Page 1 of Roman (Destined Paranormals #7)

Chapter 1

Roman

“ D on’t forget, our last class is this Friday, and your final papers are due to me by next Wednesday. There are no exceptions to that as I have a deadline to the college to have final grades in a few days beyond that. Anything not in my inbox by midnight on Wednesday will receive zero credit.” I looked out at my students as I gave them my final spiel of the day, but I didn’t know if I was even making any sense to them. Staring back at me were a bunch of empty-looking gazes, and I already expected that at least several of them would be coming to me once they received their final grade of zero on their paper. What more could I do?

So much had changed since I had taught last, and things were even more different here with several of my students being paranormal. It was as if there was some certain level of expectation that I give them leniency because I, too, was paranormal. It didn’t work that way though.

When they continued to simply stare at me, I nodded at them. “You are free to go. I will see you all on Friday. I hope you have a good rest of your week.” Immediately, the class stood and started filing out as fast as they could.

To some extent, I could understand. They were so close to being finished with the semester. The weather was finally warming up, and other things were calling: kayaking in the lake, hiking in the national forest, summer vacations or jobs, sleeping in.

It so happened that this was my final class of the day, and I began cleaning up while they all scrambled out of the classroom. I was slipping my laptop into the messenger bag when I heard them approaching. By scent, it was Longwei and Sean, but I had to glance up to confirm my suspicions. As the unusual pair approached, I offered a smile.

It had to be difficult to grow up being the youngest children of two of the created ones. I wasn’t exactly certain how many siblings Longwei had, but I knew it was quite a few less than Sean.

“Is there something I can do for the two of you?” I asked.

They glanced at one another before Longwei spoke up. “We had a question. It’s more of an invite. There is a party of sorts next weekend. It’s to celebrate not only the reopening of the bakery but also because we’ve finished our second year of college. Bàba wanted me to make sure you were invited. Especially since you no longer live on Treasure Ridge and might not necessarily get all of the news that’s happening there.”

I nodded slowly. “The bakery is having a reopening? Did it close for some reason?”

Longwei and Sean shared another look. “Have you not talked to either of your brothers or even Ramsey?”

I shook my head. “Should I? Ramsey and Phineas have been busy with Hazel. I talk to them occasionally, but for the most part, I try not to interfere. They know they can call me whenever they need me.” It took a great deal for me to go from the only person, the only protector in their lives, to them both suddenly being mated and having very protective and possessive mates. But my brothers were both incredibly happy, and I was thrilled for both of them.

“Yeah, so Malorie turned out to be passing information about the council on to others on the dark web,” Longwei whispered. My eyebrows rose significantly because, well, when had that happened and why?

“Then, come to find out, she’s probably super bad and her mate ended up being one of the council’s most wanted. That wasn’t all of it though, and Elizabeth ended up helping her and Marco, which was a huge no-no according to my father,” Sean added in an equally low whisper. We all knew all of us could hear, and it kept anyone who shouldn’t from overhearing.

“When did this happen?”

“Very recently,” Longwei said. “The bakery has been shut for around a month, and it’s sorely missed. One of the new enforcers has a brother who has agreed to take over. He’s going to be helped by at least a couple others temporarily, but I guess he was an excellent pastry chef in their village.”

Village? Did he live in some backwards place? “I had not heard any of that,” I told them. “I imagine the bakery being closed has been a huge loss to the council. I know it was immensely popular when I lived on Treasure Ridge.” Shifters often had lots of sweet teeth. There were, of course, those that didn’t, but they were usually the exception.

“So next weekend? Can you come?” Sean asked. “We’re trying to make sure Beau has a huge turnout since he had to be convinced that he could and should do this. He’s here with his brother and was waiting tables in Timber Valley and absolutely miserable. But I’ve tasted some of his stuff, and it’s even better than Liz and James’s stuff.”

That was saying something because, as far as I knew, James and Elizabeth had always run a bakery of sorts. Even when they were still with their pride, they ran a bakery. It was what they did.

“I’ll drop by,” I told them. I’ll reach out to Phineas and see if he wants me to stop by and see Hazel for a bit, or maybe even watch her, and that will allow him and Ramsey to have some time for just the two of them.” Both of my brothers had an open invitation if they ever needed me to watch any of their children. They didn’t really take me up on it too often. I’d watched Otis and Maddie for Philip and Knox more than I had Hazel for Phineas and Ramsey.

