Chapter 39 Rune
rune
. . .
We were finally finished with quarter one of year one.
Hunting had dropped us into a simulation within Cursinia in a werewolf village. For once, there was nothing on fire and no one screaming. Instead, there were sunlit porches, laundry fluttering on clotheslines, and kids tumbling in muddy puddles while parents chased them around.
Which, of course, meant something was very wrong, and we had to figure out what the threat was before it became a big problem. Honestly, it felt like we moved as a squad more than ever before.
Drecken teleported in front of the academy steps as we walked out of the Apex Nexus.
“Great, you’re done,” he said in one breath, blinked at my squadmates, then took my elbow. “Come with me.”
“Hello to you, too,” I managed to say before he teleported us both away from campus and into a laboratory.
The lab was nestled in a basement that was inside a circular tower-like room, walled in glass that showed soil packed around us. There were runes everywhere, with shelves packed with vials, bones, and tomes.
“Warn a woman before teleporting her,” I muttered, catching my balance as he let go of me. “Where are we?”
“My lab in Cursinia.” Drecken was already across the room, muttering to himself as he flipped through a rack of potion bottles. “There’s something special about you.”
“Uh…huh?”
Did he just say there was something special about me? What did that mean?
“Hold on.” He plucked a violet vial that glowed from the inside like someone had trapped a fallen star.
“Reserve-fill potion. Instant magical capacity restoration. Very standard potion.” He tossed it in the air before it began floating, then pointed at me.
The potion hovered over to me and stayed right in front of my face.
“Drink. Then—” he pointed at my hand. “—excrete.”
I plucked the vial out of the air and popped the top off. “You want to see if I can exude potions the way I exude venom?”
“Yes, please. I’ve been thinking about this since learning the extent of your special power.” His blue eyes sparkled with raw excitement.
How had I never thought to excrete a regular potion before?
I’d excreted my mom’s venom before for fun, but I hadn’t realized I could excrete helpful potions. It was a major game-changer.
“That’s actually a great idea!” I tossed the vial back. It was tart and electric, like biting a lemon. Warmth surged through me, filling the empty spaces of my reserves.
“Now,” he urged me, coming close and holding his hand out. “Leak away.”
I smiled and coaxed the effects of the potion to the surface of my hand the same way I usually did. Heat prickled in my palm. I pressed my hand against his as a faint violet film formed where I excreted it.
Drecken gave me a maniacal laugh. “Yes! Let’s try another.”
We tried more and more. He gave me potions, and I leaked them and gave the effects to him through my venom.
“Heart rate,” he mumbled, more to himself, and tapped his ear. “Yours is elevated.”
“So is yours.”
His hands stilled on the next potion, and for the first time since I’d known him, he looked… unsure.
I wasn’t sure what that meant.
“The diplomatic envoy,” he said abruptly, turning to face me. “They brought a report to the council. Humans—some lower, unknown faction—are capturing supernaturals. Using their DNA to find a way to inject it into human bodies.”
I went cold, then hot. “They want to give themselves magic?”
“Yeah,” he snorted. “But they have no connection to the Fates, so whatever they manage to do won’t be good. They’re experimenting with grafted bloodlines.” He paused, tilting his head. “Also, you smell like a combination of Zuko Vyre and Slater Havoc.”
I blinked at him. “Excuse me?”
“Not literally.” He squinted his eyes. “Magic-trace. I’m referring to the way magical energies pair. It’s similar to your aura.” He tilted his head. “Sex?”
“You can sense that?” My cheeks heated.
He looked at the vials of potions for a moment, then at me, then back at the vials. “When I pay attention.”
“Wow.” I let out a breath. “You’re very open for being a professor.”
“I’m not your professor.” He hesitated before running a hand through his green hair. “I’ve never been interested.”
I furrowed my brows. “Interested in being my professor?”
“Interested in sex or romance,” he clarified, looking at a point over my shoulder instead of maintaining eye contact.
His ears turned a faint shade of pink. “When I was a teenager, I kissed a few people. It did nothing for me. Zero desire to take things further or even kiss or hug anyone, to be honest. I like this.” He gestured to his lab, to the potion bottles, and to the microscope on the table. “Research. Inventing. Not—”
“Oh. You’re a virgin and never had feelings for anyone before,” I blurted, my brows shooting to the top of my forehead. “Wait. How old are you again?”
“One-hundred-sixty-six,” he muttered, refusing to look at me.
I stepped closer, bending forward until I intercepted his line of sight. “Not everyone is the same. It’s okay if you aren’t interested in sex or romance, Drecken.”
He swallowed hard as his blue eyes met mine. “I never used to be,” he corrected.
