Page 12 of The Princess’s Pet (Soul Match #1)

The Princess pulled me into her lap as we drove to the main school building. “What about the driver?” I asked anxiously, looking at the closed screen between the driver and back passenger seats.

“What about him? He can’t see or hear,” she told me as she moved my hair out of the way and began to mark me, wet kisses trailing over my neck. “Tell me who you belong to?”

“I belong to you, Ma’am,” I answered, trying not to moan as her teeth found my skin.

The car stopped and she opened the door without any care that someone might see me sitting in her lap and gently pushed me off her and out of the car. The Princess followed close behind, her arm wrapping around my shoulders as we walked.

“I’ll meet you in the café after your class,” she said, leaning down to scent me before walking away.

I sat down next to Ana in our ‘Understanding the Nature of Your Master/Mistress’ class.

“Hi Percy, did you have a good weekend?” Ana asked me, her red hair bouncing as she bobbed her head in greeting .

“Hey, yeah, it was good,” I said, hoping I wasn’t blushing as memories of a very naked Princess made their way to the fore of my mind.

“Get up to anything much?” she asked curiously.

“No,” I answered simply. I could have mentioned the gardens at Lady Amelia’s and Thomas, but I didn’t. I felt like doing so would indirectly be giving information about the Princess. As much as I liked Ana, the Princess had informed me that there were some unhappy with Borealis rule and Edward had warned me about who I associate with.

Ana looked a little disappointed at my lack of answer, but she seemed to decide to let it go. “I visited home for the weekend and it was wonderful to be back in my very own room. I miss my space. Sharing a room in the servants’ residence hall is hell!” she explained dramatically, slumping over her table. I laughed at her theatrics.

“Where are you from?” I asked curiously. I guessed that Ana was a witch of some content, but I didn’t know which coven.

She looked put off and hesitated.

“I’m a half-witch like you,” she started. “Of the Syngeneia coven,” she continued, looking away and back again.

“Syngeneia?” I asked. She nodded. “I’ve never met a blood witch. Kinda cool,” I told her.

And at my excitement, she smiled broadly.

“Really, you think it’s cool? You’re not freaked out?” she asked.

“Why would I be freaked out?” I asked, confused.

“Most people around here are. They think I’m gonna do some dark magic on their soul,” she said, shrugging .

“Why would you do that? Can you even do that?” I asked more curiously.

“I don’t know, it’s not like I have anything against anyone here and no I can’t, my magic isn’t that far developed,” she said, deflated.

“Don’t worry, we’re young, my dad told me that magic is always developing, unlike vampires and shifters we have unlimited potential,” I said, trying to cheer her up.

“I know, but being half-witch, I’m only a servant and my coven looks down on me. The fact my magic is slow to grow just bothers me, you know?” she explained.

I took her hand in mine. “There’s nothing less about us half-witches,” I told her. And I was glad I grew up in a mixed community. My school friends and neighbours were a mixture of part vampire, part shifter or part witch, even humans, and no one looked down on anyone based on their heritage.

“Oooh, what’s going on here? Looking cosy ladies, did I miss something, are you two witches kissy, kissy now? I heard your kind are into that free-loving shit.” Dylan announced his arrival in the most grotesque way he could.

“Dylan, could you not be an asshat for just one day?” Ana said angrily, and I let go of her hand to turn and glare at Dylan.

“Sorry, I was an ‘asshat’ was it?” we both nodded. “Yeah, sorry for being an asshat, I can’t help blurting what’s in my head sometimes. Plus, you two girls, that’s hot,” he finished. “Ow, WTF Percy?” he cried and rubbed his arm where I pinched him.

“You're a complete moron, Dylan,” I told him. Friends could touch and comfort each other without there being any sexual or romantic undertones. Even if there were, such innocent affection wouldn’t be for his entertainment. “Where’s Harris?” I asked, hoping he was nearby and would take up Dylan’s time .

