Chapter 18 #3
If the full moon has any sway over shifter anatomy, it sure blessed Alistair the other night.
Every evening since has been filled with long, hot, sweaty hours. Between taking notes in class during the day and masturbating in bed at night, my hand’s been cramping nonstop.
But what hurts the most is the fact that Alistair is right.
I am playing games with everyone here at the academy, and I’m going to break someone’s heart.
It’s only a matter of time before I have to choose someone to bond with.
Is it easier to decide now and spend years avoiding that fateful bite, or is it better to string everyone along until I graduate and finally have my pick of any pack I choose?
Would anyone still want me after waiting so long for me to want them back?
Callum brushes his thumb over mine. “You’re upset.”
I deflect, nowhere near ready to unpack what’s on my mind. “A lot of things upset me. Like this.” I jerk my chin toward our surroundings. “None of this is real.”
“A matter of perspective.” Callum chuckles as though feeling better himself, the sound short but vibrant. It dances across my skin like evaporating dewdrops. “Stay with me tomorrow night, Sienna.” The request is as soft as his touch, both suddenly warming the air between us.
Despite Callum’s gentle tone, I no longer have a choice about tomorrow night. We made a deal, and he’s held up his part of the bargain. It’s my turn to pay up.
I don’t know vampire customs for claiming mates, but in shifter terms, full moons are the equivalent of wedding nights.
Consummating a new bond is what weaves the magic together and binds souls.
Other than that, I’m not sure how it works.
Just that intimacy under the moon’s watchful eye is vitally important to the health of the shifters’ bond.
I’m not surprised that Callum understands how shifter bonds are made. Out of all magical beings, our mating customs are the easiest to learn. We aren’t exactly subtle.
“You did your research,” I muse, wondering how Revyn will react to knowing that I’m spending the most important night of the month with a vampire. He won’t like being kept apart, but it’s for our own good. I’m too pent up to trust myself around him, and he’s too selfish not to bite me again.
I’ve already gotten away with two mating bites failing to create a bond; tempting fate for a third time is foolish.
Callum gently brushes his knuckles against my cheek, its wound closing at his touch. “That’s the lowest form of endearment I can show you.”
My heart swells at the gesture, making me feel every bit as naive as my age would suggest. A thought blooms in the back of my mind, another wondering best left for the future.
If I were mated to a vampire, how much of me would change?
“I’ll find you after the Games tomorrow,” Callum vows, derailing my thoughts of distant possibilities to the much more immediate problem: the Winter Mating Games.
A heated competition at best and a blood bath at worst, Heartsflame’s Mating Games arrive once per season.
Every student in the academy is forced to participate.
Only the best of their species advances to the next round of the games and improves their class rank and mating odds; the rest are tossed aside like scraps.
It’s part of the reason why each class of students dwindles as they progress from one year to the next.
The academy is designed to weed out the weak and leave only prime candidates for mating.
A few of our classmates have already said that they’ll use the full moon tomorrow to complete a mating bond so that they don’t have to be forced out of the academy. They’ll leave on their own terms rather than be kicked out for a lackluster performance.
With a snap of his fingers, Callum dispels the illusion. Reality slams back into focus and leaves a ringing in my ears. The only evidence that we were gone is Gemma’s curious stare . . . and a hint of blood on Callum’s lips. He licks them, and the cut on my cheek—the fake cut—tingles.
Minor illusions don’t have lasting consequences once they dispel.
That’s magic 101. Callum is either hiding a lot more power than he lets on, or he’s channeling magic from the academy grounds to strengthen his abilities.
Either way, that makes him more dangerous .
. . and more likely to attract the attention of potential mates.
He meets my gaze with a slow-curving smile that makes my heart flip.
Slamming my textbook closed, I quickly avert my gaze and stand from my seat. “I need to rest,” I announce, sending an apologetic look Gemma’s way. “Full moon and all.”
She doesn’t seem like she believes me, and with the amount of moans and groans muffled around us, I don’t blame her. “Alright,” she says. “We don’t have classes tomorrow, so I’ll see you once the Games start.”
I nod and gather my things. “Thanks.”
Before I can leave, Callum’s icy hand wraps around my wrist. I stare at his long fingers encircling my entire wrist. “See you soon, Wildflower,” he whispers. “I’ll be waiting.”
Desire burns through me as our eyes meet, and I gasp, pulling my hand free and cursing under my breath.
Heat pulses through my veins, as intoxicating as it is dangerous, and I quickly turn away.
Callum’s rich laugh while I walk away is the only confirmation I have that he’s fucking with my head.
Either that, or I really am too hormonal for my own good.
Pretty soon, I’ll dream about Revyn, Alistair, and Callum sharing my bed with me at the same time.
A shiver rolls down my spine.
Fuck, that sounds better than it should.