Chapter 37

Anila POV

My body was sore and exhausted. Every now and then, I could feel a phantom kiss, or lick, or touch, gracing my skin like a ghost. From the slickness between my legs, and the dampness of my panties, I felt ashamed.

I got so wet from a dream, a dream about three people touching me greedily, and two more watching from a distance.

What was wrong with me?

I was depraved. I must be, or at the very least, I was in my subconscious state.

Such a wild wet dream.

It was definitely that book's fault. Still, I couldn’t help but feel… guilty about the lust my subconscious harbors. Even I didn’t know I felt so strongly about them. The fact that Damien and some mystery person watched me makes that shame feel painful—I really must be depraved.

Despite having showered, and dressed, I still couldn’t shake the heat that lingered on my cheeks. My entire body was thrumming and hungry.

But not for food.

I feel deprived of satisfaction, and I am disappointed when I return to my room to find it empty.

Xaden didn’t come to retrieve me for breakfast this evening like he had the last few times. I was counting on it this time, simply because I have an inescapable need to see him.

I’d been awake for 30 minutes, and I hadn’t even gotten a text from him yet. As I sit at our small round table in the dorm, I pluck my phone from my pocket and send a brief text to him:

Me: Hey. I miss you. Can I see you later?

I wasn’t sure why, but there was an anxious feeling in my gut, just as persistent as the heat in my cheeks. Slinging my bag over my shoulder, and collecting the books needed for my first round of classes, I beamed at the flutter in my chest that signaled Xaden’s approach. It happened whenever one of my fated mates drew near.

As I threw open my door, smiling wide with the anticipation of seeing Xaden, it fell flat when it was someone else entirely.

Zach was standing across from my door, leaning against the wall, his boot scuffing paint as he stood straight when I exited. My throat ached at the memory of my dream, the way his tongue moved around my core like it belonged to him and only him.

Jesus Anila, get ahold of yourself.

It was hard to swallow, seeing him in all his bad-boy glory. His leather jacket hung open, revealing the gray T-shirt tight over his chest underneath. The very muscular chest with lean muscle looked so very delectable in my head.

I was starting to realize that Zach was also above the uniform rules as well. Slung over his shoulder though was his blue blazer, but I doubted he had any intentions of wearing it.

I shook my head, and shut the door behind me, casting aside the distraction of how attractive he looked. I was in a committed relationship with someone I was beginning to truly love. With renewed confidence, I turned around again, only this time he was much closer. There were dark bags beneath his eyes and a slight pink twinge to his cheeks that made his face look more boyish.

“Must have had quite the night with that lady, huh?” I asked the question before I could truly think about what I was saying. .

Why would I even care?

My cheeks reddened.

His eyes narrowed from my question, and his hands sunk into the pockets of his dark jeans.

“She left early last night,” He growled, and my brows furrowed at his misplaced anger.

“And that’s my fault?” The harsh bite in my voice made a low growl rumble in his chest.

Why was he even here at all? Just to harass me? To make me feel more guilty than I already do about a dream he knows nothing about?

Because that’s what his presence was doing. His smell was tangling in my nose, and I clenched my thighs as the phantom lick of his tongue swirling around my clit—

Stop it Anila. This is the waking world now, get ahold of yourself.

Zach’s own brows furrowed in anger, but before he could say anything further, I brushed by him and walked towards the stairs. I would have thought there’d be some kind of rule that boys weren’t allowed in girl sections of the dorms, but I guess I thought wrong.

I didn’t have time to play these games with Zach. My first class was going to start in twenty minutes. I’m already going to be hungry for missing breakfast.

I’m tired, hungry, and now cranky.

“Maybe it is your fault,” His voice was in my ear, my heart fluttered, and my gut twisted at the snarl in his words.

“It’s only your fault for playing around with so many other bitches,” I snort the term for female dogs, and my pace quickens.

Don’t follow me. Don’t follow me. Don’t follow me. Just leave me alone. Let me reel from my dream in peace, and not have to be confronted with someone who… bothers me so much.

