Chapter 12
I try to keep my breathing steady. Not wanting to alert Mason to the fact I’m awake or that I’ve seen him. I scrunch my eyes closed, too scared to keep looking at those eyes. Slowly I move my hand to find Theo’s, and when my fingers wrap around his I give him three hard squeezes. He groans on the first squeeze, by the third he’s fully alert.
“Jose, what’s wrong?” he asks, sitting up.
“There’s someone in here,” I whisper. I feel Theo shift on the bed before the light clicks on.
“Where?” he asks. I open my eyes and look into the corner where I’d seen Mason, but he’s no longer there.
“He was right there,” I point with a shaky finger. Theo looks puzzled and slightly dazed. As he ‘scans the room. He checks the window and confirms it’s locked, then he checks any wardrobe and bathroom but finds nothing.
“Stay here, I’ll be right back,” he gives me a reassuring smile and picks up my room key before leaving. A few tense moments pass before Theo lets himself back into my room.
“I think it was a nightmare,” he smiles sympathetically.
“It wasn’t, I saw him. It was Mason,” I shake
my head.
“Mason is sleeping, I just checked. Plus he wouldn’t have been able to get in or out without making a noise,” Theo comes to sit beside me on the bed, he puts an arm around my shoulders and pulls me into his side to offer me comfort.
1
“Then who was it?” I ask meekly. Hating how weak this place is making me feel.
“What did you see exactly?”
“Not much, I heard them breathing and saw a silhouette, their eyes flashed a blue glow when I looked at them,” explain.
“Well that narrows it down to anyone in the realm with a teleporting ability,” he half laughs.
“Does everyone do the blue glowy eye thing?”
“Yes, we all do the blue glowy eye thing,” he teases. “We all have blue eyes, and they can sometimes glow when we are using power,”
“Can Mason teleport?” I ask.
“No, it wasn’t Mason,” he says with a sigh and I can hear the slight irritation in his voice.
“What’s the deal between you and him?”
“Me and Mason… I wish I knew. Imagine this super hot and mysterious guy, he’s a complete asshole to everyone, except you. He has a permanent scowl, but when he looks at you, he smiles and it takes your breath away. If anyone ever says a bad word to you they face his wrath. He talks to you about things he hides from everyone else. You’re the only one he lets see just how broken he is. Whenever you’re alone with him the air feels charged with sexual tension, but he never makes a move. So one day you pluck up the courage to kiss him. And it’s the hottest kiss ever and he’s really into it, but then suddenly he pulls away and spends the next week avoiding you. Then he acts as though it never happened and it’s back to the sexual tension.” he laughs, but it’s a pained laugh. I lean into him a little more, hoping I can give him some of the comfort he gives me.
“That’s really tough, have you tried to talk to him about it?
1/2
Chapter 0012
“Every time I mention it he walks away. I think he sees me more as a little brother and I am imagining the whole thing. I crossed a line when I kissed him,” he shrugs.
“I don’t think so, I mean if you could see the way he looks a me… and he tried to kill me again last night. I think he sees me as a threat because he is absolutely, head over heels in love with you,”
“I don’t think he was trying to kill you, just scare you. He’s that matters now because you’re here and you’re iny bond,
psycho, but he’s not a murderer. Anyway, none of he squeezes me closer to him.
“Theo, I like you, I do, but I’m not sure I’m ready for all this bond stuff, and I don’t want to come between you and Mason,” I say, chewing nervously on my bottom lip.
“Of course you’re not ready, your life has just been flipped upside down. That doesn’t change that we are bonds though, but it doesn’t mean I expect anything from you. I have to earn that. For now, we are friends, and I’m going to keep you safe and happy. Then one day, if you decide you want to bond with me, you’ll let me know. There’s no pressure,” he reassures and I sag against him in relief.
“Thank you, and thank you for the rescue earlier, and for not undressing me whilst I was in a magically induced coma,” I laugh.
“You can trust me, Jose. I’d never take advantage of you like that,” he smiles down at me.
“You said we are bonds, but we are not bonded. How does the bonding happen? Is it like a ceremony?” I ask.
“Sex,” he snorts and I gasp in mock horror.
“It is that simple?”
“Yep, have sex with your bond and you become bonded, that’s it,” he shrugs.
“So no casual sex, good to know,” I laugh and we fall into a comfortable silence for a while.
“I’m sorry I left you in Mr Collins‘ office,” Theo breaks the silence.
“Why did you? Did I do something?” I ask.
“No, it wasn’t you. I was worried about Mason. I wanted to warn him that Mr Collins knew what he’d done. I just made things worse though. He shifted into his wolf in a rage and left. I’d have followed him but I’ve only shifted once and I’ve not mastered it yet. I didn’t expect him to find you and make things ten times worse for himself. I won’t be surprised if he gets suspended today,” he sighs.
“Why didn’t he back down from Mr Collins? I thought they were going to have a full–on fight,”
“Those two have a history. They were friends at some point but when Mr Collins‘ dad died and he took over as headmaster they had a big falling out. I’m not sure about the details. I guess it’s difficult to have one of your classmates become your headmaster…”
“Wait,” I cut him off, “Mr Collins was a student at the same time as Mason? How old are they?”
“Yes, Mason is 22 and Mr Collins is 26. They trained together for two years before Collins graduated as a soldier when he was 24, but then came to take over as headmaster when his father died six months ago. He’s the youngest head to ever run the school,”
“Wow, that’s tough. Did they…” I begin, wanting all the gossip but I’m interrupted by a banging on my door. Who the hell is that at this time?” I ask. I follow Theo to my door and peek around it as he opens the door to a furious–looking Mason,