Page 15 of Oleander
Guess I’ll ask the prince when I invite him to Hawk’s party.
The fall air is cool and crisp, the scent of pine and damp earth prevalent. I inhale deeply, enjoying nature and absorbing the tranquility of my surroundings.
There’s a trail behind our dorm, marked with signs and a clear enough path that I feel comfortable going for a hike. Before I enter the forest, I turn around for a moment, staring up at the building that looks more like a castle than a dorm.
I can’t believe I live up there.
I really don’t belong.
Leaves crunch under my dirty Chucks as I step over the fallen debris on the decaying forest floor. It’s calm out here, nothing but plants and small animals to keep me company. I’m not used to ancient forests full of towering trees, more like wheat fields and wind turbines.
This is nice. I can admit it. But I can’t stay. Ihaveto find a way home. I don’t care if I’m half-Fae. My father clearly kept me away from this place. From thisworld. I grasp my pendant tightly. I have to believe it was for some sort of reason.
So why would I want to be here now?
I’ll bide my time, go to class like a good little boy, and learn as much as I can about my Fae heritage. If I gain control of my magic, I can safely leave. Ihaveto find a way back to the human world, to Mom, and to a normal college experience. I’m still not completely convinced that I’m not hallucinating all of this and actually in a mental institution or possibly even a coma.
Regardless, this is my temporary reality, so I’ll try to be cool, make friends, and not be completely miserable. But it’s hard when I’m shackled like a criminal or worse, amonster.
Not long into my hike, I reach the stone wall that protects the academy grounds from the rest of the forest. Thewildpart of the forest. I shiver, thinking about what sorts of creatures lie beyond, deep in the woods. I sure wouldn’t want to find out alone. My journey here was uneventful, but we were on the main trail, and I’m sure the giant-ass swords tucked against Onyx and Birch’s backs had something to do with it as well.
I walk along the perimeter, wandering aimlessly while I trail my fingers across the rough facade. Electricity pulses through the weathered stone, fortifying the outer wall and shielding our school. From what, I’m not sure yet. Or if I even want to find out.
My mind wanders to Oleander next, the intriguing fairy boy who’s an actualprince. Even though we come from two different worlds, he’s an outsider here like me. As soon as I saw thoseassholes trying to intimidate him in the hallway, I knew I’d have his back. He’s not some stuck-up prince. He seems almost. . .vulnerable.
Beyond the camaraderie, there’s something else—an attraction.And maybe even a connection.Heneedsto come to this party with me tomorrow night. I don’t trust these other fairies not to haze me with some sort of drink that’ll make me meow like a kitten every time I open my mouth.
A chill starts to seep into me as the afternoon progresses, so I pull my hood up and tuck my hands into the pockets of my borrowed hoodie. Realizing I’ve been out here long enough, and it’s getting late, I turn around and head back to Edgemoor Hall, intent on borrowing a cell phone to call my mom and check in before she freaks out.
When I get to the suite, Oleander is pottering around, setting up and tending to plants of all shapes, sizes, and colors. Our living room looks like a small rainforest, and I’m kind of digging it.
He spins around at the sound of the door unlocking, and I drop my hood, sniffling a bit from being outside too long.
“Your ears are red. Are you cold?” Oleander immediately asks with concern.
“Just a chill. No biggie.”
“Your smaller, human ears have no insulation and can’t hold heat like Fae ears.”
I eye his tall, pointy ears, the tips barely sticking out of his hair. He has this ethereal quality to him.Inhuman. It’s kind of sexy.
I twist the diamond stud in my earlobe, a graduation present from my mom, and Oleander’s gaze zeroes in on the movement. I smirk, biting my lip as I watch him watch me.
“Oh yeah?” I ask, deciding to take a risk with my next question. “Do you like them?” My fingers let go of the stud and trail up the shell of my ear, caressing the rounded top.
A blush settles on Ander’s cheeks, and I think I get my answer.
“You must get earmuffs,” he insists. “I shall order you some. Plus, other essentials you’ll need in the coming months. Faerie gets much colder in the winter than you’re accustomed to. I’m sure of it.”
The way he speaks so formally and otherworldly goes straight to my dick. I clear my throat, willing the chub away before he sees a dick imprint through my sweats.
I’ve considered myself bisexual for years, having always been attracted to guys as much as girls but never acted on it. I’m curious, to say the least, and this beautiful man, thisFae, is fucking tempting.
Even though he wants me to wearearmuffs.
“You don’t have to buy me anything,” I say graciously, fully knowing I desperately need that stuff after being abandoned in the Otherworld. If I see Onyx again, like he said I will, we’re going to have some words.
“I want to. It’s nothing, really. I need some things myself. I’ll order a bunch, we can pick and choose, and I’ll have someone return the rest. I’ve been shopping this way for years.”
