Page 2 of Mixing Drinks For Tipsy Weasels

And it'll mean I get the dress I've been eyeing up for weeks. And considering I have no idea what I'm wearing to the end of year ball yet, that's a good thing.

Or I guess I do know now.

I sit down and lean back in my seat, checking the notifications on my phone while I wait for the others to arrive. An email pops up from the head of the Ball Committee and I click on it, unsurprised to find that there's a meeting tomorrow evening, though Iamsurprised that there's a new member beingintroduced this close to the event. Either someone left, or they just thought they needed more help. I type out a quick response so they know I'll be there, then drop my phone onto the table just as Mandy comes inside and puts a tray of drinks down on the table.

"Thanks, Mandy," I say to the succubus.

"Oh, don't thank me, Darius got them this time." She smiles over her shoulder at the cupid entering behind her.

"Next ones are on me, then," I respond as they sit down opposite me, leaving the final seat open for Carlton, who isn't normally late, but seems to be running behind right now.

Darius reaches out and puts his arm on the back of Mandy's chair in a gesture of casual affection. They've been better about that in the past couple of weeks, and Mandy's looking a lot healthier than she did when we first started having study sessions. Which isn't saying much considering she collapsed at one once. I don't know enough about succubi to know if the change is due to her relationship status, or if it's just a coincidence, but it doesn't seem like one.

I push that to the side and focus instead on what we're here for. Revising an entire term's worth of lectures so none of us fail our exam.

Chapter 2

Erica

My head is buzzingfrom the last-minute cram session, but I try to push it all out of my mind as I head into the student union. Now I need to forget about the exams and focus on the up-coming ball. In hindsight, it probably wasn't a good idea for me to be having to deal with both at the same time, but I didn't know my exam schedule when I signed up, and this will look great on my CV. Which will make all the difference when I apply for the next stage of my education. And it's good to be involved in something that's such an important part of the academy year.

I sigh and head into the meeting room, putting on my best smile as I can. Even though I need a break from revising, I'm frustrated that it's here and not grabbing something fun to eat from Deserts After Dark, though I suppose I can stop on the way back to my flat and pick myself something up. They do great chips for somewhere that specialises in sweet stuff.

"Ah, Erica, you're here," Robin says, turning to greet me with a stiff smile on their face. Maybe I'm not the only one wishing I'm somewhere else.

"Hi, Robin," I respond.

"How are you?"

I try to give them my warmest smile. "Neck deep in revision."

"Huh, I thought exams were over."

"Not for psychology students, we've still got two left," I respond, trying not to betooannoyed by that.

"Ah. I had no idea," Robin responds. "You're going to be fine to do all the prep work for the ball, right?"

"Mmhmm." I know it's their job to make sure everything runs smoothly for the ball, but it's frustrating that it's something they're focusing on over my upcoming exams. But there's a time and a place to complain about that and it isn't here.

"Good, because we already had to replace Shaw, he went home early," RObin says.

"Didn't his sister get sick?" I think I remember him saying as much, and that he was thinking of heading back now his exams were done so he could help his parents care for her.

Robin nods. "Something like that. It put us in a bit of a bind, but luckily, Sami knew someone who had a flatmate who was interested so here we are. I think he's even a weasel shifter like you."

"I'm a least weasel, not a weasel shifter," I murmur.

"What's the difference?"

"Semantics, I guess," I respond, mostly because it's always a lot of effort to get people to understand the difference and I don't have the brain capacity to explain that least weasels are mythological beings and not technically shifters. No one ever gets it, unless they're something similar to begin with.

"All right, well, semantics aside, the new guy is a weasel shifter." They turn around and tap a broad-shouldered guy on the shoulder.

He turns around and I stare for a moment, not believing my eyes.

"This is Rupert," Robin says, gesturing to the guy unnecessarily. "And this is..."

"Erica," he responds, his voice lower than I last heard it and full of something that I think can only be described as animosity.

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