81
Lucy
I couldn’t say how long it was before I could bring myself to talk. I told the officers what I could remember, and they left me in David’s care. He took me to a nearby café, draping his jacket over my shoulders. I watched him from the seat by the window as he ordered our drinks.
He came back and set a tall, steaming cup in front of me. I didn’t know what it was, but it didn’t matter. I wrapped my hands around it, enjoying the way the heat seemed to seep into my bones. I took deep breaths, shuddering as I tried to calm myself. David sat beside me and pulled me close, sharing his body heat, but he didn’t press me to speak or eat.
I looked at the small tray of sweets in front of me, and my lips twitched.
“You… hate chocolate,” I said.
David chuckled and took a sip from his drink. “They’re not for me.”
My lips trembled. “Do you… Do you still like lemon?”
“I do,” he said. “And you? Peaches?”
I nodded slowly. I shuddered and looked up at him. “Thank you… f-for saving me.”
He smiled and tucked a curl behind my ear. I looked up at him, a little dazed as I stared into his eyes. Everything had been so stressful the last time I saw him, but looking at him now, I could see the faintest traces of the little boy from the orphanage in the kindness of his eyes. The rest of him had grown up into someone I could barely recognize.
“You’re… really handsome.”
His face turned pink. His lips twitched. “Thank you. Are you feeling a bit better?”
I blinked at him and shook my head.
“That’s okay,” he whispered. “We can stay here as long as you need. I could… arrange a ride home for you if you want… or take you to the Coven campus?”
I frowned and looked up at him. “How… do you know that I… was going to the campus?”
He took my hand in his, and I looked down. On his right hand was a ring identical to mine.
“You’re… a student?”
He nodded. “I am.”
“Everyone… made it seem like I was the only werewolf…”
He chuckled. “We’re a very small group at the academy, especially at the Hecate Coven campus, but we do exist.”
He rubbed his thumb over the back of my hand, warming it.
“Are you…” I hesitated. “A-Are you going to try to ta-take me back to Blue Moon?”
His eyes widened. He cupped my face as tears slid down my cheeks.
“I would die before I let you go back there,” he said softly. He wiped my tears away. “After everything that has happened to you, I wouldn’t trust them with a stuffed toy, let alone your well-being.”
I blinked and a startled laugh escaped me. He smiled at me and dried my face gently.
“Thank you, David,” I looked down. “That really means a lot to me.”
“… the marks are gone.” I looked up at him. His eyes skimmed around my neck. “Did you get the witches to heal them?”
I shook my head. “They were healing before I left. The tests said that there was no bond.”
David nodded. “I’m glad.”
I frowned. “What do you mean?”
He smiled. “They’re a bit old-fashioned, aren’t they?”
I laughed. “I… Well…”
“And it’s clear you weren’t happy there,” David said. “You… You didn’t have a choice as far as I understand it, right? You just happened to be rescued by them, right?”
I winced. “I don’t know if I would call it being r-rescued.”
He sat back and grabbed a lemon pastry. He took a bite and chewed thoughtfully. Then, he looked at me.
“Do you want to talk about it?”
I shuddered and shook my head. He nodded.
“What are you studying at the coven campus?” He asked. “Are you enrolled at the university too?”
I let out a sigh of relief and picked up a peach pastry, taking a bite, humming.
“Internal magic,” I said. “And… I’m in the GED program at the university.”
He hummed. “You have classes on Monday in the west building, don’t you?”
My heart lurched, and I looked up at him. “H-How did you know that?”
“I thought I saw you,” David said. “I have classes in the same building… I thought I saw someone else who looked like a kid from the orphanage too, but I couldn’t be sure.”
He shook his head. “I wish I’d had time to catch up then.”
My heart lightened. “I-I thought I saw you too, but you were far away, and we were headed to class…”
He smiled. “We should have lunch on campus sometime then.”
David took another bite of his pastry.
“What are you studying?”
“Finance at the University,” he said. “And internal magic at the Coven Campus.”
He leaned into my side. “They think I might have some magical potential… outside of being a werewolf.”
My eyes widened. “Really? Do you have a restraint too?”
His eyes bulged. “You have a restraint? Is it… How long before it wears off?”
I hesitated, but I didn’t want to lie to him. “They… said I have to break it before it kills me.”
He went pale. His eyes dropped to my throat. “Are you… Are you wearing an anchor, then?”
I nodded.
He let out a soft breath. “That’s good. H-How long?”
“Until I’m twenty-five.”
He hissed. “That’s… That’s not a lot of time, but…”
He narrowed his eyes. “Would you… be okay with help?”
I blinked at him. “Help?”
I nodded. “I’ve been studying for about five years. It’s not… a lot more than where you are in the grand scheme of things, but maybe I could help you progress a little faster.”
I smiled at him. “I’d… like all the help I can get.”
David nodded. “Sounds great. I’ll give you my number…”
I flinched as he pulled out a pen and wrote on a napkin. He pushed it toward me, and I looked down at the string of numbers and a handle at the bottom.
“I know… you’re still reeling. I… get the sense you’re a bit wary about interactions with me because of them, and I understand that.”
“I… It’s not you,” I said. “I just don’t know what to think about all of this.”
“I’m not asking you to figure it out now,” he said. “This is my direct number. If you want to call or text, do so. This is my handle for the Coven campus and the university system; you can message me through their system if you want.”
He smiled at me. “I want to be there for you, but I don’t want to overwhelm you. So, when you feel like you can cope, I’m here. If you need anything, I’m here.”
My eyes stung, and I nodded. I took the napkin, tucking it into my bag. I leaned into his side, taking deep breaths of his pine-scented cologne. The fog in my head started to clear as I sipped.
“Thank you, David,” I said. “Can you tell me what finance is like?”
“A lot of math,” he said. “And economic theory. It often gives me a headache, but it helps me run the pack and all our businesses.”
He wrapped an arm around my shoulders. We ate and drank as he told me all about where he was in his degree and his training. I didn’t think I’d like finance much, but he seemed passionate about it.
“I guess… when I make enough money, should I call you to invest?”
He chuckled. “I’ll take you as a client, no questions asked. What about you? After you’re done with your GED and basic training? After the restraint is removed?”
I smiled at the way he said it. It filled me with hope.
“I’m… thinking about going into magical law enforcement.”
He let out a low whistle. “The world isn’t prepared for that.”
I looked up at him. “What do you mean?”
He grinned. “You weren’t exactly a troublemaker, but you didn’t let people get away with things you thought were wrong. Don’t you remember how many fights you stood up to?”
My jaw dropped, and I sat up. “I’ve never started a fight!”
He scoffed. “Telling Coran that he’d have to answer to you if he didn’t leave Mara alone was a frequent fight starter.”
I blinked at him. I didn’t remember this. His eyes twinkled.
“Luckily for you, I was always good at fighting on your behalf.” He winked. “You were too cute to bloody your knuckles.”
My face heated, and I ducked my head. “I don’t remember.”
“You don’t remember getting in trouble with Ms. Reed because she was mean to Henry?”
I scowled. “I remember that.”
He laughed and squeezed me close. “Don’t look like that. You always had a strong sense of justice. I think it’ll serve you well… And when you learn how to fight, oh boy… Those criminals had better watch out!”
I smiled, feeling warm that he seemed to believe in me so much. Maybe I could believe in myself too.
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