Page 54 of Fated to Monsters

I spin in a slow circle and consider what it might be like when the students are here. Who sits at what table? What kind of food do they eat? Is it loud with chatter or quiet as they keep to themselves? Do the humans and supernaturals co-mingle? How can the supernaturals be so close yet remain hidden? Are humans that oblivious? Or are the supernaturals just that good?

Dash smiles and stays by my side.

“What are they doing out there?” I ask when I spot Willow and someone else out through the windows.

They’re standing against the rail of a large patio attached to the back of the school. There are a few empty tables scattered about, and it leads to a grassy area that’s encased by a tree line in the distance.

Willow rests her head on a person nearly half a foot taller than her, and from a simple process of elimination, I assume it’s her other husband, Deghan. The only one I haven’t met yet.

The sun dips out of view in the distance, and the sky changes into a darker shade of orange with pink swirls cascading through it.

"Watching the sunset." Sydney comes near me, his arms crossed over his chest but not in a closed-off kind of way. More like he's admiring the view, too. The one of two people he deeply cares about. "It's kind of his thing." He glances over at me. "That's Deghan, by the way."

I nod and watch Deghan stand from his bent-over position at the rails, his height growing even more. He snatches Willow into his arms and twirls her into a circle before slowly lowering her to the ground. Both of their faces beam with happiness and somehow it warms my heart to witness such a simple, yet intimate interaction.

They share a brief kiss and lock hands, turning and stalking toward us together.

I feel like we should look away, do anything other than stare at them, but Sydney remains in wait, so I do, too.

“Syd, my man,” Deghan says the second he walks through the door. “How was your day?”

“Eventful, to say the least. And the pup training?”

Deghan laughs sharply. “Kept me busy, that’s for sure.” His gaze trails from Sydney to me, to Dash, then back to me. “And who do we have here?”

“Deghan,” Willow begins. “This is Wren, Wren Oliver.”

His brows curve up as he continues toward me. He releases Willow, and before I can react, he’s wrapped his arms around me into a body-crushing embrace. He lets go, holding me at an arm's length, his gaze scanning my face. "Oliver, ey? I think I see the family resemblance.”

I force a smile.

“Pleasure to meet an extension of the family.” Deghan turns his focus to the red-headed man beside me.

“And this”—Willow steps close—“is Dash.”

“Dash,” Deghan tries out on his tongue. He spares no expense, wrapping Dash into his arms and pulling him to his chest. He slaps his back and Dash seems to do the same, not bothered by the smothering affection this stranger is giving him.

"Nice to meet you," Dash says under Deghan's stronghold.

“Deghan’s a bit of a hugger, if you can’t tell,” Sydney mentions all too late.

Willow chuckles and tugs Deghan away from Dash. “You’re going to scare them away, Deg.”

“It’s fine, really,” Dash reassures them. “It’s a heck of a lot better of a welcome than what I’m used to back home.”

“Where is home?” Deghan asks him.

“Prania,” Dash says.

I tilt my head in the direction we came from and grow suspicious of how much information we should be confessing so publicly. Are there humans nearby that might hear and question what we're discussing?

“Never heard of it.” Deghan flits his gaze to Sydney.

Sydney shrugs. “Me either.”

“Weird.” Deghan scratches at his scruffy beard. “Have you asked Walker?”

"That's the plan." Willow tilts her wrist toward her to check the time. "He should be back shortly." She looks at me. "In the meantime, I have a theory I want to test. You in?”

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