FELICITY
My eyes snap open, fixated on the ceiling above. I remember that dream I had; one moment I was conversing with those mysterious red eyes again, and the next, I was speaking with my mother. What did she say before I woke up? It felt like I was submerged underwater while she was trying to convey something to me. This is so frustrating, I groan, and then I realize I'm not alone in my room. I'm wedged between Jay and Kevin. Jay starts groaning as he turns over to look at me and says,
"Well, good morning, sunshine." He wears a lazy smile as he reaches over to ruffle my hair. Kevin stirs, still with his eyes closed, and groans,
"It's too early; go back to sleep." I chuckle and glance at the alarm clock, which reads 7:30 AM.
"We actually need to get up, or we'll be late for school!"
I leap out of bed and yank the blankets off both of them, causing them to groan even louder.
"Okay, you two, I appreciate your company last night, but it's time for me to get ready for school. Could you both please leave the room now?"
Just as I say that, my phone goes off several times: *ding* *ding* *ding*. Before I can grab it, Jay has bolted off the bed, snatching it out of my reach. He starts reading my texts aloud while Kevin laughs at my attempts to jump and retrieve my phone from Jay.
Jay announces, "Oh, Ezekiel is texting you, saying, 'Good morning, see you at school,' and Kayla texted you, 'Hey girl, sorry I missed you on your first day. I wasn't in school yesterday, but I will be today. Let's meet out front to go in together.' Hmmm, so who is Ezekiel?" Jay narrows his eyes at me with a questioning look, and Kevin crosses his arms, saying,
"Our sister already has a guy after her!" I finally snatched the phone and glared at both of them, saying,
"He’s new; his first day was yesterday too, and if he were interested in me, you two are not to interfere!" Jay and Kevin exchange glances and sigh, shaking their heads.
"Okay, okay, but if the punk gives you any trouble, you better tell us!" Jay insists. I nod and point towards the door.
They give me sulky looks as they exit the room, and I shut the door behind them. Turning to my phone, I text Kayla,
"Sounds good! I might be late, so if I'm not there in time, please go in without me." Almost immediately, she replies,
"Okay girl, see ya later!" A smile spreads across my face; it’s been ages since I’ve texted anyone. After my parents passed away, everyone drifted away, and I was moved to a foster home. I scroll down to Ezikle's name beneath Kayla's and send a quick message,
"See you in class" with a little smiley face to cap it off.
Thirty minutes later, I’m dashing downstairs and bursting into the kitchen to grab something to take with me. The head maid is there with Jay and Kevin, handing them coffees and food. She turns to me with a smile and offers me some too. We all pile into the car, arriving at school just as the bell rings for first period. I groan and mutter,
"Great, late on my second day." Jay pats my leg and reassures me,
"It’s okay, Mom wrote us a note before she left for work," handing me the note with a grin. I nod, take it, and head inside. Kayla isn’t there, but I figured I’d be too late anyway. Once we’re in the hallway, Jay and Kevin head off to football practice, and I make my way to my classroom. I used to enjoy school, but since my parents' death, I’ve lost interest in learning. Instead, I find myself escaping reality, staring out the window.
"What are you looking at so intensely?" Startled, I turn to see someone so close that I can feel their breath on my neck. Shivering, I look up into Ezikle's eyes, instantly captivated, and whisper,
"Nothing much, just not interested in this class right now." He grins at me and says, "If you keep looking at me like that, I might do something you’re not ready for."
I don’t know what overtakes me, but I find myself saying, "Please do." The moment the words leave my mouth, I blink and blush, turning away and mumbling,
"Sorry, forget what I just said." But he gently places his finger under my chin, turning me back to face him, and he says,
"I don't think I can forget," winking as he leans in to plant a kiss on my head before returning his focus to class as if it were the most fascinating thing in the world. I stared at him, stunned that he said that, even more surprised that I entertained the thought. Turning my gaze away, I touch the spot where he kissed me; it feels warm, sending tingles throughout my body. I shake my head, attempting to concentrate on the lesson. When the bell rings, I leap up, hurriedly gathering my belongings and dashing out of the room, feeling both embarrassed and exhilarated at the same time. We hardly know each other, yet his eyes pull me in, and every time he speaks, I feel a jolt of electricity coursing through me. Arriving at my locker, I retrieve my textbook for the next class, only to realize that Ezekiel's locker is right next to mine. He approaches, smirking, and says,
"You practically sprinted to your locker!" He chuckles, and I blush as I shove the textbook into my bag. He inquires,
"What’s your next class?" I handed him my schedule.
