Page 12 of Hexmate

“Hey,” I said, approaching him with a smile.

Caden looked up, his blue eyes lighting up when he saw me. “Hey yourself. How was practice?”

“Brutal,” I admitted. “Coach Harding was in rare form today.”

Caden winced sympathetically. “Sounds rough. I don’t know anything about wrestling but considering how good of shape you’re in… I’d guess it’s probably hard work.”

So, he noticed I was in good shape, huh? Why did the thought of him looking at me go straight to my cock?

“Ready to get some lunch?” he asked, nodding toward the student center doors.

“God yes,” I said fervently. As we walked towards the entrance, I debated whether to bring up what I’d overheard in the locker room. I didn’t want to worry Caden unnecessarily, but I also felt he had a right to know.

We didn’t talk much as we gathered our food. But when we settled into a quiet corner of the cafeteria with our trays away from everyone else, I took a deep breath. “So, um, there’s something I should probably tell you.”

Caden looked up, a forkful of salad halfway to his mouth. “Oh?” His blue eyes widened slightly, a flicker of apprehension crossing his face.

I lowered my voice. “I overheard some of the guys talking in the locker room. Apparently the dean is going to make some bigannouncement about... separating witches from the rest of us. Something about the alumni ball last night.”

Caden’s fork clattered to his plate. “What? Why would they do that?”

I shrugged helplessly. “I don’t know all the details. But it sounds like they might be creating witch-only spaces - dorms, bathrooms, maybe even a separate cafeteria.”

Caden’s face had gone pale. “That’s... that’s insane. I don’t want to be separated from everyone else. I already feel like enough of an outsider.” He leaned back in his chair. “I bet you Professor Blackwood is in on it too. God, I fucking hate purists.”

The anger in his voice surprised me. I’d pegged Caden as the quiet, nerdy type that let people walk all over him. But there was some fire in him. Then again, he had stood up to Rowan for me, so he must not have been too timid.

“I don’t know if they’ll actually go through with it,” I shrugged, taking a bite of chicken from my plate. “But Coach Harding mentioned it as well, so it’s real enough for him to worry.”

Caden’s brow furrowed as he pushed his food around his plate. Clearly he was irritated. I felt bad for even bringing it up, but I wasn’t sure what else to talk to him about. I didn’t know anything about the guy and the way Widdershins Academy was headed, I might never get the chance. Then again, that was probably for the best considering I was having all these strange feelings I didn’t understand.

“So… uh… why kind of magic do you study?” I asked, changing the subject. “I hear most witches have a specialty.”

Caden scoffed and crossed his arms. “Not me. I’m the powerless witch, remember? Surely, you’ve heard about me.”

“I… don’t know many witches,” I said quietly, realizing I’d stepped into dangerous territory. Clearly Caden was upset talking about his magic. “They pretty much keep to themselves.”

“Well, then let me fill you in so you don’t waste your time trying to be friends with me,” he sighed, looking up at me. “I’m Caden Cromwell, son of the famous Damien Cromwell. My father is donating a lot of money to the school because I wouldn’t have been accepted otherwise. My green magic is weak, my power almost nonexistent, and there’s a fairly decent chance my father will just make me disappear if I don’t impress him by the end of the year.”

“Disappear?” I asked, raising an eyebrow.

Caden nodded. “Permanently.”

There was a sudden rush of protectiveness through my chest. I felt the urge to reach out and grab Caden, to hold him close and swear that nobody, not even his father, would harm him in any way. Not while I was around.

I forced the feeling back, caught off guard by how strong it was. Then I swallowed hard, trying to process Caden’s words. The idea of his own father wanting to “make him disappear” was chilling. And yet, a part of me wasn’t entirely surprised. The magical world could be ruthless, especially among the elite.

“That’s... that’s awful,” I managed to say, my voice low.

He shrugged, but I could see the tension in his shoulders. “It’s fine. I’m used to it.”

“It’s not fine,” I insisted, surprising myself with the intensity in my voice. “No one should have to live with that kind of pressure. Especially not from their own family.”

Caden looked up at me, his blue eyes wide with surprise. For a moment, I thought I saw a flicker of vulnerability there, but it was quickly masked.

“Thanks,” he said softly. “But don’t you deal with the same thing? You’re the son of an Alpha pack leader. I’m sure you have big shoes to fill too.”

“How do you know that about me?”

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