Chapter 23 #2
Jun collapses with a sigh, his chest heaving as he lies on the floor.
We’ve taken care of the last demon. We made it through.
I don’t care. I move to Jun’s side, inspecting his wounded leg. Black tar oozes from the bite mark, and dark, prominent veins pulse around it.
“No.” I gasp. “Stay with me.”
The demon venom. We only have a few minutes to give him the antidote. I look around wildly, searching for anyone who may take pity and help.
I’ve known Jun for years, but I’ve only just found him. How can I lose my mate within moments of realizing—how could it have taken me so long to see him? Really see him?
My stubbornness. My competitiveness. So much of me got in the way of us.
“He’s immune,” my father says from behind me. His hand lands on my shoulder. “Jun is a demon, too. It will clear away soon.”
Jun nods, but his expression is still pained. “Been here before.”
I look up. “What about the other students?”
“We’ve given them antidotes,” my father says. “Everyone is fine. There were no fatalities and only minor injuries. Don’t worry.”
I only feel a fraction of relief. “Hell…”
“This was more than a physical test,” my father says. “It was a test of loyalty, of how quickly you would abandon or betray your allies. You two are the only ones who passed.”
I don’t know what to say. My eyes locked onto where Jun is writhing in pain. How was I supposed to abandon him? After a few moments, my father moves to the other side of the room.
He seems genuinely concerned with keeping the other students safe, but that means there’s more to worry about. The professors dole out antidotes, and the students rest in safety. He’s likely not killing them through this trial…
How is he doing it and why? There has to be a reason.
Before long, Jun’s injury heals itself. I don’t move until his veins clear and the wound closes. It’s impressive how quickly he heals. It’s almost as if he didn’t need help to close his wound when we made the witch weapon together, when I had the first taste of his blood.
The taste that started it all.
As the professors gather at the front, I rise, extending a hand to Jun. “Come on. Can’t show weakness in front of the others.”
He clasps my hand, and I drag him to his feet.
Jun is a couple of inches taller than me, but he leans into me for support, and I let him, wrapping an arm around his waist.
“Everyone in this room has made it to the final round,” Professor Stark says. “Return to your dormitory. We will be in contact with information on the third and final trial. Rest. Heal.”
Her words fade into static.
Does Jun… does Jun know what I know? Can he feel me too?
I return to Jun’s dormitory with him. Not only is it closer to the gymnasium, but I won’t leave him alone after being poisoned, no matter how much he insists otherwise.
“I’m fine,” he grumbles. “Tobey is probably worried about you. Stop babying me.”
His dormitory building is silent. It’s already the smallest dormitory on campus, but it’s two in the morning, and no one is around to see us in this state.
We’re both a mess, covered in black sludge and sweat. Our clothes smell like hell—literally. Smoke, brimstone, and the scent of death waft from us. I would never let someone see me in this state, but Jun has become an exception.
“Let me in,” I say, nodding at his door.
“I’ll give you a key. You can let yourself in next time.”
A key? What does that mean? Surely, we aren’t at the point in our friendship—or whatever we are—where he’s giving me the key to his abode…
For the night, it doesn’t matter. I don’t care about the confusing state of our relationship or what we may or may not become. It doesn’t matter that he’s my mate. He’s going to live, and that’s all I care about.
“Thank you,” I murmur.
Jun moves toward his bed.
I wrinkle my nose, grabbing the back of his shirt before he can collapse. “Absolutely not. You need a shower first.”
He groans. “Baby. I’m so fucking tired.”
His voice is an exhausted rumble, and I feel it between my thighs.
Baby? He must be out of his mind. Princess, I’m used to. It’s taunting, though it’s become softer as of late. But to hear him call me baby in such a sweet tone…
Warmth fills my cold, dead heart.
“Then you can take a bath. That should be enough to get the demon sludge off you. Please? I don’t want to share a bed with you like this.”
Perhaps I should be embarrassed about inviting myself into his bed, but I’m not.
He narrows his eyes. “You’re just as much of a mess.”
“I’m showering as well. That’s a given. I’m always a good bedmate.”
“Mm… you are.”
Without further complaint, he stumbles to the bathroom. I follow behind and draw the bath for him. He has a large, circular bath with enough space for the two of us—but this isn’t the time for me to join him.
I look around the room, squinting.
“I don’t have bubble bath or anything,” he says. “If that’s what you’re looking for.”
“No bath bombs?”
He rolls his eyes, peeling off his dirty clothes. “No. Nothing like that.”
“Then what’s the point of having a bath?”
“I didn’t ask for it. It came with the room.”
“We’ll have to make bubbles with your shampoo.”
To my great relief, he uses acceptable shampoo. It smells like grapefruit, and it doesn’t double as a conditioner, which is all I can expect from a man.
As Jun undresses, I squeeze a generous amount of shampoo into the tub, watching it foam up.
It’s not until Jun is sinking into the tub, a happy sigh escaping his mouth, that I undress myself. His gaze drags over each of my curves, his lips parting.
I don’t shy away from his scalding gaze. He’s never seen me naked before. Not fully. I don’t realize until it’s too late. After the day we’ve had, it’s the least of my worries.
How he watches should fluster me—and I suppose it does—but my desire for a shower is greater. Lucky for me, the shower is separate from the bath. He really has the best dormitory on campus.
“Do you like what you see?” I ask, soft and teasing.
His chest rises. “You’re fucking gorgeous. I didn’t know someone could look this good after slaying demons.”
“Why, thank you.” I step into the shower and turn it on.