Page 9 of Hexmate (Widdershins Supernatural Academy #1)

Chapter 9

Caden

A ten-page paper on the differences between casting spells in Latin versus English. And it was due in three days. That was what Professor Blackwood punished me with for skipping her class. Despite how much work that was going to be, I felt light as I walked back to my dorm room, my thoughts still bent on Atlas.

The way he’d stepped up to protect me from Rowan and his cronies… it made my heart sing. I knew it shouldn’t, that I should be keeping my feelings at bay, but I wasn’t doing a very good job. That combined with his scent, his exceptional physique, and the way his shirt rode up when he stretched… it made me weak. And it also turned me on far too much. That alone could get me in trouble with his werewolf senses able to pick up nearly everything.

I had to admit though, it was pretty exciting on multiple levels. Ever since I’d been torn from my old life and forced into Widdershins Academy, I’d been going it alone. The only company I had was Wild. That meant there was no dating, no flirtatious glances, or anything of the sort. Hell, I couldn’t even remember the last time I’d eaten a meal with someone else before Atlas. And with my father’s expectations weighing on me, I didn’t have time to explore anything else. So, this was all new and a bit frightening at the same time.

As I reached my dorm room, I couldn’t shake the image of Atlas from my mind. His golden eyes, the way his muscles rippled under his shirt, the raw power emanating from him. I shook my head, trying to clear my thoughts. I had work to do, and fantasizing about an Alpha wolf wasn’t going to help me finish that paper.

I unlocked my door and stepped inside, immediately greeted by Wild spinning around in his chair to look up at me, that same Cheshire grin spreading over his face.

“Well?” he asked, running a hand through his ginger hair. “How was your date?”

I let out a long sigh and rolled my eyes. “It wasn’t a date, Wild. It was just coffee.”

“Uh-huh,” he mocked. “For the second time. And you skipped class for him.”

“Don’t remind me,” I huffed, dropping my bag on the floor and flopping on my bed. “Professor Blackwood found me at the student center and gave me extra work to punish me.”

“That woman is such a cunt.”

I glanced over at him. “She’s not nice.”

“Right,” he nodded. “A cunt.” He leaned against his desk, his bright green eyes still glimmering as he rested his cheek in his hand. “Now stop avoiding the question. How did it go?”

I hesitated, feeling a blush creep up my neck. “It was... nice,” I admitted finally even though I knew I shouldn’t. Wild liked to get carried away with even the smallest details. “Atlas is... different than I expected.”

Wild raised an eyebrow. “Different how?”

“He’s not just some dumb jock,” I said, sitting up on my bed. “He’s actually pretty intelligent. And funny. And...” I trailed off, remembering how Atlas had stood up for me.

“And?” Wild prompted, leaning forward eagerly.

I sighed. “And he protected me from Rowan and his goons. They were trying to make trouble toward the end of our coffee, but Atlas stood up to them and scared them off.”

Wild’s eyes widened. “Holy shit. That Alpha wolf protected you from other witches? That’s... that’s a big deal, man.”

“I don’t know about that,” I sighed, staring up at the ceiling. “He was probably just being nice. That’s all.”

Wild snorted, shaking his head. “Nice? An Alpha wolf doesn’t just protect any random witch out of niceness. There’s more to it than that.”

I sat up, frowning at him. “What do you mean?”

“I mean,” Wild said, leaning forward with a glint in his eye, “that our dear Atlas might have some feelings for you too.”

My heart skipped a beat at the thought, but I quickly squashed it down. “Don’t be ridiculous. He’s the Alpha’s son. There’s no way he’d be interested in a witch. And there’s no way he’s into men. That’s incredibly rare for werewolves.”

“And yet,” Wild countered, “he’s gone for coffee with you twice now, and stood up to other witches for you. Face it, Caden, there’s something there.” He paused, a mischievous grin pulling at his lips. “And let me tell you something about werewolves, they don’t care if you’re a man, woman, or somewhere in-between. A hole is a hole to them. I’ve seen it.”

My heart raced as several images came to my mind’s eye all at once. Atlas naked, his sweat-covered body leaning over me as he had his way with me. That golden glow in his eyes as he took everything he wanted over and over again.

