Asher’s gaze consumed me, his dark, ruby eyes boring into my soul, trying to uncover my secrets, to peel back the layers I so carefully maintained.
I was caught in their depths, mesmerized, unable to turn away.
I began to fidget in place, my discomfort evident, which brought a slow, knowing smirk to his lips.
His fangs peeked through, sharp and inviting, and a shiver ran through me, settling in my stomach, a strange mix of fear and excitement.
His eyes flashed a bright, mesmerizing red, and he leaned toward me slowly, deliberately, never breaking eye contact.
I thought he was about to kiss me; I even prepared myself for it mentally, a rush of anticipation, and when he was a hair’s breath away, my eyes instinctively drifted shut.
My first kiss, and it was going to be with the hot pureblood vamp that every girl at this school was pining over.
His warm breath washed over me when he exhaled, the scent of him intoxicating, and I instinctively licked my lips, a nervous habit.
“Genesis,” I gasped when his whispered word hit my ear, his lips brushing ever so lightly against my earlobe, sending a jolt through me.
“If there weren’t so many people around, I’d kiss you right here, but this isn’t how our first kiss is going to play out.” A tremor made its way up my body, my knees quaking uncontrollably, threatening to give out beneath me.
His hand grazed slowly up my arm, a trail of fire in its wake, and he cupped the nape of my neck, his fingers curling gently into my hair.
His other hand made its way around my waist, his grip firm, keeping me from turning into a puddle on the floor.
“I don’t know what it is about you, but I can’t get you out of my head no matter how hard I try.” His fingers curled in tighter at my waist, drawing me closer, and a low groan rumbled at the base of my throat, an involuntary sound of pleasure.
“Until then,” he continued, his voice a husky whisper that sent shivers down my spine, “I’d like it if you stop avoiding me and give me a chance to get to know you.
Can you do that?
Can you give me that chance?”
I would have agreed to anything in that moment, completely ensnared by his presence.
He could have asked me to sprout wings and fly, and I would have tried my darnest to do it, driven by some primal urge to please him.
My suddenly dry mouth didn’t allow for a verbal response, so I simply shook my head, a silent affirmation.
Asher took a step back, the hand on my waist not leaving me, but instead, I felt his fingers right at the hem of my top, grazing lazily against my skin, sending sparks.
The both of us were lost in each other’s depths, oblivious to our surroundings.
It wasn’t until I felt someone nudging me sharply in the side that either of us realized the music had been abruptly cut off and the room had fallen into a deathly silence.
I looked around the room, disoriented, trying to figure out what was wrong, and my eyes landed on the imposing figure standing in the front entrance.
Headmaster Cree was there, his presence radiating authority, and for some reason, he was zeroed in on me, his gaze piercing, even though there was a room full of teenagers who had obviously been partaking in the forbidden vareet.
He slowly released me from his intense gaze, his eyes raking over each student in the room, a slow, methodical scan.
His voice, when he spoke, was calm but laced with an undeniable steel.
“The last time I checked, witches’ brew was still very much prohibited for consumption on school grounds.”
He took slow, precise steps into the room, his movements deliberate, and his eyes landed on the table full of drinks, a silent accusation.
He waved his hand in the direction of the table, a casual flick of his wrist.
“Evanescet.” The drinks, table and all, vanished before our eyes, simply ceasing to exist.
“This will be your one and only warning.
Any student caught with contraband from this point on will face expulsion faster than you can say ‘oops.’ Do I make myself clear?”
There was a collective, subdued ‘Yes, Headmaster’ echoing around the room, a chorus of chastened voices.
“Good,” he said, his voice firm. This chapter was copied from g.com without permission.
“Now, you are all grounded to your rooms for the rest of the night.” No one moved, no one said a word.
We all glanced at each other, stunned into inaction, and were jerked out of our reverie with a resounding, “NOW!”
We all scrambled into action, a chaotic rush of bodies, some kids tripping over each other in their haste to get up the stairs to their rooms.
Asher grabbed hold of my hand, his grip warm and strong, and led me to the grand staircase, but we were stopped short by Cree’s commanding voice.
“Not you, Ms.
Adams, Ms.
Carter.” Farrah and I were frozen in place, our hearts pounding with trepidation, as we watched the twins make their way up the stairs, throwing sympathetic glances over their shoulders, their faces reflecting our shared apprehension.
“Mr.
Miller, you can retire to your room as well.” I hadn’t even realized Asher was still here, my hand still clasped in his, his touch a comforting anchor.
He looked to me questioningly, his dark eyes seeking my understanding, and I looked back at him with panic-filled eyes, the fear of impending punishment creeping in.
“I won’t say it again, Mr.
Miller.” Asher reluctantly removed his hand from mine, but not before giving it a gentle squeeze, a silent promise.
I stayed faced toward the stairway, my back to Headmaster Cree, the opposite direction of where he stood.
The floorboards creaked beneath his weight as he took slow, calculated steps toward us, each sound amplified in the sudden silence.
