Page 5 of Heartflame

“In guys or Fae?”

“Neither,” I said, going back to my schedule. “I’m here to study, not to fuck my roommate.”

Suddenly he was closer to my bed, his green eyes wide. “Oooh, the studious type, huh? I do like a smart man.”

“And I like a quiet roommate,” I grunted. “Look, it’s nice to meet you and all, but I really need to get ready for classes tomorrow.”

“Homework already?”

“I just liked to be prepared.”

Lysander gave me a shrug and headed back to the door. “I’m gonna go see if I can find a party to crash. If you change your mind, come find me.”

“Thanks,” I nodded. “I won’t.”

Lysander just shrugged again and pulled the door closed behind him. In his wake, he’d left his bed a complete mess, his books on the floor, and sticking out of his sock drawer was, unmistakably, a silicone butt plug.

I let out a sigh and flopped back onto my bed. It was going to be a long fucking semester.

Chapter 3

Aeron

People were staring at me from the moment I stepped on campus. Men, women, and everything in between. Witches, shifters, and fae alike had their eyes on me, taking in every inch of my tall dragon form.

Did I strut a little? Yes. Did I wear my pants a bit tighter than normal? Also yes. Because who in their right mind would turn down attention? I was at Widdershins to make a statement to the paranormal world and to help my grandfather. But that didn’t mean I had to be a prude while I did it. I fully planned to enjoy myself with anyone and everyone who let me.

But today was the first day of classes, and unfortunately, it couldn’t all be fun and games. If I wanted my grandfather’s plan to work, I actually had to show up for my classes and do the work. Although, thanks to literally three decades of private tutors and my dragon lineage, I had no doubt I’d be miles ahead of everyone else.

My first class of the day? Magical Theory.

I pushed through the heavy wooden front doors, my horns nearly brushing the top of the frame. The hallway beyond was crowded with students shuffling between classes, and I caught the immediate shift in their energy when they spotted me. Conversations died mid-sentence. Bodies pressed against the walls to give me space. A few brave souls stepped forward, hoping to catch my eye.

I couldn’t help but smirk. This was exactly the kind of reaction my grandfather had been hoping for. We wanted them writing home to their parents, telling them all the news about the red dragon on campus.

The classroom for Magical Theory was on the third floor. I climbed the stairs with deliberate slowness, my scaled tail swishing behind me in a way I knew looked impressive. A group of freshmen pressed themselves into a corner to let me pass, their eyes wide with a mixture of fear and fascination. One of them, a pretty witch with dark skin and intricate braids, actually gasped when our eyes met.

Yeah, I wouldn’t even have to try to find some groupies for the semester. It was going to be a piece of cake.

The classroom door was already open when I arrived, and Professor Blackwood was standing at the front, arranging papers on a large oak desk. She was a middle-aged woman, probably in her late forties, with silver hair pulled back in a severe bun and a perpetual scowl. She looked up as I entered, and I watched her eyebrows shoot up toward her hairline.

“Mr. Pyre, I presume?” she asked, her voice crisp and authoritative.

“That’s me,” I said, choosing a seat near the middle of the room. It was a strategic choice. I was close enough to the front to show I was serious about the class, but not so close as to seem desperate. Dead center of the T-zone.

“Welcome to Magical Theory,” she said, returning her attention to her papers. “I trust you’ve done the assigned reading?”

The assigned reading. Right. I vaguely remembered my grandfather mentioning something about pre-semester materials. I’d skimmed a few chapters on the flight here, mostly while I was distracted by thinking about all the ways I planned to enjoy my time on campus.

“Of course, Professor,” I said smoothly.

She gave me a look that suggested she didn’t entirely believe me, but she didn’t press the issue. Instead, she returned to organizing her materials as more students filed into the room. I noticed how their eyes kept drifting toward me, how they whispered to each other in hushed tones. A few of them looked nervous, like they were genuinely afraid of a dragon sitting in their classroom. Others looked intrigued, curious about what it would be like to actually interact with something so rare.

I leaned back in my chair, letting my tail coil beneath it, and waited for class to begin. This was my domain now. Not just Widdershins Academy, but this entire paranormal world that my grandfather had tasked me with representing. And I was going to make damn sure everyone knew that the Pyre family wasn’t afraid of anything and that they didn’t need to do the assigned reading in order to succeed.

The classroom continued to fill up over the next few minutes. Students trickled in, most of them doing a double-take when they saw me sprawled across my chair like I owned the place. A couple of them actually stumbled over their own feet, which was hilarious. I filed that away for funny stories to tell at parties.

Professor Blackwood waited until the clock on the wall ticked over to ten o’clock before she stood up and addressed the class. “Good morning, everyone. Welcome to Magical Theory. For those of you who don’t know me, I’m Professor Blackwood, and I’ve been teaching at Widdershins for a very long time.”