“Five minutes.”
Someone brushed their cold hands against my forehead, and I sighed from the delightful feeling. A snicker arose next to me.
A different voice: “Is she lucid now?”
My eyes sprung open, and I saw Jasper seated next to me. He took back his hand. Behind him, Enrique leaned against the wall and watched.
“She lives,” he announced with a slap on his knee. “Princess, you’re going to give us a heart attack.”
“Don’t call me that,” I moaned as I tried to sit up. I was on a couch somewhere in a dimly lit room. “What was five minutes?”
“If I call you princess, it pisses off Dracus. And I love that,” Enrique said and came to stoop beside Jasper. The fox-shifter grabbed a wet rag from a bowl on the table next to him. “Five minutes that you were unconscious.” Enrique glanced at Jasper. “Think she’s got brain damage?”
I glared at him. “I’m right here.”
“I don’t think so,” Jasper said with a half-smile. This guy.
“Excellent.” Enrique clapped and stood up. “OK, I’ve got a date, folks. I’ll see you nerds later.” With that, he strode out of the room, leaving Jasper and me to stare after him.
“I’m guessing that happens a lot?” I asked as Jasper handed me a wet washcloth. With a grateful look, I took it and placed it on my forehead.
“His date attendance to class attendance ratio is wildly out of balance if that answers your question.” Jasper, who looked slightly less cold in this living room, stared at me. “How are you feeling?”
“I’m okay now,” I promised, feeling suddenly embarrassed. All I had done since I came to Beast Academy was sleep in beds like a half-haunted corpse. I blushed fiercely and tried to draw myself up straighter on the couch. “I don’t want to be a bother.”
“You’re not a bother,” he replied and then his angelic face transformed as that dark smile came over his face. “You’re a threat. That’s why Ren is so hostile. He’s getting his ass handed to him by Dracus and Theo as we speak.” I gasped, and he shook his head with a laugh, adding, “Not literally. Dracus loves his lectures. If they do come to blows, he’ll let Theo duke it out with Ren since that big bear couldn’t hurt a fly if he tried.”
“Why am I a threat?” I asked him.
He snorted. “Because you’ve come along to shake things up. That’s all. Don’t overthink it.” He drew himself back into his chair, shifting back into his saintly airs. Ren had been scary, but Jasper was almost scarier, I realized. I’d never seen someone shift this quickly between an angel and a devil.
A tiny smirk came upon his lips. “You think I’m two-faced, right?”
I flushed. “No. I—”
He lifted a hand. “Don’t. It’s the point. I’m sure Theo has told you that I’m a fox-shifter.” He tapped his chest with an elegant movement, playing out some kind of beat in a few short seconds. “We’re experts at playing both sides of our coins. It’s our specialty.”
“Oh,” I muttered and sank back against the couch. It was hard to consider that being devious was a compliment. “No, it’s just interesting. You look like an angel, but it feels like a devil is waiting right beneath the surface.”
He stared for a moment and then let out a loud laugh, disrupting his entire calm demeanor. “You’re a funny one. Maybe that’s why Ren is disturbed.”
“It’s hard to imagine someone being disturbed by me.”
“You’re a late-bloomer shifter suddenly brought into the most powerful group of students at Beast Academy,” he countered with a raised eyebrow. “Don’t underestimate yourself.”
A chill ran through me. That’d been along the lines of what Ren had whispered to me when I fainted. A knock sounded at the door, breaking through my thoughts.
Theo ducked inside with his signature smile. “How ya’ feeling?”
“Better,” I promised. My stomach chose at this moment to let out a ferocious growl. “A bit hungry.”
“Ren’s run off, so we’re safe to eat,” Theo said. “Still hungry, Jasp?”
Jasper nodded and helped me up from the couch. His elegant hands helped guide me towards the door, but I found my footing once again. As much as I hated to admit it, him touching me was less than helpful. His hand felt like fire on my skin, the opposite of Ren’s presence.
When we entered, I saw Dracus pinching the bridge of his nose. Four immaculate dinners had been placed on the table. The dragon-shifter looked up from his place at the end of the table.
“Fiona, I hope you’ll excuse our lone wolf’s behavior.” His voice was firm. It wasn’t so much as asking for an apology as much as demanding my understanding. I simply nodded, desperate to be seated and scarfing down food. I moved carefully, hyper-aware that Dracus’ handsome eyes were watching me.
He wasn’t the only one watching me. Theo and Jasper, too. I could feel their hesitance. If Enrique had been here, it might’ve been better since he would’ve been obvious about it. The dinner was roasted chicken with rice and vegetables. Theo opened a bottle of white wine for the table and poured us all a glass.
I couldn’t mess this up. I had nobody else in the world.
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