Page 7 of Hexmate (Widdershins Supernatural Academy #1)

Chapter 7

Atlas

“ T here are several types of bonds possible for shifters to form during their lives,” the professor said, flipping through the slides projected on a large screen at the front of the room. “Most commonly there is the bond between an Alpha and his pack. While most people think this is specific to werewolves, it is not. Many other shifters, including Beasts and Orcs, can develop such a bond. A similar bond occurs in Vampires and Fae between them and their leaders, although they don’t use Alpha terminology.”

My notebook sat open in front of me, my pen abandoned. This was all pretty basic information, stuff I’d been taught by my father growing up. Since I was the next in line to take over the pack, I had to know those things.

“The second most common bond is the mate bond,” he continued.

My ears perked up. Of course, my father told me about mate bonds. But as far as he was concerned, they were things to be made, not things to leave to chance.

“Mate bonds come in two forms. There are those that are forged, much like normal relationships. More time spent together between two individuals can produce a bond. Even humans experience love, so this is not terribly hard to create, it just takes time.” He paused, looking over the class. “The other is the fated mate bond. It is completely unpredictable, incredibly strong, and thanks to much research in the past decade, we know that there is some magical aspect to this type of bond.”

I couldn’t help fidgeting nervously in my seat as my thoughts turned to Caden.

The professor’s words faded into the background as my mind wandered to Caden. His shy smile, those captivating blue eyes, the way his blonde hair fell across his forehead. We’d only spoken a few times since the semester started, but each interaction left me craving more.

I found myself wondering if Caden could be my fated mate. The thought both thrilled and terrified me. My father would never approve - he had plans for me to bond with the daughter of a neighboring pack’s Alpha. But the pull I felt towards Caden was unlike anything I’d experienced before.

“Mr. Faolan,” Professor Horvath’s voice cut through my daydream. “Perhaps you’d like to share your thoughts on fated mate bonds with the class?”

I felt my cheeks flush as all eyes turned to me. “I... uh...” I stammered, desperately trying to recall what he’d been saying.

Just then, the classroom door opened, and Karrick slipped in, late as usual.

“Sorry,” he muttered, taking his seat. “Last class ran over again.”

“Speak with me after class, Mr. Thompson,” the professor sighed. “Anyway, let’s continue on with the last, and least common bond. Familiars.”

I perked up again. Now this was a subject my father refused to talk about. I’d read a little bit about it in a book once, more of just a passing mention, but I’d never gotten a real thorough explanation.

“As many of you know, familiars are fairly rare because they require a union between a shifter species and a witch. Considering the history between witches and shifters, it’s not surprising that it doesn’t happen often.” He clicked over to the next slide. “The familiar bond is a relatively complicated ritual that requires a physical contract between the witch and the shifter. In the distant past, witches would force shifters into their service via a blood ritual, basically using them as a supernatural battery for their magic. The most powerful witches would have upwards of a dozen familiars at their disposal as their magical slaves.”

There were several uncomfortable looks exchanged at the professor clicked to another slide.

“However, blood rituals were outlawed in eighteen forty-three thanks to the Treaty of Lycaon in Greece. However, familiar bonds have continued to happen, although they are much more rare since they require a consensual partner. And, thanks to the lack of blood magic, they also require a sexual component to complete the ritual.”

My heart jumped in my chest. Of course, I thought of Caden and how attracted I was to him. But suddenly I was imagining him and I in a magic circle, our bodies entwined as we created a magical bond by fucking like animals. It was arousing, thrilling, and a little terrifying at the same time. I had no doubt that a familiar bond was not something one entered into lightly, and I didn’t know if there was a way to ever get out of it should feelings change.

“However, the surge of power a witch gains from creating such a bond is chaotic and sometimes difficult to control. For that reason, such bonding has been outlawed at Widdershins Academy and will result in immediate expulsion should one occur.” He walked over to the wall, flipping the lights on and shutting down the slide projector. “A few years ago, two students, a witch studying time magic and a werewolf, created such a bond. With that power they banished several students and the werewolf’s father to the center of Lake Erie, nearly killing all of them. The bonded students were expelled immediately and disappeared permanently. To this day, neither of their families have heard from them.” He looked at each of us in turn. “So, since you are all shifters, I would caution you greatly against entering into such bonds. Witches are not to be trusted.”

A ripple of murmurs swept through the room. I felt anger fill my chest, Caden coming to my mind once more.

