Chapter 97
Nix
“You are sure?”
“Yes.” I press my hands against Volik’s chest. “Go have lunch with Henry. Jenny and I will eat here in her office.”
He stares down at me, then lifts his gaze over my head to where Jenny is standing near her desk. “You will walk with her to Bates Hall.”
“I super swear.”
Volik narrows his eyes down at me, then heaves out a breath. “Fine.” He grips my face, kisses my forehead, then turns and ducks out the door.
I’m turning from the door when I hear a startled yelp in the hall.
Poking my head out, I see the delivery guy visibly shaking as Volik points to the paper bag of takeout in his hands.
“That’s for us,” I call out to the poor man. “You can give it to Volik.”
The delivery guy does just that, then books it back down the hall.
Volik turns back, lifting the bag up and down like he’s weighing it.
“This is not enough,” he tells me as he holds it out.
I laugh. “They’re big salads.”
He makes a face. “Salad is not lunch.”
“It’s literally a meal.” I try to argue, but my gaze drops to Volik’s neck. That’s a meal.
He lets out a rumble. “I will go to the bakery.”
My brows lift. “The one where I, well, we, got my birthday cupcake?”
“Da.”
I look back at Jenny. “Anything in particular you like from Abigail’s Bakery?”
“Oh, you don’t have to get me anything.”
“Nonsense. Volik is paying.” I grin. “Plus, we’re celebrating.”
“What are you celebrating?” Volik asks seriously.
I smile at him. “Friday.”
His brows furrow. “You are celebrating that today is Friday?”
“Da.” I turn back to Jenny.
“They do make pretty amazing blondies.”
“Blondies,” Volik repeats.
Jenny nods. “Yep. You should probably get one for Nix too.”
I grin as I start to close the door. “Tell the dean we say hi.” I hold up the bag. “Thanks for lunch.”
“And blondies!” Jenny adds.
Volik still looks a little upset about us being separated for a meal, so I wink at him. “Love you.” Then I push the door closed.
His immediate smile has me grinning as I make my way around to Jenny’s side of the desk.
“Using the L-word, huh?”
I drop into the extra chair. “Seems crazy fast, I know.”
Jenny huffs. “Girl, there’s no rule book for this. And if I had a man that doted on me like that, I’d be declaring my love by the third week too.”
I snort. “Strangest month of my life.”
“No shit.” Jenny snorts.
“Speaking of doting men… How was your date last night?” I pull the large salad containers out of the bag as Jenny tells me about her lackluster dinner.
Stabbing my fork through some spinach and cheese, I admit that Volik was right; this isn’t enough sustenance for me anymore. Or at least not right now.
Last weekend was mostly just speculation. But Uncle Frio thinks my current level of hunger is due to the changes my body is going through, and that it will taper down as I get used to the new magic in my blood.
Without elaborating too much, I told them that I feel heavier and that my senses have gotten better. Such as being able to see in the dark now.
Barth thinks the intensity of my changes could be in correlation with Volik’s strength.
The hulking out part of mating is apparently normal for all vampires.
But the level of growth, both in size and power, depends on the individual’s original power.
But even with Volik being one of the strongest living vampires, the family was still surprised to see how much more powerful he’s become.
Volik was surprised by all of it too. And I know he wants to find his brother because he cares about him. But I also think he’s excited to be bigger than his older brother when they finally see each other again.
For Volik’s sake, I hope he finds him before his brother finds his mate, because from the stories I’ve heard, I have a feeling Volik will go back to being the little brother after that.
Supposedly, shifters also go through something similar when they mate. Which blows my damn mind. And I specifically told Volik to ask Henry about it over lunch.
Gods, I wish I could tell Jenny that the dean is a freaking wolf shifter.
Someday. Hopefully.
I’m shoving the last bite of food into my mouth when my phone rings.
It’s already on the desk, so I flip it over and look at the caller’s name. Then I silence it and flip it back face down.
Jenny snickers. “Someone you don’t want to talk to?”
“Yeah.” I shove my empty container back into the paper bag. “My mom.”
“Not taking the hint, huh?”
I shake my head. “Neither of them are.”
I ignored calls from both of my parents last week after the article went live. I also ignored their texts. And while we were in France, I left my phone at home, so I came back to several messages, mostly from my mom, each with more attitude than the last.
There was even a text from one of my stepsiblings. I was honestly more inclined to respond to that than to my parents. And I might’ve, if that wasn’t the first time in six years that they’d messaged me.
To be fair, I don’t message her either, but that just proves that we aren’t family.
And I have a better family now.
“Just give me their numbers.” Jenny stands. “I’ll tell my niece to crank call them every time she gets her hands on her mom’s phone.”
I laugh as we head out of the office. “I bet she would too.”
I met her niece two days ago when they stopped by my classroom with cookies, and that eight-year-old can talk more than anyone I know.
“Even if it wasn’t for the bat lady, she’d still do it.”
I laugh. “I know I should correct her, but it’s just too cute.”
Jenny rolls her eyes as she opens the front door. “That child is going to believe whatever she wants to believe, no matter what you say.”
Students look at us—me—as we walk across campus. But the vibes are curious, not malicious. So I don’t feel stressed.
Next week, I’ll convince Volik to take me out for coffee or something.
We’re both nervous about me going somewhere public for the first time since my changes, but the sooner I can get out there, the sooner people can get used to seeing me.
Though with the way people still react to Volik on the daily, I have a feeling there will always be some awkwardness.
“Jenny,” a male voice calls out.
We pause as someone I recognize as faculty walks toward us.
He does a good job of keeping the smile on his face, but his eyes dart too quickly between us to be casual.
I shift away from Jenny, not wanting to scare the guy.
But Jenny closes the space I just made and elbows me in the side. “Don’t be an idiot.”
A laugh bursts out of me, popping the tension building in my shoulders.
The guy’s eyes widen as he stares at my smiling mouth. At my fangs.
“Did you lock yourself out again?” Jenny asks, drawing his attention back to her.
The guy grimaces. “Yeah.”
“Fine.” She sighs. “We’ll go to my office after I walk Nix back.”
I wave her off. “We’re literally here.”
“You’re sure?”
I nod. “You can watch me walk in.”
“Fine, but if that man of yours gets upset over it, I’m blaming you.”
“Totally fair.” I take a step away, toward the front of Bates Hall. “Once my class starts, I’ll send him over with your dessert.”
The guy silently watches us and turns a little paler at each mention of Volik.
I’m smiling to myself as I enter my building.
It really has been the most insane three weeks of my life, but also probably the best.
As I unlock my classroom door, I appreciate the new art display hanging in the hallway. They’ve popped up all over campus. Some sort of competition between art classes. I think we can vote online, but I’ve been happy to just enjoy the pops of color.
Turning the lights on, I look up at the clock.
Henry must’ve been chatty at lunch if Volik’s not back yet.
I’m thinking about my mate, and the reminder of blondies, when I register the sound of heels clicking down the hallway.
I make a face to myself as I cross to my desk, thinking about uncomfortable shoes.
After my old scars disappeared, it was clear that I had expedited healing. But when I accidentally cut myself on a glass I broke yesterday, it’s equally clear that I still have the easily injured skin of a human. Not Volik’s nearly impenetrable hide.
The heel clicking gets louder.
Setting my bag on the desk, I turn, expecting to watch someone pass by my open doorway.
But no one passes by.
Nope.
They stop at my door. And then my heart thuds rapidly as I watch my mother step into my classroom.