I take my time in the locker room, or as much time as I can. I can’t be late, or I’ll have to reschedule. Tardiness is a pet peeve of his; most things are.
For a man who just seems to despise his own kids overall, he sure picked a wild job. Though I don’t think it had anything to do with helping the younger generation the way he claims, no, I’ve never known him to do something that doesn’t serve him.
I make my way back through the portal to the dorm and down the stairs to find Gavin sitting at the table and Wren still asleep on the couch.
I pause for a second and really look at her. I’ve done my best to avoid her, but right now, with her unconscious, I see it.
She really is beautiful; it’s no wonder Julez is head over fin for her. And while most pretty women are his type, I’m not too proud to admit that she’s also mine, even if only to myself.
Everything about her screams fragile, docile, and in need of protection. She’s so small and a mortal on top of it; how could she not need someone to look out for her?
I shake the thought away and head toward the door without glancing back at Gavin. I’d like to say I’d love to sit down and have breakfast with him, but that would be a lie. I don’t have time, anyway; I’ve spent too long dragging my feet.
I make it as far as the door before I hear him jogging across the room to catch up, and I force myself to take a breath.
Gavin has always been a little much, and I get it, she’s his rival and all that, but I’m not sure I can handle him breathing down my neck on top of everything else right now.
Looking back, I’m thrown off when I see him carefully closing the door behind him.
I didn’t think he would give a shit about waking her up, but maybe he just doesn’t want to deal with her.
“Are you going to meet with your father?” he shouts after me, once again jogging to catch up.
I don’t bother answering him; he knows that's where I’m headed.
Unfortunately, that doesn’t deter him.
As if I need more to deal with this morning.
“Do you think she’s going to be able to move her? Why would he risk putting a mortal with us? And why the hell did it have to be her? The co-ed hasn’t actually been used in so long, and now!” He tosses his hands up in the air, clearly exasperated, but I just keep walking.
It doesn’t seem like he needs me to respond. He's doing just fine on his own.
Gavin continues to ramble, asking the universe questions it can’t possibly answer as we make our way through the school's winding halls up the stairs to the teachers' wing.
I’m almost there, only a handful of feet away, when I hear someone call our names.
“Gavin! Nolan!”
With a groan, I stop and force myself to turn around. If it were anyone else, I would have ignored them, but I actually like Dimitri, damn it.
“Hey, what’s up, D?” Gavin asks as his brother jogs over to catch up with us, his brows pinched and his posture stiff.
Strange.
Usually Dimitri’s pretty laid-back, especially with us. It’s hard to remember a time when he seemed this serious, especially with just us.
“Can either of you explain to me why Wren would ask if there’s a bathroom upstairs in the dorm yesterday?”
It’s impossible to miss his sharp tone, and I raise a brow in question. Of course, he doesn’t miss it.
She’s a student like us; she deserves privacy and a bed, but there’s nothing we can do about that, not really.
“Why did you see her yesterday?” Gavin asks, not even trying to hide his disgust or the side-eye he’s currently giving his brother.
If I didn’t know better, I’d almost say he sounded… jealous.
“I’m her mentor, and yesterday, before she left, she asked me if there was a bathroom upstairs. How is that something she doesn’t know?”
