Chapter 7
Chapter seven
Jack
My first day of classes. I hadn’t been this nervous for something since the one time we hunters had to practice throwing blades at our partners. I’d been so afraid to hit them, I threw up right after.
Tate had already left before I woke up. Thankfully, he didn’t snore, and otherwise, he’d been the perfect gentleman. Nothing like the male hunters in the barracks at the Hunter’s Guild HQ, who were all fart jokes and sexual innuendos.
The first night had gone by relatively fast. Surprisingly, Tate didn’t try to hit on me the whole time, though he did through a few flirty lines at me here and there. The Mexican food was amazing, the best thing I’d ever had in my mouth.
When I said that out loud, Tate gave me a strange look but didn’t make a lewd comment like most of the hunters would have.
Finding out the tall dark playful werewolf was my roommate had been a shock to the system. Then it quickly turned to worry.
I had a mission, and a werewolf with boundary issues was not helpful to my cause. Tate had already started testing me on my cover story, and I’d never had to think on my feet so quickly.
Sure, throw me into the middle of a fight and I was good to go. Ask me to make up a whole new identity on the fly?
I was screwed.
Breakfast was available in the dining hall, but I wasn’t sure if I’d be able to eat anything until I got through my first class.
I was supposed to meet the partner Antoine had mentioned today as well.
I wasn’t sure which class they’d be teaching, but I just hoped that it was someone that would actually let me do my job and not hover around, making sure I didn’t go off mission.
I glanced at my schedule again. History of Vampirism started in thirty minutes. While I didn’t want to be seen as someone who follows the rules, it wouldn’t endear me to anyone that could lead me to the rebels. I also didn’t want to be late to my first class.
Grabbing my bag filled with my books for the day, I hefted it over my shoulder and headed out the door. I’d barely made it three feet before a loud, high-pitched scream pierced my ears.
I spun around just in time to catch the small dark-haired girl around my waist.
“Jack!” Xinyi squeezed me and bounced, making my body shake.
“We’re in the same hall. How did I not know this?
Did you meet your roommate? Are they absolutely awful?
My roommate is pretty chill, but they spend most of their time with their master, so I’m not too worried about it.
Iris and I bounce back and forth between whose room we spend time in. But that’s us, what about you?”
I placed my hands on her shoulders and held her back. “Slow down, Xinyi.”
“Sorry, just so excited for the first day!” Her breath came out in short pants.
Today’s outfit was a bit more formal than yesterday’s with a pleated baby pink skirt and a lace collared white shirt with puffy sleeves. It was a massive contrast to my black jeans and plain, dark blue t-shirt. Where she looked dainty and cute, I looked like I was ready for hard labor.
I briefly wondered what Tate thought of my clothes, then pushed the thought aside. I wasn’t there to care about guys. Unless they could lead me to the rebels, dating was not on the game card.
“Oh, shit, we better go or we’ll be late!” Xinyi cried out, grabbing my hand and pulling me along the hallway.
I let Xinyi lead me out of the dorm and down a covered walkway that led to the main building. Seeing me glance up at the ceiling, Xinyi slowed down slightly.
“It’s for the vampires.” She pointed at the walkway covering. “Every dorm walkway has it, but it’s only so the baby vamps don’t get crispy on their way to class.”
“But aren’t all the classes at night?”
“Yeah, but the sun doesn’t set at the same time every day.
Even just a few rays of light are enough to send one of the newly changed vamps up in flames.
Just safer for everyone to have it covered.
Plus,” she tossed her hair over her shoulder, “rain is not conducive for this look. I spent too much time and money on this hair to ruin it running through the rain.”
I hummed, nothing else to add to that. I couldn’t very well tell her that I had fought vampires and chased down werewolves in pouring rain before.
Or that I’d slugged through a swamp to hunt down some witches.
I think if I told her the amount of times I came home covered in blood, dirt, and other body fluid — sometimes even parts — it might traumatize her.
We reached History of Vampirism in a matter of minutes. As we filed into the room, my phone dinged. I glanced down at it as I took my seat with Xinyi near the middle.
Mom: Happy first day!
Then in my dads’ group chat, I had an array of messages from each of them wishing me a good day, telling me to watch my back, or to take notes — from Darren — then, more embarrassingly, one from Wynn telling me to not break any hearts on my first day.
