Page 5 of Hexmate (Widdershins Supernatural Academy #1)

Chapter 5

Atlas

P ractice was grueling despite our competition the night before. Coach Harding put all of us through the wringer. It didn’t matter if my teammates were werewolves, fae, vampires, or beasts, we all had to endure the same torturous training session. By the time we were done, barely any of us could move. It was only the thought of getting lunch with Caden that peeled me off the mat and got my sweaty ass to the showers.

By the time I’d finished showering, my other teammates were starting to file in and peel off their sweaty shirts and shorts. Being a werewolf, that meant the room was ripe with the scent of testosterone, body odor, and pheromones. Like many of the guys on the team, getting my blood pumping with an intense workout made me fairly horny. Unlike most of them though, my wolf senses meant I could smell each and every one of their intentions.

I did my best to focus on dressing while everyone else stripped naked and hit the showers. Before Caden, I wouldn’t have thought twice about seeing my teammates naked. It hardly even registered. But now that I’d found myself attracted to another man for the first time in my life… I was a bit nervous.

“Did you hear about the dean’s upcoming announcement?” Silver asked, his purple skin and white hair gleaming as he stepped under the showerhead. He was a dark elf, one of the rarer species found at Widdershins Academy. “Pretty fuckin’ crazy, right?”

“Whatever they say, I ain’t givin’ up my girlfriend,” Zander shot back. He was another werewolf on the team. “She sucks cock like a champ.”

“Of course she does, she’s a vampire,” Silver shot back. “She doesn’t have to breathe. Which sounds great except I’m not into teeth.”

“Her fangs are retractable,” Zander grinned. “She hasn’t bitten me yet.”

“That you know of.”

“Do they really mean it though?” Karrick asked, the beast tossing his towel over the divider. “I mean… how are they going to keep everyone apart like that? We all go to school together.”

“Nobody gives a shit about us,” Silver scoffed, soaping up his chest roughly. “They just want those fuckin’ witches to be on a higher pedestal than the rest of us.”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean, this time next semester, you’re gonna have witch-only dorms and witch-only bathrooms. Next, they’ll need their own cafeteria because the rest of us are too dirty to be around.” He let out a disgruntled sigh. “They’re acting like a bunch of shitty humans a hundred years ago.”

I tried to tune out the conversation as I finished getting dressed, but Silver’s words made my stomach churn. The implications for everyone were troubling. And Caden was a witch. Would he be forced into the witch-only spaces and me excluded from them? He didn’t seem to like the other witches very much or fit in… so I couldn’t imagine he’d be happy about it.

“Hey, you okay man?” Karrick’s deep voice rumbled beside me. “You look a little pale.”

I forced a smile. “Yeah, just tired from practice. Coach really worked us today.”

Karrick nodded sympathetically. “Tell me about it. I’m gonna be feeling that for days.”

I quickly finished tying my shoes and grabbed my bag, eager to escape the locker room chatter. As I headed for the door, Coach Harding stepped in, his broad frame filling the doorway.

“Listen up, boys,” he barked, silencing the room. “I know there’s a lot of talk going around about the new policies. But I want to make one thing clear - on my team, we’re all equal. Witch, werewolf, vampire, doesn’t matter. You’re all wrestlers first. Anyone who can’t handle that can turn in their singlet now.”

A few murmurs of agreement rippled through the room. Coach’s eyes landed on me.

“Faolan, a word?”

My stomach dropped as I followed him into the hallway. Had he noticed something off about my performance? Or worse, had he somehow figured out about Caden and me? But how could he? It wasn’t like I told anyone and Caden definitely wouldn’t. But that Rowan character? I wasn’t sure about him.

“You seemed distracted today,” Coach said, his voice gruff but not unkind. “Everything alright?”

I swallowed hard. “Yes sir, just tired from the match yesterday.”

He studied me for a moment, then nodded. “Alright. But remember, if you need to talk, my door’s always open. You’re one of our top wrestlers, and I need you at your best.”

I nodded, relieved. “Thank you, Coach. I appreciate that.”

