Celeste's POV
*****
Within minutes, the hallway leading to Miss Benedicta's office was swarmed with students. Many hurdled outside the door, whispering to themselves and trying to get a peep of what happened inside.
As for Azrael and me, we stood a good distance away. Leaning against the wall, I listened in on all the conspiracy theories being flung around like headlines on TMZ.
"I'm telling you... Bite marks like that don't come from a wolf." A redhead muttered to her friend. "Dare I say, they can't possibly come from a Vein beast as well."
"Then what? Or who?"
"Beats me." The first girl shrugged.
A boy with messy brown hair butted into their conversation, the stench of alcohol sticking to him like mist.
"Vampires!" He raised his hands, magic helping his shadow elongate unnaturally on the walls.
Ugh... A witch.
"Carlos, quit fooling around." The second girl swatted one of his arms while the other one giggled. "This is serious. Someone died. And the killer is still out there."
I sighed at that.
Miss Benedicta.
Honestly, I didn't know her enough to feel devastated by her death. However, she was at least nice, despite how stressful her job could be.
Flashes of her cold body hit my mind. Her empty eyes. Her white shirt, soiled by her own blood—
No wonder that girl screamed when she stumbled on the body.
"I can't seem to catch a break tonight." I finally scoffed, wrapping my arms around myself.
Subconsciously, my eyes flicked to Azrael.
Silent.
He hadn't uttered a word since we left the office, letting some professor check out the crime scene.
An outsider would expect maybe he was... Shaken by the whole thing. But his eyes were cold. Distant—occasionally blinking while seeming like he was thinking deeply.
Of course, he wasn't shaken.
My first meeting with the man involved him ripping a Vein beast in half. An image I doubt would ever leave my head.
"Celeste?" A voice pierced through the crowd from the left end of the hallway.
Willow soon appeared, brushing past the students with an "excuse me, I wanna check if my bestie's okay" kinda expression.
I couldn't help but smile at that, stepping away from the wall as she got closer.
"Thank goodness, you're alright." She pulled me into her arms, sighing lightly. "For the love of the moon, can you stop running off like that? You had Caelum worried sick—especially after what happened the last time you ran off."
She didn't need to remind me...
Pulling away from the embrace, she still kept her right hand on my shoulder. Until her eyes moved slowly to Azrael, scanning him like she'd seen a ghost.
Oh, right. They haven't met.
"Willow, this is—"
"Azrael." So he could speak? Yay for him. "Azrael Vaelmont."
He took Willow's hand before she could blink. And then raised that same hand to his mouth, pressing a kiss that made my mind blur.
Was this... Jealousy?
"A–Azrael..." Willow stuttered when he let go of her hand. "I'm assuming you're a new student. What's your relationship with Celeste though?"
The heck?!
My right foot found hers in a soft kick, signalling her to stop talking.
But when did Willow ever listen to me when it came to gossip?
"You seem... Old." Willow observed, eyeing Azrael. "I don't mean that in a bad way though. You just... Feel ancient. Like you have no business being a freshman in our academy."
With a silent sigh, I brought my gaze to Azrael.
As expected, he didn't flinch at her words, his lips curling instead.
"I get that a lot. But believe me..." He suddenly locked his gaze on me, making my breath falter. "I belong here."
Why did "belong here" sound like "belong close to ME"? Am I delusional? Was this the mate bond or whatever the fuck I had going on with him and the others?
WAIT... Pause the whole fucking thing!
Will I feel this way for Luther?! After everything he did to me?
"Hell to the no..." I was sure that came as a whisper, yet Azrael and Willow gave me questioning looks that made me shrink.
Could this night just end?
"Students!" A voice whipped through the murmurings and whispers of the gathered students, forcing all of us to turn in its direction.
Its source? Professor Amelia herself—standing in front of Miss Benedicta's office. Although I couldn't see her clearly from here due to the crowd.
"I understand some of you might be... Concerned about what happened here tonight." She managed to bring silence with her words, clearing her throat. "But rest assured, the academy's security and investigation board and I will get to the bottom of this."
"What's your investigation board gonna do if the culprit is someone beyond usual supernaturals?" A male voice asked through the crowd.
