Page 13 of Plug and Drain

Susie had flinched as she shut the door.

Trapped.

She had trapped herself in her own room with the last person she wanted to be alone with: Headmaster Arken.

Would he bite her straight away, lunging across the room to sink his teeth into her neck? Or would he bend her over the bed first and take her in other ways?

To Susie’s surprise, he’d done neither. Instead, Arken had seemed more interested in wandering around her room. He wasn’t exactly snooping, but he’d peered around curiously, his steady gaze taking in her meticulously organised book collection. He paused to look at one of her taller book towers, and it gave her a few precious seconds to study him.

There was a predatory elegance to his attire that hinted at the strength hidden beneath; a tailored waistcoat in dark grey tweed that accentuated his chest; and matching pants that clung to long legs with powerful muscles. The nightrobe that he wore over the top did not make him look any less intimidating. If anything, it was a reminder that he could do whatever he pleased at the academy—including wearing a fluffy nightrobe over an academic suit. If he thought the combination was appealing, or slightly adorable, she certainly didn’t think so.

Her gaze followed the way he swept back the nightrobe to rest his hands in his pockets. His demeanour was casual, but it didn’t fool her. She could feel the quiet power radiating off him, like a strong current beneath a deceptively calm sea.

Did he even remember her?

Probably not.

They’d met only once before, at a Student Council meeting when she was in her first year. She’d given a passionate speech, advocating for the rights of wolves, but she was sure Arken hadn’t really seen or heard her. Little had he known that she was the reason his attendance had been requested. It had taken Susie much wrangling to convince the other council members to invite the reluctant headmaster, as well as one torturously long sexual favour to the male vampire who headed the Student Council. Her gamble had seemingly paid off, because miraculously, Arken had been present at next month’s meeting.

Susie had been full of hope that the headmaster would be swayed by her arguments. At the very least, she’d been prepared for him to debate her points and provide reasons for rejecting them. But her proposal had fallen on deaf ears. The headmaster had sat rubbing his eyes tiredly, and she could tell from his polite nods that he wasn’t taking in a word of what she was saying.

It turned out he was drunk. That had made her feel even worse once she realised.

Arken’s disinterest had been a slap in the face. Even an angry reprimand for her controversial views would have been better because at least it would have meant that he’d heard her.

It had been a painful lesson—that the people in charge of the academy did not care about what was best for its students. They cared only about keeping the current system alive because it was easy and convenient for them.

Susie had been crestfallen, but she hadn’t given up. Not for a single moment. With Harry’s help, she’d formed a pack. And this year, she would find a way to raise awareness about the need for reform.

When I’m not busy worrying about Molly and the other first-years.

Ever since her disillusion at that Student Council meeting, she’d been on the lookout for alternative opportunities to effect change.

Now, Arken’s presence in her room reminded her of that goal. His blasé attitude towards the nightly atrocities that took place at the school bothered her. Just like his masculine scent was bothering her right now. It was some expensive cologne that filled up her tiny room as if it belonged there. She had sharp wolf senses, as all shifters did in their human form, and the heady mix of bergamot and lavender was overpowering. The citrusy notes were zesty and uplifting, whilst the deeper notes of the lavender hit her lungs with a deep soothing calmness that she did not trust.

A tiny part of her liked the fragrance. That tiny part of her was mistaken. How was she supposed to trust her instincts when the enemy smelled this good?

Arken stepped over a low bridge of history books supported by a tower on either side, and Susie knew he was circling around to her. But then he stopped, this time to stare down at her desk.

Susie stared at his back. It was a nice back, with broad shoulders, emphasised by the perfect cut of his waistcoat. She breathed in slowly, trying to detangle herself from the intoxicating citrus notes lighting up her senses.

“Breaking down barriers, are we?”

Arken’s voice jolted her back to the present. His tone was light, and he half-turned, reading a sheet of parchment.

Panic flooded her system as she realised what he was holding: the latest draft of her proposal to improve the academy’s policies.

Shit.

She normally kept it hidden, but she’d left it out tonight, rereading it and making small improvements to keep her mind occupied as she watched Molly’s door. And since when had any vampire bothered to look around her room, anyway?

Never.

Vampires were fast. Demanding. Efficient.

And, when they were hungry, they were more interested in her body than the stack of homework on her desk.

Except the policy proposal she’d made wasn’t homework. It was a document she’d created of her own volition. She’d been working on it ever since she’d stepped foot in the academy. It had been rewritten many times, the old drafts burnt, and she was always—always—careful to keep the latest version tucked away behind the back panel of her desk.