Chapter 8
Theo sighed as anxiety built within him.
He was still rather tired, being as he hadn’t slept particularly well the previous night.
He’d woken up hard, twice, after dreaming of Calliope, which was bad enough, but staying quiet it seemed was not as easy as it used to be.
For when Theo thought of Calliope, stifling his moans was the equivalent of shutting up a magpie.
He’d came, both times, nearly suffocating himself in his pillow so as not to wake Trick. His roommate might have been accepting of many things, but he wasn’t certain he’d be so cool with being woken up in the middle of the night because Theo couldn’t keep his cock settled.
Which was... new.
Up until recently, Theo had barely engaged in any sort of self-pleasure.
He masturbated frequently enough, once or twice a week just to make sure everything still worked, and to let off stress before a large test or whatnot, but it was as if ever since he’d been with Calliope, his cock had woken up with renewed life.
And with it being quite a sensitive member to begin with, Theo wasn’t sure this was a good thing. He worried he’d end up one of those individuals who couldn’t put their cock down, or worse, go blind from all the self-pleasure.
“Hey, Theo!” A feminine voice pulled him from his thoughts, and he looked up to see Isabelle and Spike waving at him. But they were not alone. A tall, slender woman with vibrant red hair, and an older, rougher looking man with dark hair and a faint beard were also with them.
“Hey,” he said, as Isabelle shoved him in front of the redhead and the grizzly looking man.
“This is Theo, I was telling you about him yesterday. He’s the new gallery work study. Theo, this is Lora. She works at the gallery with us, too.”
Lora held out her hand to shake his, and he took it politely.
“Oh, hey, nice to meet you.”
I guess it makes sense the other work studies are probably art majors.
He looked at Spike, who seemed to be sniffing the air and making a face.
It dawned on Theo that Spike had mentioned being a hellhound, capable of smelling things apparently humans could not. The jury was still out on whether or not Theo believed him, but the action would make sense.
And suddenly, Theo wondered if he’d remembered to put deodorant or cologne on this morning.
“This is Mars,” Lora said with beaming eyes. “I finally talked him into taking an actual class!”
Mars nodded at Theo.
“Take it you aren’t an art major?” Theo chided.
Mars shook his head. “Lorelai said a good mate is supportive.”
It was not the way he said the words, but rather the words themselves. Or rather, one word.
Mate.
Something about that word echoed in Theo’s brain, familiar yet foreign at the same time. The word drummed up memories of Calliope, or rather the moment he’d found himself buried inside Calliope until he couldn’t think straight.
He’d called her his, but there was a desire that yours wasn’t the right word. Mate felt like the right word, but Calliope certainly wasn’t his mate.
He wasn’t sure what she was, entirely. One night stand wasn’t correct, and girlfriend was far too stage five clinger even for him, but mate...
It made him feel warm, content. At peace.
I need to get to bed early tonight. Clearly sleep deprivation is affecting me.
Theo pulled on his bookbag as he nodded at Mars. “I see.”
“You didn’t mention you were taking one of Callie’s classes,” Spike said as Izzy patted the desk next to her.
“Oh, you know Callie?” Mars asked curiously.
Theo cleared his throat as the reality of the words hit him. Callie’s class.
Callie is... a teacher, too? Panic hit him.
Did I sleep with my fucking teacher? The realization, worry, and lust hit him all at once as Izzy patted the chair once more.
“Yeah, he’s her new muse or whatever,” Isabelle said nonchalantly.
“What?” Theo’s voice cracked.
“Here, you’re going to want a front row seat. You get so many more details that way.”
Theo’s blood chilled. “I’m sorry, did you say Callie teaches this class?”
“Yeah. Lifestyle Drawing is one of Callie’s classes...” Spike said as if the information was common knowledge. “I thought you knew that, because usually the work study requires at least one art class to apply.”
Theo blinked. It was true; he did know that. He’d signed up for his art electives because he needed them for his graduating credits, but also, he’d done it to ensure he wouldn’t be rejected for the work study.
He’d looked at the schedule, numerous times, but he hadn’t connected the instructor’s name to—
“Good morning, class,” Calliope’s sweet, chime-like voice rang out and Theo turned slowly to see Calliope, coming through the door with a coffee in her hand, dressed in a form-fitting black and grey tweed skirt with a matching black blouse that drew attention to her ample round breasts.
Theo’s cock noticed the way her nipples peaked through the fabric, twitching in response.
Oh, fuck.
Calliope’s gaze settled on him as she froze in the middle of the room.
Theo felt like he might pass out.
