Page 24 of A Dusk Of Stars

It takes me a second to pull myself together. The pretense makes me grit my teeth. With a smile, he comes to a stop not too far away from me, gesturing for me to get up and introduce myself. He’s probably expecting me to be all apologetic and evasive about it.

I have to fight not to dart out of the room, but I choose not to give him what he wants. I get up and I say, “I’m Anna Novak, and I don’t have any gifts from the constellations yet.”

I can see the way in which everyone turns to stare at me, and I can hear the little snickers, but I decide to ignore them. I sit back down.

Lorcan shows no such restraint. He shakes his head, pretending as if he can’t believe it. As if he doesn’t know me. “Well well, Miss Novak,” he says with fake sympathy, “this is highly unusual.” Then, as if he’s just remembered something, he takes a few steps closer to me and says, “But not to worry. If you can’t show us any of your gifts, you can shift for us.”

For a second, I just keep looking at him, fighting the urge to snap. I fail. “You know very well that I can’t.”

Feigning surprise, Lorcan clicks his tongue. “Well, Miss Novak, your incompetence coupled with your attitude…”

Fuck.

“You’ve just earned yourself the obligation to attend special classes.”

I breathe a sigh of relief. Then I notice everyone around me suppressing laughs and I realize that having to take special classes must be something degrading.

Perfect. I grit my teeth, but I decide I won’t be rocking the boat any more than I already have. “Yes, professor,” I say.

The bell sounds, Lorcan dismisses us and everyone starts dispersing. I grab my tote and move to rush out of the classroom, fuming when I realize I’ve just earned myself the pleasure of having to see Lorcan on an even more regular basis.

The guy who stinks of the book that set this entire chain of events in motion.

Chapter 9

Ifind myself walking behind two shifter girls, checking my schedule and hoping I have another class lined up to distract me from all this shit.

The girls are rushing, but they seem to be in high spirits. “He’s actually making me look forward to class,” one of them says. The other just lets out a giggle and keeps marching.

It makes me roll my eyes, when I realize they’re talking about Bane. He was all students could focus on before Lorcan’s class as well. From what I could gather, they seem to be able to sense that he’s an alpha, but it’s notthatwhich fascinates them. It’s the fact that he’s an alpha without a pack, which admittedlyisan unusual thing to be. I’d just think it would be a red flag for them.

I keep walking, trying my hardest not to let myself think about the guy.

I fail.

Not just because of the eyes — the magic of which I find fascinating, however begrudgingly. While this wasn’t somethingI was aware of at the moment, he seems to be more opaque to me than most people, even the Originals. I mean, he’s obviously an arrogant, self-centered asshole.

But normally, I don’t just get the sense ofwhatpeople are. I get the sense ofwhythey are what they are as well.

I watch the girls dart into a classroom to our left, and I’m not just feeling sorry forthem, I’m feeling sorry for all the girls with enough damage to swoon overthatguy.

Still, when I move to pass the classroom, I just can’t resist the urge.

I walk up to the door that they’ve left slightly ajar, leaning a little forward until the room — at least the central part of it — comes into view. It’s one of the gyms that I’m peering into. The class seems to be in full swing, senior students in both human and shifted forms running some tactical simulation.

It doesnotlook harmless.

Where’s the professor, I think when I don’t spot him anywhere near them.

I angle my head a little to the right. My eyebrows shoot up when I spot him leaning against a desk all the way on the other side, talking on the phone without even trying to keep an eye out on the kids.

To make it even worse, I’m pretty sure it’s a business call that he’s on. With a straight face and an air of authority, he’s giving orders to the person on the other side of the line.

I frown.

Then I spot a movement from him, as if he’s about to crane his neck to look in my direction, and I freeze.

I move out of view and start turning on my heel to get away, when I hear a panicked murmur.

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