Two

Since everyone had been so helpful, it didn’t take very long to unload her trailer. It gave her plenty of time to not only get to know her new housemates, but also relax, which after the last couple of weeks she had, was worth it. It also gave her time to do a little exploring as well. The quickest way for her to learn where her classes were located, along with the more important places like the library and cafeteria, was to walk around. Hopefully, if she learned her way around during the day, she’d be able to get around at night without any issues.

It was still weird to think about her classes being at night. It also didn’t set well with her, especially after the way Jackson kept looking at her. Oh well, not my problem. Natasha shrugged it off. She wasn’t there to be liked, she was there to get an education and start her new life out in the great wide open. Too bad it felt a little too confined for her right now.

 

Being in the house with everyone and seeing the mated couples interact as they helped her unload the hauler, sent a pang of jealously through her. She hated it. She promised herself she wouldn’t allow what she saw affect her anymore. She didn’t need a mate or a companion to complete her. Besides, if the guys at the house were any indication, the school was filled with hotties. She’d get the hook up sooner or later, and those would tide over her insatiable need to find the “one.”

Ugh, don’t be so stupid.

Back home, others had given her a wide birth most times. Guys and girls. Sure, she had friends, but they were few and far between. Her grandmother said it was because she could be a little stand-offish sometimes. She thought it was because they could sense something different about her. Of course, the difference was that she’d been human and the majority of them were shifter. It also had to be weird seeing her grandfather and her brothers Erik and Sebastian, and then her.

She’d been the gangly kid. A square peg for a round hole. She didn’t talk much in the beginning, and Natasha chalked it up to the trauma of her mother dying, though she couldn’t quite remember it. She’d also been the one more at ease reading than rough housing with the other shifter kids.

“Get over yourself. No one cared.” Yet, she did. She’d obsessed about it sometimes. She’d dream she’d been born a wolf and every male loved her. She had her choice of mate and they’d fall at her feet to please her. They were silly daydreams, imagined by a thirteen-year-old pubescent girl who wanted to do cool shit like all the others.

Her grandmother convinced her to try out for track one year during high school. Told her humans could participate just like anyone else. Yeah…not so much. She had a feeling they all dialed it back so not to kick her ass as badly as they had. She quit two weeks later. Then Liam had the bright idea she should join the Miss Blue pageant for the summer fair. That had been more humiliating than anything. Where all the girls had these cool talents besides their impeccable good-looks, Natasha had her love for cosplay.

She could laugh at it now. She could only imagine what she must have looked like getting up there looking like Lady Ceil from Phantomhive, then reciting her favorite parts from the anime and manga… Nonetheless, she’d been cut from the competition shortly after her talent section. Too bad they didn’t understand Japanese was majestic as fuck.

Afterwards, no one pushed her to do anything else. The majority of the time she stayed holed up in her room reading or spending time with her best friend Sadie, who she missed so much right now. The people here were so different, and Sadie would have balanced them out. Oh well, she didn’t have time to dwell as it was. According to her schedule, she had Intro to Philosophy in a few short hours. Which meant she needed to hurry up and find her class, then hightail it back to the house to change. She needed a shower badly. Maybe people are giving you sideways glances because you’re rank.

She glanced down at her map as she stopped in the middle of the quad. The tables from earlier were gone and the place had emptied out pretty quick. The oranges and reds of the setting sun caught her by surprise. She’d been there since noon and now… Shit… it’s four. Her first class started at seven. Why couldn’t she find this damn class? She started across the open area, but stopped short when she saw a help wanted sign. You don’t need any distractions right now. Keep going. Unfortunately, her feet had other ideas. She stopped in front of the poster. The college radio station needed a night host. Three days a week for four hours a night. Might as well apply. Until she could figure out what was going on with her classes, she’d be with the night dwellers anyway. She pulled the tab hanging from the bottom of the paper, then glanced at her map one more time.

The radio station had been marked by a red star. Why can’t the classes be indicated the same way? Since she’d been feet from the radio station, she decided to check it out. Even if she didn’t like it, hopefully those on the inside could tell her where her class was. As she drew near, the soft music she’d heard while on the trail became louder. She noticed right off the bat they enjoyed alternative music, which was a plus in her book. She could work there. You have no experience though. What she didn’t have in experience she could make up in ingenuity and her ability to pick stuff up pretty quick. Natasha opened the door and noticed that it wasn’t like any radio station she’d ever seen.

The small room had an open, inviting quality to it. To the left, the actual sound board and equipment needed to run the station, to the right shelf after shelf of vinyl. A small part of her squealed at the thought of touching them. A guy appeared in the booth, holding a cookie and a cup of something to drink over the table beside the equipment. The guy seemed pretty intense, especially when he clenched his jaw protruding the muscles there. He wore black retro-frame glasses over grey...no mercury…colored eyes. His sandy-blond hair stuck up in different odd angles, which only sharpened his strong features. He wore a yellow sweater pushed up to his elbows, exposing the corded muscles of his tattooed forearm. She debated between shifter and vampire, but neither fit his broad imposing form.

“Hey there.”

