Breaking Traditions: The Shifter And The Mage

by Madilynn Dale

  I am startled from my thoughts by the barista calling out my name. Our drinks are ready. I snag them off the counter and turn to walk back toward Nat. The way the light from the setting sun coming through the window seems to form a glowing halo around her. It makes the natural highlights of her hair pop. As if sensing me looking her over, her eyes snap up and meet mine. There is so much emotion in them, more than what she is allowing to surface. This causes something in me to break, and I feel a warmth spread through me.

  My steps falter as I feel her emotions slam into me. I try to keep a smile on my face as she frowns slightly. I hope she didn't pick up on my confusion because I can feel her worry seeping into me. I don't know what is going on with all of this, but we will figure it out. I do know one thing, though. I am falling for this lady.

  "Okay, one coffee for you and one coffee for me." I hand her the correct cup. She smiles and kisses me on the cheek catching us both a bit off guard.

  "Great, so you up to walking to the park that is about a block from here?" Natalie says before taking a drink of her coffee. I love how she shivers following that sip.

  "That sounds great," I say.

  We spend another two hours just walking around and talking about life. We talk about classes and new friends. We share more favorites and things that scare us. She finds it funny that I am afraid of mice but that my owl loves to eat them. She pokes fun at me for a bit about it, and then we change topics again.

  We hold hands as we walk back to the cars. She is a lot closer to me than when we started, and I am pleased. She smells lovely, and it is not just her perfume. I can't place what it is, but it turns me on. I have to focus on keeping myself from getting a hard-on. Our date tonight has had enough craziness.

  As we near the coffee shop, I steer her in the direction of her vehicle first. I want to see her off safely before I get in mine. We stop at her door, and she stares up into my eyes. Wordlessly, I lean in and kiss her. Our kiss is soft and gentle at first, but she pulls me closer, and I deepen it.

  Using my tongue, I run it along her bottom lip, asking to deepen our kiss even more. Our tongues perform a little dance as we explore each other's mouths. Realizing we are still in public; I pull back and place my forehead against her while I catch my breath.

  There is no hiding my desire now as my cock strains against my pants.

  "We better get you back, Nat. Do you want to get together some this week and work on school stuff? We could also have another date if you are up to it." I smile and wink.

  Breathlessly she says, "Yes, I would love that. We can figure something out tomorrow, maybe?"

  "Great, I will text you in the morning then. Good night beautiful." I give her another lingering kiss that she eagerly responds to.

  She pulls back, trying not to get lost in it again. "Goodnight."

  I help her get into her car by merely holding the door open for her. I close it gently once she is seated in the driver's seat. She gives me a small wave before starting the car.

  As she is pulling out of the lot headed in the direction of campus, I hear in my head, "Holy cow, that was amazing. I think I may be falling for him."

  I laugh out loud before making my response, "I can still hear you. Talk to you soon."

  I know she didn't mean to let that slip, so I put up barriers in my mind to keep my thoughts in. That is something they train most of us non-shifters how to do at an early age. I will have to teach her how to do that in case things escalate. I don't think she will want me to hear all of her thoughts. That might be too intrusive.

  I make my way over to my truck and slide in. My mind is still trying to go over everything from tonight and how happy it made me. I also feel a strange sense of loneliness being away from Nat. I can't comprehend it.

  Changing my focus, I begin to list off the things I need to do this week and what assignments might be on my syllabus that needs attention. I also plug in my work schedule in my imaginative planner and get a rough idea of the week's layout. There are plenty of open spots that I could spend with Nat.

  My mind is preoccupied with these thoughts as I pull up in front of the house. I enter to a few curious glances from Lainee and Stevie, who are studying on the sofa in the living room. I wave them off and head down the hall to prepare for bed. I have an early shift in the morning, followed by some classes. I make a mental note to text Nat in the morning to see if we can get together for a study date tomorrow evening.

  7. Alex

  The next day my opening shift and day of classes seem to go by in the blink of an eye. I am unsure how much retention I had with my classes, with my mind focused on Natalie. I was thankful that I remembered to shoot a text off this morning about trying to get together this evening to study. I didn't get much of a chance to check my phone though having gotten off work later than planned. I had to make a mad dash from work to class and just barely made it on time.

  As I am gathering my things at the end of my last class of the day, my phone goes off. I get everything settled into my bag before pulling my phone out to see who it is. I am outside of the door before I open my phone and see that it is from Nat.

  Nat: Hey, my roommate wants to join us for study session tonight. I told her it should be okay. I hope that is good with you.

  Me: That sounds fine, do you want me to pick you guys up some food?

  Nat: She is eager to meet you, and no, we are going to grab something from the diner down the road.

  Me: Oh cool, are we still meeting in the lobby of your dorm?

  Nat: Yeah, see you in a bit?

  Me: Yes, see you soon.

  I slide my phone into the side pocket of my bag and readjust it on my shoulders. I plan on grabbing food and looking over my schedule for the week before heading over to her dorm. Exiting the musty brick building where most of the business classes are held, I take in the sweet scent of freshly cut grass. They must have been working on the landscaping today.