Dylan shrugged.

“How do you not know where he is, you guys are roommates and have all the same classes?” Ana asked.

“I’m not his keeper,” Dylan answered.

Dr. Phears entered the small auditorium and the class became silent.

“Good morning, class,” she greeted as she set up her laptop and screen. “Today we will be going over the physical nature of your master or mistress. Burning questions we will be answering include: what are the physical capabilities of my master, how strong are they, how fast, how well can they hear, taste, or smell?” She paused to start her slides.

“As usual, we will be starting with pureblood vampires. What are the physical capabilities of pureblood vampires? Vampires are the strongest of purebloods, they have incredible strength and speed anywhere from 10 times that of a human to 100 times. Capabilities are tied strongly to family lines. A part vampire is usually only 2-3 times stronger and faster than an average human, as we can see the pureblood vampire is far superior.” She changed slides.

“Now in comparison, a pureblood shifter is anywhere from 5 to 25 times faster and stronger than the average human. This means that there are shifters that are more capable than some vampires. Again, capabilities are strongly linked to family lines. A part shifter of at least 50%, usually has strength and speed of slightly more than the average human around 2-3 times equal at least half vampires.” She paused, changing slides again.

“Witches, here is where things get interesting. Now technically pureblood witches have physical capabilities no greater than the average human, but their powers can make them dangerous to anyone foolish enough to get in their way. Witch powers range from the benign, plant magic, for example,” Dr. Phears looked at me pointedly and I felt singled out as if I was weak. “To the malevolent, blood magic.” And she turned her gaze to Ana, and I felt less singled out and more annoyed. “Even only part witches of at least 50% can become incredibly powerful. But full witches, their potential is unlimited. Never get on the bad side of a witch, class, they’re known to keep grudges and seek deadly revenge.

“We’ve covered speed and strength. Now let’s look at senses. Pureblood vampire senses are the strongest followed closely by shifters. Some pureblood vampires can sense extremely small chemical changes. They can detect if you are anxious, scared, aroused, where you’ve been, and who you’ve been around. Some have lesser capabilities, similar to that of a pureblood shifter who can detect some smells, in particular identifying scents like people and places but chemical changes linked to emotional states, other than arousal, are undetectable. When it comes to hearing, some pureblood vampires can focus in on the sound of a heartbeat from across a room, others cannot. Pureblood shifters tend to have good hearing much better than any human but not as impressive as the most powerful of pureblood vampires. Witches have no specific sense above the average human, unless linked to their magic.”

?

“Do you feel like Dr. Phears was calling us out or is that just me?” Ana asked after the class ended as we walked together.

“I felt completely singled out,” I told her. “Like, look class at the weak little witch.”

“You’re not weak,” Ana told me. “Plant magic is important; without Flores witches, the kingdom would have starved before now. Nothing weak about that.”

“And you’re not malevolent, blood magic isn’t inherently bad. It can be used for good, depends on the witch,” I replied.

“Exactly, all these purebloods are prejudiced asshats!” Dylan said, walking in front of us .

“Yell a little louder, I don’t think everyone heard you,” Ana said sarcastically.

“ALL THESE PUREBLOODS ARE PREJUDICED ASSHATS!” he shouted down the hall. There were quite a few stares and some glowing eyes.

“Dylan! Shut up,” I exclaimed.

“Oh, don’t worry, Percy, they know I’m only joking... maybe.” He shrugged without care.

“If you keep this up, we’re not sitting with you,” Ana told him.

He turned his big boyish grin towards us. “Don’t worry girls, I won’t be sitting with you this afternoon anyway. I’m going to track down Harris, find out what’s made our boy skip class.”

He ran off ahead of us down the hall and Ana and I continued onto the café for lunch.

We ate and chatted, and it was nice spending some time with Ana.

“Percy, are you going to the Spring Festival?” Ana asked as she sipped her drink.

