Chapter 21 Bechora
Life settled into a predictable rhythm over the next several weeks.
Zypher and Gabriel were back to sharing my bed with me every night.
We’d ready ourselves for the day’s classes before heading to the dining hall for breakfast. More often than not, Archer was already waiting for us at our table, plates prepared for everyone and placed in front of empty seats.
After the first week, he’d stopped setting a place for Miles, who kept himself buried in library books and the documents Caulder had given us.
Shadrie usually joined us, bright-eyed and talking before she even sat down after spending the night with her latest fling.
Archer matched her energy easily, but his attention never stayed there.
The wolf had leaned into his flirtation with Gabriel as if it were his new favorite hobby.
Sliding into the seat too close to Gabriel.
Letting his knee brush his under the table like it was an accident that happened one too many times to actually be accidental.
Making comments just low enough that they didn’t always carry, but often enough that I caught them.
Each time, Gabriel’s face would flush, and he’d grow flustered, which only served to encourage Archer.
At first, I’d thought it was simple amusement, a little levity among the stress of carrying aprophecy on my shoulders.
But the longer it went on, the more I began to notice.
Gabriel going still when Archer leaned too close.
The way his sharp retorts seemed to come just a second too late, almost as if he’d had to gather himself before he could respond.
The way his gaze would flick anywhere but where it should, like looking at the wolf would give away something he wasn’t ready to admit to even himself.
The most telling part was the way he seemed to sway toward Archer even when he was pulling away.
It was something I recognized myself doing when I was around any of my mates, even the ones I wasn’t ready to admit were mine.
I kept that little observation to myself.
Gabriel would accept what was happening when he was ready.
Zypher, on the other hand, didn’t bother hiding his amusement.
He and Archer fed off each other’s meddling and pot stirring.
It would have been comical to watch if it were aimed at anyone else.
More than once, Gabriel had snapped at Zypher for adding a teasing comment to Archer’s flirtations.
Zypher simply laughed as if he enjoyed my vampire’s flustered reactions more than anything he’d ever enjoyed anything.
All I could do was hide my smile behind my drink and shake my head.
Eventually we’d split. Gabriel, Zypher, and Archer had taken to walking me to my first class of the day before peeling off in other directions.
Archer usually lingered long enough to throw one last comment over his shoulder that left Gabriel either scowling or suspiciously quiet before he stomped off in the direction of his own classes.
We’d reconvene for lunch and dinner before at least one of them walked me to Caulder’s office for my three-times-weekly sessions with the dragon.
Unlike the first session, I didn’t fall asleep in his arms again, and part of me ached at the lost opportunity.
Our sessions had settled into their own kind of rhythm—structured, focused, and far more demanding than anything I faced in my actual classes.
Caulder didn’t waste time. The moment I stepped into his office, I was working.
I’d filled him in about my mother’s journal at our second session and he’d been trying to work in anything Archer was able to translate since.
Somehow, even with his intense focus on ensuring I learned how to harness abilities I copied, our conversation would stretch beyond magic.
Small things at first. Questions about my life in the human realm, stories about his childhood.
Fragments of a person beyond his role as Professor.
Every session left me feeling just a little bit closer to the male, the pull to him buzzing happily as I started to come around to the idea of completing our bond.
My mind was on the previous night's session, when I stepped into “History of Magical Warfare”. The low murmur of students filled the space, pulling me back to the present. Glancing around the room, I realized Professor Sabelus was nowhere to be seen. The vampire was a terrible instructor, staying awake long enough to write the reading and assignment on the board before promptly napping at his desk, but he’d never missed a class.
I moved through the room, taking the empty seat beside Vallynn, wondering what could have caused Sabelus not to show.
Pushing my thoughts aside, I snagged my textbook from my bag and started reading through the chapters Sabelus had mentioned as helpful for our assignment, the last time class met.
Helpful was generous. My eyes tracked over the same paragraph for what had to be the fifth time, words blurring together into something more like a wall than information. I flipped the page, then flipped it back, before flipping it again.
“This is useless,” I muttered under my breath.
Vallynn didn’t look up, but I felt his attention shift to me. “Problem?” he asked after a beat.
