The "Boy" Mated to Five

Chapter 10

I was healing slower than I should.

I stared at my reflection in our small bathroom mirror and grimaced at the angry purple and blue welts that still circled my throat. The bruises had barely faded, their dark edges a stark reminder of Caius's crushing grip.

By contrast, Blaze's face had not a scratch. Any evidence he'd ever been in a fight had vanished completely, his skin unmarred and perfect as if yesterday had never happened.

Being a wolf usually meant rapid healing in any form, though it was fastest when we shifted.

Still, it was strange that the bruises were still there.

The only good thing was that I at least had regained my voice, though it still came out rougher than normal.

My eyes caught the clock on the wall, and panic shot through me. I had to get to class, and being late was not an option. Because of that brute, I had already missed my first day of classes, and I had a feeling that a certain commander would be hearing about it.

I groaned loudly, thinking of what he would say next, but I quickly shook those thoughts away. I couldn’t allow myself to spiral when I needed to get back on track.

But I needed to cover these bruises and I had no idea how. None of the clothing I owned would hide them.

I felt my head throb.

This was a complete mess.

I closed my eyes, sighing heavily. I couldn't take any more interference. I needed to focus on my training, and get stronger and faster. I couldn't let anything else get in the way of my plans.

There would be no more complications with mates, no matter how much my wolf wanted to be near them.

~0~

The walk to my Foundations of Tracking class took me through the main courtyard, where the morning sun cast long shadows between the academy towers.

I managed to avoid running into Caius, though I knew my luck wouldn't hold forever.

But everywhere I walked, someone stared, their attention glued to my neck, their whispers following me like a poison.

The last thing I needed was more eyes looking at me closely.

I put my head down and walked as fast as I could toward the stone building that housed the Assassin Academy.

The classroom was circular, windowless, and lit by torches that created a feeling of a never ending night. Maps covered every surface and bottles filled with strange substances lined the shelves along the stone walls, their contents glowing faintly in the torchlight.

I quickly took my seat in an open row, relieved I had made it on time. I pulled out my supplies, ignoring the stares, and listened intently as the professor introduced himself

“This academy exists to maintain the order and sovereignty of our lands," Professor Nightsbane began. He was an older man with graying hair and honey eyes that seemed to take note of everything.

“If you choose to enroll, you will learn to become a highly skilled guardian able to quickly eliminate threats to our kingdom," he said, his voice carrying the weight of experience."Because of that, I would venture to say that this is the most selective of all the academies due to the incredibly advanced and delicate nature of our curriculum."

I leaned forward, hanging on every word. This was exactly what I needed.

Professor Nightsbane's eyes swept across the room. "As you know, you all instinctively have tracking abilities as wolves, but there is so much more for you to learn." He paused, his voice taking on a harder edge. "And in our academy, you'll be taught not just how to properly use these gifts, but how to hone them into weapons."

Excitement raced through me. That sounded like just the thing I needed.

He cleared his throat before continuing."The point of this course is to make sure you have a solid foundation to prepare you for the next four years in our academy… at least for those exceptional few who manage to pass the trials that is.”

Then he clapped his hands together. “Let’s begin."

Our first lesson covered scent discrimination, learning to separate individual threads within complex compounds. We started off practicing with bottles of mixed essences, trying to identify each component.

It was beyond fascinating. It had been months since the attack, and the scent of those rogue bastards had long faded, but with these lessons, I knew I’d be able to track them with the faintest whiff.

After Professor Nightsbane cautioned us from falling behind with the material, emphasizing that the lessons would become increasingly more difficult, class was dismissed.

After the other students filed out, I lingered, still scribbling additional notes from the class that might prove useful for the next exercise. I was so absorbed in my writing that I didn't notice I was no longer alone until a voice spoke from the doorway.

"Hey."

My eyes snapped to the entrance and took in a tall, broad shouldered guy leaning against the frame. His tousled jet black hair and vivid green eyes, glowing in the light.

I inhaled deeply as his scent caressed me.

It was wild and heady, mixed with something that made my head spin, that made me want to forget where I was and what I was doing. My wolf purred at me excitedly.

Another mate.

Of course.

I didn't know if I should have even felt surprised anymore.

