
The longer I stood there, the more I risked drawing attention to an already humiliating moment.
I grabbed at the hem of the sweatshirt and lifted.
A deep chuckle stopped me before the material passed my boobs.
“Not the damn jacket, Eryn.” Kai’s shoulders shook with mirth, and I blinked at how it transformed his face. “The one-on-one, you need to sign up for yours.”
“Right,” I mumbled. “The meeting. With you.”
He nodded, still laughing. “Yes, the meeting with me.”
“Alone.”
“Alone.”
“To go over the grade of this test,” I added and blushed when his grin got wider. Damn cheeks betraying me again.
“If I didn’t know better, I’d say you were nervous.” The entire conversation was barely loud enough to carry to the other students in the room, but the look on his face would definitely give some of them ideas.
I couldn’t afford for people to think something was going on between us when it wasn’t.
The consequence of fraternizing with the TA was probably expulsion, and that would ruin everything.
I grabbed the sign-up sheet and hastily scanned it for openings.
Crap. Of course, all the good slots were taken.
The only ones left were during lunch or late in the evening before the library closed.
I scribbled my name beside the late slot, figuring I’d be studying in the library anyway.
Handing the sheet back to him, I glared at the teasing gleam in his eye. “I’m glad you know better. See you on Thursday.”
I ran from the room before he could answer with another taunt.
The blast of cold air outside was a shock to the system, but no wind reached me tucked at the top of the stairs.
Rani didn’t look that far behind me when I glanced at her test, I’d wait here, and we could walk to lunch together as planned.
Movement on the other side of the landing revealed an orange tabby with a bent tail.
The cat hissed when I took a step toward it, but then gave a pitiful meow and limped away.
The poor thing looked a wreck. Was it hit by a car?
A fight with another stray perhaps? I crouched low and held out my fingers.
“Pspsps, come here little guy.” The cat was unimpressed at my attempt at communication.
It limped further away, heading toward the alley that ran around the back of the building.
Careful to only tap into what I needed, I called on my power to try and get a better sense of what was bothering the little guy.
Nothing. Frowning, I tried again but was met with silence.
That’s weird. I’d never had a problem connecting with an animal before, even with pain medicine running through their system.
The little one disappeared around the corner but let out another painful cry.
“Hold on, I’m coming,” I said, already mentally plotting how I’d catch him. Using my backpack as a carrier might work if he was a feisty one. Not being able to communicate would make him a little more hostile.
Before I could step off the landing, Rani joined me, complaining about the test and how hungry she was.
I listened for the cat, but he was long gone, probably scared off by the sound of another person.
My disappointment at failing to help an animal in need was strong. This had never happened before.
“Am I supposed to just leave him?” The idea was enough to make me sick to my stomach. It was cold out.
Rani tried to console me. “There are lots of strays on campus, and they’re well taken care of. If he’s truly injured, it won't be long before the vet students are treating him.”
It didn’t feel right, but short of forcing her to follow me on a hunt through the back alley, there was nothing I could do unless I saw him again.
We quickly hit the Commons and boxed our lunch to go, taking it back to the dorm to eat in front of Rani’s TV.
It was supposed to be a relaxing afternoon, but then I saw our door.
Some type of sigil was carved into the wood.
It was small, too small to be noticed by anyone not looking for it, but I was trained my entire life to keep an eye out for the little details.
The sigil was a curved half circle, almost like the letter G, with a string of dots along one side and a couple of strikes through it.
I didn’t know what it was for, but I knew what it meant.
It meant I wasn’t the only supernatural on campus.
It meant whoever was out there knew where I was and was one step closer to learning the truth about who if they hadn’t already.
One day into the semester, and I already messed up. Would I ever learn?