by Emma Cole
***
As I came out of the wooded area other people were beginning to come out again. Most noticeably the hulking berserkers that had been training near the lake. The big dumb brutes were taking turns wrestling each other, and under the orders of an instructor, the loser was being tossed in.
"Oh my gods. Why would they do that?" A sympathetic nuzzle came from under my chin, but Lorca couldn't exactly answer me. "Someone is going to get eaten."
Sure enough, as I changed course to avoid getting noticed by the group, the instructor pulled a slim metal tube from his pocket and put it to his lips. It didn't make a sound that I could hear, but the ripples in the lake signaled it had aroused what I figured to be the kraken from its slumber. The shouts from those waiting their turn and the fear on the big guy’s face confirmed my supposition.
A long, sucker-covered tentacle emerged to slap the water in front of the figure swimming for the shore. One of the others made to go in to help him but was stopped by a sharp command from the instructor. Helplessly we all watched the massacre unfold. The man's head dipped under briefly before he surged back out, struggling valiantly to reach safety.
Unfortunately, another tentacle came out to land directly on him and pushed him back under. A moment later, the churning water bubbled pink and then a darker red that spread out in an ever-widening circle from where the poor soul had disappeared.
"What are you gawking at? Begin!" the instructor yelled, making the students jump. The next two in line, quickly got into position and took their stances.
I didn’t want to draw their attention, but I didn’t want to drain the energy I had left either. There was always the possibility of pulling energy back from Lorca if mine started to wane while we were incorporeal, but with him injured I was afraid it could kill him. Deciding it would be better to give them a wide berth instead of chancing it, I went well around the group and came out by the fountain.
“Howdy, little lady. You’ve been tangling with the myrs, I see.” Tom was bent over, fishing something out of the fountain.
“And how would you know that?” I asked with narrowed eyes and accusation in my tone.
He lifted his head to look pointedly at my shoulder. “You have one of their souvenirs stuck in you."
Glancing down confirmed his assessment. I vaguely remembered getting hit with one but apparently had forgotten about it. A sharp tug and it came free— luckily, it had barely been under the skin which was probably how I'd overlooked it.
"Thanks, Tom." I waved and started to leave, but he stopped me.
"I think this belongs to your head of the house. The paddles have been a nuisance all day throwing things in here." I went as close as I dared, not wanting to get drowned after everything else. Tom had a tiny hippocampus in hand and was detangling it from a gold chain with a red stone pendant. I wrinkled my nose when he held it out to me after getting loose from the little critter. He tipped his head, brows lowering in admonishment.
"Fine," I huffed, taking it from him. "I'll give it to her, but I have to go get food from the zombie kitchen first." I felt my stomach turn at the thought of the rotting servers.
With a twinkle in his eye, Tom pointed. "There's a door on the back that leads into the pantry and cold storage if you're wanting to avoid the zombies." He winked out with a wave.
Wondering just how the ghost managed to know so much, I waved my thanks at the empty spot, just in case he’d lingered and I couldn't see him.
"Alright, get the food, return this to the bitchy she-cat, and get to my room." My tired bones ached at the thought of completing the short list.
Chapter Ten
By the time I made it back to the shifter house, I'd transferred Lorca from inside my shirt to over it. My steps were slow, and I was trying not to pass out from the energy loss. My temperature also seemed higher than usual, and all I wanted to do was drop into bed and sleep for a week.
The white support columns of the covered porch were a welcome sight. The plantation-style house was currently my only refuge, and as I opened the door, I breathed a sigh of relief.
“Anyone seen Veronica? Tom found her necklace.” The inhabitants of the great room barely looked up from their studies. “No? No one knows where she is? Could one of you at least point me to her room?”
“She’s still at her meeting with Cora. I can take it for you.” I eyed Steve suspiciously.
“This had better make it to her; I’m coming after you if it doesn’t.” Steve nodded, holding out his hand warily, and I dropped the necklace into it. “Tell her I replaced the food too, please, if you don’t mind.”
