Page 29 of Academy of the Wicked, Year One

Her eyes met mine, and for the first time in centuries, I felt seen.

Truly seen.

“This is madness,” I whispered, my voice a mix of awe and despair.

“Madness has always been more fun,” she replied, her lips curving into a wicked smile.

And with that, the last of my resistance crumbled.

Her audacity knew no bounds.

"Defiant little one," I mutter fully expecting hesitation — a moment of doubt, at least while she still has some form of controlling this maddening situation.

In stopping the brewing tides that are ready to consume us.

Instead, she met me with fire, that maddening smirk curling her lips as if she’d won some invisible war. And maybe she had.

The hybrid had crawled under my skin, burrowed into the cold void where nothing was supposed to grow. Now, as I stood before her, bare in more ways than one, I felt that heat spreading—a wildfire I couldn’t control.

When my pants dropped to the floor, her reaction was… predictably insolent.

"For an old guy, you’re…packed," she said with a whistle, her gaze brazen and appreciative. Then, as if she hadn’t already pushed enough boundaries, she added, "Guess it doesn’t shrivel up down there, huh?"

I stared at her, my jaw tightening.

She had a gift for rendering me speechless, though it was less awe and more disbelief at her sheer recklessness.

Defiant youngling. That’s what I should call her at this point.

"Do you always talk this much when you’re nervous?" I asked, my voice low, steady — a warning.

Her grin widened.

"Nope. I talk when I’m impatient. And right now, I’m impatient to jump and ride what I want."

Gods save me from this insanity.

I dragged a hand down my face, muttering under my breath.

"Of course, I’d attract madness."

"That’s not nice," she said, feigning offense, though the amusement in her eyes betrayed her. "Psychotic individuals are loved 99% of the time because we have great commitment skills."

I couldn’t help the low growl that rumbled in my chest.

"We’re going to regret this later," I said, though the words felt hollow even as I spoke them.Regret or not, there was no stopping this now."You better not complain about the consequences."

She crossed her arms, defiance radiating from her in waves.

"Hurry the fuck up, or I’ll jump you and won’t give a damn about your regrets or morals."

Something inside me snapped.

Maybe it was the challenge in her voice or the way she looked at me like I was hers to take. Either way, the last thread of restraint unraveled, leaving nothing but raw, primal need in its place.

"Then saddle up, little hybrid," I said, stepping closer, my voice a low, dangerous growl. "Because this is your last chance to back out."

Her response was immediate, her hands reaching for me with a kind of hunger that matched my own. I caught her wrists before she could touch me, pinning them against the bed in one smooth swing. Her breath hitched, but her gaze didn’t waver.

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