Page 21

Chapter

Eighteen

OWEN

W ell, this is misery. I’m expected to be a content, studious, demure son while my parents drive me all over the town.

I’m supposed to act accordingly as my folks take me to Wraithmart to buy bedsheets and underwear.

I have to be all smiles as they insist on buying me groceries at Claws-Co.

And I even need to be friendly with my folks while we have dinner at Bengal Palace, the only Indian restaurant within a one-hour radius.

Admittedly, it was entertaining seeing them act uncomfortable with the owner of the last place, a werecat Bengal tiger shifter.

But my heart feels torn to shreds. My super-hot kind-of-boyfriend probably broke up with me.

Does it count if you were only ever lab partners who occasionally fucked?

And also you’re raising a small woodland creature together?

Okay, when I think about it like that, it’s somehow gayer and more domestic.

I thought that Clay cared about me, that what we had was something special. Instead, he goes full Morbius, full Dracula, full whatever-bloodsucker I’m supposed to be scared of, and terrifies my parents.

He doesn’t even want to see Bat Nathanson anymore.

“See you tomorrow,” I say as I tap on the car window.

It’s a warm spring night, and I’m done saying goodbye to my parents.

Dad helped me carry the groceries up ten minutes ago.

My roommate, Michael, didn’t even acknowledge my existence, gazing at his computer screen as usual.

I finished walking Dad down the stairs, we agreed to meet for brunch tomorrow, and now I’m waving them goodbye.

I’m their good son, as usual. They don’t want me to work with or learn about monsters, and I guess that’s what they’ll get. I sigh and gaze up at the full moon. I wish Clay was back in my arms.

My phone buzzes and I whip it out of my pocket. “Hello?”

“Dude, get up here!”

Michael sounds panicked, and my brow furrows. I was just in our room five seconds ago.

“Wha…what?”

“It’sgoingcrazyandIcan’tstopit!”

“Michael, slow down.” I scan my key card to get in and dash up the stairs. “What are you saying?”

He hangs up and my pulse races. I open my room door to chaos—Bat Nathanson’s terrarium is on the floor.

And so is Michael. He’s hiding behind his chair and wields his notebook like a shield.

“Owen, get IN HERE!”

“What is happening—woah!” I duck and dodge on instinct as a blur flies for my head.

“Your little pet rodent knocked over his box thing!”

What? “It’s a terrarium—woah!” I dodge again at the dark foreign object spinning in the air.

“I don’t care, just contain your pet THING!”

I try to track it with my gaze. “Bat?” I ask.

It screeches, and Michael howls. He swipes at the air fecklessly, and I move between them—but whom I’m protecting, I’m not sure.

This can’t be. “Bat Nathanson?” I ask again.

“Yes, it’s your sky puppy!” Michael shouts and cowers even further. “Tell it to stop!”

How is this happening? BN can’t fly! Unless…

I gape at my poor, panicking roommate as the black fuzz flaps around.

I clear my throat and hold out my hands. In my sternest voice, I announce, “Bat No-Middle-Name Nathanson, you come down here, right now!”

The flapping sounds stop and the fuzz lands on my palms. Success !

“Get that thing out of here!” Michael whines.

I frown at him, then look back at my hands.

Bat Nathanson simply licks his wing. “We’re leaving,” I say.

I take a brief moment to pick up the pink scarf from the floor.

I place my familiar on the desk and gently wrap the fabric around his neck.

Clay crafted this with love, and he deserves to be here for this occasion.

“You made a mess and scared my poor roommate,” I say in a chastising voice.

“I wasn’t that scared,” Michael mutters.

I cradle BN. “You knocked over your little house.” I look down at the tipped-over terrarium on the floor with the latch open. “Why’d you do that, little buddy, huh?”

“Squeak!” he replies.

“I didn’t know you could—woah!” The moment I open the door, he flies off. “Wait for your papa!”

I cringe at the thought of all my dorm neighbors hearing those words come out of my mouth. All the while, I dash down the stairs, following my familiar. I’m so proud he can fly now, but at the same time, I want him to slow down.

He spins around the front door, and I open it, allowing him to fly off.

Is he leaving me? Suddenly, my chest hurts, and I feel dizzy.

I keep following him, even though my limbs are shaking.

When he gets to a nearby bench, he gradually lands.

I reach him and lean my hands on my thighs as I try to catch my breath. “What are you— hey !”

He takes off again, and I have no choice but to follow. “Bat Nathanson, you slow down this instant!” He ignores me as I dash across campus. In a day filled with highs and lows, this takes the cake. My familiar can fly, and now he won’t stop! I don’t know whether to laugh or cry.

