Page 9 of Vayn

“How would I know your private information?” he sneered.

“You’re my guardian. You’ve read my file. Right?”

A look of embarrassment flitted across his face. There one minute, gone the next. For a brief second, he looked less menacing. Almost normal. Well, as normal as a 6’2 hunk of fallen angel could look. Before I could enjoy the almost adorable expression, it was gone, and his scowl was back in place.

“I’ve been too busy to read over a dud’s file,” he told me. “Even a dud who can see into the shadows.”

Bastard! I can be petty too.

“Yeah, well, I’m too tired to argue with a Fallen. Even one who can’t shield himself from a dud.”

Anger flared within his dark eyes. I smiled. Though I’m trying not to revert back to my petty days, something about my jerk of a guardian brings the petty out of me.

“We’re done here. Bye.” I waved before side-stepping him.

I didn’t get far. Two steps, that was it. I’d just taken the second step when strong arms wrapped around my waist, pulling me up against a solid chest that I knew belonged to Vayn. Then my world began spinning.

One second, I was standing on the sidewalk that led to my apartment building. The next, I was in my apartment. Ugh! I hated teleportation. A wave of nausea washed over me as Vayn leaned down to whisper in my ear.

“Your file stated that you hated teleportation,” he said, voice deep, breath warm against my neck and ear. “See, I do know some things about you.”

“Bastard,” I muttered.

He chuckled. “I know who my maker is. Do you?”

A gasp escaped me. I spun around, hand raised, ready to slap away the smile I was sure I’d find on his face. Before I could do so, he disappeared in a cloud of smoke. Damn it! Lowering my hand, I stared around my empty bedroom, waiting for him to reappear and try to hide within his cloaking spell.

He couldn’t hide from me. After standing there for three minutes, I realized he was really gone. Him and his shadows. Ignoring how lonely I now felt, I tossed my duffle onto the floor, then limped over to my dresser. I pulled out my undergarments and pink and black pajamas. A soft sigh escaped me. Alone, again.

I didn’t even have a roommate. There weren’t many women at Shadow Bound Academy. However, that was changing. This year we had more female freshmen enroll than we’d had since I’ve been here. The truth was, most offspring of the Fallen were male. Hence the reason the females mated with two to four males sometimes.

We were outnumbered by them. The males were taught from youth to build themselves a den to bond with. In the shadow world, a den was a group of males who chose to be bonded together so they could claim the same female mate one day. Usually, those connections were made between best friends.

Sometimes, Fate chose the bonded males. Other times, the families arranged it, usually for political reasons or other reasons that benefited the elites. Most dens were formed by the time the males turned seventeen. Most matings occurred as early as eighteen. I was already twenty when I was forced to attend Shadow Bound as a freshman.

Now, here I was, almost twenty-four years old and still mateless. I really should get myself some mates. Or at least a puppy. Something or someone to keep me company. Another sigh escaped me. Why the hell was I sighing? There was nothing wrong with being single. I’d rather be lonely than be in the presence of my jerk of a guardian.

Though, I wouldn’t have minded if he’d left one of his shadows behind. Or two. Or all of them. Don’t think nasty thoughts, I chastised myself as I headed to the shower. You cannot seduce Vayn’s shadows.

Just as I reached my bathroom, the sound of my favorite song filled the room. My phone. Ugh. I turned and headed to get it. I tossed my clothes onto my bed, then limped over to my duffle to retrieve my phone. I answered on the fourth ring.

“Hello.”

“What took you so long?” my bestie, Tia Jackson, asked.

Limping over to the chair at my vanity table, I said, “Look who suddenly remembered I existed. Ever since you found yourself a little boyfriend, you’ve been too busy for me.”

“Not true,” she protested. “I’ll always make time for you. If you hadn’t signed up for a night training class, we could’ve hung out tonight. A bunch of us decided to go out to eat. I texted you. When you didn’t respond, I figured you were in class.”

“Yeah, I was in class, getting my butt kicked. Again.”

“Is it too late to drop that class?”

“Yes. Plus, I don’t want to drop it. I need to get stronger.”

“This is our senior year. Why are you wasting it on getting stronger? Has something happened? Have your powers manifested?”

“I wish.”