Chapter 6 Melinda the Muse
MELINDA THE MUSE
Dante left me to my room and I wasn’t sure how I felt about that. His presence made me both anxious and excited, but now that he was gone, the reality of what I’d gotten myself into hit me like a wall.
No fucking pressure.
“Save us all, my ass,” I grumbled as I ripped sheet after sheet off of more dusty furniture. The room was actually quite large with some expensive pieces in it. Once this place got cleaned up I was going to feel pretty fancy.
But man, this place needed a serious cleaning.
I hadn’t even noticed the chandelier cocked against the ceiling, tied up by a rope which seemed to be glued with a million cobwebs.
There was a small kitchen with a sink filled with sandy grains that would be a nightmare to clean out.
When I finally ventured into the bedroom I had to find the light switch.
I ran my fingers across the walls—nothing.
Just grimy, textured surface that made me want to go take a shower.
I’d always been good about seeing in the dark, but this bedroom had a haze over it that made it impossible to see anything. I needed at least some light to work with and if there was a window, I suspected it was nailed up tight with more wooden boards and nails.
Pain rocketed up my shin as I rammed into a piece of furniture. “Shit!” I cried and doubled over, only to fall onto a bed and land on a fur blanket. It was the first thing in the entire place that didn’t smell like dust, so I breathed in and took a moment to recover.
“Well, at least I landed on something soft,” I muttered.
I’m not soft, a voice growled in my head, sounding sleepy and not at all pleased at having been disturbed, but you are pressing your breasts into my face, and those are kind of soft... and nice.
I reeled back and slammed into the wall, my hand miraculously finding the light switch, sending a dull light to illuminate the room from the crackling bulbs.
A massive silver wolf stared back at me lazily, his eyelids drooping over crystal blue eyes. I hadn’t landed on fur bedding... I’d landed on a wolf.
A wolf that could talk in my head.
“Niiiiiice wolfie,” I said with a trembling voice as I eased towards the doorway. “Didn’t know... this room was occupied.”
The wolf yawned, making me freeze as I stared at sharp canines.
He stood and shook himself, sending fur flying to join the floating dust motes that hung in the air.
I’m not a wolfie, the voice said again, this time sounding more irritated, I’m just a wolf.
I can shift back if it would make you feel better, but I didn’t bring a change of clothes.
“Uh, what?” I asked, adrenaline making my fingers go numb. Or perhaps that was that thing that always happened to me when I needed to touch someone or else I’d freeze to death. Shit. Now was not a good time to need to recharge.
The wolf glowered at me some more before the unmistakable sounds of bones crunching filled the room.
I stared in mortified horror as the wolf shifted before me, his long canine front legs changing into muscular arms as he unfurled to stand upright.
Fur retreated into smooth, supple skin and his snout retracted to reveal a gorgeously handsome face.
His fangs didn’t retreat all the way, leaving a sinister look about him along with the piercing intensity of blue eyes that watched me with the steadiness of a predator.
Then he lifted his lip in a snarl and had the audacity to look at me like I was the intruder.
“How did you get in here?” he asked, narrowing his eyes at me.
So, he was a shifter… and very naked.
I propped my hands on my hips and tried to look threatening while keeping my chin high.
Even though he’d just revealed himself to be a dangerous supernatural, I got the sense that he was all bark and no bite.
Floppy hair fell into his eyes that were already starting to droop and he stifled a yawn while he waited for me to reply.
“I’m a new student,” I said, keeping my tone steady. I was sore, tired, and didn’t have time for this shit. “This is my bedroom,” I clarified, “and if you hadn’t noticed, this is the girls’ freshman dormitory. I think you are the intruder here.”
The shifter rolled his shoulders back, making his chest more prominent. It was a challenge not to let my eyes dip to the even more impressive package he boasted.
As if he sensed my hesitation, his gaze slowly swept over me and deliberately lingered on my breasts that had apparently just been in his face a moment ago.
I blushed when his cock hardened just by looking at me.
His eyes flashed up to mine again and a grin quirked at the side of his mouth.
“Well, if you’d like to stay, perhaps I’m up for that. ”
I did not like the gleam in his eye. I bared my teeth at him, assuming it would be an appropriate response in this situation. “I don’t want to have sex with you,” I said.
His eyebrows shot up. “Who said anything about sex?”
I pointed at his cock that was fully erect now. “You are.”
He shrugged as if he stood naked and aroused in womens’ bedrooms all the time. “Sorry, it’s a natural reflex. You’re the one who put your breasts in my face.” He grinned again, his gaze dipping, as his tongue swept over his lips. “Can’t blame me for having primal instincts. It’s in my blood.”
I snapped my fingers to get his attention away from my breasts which seemed to enjoy his gaze a bit too much.
“Hey, up here buddy. I don’t care about your primal…
needs. I care about what I need. I need to get settled in, take a shower, and then get some sleep before orientation tomorrow.
That means you need to get the fuck out of my room. ”
He held up both hands in mock defense. “Whoa, whoa. Don’t need to get so defensive.
” I growled, which apparently he thought was hilarious because he barked a laugh, making his hips jut out and his cock bounce out with them.
Did he have no modesty whatsoever? “I could help you with some of those things, but, if you don’t want me in the way then I will just sleep on the other bed.
You won’t even know I’m here.” I balked at him and he winked at me.
“I like it here. It’s quiet and no one bothers me, at least until now.
But baby, you’re stunning and funny, so I’ll allow you to bother me anytime. ”
I rolled my eyes and was about to tell him off when he flinched and the unmistakable sound of a bone cracking made me wince.
He buckled over and opened his mouth on a silent cry as the shift took hold.
The process looked painful, unnatural, but he bore down on the agony as if he’d done it a million times before.
At least the shift was quick, and then he was that beautiful silver wolf looking at me again.
