My head tilted as I took in his form-fitting black suit with a dark crimson tie. My face heated as I realized how casual we’d been with him, and I dipped my head to show respect. “I’m sorry, Mr…”
“Call me Alister.” His deep voice rumbled. “Don’t bow your head to anyone at this academy. In fact, showing submissiveness will paint a target on your back. Hold your head up high. The hierarchy is not in effect here, but there are students who will take advantage of you if they can.”
Thorn’s hand found my lower back, and I glanced up at them both before nodding.
“I’ll keep that in mind,” I murmured.
“New students report to Arcane Hall. It’s the second building to my right.” Alister pointed toward a huge gothic style building. “They’ll give you everything you’ll need and direct you toward the dormitory. You’ll be assigned a tablet that has messaging capability as well as anything else you may need. All professor contact information is pre-programmed.” He winked at me.
We nodded, and Thorn gave him a tight smile. “That was actually useful.”
“Thank you.” I gave a soft smile to the enchanting vampire.
He flashed a smile back, and my knees became wobbly. “If you need anything at all, don’t hesitate to use my contact.”
“She won’t need anything,” Thorn grumbled, but I elbowed him.
“Thank you, Alister.”
Our gazes were locked for a few moments, and the desire to run my fingers through his hair was cut short as Thorn wrapped his arm around my shoulders and guided me around him toward Arcane Hall.
“Completely unprofessional.” He clicked his tongue as we fell into step with a few other seemingly new students headed toward Arcane Hall.
Rolling my eyes, I huffed out a small breath. “He’s an adult, just like us. I don’t see any problem with that interaction.”
“Were your thoughts provoked by him being a vampire or because you find him attractive?” The question was barely a whisper under his breath, and I fell behind a few steps before making longer strides to catch back up.
Heat blossomed over my face, and I ran my hand through my waist-length hair. “Um, because he’s a vampire, I think. I mean, he was kind of…”Alluring. Tempting. Handsome.
“I get it,” he grumbled as we made it up to the dark stone building, and he pulled one of the thick black wooden doors open for me to walk through first.
“I mean, it’s not a big deal or anything. You know I think you’re handsome too,” I rambled, walking past him. “Fate only knows the embarrassing thoughts I’ve had about you since your powers emerged, and I had no clue.”
He chuckled, walking in beside me and placing his lower hand on my back to guide me toward the tables set up in the dark-schemed lobby. The floors were a dark stone, different from the path outside, and the walls were dark and smooth.
Supernaturals of all species strolled around, intermingling. It was peaceful here, but my heart leapt to my throat at the display. Even in Briesia, where all shifters lived, they were discriminatory to different species.
The tables were set up as stations with two students at each one, and we followed the flow of new students toward the closest one.
A couple of girls were sitting at the table with big smiles on their faces as they greeted us. They wore matching navy blue uniforms with the Fate Hollow emblem.
“Welcome to Fate Hollow Academy! Can we see your marks?”
Thorn lifted his shirt, and the girls eyed him as one held up what I believed to be a tablet to the mark. The device dinged, and the screen lit up with a black background with his mark stark against it.
“Thorn Greenwood. First term. Special ability is reading minds. Ice fae. Twenty-three years of age,” she said with a smile. “Does this sound right?”
He nodded.
The other girl held another tablet up toward me with an expression that told me she was waiting, and I blinked out of my trance of watching the other girl’s exchange with Thorn.
“Oh! Sorry.” I fumbled with the bottom of my dress before pulling it above my thigh to reveal my mark. The tablet rang out and my screen blackened before the mark of the fox appeared digitally just as it was on my flesh.
“Wren Clearwater. First term. Special ability hasn’t emerged yet.” Her eyes widened as she stared at the screen. “The last arctic fox shifter. Twenty-two years of age. Is that, um, right?”
My throat constricted as her words soaked in.
The last arctic fox shifter.