Especially because she looked quite appetizing in her matching outfit, her heels making her lithe legs stand out, her dark hair spilling over her shoulder. Breasts pushed together to give ample cleavage.
“Theodore... I didn’t expect to see you this morning.”
Izzy nudged him in the ribs. “This is the part where you say good morning, idiot.”
Isabelle’s words pulled him out of his stupor and he cleared his throat. “Uh huh. Good morning, Callie.”
She looked from him to Mars, moving past him without any other acknowledgment. Like once again, he was beneath her somehow. Like she needed to get away.
“Boy, am I glad to see you,” she said with a sigh. The words cut Theo deeper than he knew they should have.
Who is this guy? What does Callie want with him?
“Don’t get excited, I’m just here because Lora—”
“I need to talk to you after class, not here.” Calliope looked at them all as students continued to pour in and take their seats.
“All of you.”
Her gaze settled on Theo and for a moment he felt as if time itself stopped.
She offered him a faint smile before taking her spot at the front of the room.
“You think it’s about the diviner?” Isabelle asked.
“What about the diviner?” Mars asked.
Lorelai took her seat next to Mars, while Spike took the center.
Izzy sat next to Theo.
“It was stolen,” Izzy said in hushed tones.
“Stolen?” Mars’s voice elevated as Spike shushed him.
“Yes, keep your voice down!”
Theo nodded at Spike. “Callie said you think a shifter stole it, right?”
Mars looked down the line at him, but it was Lorelai that spoke, pulling his attention.
“A supernatural shifter,” Spike noted. “Like me.”
“Wait, does he know—” Lorelai pressed as Izzy waved her off.
“Yeah, Spike told him all the tea yesterday.”
“I’m not sure I believe in all this shifter fate magical rock stuff but—”
They all raised their eyebrows at him.
“What?”
“You don’t believe in magic and you’re dating a literal muse?” Izzy bit.
“Dating? It was Theo’s turn to raise his eyebrows.
Not that he didn’t want to date Calliope, but he knew one night of sex and one romantic dinner did not equal a relationship. Especially not a date that ended without a kiss.
Well, to be fair I did kiss her. Just not like I wanted to...
At that moment, Calliope’s gaze caught his as Spike said, “Let’s not get carried away. No one said they’re dating.”
Isabelle huffed in annoyance. “Yeah, okay, and I’m not a monster fucker.”
“Izzy!” Spike’s voice hitched an octave and his cheeks reddened like tomatoes.
Mars eyed Theo suspiciously.
“Okay, class, please find your seats and we’ll get started with introductions!” Callie called out and Theo forced himself to look away, though he could feel Mars’s eyes on him a mile away.
What is his problem?
Thankfully, once class started, Theo was able to focus on the task at hand. The class. After Calliope had given her professor’s introduction and everyone had done their round table introductions, it was time for drawing.
Theo had expected a nude model, but it turned out, the only model was a clothed volunteer.
Lorelai.
Calliope positioned Lorelai on a chair, set some vases of fake flowers around her, and draped a long, pale pink fabric over that looked like cut shears.
It wasn’t Girl With A Peal Earring but Theo wasn’t sure what he expected. He held his charcoal stick in his hand, trying to figure out how to start, when Spike leaned over to his desk.
“Don’t overthink it. Just draw a line and go from there.”
Theo looked at the dark-haired, dark-eyed man beside him.
“Guess you’ve done this before?”
Spike nodded. “Last semester, I took Callie’s painting class. She’s not worried about if your stuff is perfect, she just wants you to feel it, you know?”
Theo chewed on Spike’s words. Painting class?
“She teaches painting, too?”
Spike nodded. “Drawing, Painting, and Ceramics.”
Theo nodded, letting his hand draw a line on the paper in front of him. It was just a black line. Nothing special. Hardly anything to get excited over. He looked at Lorelai, trying to find a place to start again.
“I have painting 101 this semester, too,” Theo mused as he focused on Lorelai’s arm.
Spike chuckled. “Did you pick these before or after your speed date?”
“Before.”
Spike grinned. “And you don’t believe in fate?”
Theo shrugged, going back over the line. “I don’t know, honestly. It sounds nice, but... in my life, I haven’t really seen fate working in my favor.”
Spike drew a line on his paper, and it was much more fluid than Theo’s straight one.
“I don’t know, I think fate’s all about perspective. The literal Fates... they work in puzzles and riddles. They don’t like things simple, so sometimes it seems like it’s against you, but... in the end, it all leads you to the same place.”
Theo watched Calliope as she started to circle the room, stopping at each student’s desk.
“If everything is already divined, though, then nothing is left to chance. Everything’s just a game.”