A THRONE OF SHADOW AND SOULMATES

nced Mythology was the no

gauze. The sting wasn't just from the scrape, it carried the weight of

tes, scribbled in a rush that

he strength of all packs, rising in t

today, like a shadow c

oom, starting at the door a

he air shifted, heavy and charged, mak

awson ha

His black t-shirt and jeans were simple, bu

unnatural, cut through the

eats until he reached my row. Without a word, he slid int

, and something wild, lik

,my name a low,

t pounding. Trying to keep my cool and

for another tar

"Brought you something." He set a sleek leather bou

e campus's fanciest café, its rich ar

aid, voice tight. I risked a g

faint scar slicing his eyebrow, and those r

l those girls ca

aze flicked to my bandaged han

in

armed as I

tarted droning about Greek Tit

ence drowned

e low and private, "most people say '

ng his tone, "most people don't check on

lectric, turning his brutal good looks into some

. He didn't take notes, just watched the professor, though his eyes flicked to m

ft of his arm, every breath, making

grabbed my things,

," Derek said, standing to his fu

neces

ins

hall together, and the

the quiet scholarship girl, besid

lowed, hungr

his long strides e

. What's

o to class, s

's wh

your bu

sound that turned heads. "You

uld

ced by a look that was

ce low and serious.

npack that, a sy

are. I've been sea

looping through his

she was a vision of polished beauty, her ey

aid, her smile sharp as

walk? Heard you took a

s giggled, s

t she stood tall.

his arm free, slow and delibera

arty tonight." She leaned closer, voi

erek said, eye

he attention

ask cracking. "What? You prom

inal. He turned to her, and I saw raw po

throne crumbling in public. He

g with

as nothing to

word "she"

y human? What, you

sharp, too knowing. It wasn't just an ins

his presence swelling

," he said, voice a deadly

er eyes. She looked at me, lips

spun and fled, her frie

ents pretending they hadn

Derek, min

nship with Northridge queen f

ckless, t

do that?" I

said, like it was obvious

ed it out, and his face shifted-tensed, jaw ti

hungry. Come no

he said, all

thing'

ng raw in his eyes-not the confident campus king

d warned her

tomorrow?"

ords stuck

fingers brushing a damp st

that electric spark flare

rom

ng through the crowd, st

the hallway buz

d touched me, his scent-f

efended me, claimed my

t warm in my hand, a sm

eep, uncha

one vibrated. My roommate messaged but

red sanctuary, books and no

e from Derek still in my hand. Too rattled to de

eminder of yesterday's crash

the image of Derek's crimson eyes,

n a mystery, half told in bedtim

euds-things my mom shared with a

outsider, love

p, pulling up my

woven with blood and chaos. I always thou

's eyes,

the door

lumsy roommate, a bubbly art major who

me in," S

t in, ey

h Derek Clawson today. Like, the Derek Cla

setting the

. He just... sat ne

, and publicly torched Joanna's ego

whole campus is buzzing.

ous,". "I just want to

od luck with that. Derek d

e eyes? Freaky, but hot.

tell me I was in trouble. I felt it, l