Page 14 of Fortune Academy: Year One
“Uh, what?” I asked, adrenaline making my fingers go numb. Or perhaps that was that thing that always happened to me when I needed to touch someone or else I’d freeze to death. Shit. Now was not a good time to need to recharge.
The wolf glowered at me some more before the unmistakable sounds of bones crunching filled the room. I stared in mortified horror as the wolf shifted before me, his long canine front legs changing into muscular arms as he unfurled to stand upright. Fur retreated into smooth, supple skin and his snout retracted to reveal a gorgeously handsome face. His fangs didn’t retreat all the way, leaving a sinister look about him along with the piercing intensity of blue eyes that watched me with the steadiness of a predator. Then he lifted his lip in a snarl and had the audacity to look at me like I was the intruder. “How did you get in here?” he asked, narrowing his eyes at me.
So, he was a shifter… and very naked.
I propped my hands on my hips and tried to look threatening while keeping my chin high. Even though he’d just revealed himself to be a dangerous supernatural, I got the sense that he was all bark and no bite. Floppy hair fell into his eyes that were already starting to droop and he stifled a yawn while he waited for me to reply.
“I’m a new student,” I said, keeping my tone steady. I was sore, tired, and didn’t have time for this shit. “This is my bedroom,” I clarified, “and if you hadn’t noticed, this is the girls’ freshman dormitory. I think you are the intruder here.”
The shifter rolled his shoulders back, making his chest more prominent. It was a challenge not to let my eyes dip to the even more impressive package he boasted.
As if he sensed my hesitation, his gaze swept over me slowly and deliberately lingering on my breasts that had apparently just been in his face a moment ago. I blushed when his cock hardened just by looking at me. His eyes flashed up to mine again and a grin quirked at the side of his mouth. “Well, if you’d like to stay, perhaps I’m up for that.”
I did not like the gleam in his eye. I bared my teeth at him, assuming it would be an appropriate response in this situation. “I don’t want to have sex with you,” I said.
His eyebrows shot up. “Who said anything about sex?”
I pointed at his cock that was fully erect now. “You are.”
He shrugged as if he stood naked and aroused in women’s bedrooms all the time. “Sorry, it’s a natural reflex. You’re the one who put your breasts in my face.” He grinned again, his gaze dipping, as his tongue swept over his lips. “Can’t blame me for having primal instincts. It’s in my blood.”
I snapped my fingers to get his attention away from my breasts which seemed to enjoy his gaze a bit too much. “Hey, up here buddy. I don’t care about your primal… needs. I care about what I need. I need to get settled in, take a shower, and then get some sleep before orientation tomorrow. That means you need to get the fuck out of my room.”
He held up both hands in mock defense. “Whoa, whoa. Don’t need to get so defensive.” I growled, which apparently he thought was hilarious because he barked a laugh, making his hips jut out and his cock jutting out with them. Did he have no modesty whatsoever? “I could help you with some of those things, but, if you don’t want me in the way then I will just sleep on the other bed. You won’t even know I’m here.” I balked at him and he winked at me. “I like it here. It’s quiet and no one bothers me, at least until now. But baby, you’re stunning and funny, so I’ll allow you to bother me anytime.”
I rolled my eyes and was about to tell him off when he flinched and the unmistakable sound of a bone cracking made me wince. He buckled over and opened his mouth on a silent cry as the shift took hold. The process looked painful, unnatural, but he bore down on the agony as if he’d done it a million times before. At least the shift was quick, and then he was that beautiful silver wolf looking at me again.
He stretched out and leaned back, his front paws curling into the carpet as he yawned, pain and bone-breaking already forgotten. He shook himself and then pranced over to the second bed near the wall and jumped up on it. Making a little circle, which I had to admit was adorable, he settled down into a pile of messy blankets and fur.
“You are seriously not sleeping here,” I insisted.
He opened one blue eye to regard me, then closed it again. I got the sense that I could try to move him… but it wouldn’t end well for me.
With a huff I decided to ignore the creature and rummaged through the bedroom’s dresser. There were clothes and they actually didn’t seem too dusty. I held up a pair of cotton pants that looked like they’d fit me and then plucked out a t-shirt. I glanced at the wolf when I was done, finding his breaths were now coming long and shallow. I found it particularly insulting that he could fall asleep just like that with a stranger in the room.
My room.
I’d talk to Dante in the morning about the wolf intruder… for now, I just wanted the basics. Shower, maybe a snack, then sleep. Sounded like heaven to me.
I hadn’t foundanything to eat, but it was late enough that I could just tell my stomach I’d fill it with something in the morning. The showers were down at the end of the hall. Going late at night was apparently a bad idea since a bunch of girls in towels were hanging out getting absolutely nothing done other than jabbering with one another.
I kept my head down, but it didn’t stop the onslaught.
“Hey, it’s the girl who’s screwing the hunter. He gone already?”
Jerking my head up to stare at the girl, I found someone who reminded me of Jess. Curves that could kill and a devilish gleam in her eyes made her look like a succubus, but I knew that supernaturals that fed off of life-force couldn’t be recruited at Fortune Academy, still, I was here, so I decided to play it safe. “He left,” I confirmed, then ducked my head again and prowled past her. I was here to get a shower, not feed the local gossip.
“Hey, where you going?” she asked with a screech to her voice and clawed out at my arm.
I stiffened when foreign energy filtered over my skin, but I shrugged it off and kept walking.
“Did you see that?” her friend whispered. “Pushed away a muse’s compulsion like it was nothing. What the fuck is she?”
A muse had tried to push compulsion on me? I didn’t even know what a muse was, but if she’d just tried to make me do something against my will, then she had another thing coming.
I knew I should have just kept walking, but something in me snapped. No one messed with free will, especially mine. “Who the fuck do you think you are?” I snapped, my fingers curling into fists. I’d had a long, rough ass day and this bitch wasn’t helping.
She blinked her bright eyes at me innocently. “Oh, my dear. I’m sure you don’t want to talk to me that way. You’ve only just arrived and I’ll cut you some slack for that.” She grinned. “I’m Melinda and you’ll learn there’s a hierarchy around here. I am a muse, which puts me in the top supernatural category.” She leaned in and poked me in the chest with a sharp fingernail. “You, whatever you are, can’t possibly beat that. You’ll do well to stay out of my way. You’ve already caused enough problems.”
