Chapter 14
My feet dragacross the wooden floor as I make my way to my last class of the day. Transmutation class. It’s not that I’m not looking forward to it; I just hope I can accomplish something. Maybe shifting a claw will be enough for the professor to be happy. But I plan to stay after and ask the professor if he’ll give me some tips that might help me learn what my animal is—or if I have more than one.
I’ll have to be careful how I explain my magic since saying I’m a curiomancer will get me killed, but I’m hopeful that under their tutelage, the whole shifting thing will come to me with ease. Or at least easier than the others I’ve tried so far.
A cold wind whips across the academy’s property as I step out from the castle. With it being December still, I expected snow to be littering the ground, but there’s not a flake anywhere to be seen. One thing I can say about my new status is that temperatures don’t affect me as they once did. If I were still human, I’d be bundled up in a winter coat right now, but as it stands, my hoodie is plenty enough, if a little warm. While I’m thinking about it, I double-check that my necklace is secure before taking off my hoodie and tying it around my waist. Relishing in the coolness now fluttering over my body.
There are a few students who skirt around me and hightail it in the direction I need to go, so I follow a few steps behind them. I could easily find it without them, but at least this gives me some semblance of not having a massive loser status hanging over my head.
Because that’s what I’ve felt like all day so far. A huge loser with a capital L. People have been avoiding me—except Marion this morning at breakfast—and in the halls, they’ve been whispering and snickering about what happened in Spells and Potions. They probably don’t think I deserve to be here. And while a small part of me doesn’t want to be here, I want to prove them all wrong, and I hope that will start in this class.
Once I reach West Field, where transmutation is held, students are gathered in groups, chatting away as they wait for the professor to arrive. There’s no doubt that I stand out like a sore thumb in the sea of massiveness before me. Every single student waiting for class to start is gigantic in their own way, including the few girls in attendance. Each and every one of them towers over my five-two frame.
“Bailey!” a familiar feminine voice calls before she comes into view, ducking out of a group of guys who watch her every move toward me.
At least twenty heads turn in my direction as I join the class, making me uneasy with their unwanted attention. I shift from foot to foot as all conversations cease and silence descends upon the field. My gaze stays averted to the ground, the toe of my Vans digging into the dirt to avoid contact with anyone who may think I’m challenging their position.
Axel may have told me my kind is the most powerful in the supernatural world, but these people don’t know that. And since I’m currently useless with my magic, I don’t need to rock the boat with my fellow peers.
Marion slings her arm around my shoulders, pulling my gaze to hers. “I never would have suspected you were a shifter,” she giggles, giving me a friendly squeeze. “You know… because of the whole height thing.”
“Alright, class,” a deep voice booms across the field, “line up and get ready to shift.” There’s something about the professor’s tenor that seems familiar, but I can’t quite place it.
“Shit,” Marion hisses. “I’ll talk to you after class.” She releases me and jogs back over to the group she was originally with, leaving me to fend for myself.
The students form a line directly in front of me, blocking my small stature with their large frames. I scramble to the end of the line, keeping a little bit of distance between me and the person next to me.
“Ahh, fuck,” I mumble under my breath when I finally set my eyes on the professor. Never in my wildest dreams did I expect him to be a professor or one of my professors. I figured he was just a hot-headed, arrogant student who thought he was better than everyone else. I was freaking dead wrong. Luckily, he seems to be keeping his eyes on the other students—the ones who stand out while I fade into the shadows.
After our altercation in the dining hall yesterday, there’s no chance in hell he’ll help me after class is over. I’ll have to ask Marion to give me instructions so I can figure it out.
“Good, good. Today, we’re going to focus on the fluidity of shifting from our human forms to our animals and back again. Yes, you’ll be tired by the end of class, but speed is key when you need it. Here’s how I want this to go. A lot of you have half forms or partial shifts. So, if you do have one, I want you to go from human to animal to human to partial and back again. Each time you do a partial shift, I want a different one the next time you do it.”
Professor Asshole starts at the end of the row furthest from me as all the students shed their human guise and transform into magnificent creatures. I lose myself to the awe of it, watching as they do it so smoothly.
After every shift, the professor slowly starts making his way down the line, and that’s when I know eventually, he’ll come to me. So I need to do something. Attempt something. Try, at least.
Famous last words, I know, right?