As Coach Harding walked away, I let out a breath I didn’t realize I’d been holding. I hurried out of the gym, eager to meet up with Caden. The thought of seeing him made my heart race in a way that had nothing to do with our grueling practice.

I found him waiting outside the student center, his blonde hair catching the sunlight. My breath caught in my throat at the sight of him. It was such a strange feeling that he should affect me so. I didn’t even know the guy. And honestly, my reaction was a bit frightening. I thought I’d been making it up. But the more I saw him, the worse it got. Those feelings needed to stop.

“Hey,” I said, approaching him with a smile.

Caden looked up, his blue eyes lighting up when he saw me. “Hey yourself. How was practice?”

“Brutal,” I admitted. “Coach Harding was in rare form today.”

Caden winced sympathetically. “Sounds rough. I don’t know anything about wrestling but considering how good of shape you’re in… I’d guess it’s probably hard work.”

So, he noticed I was in good shape, huh? Why did the thought of him looking at me go straight to my cock?

“Ready to get some lunch?” he asked, nodding toward the student center doors.

“God yes,” I said fervently. As we walked towards the entrance, I debated whether to bring up what I’d overheard in the locker room. I didn’t want to worry Caden unnecessarily, but I also felt he had a right to know.

We didn’t talk much as we gathered our food. But when we settled into a quiet corner of the cafeteria with our trays away from everyone else, I took a deep breath. “So, um, there’s something I should probably tell you.”

Caden looked up, a forkful of salad halfway to his mouth. “Oh?” His blue eyes widened slightly, a flicker of apprehension crossing his face.

I lowered my voice. “I overheard some of the guys talking in the locker room. Apparently the dean is going to make some big announcement about... separating witches from the rest of us. Something about the alumni ball last night.”

Caden’s fork clattered to his plate. “What? Why would they do that?”

I shrugged helplessly. “I don’t know all the details. But it sounds like they might be creating witch-only spaces - dorms, bathrooms, maybe even a separate cafeteria.”

Caden’s face had gone pale. “That’s... that’s insane. I don’t want to be separated from everyone else. I already feel like enough of an outsider.” He leaned back in his chair. “I bet you Professor Blackwood is in on it too. God, I fucking hate purists.”

The anger in his voice surprised me. I’d pegged Caden as the quiet, nerdy type that let people walk all over him. But there was some fire in him. Then again, he had stood up to Rowan for me, so he must not have been too timid.

“I don’t know if they’ll actually go through with it,” I shrugged, taking a bite of chicken from my plate. “But Coach Harding mentioned it as well, so it’s real enough for him to worry.”

Caden’s brow furrowed as he pushed his food around his plate. Clearly he was irritated. I felt bad for even bringing it up, but I wasn’t sure what else to talk to him about. I didn’t know anything about the guy and the way Widdershins Academy was headed, I might never get the chance. Then again, that was probably for the best considering I was having all these strange feelings I didn’t understand.

“So… uh… why kind of magic do you study?” I asked, changing the subject. “I hear most witches have a specialty.”

Caden scoffed and crossed his arms. “Not me. I’m the powerless witch, remember? Surely, you’ve heard about me.”

“I… don’t know many witches,” I said quietly, realizing I’d stepped into dangerous territory. Clearly Caden was upset talking about his magic. “They pretty much keep to themselves.”

“Well, then let me fill you in so you don’t waste your time trying to be friends with me,” he sighed, looking up at me. “I’m Caden Cromwell, son of the famous Damien Cromwell. My father is donating a lot of money to the school because I wouldn’t have been accepted otherwise. My green magic is weak, my power almost nonexistent, and there’s a fairly decent chance my father will just make me disappear if I don’t impress him by the end of the year.”

“Disappear?” I asked, raising an eyebrow.

Caden nodded. “Permanently.”

There was a sudden rush of protectiveness through my chest. I felt the urge to reach out and grab Caden, to hold him close and swear that nobody, not even his father, would harm him in any way. Not while I was around.