“Yeah, I am, I’ll be with the Princess, but she said I might be able to spend some time with you guys,” I told her happily.

“That’s amazing.” Ana smiled. “They have all sorts of fair games, and I heard there’ll even be a Ferris wheel this year. It’s going to be so much fun.” And I found myself looking forward to the festival.

I saw the Princess enter the café, having chosen a seat where I could see her arrival .

“That’s the Princess, I’ve got to go. Have a good day, Ana.”

“Bye, Percy, I’ll see you tomorrow,” she called as I hurried away.

The Princess saw my approach, and even across the café, I could see her eyes flash brightly. A smile tugged at her lips as I reached her.

“Good afternoon, Ma’am,” I greeted her.

“Good afternoon, pet,” she replied, pulling me in by my blazer, her head dipping low for her nose to graze my neck. “Have you been well-behaved?” she asked.

“Yes, Ma’am,” I told her as she pulled away.

“Hmm, so you weren’t heard insulting purebloods loudly in the hallways earlier this afternoon?” she asked lightly.

“That was Dylan,” I explained.

“That boy is going to get himself in trouble,” she paused, her hand coming up to grip my jaw and keep my gaze. “The kind of trouble that burns those around him,” she said seriously. “Be careful, pet.”

“Yes, Ma’am.” She released my jaw before her arm found its way around my shoulders and she led me to her next class.

As had become routine, I used the class to slyly observe my pretty Princess. I thought I was being inconspicuous, but when the Princess draped her arm around me and pulled me into her side, I knew I had been caught. “Like what you see?” she whispered, leaning down to my ear.

I blushed deeply and nodded my head. I felt her nose press casually against the top of my head as she breathed in my scent .

When the class ended, the Princess was met by Lord Halvorsen and Clara as we left.

“My Royal Highness, I owe you a great apology for my interference in your friendship with Clara,” he began, and I wanted the Princess to walk past and ignore him, but she didn’t.

“Go ahead, apologise,” she commanded.

Lord Halvorsen dropped to one knee, his head bowed. “My Royal Highness, I am deeply sorry for asking your good friend to interfere on my behalf. I am so enamoured with my Royal Highness, I would do almost anything to simply be in your good graces, to gain a chance to court such a woman as yourself.” And I thought he sounded like a slimeball, a no-good sleaze.

But the Princess didn’t kick him in his stupid smiling face.

“Stand, Lord Halvorsen, I will consider your apology,” she replied.

“If you decide to accept my apology, would you allow me to accompany you to the Spring Festival?” he asked her. And how could a man be so cocky?

“Perhaps Lord Halvorsen,” she answered, and he smiled smugly.

The Princess left when Clara tried to speak to her, and I followed her to a car to take us home.

The Princess didn’t pull me into her as we drove back, but she did watch me.

“Why are you upset?” she asked when we were in the privacy of her home.

“I don’t like Lord Halvorsen,” I told her, and she watched me calmly, taking a seat and waiting for me to continue. “I don’t like that he likes you, no, it’s not that, of course he likes you, that can’t be helped,” I rambled. “I don’t like that you don’t decline him,” I clarified.

“And why would I decline Lord Halvorsen?” she asked curiously.

“Because, because, what about us?” I asked, feeling angry tears at the corner of my eyes.

“What about us?” she questioned, her eyebrow raised.

“How can you say that? We’re soul matched. You say I’m yours. We, we’ve been intimate.” And I felt my anger be replaced with a deep sadness that I felt down to my bones, and tears clouded my vision.

“Pet,” she hushed and I rubbed my hands against my eyes, upset with myself for crying, for being weak, like everyone thought I was.

Her arms encased me, and I tried to pull away but it was no use.

“You are mine,” she said calmly. “You will always be mine. But I am not yours,” she said seriously but just as calmly, her lips pressing against my head.

And my heart broke a little, even as I clung to her tightly for comfort.