AllFreeNovel
Share Us
"Ish," I admit. "I'm struggling to understand some of the stuff my economics lecturer talks about, but I got some books out of the library, so I'm hoping that'll help." I dump my bag on the table and sit down so he knows I'm not about to run off and abandon him after he's so kindly made me tea.
"I could go through some of it with you?" Jeremy suggests. "It took me a while to understand it, so maybe I can help you."
"You did economics?"
He nods. "It was one of my modules last year. I was glad when it was open."
I chuckle. "I think I will be too. But I promised Dad that I'd take at least one business module a term."
"Even if you're not interested in it?"
"It's a small price to pay for help with my tuition."
"Ah, right. I can understand that."
"Don't your parents have expectations of you?"
"My parents don't really pay much attention to me," he admits. "I'm the middle son. My older brother is already giving them grandchildren to occupy their time, and my younger brother is a musical prodigy. The most interesting thing about me is that I almost ended up engaged to the Shifter Queen."
"You say that like it's a bad thing." I hope he's going to tell me what happened there one day.
He lets out an uncomfortable laugh. "It is when she wasn't actually on board with the whole thing."
"I thought you said you were friends."
"We are. But that happened after. Kayra knows a thing or two about meddling parents."
A small pang of jealousy shoots through me at the way he says the other girl's name. I squash it down. I have no right to be jealous, and even if I did, he's already said they're just friends. I have no reason not to believe him.
"It must be hard to be the Queen."
Jeremy raises an eyebrow. "Most people talk about how good the parties and the clothes are."
I shrug. "It seems like there's a lot more to it than that to me. I'm sure the parties and clothes are nice, but that doesn't really mean anything when there's all the responsibility of being the monarch and all the people to look after."
"Maybe you could come with me next time I go to the palace?" he suggests, bringing two cups of steaming tea over and setting mine down in front of me before joining me at the table. "I think you and Kayra would get on well."
"I'm sure she has better things to do than meet me."
He chuckles. "I mostly go to social events," he promises.
"So I'll be going as your plus one?"
"Something like that."
I have to admit there's something appealing about the idea. "And everyone will be shifters there?" I wrap my hands around my mug and let the warmth sink into me.
"Probably. It's not unheard of for non-shifters to attend social events at the balls, but it's rare."
"I don't think they'll want someone with my poor shifting skills around."
"Are they really that bad?" he asks.
"Last time I shifted, I tried to walk along a very flat wall and I ended up falling off."
He chuckles. "I'm sorry, just the image of that is amusing."
I smile reassuringly at him, wanting him to know that there are no hard feelings for his reaction. "I saw the funny side after a while," I admit.