I forced the feeling back, caught off guard by how strong it was. Then I swallowed hard, trying to process Caden’s words. The idea of his own father wanting to “make him disappear” was chilling. And yet, a part of me wasn’t entirely surprised. The magical world could be ruthless, especially among the elite.

“That’s... that’s awful,” I managed to say, my voice low.

He shrugged, but I could see the tension in his shoulders. “It’s fine. I’m used to it.”

“It’s not fine,” I insisted, surprising myself with the intensity in my voice. “No one should have to live with that kind of pressure. Especially not from their own family.”

Caden looked up at me, his blue eyes wide with surprise. For a moment, I thought I saw a flicker of vulnerability there, but it was quickly masked.

“Thanks,” he said softly. “But don’t you deal with the same thing? You’re the son of an Alpha pack leader. I’m sure you have big shoes to fill too.”

“How do you know that about me?”

“My roommate,” Caden sighed. “Wild. He’s a fae. Apparently, he knows a lot about people.”

I shifted uncomfortably in my seat. The idea of someone knowing personal details about me without my knowledge was unsettling. “Well, he’s right. But it’s different. My pack... they’re family. Even if I don’t meet expectations, they won’t...” I trailed off, not wanting to say the words ‘make me disappear.’

Caden nodded, a sad smile on his face. “Must be nice.”

We ate in silence for a few moments, the weight of our conversation hanging between us. I couldn’t stop thinking about what Caden had revealed. The more I learned about him, the more I wanted to protect him, to shield him from the cruelty of his own family, even though it wasn’t my place to do so.

All we’d done was have lunch together and the feelings I had toward Caden were getting out of control. So, as I ate, I tried to think up ways to make my exit. With the direction the school was going and Caden’s clearly fucked up family, there was a good chance even being friends with him could be dangerous. Not to mention this growing attraction in the pit of my stomach put my entire future in jeopardy. I needed to cut things off cleanly without hurting his feelings.

“Well,” Caden said, pushing himself up from his chair. “You got lunch with me. Your debt is paid.”

“I… What?” I asked, confused by his sudden proclamation.

“It’s okay,” he smiled sadly. “I know you just did this to be nice. But you don’t owe me anything and I know you don’t want to be friends with me. Nobody does. And for a good reason.” He picked up his tray, silverware clattering over the metal surface. “It was nice to meet you, Atlas. And keep yourself out of trouble, okay?”

“Wait,” I said, standing up abruptly. My chair scraped loudly against the floor, drawing a few curious glances. “That’s not... I didn’t...”

Caden paused, his blue eyes meeting mine with a mixture of confusion and guarded hope. I swallowed hard, suddenly unsure of what to say. I had been planning to end things, to protect us both from the complications our friendship could bring. But seeing the resignation in his eyes, the quiet acceptance of loneliness, made something in my chest ache.

“Look,” I said, lowering my voice and stepping closer to him. “I’m not great at this whole... friend thing. But I’m not here just because I felt obligated. I wanted to have lunch with you.”

Caden’s eyebrows rose slightly. “Really?”

I nodded, surprised to find I meant it. “Yeah. And I’d like to keep hanging out, if you want to. Screw what anyone else thinks.”

A small smile tugged at the corners of Caden’s mouth. “Even if they try to separate us?”

“Especially then,” I said, feeling a surge of defiance. “We’re the students here and we need to stand our ground. Fuck what those old geezers think.”

Caden’s eyes widened at my words, a mix of surprise and admiration flickering across his face. “Wow, I didn’t expect that from you. You seemed so... by the book.”

I shrugged, feeling a bit sheepish. “Yeah, well, sometimes rules need to be challenged. Especially when they’re unjust.”

Caden set his tray back down on the table, his body language relaxing slightly. “So... you really want to be friends? Even with everything going on?”

“Yeah,” I said, surprising myself with how much I meant it. “I do.”

A genuine smile spread across Caden’s face, lighting up his blue eyes in a way that made my heart skip a beat. “Okay then. Friends it is.”