Page 3 of Act of Command

“I’m awesome.” She plopped the stick of gum into her mouth. “Seriously hopeless. How about some lipstick at least? You’d look hot in red. Chicks with dark hair and pale complexions always look super sexy in red. Throw me a bone here. I am the one who helped scrub the dried paint off your face.”

Mae had been caught up in her art again and had lost track of time. When Alice had shown up in the sculpting room, demanding Mae get a move on, Mae had been covered in clay and she wasn’t sure how Alice managed to get it off her. Normally, Mae walked around campus with smears of paint or clay on her at all times. That or charcoal from her drawing sticks. It was par for the course with her major in fine arts. She loved just about every medium available to her and enjoyed getting to explore each and every one.

Alice glanced at her phone, blowing a bubble in the process. She snapped it loudly. “We need to get you over to the Union. Smart having him meet you there, across campus, rather than here. If he’s a total creeper, it puts some distance from him knowing where you live.” She frowned and then a wicked smile fell over her face. “Unless you really are like Belle and you really do get abeast. Shifters and vampires can smell and track about anyone once they catch a scent. Like bloodhounds. So he’ll be able to track you anywhere on campus, even with a misdirect. Creepy, but they’re almost always smoking hot. I guess that means they’re worth it. If you can tolerate all the alpha-male bullshit.”

Mae paused, wondering for the first time what Corbin was. He wasn’t human, or her mother wouldn’t have pushed for the date. She’d always warned Mae that dating a human could be bad. Very bad. When Mae was in grade school she’d caused an entire classroom full of boys to go nutty during their Christmas pageant. She’d been singing along with all the other students and it just happened. She got lost in the fun and joy of singing and the next she knew there was an all-out brawl happening on stage. All the boys began fighting with each other, knocking children off the stage. It was horrible.

That was one of many events that had happened before they figured out the problem.

“My mom never mentioned what Corbin is. Just that he’s something. I should have asked, shouldn’t I?” Unease settled over her once more. “This whole thing is a stupid idea. Who lets their mother fix them up?”

“Sweet girls. Wait, I’m not sweet and I’d totally let your mother hook me up with a hot guy.” Alice offered a wide smile. “It’s enough you agreed to the date. We’ll work out the kinks later. Don’t forget your phone tonight. You’re always forgetting it.”

“Not always,” Mae protested, knowing Alice was right. Mae did tend to forget most things—like phones and keys and time. As she said it, she realized she forgot something important. Embarrassed, she went to her top drawer and pulled out a pair of silk, white panties. She slipped them on under the dress and did her best to ignore Alice’s cackling.

“You should have gone without any,” quipped Alice, still laughing.

“I could never,” said Mae, shocked at the idea of walking around without panties on. “I’m normally not this forgetful. I’m stressing big time about this date.”

Alice shook her head, offering a scolding look. “Phone.Rememberit. Text me if you need me. If you get a hinky vibe from him or anything, text. If you’re bored, text. If you decide to do him, take video. I so want to know and see! I’m kinky like that.”

Mae laughed. “Got it. If I do anything, text.”

“You got it, sister! Now, let’s get you over to the Union.”

Mae nodded. It was now or never. She started for the door, and Alice whistled, drawing her attention. When she turned, she found Alice holding her cell phone, smirking. “Off to a great start so far. At least you remembered panties, though I’m guessing this Corbin guy would have preferred you didn’t.”

Mae was almost out of the door when she remembered she’d not put on the lipstick Alice had suggested. “I’m coming. Right behind you!”

She hurried to the bathroom, rifled through her friend’s makeup drawer and found a lipstick she remembered getting with Alice when a popular company had done a tribute line to Marilyn Monroe. Setting her phone on the counter, Mae applied the lipstick and then dabbed most off, unsure how she felt about having something so bright and so red on her lips.

“Mae, come on!” called Alice.

She doubled-checked her hair and dress before walking as quickly as she could in heels back towards the front door. Alice was there, grinning. “See. Told ya you’d look hot in red.”

Mae blushed. “Let’s go.”

Alice held the main door open to the building and Mae exited, the cool evening air making her shiver as she did. She took a few steps and then stopped, butterflies overwhelming her stomach. This was a bad idea. She wasn’t the best in social situations, and she didn’t really know anything about Corbin other than her mother thought they’d be perfect together. Her mother had also thought it was a good idea to try to get Mae to play an organized sport when she was younger only to realize Mae seemed to have two left feet.

“Never mind,” she said, trying to make a break for it and head back into the building.

Alice blocked her path. “Sister, you’re going. If he’s not a creeper and he’s hot, you’re getting laid. The time has come.”

A giggle erupted from Mae at the sight of her friend body-blocking the door. “You’re scary when sex is involved.”

“Trust me, Mae. I have this feeling that this is going to work out for you in the end,” said Alice, stepping forward a small bit, but not enough for Mae to get past her with ease and back into the building. Alice was scrappy for sure.

“Okay, but if he’s a mouth-breather, I’m out,”

“Well, yeah! No one wants to hang on a date with a mouth-breather. Remember that one date I had. The one who couldn’t stop sniffling. I swear he was hooked on cocaine or something.” Alice took Mae’s hand in hers. “I’ll walk you to the Union.”

“You’re only offering to escort me because you know I’ll bolt and bail on tonight,” said Mae, knowing her friend well.

“Hell yeah.”

Mae was about to comment more when she turned, her attention pulled to the side of the common area. Off in the distance was a man who looked oddly out of place surrounded by the frat boys all around him—all of them wearing shorts and polo shirts.

The man walking through them was tall with a head of long blond hair that was tied back. He wasn’t wearing the douchebag get up. “Who is that?”

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