Page 26 of Krammin’ With A Kraken

“In good time, man.” Deus waved him away.

Ezric chuckled. “The lake’s not getting any warmer.”

“I’ll take care of you, Deus.” Alicia moved to the shallows and stood. She was a perfectly sculpted specimen of a woman. “You can swim out with me.”

MINE.

“He said no thank you.” My voice came out sharper than I’d intended, and Alicia’s eyes narrowed as she truly looked at me for the first time.

“Did he, though?” Ezric put a finger on his sharp chin. “Did you say no, De?”

Deus’s hand went to the back of his neck. “I mean, I could try.”

Was that sweat beading on Deus’s upper lip?

A cold breeze sent red and gold leaves chasing each other over the grass. I glanced up. Clouds were gathering where the sky had previously been blue.

“You obviously don’t want to.” I leaned toward Amadeus. “Just say no.”

“He can’t say no. Didn’t he tell you? It’s his weakness. And you might as well speak up. I’m a slayer.” He tapped his ear. “Enhanced senses, all of them.”

So that was Ezric’s paranormal species. Cold flushed over my body. I’d already known his family hunted my kind, but I hadn’t known what he was.

Many of my clan had lost their lives to slayers, making them the biggest risk to my species’ long-term survival. Ezric was probably one of the students Headmistress Losia had warned me about.

He smiled at Deus, and maybe it was because I was starting to think of him as a world-class dick, but the smile seemed cold and cruel.

“We need to finish this presentation, Deus. Come on.” I stood up, closing my laptop.

The library was probably full of people at that hour, but maybe I could convince Ayla to let us hang out in the dorm room.

At least I knew that she, the self-proclaimed sexless succubus, wouldn’t be throwing herself at Deus in a strapless bikini.

Deus seemed only too happy to scramble to his feet. “Uh, yeah. I mean, sure. If you feel you need to practice more.”

I rolled my eyes. I was saving his adorable arse, yet he thought he could pretend he was some kind of helping hero?

Ezric’s smile flattened. He watched Deus pick up his books, stacking them neatly. As Deus got to his feet and slung his backpack over his shoulder, Ezric plucked a book from the top of the pile.

“Shifters of the Arctic,” Ezric read aloud. “Any good?”

“It’s kinda dry, actually. But it had some—Hey!”

Ezric drew back his arm and hurled the book. Deus’s books tumbled from his arms as he leaped after it. But his effort was futile. The book spun through the air, skipped twice over the surface of the lake, and sank.

Deus turned to Ezric, his mouth agape. For the first time, there was no hint of easy-going geniality on his face. “What the heck, man? That’s a library book.”

Sharp, gold light seemed to radiate from his skin. It was so bright and prickling that I found myself looking away from Deus.

“So go get it, Golden Boy. It’ll dry off.” Ezric smirked.

Deus looked to the lake, then back at Ezric.

This was why I didn’t do friends. They were a serious pain in the tush. Shoving past Ezric, I stomped over to the lake.

I kicked off my sneakers and rolled up my sleeves. My skin tingled, warning me that this was a spectacularly bad idea. I wanted to release my true form too much.

But I was finished watching Deus get bullied by his so-called friend and finished wasting my time as other people tried to flirt with my partner—my project partner.

---