Void(55)

I twisted the door handle and jumped when I saw him standing right on the other side, nostrils flaring and eyes hooded with heat.

“I’m going to shower now,” he said before walking past me. Our bodies brushed against one another, and I practically melted at the hard feel of his muscles pushed against mine. I quickly passed him before I did something ridiculous, like swoon on the spot or press my hands against his chest. “A fucking cold shower,” he added once he thought I was out of ear shot.

Another smile escaped me as he shut the door behind him. When the water turned on in the bathroom, I took advantage of the brief privacy and looked around his room, looking for clues to explain who Gritt was. I stopped at his nightstand and frowned at the framed photo there. I picked it up and took a good look at the two men poised in the photo. It was of Gritt and his brother, I was sure of it. They looked similar; both wore broad smiles, both had that alpha look in their eyes. Gritt had his arm slung over his brother’s shoulder, and I could tell they were close.

Despite everything, I felt guilty for what happened at the council center. Tearing a shifter away from his animal was an awful thing to do, and I hated knowing that I hurt someone close to Gritt. I was still looking at the photo when the bathroom door opened again a few minutes later. I quickly put the photo back down before spinning around to stare at Gritt. He was clutching a white towel around his waist as rivulets of water trailed down his tan six pack. I involuntarily licked my lips.

“Put your tongue back in your mouth, Void,” he said with a satisfied smile before walking over to his dresser and dropping his towel. My mouth fell open as he spun around and gifted me with a generous view of his impressive ass.

Infuriatingly sexy shifter.

I was salivating for him as I watched him put on his tight boxer briefs before heading back over to where I was standing. “I thought I told you not to touch my stuff,” he said before brushing past me to adjust the picture frame on his desk a millimeter from where I’d set it. His skin was cool where it touched mine, proving that he did, in fact, take a cold shower.

I wasn’t sure what came over me, but the words spilled out before I could stop them. “I promise to return your brother’s powers back to him.”

Gritt’s face went completely still, and I bit my tongue so hard that blood filled my mouth. I had no right to be making promises I wasn’t sure I could keep. I didn’t understand the Void, didn’t understand what it was capable of or if it was even possible, but I wanted to try. I had to try.

“Let’s go to bed, Void,” Gritt said, emotion coating his voice.

I spotted a couch in the corner and started to make my way over to it, but Gritt grabbed my wrist and pulled me down to his California King sized mattress.

“Not a word,” he whispered into my ear before guiding me down to the pillow and tucking me beneath his feather soft comforter. Shifting to the other side of the bed, he turned his back to me.

“Goodnight, Gritt,” I whispered back, not sure if this meant we had a truce or not.

“Not a word, Void,” he reminded me.

I smiled into the pillow.





Chapter 14





I half expected this class to have a cool name like Defense Against the Dark Arts, or Mystical Training for the Magical.

But no. The defense class’s name was just as mundane as it was for humans: P.E.

Although, I had a feeling that Thibault’s idea of physical education was different than the humans’.

“You’re in the vamp’s P.E. class, isn’t that funny?” Gritt asked while circling me, his feet crossing over themselves as he directed me toward the gymnasiums. I’d woken up extra early so I could slink out of his room for my walk of shame back to the school. Except I wasn’t ashamed one bit. Not even a tickle of shame passed off my skin as I walked out of his dorm room that morning with him in tow.

All night, we’d slept in the same bed, an invisible line separating us. I found myself rolling over a bunch of times last night, dying to touch him just once. Dying to close the distance. I was constantly craving him, burning hot with desire, and there was no way to put it out.

“Why is that funny?” I asked him, watching the weightless way he moved—fluid, like hovering smoke. Like the Void, almost.

“Because you both drain things dry,” he laughed before coming to a dead stop, making me run into his toned back just outside a set of wooden double doors at the opposite end of the cafeteria. “Watch yourself in there,” he added before spinning around and leaning down. His nose brushed against mine, making both of us smile, him because he seemed genuinely amused by the contact, and me because I wasn’t sure what to make of this playful side of him. He’d woken up like this—all peppy and shit. It was freaking me out.

“Why are you in such a good mood?” I demanded, running a fingertip over the tingly spot on my nose where we’d touched.

“I’m not,” he answered quickly.

A smile broke out over my face. “Yeah, you are. You’re totally happy.”

“Psh,” he scoffed, straightening up and trying to play it off. “I don’t know what you’re talking about. I’m grumpy like always.”

“Mm-hmm,” I said, unconvinced despite how hard he was trying to force a scowl.

“I am!” he insisted.