"I have history next; what about you?"
I ask as he examines my schedule. He beams at me and replies,
"Looks like my schedule matches yours; let’s walk to class together."
His smile is so bright it’s almost blinding, and I exclaim,
"No way! Let me see your schedule!" He passes it to me, and as I scan it, I can hardly believe it—every single class, except for one, is the same as mine. I return it to him and look up, saying,
"Seems so." I begin to walk, and he falls into step beside me.
EZIKLE
I adore witnessing my mate blush and make those adorable expressions. When she said, "please do," I nearly lost my composure; I had to battle with myself not to claim her right then and there. She was so flustered that she dashed out of the classroom the moment the bell rang, but I think she overlooked the fact that my locker is right next to hers. She made a face, and when she realized we shared the same classes, her expression turned to one of shock. As she began to head to class, I couldn't help but chuckle as I walked alongside her. We entered History together, and a man I recognized from the previous night—her brother—approached and enveloped her in a bear hug. She laughed joyfully, and the sound was simply delightful. I couldn't help but grin like a fool at the happiness radiating from her through our bond. She was giggling and exclaiming,
"Jay, put me down, you big giant!" Her brother laughed as he set her down. Jay turned to me, extending his hand for a shake,
"I don't believe we've met yet. My name is Jay, and you are?" His demeanor shifted slightly, revealing a more serious side as he seemed to put on a facade for his sister's benefit. I grasped his hand and replied,
"I'm Ezekiel. It's only my second day here." Jay nodded, pulling back his hand and crossing his arms, raising an eyebrow as he scrutinized me.
"Ah, so you're the guy who was texting my sister this morning. You better treat her well," he warned, shooting me a glare. Felicity intervened, tugging at Jay's arm,
"Come on, don't be rude." Jay smiled at her, wrapping his arm around her shoulders as he guided her to the seat beside him. To his annoyance, I chose the open spot next to her, placing her right between us. He shot me a glare over her head, but I simply smirked back and leaned in to whisper to Felicity.
"I don't think your brother is too fond of me," I remarked.
She replied, "He's just trying to be a good brother to me." I felt grateful for the protectors surrounding her; it eased my worries when I was away from her. As I slid my hand under the table and rested it on her leg. She didn't pull away; instead, she shivered and glanced at me, her cheeks flushed, yet she made no move to remove my hand. After a while, I felt her shift, and she placed her hand over mine, catching me off guard. Her hand was warm, too warm for an ordinary person. I turned my hand to intertwine our fingers and closed my eyes to feel through the bond. Something didn't seem right with my mate; she wasn't unwell—I would have sensed that. Instead, I caught a whiff of ash. I glanced at her, and she wasn't paying attention to the teacher; she was gripping my hand tightly, a normal person would have been in agony. Her gaze was fixed on her desk, wide-eyed, and her breathing seemed irregular. I leaned closer, asking,
"Felicity, are you okay?" Her eyes snapped to mine, and I nearly gasped; there was a red ring, almost luminescent, around her pupils. This was puzzling—was she already transforming? But we hadn't marked each other yet, and we hadn't mated; this shouldn't be happening so soon. I released her hand and watched as her eyes returned to normal. It appeared my touch had triggered this response; she blinked, bewildered by what had just occurred. She turned away,
shaking her head, clearly trying to process the sensations she had just experienced, her brows knitted in contemplation. I scanned the room, relieved that no one had noticed, and her brother was deeply absorbed in the lesson. I closely observed her as she redirected her focus back to the teacher for the remainder of the class. I noticed sweat trickling down her arm, and the strands of hair on her forehead clung to her skin, yet she appeared oblivious to her rising temperature. I leaned over with a tissue and gently dabbed her forehead; she glanced at me but allowed me to continue. When the bell rang, she hurried out, not waiting for either her brother or me. Her brother looked puzzled by her sudden departure. I followed her scent down the hallway and paused; it led outside. Why would she exit the building? I pushed the door open and continued to trace her scent, which guided me into the woods. In the distance, I spotted her; we were deep in the forest, and I was astonished at how swiftly she had gotten there. I concealed myself, curious about her actions as she dropped her bag to the ground and knelt beside it. Just as I was about to approach her to check if she was alright, I froze in shock. Black flames encircled her, and ash-laden smoke spiraled around the fire. Her raven hair floated upwards, her eyes glowed red, and dark veins snaked down her arms. I stepped out from my hiding place and walked toward her, bewildered by what I was witnessing. Was she not truly human? I hadn’t sensed it before, but now an ominous power radiated from her. As I closed the gap and reached my hand through the flames to rest on her shoulder, her head snapped around, and our eyes locked. The instant our gazes met, the veins on her arms receded, her eyes returned to their normal state, and the fire vanished, leaving a charred circle on the ground. I settled on the ground before her, taking her hand gently.