“Nope,” I snapped.
I saw him move in my peripheral, leaning closer to look over my shoulder at the open page of my book.
“I can help with the assignment, if you’d like.”
I slammed my book shut and snapped my head up to meet his gaze. “Why would I want help from the male who’s still hiding our bond from me?” I hissed, low enough for only him to hear.
The moment the words left my lips I regretted them.
Not because they weren’t true, but because they made it sound a whole lot like I cared that he was keeping it from me.
With the way he ran hot and cold toward me, I definitely shouldn’t have cared he was my mate.
Not even a little bit. Vallynn reared back as if I slapped him, a pained expression twisting his face before it smoothed back into his usual mask of indifference.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he bit out.
“Right, and I’m the Queen of England,” I huffed. “Whatever, it’s not like it matters. Forget I said anything.”
I thought that would be the end of it. That the fae prince would settle back in his seat and go right back to pretending I didn’t exist. Instead, he leaned close enough to whisper in my ear, his shoulders sagging.
“It’s not that simple,” he said.
“Like I said, Vallynn. It doesn’t matter. Just forget it,” I snapped.
“I’m protecting you,” he replied. “Whatever you think you’ve discovered, it can’t happen.”
“I don’t need your protection,” I shot back just as the bell sounded across campus to signal the end of classes. “You don’t get to make excuses claiming they’re for my benefit just because you’re too much of a coward to admit the truth.”
Vallynn opened his mouth to argue, but I ignored him. I shoved my book and papers back into my bag and hurried from the classroom.
“Bechora, wait!” he called after me.
I didn’t bother looking back at him, picking up my pace instead to put as much distance between us as I could. I managed to make it out of the building and around the corner without him catching up. Slowing my steps, I let out a breath of relief just before slamming into a hard wall of muscle.
“In a hurry, Red?” Dante smiled at me, hands grabbing my shoulders to steady me.
“You’ve got to be fucking kidding me,” I groaned. “The universe has a real twisted sense of humor, I swear to God.”
Dante tilted his head, giving me a puzzled look. “I know I’m fit, but I don’t think you ran into me with your face hard enough to cause a concussion…”
I pulled out of his hold, scowling. “I’m not in the mood for whatever this,” I waved a hand at him, “is. Especially not from you.”
“Is that so?” he mused. “It seemed to me like you might have been looking for an excuse to land in my arms, Red.”
“Oh, fuck off, Dante,” I snapped.
“Whoa,” he replied, raising his hands in mock defeat. “I’m only teasing.”
“Well, don’t. I don’t have time for whatever the fuck your deal is right now and frankly, I’m not in the mood.”
He frowned, something like concern painting his face. “What happened?”
“None of your business,” I replied, curtly, attempting to step around him. “Can you move?”
“Not until you tell me what’s going on.”
I stopped, crossing my arms over my chest and glared at him. “Fine. You want to know what’s going on? The universe apparently decided it would be hilarious to have me run into a male who is hiding the fact he’s my mate from me, and I’m fucking over it already.”
Dante blanched, his mouth falling open in shock. “You… you know?”
The fact he didn’t try to deny it, the way Vallynn had at first, gave me pause, but I kept my glare firmly in place. “I do,” I replied.
“Bechora… I can explain,” he started.
“No thanks, I’ve got another class to get to,” I snapped, taking advantage of his shock to step around him. I felt him turn as I started walking. Felt the weight of his eyes on my back. He called after me, but I ignored it and continued on to my next class.
I somehow made it through Spellcasting without further incident, but it seemed the universe wasn’t done with me just yet. I’d just left the building where the class was held and turned onto the path leading to Magus House, when Daena Jofir stepped in front of me.
Her smile curled like spoiled milk as I came to an abrupt stop to avoid barreling into her. “Well, well. If it isn’t the little charity case. You look tired, Bechora. Trouble sleeping? Or is that just your natural state?”
I sighed loudly. “Daena, I’m begging you. Not today.”
She flicked her hair over her shoulder. “I’ll choose whatever day I like. Someone needs to remind you of your place after you made Vallynn chase after you earlier.”