Page 16 of Hexmate

The conversation flowed more easily after that, with the other wrestlers chiming in with their own stories and jokes. I found myself laughing along, surprised at how comfortable I felt among them. It was so different from the calculated politeness and underlying tension I was used to with other witches.

As lunch drew to a close, Atlas leaned in close again. “We have a study group later in the library. Want to join us?”

I hesitated, torn between wanting to spend more time with him and knowing I not only had work to do, but a now a job to attend as well.

“I can’t,” I sighed. “I’m sorry. I’ve just got too much to do, and I’ve got work tonight.”

“Do you like working for the school gymnasium?” Atlas asked, lifting an eyebrow. “I think the smell alone would kill me.”

“It’s gross,” I nodded. “But I have to. My father is demanding I pay some of my tuition because he claims I have too much free time.”

“Do you?”

I shook my head. “This lunch with you? That was all the free time I had today. And I’ve got a big report on magic runes due tomorrow, so I’ll be lucky if I sleep tonight.”

He looked at me, his shoulders drooping. “I’m sorry I took up all your time…”

For some reason, I reached out and placed a hand on his thick shoulder. “It’s alright,” I smiled. “I had fun. And your friends are nice. Way nicer than I expected.”

“They’re good guys. Crass, but good.” He leaned a little closer, his lips almost against my ear, sending a shiver through my body. “And I meant what I said. You’re one of us now. So, if anyone messes with you… you just let me know, okay? I’ll protect you.”

As I leaned back and looked up into those soft golden eyes of his, I knew he was telling the truth.

“O-Okay,” I stammered, my heart beating a million miles per hour. “I’ll do that.”

“Good,” he nodded, patting my thigh. “Go work on your report and I’ll find you again tomorrow.”

I stood up, my heart still racing. “Alright. Bye.” I walked maybe five steps before I stopped and looked back. “And thanks again, Atlas.”

“No problem, buddy.”

Even though it was a terribly common pet name and probably meant absolutely nothing, it still sent a thrill through my chest. As I headed back to the dorms to start my paper, I don’t think my feet touched the ground the entire way.

Chapter 7

Atlas

“There are several types of bonds possible for shifters to form during their lives,” the professor said, flipping through the slides projected on a large screen at the front of the room. “Most commonly there is the bond between an Alpha and his pack. While most people think this is specific to werewolves, it is not. Many other shifters, including Beasts and Orcs, can develop such a bond. A similar bond occurs in Vampires and Fae between them and their leaders, although they don’t use Alpha terminology.”

My notebook sat open in front of me, my pen abandoned. This was all pretty basic information, stuff I’d been taught by my father growing up. Since I was the next in line to take over the pack, I had to know those things.

“The second most common bond is the mate bond,” he continued.

My ears perked up. Of course, my father told me about mate bonds. But as far as he was concerned, they were things to be made, not things to leave to chance.

“Mate bonds come in two forms. There are those that are forged, much like normal relationships. More time spent together between two individuals can produce a bond. Evenhumans experience love, so this is not terribly hard to create, it just takes time.” He paused, looking over the class. “The other is the fated mate bond. It is completely unpredictable, incredibly strong, and thanks to much research in the past decade, we know that there is some magical aspect to this type of bond.”

I couldn’t help fidgeting nervously in my seat as my thoughts turned to Caden.

The professor’s words faded into the background as my mind wandered to Caden. His shy smile, those captivating blue eyes, the way his blonde hair fell across his forehead. We’d only spoken a few times since the semester started, but each interaction left me craving more.

I found myself wondering if Caden could be my fated mate. The thought both thrilled and terrified me. My father would never approve - he had plans for me to bond with the daughter of a neighboring pack’s Alpha. But the pull I felt towards Caden was unlike anything I’d experienced before.

“Mr. Faolan,” Professor Horvath’s voice cut through my daydream. “Perhaps you’d like to share your thoughts on fated mate bonds with the class?”

I felt my cheeks flush as all eyes turned to me. “I... uh...” I stammered, desperately trying to recall what he’d been saying.

Just then, the classroom door opened, and Karrick slipped in, late as usual.

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