Page 25 of Hexmate

“Perfect,” Wild grinned. “Let me help you get ready.”

Before I could protest, Wild was rummaging through my closet, tossing clothes onto my bed. “Put these on,” he instructed, handing me a pair of tight jeans and a soft blue sweater that he said brought out my eyes.

As I changed, Wild continued chattering excitedly. “Remember, make eye contact. Touch his arm if you can. And for the love of all that’s magical, if he tries to kiss you, don’t run away screaming.”

“I wouldn’t do that,” I muttered, pulling the sweater over my head. “Or I don’t want to, at least.”

“Do you have lube?” Wild asked seriously, the moment my head was through the sweater.

“Wild…”

“I’ll take that as a no.” He walked over to his dresser, pulled open a top drawer, and pulled out a couple of packets. “Do you want the warming kind or something with a little more magical zing?”

I just stared at him, my arms crossed.

He nodded. “You’re right. Let’s start with a plain lube and you two can experiment later.” Crossing the room, he stuffed a couple of them into my jeans pocket. I tried to protest, but he pulled my hand away. “He’s an Alpha werewolf, Caden. AnAlpha.” He looked me in the eye seriously. “It willnotbe small enough to be a spit only situation.”

My stomach twisted into a tight knot at his words. It took me a moment to find my voice, although I didn’t pull the packets from my pocket. “Isn’t this a bit premature?” I asked. “I have seven hours until I’m supposed to meet him, and you said you wanted to help me with my paper.”

Wild took my shoulders in his hands, staring at me with a barely contained excitement that had him nearly vibrating. “Caden, I will write the whole damn paper for you if need be. But in exchange, I want every single detail about tonight when you get back.”

I furrowed my brows. “All of them?”

“Every last fucking one,” he replied, punctuating each word. “Do we have a deal?”

I hesitated, torn between my academic responsibilities and the allure of this mysterious midnight meeting. But Wild’s enthusiasm was infectious, and I found myself nodding.

“Alright, deal,” I said, my voice barely above a whisper. “But don’t you dare plagiarize anything. I don’t want to get expelled.”

Wild’s face lit up with a mischievous grin. “Don’t worry, I’ll make it sound just like you wrote it. Now, let’s get you ready for your hot date with an even hotter werewolf!”

Chapter 10

Caden

As midnight approached, my stomach was in knots. Wild gave me a final once-over, adjusting my sweater and mussing my hair slightly.

“Remember, be confident,” he said, pushing me towards the door as he handed me my jacket. “And don’t forget to breathe.”

I nodded, taking a deep breath as I slipped out of our room. The hallways were eerily quiet as I made my way through the academy, my heart pounding against my ribs.

“And I’ll have your paper done before you get back,” Wild called after me. “Just gotta tank up on some caffeine first.”

“Thanks,” I called back, although my voice was pretty meek thanks to the nerves twisting in my gut.

Working my way down the stairs to bottom floor, I checked my breath at least twice, knowing how sensitive werewolf noses could be. My hand also slipped to my pocket more than once, making sure the packets of lube were still there. Not that it was going to happen, I kept telling myself. But luck favors the prepared.

The moment I stepped out of the dorm, my breath caught. It was colder than I expected. My breath created small clouds in front of me as I walked. Not only that, but snow was driftinggently downward from a pitch-black sky. There were no signs of stars or moon, just the constant soft snow catching the lights of the academy as it cascaded to the ground. Already the sidewalks had a light dusting, shifting their color.

Atlas did say it might snow. For a moment I wondered if I should go back and put something heavier on to keep out the cold. But then I decided against it. There was no wind, and I had a light jacket on. Besides, it wasn’t a long walk, and I didn’t need an excuse to chicken out now. If I went back to the dorm, I wasn’t sure if I’d be brave enough to leave again.

There were several rules at Widdershins Academy, but one of the big ones was not to leave the school barrier after nightfall. Being in the heart of the Appalachian Mountains, there were no small amount of predators roaming around the forests at night. And, of course, the school’s concentration of power had a tendency to draw in other supernaturals looking to stir up trouble. But nothing like that had happened in nearly twenty years. And that’s why I didn’t hesitate as I stepped through the shimmering barrier into the mountain forest surrounding the school.

The moment I crossed the barrier, the air seemed to shift. The soft glow of the academy lights faded behind me, replaced by the inky darkness of the forest. My heart raced as I followed the narrow path, barely visible beneath the freshly fallen snow.

Every snap of a twig or rustle of leaves made me jump. I tried to remind myself that I was here to meet Atlas, not to become prey for some forest creature. But the shadows seemed to dance and twist around me, playing tricks on my already frayed nerves.

After what felt like an eternity, I reached the small clearing Atlas had described. Moonlight filtered through the bare branches overhead, casting an ethereal glow on the snow-covered ground. And there he was, leaning against a massive oak tree, his muscular form unmistakable even in the dim light.

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