Eternal Academy

CATALINA

I thought waking up the next day would come easily to me, but apparently, it took getting drenched with a bucket of water.

I sprang up from the bed, gasping. “What the hell!?” My eyes narrowed on the hunched figure laughing. “Matt?”

He held his pointer finger up, clutching his stomach. I waited, shivering slightly until he stopped laughing. Why the heck was the water so cold?

“I haven’t laughed that hard in a long time,” he said. Then he straightened, eyes widening as he took me in. “Well, aren’t I lucky?”

I frowned, then realized why I was so cold. I had no clothes on! A squeak left me as I snatched up the covers to make sure nothing else was on display.

Oh gosh, my second day here and I already flashed a roommate. “Why are you in my room, pervert?”

He held his hands up, backing away slowly. “I only came to wake you so you wouldn’t be late. I didn’t know you slept in the nude.” He winked. I chucked my pillow at him as he slipped out the door.

“Damn wolves.” I made sure to lock the door before dropping my towel. What time was it, anyway? Searching the desk for my schedule, my face scrunched up when I found it.

Magic and Mayhem 7:00

Seven o’clock? What kind of prison was this? My last school didn’t start till nine!

I quickly got dressed, skipping taking a shower. My phone’s clock said it was 6:48. Rushing down the steps, I made a beeline for the front door.

The common area was empty, so I had to assume everyone was gone. But stepping out the front door, I slammed right into a solid wall of muscle.

“Shit! Sorry.” I looked up into Mateo’s blushing face.

I grinned. “Mateo? What are you doing here?”

His eyes shifted around, his hand clutching the strap of his backpack. “We have first period together. I figured…” My smile widened.

He figured he'd walk me to class? Oh, my heart. Was it still beating?

My eyes moved over his outfit for the day. A light blue shirt with dark jeans. Someone likes the color blue. He looked yummy.

For a second, I wondered what he’d do if I dragged him upstairs to my room. The idea was tempting and had me clenching my legs closed. Get a grip, Catalina!

“How nice of you.” I walked down a step, pulling the door closed behind me. “Let’s go, shall we?” His nostrils flared, and I watched his cheeks turn a deep red.

He mumbled something, walking quickly down the steps. I was almost jogging trying to keep up with him.

Magic and Mayhem was located in the main building, just like every other class except gym. We made it just as the bell rang.

Mateo started to take a seat up front, but I guided him to the back. Our professor, a short stubby woman, came in and got straight into the pros and cons of untamed magic.

I zoned out almost immediately, trying not to react to Mateo’s body heat. Plus he smelled amazing, like new books and mangoes. I didn’t remember him smelling this good yesterday.

I found myself unconsciously leaning closer to him, wishing very much I’d dragged him to my room. Despite being kind of nerdy, he was in good shape. Muscles everywhere filled out his clothes nicely.

“Ms. Cortez, can you tell me the strongest magic element there is?” the professor asked. I growled in frustration. Couldn’t she tell I was checking out the perfect specimen next to me?

Facing the front, I plastered a smile on my face. “Fire?” Next to me, Mateo choked out something that sounded strangely like ‘air. “And air?” I added.

Her eyes narrowed at the seat next to mine. “Partially correct. The answer is air. Mr. Beckham, maybe next time you should keep your answers to yourself.”

He shrank into his seat, embarrassment clear as day on his face. I waited until Professor Killjoy turned around before I smiled at him.

“Thanks.”

His gaze flicked over to me, face softening. “Stop spacing out and pay attention.” His demanding tone shocked me, but I nodded. For him, I would try to stay focused.

For the next thirty minutes, anyway.

***

“God, paying attention is so much work.” I leaned dramatically on Mateo, who laughed. We were heading to lunch.

I’d decided until I was fully in the pack, I’d eat in the library. And maybe after that, I could convince Mateo to eat with the wolves.

I still wasn’t sure what group he belonged with, and he’d made no indication that he planned to tell me.

“You only have three more years of paying attention every single day. No pressure,” he joked, smiling at me in amusement.

This was his first year here, just like me. But unlike me, he’d started with everyone else, not in the middle of the school year.

Sometime between our first and second classes, he’d started to relax more around me, which made me happy. But the blushing still came. It was like he couldn’t help it.

I threw my hands up. “I might not make it!” Our laughter was cut short when we entered the cafeteria and Abigail called my name from their table.

“I’ll be back,” I told him. He nodded. I jogged over to her. “What’s up?”

Her lust-filled eyes were glued to Mateo. I snapped my fingers in her face and she smirked. “Lucien texted me. He wants to meet you after school when he gets here on Friday.

“He wants to meet at the war games.” Her look was full of pity. The war games? Why would I meet him there? I nodded anyway, making my way back to Mateo.

I didn’t speak again until we were sitting in the library. “What do you know about the war games?” I asked, eating a fry.

He was hunched over a book that, strangely, looked like Twilight. Pausing before grabbing his next fry, he turned to me. “Mostly only the fae and werewolves play them. Why?”

“I’m supposed to meet Lucien there on Friday.” I shrugged, biting my burger. Mateo watched me with a glint in his eyes.

He shook his head, as if trying to get rid of his thoughts. “That’s not good... do you know how to shift on command?”

My brows furrowed. “I don’t know how to shift at all.”

He paused, putting his book down. “Your parents never taught you?” I shook my head.

“I’m an orphan. I never met them,” I answered. He cleared his throat awkwardly. “Why do only the fae and wolves play?”

“The war games were created so the werewolves could release the aggression they tend to have, in a more supervised way. Only the fae join because most of them can shift into animals as well.”

I cursed. “Why the hell does he want me to meet him there?” What was his game plan? Was that how he planned to knight me in?

By throwing me to the wolves…literally? The more I heard about Lucien, the more I disliked him.

He shrugged. “The games are pretty pointless, though. No team ever wins. Lucien is the team captain for the wolves, and Nick is captain for the fae.

“They’re evenly matched in skills, and neither one ever gets the upper hand. They’ve been going at it for two years now, I heard.”

“Maybe he hopes to use me as a distraction.” A new girl could possibly throw off his opponent.

“Maybe.” We finished eating and packed our trash. “I can walk you there if you want. When the time comes,” he offered, the tips of his ears turning red.

I loved how easily he blushed. “Thanks, but I got it,” I told him. He nodded but didn’t look happy about my decision.

I silently promised I’d make it up to him another time. I hated seeing that look on his face. It didn’t belong.