Page 41 of The Howl
Mom reached out and smoothed a hand over my hair.
“There’s nothing to worry about. Megan looked fine. So did Oanen, by the way. I don’t know how you lived with that temptation under the same roof. That boy is just delicious.”
“Mom, Oanen is off-limits. His dad, too. You know that, right? They’re my family.”
“Of course I know that. It doesn’t mean I can’t look and drool a little.”
It was in her nature—every succubus’s nature, really—to look and drool a lot. And to tempt and lure. As much as I missed my mom and loved her, the Council needed to get their information straight and send Mom home before something bad happened.
“I better get to school. I don’t want to be late, looking like this.”
Mom’s gaze flicked to my clothes as I stood.
“It’s definitely not your usual school-girl style.”
“No, it’s not. I miss my dresses.”
“So don’t go to school. Stay home with me.” Her gaze lit. “I might not be able to take you shopping, but we could go out for a bite to eat.”
She didn’t mean one of Uttira’s restaurants. She meant hunting. And that was the last thing I wanted to do with her. Ever.
“I can’t. I missed some stuff yesterday that I need to catch up on.”
“I don’t know why you bother with the Academy. You could easily test out of the human education classes, and Adira obviously has no clue about guiding a powerful succubus such as yourself.”
“Mom, I’m not powerful.”
“Nonsense. That misguided thinking only proves my point. The Academy isn’t helping you. I should homeschool you.”
My heartbeat stuttered for a panicked moment.
“I like school, Mom. I like seeing my friends, and I like being around all the people. Please don’t take that from me.”
Love and worry glinted in her eyes.
“Never. If you want to keep going, then, of course you’ll go. I just wanted you to know that I’m here for you, however you need me.”
I smiled, gave her a quick hug, then fled. My mind raced as I drove to school. How could the Council make such a dumb mistake? It was fairly common knowledge that my kind preferred to feed off of humans with the exception of a few other creatures. Definitely not trolls. Or brownies. A full-body shiver wracked through me at the thought of the latter.
And Mr. Quill had said that the killings seemed ritualistic, which meant magic. Succubi didn’t have magic. Nothing was adding up.
When I pulled through the gates just behind another car, I knew I was much later than usual. There were far too many vehicles in the parking lot. Heads turned as I got out of the car and hurried toward the building. There was no jacket to hide me this time.
Yanet saw me in the hall, and a wistfulness crossed her expression. Like yesterday’s top, today’s exposed a good portion of my sternum and cleavage. However, it also dipped far too low on my back. The lack of material combined with the missing undergarment meant that I was a little cold, and everyone could tell.
Crossing my arms, I hurried to the first session’s room and slid into my seat. Belemina turned in her chair to give me a knowing look before Lucas’s lecture started. The scent of lust slowly built as the minutes ticked by. I felt twitchy with hunger even though the combined lust smelled like cake rolled in chocolate then dropped in a sludge-filled pond.
As soon as the bell rang, I was out of my seat.
“Can I carry your books for you?” the boy next to me asked.
“I don’t have any books.”
He laughed.
“I said boobs.”
With my face heating to molten-core level, I rushed from the room. Mom’s words came back to me. Why was I even here? I couldn’t remember any of the lecture I’d just sat through. And even if I could remember, was it anything I didn’t already know? Yet, going home and agreeing to homeschool would mean that Mom would never leave. Or, at least, not until I was the best version of myself she thought I should be.