I watched as his gaze shifted to my neck. "So you’re the first year who’s pissed off my friend,” he said, amusement coloring his voice.

I gave him a look. His friend?

“But who knew you’d be so damn… tiny,” he said with disbelief, an amused glow in his eyes. I watched as he continued sizing me up.“You’re probably not even 5’3.”

I clenched my fists, bristling slightly at his words, his insinuations.

"I wonder," he said curiously, "if that’s why you still have those bruises.”

I slammed my book shut with more force than necessary.

"Easy there, little wolf," he laughed, holding up his hands in mock surrender. "I meant no harm. I just had to see who was crazy enough to take on that brute of a beast. I really didn’t expect it to be someone like you." You tiny little thing.

I felt more irritation course through me and began shoving my supplies into my bag. "Yeah, well surprise,” I said bitterly.

“Surprise indeed,” he said with quiet admiration. “But I’m glad. He needed to be taken down a notch.”

“It’s not like I even did anything,” I said, closing up my bag. “Your so called friend just has serious anger management issues."

"That's putting it mildly." He chuckled, pushing off from the doorframe. "I'm Ace, by the way. Third year." I noticed the black tie he wore with his uniform, signifying that he was a part of the Assassin Academy.

I got up from my seat, swinging my bag over my shoulder. "Eli," I responded curtly.

"Eli," he repeated, those curious green eyes still watching me.

"You know, I could give you something to cover that up.” He nodded toward the bruises. "That is, if you don't want to keep advertising that you’re the one who got into that fight."

I hesitated.

Blaze’s salve hadn’t worked the way I’d hoped. And I hated the stares and the whispers.

They made me feel smaller than I’d like and more exposed than ever before.

"Come on," he said, already reading the answer in my expression, his grin widening to show his perfect teeth.

I sighed. I had no other option anyway.

I followed him through the academy corridors, noting how students seemed to greet him at every turn. His room was in a quieter section of the dormitory wing, away from the main traffic of student life.

When he opened the door, I was struck by how different his space was from the one I shared with Blaze. It was still a two bedroom dorm like ours, with a small living room and kitchen, but it felt entirely different. Rich, dark furniture dominated the space, including heavy curtains that could block out all light, and an atmosphere that felt both luxurious and slightly dangerous.

I also noted that the only scent in the space was his. Ace clearly got to have the whole dorm to himself.

Lucky…

But my wolf purred at the thought that we’d get to be alone with our mate.

He disappeared into the room on the left and returned with a small glass jar filled with a pale, clay like substance.

"Perks of being in the Assassin Academy…you learn to cover things up," he said with a wink.

"You mind if I do the honors," he asked, gesturing to my bruises.

I nodded, and he came closer until there was hardly any space between us.

When his fingers tilted my chin up, my eyes locked directly with his and a shiver ran through me from the intensity of his stare. He took a small amount of the mixture and began massaging it onto my skin.

The cooling sensation was immediate and blissful, but it was nothing compared to the way his proximity made my wolf practically vibrate with need. I had to bite my lip to keep from making any sound, but a small whimper escaped anyway.

"Almost done," he murmured, his fingers still moving gently along my skin.

When he finished, he stepped back just enough for me to see his satisfied expression. "Go look."

I moved to the bathroom mirror and blinked in shock.

The bruises were completely gone.

Not healed, but covered so perfectly that my skin looked normal again.

"How is that possible?" I breathed, touching my throat in amazement.

He appeared behind me in the mirror, standing so close that his chest nearly brushed my back. My wolf was practically purring at his proximity in the small bathroom space. I kept my expression neutral through sheer willpower.

"Trade secrets,” he said, his voice low and amused.

"You can have the rest if you'd like," he continued, holding up the jar so I could see it in the mirror. "Especially if you're going to keep pissing certain people off…Wouldn’t want to see any bruises on that pretty face of yours." His eyes met mine in the reflection, sparkling with mischief.

I bit the inside of my cheek to keep from blushing at the compliment from my mate. But another part of me jerked in response, warning bells going off. “My face isn’t pretty.”

Ace chuckled lowly. “Oh, but it is…it’s almost too pretty,” he said, his green eyes bore into mine. Then he c****d his head to the side, surveying me. “I mean….are you sure you’re even a guy?”