He stretched out and leaned back, his front paws curling into the carpet as he yawned, pain and bone-breaking already forgotten.
He shook himself before he pranced over to the second bed near the wall and jumped up on it.
Making a little circle, which I had to admit was adorable, he settled down into a pile of messy blankets and fur.
“You are seriously not sleeping here,” I insisted.
He opened one blue eye to regard me, then closed it again. I got the sense that I could try to move him… but it wouldn’t end well for me.
With a huff I decided to ignore the creature and rummaged through the bedroom’s dresser.
There were clothes and they actually didn’t seem too dusty.
I held up a pair of cotton pants that looked like they’d fit me and then plucked out a t-shirt.
I glanced at the wolf when I was done, finding his breaths were now coming long and shallow.
I found it particularly insulting that he could fall asleep just like that with a stranger in the room.
My room.
I’d talk to Dante in the morning about the wolf intruder… for now, I just wanted the basics. Shower, maybe a snack, then sleep. Sounded like heaven to me.
I hadn’t found anything to eat, but it was late enough that I could just tell my stomach I’d fill it with something in the morning.
The showers were down at the end of the hall.
Going late at night was apparently a bad idea since a bunch of girls in towels were hanging out getting absolutely nothing done other than jabbering with one another.
I kept my head down, but it didn’t stop the onslaught.
“Hey, it’s the girl who’s screwing the hunter. He gone already?” She plucked at my jeans, rubbing the dried blood on her fingertips. “He never takes me on his hunts. I’m going to have to have a word with him.”
Jerking my head up to stare at the girl, I found someone who reminded me of Jess.
Curves that could kill and a devilish gleam in her eyes made her look like a succubus, but I knew that supernaturals that fed off of life-force couldn’t be recruited at Fortune Academy, still, I wasn’t sure how solid the rules were.
I was here, after all, so I decided to play it safe.
“He left,” I confirmed, then ducked my head again and prowled past her.
I was here to get a shower, not feed the local gossip.
“Hey, where you going?” she asked with a screech to her voice and clawed out at my arm.
I stiffened when foreign energy filtered over my skin, but I shrugged it off and kept walking.
“Did you see that?” her friend whispered. “Pushed away a muse’s compulsion like it was nothing. What the fuck is she?”
A muse had tried to push compulsion on me? I didn’t even know what a muse was, but if she’d just tried to make me do something against my will, then she had another thing coming.
I knew I should have just kept walking, but something in me snapped. No one messed with free will, especially mine. “Who the fuck do you think you are?” I growled, my fingers curling into fists. I’d had a long, rough ass day and this bitch wasn’t helping.
She blinked her bright eyes at me with pure innocence.
“Oh, my dear. I’m sure you don’t want to talk to me that way.
You’ve only just arrived and I’ll cut you some slack for that.
” She grinned. “I’m Melinda and you’ll learn there’s a hierarchy around here.
I’m a muse, which puts me in the top supernatural category.
” She leaned in and poked me in the chest with a sharp fingernail.
“You, whatever you are, can’t possibly beat that.
You’ll do well to stay out of my way. You’ve already caused enough problems.”
Not sure what problems I had caused. The bitch had gotten in my face, not the other way around.
“And stolen one of the hottest guys,” grumbled her friend.
Yeah, Dante was hot, but he wouldn’t touch these girls with a nine-foot-pole. Somehow I just knew he wouldn’t be into snooty bitches no matter how gorgeous they were and I decided I liked him even more for that fact.
A small crowd had formed around us and tension cut the air.
Now that I got a better look at the girls I shared the dormitory with, I noticed they were all drop-dead gorgeous.
If the girls were this hot... I wasn’t even sure if I wanted to meet the guys.
Based on my experience so far with Dante, Kaito, and the wolf shifter, supernaturals had an affinity for good looks.
“Look,” I said, dropping my voice and turning my body to the side, hoping that the gesture came off as non-threatening, “I’ve had a long day. If you want to go for Dante, then I’m not going to stand in your way. Really.”
The muse narrowed her eyes at me and she crossed her arms, her breasts plumping underneath her towel with the movement.
“I’ll figure out what you are tomorrow at orientation,” she said and I got the sense that her words were supposed to be a threat.
“Until then, I’m not going to waste energy on you, so have a nice night.
” She turned on her heel and her friend’s eyes widened before scampering after her.
With a sigh I glared at the crowd until it dispersed, leaving me alone. I stalked into the showers, found a box with travel-size toiletries and helped myself.
By the time I towel-dried my hair, got into my dusty PJs, and made it back to my room without incident, I was exhausted. For some reason thwarting whatever compulsive magic Melinda had tried to use on me had worn me out. I felt the lingering tingling of what she’d tried to do to me.
Come orientation, I certainly hoped I could figure out what I was so that I’d have a better chance to survive this place before I got the hell out.
As long as I didn’t bleed… I should be okay.
The wolf rested motionless in the nearby bed, but I was too exhausted to care.
If he wanted to maul me in my sleep, let him try.
I still had the conjuring artifact, then panicked when I realized that I’d left it in my pants pocket.
I rummaged through my dirtied clothes and plucked out the translucent orb.
It swirled with a deep ruby red energy and made me feel queasy to look at it too long, but it was functional.
My pajamas didn’t have pockets, so I tucked the orb underneath my pillow. I used two pillows to make sure I wouldn’t accidentally crush the orb in my sleep and unleash hell in the middle of the night, but if I needed it then it would be there.
I left the main light on. It didn’t seem to bother the wolf and had been on the whole time I’d been in the showers, so I decided I’d rather not sleep in the dark tonight.
Closing my eyes and finding darkness in my mind, I drifted off into a restless sleep with only the sounds of a wolf’s soft snoring to keep me company.