When his heavy steps trailed behind me, I cursed whatever god I was praying to, and jammed the down button on the elevator. When the doors slid open, Zach was the first to slink inside, leaning against the wall expectantly, a look on his face that said: You can’t escape me from in here.

You want to bet, buddy?

I smirked, reached around, and pressed a random button before yanking my hand out. His face twisted into something annoyed and angry, the doors sliding shut as I heard a growl emerge from deep in his throat.

The laugh that bubbled in my throat was borderline maniacal, but as I turned from the closed elevator doors, grinning at the changing floors going in different directions, I skipped towards the front entrance and toward the main stairs. Nothing wrong with a little extra workout.

I didn’t know what he wanted to talk about, or why he was even here. But I didn’t care. I didn’t want to see any of them, except Xaden. I needed him to wash away this filthy guilt that nearly crushed me with each step I took.

I did nothing wrong; I knew that. It was just a dream, and dreams are just that—dreams. But I still felt so… filthy. Like I betrayed Xaden, even though he was right there. I hoisted myself up the stairs, and by the third flight, my already tired legs became nothing but Jell-O.

I made my way outside and I breathed in the warm night air. It felt good to stretch out my arms and breathe the fresh air.

It didn’t take long for me to find the werebear classroom. I was missing out on my first class with Penny, and I was so wrapped up in my own day yesterday that I completely forgot to tell her that I wasn’t going to be in that class with her anymore.

I made a mental note to find her later and talk to her. At least I still shared the same Combat class with her. Not that I’d get to talk to her much in that class.

Brushing the thought from my mind, I entered the classroom. I became immensely thankful for the large chairs and big tables in the room. I didn’t care about anything except planting my ass right in one, and that’s exactly what I did.

My body sagged in the seat, exhaustion nearly making my eyes close. I forced myself to lean forward, digging out my books and papers for proper notes when I felt a flutter in my chest. Like the first time I had ever seen him, my eyes drifted to him like there was a gravitational pull. Harley strides into the class, hair rumbles, eyes baggy like he hadn’t slept well either.

You’ve got to be kidding me.

His plaid button-down is snug around his large arms, his big hands scrubbing down his face to chase the last bits of clinging sleep. My legs tensed, squeezing together as I remembered how my mind imagined those fingers touching my nipples and rubbing all along my body.

My body tingled in response to those memories, and I felt that familiar slickness pool at my crevice.

His eyes drifted to me, widening ever so slightly.

Harley went out of his way to get out of helping Professor Kai in the geography class because he didn’t want to be anywhere near me and now, he was in this class.

Why were the gods acting so cruelly?

I wanted to curse, but I was too frozen in my seat, paralyzed from the intensity of his stare. Then I watched his cheeks and nose grow pink.

He was blushing.

Was he embarrassed? What would he have to be embarrassed about?

I avert my gaze, feeling a twinge of humiliation pull at my skin. It was just a dream. He shouldn’t know anything about what I thought about. About how badly I wanted him to touch me…

“Alright everybody, welcome to day two of Werebear History and Strength Training. Anila Montgomery just transferred classes so we will do a review of what we learned yesterday,” Professor Tilly began. “Keep in mind she is a 1(st) year student, so please make her feel welcome.”

The professor's voice was startling, I was so trapped in my own head I didn’t even realize the rest of the room filled up. She was in her mid-forties, with graying brown hair that fell in soft waves down her back. Her eyes were bright and her smile warm and motherly.

She was very kind to me in the other class I took yesterday, and I was pleased that at least it was a professor I was semi-familiar with.

Everyone’s eyes turned to me once she told them I was a 1(st) year student, some surprised, some with malice. I wanted to sink into my seat.

Harley took a seat beside the professor, his eyes never leaving mine.

“Anila. If you have any questions, direct them to Harley here. He is my assistant for this semester and knows so much he could teach the class himself!” Her voice was warm and chipper. But she must not have realized the desolation that sunk its teeth onto my shoulder.

The last thing I wanted to do was talk to him; and in that split moment of his eyes averting from mine, I knew he felt the same.