  I adjust my bag again and begin walking toward the center of campus. I plan on grabbing a quick bite in the cafe located in the basement of the cafeteria building. The food down there usually is better and fresher than the main student cafeteria upstairs.

  As I get closer, I notice that the grass becomes moist. It makes the loose grass clippings cling to my shoes. I inwardly smile, realizing I must have just missed the sprinklers. They tend to catch students off guard by coming on at random times during the day. It makes it pretty risky if someone wants to sit on the lawn to study.

  I am near to the center of campus when I am hit with the smell of chlorine. I glance ahead and see the giant stone fountain that sits in front of the dining hall. It has three stone towers of various sizes with shoots of water coming out of the top. It is a unique identifier and attraction for this campus but a joke as well. It is literally shaped like a penis. I don't think that was the original plan, but my friends and I, as well as many other students, can't help but laugh at it every time we see it. It is something memorable we will all take away from our college experience.

  Chuckling, I note the change in terrain as my steps go from grass to the concrete sidewalk. It leads past the fountain and up to the stairs of the dining hall. I continue and rest a hand on the stair rails as I climb the steps to the glass front doors.

  The brick building containing the cafeteria is four stories high, not including the basement. Each floor has a specific purpose, each differing from one another. Level one includes the campus post office, security office, mailboxes, and a few conference rooms. The second floor holds the cafeteria, the third contains several different banquet rooms, and the top floor consists of meeting halls and the psychologist's office.

  Pulling the heavy door open, I am assaulted with various scents of different foods. They range from sweet to spicy and cause my stomach to growl loudly. My mouth even begins to water.

  I make my way past the small post office and wave at the young man sitting there. He has blonde hair and glasses with a smattering of freckles across his
nose. He smiles at all who enter and loves to chat. I have spent many hours standing and talking with him. His name is Ben, and he is also a djinn. His powers are pretty cool, but he has different guidelines to follow than other students do because of his classification as a djinn.

  He waves back at me, and we exchange a hello before making my way to the dark stairwell on the other side that leads down into the basement. My feet echo in the stairwell as I travel down, and the scent of food becomes even enticing.

  Entering the basement, I notice a long line behind the register where food orders are placed. It extends into the room I am standing in, consisting of the order pick-up window and several tall bar tables with different students sitting at them. There is a glass wall that separates the rooms with glass doors that are currently open because the cafe is open. Students can still come down to sit on the stools and study when it is closed, but there isn't access to all the fun things in the other room.

  That room has two pool tables and two ping pong tables situated in the back beneath a giant flat-screen TV. There are black wooden booths built into the walls and small black coffee tables with armchairs placed throughout the room. All of the floors are concrete stained a dark black. It makes the bright blue color on the walls pop even more and is a bit much if you ask me.

  I do my best to read the menu positioned behind the black counter where two dark-headed ladies work to place food orders and serve drinks. I have ordered food from here a thousand times, but I can never make up my mind on what I want. Tonight, I am torn between ordering a bacon burger or getting the meat lovers calzone. Both are tempting, and I know for a fact are delicious.

  I am still focused on the menu, trying to decide as the line moves forward. I am almost to the counter to order when I feel a light tap on my shoulder. I usually am pretty aware of my surroundings, but I am so focused on food that I didn't register anyone getting in line behind me. As I am starting to turn to see who it is and greet them, a giant fist slams into my face, hard, and knocks me to the ground. I hear people gasp as I land, and I don't even have time to react as a body falls on me and begins placing punches in every available spot.

  Mentally shaking myself in a brief pause between blows, I force a barrier up that causes my assailant to fly back into one of the coffee tables. I hear the thud of the body rolling to its side but then frown slightly as I hear an animalistic growl and feel a change in the energy surrounding me. I smirk, realizing then who my attacker is as snarls erupt nearby. I take it, my friend has realized I am protected now.

  I focus myself before pushing up from the floor. I don't want to let my barrier drop because there is no telling how quickly this guy can move now that he has shifted. As I hear another growl, I finally let my attention fall on my attacker, and I am a bit stunned at his beauty.

  What stands before me is a giant white wolf, an Arctic wolf. If I were to stand next to him, my head would be level with his broad chest. He has a massive muzzle that sends terror down my spine. His teeth are sharp, and his blue eyes are full of anger as he glares at me. His hackles are raised, giving his hair a pearlescent sheen in the light. I know he is waiting for me to drop my barrier and attack. I don't think he realizes the power I possess, though, and I am not stupid.

  I glance around and see that the other students have backed up to different corners of the room. Some have picked up pool sticks to utilize as weapons, and others are hiding behind chairs.

  I laugh before saying aloud, "Theo, you can chill because I am not dropping this barrier. Why don't you leave and quit scarring these people? We can deal with our beef another time."

  He just growls in response and begins pacing back and forth in front of me.

  I continue to keep eye contact with him as I begin to rack my brain in different ways to either take him out, knock him out, or force him to shift. I would rather not hurt him because it may cause me to lose my scholarship, but if worse comes to worse than that is what I will do.