"Felicity," I called out, but she seemed distant. Her gaze met mine, and I could see the moment of realization flicker in her eyes. With wide eyes, she whispered,
"What happened? What was that? Don't tell anyone!" She appeared frightened, beginning to rise as she looked at me, her voice rising almost to a yell as she rushed towards me, gripping my arm tightly.
"YOU CAN'T TELL ANYONE!" I wrapped my arm around her waist, my hand cradling her face.
"Calm down, Felicity. I promise I won't tell anyone, and I would never hurt you. Has this ever happened before?" I inquired. She shook her head, finally starting to relax, pressing closer to me.
"That's never happened to me before. I started sweating in class, and then suddenly, I found myself walking outside, heading into the woods, as if I were just a passenger in my own body." She attempts to pull away, but I draw her back into a warm embrace, and she wraps her arms around me in return. I rest my chin on her head, and she snuggles in even tighter, as if she craves more closeness.
"Let me take you home," I suggested,
"but I don't want to go home just yet. I don't want to worry my new parents. Oh, and by the way, I'm adopted, so please keep that to yourself."
I remind her gently, "I promised I wouldn't tell anyone; what we share stays just between us."
She lets out a sigh and nods against my chest.
I propose, "What if we skip and head to my place instead?"
She meets my gaze, and after a moment of contemplation, she nods. I beam at her, take her hand, and lean down to pick up her bag. Before I can reach for her bag, a loud growl erupts, and there stands a massive black wolf before us. Felicity spots it and gasps, retreating behind me while still clutching my hand. I fixed my gaze on the wolf and caught a whiff of its scent; I should have realized her new family belonged to a Werewolf lineage—they did an excellent job of concealing their odors. I didn't even pick up on it when I visited their home last night; they must have employed a cloaking spell. But why are they hiding out in the human realm? I tell Felicity,
"Stay behind me and don’t make a sound; it will leave if we don’t pose a threat."
I’m merely trying to reassure her since she’s never encountered anything like this before. I know Jay wouldn’t harm her; he’s incredibly protective and can sense that I’m not entirely human at this moment, especially since I’ve let my guard down. In my mind, I establish the mindlink with him, and I can sense his surprise; only other wolves can connect through mindlink. However, I am the king of all demon creatures, granting me authority over all beings. I communicate through the mindlink,
"Jay, I mean no harm to your sister, please leave; you are frightening her."
Jay responds, "How can you use this? Are you a wolf too? You don't smell like one."
I smile at him, and he gazes at me with his wolf-like eyes.
"No, I am not a wolf; I am the Demon King, and your sister is my mate," I explain.
Jay asks, "Your Majesty, why are you here? And wait, your mate? My sister is human, though." He bows in his wolf form while inquiring.
I replied, "I came to the human realm to see if I could find my mate, as she was not in the other realm, and I discovered her here. I have no intention of harming her and am taking things slowly, but Jay, I don't think she is human. However, we cannot discuss this any further as Felicity is present."
Jay says, "Okay, Your Majesty, I will leave, but we are not finished with this conversation." He dashes off as his wolf and vanishes into the woods. I pull Felicity from behind me,
"It's alright; it ran away, let's go." She nods, following me while holding my hand and says,
"I didn't know New York had such big wolves." I try to suppress a laugh at that remark.
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