I flopped back onto my bed, groaning and hugging my pillow. It was just a fantasy. It could never be more.

“Even if there was something - which there isn’t - it doesn’t matter. Witches and werewolves together? That’s practically forbidden.”

“Forbidden fruit tastes the sweetest,” Wild sing-songed, spinning in his chair. “And I know you’re curious how big he is.”

I threw my pillow at him, which he dodged with a laugh. “You’re not helping.”

“I’m just saying,” Wild continued, undeterred by my pillow assault, “you should explore this. When was the last time you actually let yourself feel something for someone?”

I sighed, running a hand through my hair. “You know I can’t, Wild. My father would kill me if he found out I was even thinking about a werewolf that way. Or doing anything but practice to make my magic stronger. And Atlas... he has responsibilities. He’s going to be the Alpha of his pack one day.”

“All the more reason to have some fun now,” Wild argued, his green eyes twinkling. “Come on, Caden. Live a little. What’s the worst that could happen?”

I shot him a look. “You really want me to answer that?”

Wild waved his hand dismissively. “Details, details. The point is, you’re attracted to him, and he’s clearly interested in you. Why not see where it goes?”

I flopped back onto my bed, staring at the ceiling. “Because it can’t go anywhere, Wild. It’s just... impossible.”

“Nothing’s impossible,” Wild said softly. “You witches of all people should know that.”

I closed my eyes, remembering the day I discovered my true heritage, the day my whole world came crashing down around me. I’d be nothing if not miserable ever since. Sure, there were tiny moments of happiness here and there, but nothing significant enough to light the darkness that had become my life. It sounded a bit dramatic, but I really had neglected myself almost completely these past two years in pursuit of magic and acceptance from my father that I was certain I would never get.

So maybe Wild was right. Perhaps it was time to do something for myself and have a little enjoyment. Besides, if my father’s threats were to be believed, I only had another year or so before he put me into an early grave. And one thing was for certain, I did not want to die a virgin.

“Do you really think we could be something?” I asked, my voice barely above a whisper.

“I’ll level with you, Caden,” Wild said, his tone surprisingly serious for once. “I don’t know if this Atlas guy is your one and true love. Nobody can tell you that. But coming from a guy with a lot of experience, I can tell you that he’s interested in you. Werewolves are inexplicably drawn to what they desire. He keeps finding you and that tells me that he wants something from you.” He looked up at me, a genuine smile on his face. “And considering you don’t have any power to offer him and being around you would only complicate his life further?—”

“Thanks for that,” I muttered.

“And yet he still keeps finding you,” Wild nodded. “If that’s not something, I’ll cut off my ears and pretend to be human.”

I couldn’t help but laugh at Wild’s dramatics, but his words had struck a chord. Maybe there was something there with Atlas. The thought both thrilled and terrified me and filled me with hope.

“So, what should I do?” I asked, sitting up and hugging my knees to my chest.

Wild grinned. “Well, for starters, you could try flirting back a little. Show him you’re interested too.”

I felt my cheeks heat up. “I wouldn’t even know how to start.”

“Oh, come on,” Wild teased. “You’re not completely hopeless. Just... touch his arm when you laugh at his jokes. Make eye contact. Lick your lips when he’s looking at you.”

“Wild!” I exclaimed, scandalized.

He shrugged, unrepentant. “What? It works. Trust me.”

I shook my head, but I couldn’t help smiling. “I’ll think about it.”

“Good,” Wild nodded. “Now, about that paper...”

I groaned, flopping back onto my bed. “Don’t remind me. Ten pages on spell casting in Latin versus English. It’s going to be torture.”

“Want some help? Believe it or not, Latin is based on Fae language, so I practically already speak it. I’m sort of an expert.”

“Sure,” I muttered, grabbing my bag.

However, the moment I picked it up, the zipper pulled free, and all my books went tumbling out onto the floor in a heap. Papers scattered everywhere along with pencils and at least three glass vials worth of seeds for my herbalism course.

“Dammit,” I muttered, dropping down to the floor to gather them up.

