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21
Luka
My chest tightenedas the bell rang and I still didn’t see Raven. Over the last few weeks, I’d given her space in real life and while the late-night dream booty calls were nice, they weren’t a substitute for the real thing. Every day when we had gym, I hoped it would be the day she’d decide to take things out of the dream realm.
It was hard to believe it had been nearly three weeks since she arrived. In all that time, I found that my appetite for other encounters had dwindled. It was as if she was the only thing I craved, and it was taking its toll on me. I needed to have some real-life action, but she was all I wanted.
Today was going to change that. I was going to get her alone. We had a connection, I knew we did. I just needed to talk to her. The whole day had dragged by so slowly as I waited for this moment. I’d been counting down, waiting for her.
And now it was time for gym, and she was nowhere in sight. I’d warned her about being on time to classes. She had to know by now how important it was to fall in line. This school might be the envy of all magic academies, but they were still practicing the old ways of punishment. Meaning, step a toe out of line and you’d pay with dire consequences that would be shocking to the members of the Spanish Inquisition. I should know, I’d had to listen to my family retell their take on the Inquisition every year on the Winter Solstice when we traveled between realms to visit those who had permanently crossed into hell.
“Demon, why the fuck aren’t you warming up?” Coach Miller called.
I tore my eyes off the door and clenched my jaw as I turned to face the coach. Of all the teachers at the Academy, Coach Miller was the worst. He wasn’t just a sadistic asshole, he was horrifying to look at. And I’m a fucking demon. I literally visit Hell every year. Coach Miller even freaked me out.
His lower half was a snake body, while his upper half was that of a man. A roided out man who spent too much time popping supplements and eating raw meat. The veins in his forehead were always bulging, but you were safe as long as the neck vein wasn’t throbbing. Like it was starting to do now.
“On my way, coach,” I said, trying to sound like I actually respected him. I didn’t. Nobody did. That’s why he was such a prick. Instead of earning respect, he made us suffer so we were all terrified of him. It was almost enough to sign up to take the trials now and avoid having to spend another hour with him.
I picked up my pace, running faster to meet up with the pack of students in the middle. We did the same warm up every day. Two miles around the track. It was tedious but it was the best part of class because at least while we were warming up, he wasn’t trying to kill us.
With every lap, I glanced toward the door, hoping to catch a glimpse of Raven. But as I rounded the final lap, I started to hope she wouldn’t arrive. The punishment for missing a class was probably the same as coming late but it would be determined by the dean instead of the coach so it was less likely you’d be fighting giant scorpions or something.
“Hey, Luka,” James, the only other incubus at the Academy jogged over to me. “You had a shot with the new girl yet? I saw her at lunch today with the shifters. Whew, man, I’m telling you, I’ve never gotten such a high from a woman’s scent as I have from that little mage. She’s got to be a wild one in bed, don’t you think?”
Everything inside me felt like it turned molten at James’s words. I wanted to rip his throat out for talking about Raven that way. “She’s taken.”
He lifted a cocky brow and laughed. “Yeah, right. Like you already bagged that one. She’s way out of your league. Besides, I’m pretty sure she’s shacking up with the wolf’s alpha.”
“I can assure you, she’s off the market. And not because she’s fucking a dog,” I said as I left the track and headed to the middle of the gym to wait for whatever today’s fresh hell would be.
Suddenly, the doors opened and Raven walked in with the Mage twins behind her.
“Fuck, how do those assholes get all the pussy?” James asked.
“Because they’re richer than god,” another student said.
“Ms. Winters,” Coach Miller boomed. “You’re late. That was a stupid choice.”
“It was my fault, Coach,” Matt said. “We sort of caught her on fire last period.”
The coach’s eye twitched and one nostril flared. His upper lip curled, then he sucked in his lips as if he’d just eaten something sour. “Is that so, Mr. Obscura?”
“She was willing to come straight here and I made her get checked for injury. You know how it would look if an Obscura killed a student before the end of the first semester?”
“Yeah, they usually wait until the trials for that,” someone called.
My stomach tightened. Had these two sunk their teeth into my Raven? We shared something. Our time in that dream wasn’t just a dream; it was something bigger. When she was around, the whole world stopped.
I was pretty convinced we had a bond, though I wasn’t ready to admit that to anyone. My grandparents had come together through a mating bond and when my grandmother died, it took my grandfather down with her. So my parents had been clear about their lack of interest in such a bond. For a demon, it was seen as weakness. But I didn’t think I had a choice. The pull to her was too great. If she was my mate, I was willing to do whatever it took to spend as much time as I could with her. Today was supposed to be the day I made that leap. But I was going to have to get rid of the golden boys first.
“You missed warm up so you’ll have to work cold,” Coach Miller said.
“Thanks, coach,” Matt said. “I’ll pass your best along to my parents.”
“Yeah, why don’t you do that,” he said. Then he turned to the rest of us. “Circle up. It’s combat day.”
I moved slowly, keeping an eye on the twins and Raven. The mage boys left the gym and Raven slowly walked toward the group. I shifted so I could get closer to her but the coach moved next to her, cutting off my access. Frowning, I took a spot in the circle of students.