I didn’t wait for his response and went to the kitchen to deposit my supplies. It was going to be sandwiches again if we could handle them, but this time we’d have some beef stock to go with them. The choice of soups had seemed too heavy to settle well while we healed, and the protein would be a better choice anyway than something full of noodles and little meat that might upset our stomachs.
Once in my room, I sat Lorca on the bed. “You think you can shift back and shower? Or do you want the bowl?”
Instead of answering, he shifted, limbs elongating as the fur receded. A naked and dirty Lorca was taking up a lot more of my bed than his alter had. “I’ll take the broth, then shower. I’ll try to manage the sandwich if I can stay awake. Thanks for getting me back here, and the energy, and well— everything.” He gave me a watery smile, and I returned it with a ruffle to his hair.
“It’s stock, better than broth, and I’d miss those cute freckles of yours if you died on me now.” He looked shocked that I’d noticed or maybe that I’d miss him. After thinking about it, I had to admit I hadn’t been the most welcoming of the fact that he was my mate. Other than biologically, that is.
“You’d miss me?” Yep, I’m an asshole.
“Of course I would. This situation isn’t ideal, but I didn’t mean to make you feel inferior or unwanted. Other than the fact that you didn’t smack the she-bitch.” She-cat was too tame for her initial impression. “You want to shower with me? Hands to yourself though. Neither of us can afford to expend the energy. Or to miss classes tomorrow.”
He happily nodded, and we drank our stock quickly before we gathered our belongings for a shower. The nutritional boost had helped enough that I thought I could manage without feeling like passing out.
Lorca motioned for me to get in the stall after the water warmed to its lukewarm best, and I was extremely aware of us both only being in towels. Down, girl, I admonished my alter and libido. After all, I was the one that had implemented the no hanky-panky rule. It was hard to reconcile my shyness with the urge to drop the towel and climb the hunky male like a tree. My self-consciousness waned when he clued in and turned his back to allow me the privacy to get in. It was silly as he would see me as soon as he got in, but the half-healed scars on his back had me cursing and feeling like an ass for not protecting my mate first and foremost.
"I should have left her to her own mess and went after you straight away. I'm so sorry, Lorca." I reached out to trace the edges of the worst one, feeling guilty. My alter let her displeasure be known as well when I got a 'hmph' sensation from her.
“It’s okay. You’re not used to having a mate— or being part of a group that looks out for each other first. When we get things figured out with my quadmates, you’ll see how it works.”
Unable to go back and change things, I hung my towel on the hook and got under the spray to rinse my hair. Warm, strong hands kneaded my shoulders, soothing the stress away as Lorca's breath tickled my ear.
"Don't be so hard on yourself; you were only trying to help. It's a good thing. Now let's get cleaned up and get some rest."
His words reassured me that I wasn't a total loss in the mate department. As did the reaction from his body below the waist, but my own physiological change had me worried, so I shied away.
Without hesitation, he put space between us . “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to make you feel uncomfortabl
e.”
If I didn’t admit the issue, he was going to keep thinking the problem was him. Continuing with my shower, I surreptitiously reached between my legs to verify what I thought I’d noticed. Even faced away from him, my skin heated with a flush of embarrassment. “It’s not you. Well, not anything you did wrong...my heat cycle has started.” I prayed the showers stayed empty until we were out of them— our business wasn't fodder for the gossips.
Lorca tugged on my arm until I turned to face him. His eyelashes were darker and spiky from the water, making his eyes appear luminous. “Is something wrong with that? I know it differs slightly depending on the species of your alter.”
