Page 19

It wasn’t a bad outfit, kind of cliché, but it was a prestigious private school. The quality of materials and workmanship shouted “money.” The sweater felt like cashmere, and the loafers were Italian leather, polished to a nice shine.

Blaire sighed, and before making any rash decisions, returned to her bed to go over the Korrena guidelines to see what she agreed to when she joined the academy.

Sometimes the pair may suspect their connection, if they already know each other prior to their full awakening, due to heightened emotions and other instinctive reactions. A marking will appear on the Korrena’s skin, the position and design unique to each pairing, allowing them to recognize one another. They are unable to see the mark on themselves until the pair completes the bonding ritual. No other Vasirian outside the pairing carries this exact mark.

The blood of one’s Korrena is intoxicating and can be addictive, but there is no cause for alarm, as due to the Vasirian’s regenerative nature, they can recover quickly from anemia brought on by the overindulgence of their partner.

Blaire shuddered and shook her head. “Really? So, what does that mean for humans?”

She frowned; she saw nothing regarding being a human Korrena as she flipped through the pages, scanning the information, until she came to a section about reproduction.

Not everyone finds their Korrena pair, but Vasirian, lucky enough to be blessed by the gods, are believed to have a purer continuation of their bloodline when they bring life into the world with their bonded mate. Korrena-born children test higher in intelligence, show sharper reflexes, and develop the power of mental manipulation.

“Nope. Nope, nope, nope.” Done with all of it, Blaire shoved the papers into the envelope and placed them in the top drawer of the nightstand. She needed a break from information overload. She sighed. She had signed a contract, so it was highly unlikely they would let her leave campus so easily.

Lukas still hadn’t returned, so she decided to take a shower.

The ensuite bathroom looked sleek and modern. The sink had a large counter with ample space on each side. One side of the sink held Lukas’s cologne, bracelets, and a hairbrush that had only a few long hairs in its bristles. Everything was neat and clean, much like the bedroom, so at least she wouldn’t have to deal with a messy roommate. On her side of the counter, she found it already stocked with a new hairbrush, dryer, hairbands, facial cleanser, and a blue candle that smelled like coconut. Next to the sink was a two-sided caddy that had toothbrushes and toothpastes. Her toothbrush was still in the packaging on her side.

A stand-up shower sat in the corner of the room and a small table was positioned beside it with fluffy black towels stacked on top. She opened the shower door and peered inside. The fragrance of Lukas’s body wash lingered, and she bit her lower lip. At least she liked his taste in shower products.

Reaching out, she grabbed the red bottle from the shelf in the shower and looked down at it. “Bearglove?” Blaire opened the top of the shower gel and took a sniff. She’d found the source of that spicy apple scent that made her insides turn to mush.

Placing the body wash on the shelf, she retrieved her bath products and pajamas from her suitcase, returned to the bathroom, and locked the door behind her. The shower water drumming on her scalp and back helped calm her thoughts.

Once she had finished and dried her hair, she pulled the covers down on the bed, ready for the day to be over. Turning the light off, she tried to relax, nestling into the soft bedding, and closed her eyes.

She hoped for a peaceful sleep to be ready to handle her first day of classes in the morning, but she doubted that, knowing at any moment a Vasirian man would return and occupy the same space as her.

Throwing open the door and flooding the room with light, Lukas charged straight into Aiden’s room without knocking.

Aiden shot off the bed and came at him, ready to throw a punch, but pulled up short.

Scowling, he raked a hand over his face. “Have you ever heard of knocking? I almost decked your ass.” He adjusted his boxers as he stomped across the floor back to his bed, sitting down and rubbing his tired eyes.

Lukas ran both of his hands through his long hair and looked up at the ceiling, ignoring Aiden’s complaints as he paced the room.

“Dude… what happened?” Aiden scratched his chest.

“I fucked up. I already fucked up.”

Arching a brow, Aiden stared at Lukas. “What happened? Did you hurt her or something? You’ve gotta calm down and tell me what’s going on, or I can’t help you.”

Lukas dragged a hand down his face and stopped pacing. “No! I didn’t hurt her. I couldn’t hurt her. I almost lost it over the idea of a stupid spider scaring her. Do you honestly think I could hurt her?”

He was spiraling, so he was thankful Aiden approached it delicately.

“Look man, just sit down and tell me exactly what happened.”

Lukas slumped onto the empty bed and sighed. “I don’t know what I’m going to do… I screwed everything up.” He ran a hand through his hair again. “I’m going crazy, and it’s been less than a day!”

“Dude, calm down. Explain things to me slowly, because you’re not making any sense.”

Lukas bared his teeth, feeling like a wild animal that could strike at any moment. He radiated tension, perched on the edge of the bed and jiggling his knee. “I couldn’t even stand to look at Blaire when you and Riley were there. I felt this overwhelming urge to protect her when she was scared of us. I nearly went to her and took her in my arms.” He sighed. “I know good and damn well neither of you would hurt her, but her fear was so strong.”

Aiden shook his head. “You know if you’d done that, it would have made her fear that much worse. You honestly looked at her like you despised her very existence.”

“Yeah, I know, and that’s why I tried to ignore her, but all that did was create more tension and make it harder.” Lukas looked up at Aiden, meeting his eyes with the hopelessness of a broken man. “I… I told her to pack her shit and leave.”