The common room was splashed in warm golden dapples of light from the large windows, and the pattern it created across the sandy-colored stone walls was pretty.
I glanced up at him, and our gaze connected. He’d been staring directly at me the entire time.
Hunter’s stance was calculating, but I liked it. I liked the way he seemed to study me. I wasn’t sure why, but the way he interacted with me made my heart want to burst.
“The common room is a shared space betweenthe students attending here, and you’re welcome to study and hang out here whenever. Snacks and coffee are provided in the kitchenette over there. That wing is the student wing.” He gestured toward the left set of double doors.
“What’s the right wing?” I furrowed my brows.
“It’s the staff wing,” he told me, shoving a hand into his pocket. “It’s locked by an enchantment, and only staff can enter. We have our own kitchen and bathroom in our rooms, and we get our own rooms, unlike students.”
I inhaled a deep breath. The scent of the dormitory was desert flowers and sandalwood. “So you’ll be there.”
The furnishings were simple but looked comfortable, with plush sofas and oversized bean bags arranged in cozy clusters. Desert-themed tapestries and artwork stuck to the walls, depicting scenes of sand dunes, cacti, and desert wildlife. The room was spacious, with plenty of seating for students to mingle, and the kitchenette was against the wall in the center of the two wings.
Several students were socializing, and fleeting gazes were cast my way until they noticed Hunter. It seemed like he was well respected, just like Daryl was.
“I will,” he confirmed, guiding me through thedouble doors to the left wing where the students were placed.
“Do you know anything about my roommate?” I mumbled the question, staring at my feet as we walked.
“The Dreadful family is nobility, like you, and your roommate’s family is big on purity,” he told me.
“So, like, she’s abstaining from sex?” I tilted my head. Why would I need to know that? Why doesheknow that? Was that common knowledge for other demons to know?
Did demons care about sex that much? Or rather, the lack thereof?
He sucked in a choked breath and stopped walking before clearing his throat. “Um, no. I can see how you thought that, though.” He scratched the back of his neck, and his blond hair fell into his face. “Purity as in purebred demon subspecies. Her family is made of succubi and incubi, and they are very pretentious about inter-demon matings.”
“Oh.”I felt a blush bloom over my face. “I guess that means they’re probably not a fan of inter-supernatural species mating, then?”
He forced a chuckle as he shook his head. “Probably not.”
“Do you… How do you…feelabout it?” I stumbled over my words. “Inter-species mating, I mean?”
A slow smile crossed his lips as a thoughtful expression took over his face. “I think the Fates are not discriminatory. My mother was a succubus, and my father’s a vengeance demon. They were fated mates,” he whispered. “The Fates wouldn’t pair souls of different species if they weren’t meant to be that way.”
“I agree completely,” I murmured, feeling my heart swell with warmth at the way he spoke of his parents.
“Good.” His sparkling, icy-white eyes sent a warm tingle down my spine as he stared at me. His long white lashes were so pretty, and his sweet chocolate scent embedded into my nostrils.
He cleared his throat again and took a step back from me before we started walking again.
We reached room #269 a few doors down from where we had stopped, and he knocked on the door.
There was rustling behind the door and footsteps before it swung open to reveal my roommate.
“Yes?” Her demeanor radiated an air of superiority. Her dainty hand was decorated with what I was sure was expensive jewelry, and her fingers were curled around the door knob firmly,her manicured nails tapping impatiently against the polished surface.
She wore a vintage ensemble that looked much like the wardrobe my father had created for me. Her attire featured a flowing mid-length cream silk dress with lace detailing. It had a cinched waist and flared skirt that swayed with her movement.
It was pretty, but something about her grated on my nerves. Perhaps I just needed to get to know her.
The scent of birthday cake wafted through the air, sickly sweet and cloying. I hoped my scent would dull hers once I fully moved in.
“Hello, Dreadful.” Hunter’s voice was smooth, and it doused the anxiety blazing within me.
“Oh!” Her bright blue eyes gleamed with intensity as they widened in surprise at Hunter’s presence. “Darkmore.” She bowed her head slightly, and her blonde sleek bob fell forward with the movement. “It’s apleasureto meet you in person.”