“You should come no matter what,” Longwei said. “There is going to be a lot going on. More than just the bakery reopening. It’s a celebration of sorts.”

I nodded. “I’ll be there. I was only saying I would see if they needed me as well.” It had been an adjustment for me, and I hoped I’d not failed miserably with them. I was happy for my brothers, but I’d realized that because of our circumstances, I’d lost a bit of myself along the way, and now I didn’t know exactly where I stood with them still.

Longwei and Sean nodded. “Good. We’ll see you there, then,” Longwei said before he and Sean shared a look, and then they both left. I had a feeling they were up to something, but I didn’t know what.

After the two left the classroom, I packed up my laptop and the other few items I had out. I needed to swing by my office before I would be able to go home for the evening. I was enjoying teaching again, but things had changed drastically since I’d been in a classroom last. Sure, I’d been able to teach some classes along the way when I was at various places with my brothers, but being back in the classroom full-time was quite a difference.

Everything was digital now. That wasn’t exactly new to me, but I hadn’t expected it to be that way with us being in the classroom. Yet, here I was. Getting ready to go to my tiny office and sit for the required hours’ time for “office hours.” Only, I wouldn’t have students actually show up. No, they all attended virtually. That wasn’t something I expected. Online office hours, emails and message boards, online assignments, tests, papers, inboxes for assignments. Just about every aspect of my job, except actually teaching now, was online. Why was I even here, then? Why not just teach from the comfort of my own home?

I slung my bag over my shoulder and left the classroom while shaking my head at my own thoughts. Was I actually contemplating whether or not I would continue after this semester. It wasn’t that I didn’t enjoy it. I did. But was it still what I wished to do? If I was being honest with myself—I didn’t know.

I had enjoyed my time at the council’s store, but Monroe was running that now, and he was doing a fantastic job. It was actually better suited for him and his little family. I was thrilled for him and Oscar, and although I didn’t want to go back to running the council’s store, I often found myself wondering if teaching was still what my heart desired.

I unlocked my office door and slid the keys back into my pocket. After turning on the light, I looked around the small office and shook my head. It wasn’t much larger than some bathrooms in places. Maybe eight feet by eight feet? Not that I needed a lot of space. But there wasn’t room for much. There was a desk and a pair of bookshelves. They were still empty, and that gave me pause. Why? It was true that I no longer had any of my things that I had collected decades ago. For so long, I’d spent life living with only enough that could fit into two duffle bags: one for me and one for the twins.

I set my bag down on the desk and sat down. I leaned forward, my hands going to my temples. I couldn’t help it: my thoughts turned to our parents. Would they be proud of all that we’d accomplished? The twins were both daddies. They would have made our parents grandparents. I had no doubt that they would have been thrilled with the prospect of becoming grandparents. They both loved children so much and had been incredibly sad when they couldn’t seem to get pregnant again after me. Not until the twins, that was.

My thoughts turned to Phineas and Philip. I’d messed up with them more times than I could ever count. Despite that though, they still seemed to love me. I knew I was overbearing and overly protective with them, but when you spent over two decades constantly running from some deranged shifter who wanted to steal your brothers because he wanted them to replace your dead mother, it was difficult not to be overprotective.

I rubbed my temples and then my forehead before I sat back in my chair and took another look around the room. This used to be me. Twenty-five years ago, I’d had this. I was an up-and-coming professor at my university, and I was happy. I was dating casually, and I was happy. I shook my head. I wasn’t now. This was…an existence. I actually loved teaching, but this wasn’t what I wanted. Not anymore.

That didn’t change the fact that I still had an office hour to get through before I could leave for the day. Not that I expected anyone to show up. Certainly not in person. Online was possible but not likely. No, my students seemed to be emailers who sent frantic messages at two in the morning, right before an assignment was due.

I pulled out my laptop, and after opening the message board, as well as my email program, I waited. And waited. I sat there for the next fifty-three minutes without a single message or email. I wasn’t surprised by this even a little.

I knew that the barrage of messages would start next Wednesday, several days after our final in-person class and after the final paper was due. I already had the reply typed out and saved. It was going to be the same to every one of them. There was absolutely nothing I could do. I had to have time to get the papers graded and their scores inputted into the system for the college. No paper meant a zero for that assignment, and since this final paper was a big portion of their grade, it could have a significant impact on their academic standing.