From my and Thaddeus’ training session yesterday, I know my transmutation rune is on my right thigh, so I close my eyes and look for that sparking ball of pink magic, hoping it’ll finally come to me this time without a fight. My brows pinch, and I nibble my lip as I struggle to get a grip on it. It’s like water, yet again, flowing through my fingers instead of following my will.
“What the fuck are you doing here, little girl?” The scathing tone knocks me out of my deep dive, and I squeak in terror as my eyes open to find Professor Asshole staring daggers down at me from his impressive height. “Well? Are you going to fucking answer me?”
I steel my spine before answering. “I’m in this class.”
His loud guffaw echoes around the field, garnering the attention of the other students in class. “Prove it, little girl.”
“I’m trying,” I mumble, my cheeks heating from the force of the entire class’ awareness of my shortcomings.
“Hudson!” Marion calls. “Back off. She’s new.”
“Mind your own business, Mari. You’re supposed to be shifting.” He brings his focus back to me. “Try fucking harder, little girl. Prove you’re supposed to be here and not just stalking me.”
“What? Why the hell would I want to stalk you, of all freaking people? You’re nothing but an asshole.” Ahh, shit. There goes my big mouth again, running away without thinking my words through.
If I thought Professor Asshole was huge before, it has nothing on him now as his body starts to stretch, his entire form shifting into something new. Something absolutely terrifying. Dark, coarse hair sprouts across his skin, his face elongating as his ears shift from the side of his head to the top, ending in points far larger than Thaddeus’ pointed ears. Claws erupt from his meaty paws, razor-sharp black monstrosities that would shred me in a heartbeat. And his once golden eyes bleed away to reveal a shining silver.
Oh, fuckity fuck sticks. He’s a damn lycan.
I’m well and truly fucked.
“Stop wasting mine and the class’s time and fucking shift or get the fuck out of here.” His words come out as a guttural growl, spiking my instincts to flee. But I don’t. I want nothing more than to prove to this fucker that I’m the biggest and baddest here despite my size.
Here’s hoping I don’t shift into a tiny kitten or something equally embarrassing.
My eyes close once more, but this time, I push harder, deeper, finally grasping it in my fingers without letting it go. It writhes in my hand, but I refuse to force it to do my bidding like I did before. That could only end in another disaster. One that won’t have the magical containment room to keep it locked in
“Wow,” I murmur in awe, completely amazed by how it seems to perk up, ready to do my will this time since I’m not actively trying to force it.
“Wow, is right. You’ve done nothing but waste our time. You can’t do shit. Let’s go.” Rough pads like that of a dog’s paw wrap around my wrist, making me lose sight of the magic I just found.
“No. Wait. I was almost there.” Sharp nails dig into my hand. “No. No. What are you doing?”
A hard tug on my arm makes me stumble and almost hit the ground, but I catch my footing as Professor Asshole starts dragging me across the field toward the castle. A cacophony of laughter follows us as I continually trip over my feet, my short legs unable to keep up with his long stride.
“You’re hurting me. Stop!”
“Hudson! Hud!” Marion throws herself in front of Hudson, her arms out, trying to halt his movements. “Let her go, brother. You don’t want to hurt her.”
The professor shoves Marion to the side and continues on like she never spoke. But one thing she said caught my attention. Brother. They’re freaking related. How is someone so sweet like Marion related to this asshole? A few yells follow in our wake, and I look back in time to see the group of guys from before help Marion to her feet.
She tries storming after us, but they stop her before she can get too far out of reach.
Hudson yanks me up the main stairs, rips open the front entrance and continues to drag me through. The door closes before I completely clear the threshold, slamming into my back and knocking me off my feet completely. But that doesn’t deter him from hauling my body across the foyer and over to the stairs.
My magic rages from the confines of the hold I have on it to keep from going supernova—as Axel put it. It wants to jump out and protect me, but I’m not a killer, and that’s exactly what I think would happen if I actually let it go.
Tears gather in my eyes and break free from Hudson’s rough treatment. And no matter how hard I fight, I can’t get myself out of his grip. A grip that gets tighter every time I try. Blood slowly trickles down my arm, toward my shoulder from the tips of his claws breaking my skin.
“Please,” I sob, trying yet again to get him to let me go. But just as before, he ignores my pleas.