“Who’s that?” Xinyi asked while we waited for the professor to start.
I turned my screen off and tucked it in my pocket. “Just my parents wishing me a good first day.”
“You still talk to your parents?”
“Yeah, I mean, they don’t know that I’m at a supernatural school or anything. Just that I went to stay with my aunt Alora and enrolled in the local college.” I recited the story we’d come up with in my mission debrief.
“Oooh.” Xinyi bobbed her head. “That makes sense. I wish my parents cared enough about me to message me on my first day.”
“You don’t talk to your parents? Do they know you’re…?” I gestured to her vaguely.
“A human servant? Ha. No.” She fiddled with her pen, looking off to the side. “They weren’t really around much. Always working. Iris found me when I was in a really low period and helped me and well…” She smiled, love and adoration beaming through her expression. “The rest is history.”
I started to ask her what she thought of the current council, but the professor started talking.
“Welcome to History of Vampirism, I am Professor Qualm,” a suave-looking middle-aged man with curly brown hair and pale skin began. “Some of you may think you know how we all came into being, but I’m here to tell you that you’re wrong.”
Then began the most boring hour of my life.
“Woah, that was…” Xinyi trailed off as we stepped out of the class.
“Torture.”
“Exactly.” She blinked rapidly and shook her head to get the dazed look off her face. “I thought learning about where vampires came from would be exciting or even something awesome and romantic. But for it to have started all because someone had been starving enough to drink their friend’s blood…?”
We shuddered together. The story alone was bad enough but the images that our professor had shown us alongside it was disturbing to say the least. The only piece from that lesson that I kept was to make sure whoever I snacked on wasn’t a witch with a petty streak.
“What do you have next?” Xinyi bounced along the path.
“I have Biology and Healing Elements of Vampires. Iris thinks I need a refresher since apparently she thinks she shouldn’t have to cure every paper cut and bruise with her blood.
” She blushed and pulled her lower lip between her teeth.
“It’s not my fault sharing blood gets me excited. ”
I didn’t offer my opinion on the matter. Drinking a vampire’s blood did have great healing properties. But, as a doubly human servant, my healing speed was a lot higher than most.
I tried my best not to use my dads’ blood if I could help it. While the blood healed you, it also made you have weird, sometimes sexy dreams about the vampire in question, and that wasn’t something I wanted to think about when it came to my dads.
“Sounds more interesting than Econ 101,” I snorted, pausing at an intersection. “I have to go this way.”
“I’m that way.” She pointed the other direction. “Want to meet in the dining hall for lunch?”
“Sure.”
“Great, have fun,” she sang-songed before skipping away.
I would like to say that Econ 101 was more interesting than History of Vampirism. I’d be wrong. It was worse. So much worse. Charts and graphs, supply and demand. It all sounded like a lot of mumbo jumbo that Antoine would like.
By the time I made it to lunch, my brain hurt, and I wanted to go back to bed.
I’d have skipped the next class in lieu of a nap, except I was supposed to meet my partner for this mission.
I had no doubt they would report that I’d skipped their class to my parents, and I didn’t need them on my ass already.
Grabbing a tray, I waded through the line for food. It was a nostalgic experience for me since I’d been homeschooled since I was ten. I barely paid much attention to what I grabbed before paying and turning to the room.
Xinyi wasn’t there yet, so I weaved through the tables looking for a spot. I plopped down at an empty table and used my fork to push the noodles around on my plate.
A large shadow appeared behind me and then my senses were engulfed with the smell of pine and citrus. It was as if I were running through the forest, the feel of sunshine on my face.
“Princess, what are you doing sitting here all alone?” Tate’s arm dropped around my shoulders as he sat beside me. The hot press of his body along the side of mine wasn’t unpleasant, even if he was pushing boundaries again.
“Waiting for Xinyi.” I shrugged his arm off. “I didn’t know werewolves ate real food. Don’t you just hunt for deer in the woods?”
Tate laughed, before shoving a massive bite of his hamburger into his mouth. After he swallowed, he leaned into me. “There are quite a few things that I love to eat,” he murmured.
My face flushed as I ducked my head.
“Hey! Sorry, I’m late.” Xinyi dropped her tray on the table and let out a long breath. “I got caught up talking to some friends about the party tonight.”
