Page 9 of Zodiac Hybrids

“Excellent question.” Professor Karras answered without a hitch. “As Capricorns are Earth signs, they tend to be the types to let love build slowly. Unlike, say, a Leo, that can be brash and quick in their infatuation, a Capricorn will choose their partners very carefully.” Perhaps I was mistaken, but his eyes seemed to fall on Marcus as he spoke. “They can be extremely choosey, in fact, to the point that they approach dating more as a search for ‘the one’ and less as casual fun, and will be completely devoted to their mate when they’ve made their choice. They tend to look for a lover who can be their anchor, and they’ll both expect and give total loyalty. If you’re being pursued by a Capricorn, you can be confident that they’re incredibly serious, and they see something very special in you.”

Special? I sunk my nose deeper into my notes. Linda, on the other hand, was following along, doe-eyed, hanging on every word.

So dumb.

“While that might sound like a love fit for fairytales, there’s also a dark side.” He continued. Linda scooted closer to the edge of her seat. I sat further back in mine. “This expectation and desire for permanence in love can also manifest as an intense need for control. They’re driven in relationships to both perform well and please their mates, but they also can project an unrealistic set of expectations in their relentless pursuit of lasting passion. Just as they’re ambitious in their careers, Capricorns have a discipline and drive that can lean towards being a control freak, both in their lives and in their loves.”

“A blessing and a curse.” Linda shared an empathetic smile. “I would love to experience a love like that though.”

“A blessing and a curse indeed.” He repeated as he paced in front of his desk. He leaned back against the edge, right in front of her. Her shameless flirting was one thing, but the fact that he was eating it up, giving her so much undivided attention, to the point she may as well have been getting a private lecture, was rubbing me wrong. I squirmed uncomfortably in my seat, before glancing over at Marcus as a distraction. He was leaning over his desk, his hand propped on his cheek, and looking utterly bored.

He caught my eyes for just long enough to give me a playful grin and eye roll, and I smiled back in solidarity.

Right. See. It wasn’t just me who found this whole display contrived and inappropriate. Though what else did I expect from Mr. Scratch-and-Sniff.

“So, do I have much chance of winning the heart of a Capricorn?” She pressed, laying that shit on thicker than hardened fudge.

Professor Adrian shook his head. “As an Aquarius, unfortunately not.” And now my ears perked up. I was half expecting him to start stroking her ego, even if it didn’t match whatever bullshit was written into astrological compatibility tables. Admittedly, I’d blocked out enough of my mother’s ranting about horoscopes to not really know who was suited to who. “Capricorns tend to do best with other Earth or Water signs. A much better match for someone born under this constellation would be a Pisces or… a Virgo.” Our eyes locked so briefly I could have passed it off as purely imagined, if not for the shiver that climbed all the way up my spine.

I fixed my gaze immediately on my desk, trying to hide the flare in my cheeks behind the dark fluff of my hair.

Just a coincidence, right? I didn’t know if that statement was actually true, or if he was just messing with me. I should probably start paying attention to this Astrology stuff if I was going to be in a class like this.

Professor Karras jumped right back into his skit-like flirtations with Linda, to the point I determined any attention he gave me was entirely in my imagination, and I was being overly sensitive. My low key search on my phone verified Virgos and Capricorns were, in fact, supposed to be really compatible, so it was all just a convenient coincidence. He wasn’t flirting or speaking out of turn. Just normal, educational comments. Totally relevant.

It wasn’t like I believed in any of this anyway. I was being ridiculous to let him rattle me at all.

The only thing I wasn’t wildly overanalyzing was the way those two were talking to each other. But then, they were both consenting adults, regardless of the ethical question of preying on a student as a teacher, so it wasn’t any of my business if they were hitting it off. My only connection to this guy was one mildly uncomfortable encounter in an empty classroom. It didn’t mean anything, and I shouldn’t care.

The moment the lecture finished, I packed up and bowed out, while Linda stayed after. I wasn’t jealous at all, of course. Adrian Karras was just a creep who apparently had no problem getting entirely too personal with his students, and I was just one of many women at his disposal. Nothing to see here.

“It’s interesting, right?” A voice called after me before I could get any further from the room. I turned to see Marcus jogging to catch up to me. His friendly expression instantly put me at ease. “You left in such a hurry, when I was hoping to chat with you a bit more. Is something wrong?”

I shook my head quickly, not wanting to linger on that question for even one more second. “No, I was just starting to feel like a voyeur, watching those two get cozy with each other.”

“Oh?” He grinned with a hint of mischief, and for a second time, I would’ve sworn I’d seen fangs in his smile. Though a quick double-take proved I was crazy and hallucinating. “Did that bother you?”

“It was just annoying. Some of us are here to learn, not for hookups.” I waved off the question, not wanting to admit out loud anything I’d been feeling.

“I wouldn’t read so much into it.” He dismissed my irritation with a wave, which only left me more embarrassed. Why was I reading so much into it? “Dr. Karras is known to be friendly in class, but I have it on good authority that he’s very discreet about his private life, and he’s never crossed a line with a student. He was just playing into her flirting because she was enthusiastic. He wants to create a more casual atmosphere during club meetings. That’s what most instructors do.”

I scrunched my nose at the idea that openly flirting with a student was anyone’s idea of casual atmosphere. Not only that, I could probably argue that he crossed a line with me just the other day. Though he didn’t do so openly or when anyone else would be able to witness it, so maybe there was merit to what he was saying. I could only imagine that someone as attractive as Adrian Karras would be a regular subject of gossip on any college campus, and anyone who managed to get his attention would definitely brag about it at some point, so I it was reasonable to assume Marcus knew something I didn’t. I got the impression he wasn’t new to Graves, after all. “Have you taken a class with him before?”

“Something like that.” Marcus shrugged. “Though it’s adorable that something so innocent was enough to get your imagination all worked up.”

“I guess I’m just not used to people talking about love and dating so openly,” I said in an attempt to save face.

Marcus’ brow lifted. “You really are a Virgo.” his expression was much softer than that statement felt. He placed a hand on my shoulder, both making me jump, and shifting all of my senses to the tiny circles he started drawing with his thumb at the base of my neck. He watched me as I swallowed, before he leaned in close to whisper, “But for how much longer, I wonder.”

“What?” I jerked back as he released me. He resumed walking, leaving me behind without so much as a second glance. I must have misheard him.

Yet when I opened my mouth to say something—what that something would have been, I had no idea—all he offered was a backwards wave.

“I hear the moon will be bright tonight, so stay safe out there,” he said just before he was out of earshot. “You have my number if you need any extra protection.”

What the hell? Why would I need protection?

Also, I definitely didn’t have his number.