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I don’t know what to make of this woman. She smells both spicy, like a witch, and feral, like a shifter, and somehow put three powerful demons in their place with a sentence despite looking soft and feminine. A round face and rounder hips, like the stars made her for the male gaze.
She reminds me of the Omegas in the wolf packs we have on Celestus. The nurturers and softest members of the pack who need the protection of the Alphas.
But she ordered those three demons around like an Alpha.
Who is this girl?
“Huh, we’re both second-years.” She shoves the tablet against my chest. “There. I added myself to your contacts. Message me if those three get on you again.” Before she’s finished the sentence, she falls backward onto my bed. “So, what’s your story?”
“I’m sorry. Who are you? And why are your shoes on my bed?”
“Ooops. Sorry about that,” she says, hopping up and extending her hand. “I’m Stevie Corvus-Stocklin. Well, it’s Stephanie, but do I look like a Stephanie to you?”
I have no idea what to say to that.
Unfortunately, I don’t get the final say on that. It’s coming out before I can bite my cheek. “I wouldn’t know. I think you look more like a crow and smell like a dog, but maybe that’s just a Stephanie thing.”
Excellent start, brain. Fantastic, even.
I tense, anticipating the worst.
Even when people know I don’t mean it, I never get used to the flash of shock on their faces.
I’m about to explain and apologize when the strange woman bursts into a contagious belly laugh.
She clutches her sides, bending over, and I’m about to laugh with her.
What’s worse is she doesn’t look like a crow. And she doesn’t smell like a dog. I have no idea why my damaged brain said that.
“Well...” she fans herself, regaining composure. “You’re not wrong. My mom and all but one of my dads are wolf shifters. The one dad who isn’t is a mage with a crow form.”
“I’m sorry. That came out a lot harsher than I meant it.”
Stevie shrugs and takes my bag off my shoulder. It jerks to the ground with a loud thud, yanking her arm with it.
“Jeez, what do you have in here, lead?” She rubs at her shoulder. “I keep forgetting how strong demons are. Anyway, why don’t you get settled in and I’ll be back in say, an hour? I’ll show you around and we can grab dinner in the dining hall.”
She exits without waiting for an answer, leaving me staring at a closed door.
“Guess I’ll see you later,” I murmur.
I shake off the strange witchy wolf shifter who seemingly just befriended me and focus on the room.
My home for as long as it takes to get Gael.
It’s small. The walls, ceiling, and doors are all painted matte black. The bedding is dark, the curtains are too, and even the furniture has a dark stain.
It’s not something I would ever see on Celestus where most favor light rooms with billowing, dreamy fabrics, or pay homage to the Flames with shades of cool blue.
But I kind of like it.
It’s cozy. Relaxing. The dark walls aren’t simply flat and dark. They have depth—they’re almost velvety—and act as a sensory reset. And the color doesn’t make the room seem smaller. It continues the line of sight upward, tricking the eye. The windows are large and let in plenty of natural light and there’s just enough room for the bed, desk, and dresser, which means I don’t have to share.
That’s what Sera and I were most concerned about. Keeping up the demon ruse for classes was one thing, but doing it all day, every day, in front of a stranger?
Sera almost talked me out of this on that fact alone.
But Gael didn’t leave me when I was stuck here. I’m sure as hell not leaving him.