“Party?” I quickly asked, thankful for the buffer. “On a school night?”
Xinyi giggled while Tate chuckled.
“It’s cute that you ask that.” Xinyi grinned, taking a drink of her juice bottle.
“It’s the first day of school, we always have a party,” Tate explained to me, still not giving me any space to get a hold of my rapid heartbeat.
I busied myself with eating so I wouldn’t have to explain my body’s response to him while I listened.
“They have it in the vampire crypt. Everyone is invited, but not everyone will come. Usually the witches have their own thing in their tower. And the wolves. Well…” Xinyi glanced off to a group of beefy males devouring piles of food on their plates and generally giving a fuck off vibe to everyone around them.
“Just say we hope they don’t come,” Tate sighed, his usual cheery demeanor dimming slightly.
I cocked my head to the side, glancing between Tate and the werewolf table. “I would think that you’d want to hang out with the other wolves?”
Before Tate could answer, a menacing presence appeared behind us and a large hairy hand slammed on the table. “Look who it is? A couple of blood whores and their faithful dog.”
I glanced up at the wolf with a crooked nose and cauliflower ears. In normal instances, I would have just broken a finger or two to make him back off. A well-timed nut punch also worked well with asshole wolves like him.
Except I was trying to keep a low profile. Regardless how much it hurt me to not do anything, I let Tate and Xinyi handle him.
To my surprise, it was Xinyi who glared at the werewolf. “Go away, mutt,” she snipped. “Don’t you have a bone to bury somewhere?”
The wolf bared his teeth at her, growling low. “Watch it. Your master’s not here to protect you, little girl. Maybe the next thing I’ll bury is you.”
Tate didn’t say anything, his shoulder rolling forward as he stared at his food like it had the answer to life.
“Catch you later, traitor.” The wolf shoved Tate before stalking away.
“Traitor?”
Tate gave a depreciating laugh. “They’re just mad that I bonded with a vampire.”
“Your master’s staring at you,” Xinyi commented, ducking her eyes down to the salad on her plate.
At that, I felt a heavy gaze on my back. Shifting in my seat, my eyes swept the dining hall for the culprit. They eventually landed on the same vampire that was with Tate yesterday when I was handling the werewolves.
Sitting with what looked like several other vampires on a set of couches off to one side, the vampire had dark hair artfully styled to hang over his eyes in that mysterious and attractive way that made your fingers itch to brush it out of his face.
He dressed like he belonged on the cover of a GQ cover, in grey slacks and a stylish, charcoal-colored sweater.
I realized a moment later that those eyes weren’t staring at me. They were on Tate. At my lingering stare, they shifted and locked with mine. His wide lips ticked up at the edge before he turned to answer someone next to him like nothing had happened.
“It’s fine. He’s just being overprotective.” Tate picked up his tray and stood. “I better get going. But you’re coming to the party right?”
I grimaced. While I’d already figured I’d have to socialize with the other students, parties still weren’t my scene. “I don’t really have anything to wear to a party.”
Xinyi practically vibrated in her seat. “Oh, let me dress you. Pleeeease! Iris is about your height, and she’s got…” Her eyes dipped to my chest. “Your figure. I bet she has something that would look amazing on you.”
“There you go.” Tate leaned over to whisper in my ear. “No excuses now, princess.”
My eyes strayed to follow Tate as he walked away, a small flutter in my chest.
“Oooh.” Xinyi shifted to Tate’s empty seat. “You like him.”
I blinked, pulling my eyes away from his retreating back. “What? No. He’s my roommate. He’s just messing with me.”
“Your roommate?”
I waved her off, standing to get rid of my mostly uneaten food. “Some paperwork issue. Hazards of using a gender-neutral nickname.”
“Oh, got it.” Xinyi stood to follow me. “But tonight? Meet me in the vampire hall, room two-oh-five. Iris and I will find something that will wow the masses.”
I winced.
I didn’t exactly want to wow anyone, yet I couldn’t deny her. I had to just think of this as part of the mission. Dressing like I belonged would help make the other students relax around me. If there was alcohol, then they’d be more likely to talk to me.
The party was a problem for tonight. Right now, I had another class to go to and a partner to meet.
I just hoped they were willing to work with me and, to any deity that was listening, that it wasn’t Julian Fawley.