of space around here. Something about it tickles the back of my mind, but every time I follow that train of thought, I balk; it’s clear that Theo thinks I’m worth the investment, and that kind of pressure doesn’t sit well with me. I’m torn between disliking being thought of as a pawn and feeling even more desperate to get my powers back, if only to prove to him that he didn’t make a mistake by letting us stay here. It’s a complicated batch of emotions, and it’s only made more so by the fact that this is the only other hybrid I’ve ever met.
He was right when he talked about camaraderie; much like my own parents, Theo’s folks willingly gave him over to the coven who turned him. Humans, drug addicts, sold their only child to the cabal so he might have a chance at a better life, not knowing what his adoptive parents had planned for him. I can relate, even if the origins of our powers are different.
According to Theo, there have always been witches on the fringes of shifter society whose goals involve adjusting and perfecting shifter powers. He was as much a guinea pig to them as I was to the Academy—the only difference is that he’s had years of training to hone his powers. It’s obvious to anyone that he’s the one in charge around here, and with good reason.
What that means for me, however, remains to be seen.
“He was just curious,” I reply dismissively. “He said himself I was the first hybrid he’d ever met. I don’t blame him for staring.”
Shade snorts and shakes his head, turning away.
“What?” I ask incredulously, crossing my arms.
“Boots, it’s almost adorable how naive you can be sometimes,” the wolf shifter replies. “That’s not the kind of look you give when you’re curious. He looked like he was starving. His eyes were all over you.”
That’s enough to give me pause, and I can feel my cheeks heating up at the implication. “What?” I ask, taking a step towards him. “You think he was interested in me?”
“Don’t act so surprised,” Shade replies with a wan smile. “I don’t blame him. Not saying I approve, but…”
I can feel my expression twisting into a grin. “Wait a minute, Ivis,” I say teasingly, creeping up behind him and wrapping my arms around him. “Are you… jealous?”
Shade snorts. “Jealous? Please.”
“You sound kind of jealous,” I persist, pressing my lips to the base of his neck. He stiffens under my touch, his arms covering mine to pull my back more tightly against his chest.
“If I were jealous, I wouldn’t have been down to mess around with you and Aconyte,” Shade protests, although he isn’t meeting my gaze.
“Yeah, about that,” I say, pulling away and putting my hands on my hips. “You two have really come a long way since the Academy.”
“Haven’t we all?” Shade retorts, but I can see a glimmer of humour in his silver eyes. “I trust Aconyte. Just like I trust Ash and Thyme. This Theo guy, though…” He looks away, his expression grim. “You came so close to dying once already, Boots. I don’t want to see you get hurt again.”
“Well,” I say, rolling up my sleeves, “I guess that’s what you’re here for, right? So are you going to teach me how to kick ass, or are you just going to keep brooding?”
“Brooding is what I do best, Brix,” Shade snarks playfully, “but… point taken. All right, come here.” He beckons me over to him, intertwining his fingers with mine as he pulls me towards the door.
“Wait,” I protest, “we’re not going to practise in here?”
“You think the shifters would pay for a place like this and not have some kind of training room?” Shade replies. “If they’re that keen on keeping the Academy away, they’d be stupid not to.”
“Fair point,” I concede, and allow him to lead me out into the hallway. The rest of the guys have gone their separate ways for the time being. Hunter, still fatigued from the blood loss, went to rest for a while, while Landon and Silas mentioned something about taking a look around our new digs. It’s nice to have some respite for once, although I know better than to let my guard down this time. Not after what happened with Edith.
Shade and I both look out of place in the luxury building. This is the type of place where rent would cost an arm and a leg, with tenants consisting