Didn’t Thaddeus mention something yesterday about his treatment toward others? Hell, didn’t Thaddeus say he and Jasper were here to protect me? Where’s this protection they boasted about? I can’t do this. Coming here was a huge mistake. I need to leave before this asshole or one of the other students kills me.
Each step thumps painfully into my hips and lower back as he ascends the staircase. I know I’ll be bruised black and blue tomorrow. Maybe even a broken bone at this rate.
I never stop fighting, though. Not that it does much.
Every part of me hurts by the time I recognize the hall leading toward Jasper’s office. My arm feels like it’s ready to be ripped from my socket, which I’m surprised it hasn’t yet.
Not stopping to knock, the professor throws open Jasper’s door and tosses me unceremoniously into the room with more force than my body can handle. A loud crack rents the air as I slam into the unforgiving floor of the room, a scream lodged in my throat as pain radiates from the tips of my fingers to my elbow.
Uncontrollable sobs pour from my parted lips as I curl into a ball on the floor, trying to shield myself from any more of his pain. I bet the asshole is getting off on it.
“What the fuck, Hudson!” Jasper’s bellow of rage strikes terror in my heart. “Bailey? Fuck.” A whimper tears from my throat as hands descend on my body. “What did you do, Hudson?”
“What did I do?” Hudson laughs mirthlessly, his voice sounding downright dangerous. “This little stalker showed up in my fucking transmutation class claiming she was one my students. But we both know there’s no fucking way that’s true. She needs to be expelled before I put her in the fucking ground.” Every word he utters causes me to curl even tighter to myself. I cry out as I jar my hurt wrist, clutching it tighter to my body to avoid further injury.
“You dumbass. I assigned her to your class. She does belong there.”
“She can’t fucking shift!” he booms, his anger filling the room like it’s a palpable thing.
“She’s new!” Jasper fires back, his ire matching that of Hudson’s. “Bailey, I need to see where you’re hurt, little one,” he says softer, sweeter almost. Like he’s a completely different person than the one facing Hudson.
When I don’t answer, those hands gather me into strong arms, pulling me into an equally strong chest. My fight instincts kick in again, not wanting Jasper’s touch right now. Not after the pain of Hudson’s. Not after they swore to protect me and failed miserably.
My body bucks in his thick arms, my wrist smarting with every move, but Jasper finally gets the hint and releases me, slowly placing my flailing feet on the ground. The moment I have stable footing, I back away from both giant men, almost cowering in the corner of the office.
“No one’s going to hurt you, little one.” Jasper raises his large hands in an attempt to placate me, making me flinch.
A hysterical, almost borderline crazy pants laugh rumbles through my chest. He’s fucking joking, right?
“Why the fuck are you pandering to this child, Jasper? Are you going to hold all of our new student’s hands? Maybe she should go back to the human sector where you found her.” God. I wish he would shut the hell up already.
“Hudson, she doesn’t belong in the human sector.”
“Could have fooled me,” he scoffs.
Jasper ignores Hudson’s comment, keeping his focus on me. “Bailey, do you remember when Axel said that I’ll let you know when you need to take off your necklace.” I nod, not understanding where he’s going with this. “Now is one of those times.”
My eyes widen. He can’t be serious, right?
“He tried to kill me, Jasper.” Hudson snarls at my words. “Who’s to say he won’t turn me into the council or actually kill me this time?”
Pounding footsteps vibrate the floor as they eat up the space between Hudson and I, his wolfish face twisted in some semblance of a scowl. Jasper steps between us, his huge stone hand pressing against Hudson’s chest to stop his movement.
“Why would I go to the council? What the fuck did you do that the council would go after you?”
“She didn’t do anything, Hudson. It’s because of who, or should I say, what she is.” Jasper’s words don’t have any effect on Hudson. If anything, the lycan gets bigger, towering over the gargoyle headmaster. “Bailey?”
I shake my head, my white hair bouncing around my shoulders. He shouldn’t know. No matter what Jasper thinks, Hudson has already proven that he doesn’t deserve to know my secret.
Keeping my injured wrist cradled against my chest, I creep out of the corner, not liking such large supernaturals pinning me in. They follow my movement but don’t try to stop me. I’ll be the first to admit that it’s intimidating as all get out to have their unwavering focus solely on me.
When I make it to the middle of the room, the wingback chairs my own line of defense between me and the enraged lycan, I feel slightly better protected—even if he could crush those and me in one fell swoop.