The feel of a hand on her shoulder caused her to jump. Lost in her musings, she hadn’t heard anyone approach. “Hey, sorry.” She tried to steady the erratic beating of her heart, however it only got worse when she turned to look at who’d talked to her. Holy shit. He was Asian—Japanese, if she had to guess. He had his hair styled in a mohawk streaked with purple and blue highlights. When he turned his head, she took inventory of the small tattoos on his neck and behind his ear. She wondered absently if they went lower and if he’d let her see them. Bad girl. The guy in the yellow sweater placed the headphones on his ears and seconds later, the light alternative music changed to something darker and a little more insidious. Her pulse grew sluggish and her body swayed to the music. She’d never heard anything like it before, yet her soul yearned for it.

The guy in front of her cleared his throat, snatching her from her thoughts and embarrassing her even more. She glanced up into his eyes, which were brown for the most part, but also held a hint of red to them. His full lips pulled into a smile as he continued to stare at her, which only caused her gaze to lock on the double piercing at the corner of his mouth. Holy Jesus that should be illegal. Natasha felt herself sway towards him.

“Not a problem,” he said, not taking his eyes off of her. “What can I do for you?”

Unable to form the words to say, she squeaked. Embarrassment flooded her. Her heart started to race. The guy standing in front of her inhaled. His nostrils flared and she swore she’d never seen anything that sexy before. “I-I’d like to apply for the job.” She shoved the small tear away she gathered from the poster in the quad into his hand. “This. Please.”

 

He glanced down then quirked a brow. “You ever work in a radio station before?”

Natasha shook her head.

“Journalist student?” He pressed.

Again, she shook her head. “I…well…see, I can talk and…”

“Talking is good.” He chuckled softly. “Come on. We have to change out the commercials in a minute.” He motioned for her to follow after him.

“I don’t have much time,” she blurted out, unsure why the guy had thrown her for such a loop.

“Then we better hurry.” He winked. “My name is Keiji.” He held his hand out to her.

“Na—” A warm current of energy surged through her as she grasped his hand. She let out a shuddered breath. “Whoa, sorry. I’ve never been this tongue tied before. My name is Natasha.”

“Good to meet you, Natasha.” The way he said her name made her want to rip her clothes off and demand he fuck her then and there.

 

“Likewise, Keiji.” She said his name little more breathless than she’d meant to. “So, this is where the magic happens?”

His gaze became hooded. The hint of red in his eyes swirled. “Yeah, you can say that.” He stepped closer to her. “What are you?” He didn’t give her a chance to answer and instead, buried his nose in the crook of her neck and inhaled. The groan he let loose sent a shiver of pleasure down her spine.

And you were afraid you wouldn’t get any. She untangled herself from his embrace. “I’m…” She swallowed hard. “Human. I lived with shifters. My grandparents, my brothers and I are human.”

He stepped toward her again. “No, it’s more than that.” As if on cue, the music stopped. “Shit. Uh, if you want to fill out the application by the door. I really have to get back to work.”

O-kay. “Thanks, for…whatever?” She tilted her head to the side not sure what just transpired between them. “Bye.” She headed out of the studio and grabbed the application from the small table by the door, where he’d said it would be.

As she stepped outside, she replayed what happened between them. She’d never seen a shifter sniff another’s neck in greeting—well she had, just not her. What are you? His words whispered through her mind as she followed the path back towards the quad. “Shit!” She stomped her foot. She meant to ask him where her class was located. She’d been so distracted by Keiji she completely forgot. “What the hell is wrong with me?”

Natasha trudged back the way she came, hopefully, Bell or her sister Zoe could tell her where she needed to go. The campus dwarfed her expectation. There’d been something new to see at every corner — finding the right buildings had been a little overwhelming. She crossed the campus in record time, and when she saw her new home away from home, she breathed out a sigh of relief.  Then groaned. She hadn’t asked for a key before she left. She’d needed some space and figured going out would give her a chance to acclimate herself to her new surroundings. Now, she felt like an asshole.

She walked up to the front door and knocked. How embarrassing she had to knock on her own door to get inside. A second later, the door opened, and a girl wearing glasses the size of her face and rainbow suspenders greeted her. “Hi! I’m Shelly. You must be Natasha. Bell said you forgot your key and to be on the lookout for you. Come on in.”

“Interesting,” Natasha muttered.

“Huh?”

“I forgot to ask for a key,” she answered.

“I’ve done the same!” The girl laughed. She had this infectious happiness to her. Her clothes were a little too tight for Natasha’s style, and her vibrant red hair lay in a mess braid down her back. The girl was quite curious.

“Small world. Say, is Bell around?” Though she didn’t have time for it, she had to figure out what the hell was going on around her. Not even in school six hours and weird shit was happening to her. Plus, she still had to find her class.

Shelly nibbled on her lip. “Yeah…um…”

Natasha had seen that look before. The bewildered, how do you tell a “human” about mates fucking. She got it. “Say no more. What about Zoe?”

“Oh, thank the goddess,” Shelly said with a sigh. “I thought we’d have to have the ‘talk,’ —She made air quotes as she spoke— “and I’m not good at the ‘talk.’”

