Possessive without tenderness.
Predatory without reverence.
Meanwhile Sten?
Sten looked at me like he wanted to worship me.
There was another difference.
A massive one.
I only wanted Sten.
In fact, I was pretty sure I was head over heels in love with the Monster
And tonight, I was finally going to tell him so.
The realization made my pulse jump wildly.
I grabbed my tablet from the desk and sent my completed project to Professor Franco through the Institute’s enchanted academic network.
The chart attached beneath my report still made my stomach flutter every time I looked at it.
100% MATCH.
Impossible.
Ridiculous.
Terrifyingly wonderful.
I’d also printed physical copies because Runevald professors still insisted “hard documents preserve magical integrity,” which honestly sounded fake but apparently wasn’t.
I slipped the papers carefully into a leather folder and hugged it tightly against my chest.
Nerves hit hard immediately afterward.
Because suddenly I was walking into a festival alone while emotionally unraveling over a celestial Monster who might or might not be about to change my entire life.
Cool.
Very manageable.
“You can do this,” I whispered to my reflection.
Then I exited my dorm room—and nearly collided directly into a massive dark-winged male.
“Oh my gods—sorry!”
The male stepped back instantly while a curvy Witch with gorgeous purple hair burst into laughter beside him.
“Our fault entirely!” she said brightly. “Are you Luna? I’m Serena. This is Raven.”
I blinked.
The male behind her was enormous.
Like genuinely intimidating.