After a few minutes, he slows down and lands on a sign on the other side of campus.

It’s dark, but with the lamplights, I can read Creelin Athletics Center .

Huh . I’ve only been here a couple of times, all to watch water polo.

Maybe if I spent more time exercising here, I wouldn’t be gasping for air at this moment.

“Please…please stop,” I rasp, nearly wheezing. I wipe my brow and lean on a nearby trash can. I look awful, but I don’t really care who sees me right now.

“Owen?”

I retract that previous statement. Clay, of all people, walks out the Athletics Center doors, holding a black gym bag.

His hair is all wet, and he looks delicious as ever.

The past few hours of being apart haven’t quelled my attraction to him.

Meanwhile, I probably look like the before picture for a deodorant commercial.

“Clay…you…I, uh…” I gasp and try to regain some semblance of composure.

“Are you okay? Are you asthmatic or something? Should I call the nurse?” He touches my shoulder and it’s sweet.

“No, I, uh…” I gulp in air and lick my lips. Then I stand up straight and breathe out slowly. “I ran here. ”

“What? Why?”

“Because…because…” Our familiar lands on my head, and I point to it, not even looking up. “Because of this,” I say.

“Bat Nathanson!” Clay reaches for him. “My baby, Daddy missed you,” he coos.

I smile seeing him go back into loving co-parent mode. “Apparently he missed you, too.”

Clay holds him up and our pet licks him. Clay laughs, and I nearly melt at how cute it is.

Then I recall his words from earlier, and my smile falls. “I thought you were, um…done with us.”

Clay looks at me, and even in the lamplight, the hurt and shock on his face is undeniable.

Before he can say a word, however, Bat Nathanson squeaks.

A moment later, he takes to the skies, up and up.

His silhouette is clear in the moonlight, and he flies off, far, far from our reach.

If Clay could jump off a tree, he might be able to catch up, but I think we both know our little guy is happy to be free, soaring among the stars.

Bat Nathanson is gone, nothing but a fleck in the dark sky.

The thought of that has my heart clenching.

I move closer to Clay on instinct, desperate to hold on to the only other person who understands my emotions right now.

It figures that a weirdo like me would have empty nest syndrome at the ripe old age of twenty-one.

“Wow,” Clay murmurs.

“I know,” I rasp.

“We did it,” he adds. “We successfully rehabilitated Bat Nathanson.”

“Yup. Now he’s a free bird, er, bat.”

After a beat, Clay and I look at each other; he has his arm wrapped around my shoulder, and I gaze at his lips. Then, I pull away from him, remembering that we are not boyfriends, we never were.

“Right, well.” I clear my throat and square my shoulders. “Now that that’s settled, we’re done here. See you in class, Mr. Cannon.” I turn and try not to let my next words choke my soul. “You no longer have to pretend to enjoy hanging out with a loser human like me.”

I don’t take two steps before I hear him ask, “Is that what you think?”

I freeze, and a minuscule kindling of hope flares in my chest. I refuse to turn around, but stand still in the darkness. I need Clay to make this move.

I sniff. “What else should I think? After today, what you said…?”

“Owen, look at me.” He touches my shoulder, and I have no choice but to turn around. “I’m sorry if I hurt you earlier, but it’s not because I don’t want to be with you.”

“Wha…what?” He rubs my shoulders, and I push up my glasses. My eyes threaten to burn with tears—Bat Nathanson is gone, and now Clay might want me? “But you said?—”

“I said it’s dangerous to be near a bloodsucker like me. I said you should stay away, but it certainly isn’t because I don’t want to date you or be your boyfriend or anything like that.”

My head goes light at the B-word. Clay wants me? “But you…never even considered making me your feeder.”

“Yeah, because it’s dangerous to be near me!” He huffs a sad laugh and looks up while rubbing my shoulders. “Oh my monster god, Owen, I’ve wanted to feed off of you since the day we met!”

My eyebrows jump. That can’t be right. “This whole time? Why didn’t you tell me?”

He bristles. “Well gee, it’s not like you had a ‘no dating jocks’ rule. Why would I want to put my heart on the line only for a handsome guy like you to break it?”

“What…me…break…what?”

He cards his fingers through my hair. “Owen Bhat, there isn’t anything about you I don’t desire. Familiar or no familiar, I want you.”

Sparks cascade down my spine starting from where his fingers touch my scalp. I want so badly to bury myself in his muscly body, but we’re not in the clear yet. “But earlier you said I should go to a human school and stay away.”