Wild knelt down beside me, helping me pick it all up. But after only a second or two, he stopped, holding a small piece of paper in his hands. “Uh… Caden?”

“Yeah?”

“Did you write yourself a little folded note?”

I glanced up at the paper, my brows furrowed. “No. I’ve never seen that before.”

Wild turned it around, displaying the chunky letters on the front. “Well, it’s got your name on it.”

I stared at the folded paper, my heart suddenly racing. The handwriting looked vaguely familiar. “What? Let me see that.”

Wild handed it over, his expression curious. I unfolded the note with trembling fingers, my eyes scanning the messy handwriting:

Caden,

Meet me at the tall ridge just outside the barrier at midnight. The one overlooking the valley. I want to talk to you alone.

-Atlas

My breath caught in my throat. Atlas had written a note for me? What could he possibly want?

“Well?” Wild prompted, leaning over my shoulder. “What does it say?”

I hesitated for a moment before reading it aloud. Wild’s eyes widened, a mischievous grin spreading across his face.

“Oh ho ho! A midnight rendezvous? How romantic! Make sure you take lube!”

“Shut up,” I muttered, but I couldn’t stop the blush creeping up my neck. “It’s probably nothing.”

“Nothing? Caden, he’s asking you to meet him alone outside the academy barrier. That’s not nothing.”

I bit my lip, re-reading the note. “But why? And how did he even get this in my bag?”

Wild shrugged. “Does it matter? The question is, are you going to go?”

I stared at the note, my heart pounding. The responsible part of me knew I should ignore it, focus on my paper, and not risk getting into more trouble. But another part of me, a part that had been dormant for far too long, was thrumming with excitement.

“I... I think I am,” I said softly, surprising myself.

Wild’s eyes lit up. “Really? That’s my boy!”

I glanced at the clock. It was only a bit past five. “I have a little bit of time to kill before then.”

“Perfect,” Wild grinned. “Let me help you get ready.”

Before I could protest, Wild was rummaging through my closet, tossing clothes onto my bed. “Put these on,” he instructed, handing me a pair of tight jeans and a soft blue sweater that he said brought out my eyes.

As I changed, Wild continued chattering excitedly. “Remember, make eye contact. Touch his arm if you can. And for the love of all that’s magical, if he tries to kiss you, don’t run away screaming.”

“I wouldn’t do that,” I muttered, pulling the sweater over my head. “Or I don’t want to, at least.”

“Do you have lube?” Wild asked seriously, the moment my head was through the sweater.

“Wild…”

“I’ll take that as a no.” He walked over to his dresser, pulled open a top drawer, and pulled out a couple of packets. “Do you want the warming kind or something with a little more magical zing?”

I just stared at him, my arms crossed.

He nodded. “You’re right. Let’s start with a plain lube and you two can experiment later.” Crossing the room, he stuffed a couple of them into my jeans pocket. I tried to protest, but he pulled my hand away. “He’s an Alpha werewolf, Caden. An Alpha .” He looked me in the eye seriously. “It will not be small enough to be a spit only situation.”

My stomach twisted into a tight knot at his words. It took me a moment to find my voice, although I didn’t pull the packets from my pocket. “Isn’t this a bit premature?” I asked. “I have seven hours until I’m supposed to meet him, and you said you wanted to help me with my paper.”

Wild took my shoulders in his hands, staring at me with a barely contained excitement that had him nearly vibrating. “Caden, I will write the whole damn paper for you if need be. But in exchange, I want every single detail about tonight when you get back.”

I furrowed my brows. “All of them?”

“Every last fucking one,” he replied, punctuating each word. “Do we have a deal?”

I hesitated, torn between my academic responsibilities and the allure of this mysterious midnight meeting. But Wild’s enthusiasm was infectious, and I found myself nodding.

“Alright, deal,” I said, my voice barely above a whisper. “But don’t you dare plagiarize anything. I don’t want to get expelled.”

Wild’s face lit up with a mischievous grin. “Don’t worry, I’ll make it sound just like you wrote it. Now, let’s get you ready for your hot date with an even hotter werewolf!”