“Bailey, I know you’re scared and have every right to be. But please, take off the necklace. I won’t let anything happen to you.”
“Fine. But if you find my corpse, you’ll know who to blame.” Jasper doesn’t reply, and for once, Hudson is blissfully silent. “I need your help, though. I think the asshole broke my wrist.”
A rumbling growl meets my declaration, but Jasper ignores him, eating up the distance I’ve put between us. “Can I see your wrist, little one?” My lips part in a whimper as I carefully unwrap my other hand from my wrist. Jasper grimaces at the black and blue, swollen mass that’s now my wrist, and his eyes turn molten as he eyes the still-bleeding puncture wounds. “Thank you. He will be reprimanded for this, I promise.”
I scoff. He’s already been warned once from what Thaddeus said. So I won’t hold my breath that anything will come of this.
Jasper is gentle as he pulls my hair over my shoulder, fingering the delicate clasp on the necklace that keeps my identity a secret. After undoing it, he draws it away from my flesh, holding it daintily between his thick fingers. A smile tilts his lips as he gazes down at me, and I just know the glamour has faded from my skin, revealing the real me.
He spins around, shielding me behind his broad back as he addresses Hudson once again. “This information does not leave this room. You will find yourself without a job and without a life if it does. Then your sister will be left unprotected because you chose to go against me.”
“Leave my sister the hell out of this,” Hudson snarls, stepping forward. “She didn’t fucking do anything…” he trails off, silent for a moment. “What is that?”
“What?”
“That…that smell.” A huffing sounds, like Hudson is taking a huge whiff of the air. Subtly, even though no one can see me, I sniff myself, hoping I don’t smell like shit. Not like I should care or anything. But still. It’s the principle of the matter. After a few inhales, I can confirm that it is, in fact, not me that he’s smelling. Thank goodness. “Move, Jasper.”
My body presses into Jasper’s back, seeking safety in his broad form. I knew this was a bad idea. But for some reason, whatever is happening with Hudson now seems like it’s worse. Jasper must not be one to understand simple body language as the asshole moves from in front of me, leaving me in the line of Hudson’s fire.
Hudson’s nostrils flare and his golden eyes widen as he takes me fully. In all of my curiomancer glory. All five-foot-two of me with white hair, bubblegum pink eyes, and the runes that he can see that aren’t covered by clothing.
“M-ma-mate,” he murmurs, stumbling over the word. “How? How is this possible? I–I should have known yesterday.” He shakes his furry head before dropping to his knees right there in the middle of Jasper’s office. His massive weight slams into the floor with a resounding thud, shaking the entirety of the room.
Mate? That’s definitely one thing about the supernatural world I know about. And that’s a hell fucking no from me. Not freaking happening.
“Please, mate.” Hudson holds out clawed hands, reaching for me. Hands that just dragged me here. Hands that pierced my skin and made me bleed. Hands that broke my bones.
The sight of those claws strikes terror in my heart and makes me recoil, backing away from the lycan on his knees, begging for me to come to him.
Jasper once again steps between us to shield me from Hudson’s pleading gaze, but he can’t stop his words from reaching my ears.
“I’m so sorry, mate. I… I never meant to hurt you.”
That’s the biggest lie I’ve ever heard. He was deliberate in his actions. I know that. Hell, I feel it.
My magic floods from my heart as my fear of the man reaches new heights. All I want is safety. Somewhere he can’t hurt me.
“She’s not your mate, Hudson. Get that through your head right now. And you need to back up. You’re scaring her.”
Hudson snarls something to Jasper, but my blood is sluicing too loudly in my ears to make out his words. Not that I want to. There’s nothing he could say to justify his poor treatment of me. Mate or not. You don’t treat someone like that.
My ass suddenly feels like it’s been lit on fire, but I ignore the burn, continuing to wish for safety and back toward the door so I can hightail it the hell out of here and put a locked door between me and Hudson. Not that I think it will keep him out.
Suddenly, Hudson’s large form jumps up, his claws trying and failing to dig into Jasper’s stone flesh to get to me.
With a scream, I throw myself back, expecting to hit a wall, but instead, I fall right through it, blackness enveloping my whole being.
I welcome the darkness like a close friend, not caring where I end up as long as it’s away from here. And away from him.