I shrugged, not sure myself. “I don’t think it’s supposed to happen until after I’ve mated, but I don’t really know. My mom’s best friend mostly raised me, but she never went into what happens with ferret shifters or hybrids. On top of it, I’m only half ferret-shifter, but it seems to be the dominant half with the albinism presenting so strongly," I lifted a piece of my white hair before gesturing to my eyes. "She did warn me that I’d have to mate, physically, until it passed. If I don’t, my hormone levels will be out of control, and it’ll affect my bone marrow. Something about estrogen toxicity and possibly dying from it. I didn’t expect it to happen here.” My frustration was palpable.
Lorca blanched at the word 'dying' and made a grunt of dissent. Then his arms came around me, pulling me in for a tight hug. “We’ll figure it out. I won’t let you die. Is there a medication you can take?”
That tickled a memory in my brain. “Actually, I think there is. I was really little, but I think I remember the doctor coming around for my mom a few times. She’d had several miscarriages, and the doctor didn’t think it was safe for her to have any more kids after me. I could try the medical center tomorrow after my meeting with Cora." That was an appointment I wasn't keen on going to.
Lorca was curious. "What was the problem about telling me you were starting your cycle? I am your mate, you know."
My face burned anew where I had it tucked into his neck. "It comes with some side-effects I didn't know about. At least I'm hoping it's normal."
He pressed me far enough to peer the small distance down to my face. “You don’t have to be embarrassed, but you also don’t have to tell me if you’re uncomfortable. I'm your mate— I'd never judge you for something you can't control and probably not anything else either. I’m more of a 'who do we need to bury' and 'I'll bring the marshmallows' type.” His reassurance made me feel loads better and a bit amused at the same time.
Taking him at his word, I tucked my head back where it had been and took his hand in mine, guiding it down to the source of my mortification. “Oh, I take it that’s not the usual state of things?” I shook my head. He traced my swollen folds, fuller than arousal at any stage could account for. “You know, people do this on purpose for fun. In your case it’s biological, but it’s definitely not turning me off. If it helps, my alter is demanding that I do very naughty things to you right this minute.” I had to laugh— mine was pretty much demanding the same thing. Lorca’s voice went husky, “I don’t think I’ve heard you do that, yet.”
“Hasn’t been much that’s funny about being here. But in this case my alter is pouting that I won’t bend over and entice you to mount me,” I responded wryly.
“Wouldn’t take much enticement,” he muttered. “But we better hurry up before this water gets any colder, or we get company. I think this is the first time I’ve been in here that it’s been empty.” I chose to ignore the fact that he may have been naked around other females or seen them naked, despite my alter's jealousy-fueled urge to immediately mark him as ours.
“I suppose, although the cool water feels good right now. I think my temperature is up as well. Enough to make me achy.”
His face set in concerned lines, Lorca handed me my body wash and started scrubbing himself with an unscented bar of soap. Most shifters used unscented products if they could find them so as not to impair their sense of smell or overload it and make them sick. In a world where everything had fragrance added to it, it was a chore to find them.
"Do you know anything about the guys? Why I can't touch them?"
My question caused him to fumble the soap, and he took the time to retrieve it before he answered. "I could guess, but it might not be accurate. Wraiths aren't supposed to be able to interact with loved ones from what I remember of the legends. They give their allegiance to the Order and their group. Since I didn't Invoke when they did, maybe the magic is trying to pull me over? And with you being our mate, you'd be part of our group. If you could touch them like others, well, that would contradict them not being able to interact with those they've left behind in the world of the living." Holy shit, that's not what I'd expected. "I could be wrong, but that's my hypothesis." He shrugged and went about finishing his shower. I wasn't sure how he could be so optimistic with the situation, but I was grateful for it and leaned over to kiss a clear patch on the back of his wet, soapy shoulder in thanks. He glanced backward in surprise but gave me a wink and a grin before turning back and rinsing off.
Chapter Eleven
We woke up, mostly refreshed to begin the second day of classes at the school from hell. There was still no sign of the others, and even I was beginning to doubt they were coming back. Something else to feel guilty about in regards to Lorca. If I’d just kept my mouth shut, they might not have been taken— because I doubted they were staying away voluntarily.
