I shake my head, but I'm smiling as I follow the smell of bacon into the kitchen. Rowan's at the stove, flipping pancakes, while Sean arranges bacon on a plate in what appears to be an attempt at a smiley face. Hopefully not another dick.
"Morning, beautiful." Micah appears at my elbow with a steaming mug of coffee, prepared exactly how I like it. "Big day."
"You guys didn't have to do this." I take the mug gratefully, letting the warmth seep into my hands.
"Sure we did," Rowan argues. "It's your first day as Villeneuve's new TA."
"More like his thrall," Micah grumbles.
"No more fantasy comics for you," I say, pointing at him. "I still can't believe I'm doing this."
"You're going to crush it," Sean announces, abandoning his bacon art to throw an arm around my shoulders. "Our mate is a genius magical prodigy who's going to make Villeneuve look like an amateur."
"I highly doubt that."
"I don't." He presses a kiss to my temple. "You've got this, Storm."
Rowan slides a plate in front of me as I settle at the table. Pancakes, bacon, eggs—the works. My stomach growls.
"Eat," he orders. "You'll need your energy."
"That's what Villeneuve said yesterday." I pick up my fork, suddenly ravenous. "Right before he told me to show up at eight AM."
"Sadistic bastard," Killian mutters, finally joining us at the table after hopefully disposing of his ill-fated vest somewhere. He looks more tired than usual lately. I get the feeling he hasn't been sleeping well.
Maybe he's born with it.
Maybe it's Villeneuve.
"He's not wrong though." I take a bite of pancake, and gods, Rowan's cooking is unfairly good. "Starting immediately means I get a feel for things before I have to commit to grad school next semester. Better to know what I'm getting into now."
"Smart," Micah agrees, settling into the chair beside me. "Use the TA position as reconnaissance."
"Exactly." I wash down the pancakes with coffee. "Get a lay of the land. Figure out what Villeneuve's actually like to work with before I'm locked into a degree program."
"And figure out what the hell he really is," Sean adds.
"That would be a bonus."
The table goes quiet for a moment, all of us thinking about the mysterious professor who's now officially part of our lives. He helped with the ritual. He agreed to sponsor the pack, even if it does come with the unspoken condition of me working for him. He offered me an opportunity I never expected to have again.
And none of us trust him further than we could throw him.
"Okay." Killian sets down his fork with the air of someone about to deliver a military briefing. "We need to go over the emergency protocols."
I blink. "The what now?"
"Emergency protocols." He pulls out his phone, tapping at the screen. "In case something goes wrong while you're with him."
"We came up with a system," Sean adds, looking way too excited about this.
"A system."
"For communication. If Villeneuve won't let you use your phone."
I stare at him. "Why would Villeneuve not let me use my phone?"
"Because he's holding you hostage, obviously."
