Chapter Thirty-Five

Adrian rolls his neck, looking suddenly exhausted. “We don’t mature until thirteen, so our wolves aren’t able to present themselves yet before that. He was still just a pup, so you wouldn’t have been able to tell.” Well, that does explain why he was forced to move when I was ten. He was a few years older than me, so I guess his time of living in secrecy was over.

The thought still seems ludicrous, but I shake my head and move on with my questions. I’ll have plenty of time to dwell on that later. “What about Serene? She isn’t intimidated by you, so I’m assuming she’s not one of your pack.”

Adrian chews the inside of his cheek, making his dimple appear. He looks so harmless that I can almost forget he was a wolf not too long ago. The memory of his teeth grazing my tongue just last night as we kissed makes a shiver crawl down my spine, though not in disgust. Despite knowing what he is, I can’t bring myself to look at him as a monster. He’s just… Adrian. “Serene is a Sorceress. Well, a practicing one, anyway. Witches tend to be fearless,” The way he says that is endearing, though I think he meant to sound annoyed by it. Of course, she’s a Witch. That explains alot about her personality and why I’m drawn to it.

“So, that’s why she approached me, despite having you leering at everyone who so much as looked at me,” I say, nodding in understanding. “I knew I liked her.”

Adrian swallows, glancing at his hands. “Sorcerers do tend to band together.”

Oh, yeah. I’m supposedly one of them too. The mention of it makes a bitter taste on my tongue. “Right, I’m a Witch too then,”

“Half of you is, technically,” The Dean butts in, once again reminding me, unfortunately, of his existence. “You’re mother was human.”

I press my lips together tightly and clench my jaw. I don’t want any mention of my mother on his bushy lip ever again. “So cross-breeding is allowed,” I conclude bitterly. At least I’m only half. Maybe that means I can live a normal life, after all. I’m certainly not about to start practicing magic anytime soon.

De Leon glances at Adrian with a raised brow, as if suggesting something. “Of course, it is. Love is not a choice, oftentimes.” The way he says this with such a soft voice makes me think he’s speaking from experience. When my eyes flicker to his left hand though, I don’t see a wedding band. My anger fizzles out on my tongue at the realization. We all have our sad stories, I suppose.

“So, my father is a Sorcerer,” I say, trying to believe the words coming from my own mouth. I can hear in my own tone how the sharp bite of resentment is gone, and the two men seem to notice as well, acknowledging the change with a shared look that I chose to ignore. “And my mother was human. So, you’re also a Sorcerer, De Leon?” My question is met with a simpering smile from the Dean.
“I didn’t assume this position by being mediocre, you know. Your father could have had it for himself, but he chose to start a business and a family instead,” His eyes reflect the candlelight that surrounds us, and I can hear his voice, though his lips remain still. ‘Sometimes, I wonder if he was the smarter of us after all.’ Regret tinges his words, his smile growing smaller.

I don’t give myself the time to feel pity for the Dean, focusing on asking as many of my questions as I can. I feel my body slowing down, yielding to exhaustion despite the fact that I was wide awake before we came here. Something about the smell of this study makes my eyelids feel heavy, the sweet scent that wafts to my nose amplifying the effect of the ambient lighting. It’s so comfortable.

I turn to Adrian, only to see that he is wide awake, looking more anxious than anything as he looks back at me. Upon seeing my face more clearly, he shoots the Dean a glare that could kill, but doesn’t interrupt my question, the last clear one that I can form. Everything else seems insignificant, fading into the background of my mind. “The group of guys at lunch; what are they?”

Something flickers across Adrian’s face but is gone with the shifting light of the candle flame that illuminates his features. He looks dastardly handsome in a way that makes my chest ache, but the thing that catches my breath in my throat is his expression. His eyes are blazing like embers as he holds my gaze, filled with anger that I know is not aimed towards me. “They’re bad news, that’s what they are. Especially that Vincent,” The name comes as a growl and Adrian clenches his hands into fists, making me concerned for the fabric of his shirt that he still holds onto.

Seeing the reaction the question invoked, I sit upright in my chair, curiosity piqued. Come to think of it, both Jasper and Adrian seemed to have a similar reaction to the group earlier. I’m assuming Vincent is the name of the ring leader, the tall guy with pale skin and blonde hair. Don’t tell me… “Is he a vampire?” I blurt out, unable to help my interest in finding out.

The inquiry makes Adrian stiff in his seat, glaring straight ahead at a particular tower of books, a muscle in his jaw jumping. He doesn’t look at me and seems to have no intention to answer, so I turn to Dean De Leon, who looks more impressed than anything.

“How did you guess?” The Dean asks, tilting his head like an owl watching a mouse. He leans forward in his massive chair, resting his elbows on the desk as he steeples his fingers against his mouth. He looks more like a villain in a movie than the head of a magical college. Yet, I can’t bring myself to feel afraid of him.

“Well, Werewolves hate Vampires, don’t they? At least, that’s how it is in all of my shows,” I state, realizing only after saying it out loud how foolish my conclusion sounds. It makes the Dean chuckle, though not in a condescending way.

“Of course. That’s partially true, though it isn’t an inherent feeling of animosity between the two species. They usually get along quite well without any trouble. In this case, however,” The Dean says, casting his intelligent eyes towards Adrian, who remains seething quietly. “The Clan that Vincent is a part of has been less than civil with The North American Pack.”

I stifle a yawn, despite my interest in the current conversation. “That’s the pack that Adrian leads?” The Dean nods once, casting another glance at my wolfy bodyguard. How cute would it be if he kept his tail in his human form? I giggle at the image of his bushy appendage poking out of the back of his pants, wagging when he’s excited about something. “So the Vampires are a group of idiots,” I giggle again, imagining a group of scrawny, pale boys squaring up against a pack of wolves. They would definitely die.

Adrian frowns as turns to look at me finally, his expression changing to something more soft. Good, I’m glad. He looks scary when he’s mad, with the veins popping out of his neck and arms. Sort of sexy though. Adrian casts a dark look over the desk, another growl rumbling through the room. I can feel it through the floor, climbing up my legs to feel drumming in my own chest. “I think it’s time to go,” It isn’t a question, and he stands abruptly from his chair, nearly knocking it backward.

I watch in captivated amusement as Adrian pulls his shirt back on, yanking it down to cover up his enticing muscles. He must go to the gym or something to have gotten so ripped, even though I never see him work out. I pout at the spectacular view being taken away from me, a whine filling my ears. “Why don’t you just kill him then? You could rip his head off and not have to worry anymore,” I don’t even recognize my own voice, too giggly and high pitched, but I can’t bring myself to care. Adrian is here, so nothing else matters. Nothing can scare me. I laugh, feeling my eyelids droop against my will.

Adrian scoops me up, wrapping the oversized coat around me to keep me warm. His body heat is a furnace within itself though, so I’m more than toasty enough. “We’re leaving,” He growls, followed by something else that I can’t understand anymore. The rumble in his chest vibrates against my ear and my head lolls, falling against his peck muscles. I can’t muster the energy to lift it up again, but I don’t care. Adrian’s arms feel so nice and secure around me that I could sleep for days. I don’t fight the darkness anymore, succumbing to the sweetness that fills my senses, stronger than Adrian’s scent, stronger than anything else.