My heart thudded harder against my ribcage at that. He put emphasis on used to be. Did that mean he was interested now?
With who?
The crystal on his desk glowed before my mom interrupted us.
“Drecken, do you have my daughter?”
He blinked a few times before looking over at the crystal. “Sabine,” he greeted her. “Yes.”
“Bring my daughter back to the academy now before she gets into trouble.”
“She’s with me,” he scoffed. “She won’t get in trouble.”
Mom’s laugh sounded dry. “Drecken, you’re the definition of trouble. Bring her back to the first-year house before she gets in trouble for leaving campus. She can get expelled if caught.”
The crystal dimmed as Mom’s communication cut off.
He sighed, looking down at me with a longing expression. “We must cut our research short. It seems I am instructed to return you.”
“Probably for the best before I corrupt your experiments,” I teased him.
His gaze narrowed as he stared at me, something very close to desire passing over his expression. Then, he reached out and laced his fingers through mine.
A moment later, we were in my room back in the first-year house.
I gaped at Drecken. “I thought the dorms were locked only with individual emblems?”
“I can get through any lock, viperling,” he mused before going still as his gaze landed on my bed. “Seems I’m not the only one.”
“Damn, pretty little poison,” Zuko drawled, lying on my bed with his arms crossed behind his head. “I missed you.”
“I missed you too, venom baby,” Slater whined. “It was rude of my other brother-mate to steal you without letting us say goodbye.”
I twirled to find him leaning against the doorframe, my door wide open.
“Did I forget to lock my door?” I frowned.
“No.” Drecken chuckled. “It seems like you’ve just surrounded yourself with men that locks can’t keep out.”
I bit down on my bottom lip, feeling all three of their gazes locked on me.
Drecken slowly let go of my hand. “I’ll see you later for another experiment.” He fell back and disappeared into a teleportation portal a second later.
I looked between Slater and Zuko, and my heart skipped a beat.
“Don’t look at us like that.” Slater pushed off the doorframe and went to kick the door shut, but Aura’s hand shot out to stop it.
“Hold on! Is Rune back?” She poked her head in, her gaze scanning the room before falling on me.
“I’m back.” I turned fully to face her. “Did you need something?”
“Um, well, I just started my period,” she muttered softly, cheeks blazing red. “Do you have any tampons?”
“No.” I winced at the thought of tampons, walking over to my desk and pulling out a few pads before handing them to her. “I have pads, though!”
“Thank you so much,” she murmured.
I had nothing against anyone who vibed with tampons. Me, though? Those things made my cramping ten-times worse.
“Any time. I’m about to start mine. I’ve been cramping today.
Before Drecken poofed me away, I realized that I was due for a birth control potion.
” Remembering what Drecken and I learned about my power today, excitement struck me.
I’d taken birth control potions before. “Oh, Fates. I can actually secrete it now that I know I can leak potions the same way I can poisons and venom!”
“Oh my goodness, power boost!” Aura exclaimed, her eyes wide in surprise. “That opens up a whole new world for you.”
“It really does,” I gushed, oozing out the birth control potion’s effects from my fangs and swallowing. The familiar tingle of magic slid through my veins, and I let out a gasp as it worked.
“At least you don’t have to worry about condoms,” Aura joked, but I shot her a confused look. Supernaturals didn’t use condoms; only humans did.
Unless that was the joke.
A cold horror trickled down my spine. “Fuck!”
“What’s wrong?” Aura frowned.
“What is it, venom baby?” Slater checked me over.
“What happened, pretty little poison?” Zuko sat up straighter on my bed.
“I had sex with you two with no protection,” I blurted, slapping my hand over my face. “I’ve never had sex with anyone without some form of protection before, but you two…”
Slater and Zuko chuckled.
“I owe you fifty bucks,” Zuko groaned.
“Told you she’d notice eventually,” Slater shot at him before grinning at me. “Don’t worry your pretty little head, venom baby. Zuko and I had both already done a pregnancy prevention ceremony a few months ago. Apparently, you have two very sensible mates.”
Relief swept through me. “Thank the Fates.”
Why was it actually adorable that they’d had that conversation together?
“That’s my cue. Have fun!” Aura dipped out, shutting the door behind her.
Slater chuckled again before unzipping my suit and helping me out of it. I was fully naked, but before I could grab clothes, he pulled me into his arms and carried me to the bed, where he placed me on top of both him and Zuko.
Zuko pulled the covers over us and turned the lights off. “Shh, pretty little poison.”
“Get some sleep, venom baby.” Slater yawned.
Sleep claimed me quicker than ever before—and I slept naked between Slater and Zuko without either of them trying for anything else. The three of us just slept, and it was the best night’s sleep of my life.