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“Um, what… ah, let’s begin with… I mean, where was I?” His deep voice held a new tone, flustered still, and now almost confused.
I glanced back up and caught him looking again. This time, he looked away from me first, reaching for his notes and accidentally knocking his pen off the podium.
As he rose from picking it up, his gaze collided with mine yet again. But his expression was so much more intense now. Like he’d looked me over and had reached some serious conclusion. I wasn’t sure it boded well for me. I smiled nervously, praying he wasn’t humanphobic.
“Okay, we’ll be covering the treatment of the paranormal in classical literature this quarter. If you haven’t taken our intro lit class or placed out of it, you’re in the wrong room.” He started class from there, and as he got into the lecture, it became clear that lumberjack professor’s style was informative and interesting. But he kept glancing at me throughout.
Feeling someone else’s eyes on me too, I turned toward Mr. Scowly. Of course it was him.
Emerald eyes glared back at me, his scowl stronger than ever. He huffed under his breath, shaking his head, like the professor looking at me was my fault.
But it wasn’t my fault. Every time I looked up from my notepad, the professor’s gaze darted away from me, his expression still serious.
In contrast to the firm set of his jaw when he stopped to take student questions, Mr. Belanger’s cheeks turned a light shade of pink under his scruff when he looked at me. The more he did that, the more I was sure he was uncomfortable having a human in his class.
Sighing, I breathed in deeply, determined. I was going to prove myself the best student he’d ever had.
Osric
Bloody hell. What was going on with Aaron? He’d been fawning over some slip of a girl—ahumangirl, no less—ever since he’d bumbled into class.
Aaron had never shown any interest in girls. Not shifter girls. Not other breed girls. Certainly not human girls.
He never even checked them out. Or blushed over them. Or for fuck’s sake,stared at them with hearts in his eyes.
I mean, I had always been sure he would’ve liked girls, if he were to like anyone in that way. He just never seemed to be bothered. His idea of a good time was burying his face in a book.
Me, I’d rather bury mine elsewhere…
Who was this little human, anyway? Why the hell would one ofherkind choose to study at New Lincoln. It wasn’t exactly a pleasant environment for that lot. It was barely tolerable for me at times, and I was a bloody Fae prince.
Humans. Pfft! Fragile creatures. Skin-covered skeletons rattling around the earth, wasting space, poisoning, guzzling, causing some fresh mayhem whenever it suited their pathetic little egos. And now my best friend seemed smitten by one. The question itching inside my mind was why.
She didn’t seem like anything special.
I looked over at her again. She wasn’t hideous, of course, but nothing special. Petit, svelte, some curves around the top and bottom, but not much to salivate over. Blondish brown hair, healthy enough, with a shine to it, pulled up, with a few locks tumbling free here and there. But the clothing. So tatty. A cheap-looking blouse in gaudy yellow and jeans that most likely cost the price of a latte.
Compare that to Aaron. Rugged, sure. But refined. Brains and brawn in spades. The finest shifter I’ve ever known. Certainly, the only one I cared to befriend. In the façade of a man, his gentleness and charm knew no bounds.
If his beast awakened though, one would be best advised to leave the vicinity. He was big enough in professor form, but the bear within… I’ve only ever seen him shift into a grizzly once, but what a magnificent sight. A monstrous creature, bristling in jaws, fur, and claws, swollen with muscle and swimming in malice. And giving zero shits about fear.
So what in hot fuck, had captured his attention in her?
Yet again, even as I was pondering this conundrum, Aaron’s gaze fell to the girl, his words stuttering, like an awkward teenager. She was making him look undignified! How the hell was she doing it? Did she have a bit of elemental or Fae blood and had cast some sort of spell?
Closing my eyes, I focused my mind on her presence, scanning, searching, delving into the vibrations of her brain and body, her scent, her pumping heart, the thrum of her blood. Her own unique energy. I was sure that—
What the fuck? That wasn’t right. There was no knowledge, no images released, no secrets revealed. No taste of her essence on my tongue. Nothing.
I tried again. Same result.
Opening my eyes, I could feel my jaw tightening, frustration clenching the muscles in my neck and shoulders, as I stared in disbelief at this little nobody of a human.
I couldn’t read her. Where the windows to the soul should have been open, I’d found the latches locked and curtains drawn. I’d kindled nothing from her but blankness.
The lecture went on and the words washed over me. I felt too fixated on the human to give attention to anything else. Besides, I could ask Aaron to go over the lecture again. Even if I were a stranger off the streets, he’d have taken time to answer any question, with his enthusiasm for helping others. I was really bloody fortunate to call him a friend.
By the time class had finished, I’d decided the best way to get to the bottom of this was just to talk to her. The honor would be all hers.
