Page 3 of The Witch & the Grizzly

She paused when she saw Professors Umber and Valgrur locked together in conversation. Those two professors were rarely seen anywhere near each other, as they lectured on different floors and taught wildly different subjects.

Professor Valgrur then turned to point at her, and the dragon professor strode toward her.

Oh crap. I hope I’m not in trouble.

Chapter Two – Nathan

Dreadmor Academy stuck out like an aberration against the horizon, an incredible, mesmerizing presence, and Nathan couldn’t help but recall some of his fondest memories while he was there: his friends, the wild nights at the bars in the various villages that surrounded Dreadmor. He’d had more than a few brief infatuations there as well, enjoying the thrill of the chase of being wanted and desired by another.

He didn’t remember the faces of those he had actually bedded or fucked – he just recalled the rush of emotions, the pleasure, the conclusion of the hunt. True, he had a slight advantage compared to other people. The same advantage that had led him to his job – which led him back here just over a year after graduation.

Nathan inhaled deeply, drinking in the sight of the imposing academy, the steep spikes of the towers, and the balcony where those with the ability to fly, like professors Umber and Valgrur, came and went.

Now, he was being called back to the place that had made him, that had given a head start for what promised to be an adventurous, fulfilling career where he’d get to travel the world. It meant meeting people from all over, discovering new aspects of all those different cultures, and then testing the limits of his peculiar brand of magic, which he’d inherited from his fae ancestors.

But first things first. He was there today to greet his cousin, who’d arranged to meet him during her lunchtime.

“Nice to see you back at the school again,” Harriet said, giving him a traditional bear hug. “Didn’t you mention something about teaching here at some point?”

Nathan shook his head. “If I do end up teaching here, it’ll be when I’m much older and can’t travel anymore. How’s the potion work going?”

“Badly. I’m a little better with enchanting metals. It’s a shame I didn’t end up with your powers, though. Imagine what an absolute sex goddess I could be.”

“That’s not what these powers are for,” he replied, though he had taken advantage of that aspect of them. For too long, really. It was hard to know at times if the connections he made were actually genuine or just a result of the charm.

“You don’t spend your career going around and boinking people, then?”

“No!” he exclaimed. “What do you take me for?”

“You know perfectly well what we take you for,” Harriet replied with an impish grin. “It’s all the family talks about. How you picked up the fae charm, how you can just smile and people jump into bed with you. What I wouldn’t give for magic like that!”

Nathan smiled, though he’d heard those words before from many others. They envied the power. They didn’t really consider how exhausting it could be to have people start gaping and stalking you out of nowhere just because the power was impossible to turn off. Sure, they offered scent blockers and perfumes that supposedly dampened the effect. Even now, as he stood there, women and men were glancing at him curiously. One blonde-haired woman stopped dead in her tracks, staring intently. If she stared any harder, her eyes might just pop out of their sockets.

Even the pheromone blockers he was wearing didn’t appear to have any effect. Great.

“And it’s happening again,” Harriet observed. “Jesus, what I wouldn’t give… anyway, why are you here again?”

“Business. I was invited here by Professor Umber,” Nathan replied. “The school’s considering hiring me for something. They haven’t shared many details yet, though.”

“Let me know how it goes. Been a while since we’ve talked! By the way, a bunch of my friends and I are going to the Gorserow bar tonight. At least two of them have said they want to get to know you better… it would be good for me if I could get you to come.”

“Not for me.” He tucked his hands in his pockets. “I’ve been trying to avoid all of that lately.”

“Really!” Harriet threw her hands in the air. “First Eva, now you? Why is everyone choosing to abstain from having fun these days? Life’s boring – you’re born, you work, you get old, and you die. Why not enjoy life while you can?”

“I’ve already enjoyed it quite a bit. Taking breaks is good.” He smiled at his cousin before heading into the school, trying not to notice the heads turning his way. Two years ago, the attention would’ve thrilled him.

Now, it left him with a distinct feeling of being other, as if he wasn’t really a member of his clan or a shapeshifter able to turn into a bear – but an actual other-worldly fae, as alien as they came.

Somehow, he’d inherited the fae preternatural charm in spades. Still, it allowed him to get a good job, so he didn’t complain too much.

Another person stopped and stared at him. He allowed a side glance and spotted a flash of red hair and deep amber eyes.

Something lurched deep within. He kept walking, quickly fixated his gaze ahead, and sped up a little.

Red hair. That was the one thing he remembered. One of his best sexual experiences had been with someone with that hair color. Ever since that first experience with a redhead, he’d had a few more, but they didn’t really compare, and his interest in the hunt waned after those. If only he actually remembered more about the encounter. If he squeezed his memory, he recalled the way her hair fanned out onto the pillow beneath her. Amber eyes… did she have amber eyes? It was dark. The bar was dark, too. It muted the natural colors and threw everything into shadow.

What if…? He glanced behind him, but she was already gone.

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