Hidden Mate

6

Roxy paid the cashier and headed toward the tables. “Are you proud of yourself?”

“Hey.” My shoulders were still warm from his touch. “He was being an ass. I merely stood up for myself.”

“You know I approve of that.” She walked over to a booth next to a large group of humans. “But the s****l tension was thick.”

“What?” My voice rose to dangerously high levels. “It was not.”

“I think you protest a little too much, and let’s be real, even a dead wolf could smell it.” Roxy chuckled as she slid into one side of the booth and motioned for me to sit across from her. “I mean, he is hot.”

And human. I linked with her, not wanting prying ears to overhear. I doubted anyone was listening, but we couldn’t be too careful. “I’m not here to meet a man. I’m here to have fun and get an education.”

“You know, that goes along with fun.” Roxy stuck a straw in her orange juice and moved it in and out suggestively, then took a big swig. “Just like vodka should always be part of orange juice.”

I refused to laugh at her. I took a large sip of my hot coffee instead, letting it burn on the way down. I squirmed with discomfort. “Vodka doesn’t even get you drunk.” Every shifter needed wolfsbane or to chug straight liquor to get them there. We had a fast metabolism, so the wolfsbane slowed down our ability to quickly process alcohol.

“Hey, I’m dedicated to the cause.” She unwrapped her biscuit and sniffed. “Just like I’m dedicated to getting this in my belly.”

A giggle escaped despite my best efforts. “If I hadn’t gone to high school with you, I might not realize how smart you actually are.” She was basically a genius. Well … okay, that was an exaggeration, but she’d made A’s and B’s throughout school without trying.

She stuffed her mouth. “Says the valedictorian.”

“Sexy.” Watching her chew her food turned my stomach. “Real sexy.”

“Oh.” She opened her mouth wider. “I thought after what you did to that guy, you enjoyed eating like this.”

“Me.” I patted my chest. “Not you.”

“Pfft.” She shoved the biscuit into her mouth, letting crumbs fall all over the table.

“If you’re not careful, I’ll get the last laugh,” I said and took another bite, eating like a lady should.

She tried speaking around a huge mouthful of food. “Hww … sho?”

“You’re already over halfway done eating your biscuit.” I lifted my hand, emphasizing my barely eaten food. “And I have more left to eat than you. You’ll be wanting some of mine, and I’m not sharing.”

“You bish,” she choked and grabbed her juice, sucking it down.

“Aw, you love me.” We’d given each other s**t for as long as I could remember. “Your ramblings don’t scare me.”

She wrinkled her nose. “Don’t be so sure.”

Some kids at the table next to us stood, and one of the girls sighed. “I guess we better head to class.”

Roxy grumbled. “s**t, how did the time go by so fast?” She threw her empty wrapper on the tray. “And to think you thought you’d have the last laugh. I’m done eating, and you’re not.”

“No biggie.” I stood, slid my purple backpack over my shoulder, and grabbed my food and coffee. “I can multitask, unlike some people.”

“The one time I fell while walking wasn’t due to me chewing gum.” She picked up her tray and carried it to the garbage. “That b***h Kelly started that rumor.”

I tsked and followed her. “I’m not so sure.”

She stuck her tongue out at me. “Oh, bite me.”

I normally didn’t goad her like this. She usually did it to me. “Now who’s the one obsessed with the vampires?”

She turned toward me and feigned shock. “Who are you?”

“Stop it.” Maybe this semester wouldn’t be so bad after all. “We’d better hurry.”

“Don’t act so smug.” She adjusted her mustard shirt over her dark gray slacks. “I’ll get my revenge.”

We rushed out of the Student Center and headed to the right, passing the sidewalk that led to Kortright Stadium and staying on the path of the large circle, moving straight to Wilson Hall for Calculus. Grey Hall was on the other side of the grassy area, directly across from the Student Center, with Webster Hall to the left and Wilson Hall to the right.

Four small brownstone steps led up to the dark wood double doors. This particular building was three stories high, and in the middle, above the doorway, the roof stood higher than the rest of the building as if it had once been a bell tower.

I pulled the schedule out of my pocket. “We’re on the first floor.”

We entered the building and quickly found our room.

When we walked in, I scanned the classroom. There were four rows of seats and no windows as the classroom was in the middle of the building. A familiar dark-haired vampire sat at the very back of the third row.

She gave us a little wave, but even from here, I could see how tired she was.

I usually liked sitting at the front, but humans already filled the desks in the front section. “Let’s head back there.”

No one sat near her; humans’ natural instincts told them to stay away from Lillith. Even though vampires were attractive, humans felt self-conscious around them. They likely felt like prey even if they didn’t understand it.

Roxy went down the second row and sat at the open desk beside our friend. “You must stink or something,” Roxy said as she nodded to the humans who sat as far away from her as possible. “Maybe showering would help.”

“I’d normally be ready to banter, but Katherine kept me up last night.” Lillith placed her arms on her desk and lowered her head. “She was giggling and talking about how we’d finally made it.”

“Made it?” I asked as I passed by a handsome blond man who turned his head to follow my movement. I sat right in front of the vampire. “What does that mean?” The guy was cute, but he didn’t even tempt me. Not like Dreamy.

God … I had to stop calling him that. It was downright ridiculous even if it was true.