Since my office hour was finished, I packed up and left. There was truly no reason to stay, and I was more than ready to be home. I locked the office door behind me, and once I left the building and stepped out into the sunlight, my tiger chuffed in my mind. It had been too long since I’d let him out to have a good run. Perhaps this weekend would be the perfect opportunity to go up to Treasure Ridge and let him out for a bit.

I had stayed in the house down from the council for a bit, but eventually, I left when the omegas who had been staying with me no longer felt as if they needed me there for protection. It wasn’t a sad day for me when I moved out. Not really. I had only been there in that house because the council had provided it for me and my brothers. They both lived with their mates now, and since I no longer worked for the council, I felt uncomfortable continuing to live there.

Now, I had my own little place on the outskirts of Timber Valley, and although it wasn’t much larger than some of the tiny apartments I’d lived in with the twins, it was home. I stopped beside my SUV and shook my head. It wasn’t home. Knox’s place was home for him and Philip. Ramsey and Phineas had a home in mated enforcer housing. I had a house I rented from Alpha Forest for a tiny fee, but I wouldn’t call it home.

I needed a vacation. Maybe that’s what would fix me. I shook my head again as I slid into the SUV. I knew that there was probably no fixing me. Not that anything was wrong. I just…had to figure out what to do with myself now that the only purpose I’d had for so long was no longer needed. My entire life had been about the twins and making sure they were taken care of and protected. I no longer needed to do that, so now what?

Teaching obviously wasn’t what I thought it would be. That could be in part the college, but also that life had changed since I’d taught last. I had changed.

I had just started the SUV when my phone vibrated where I’d placed it in the center console. When I picked it up, I smiled at the name. Knox. I liked my brother’s vampire mate. He was completely smitten with Philip and adored my brother and their twins. I might have been a bit standoffish in the beginning, but that was only because it was difficult to come to terms with someone else protecting my brother. But I couldn’t have picked a better mate for Philip. I read the message and smiled.

Knox: Come to supper! I know you’re not doing anything because you never do. Don’t try to say you are busy. It’s been almost a month since you’ve seen us, and I won’t take no for an answer. Steaks and all the things on the grill. Supper is at 6:00. See you then.

I chuckled, but it suddenly turned to sadness. Had it really been that long since I’d seen them? Why had I not realized that? It wasn’t as if I was too busy. I sighed at myself before I started typing.

Me: I’ll be there. Sorry it’s been so long. I guess I hadn’t realized. I’ll be over around 6:00.

I hit the green Up arrow and watched as the message was sent. Then I went and looked at my last message with Phineas. I’d at least talked to him two weeks ago, but it looked like it had been even longer since I’d been up to see him and Ramsey and little Hazel. What was wrong with me? Why had I pulled away from my brothers so much? Sure, I didn’t want to interfere, but I was probably taking things a bit too far in the opposite direction.

Me: Hey Phineas. Sorry it’s been so long. Do you want to get together this weekend sometime? I’m sorry I’ve not reached out in a while. I have no excuse except I don’t want to overstep. Just let me know either way. Love and miss you and Hazel.

I couldn’t help it. I didn’t exactly love Ramsey. He wasn’t a bad mate to my brother, but I didn’t love him. I liked him, and I knew my brother would always be safe with Ramsey around. But nope, there was certainly no love between either of us. I chuckled. I put the phone back in my center console before I pulled my seat belt on and then started the SUV. It was getting warm in here, and it was past time I went home.

My phone vibrated as I pulled out of the parking space. A quick touch of the screen told me it was Phineas replying to me. I was incredibly spoiled because the SUV would read the message to me. When I touched my brother’s name, the robotic voice sounded in the speakers.

“Sure! I know you are busy with your classes, but we’re going to be at Knox and Philip’s tonight. Are you not coming?”

Well, that would cover seeing both brothers and my nieces and nephew this weekend. I couldn’t help but smile as I pulled out of the parking lot and onto the street. I had to work on making it up to them. I would start by taking my brothers their favorite desserts. With the council’s bakery not an option, I needed to make a quick stop at the bakery here in Timber Valley before I headed to Knox and Philip’s. I changed direction at the next stoplight. I had things to do, and my tiger chuffed, seeming happy at the prospect of seeing my family.