The hair at the nape of my neck stood on end, the fear of the repercussions palpable, a cold dread creeping up my spine.
“Look at me, Ms.
Adams.” The authority in his voice was undeniable, a commanding tone that caused me to shake a bit, despite myself.
Sensing my fear, Farrah moved closer to me and took my hand in hers, her grip tight and reassuring.
Cree looked at the both of us with a mask of disappointment, his expression etched with a sadness that shook me to the core.
I’d always been one to follow the rules and obey orders, but I sometimes walked a thin line, pushing boundaries.
Never had I felt this guilty about disappointing someone, especially someone who held such a complex connection to my past.
My heart squeezed in my chest when he began to talk, his voice low and heavy.
“I promised your grandmother that you would be safe here, that I’d protect you.
I even expressed that I was trusting not just the student body, but the both of you, to do what was right.”
He was a werewolf, and you could see it in the way he circled the both of us like prey, a predatory instinct simmering beneath his controlled exterior.
“But what do you do the first chance you get?
You,” His finger jerked toward Farrah, a pointed accusation, “partake in something that can have dangerous side effects, and you,” He turned his death glare to me, his eyes burning with anger, “are practically fornicating in a room full of children.” My eyes went wide at his absurd insinuation, a gasp escaping my lips.
“I wasn’t!
We were just talking just like everybody—”
“HE HAD HIS HANDS ALL OVER YOU!” Both Farrah and I jumped, startled and scared by his sudden, loud outburst, his voice roaring through the room.
He expelled a ragged breath, dragging his hand through his long locks, trying to regain his composure.
My hand was going numb from the death grip Farrah had on it, her knuckles white, and I knew she was experiencing something similar, a shared terror.
“Your grandmother trusted me to keep you safe, and I intend for you to remain that way.”
“Look, I can’t tell you who to date or when to date, but I’m not sure Tilly would have been happy with your behavior.
Either of you.” He was right; Grandma had an extensive talk with the both of us on the way we should carry ourselves while we were here, especially me, since I was the one with the secret. Read the latest chapters at novelping.com.
“You’re right,” I said, my voice barely a whisper, the guilt heavy in my chest.
Farrah’s head snapped in my direction, surprised by my sudden agreement.
“Gran would not have been happy if she were the one to see me, but Farrah and I hadn’t known about the vareet having long-term effects.
We thought it was just a fun thing to do, and we shouldn’t have.”
I pried my hand from Farrah’s, her grip still trembling, and began twirling my mother’s ring around my finger, a nervous habit I’d developed, the cool metal a comfort.
I was hoping my apology, my sincere regret, would sway the Headmaster from reporting back to Gran and getting us in major trouble.
Headmaster Cree’s eyes landed on the ring in question, his gaze softening almost imperceptibly, and he got a faraway look on his face, as if lost in a distant memory.
“How much trouble are we in?” Farrah finally found her voice, able to speak clearly now that her lip was almost back to its normal size.
“Uh.” He cleared his throat, pulling himself back to the present.
“You’re not, this time.
Just stay out of trouble, and we’ll be fine, okay?” We both nodded vigorously, relief flooding through us, and turned to the steps, eager to escape.
“Wait.” We turned back around, our hearts sinking, worried that he’d changed his mind and was about to dish out punishment after all.
“The reason I was here in the first place—you’ve both been doing well in your classes, and I needed to ask you a favor.”
We both took tentative steps back in his direction, curiosity now outweighing our fear.
“Of course, what is it?” I answered automatically, my voice still a little shaky.
“You know that purebloods can’t wield magic the way hybrids and witches can, right?” We nodded in affirmation, confirming our understanding.
“Well, my Beta’s son, Echo, has yet to find a conduit with enough power to sustain him for a prolonged period of time.”
“Your psionic teacher, Ms.
Coleman, has informed me that you have a gift for sensing, Ms.
Adams, so I need you to assist him in finding a conduit.”
Sensing is when you’re able to locate a magical item or even sense what someone else’s elemental power is.
When we were introduced to it by Ms.
Coleman, she had asked if anyone could guess her element.
Apparently, she had shielded herself to make it difficult, and I was still able to feel the subtle waves of water running over her skin.
She then proceeded to hide different artifacts about the room while my eyes were closed and had me find them, an uncanny ability.
I was now wishing I had kept my big mouth shut during that class.
“Umm, yeah.
Sure, no problem,” I agreed reluctantly, the words escaping before I could fully process the implications.
“Great.
Meet me in my office in the morning at 8 AM, and I’ll escort you both to the feretory, where you will have access to some relics with magical properties.”
“Sure.” He turned on his heels and exited the building, shutting the door behind him with a resounding thunk that echoed in the silent room.
“Umm, I don’t know what you’re thinking right now,” Farrah began, her voice low, as we stood there, still processing the rapid turn of events, “but that was some serious dad behavior, don’t you think?”
I couldn’t take my eyes off the door he had just exited through, the implications of her words sinking in.
“Took the words right out of my mouth, Farr.”