  It is as I am stuck in thought, that I notice a shadow join us out of the corner of my eye. I let my eyes move slightly to see who it is when Theo slams up against my barrier once again. I roll my eyes, maintaining my hold, and assess our new friend.

  The man joining us has long white hair and grey eyes behind a black pair of glasses. He has broad shoulders and is of medium build. He has very dark skin that could rival the night sky. He is dressed casually in a pair of jeans and a button-up green shirt. His feet are spaced apart in a power stance that just so happens to show off his black loafers.

  "Okay, gentleman, break it up. We are done here. Let's settle down now. Theo, please don't make me force shift you back to your human form. I know it won't be pleasant for you. You have ten seconds to change."

  At the sound of his voice realization dawns on me; It is Mr. Long, the school president. He also just so happens to be one of the world's top ten strongest wizards. That is why he seems familiar.

  Letting those thoughts sink in, I allow my shields to drop. As soon as they are down, though, Theo launches his powerful body at me. He is stopped mid-air by a glare from Mr. Long and seems to be stuck. I watch as he snaps his fingers at Theo, and it forces him to shift. I can hear the bones cracking while a white light temporarily blinds me. Before I open my eyes, I hear a loud thud, and I know that Theo has hit the ground.

  I refocus on the two as Theo pushes painfully into standing and just glares at me. He doesn't move, though, thankfully.

  "Well, I know what happened here. I was sitting at a table over here reading a book when you came in, Theo. Not a smart move if you ask me, young man. I am disappointed in you. Alex, you were only defending yourself, so you may continue with ordering your dinner. I will have the staff put it on the house. Everyone have a good evening. Theo, follow me."

  Theo glares at me as he follows Mr. Long out of the room. I loudly say, "thank you," and only hope that he heard me.

  I turn back toward the register and speak to the lady behind the register.

  "I am sorry about all of that. I hope you gals won't hold it against me." I glance around as I talk and notice everyone is returning to their previous tasks. It relaxes me knowing that Theo's crazy ass didn't ruin their evening. I also realize that my face is starting to throb.

  "Oh, it's not a problem. He attacked you. What can I get you besides a bag of ice for that slowly blackening eye?" She smiles.

  "Great, and thanks, that is probably a good idea. I am going to get the bacon burger combo tonight with fries." She begins typing it into the register, and I glance at my watch. It is later than I thought.

  "Can you make that to-go please?" I say as she begins writing the order on the ticket for the kitchen.

  "Yeah, no problem." She walks toward the ticket window off to the side. It goes through the back wall and into the kitchen. She then moves to the ice machine to fill a bag of ice for me.

  "Here," she says, returning to me at the register. "They should have your food ready soon."

  "Thanks," I say before moving away from the register and into the pick-up area. I hold the ice against my face as I wait. I cringe at first at the cold contact, but the pain begins to ease a minute later.

  My food is ready quickly. I pick up my bag and a handful of napkins. I shove them into the bag and turn to head back up the stairs. It is time for me to head over to Nat's dorm, but now I have to figure out how to tell her that her ex attacked me and that he may be expelled soon. I don't think she will be too happy about these events.

  8. Natalie

  I wake the following morning and realize I somehow slept through my alarm. If I don't get ready and leave in the next ten minutes, I will be late. I jump from my soft, warm bed, throwing my comforter and sheet to the side and scramble to my closet. I throw on a pair of jeans and a t-shirt and rush out into the hall. I quickly dart down to the bathrooms to brush my teeth and use the toilets. Returning to the room, I snag my backpack, a granola bar, and a Dr. Pepper, and a pair of boots and sprint to my first class. I manage
to make it, but I am still five minutes late. Thankfully there is an open seat at the back of the room, and I slip into it without the professor noticing. Hopefully, attendance has not been taken.

  My late arrival seems to set the mood for the day, and I run late to everything. I knew staying up late to converse with Addy about my date was a terrible idea. I couldn't resist, though. She was excited that I had a good time and is not judgmental about me dating a mage.

  I told her about the coffees we ordered and how amazing they tasted. She shared that she too loves white chocolate mocha lattes. When I got to the part about Theo randomly showing up and what he said, she got super pissed just like I did. She called him every name under the sun before I could settle her down and tell her how Alex reacted. During that part, we both got to laughing so hard that we fell into the floor. We laughed and giggled and rolled around like kids as I shared how Theo reacted when he realized what color he was. We got so loud that our neighbors on both sides were beating on the walls and yelling at us to shut up. This was at two a.m., so I understand why they were upset.

  After laying there giggling at a quieter level for another ten minutes, we finally managed to get it together enough to climb back in bed. I finished telling her about the date and the kiss that followed, which she awed over before we finally went to sleep. That is the latest I have stayed up in my entire life. Now I am regretting the lack of sleep.

  Pulling my head from my thoughts, I make myself focus on my classes and the lectures. It is difficult for me, though, because I keep daydreaming. The day thankfully goes by quickly, and before I know it, my classes are done for the day. It's then that I realize I have yet to look at my phone since my crazy wakeup.