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My eyes kept straying back to the redhead in the third row. She had pretty blue eyes that seemed to sparkle in the light, and she wore a casual sweater and jeans that clung to her curves. Nothing that seemed out of place. When she met my eyes, she licked her lips, and I found myself focused on their redness for a little too long. I shook myself. I wasn’t here to get distracted by a woman. I had a job to do.
I forced my gaze away, but came back to her again. Something was off about her, something wrong. I eyed her while keeping watch over the others but she did nothing unusual, well, other than kind of staring into space. The rest of the students were madly taking notes, excited for a guest lecture. She didn’t even seem to notice, and she kept watching me.
Afraid my glamour was fading and attracting unwanted attention, I reinforced it. But that woman seemed to be the only one who noticed. Was she some kind of witch? Did she sense me? Witches didn’t much like any of the rest of us supernaturals. I especially didn’t think they’d be fans of my vampire boss, but they’d never given us any outright trouble.
I ran my gaze over the students again. Nothing else that set off alarm bells. A couple of faint magical signatures letting me know there were witches or other supernaturals in the room, but not a lot. Most were plain old humans. Red stood out like a beacon among them. I couldn’t even get a read on her as a supernatural or human.
Alistair gave me a sidelong glance, and I shook my head. No danger.
The lecture finished and the professor took a few questions then we were off. Alistair wore dark glasses in the sun, but he was old enough that it didn’t bother him much. I got him in the car with his driver and gave strict instructions for direct travel to his house.
“You aren’t coming?” Alistair asked with a lazy smile.
I took a long moment. “No, I think I’d better check on someone. You’ve got several more appearances this week and I don’t want any undue trouble.”
Alistair nodded. “Off with you then. Let me know if there is anything I should worry about.”
“Of course, sir.”
“And Gideon, be careful. There are witches about. I expect they don’t like your kind any more than mine.”
So he had noticed someone in the classroom. Had it been the redhead? “Yes, sir.”
I watched the limo drive off then I turned back toward the school building. I slipped around the back behind the overflowing garbage cans and held my nose as I let go of my suited glamour. While I wasn’t naked underneath, my wings didn’t accommodate a traditional suit. I wore a custom vest and sweatpants. I flew to the top of the campus building. Perching there among the ivy and brick, I looked like nothing more than a statue.
Some time later I spotted her. She was smaller than I thought, shorter than her friend whom she was walking and conversing with. She’d tied back her riot of red curls with a scrunchie, and pulled a jacket on over her sweater in deference to the cool spring weather. They stopped at a coffee cart and ordered drinks. They laughed and chatted like normal college students, but I couldn’t shake the feeling that there was something wrong with Red.
I flew down into the tree near the cart, grateful that my glamour would keep me hidden from all eyes in this state. A bird chirped in her nest next to me but I ignored her. I took a breath, pulling in the sweet spring air, and gasped. Red smelled like licorice, sweet and deep, but something about that particular scent set my heart hammering. Then I knew. Mate.
There was no way I could have a fated mate. I’d been exiled, and for that mate to be a mortal? Impossible. But even as my thoughts whirled, my soul knew. I’d finally met my soulmate. I didn’t have a home or a tribe to offer her, but would any of that matter to a mortal? My gaze latched on to her again, and I knew it didn’t matter. Now that I’d found her, I’d never be able to let her go.
I tuned into their conversation.
“You need to get out of your head,” the one with braids said. “There’s a new app, The Crystal Connection, for finding supernatural dates. It’s like tinder for mortals.”
“No, I’m not dating any witches.”
A growl grew in my chest. My mate wouldn’t be dating anyone but me.
“You’ll have to sometime. Are you going to spend the rest of your life having one night stands with werewolves?”
“That was one time,” Red snarled.
“Witches marry witches,” the other girl said with an exaggerated shrug.
My fated mate was a witch? Dammit. Alistair had warned me that they were around. Could that be what caused my shoulders to pinch every time I looked at her? Was that what was causing her wrongness? A grumble rolled up in my throat. But I hadn’t been concerned looking at her friend, and apparently they were both witches. I focused back into their conversation.
“Should I try a vampire?” Red asked, flipping through her phone where she’d apparently downloaded the app.
I growled again. She was my fated mate.
“No way! They’re deadly and not in a good way.”
“How about a gargoyle?” Red said, a teasing note in her voice.
Why not a gargoyle? It’d certainly be a way for me to get to know her. I wouldn’t be able to let anyone else have her now that I knew. If this was a way to meet her, then that’s what I’d do. I pulled out my cell phone and scanned the apps. I downloaded The Crystal Connection, and started setting up my profile. I kept one ear on the women as I did so.
I followed them from above as they said goodbye and headed back to their homes. Apparently Red lived on campus and the other one stayed in a house off campus. I settled in on the roof by her ivy covered dorm and finished my profile. Then I started scanning through the matches, swiping through profile after profile, not caring about any of the women. I only wanted to find the one.