“Not all witches are bad,” I said, not bothering to raise my hand. “And I don’t think professors are supposed to be teaching prejudice in their classes.”

The entire room went silent. Professor Horvath, a Beast himself, looked up at me, a smirk curling over his lips. “And what makes you say that, Mr. Faolan? Have you met many good witches?”

“A… few…” I lied. “One, at least.”

“Well, then you should consider yourself lucky. The pride and ego of witches is famous the world over. Arrogance knows no bounds for those with immense power.”

“Do you feel the same way about the Fae?” I asked, not hiding my irritation. “They have magic. So do the Dark Elves. Should we fear them?”

“They are not capable of forcing familiar bonds, so no,” he replied. “While I applaud you for your attempt at social justice, I’m afraid you’ll find me unmoved by your words. Considering the dean’s announcement this morning, I think the truth of witches and their agenda is far too easy to see.” He looked up to the rest of the class. “Mark my words, by the start of next year, you will find Widdershins Academy to be a far less accepting place. And considering I’m saying this out loud to you all, there is a good chance I won’t be teaching here anymore either.”

The class was quiet for a long moment. Even I couldn’t think of something to say. I still thought he was wrong to say those things, but he was also right about the new announcement. It was clear the school donors, who were almost exclusively witches, had a plan. And it did not include the welfare of the shifter students.

Professor Horvath clapped his hands. “And that’s it for today! Have a nice weekend, everyone!” He glanced down at me, giving me a wink. “And don’t lose that spark. It’s important not to roll over and just accept what your elders say without question.”

As I gathered my things and left the classroom, my mind was reeling. Professor Horvath’s words about witches and familiar bonds left me feeling conflicted. On one hand, I couldn’t deny the dark history he’d described. But on the other, my thoughts kept drifting to Caden. Sweet, shy Caden with his gentle nature magic. How could someone like him ever be a threat?

I was so lost in thought that I nearly collided with someone in the hallway.

“Oh! I’m sorry, I wasn’t looking where I was going,” a soft voice said.

My heart skipped a beat as I looked up to see Caden standing before me, a light blush coloring his freckled cheeks.

“No worries,” I managed to say, drinking in the sight of him. His blonde hair was slightly tousled, as if he’d been running his fingers through it. Those captivating blue eyes met mine for a brief moment before darting away shyly.

“How... how was class?” Caden asked, fidgeting with the strap of his messenger bag.

“Interesting,” I replied, not wanting to upset him with the details of Professor Horvath’s opinions. “What are you doing over this way? I thought the magic classes were in the north building?”

“Oh, I have an herbalism class here in the conservatory,” he grinned. “Not many witches take it.”

“You like plants?”

His cheeks turned even more pink. “Y-Yeah.”

“That’s really cool,” I said, genuinely interested. “I’d love to hear more about it sometime.”

Caden’s eyes lit up, a smile spreading across his face. “Really? Most people think it’s boring.”

“Not at all,” I assured him. “Maybe we could grab coffee sometime and you could tell me about it?”

The words were out of my mouth before I could stop them. I held my breath, waiting for his response. I knew I shouldn’t have asked. We were friends, so it wasn’t weird. But the intention behind my words wasn’t friendly. It was something… more. Something I shouldn’t have been feeling.

Caden’s cheeks flushed an even deeper shade of pink. “I’d like that,” he said softly, meeting my gaze for a moment before looking down at his feet.

My heart raced. I couldn’t help taking a small sniff of the air, my wolf senses picking up hints of his excitement. I could hear his heart was racing. “Great,” I managed to say, trying to keep my voice steady. “How about tomorrow afternoon? Say, 3 o’clock? I’ll come pick you up.”

Caden nodded, a shy smile playing at his lips. “Sounds perfect.”

We stood there for a moment, neither of us quite sure what to say next. The air between us felt charged, crackling with a tension I couldn’t quite name.

“Well, I should get to class,” Caden said finally, gesturing towards the conservatory. “But I’ll see you tomorrow, Atlas.”

The way he said my name sent a shiver down my spine. “Yeah, see you tomorrow,” I replied, watching as he walked away.

As soon as Caden disappeared around the corner, I let out a breath I didn’t realize I’d been holding. What was I doing? I shouldn’t be pursuing this, no matter how drawn I felt to him. My father would be furious if he knew I was even considering a relationship with a witch, especially when he’d already picked out a mate for me. I had to continue our bloodline and if I was with a man and a witch… well, that just wasn’t going to happen.

