“The chalk I used caused an explosion.”No sense lying about it.The students were probably gossiping about it as they left the classroom.
“Where did you get it?If you made faulty chalk, you could get us sued.”
Quentin wanted to snap at Rendell, but unfortunately, the asshat had a point.“I found it in the teacher’s desk.”He pulled out the chalk box and handed it over.“From our testing, it looks like it might be made at least partially from human bone.I don’t know who had this room before me…”
“Doesn’t matter,” Rendell interrupted.“You are responsible for your students’ safety.Using random materials highlights your incompetence.You should’ve used approved chalk while teaching classes at this university.”
Quentin wanted to argue, but wasn’t Rendell technically correct?He really should’ve gone to the supply room to get proper chalk.It was his laziness that almost cost his students their lives.
Rendell tucked the chalk in his pocket.“I’m going to suspend you until this is investigated.Since you haven’t been here long, you won’t be paid during your leave, and your lab access will be revoked.You have twenty-four hours to clear out your lab.”
“What?”His voice reached an uncomfortable screech that even made him wince.“You can’t do that!”
“I can.”Rendell’s smug smile had Quentin clenching his hand and using every ounce of self-control to resist punching the smug bastard in the face.“You’ll find we take safety seriously here, and sloppy teaching by an untrained junior professor doesn’t live up to our standards.I’ll inform Dean Mearson of the event.She’ll make any final decisions, but don’t expect to stay around here for much longer.”With a final smirk, Rendell turned and walked away.
Asshat.
They might enjoy the reputation for graduating him, but they seemed to have no problem making him academically homeless.He had no idea where to go from here.
Perhaps it was time to return to bounty hunting.He could work off his anger and make some money, as it seemed no more funding would be coming from this college.
With each step, Quentin suspected someone had set him up.
Unfortunately, there was nothing he could do about it.
At least not yet.
Luckily, he’d already moved his stuff out.Psychic instincts for the win.
Fuck their rules.Quentin closed his eyes and teleported away, not caring who saw him.After all, he didn’t work there anymore.
CHAPTER9
Quentin hated to admit it, but his first instinct when he was upset was to go to Jaks.His lover always made him feel better.He teleported into Jaks’s bedroom and resisted the urge to flop onto the middle of the bed and stay wrapped up in blankets until his favorite vampire came to cuddle.
He was becoming needy.
A quick pulse of magic located Jaks in his office.His lover kept harping on how Quentin needed to work on sharing his burdens and leaning on Jaks more.Time to find out if he meant those words.If he really wanted deeper into Quentin’s life, he was obligated to listen to him whine occasionally.
Luckily, when he knocked on Jaks’s office and was bade to come in, his lover was alone.It would’ve been embarrassing to explain that he’d only come to share his terrible day.Not that he thinks Jaks would care, but Quentin didn’t want witnesses.
He didn’t know what expression he had on his face, but as soon as he entered, Jaks stood up and pulled Quentin into a hug.He must look worse than he thought.“What happened, darling?Besides going to class without your bodyguard.”
“Ugh.Sorry, I forgot.”Quentin rested his forehead on Jaks’s firm chest.“At least you don’t have to worry about me being attacked at school anymore.”
“Why?What happened?”Jaks ran his fingers through Quentin’s hair.It was so soothing that he might have to barter for hair-petting time for several minutes every day.
“I’ll tell you everything if you cuddle with me on the couch,” he bargained as he pulled away and sank onto Jaks’s ridiculously comfortable furniture.
Jaks tilted his head.“It’s like you confuse me with a teddy bear instead of the apex predator I am.”
Quentin nodded.“Yep, now come here.”He made grabby hands at the vampire.
With a put-upon sigh, Jaks sat on the couch, then pulled Quentin onto his lap and wrapped his arms around him until he was fully encompassed in Jaks’s hold and surrounded by his scent.“Now, what can I do to make your day better?”
Quentin snuggled into his lover’s touch and told him everything.
Jaks listened to the entire story without interruption.“Rendell didn’t give you the benefit of the doubt?You’ve been attending that school for years and are their star student.”
