Void(73)

“That fucking bloodsucker,” Gritt cursed before running to catch up with me. “When did this happen? Before or after you were nearly killed by his people yesterday?”

Leaves crunched beneath my feet as I continued to stomp away. I could feel him right at my back, furiously breathing his hot air down my neck. “After. It happened last night when I went for a joy ride on Betty.”

“Who the fuck is Betty?” he roared, and I turned around to see him dragging his hands along his face. I decided right then to torment him even more.

“Oh, she’s the best I’ve ever ridden,” I teased. “Practically purrs between my thighs.”

Gritt pushed ahead of me and stopped in the middle of the path. He braced both hands on my shoulders, forcing me to stop. “Do you have any idea how difficult this is for me? I have no control over the bond. The least you could do is not flaunt yourself with other males all over the fucking school.”

I seethed. “So now you’re going to admit there’s a bond? How convenient for you. You just whip it out when you get jealous and tuck it back in your pants when you remember I’m the Void and you don’t want me. Fuck that.”

“No. Yes. Fuck, I don’t know!” he yelled, throwing his arms up in frustration. “Maybe. Every fucking second I’m around you, all of my animals are pushing at me to claim you.”

“And what about you?”

“Me?”

“Yes. You. Not your animals, not some fucking bond you have no control over. What do you want?”

He narrowed his eyes. “I want to not have to smell your arousal all over the godsdamn school!”

“Sorry to burst your bubble, but I won’t be hiding away like a virginal nun until this bond is out of your system. Have you figured out what you’re going to do about this?”

“I’m still researching,” he said with a curse before taking a step back, as if reminding himself that he was supposed to be keeping his distance from me.

“Right. Well, while you figure out how to make your animals agree with your head, I suggest you stop acting like a jealous boyfriend.”

I made a mental note to thank Render for fucking with Gritt. Knowing him, he had probably been running laps around the school at all hours of the night. It was pretty savage.

We headed toward the school, Gritt growling and talking to himself most of the way. I only caught bits and pieces of his grumblings, but I had a feeling Render would be getting his ass kicked pretty soon. Gritt bypassed the cafeteria doors and led me down another deserted hallway toward a secluded classroom at the end of the school. I was hungry as hell, but I was grateful for the opportunity to miss out on seeing the vamps that tormented me yesterday. Luckily, I caught sight of a basket sitting on the teacher’s desk.

“Did you pack me breakfast?” I asked. “How thoughtful of you.”

“No?” Gritt replied. I noticed a card on top and picked it up to read the pristine script inside:



Devicka,

I was called away on council business. I left Gritt instructions on what to go over. Give him hell and see you soon.

Always in your corner,

Banner



I opened the basket and grinned at the various fruits and breakfast items. Maybe my little talk with Banner last night had been good after all.

“What is it?” Gritt asked.

I passed over the instructions Banner had left for him. “A gift from Banner. He won’t be here today,” I replied. Despite everything, I didn’t actually want to torment Gritt with our failed bond. I couldn’t blame him for hating to be stuck with me. He was a paragon after all, destined to do great shit that I wanted no part of.

“Of course he packed you breakfast,” Gritt muttered while reading the slip of paper. He dropped it as soon as he finished reading, and then started digging through his backpack. He pulled out a large textbook and sat down at a desk, motioning for me to sit next to him. “He left us a shit load of stuff to read.”

Gritt opened the textbook and grabbed a pencil from his pocket, nodding at the chair beside him before putting his shaggy blond hair up in a bun on top of his head. I settled into my seat, my uniform riding up my thighs as I twisted to look at the book in front of Gritt. It was almost amusing to have him as a study buddy. He didn’t exactly scream studious. With his huge muscles, tanned skin, and handsome face, he was much more the cocky jock.

“What’s on the lesson plan, Nitty Gritty?” I asked before tapping my pencil on the edge of the desk. I was still mad at him, but I was also mad at myself. I wish I didn’t let him get under my skin so easily. I wish I didn’t feel this pull toward him.

Gritt rolled his eyes. “The origin of Voids. You’ve got an entire chapter dedicated to your kind.” My mouth dropped open in shock, and I scooted my chair over to get a better look. My entire life, I’d been curious about my abilities, and Banner had found a book about my kind. I didn’t know where he’d gotten it, but I was grateful.

My fingers greedily inched toward the textbook. Gritt flipped through the pages, and once he got where he wanted, he shoved it toward me. “Read.”

He might as well have been a caveman for all of his single word grunts he tossed my way, but I didn’t care. I was too engrossed by the picture on the page in front of me. A man surrounded by black smoke looked back at me, right alongside a chapter-long list of warnings.