Natasha laughed. “No. I’m good. Promise. How about Zoe?”

“If she’s not outside, I think she’s with Rocky and then they’ll be…you know.” She bumped her hands together.

Natasha bit the inside of her cheek so not to laugh. She was really going to like being in this house. Everyone was so different and amazing. “Thank you, Shelly.”

“You’re welcome.” Shelly touched her arm as Natasha turned to go outside. “If you need someone to talk to…”

“I might just take you up on your offer.” She smiled before continuing on.

Outside, Bodhi and Emma were still in the pool cuddled together. A younger girl sat on a chair not far from there. Over by the barbecue stood Utah, who looked to be on dinner detail. Poor guy. Another girl and a guy she hadn’t met yet sat at the table having an animated conversation while their school books sat open. No Zoe or Bell. She let out a breath. Damn.

“You look lost,” Hayden stated, joining her. “It’s a lot to take in, isn’t it?”

“Yeah, tons. I shouldn’t feel so lost, but I do.”

Hayden laughed. “It’s different than home. I agree. I’ve never been to Blue Creek, but if it’s anything like Window Rock, it’s a small community with a mixture of shifters, humans and psychics?”

“Demons, witches, vampires and shifters,” Natasha answered. “No psychics.”

“Interesting.” The girl laughed. “So, are you settling in?” Hayden led them over to a small sitting area away from everyone.

“I have a class at seven tonight, and I can’t find the class. Worst part? I saw an advertisement for a job at the radio station, and the weirdest part was the guy… shifters don’t sniff necks in greeting. Well they don’t with me, anyway.” She looked down at the application she still held in her hand. Keiji’s actions should have set her on edge. Instead, she wanted to go back.

“Zoe works at the station! You should talk to her when she’s available.” Hayden’s brows scrunched together. “Night classes? I thought you were human?”

“I am. I thought it was due to me being an underclassman. I didn’t realize it was when all the night dwellers went to class. This is all a little weird.”

“I can talk to the—”

“Dean of Students? Bell said the same. I told her it’s okay. This guy though…” She couldn’t explain Keiji properly.

“Cute?”

Definitely hot. Like top ten. “More so. I can’t explain it. He’s not my usual type, but he got me.” Natasha rubbed the back of her neck. “Anyway, he flustered me so much, I forgot to ask for directions.”

“What’s your first class?” Hayden glanced over at her campus map. “There’s nothing different about the night schedule, so you know. I had art at twilight.”

Natasha sagged. “Oh, good to know.” She hadn’t realized she’d been worried about it, until Hayden voiced it. “I have Intro to Philosophy. Gordon is the teacher.”

“He’s good,” Hayden answered. “Strict on homework but totally worth it.”

“It says he’s in Williams Tower.”

Hayden grabbed her map. “Right. So, follow this path.” She pointed to the trail Natasha had been on when she found the poster for the radio station. “You were almost there when you stopped at the radio station.”

“Crap. Of course, only I would be right there and not even see it.” Natasha sighed. “At least tomorrow I can sleep in.”

“That’s the spirit. I’ll have Utah keep your dinner warm if you want to get ready.” Hayden gave Natasha’s arm a reassuring squeeze.

“Thanks. I appreciate it.”

When she left for her first lecture, Natasha felt a little more centered. She still couldn’t explain everything with Keiji or why he’d affected her so, but while she’d been eating her dinner, she filled out the application. She’d been saving money for years, but having a backup plan would help her be able to concentrate on her school load more than worrying about making a payment on time. As she came up on the radio station, she popped inside and dropped her information in the basket next to where she’d grabbed the application. Then she followed the directions Hayden gave her to Williams Tower.

She approached the building, and a sense of foreboding washed over her. It was as if the shadows watched her. She shifted her gaze back and forth across the grassy area trying to find where the feeling came from. She shivered. Not even being around vampires gave her this kind of sensation. She rubbed her arms while walking up the stairs to the building. It wasn’t like her to be paranoid. Nothing scared her, yet the fear making her heart pound and a bit anxious said differently. Natasha picked up her pace. Her class wasn’t far from the door, and when she shoved into the space, she let out a breath of relief.

The class was mostly empty, so she took a seat near the front and waited. As the door opened, she gasped, drawing Keiji’s attention. He smirked at her. Instead of finding a seat somewhere around her — because let’s face it, she’d been that conceited— he placed his bag on the counter in front of the class and then stood off to the side. He kept his gaze on her. Goosebumps flared to life on her arm, the back of her neck and her thighs. What the hell is wrong with me?

“Sorry about earlier,” Keiji said, finally sitting beside her. “I’ve been working more hours, and I treated you rudely.” He also didn’t know a thing about personal space, nor much care for people staring at them.

“It happens,” Natasha muttered. “I meant to ask you for help finding this place and—why did you sniff my neck?”

His eyes widened. “You’re different.”

“Human.” She pointed to herself.

“Sure you are.” He grinned. “Anyway, I wanted to apologize. Enjoy class.”

“Thank you and there’s no need to apologize. I…” She contemplated telling him she filled out the application, then thought better of it. “I’m sure I will.”