Page 8 of Hexmate

I walked over to my bed, dropping my bag on the floor and flopping down on my stomach. “It was… smelly.”

Wild snorted, his pointed ears twitching with amusement. “Smelly? That’s all you’ve got?”

I buried my face in my pillow, inhaling the clean scent of laundry detergent. It was a welcome respite from the pungent odors that had assaulted my nostrils all day. “You have no idea,” I mumbled into the fabric. “It’s like someone bottled essence of sweaty jock and wet dog, then sprayed it all over the place.”

“Mmm, sounds delightful,” Wild purred, and I could practically hear the mischievous grin in his voice. “Maybe I should get a job there too. I’m always down to stare at a bunch of sweaty jocks.”

I lifted my head to glare at him. “Don’t you dare. I need at least one place where I can escape your particular brand of chaos.”

Wild clutched his chest in mock offense. “You wound me, darling. I thought you loved my chaos.”

“Like a hole in the head,” I retorted, but I couldn’t help the small smile that tugged at my lips. Wild had that effect on people–infuriating and endearing in equal measure. He was the only friend I had in all of Widdershins Academy. Being around him, though infuriating at times, felt like the most normal part about my life.

He slid off his bed with feline grace, sauntering over to perch on the edge of my bed. His short, sandy brown curls flopped forward as he leaned in close. “Come on, tell me more. I want all the juicy details. Did you see any cute guys? Any secret supernatural shenanigans?”

I rolled my eyes but sat up to face him. “It’s a gymnasium, Wild. Not exactly a hotbed of romance.”

“Gyms can be very romantic,” he insisted with a wink. “All those hormones, forbidden desires… the open showers…”

“You’ve been reading too many trashy novels again, haven’t you?”

Wild grinned, unashamed. “Maybe. But seriously, nothing interesting happened?”

I hesitated, thinking back to the strange incident in the locker room. The way Rowan, a fellow witch, had tried to have his way with one of the werewolves using wolfsbane. It was the equivalent of slipping drugs into drinks at the club, but it only worked on wolves. I still couldn’t figure out what Rowan had been trying to do to Atlas. Although, the way things had been heading and the look on his face told me that it wasn’t good. He clearly didn’t care who he hurt as long as he got what he wanted. Typical power-hungry witch.

Wild’s ears perked up, sensing my hesitation. “Ooh, there is something! Spill!”

I sighed, running a hand through my hair. “It’s kind of private,” I said, not sure if Atlas would want me sharing the story around the school. Not to mention, Rowan had a powerful family and Wild wasn’t good at keeping secrets. “But let’s just say I stopped someone from getting taken advantage of.”

Wild’s eyes widened with interest. “Oh? Do tell. Who was the damsel in distress you saved?”

I hesitated, torn between my desire to confide in Wild and my instinct to keep Atlas’s ordeal private. “It was... one of the werewolves,” I admitted finally. “A witch was trying to use wolfsbane on him.”

Wild let out a low whistle. “Damn, that’s messed up. Good thing you were there to play hero.” He paused, a sly grin spreading across his face. “Was he at least hot? The werewolf, I mean.”

I felt heat creep into my cheeks. “Wild, that’s not the point-”

“So that’s a yes,” he interrupted, looking positively gleeful. “Come on, give me details. Tall? Muscular? Brooding?”

I groaned, flopping back onto my bed. “Fine. Yes, he was... attractive. But it doesn’t matter. Witches and werewolves don’t mix, you know that. And nobody wants to mix with me.”

Wild snorted. “Please. Rules are made to be broken, especially the stupid ones.” He leaned in closer, his eyes twinkling. “Just because this school is funded by a bunch of asshole purist witches doesn’t mean you can’t have a little fun. I don’t let it stop me.”

“You’re a fae,” I sighed. “Not a single one of you follow rules.”

“That is a vicious stereotype,” he grunted, crossing his arms over his chest. He glanced down at me, giving me a wink. “And one that is completely true.”

I couldn’t help but laugh at Wild’s antics, some of the tension from the day finally easing out of my shoulders. But as my laughter faded, the reality of my situation settled back in.

“It doesn’t matter anyway,” I said, my voice quieter now. “Even if I wanted to pursue something - which I don’t - Atlas would never be interested in someone like me.”

Wild’s eyebrows shot up. “Atlas? As in Atlas Faolan? The alpha’s son?”

I winced, realizing I’d let the name slip. “Yeah, that’s him. But you can’t tell anyone, okay?”

“Your secret is safe with me.” A slow, wicked grin spread across Wild’s face. “But honey, you’ve got it bad. That’s plain to see. And for quite the catch, too.” He leaned in closer, his voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper. “I hear he’s hung like a-”

“Wild!” I yelped, shoving him away. “I don’t want to hear about... that.”

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