Page 3 of The Fall Before the Heat

“No, I’m not. Just tired I guess.”

“My sire’s a lion,” Rex said again, running his free hand through his already messy hair. “The eyes. You were about to ask about them. Everyone does.”

“Are you a lion too?” I asked.

“No,” he shook his head. “I could explain to you the complicated ways in which genetics mix between shifter species or I can put the kettle on. You look like you could use a cuppa.”

“Please,” I sighed.

“Then I’ll need my hand back. The suitcases are up against the wall just inside the door. Don’t worry. They won’t attack you again,” he smiled.

“Oh, sorry,” I said, and dropped his hand like a hot potato.

“No worries,” he winked. “Welcome to Hemlock Academy.”

“Thanks,” I said, my hand still hanging mid-air as he turned to put the kettle on.

Chapter Two

Rex

“Are you back yet?” Lost’s voice sounded off in my earpiece. “I don’t know whether you tried to murder your new roommate or saved him from being murdered before making tea. You’re stateside now. Drink coffee like the rest of them.”

I didn’t answer until I was safely in the kitchen and Del had shut the door behind me. He was adorable in that tired, frustrated, and clumsy sorta way. He was headstrong and fleeing the war that I’d missed all of. Well, mostly. I hadn’t lied about being at Hemlock Academy on a scholarship or being promised a spot at the Moonscale Hospital in London. My parents were gardeners for the ruling family. Clarence and Medwin didn’t like it when I called them that, but that’s what they were. Cade liked it even less. Though, he was banished now. So maybe he’d finally shrugged off the title.

I’d grown up in the literal shadow of Moonscale Manor in a small, but adequate staff house. A house that wasn’t there anymore. A house that burnt up taking our family dog with it when Moonscale Manor fell to the hate group. I still missed Apricot, but at least, my parents were out shopping, and Lost was at school. So, we only lost one family member. Lost and my parents were currently at one of the Moonscale houses in Spain. Lost was sure my parents were never going to leave that house and that Medwin probably wouldn’t have the heart to ask them to either. We’d lost everything except each other in the war already. What more could they ask of the men who kept the gardens and fruit trees blossoming all these years?

“Rex?” Lost whined into my ear.

“I’m going to record you whining and play it at your mating feast one day,” I teased him, as I turned on the faucet to fill the kettle.

“What’s going on? We’re on the phone and you started ignoring me out of nowhere!” He said, pulling in his voice.

“My new roommate arrived,” I said and filled him in on the details.

“And his luggage attacked him?” Lost chuckled.

“Of course, that’s how you’d say it,” I shook my head.

“Is he good looking?” Lost asked, ignoring my half-hearted insult.

“We’re not discussing that.”

“That’s a yes,” Lost laughed.

“No, that’s a we are not discussing someone the RNG assigned me to live with like that. That’s not how you get off on the right foot,” I said.

“He’s not not hot,”my wolf chimed into the conversation over the family link, and I rolled my eyes.

“I knew it!” Lost said. “Your voice goes all low and deep when you like someone.”

They both were right. Del wasn’t unattractive. Hell, most of the men on campus weren’t unattractive, but I wasn’t about to toss away my one chance at having a life beyond living in someone else’s garden because someone was attractive.

“Why are you so excited about that information? You’re not even on this side of the Atlantic,” I said. “I’m not going to set you up on a virtual blind date. Besides, he’s too old for you.”

“Because you need to have some fun. Last night, Tate and I snuck into Sniff and ---” Lost started.

“Stop right there. If our parents ask me if my seventeen-year-old brother snuck into a club with that reputation, I want plausible deniability and you better be careful. I’m not attendingyour funeral if you escape the war only to die by doing something stupid.”

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