Afternoon finally came and with it my session with Cora. I made it to her office while Lorca went to physical education. We parted ways in front of her office, with him dropping a lingering kiss on my forehead while he hugged me tight. I inhaled the woodsy scent of his skin at the base of his throat, relaxing further into him. I’d slept with my face buried in his neck all night and wished we could just go back to bed and skip the rest of the day, but that wasn’t an option. With a sigh, I reluctantly broke the embrace, shooing him off to his class.
“You’d better go. No tardies, I don’t want to know what would happen. If some bitchy teacher decides you’re in need of punishment or hurts you, my retribution will be legendary.”
Leave it to a man to get turned on by talk of violence and revenge on his behalf. “Damn, Mina. You didn’t have to send me off with a semi when I’ll probably have to run.” Despite his complaint, he grinned unrepentantly as he blatantly adjusted himself. Seemed he was losing his shyness around me. An obscenely swollen pussy could do that, I supposed.
After I watched his toned ass walk away and hissed at witch hussy doing the same from across the hall, I knocked on Cora's door.
A muffled, "Come in," came from the other side, and I opened it to enter the counselor's room. Cora was there in all her red-headed cheer, bent over an open file in her lap. "Arimina, have a seat. I was just going over your teachers’ notes from class."
The instructors keep notes? Lovely. Making sure a polite smile sat firmly on my face, I returned the greeting. “Afternoon, Cora. Hopefully nothing too terrible is in there. I haven’t had any issues with my classes so far.”
“Well, it’s early on yet.” She snapped the file shut, placing it on the table in front of her chair, and picked up a yellow legal pad and pen. "How's everything going so far? Any trouble?"
I highly doubted she was actually interested, and I had no intention of telling her about any of my very real issues with the school and its practices. "Fine, and not really. How are you?"
As she scratched notes on her pad, I observed that her office looked much the same as her house. Bland. When my attention came back to her, she was still going at it. Surely, there wasn't that much to record from the few minutes I'd been in the room. The silence drew out until I nearly cracked, which I was sure was her intent.
Finally, Cora spoke. "If classes are fine, then maybe we should move right on to what landed you here in the first place." My scowl only made her smile brighter. "You're rumored to have some rare abi
lities that go along with your unique breeding. Is that true?"
I felt like she was waiting for me to deny it and nail my ass for lying. On the other hand, unless my use of them yesterday had been tattled about, then I'd be verifying information that would go straight back to my uncle. And the dean. I was stuck, and from the predatory grin she sported, the bitch knew it.
"I couldn't divulge privileged information. Not in any official capacity. I'd need the Therian Council's permission to discuss the abilities, or lack, of the royal line." Put THAT in your pipe and smoke it, you hag. My fingers itched to reach into my bag and dose her ass with sleeping powder. Maybe I can drop some in her tea…
My plotting was interrupted by a paper being slid in front of me. "I have the Regent's permission as your guardian to discuss any aspect of nature, classes, and in the event that it's needed— medical care and behavior modification. Do we really need to petition the council as a formality?"
Since I wasn't sure if my excuse would hold up, there was something I could discuss with her. And it was something I needed the answer to anyway.
"Actually, since you mentioned it, I'm going to the medical building after this. My estrous seems to have started prematurely, and I was hoping they might have the medication to stop it."
"I'm sure we can figure something out to help you. Why don't I take you there now, and we can discuss your options?"
Wait, what? "Umm...thanks, but I can go after. I was just telling you what one of my issues is. Like you asked." There was no way I wanted that woman near me in a doctor's office.
"Nonsense! I'm a psychiatrist, remember? I do consults over there all the time. I can help you with the paperwork to submit to Dean Aero as well. Sometimes you can get a furlough for things like this. I'd imagine your mate would need one as well? The Enforcer, Lorca Derring, is your mate, is he not?"