But as I made my way back to my dorm, I couldn’t shake the image of Caden’s shy smile from my mind. The pull I felt towards him was undeniable, almost magnetic. Was this what a fated mate bond felt like? The one Professor Horvath had been talking about? It was almost impossible to ignore, but why would the gods or the thread of magic bind us together like that? For what purpose?

I shook my head, trying to clear my thoughts. I needed to focus on my responsibilities, on my future as pack leader. I couldn’t let myself get distracted by these feelings, no matter how intense they were. It was probably just a phase, anyway. I heard that happened in college a lot. But once those four years were over, real life waited for me. No matter what I felt here at the academy, I had to go home eventually.

As I entered my room, I was greeted by the sight of my roommate, Silver, sprawled across his bed, face buried in his pillow. The dark elf was wearing nothing but a pair of boxers, his muscular form on full display. I took half a second to look him over, wondering if I was attracted to men. He was fit and objectively handsome, but I didn’t feel the same pull I felt toward Caden.

“Hey man,” he said, glancing up at me. “You look like you’ve seen a ghost. Everything okay?”

I shook my head, trying to clear my thoughts. “Yeah, I’m fine. Just... had an interesting class.”

Silver sat up, raising an eyebrow. “Interesting how? Did Professor Horvath go off on another one of his anti-witch rants?”

I sighed, dropping my bag and collapsing onto my bed. “Yeah, something like that. He was talking about familiar bonds and how dangerous they are.”

Silver snorted. “Of course he was. That guy’s got a serious chip on his shoulder when it comes to witches. I guess his great-grandmother or something was forced to be a familiar for a witch.”

I nodded, not wanting to get into the details. My mind was still reeling from my encounter with Caden in the hallway. I couldn’t stop thinking about how cute he looked with his hair ruffled and those shy glances. Of course, the way his cheeks turned pink when I asked him to coffee was adorable too. But what got my attention more than anything was the way his scent shifted when I got close to him. He might not realize it, but I could smell that he was attracted to me. And I liked it, which made things a lot more complicated.

“Something on your mind?” Silver asked, his elbow propped up on his pillow as he looked my way. “You look… I don’t know… troubled I guess.”

“It’s nothing,” I said, shaking my head. “I think I just need to burn off some excess energy. I’m gonna jump the barrier and shift. I need to run some of it out.”

“Good idea to get it out today.”

I stood up, glancing over at him. “Why’s that?”

“Big snowstorm coming in a day or two. The dryads have been talking about it all week. I guess we’re gonna get absolutely dumped on.” He looked up at me with a smirk. “Don’t want you getting frostbite on your little wolf beans.”

“Fuck off,” I huffed, heading for the door. “I’ll be back before dark.”

“Cool. I’ll be sleeping or jerking off or something.”

I just rolled my eyes and left the room, taking nothing with me but my student ID so I could get back through the barrier.

As I made my way across campus towards the barrier, my mind kept drifting back to Caden again. The way his blue eyes lit up when I showed interest in his herbalism studies, the adorable blush that colored his cheeks - it was all so captivating. But I couldn’t shake the nagging voice in the back of my head reminding me of my responsibilities, of my father’s expectations. I really needed to get a hold of myself.

I reached the edge of campus where the magical barrier shimmered faintly, invisible to human eyes but clear as day to supernatural beings like myself. With a quick glance around to make sure no one was watching, I slipped through the barrier, feeling the familiar tingle of magic wash over me as I passed through.

Once on the other side, I stripped off my clothes quickly, stashing them in a hollow log I often used for this purpose. Taking a deep breath, I let the shift overtake me. My bones cracked and reshaped, fur sprouting across my body as I transformed into my wolf form. I hit the forest floor on four dark paws, my fur so dark it was almost blue. I shook myself off, trying to get rid of the itchy feeling after sprouting so much fur all at once. It was the worst part of the entire transformation.

The forest came alive around me, my heightened senses picking up every rustle of leaves, every scurrying creature. I took off at a run, relishing the feeling of my paws pounding against the earth, the wind rushing through my fur. As I ran, I let my mind go blank, focusing only on the physical sensations of my wolf form. The scents of the forest filled my nostrils - pine, damp earth, and the faint traces of other animals.

I pushed myself harder, running faster and faster until my muscles burned with exertion. It felt good to let go like this, to embrace my wild nature without the constraints of human society. Out here, I wasn’t Atlas Faolan, future Alpha and college student. I was just a wolf, free and unfettered.

And that’s where I felt most at home.