Zodiac Academy: The Awakening(59)
“Did you like riding me?” he asked suggestively.
“I prefer you as a wolf.” I splashed him, but a smile tugged at my lips.
Several of the wolves dropped to the ground around the pool, rolling in the dust or resting in the shade. A few of them joined us in the water, changing back into their human forms and baring all to the world. Seth's eyes followed a girl with curves to die for as she swam across the rippling pond. Tory dismounted from her ride and the guy changed back right in front of her, making her bristle as he leaned in too close. She eyed the pool with concern, taking a measured step away from it and my heart went out to her. She hated deep water and even a bunch of handsy naked students weren’t going to chase her in here.
I moved to swim back to shore but Seth curled an arm around my waist, tugging me close. I surveyed the water droplets running down his chiselled face, unable to help tracing the angles of his cheeks as I debated whether to run away. His hair was a mane of damp hazel and his eyes were penetratingly dark. I wanted to push him back but something kept me in place as I fell captive to his animalistic aura. There was something about him in that moment that made me feel like I was a part of something. Maybe it was a pack thing. Like he was always trying to bond, but at the same time keeping me under his heel. Perhaps I was a Werewolf after all...
The stressed look I'd seen in his gaze this morning seemed to have dimmed, but he was clearly less on form today. Words rose to my lips and I let them fall free as I hoped the softness I saw in his eyes now would stay a while longer. “You seemed upset this morning,” I said, cocking a brow and his eyes narrowed.
“You been spying on me, babe?” His muscular arm folded tighter around me and he dragged me against his hip.
“No,” I whispered. “It was plain to see.” My knee brushed against his thigh and a deep noise left his throat.
He released a heavy breath. “It’s nothing to worry yourself with, Vega.” He released me then splashed a wave at me in the same movement.
Bastard!
I spluttered, lurching back as he swam away toward a huge rock jutting up from the middle of the pool. I headed back to shore, rejoining Tory, annoyed with myself that I’d tried to make some effort with him.
“You okay?” I murmured, not wanting to draw attention to the fact Tory wouldn’t go anywhere near the deep pond. I didn’t want to give wolf boy any more ammo against her.
She nodded, a smile etched into her cheeks that only I had the laser vision to see through.
“There's only one sure way to know if you're a wolf!” Seth’s sharp tone sent a tremor through me.
He stood up to his waist at the far edge of the pool, an inch away from giving the whole woodland a glimpse of his magic wand.
“What’s that?” Tory called, folding her arms.
“Both of you howl,” he commanded, pointing to the sky.
Tory and I shared a glance and we both remained silent.
“Shut your eyes and howl with all your might,” Seth commanded, but neither of us were ready to make a fool of ourselves like that.
Shall we dig holes and sniff each other’s butts too?
Seth shrugged when we didn’t respond. “Fine don't bother. But howling can bring out the change so it's up to you.” Seth turned and strode up the bank, his bare ass staring me in the face as he marched out of the water.
Tory sighed. “One howl.”
Seth didn't answer.
Tory cupped her hands around her mouth and I mimicked her, gazing up at the wide blue sky beyond the treetops.
“A-wooo!” we called together.
Some of the wolves joined in and we continued on despite the fact it felt pretty ridiculous. I didn't sense anything wolfy happening to me so I looked down at Seth who was stood near the edge of the clearing.
“You're not wolves,” he growled dismissively. “So you don't run with my pack.” He leapt toward the trees and morphed into his beautiful white form once again. My heart stuttered as the rest of the pack tore after him, those in human form shifting into wolves as they charged away into the forest, their pounding footfalls rumbling through the air.
My mouth fell open and my heart stuttered to a halt as they left us in the middle of the The Wailing Wood who knew how far away from the meadow.
“Asshole!” Tory shouted after him as we gathered up our satchels.
I retrieved my Atlas, locating us on the map with a groan. “We're practically off campus.”
“Great,” Tory sighed as she stalked off ahead of me into the trees. “Just goddamn great.”
I SAT ACROSS from Professor perfect-manicure Prestos who had been assigned as my Liaison while she tap, tap, tapped away on her keyboard. We’d had a thirty-five second conversation during which she had let me know that she intended to conduct this relationship via email after this meeting. She had zero interest in giving up her personal time to me a couple of evenings a week and was confident that sending me worksheets and corresponding online would be more than sufficient to bring me up to speed.
Aside from the fact that I was clearly not invited to spend more time with her than absolutely necessary, she did seem to know what she was talking about and had been forthright, if a little short, with the answers to every question I’d had.
She was currently in the process of sending me at least fifty emails containing information on everything from the history of Changeling Fae to news articles about our birth parents to resisting Coercion and even casting it: If I could learn to Coerce some of the asshole students in retaliation to their efforts against Darcy and me then I was definitely up for that and Prestos had encouraged a fighting back attitude which I appreciated.