To me, it was clear Professor Amelia was here for damage control. It was problematic as hell having such a scandal happen in our school not long after a major werewolf event.
Students WILL talk. And those talks will get to the ears of the parents or guardians—who'll in turn question the security of the Academy. Anyone could imagine what happens next.
"Well, young man," Professor Amelia answered without stuttering. "We will handle it accordingly. But for now... I'll advise you all to head back to your dorms and keep your lips sealed about this."
An uproar erupted from everyone in the hallways. Including morons who just talked for talking's sake.
"Miss Benedicta was a mother!" Amelia raised her voice, sounding sincerely emotional for the first time. "Her children will be crushed if all the twisted rumours you bunch have to offer gets out there."
Those words seemed to shut the students up.
I glanced at Willow who leaned closer, letting out an almost despondent breath.
And as for Azrael... Yep. As stoic as always.
"I'll say it again..." Amelia continued, this time sounding critical. "Head to your dorms and keep your lips sealed. Normal school activities will continue tomorrow."
This time, everyone wasn't so stubborn.
They began trooping out of the hallway in groups or alone, murmuring as they did.
Azrael, Willow and I lingered around longer, waiting for the hallway to be cleared first. When it was—Azrael coughed.
"I believe we should head to our dorms." He muttered, looking between Willow and me. "Tonight has been... Eventful."
With one final glint in his eyes, he walked past us. His shoulder touched mine. Briefly. But enough to make my breath tighten around my throat.
"Good night," Willow mumbled, glancing at him from over her shoulder. When he'd disappeared from plain sight, she whipped her head to me. "YOU. Start talking. Now. You break up with Luther AND get a new man in the same night? Oh my—"
"Luther broke up with me."My tongue clicked as I rubbed my forehead. "Can we just... Head back to our room?"
She hesitated.
Eventually, she nodded, wrapping her arm around mine as we left the hallway.
"There might be some changes in the room though..." I pointed out, chuckling awkwardly.
.
.
"That man hopping bitch..." Willow cursed under her breath when we got to our room.
Or what was left of it after Lysandra attacked me.
The door was blown in half, splinters littering the hallway. A few girls walked past, giggling at the sorry state of our door.
"You're telling me," Willow crossed her arms in front of her chest. "That tramp blasted you through this door AFTER fucking your ex? On your bed?"
I'd told her everything on our way here. Safe to say I had to beg her not to find Luther and Lysandra. Moon knows what Willow can do when pissed.
"Yep." That was all I could say, clutching her shoulder so she won't run off and do something rash. "Let's just... Go in. Freshen up—"
"After the big bad wolf blew our door down?"
"Willow." I closed my eyes for a breath, shoulders slacking. "Really. I'll just fix up the door with magic."
And we did just that.
The room was divided—Willow's bed was set on the left side of the balcony door, while mine was set on the right. I obviously had to change my bed sheets and had a long bath after the wreck of a night I had.
"So," Willow stepped into her bed after finishing her skin care routine. "Moving away from your dog of an ex... Are you gonna tell me what's going on between you and that hot goth guy?"
Hot, goth... Huh?
My bedside lamp dimmed with a snap of a finger. "Nothing is going on between Azrael and me—"
"And I'm Queen Elizabeth reborn." Her snark had bite. "Come on, girl. I noticed it and I'm sure half the ball did too. Something was up between you, Luther, his brother whose name I keep forgetting—"
"Silas."
"Yeah. The business-savvy one." Willow turned off her lamp, pulling her bed sheets closer. "And Atlas. I noticed the way they stared at you. Not to mention Luther outright accused you of charming him and Silas. And now—"
"Willow!" I yelled. "Please. Can we just... Sleep? You can kill me with your questions tomorrow."
She scoffed lightly. "That's if the killer out there doesn't do it first..."
We were both silent after that. My mind reeled, going through the moments I shared with this new guy.
Azrael.
Out of all the men who were potentially my mates—he's the one who stuck around instead of avoiding me.
"I mean you no harm." His words echoed in my head like a lullaby.
Exhaustion soon fell on my eyelids, making me yawn.
"Oof. Someone's been through it." Willow giggled forcing a wry smile from me. "Good night, Cel. Everything's gonna be okay."
"Thank you, boo. Good night."
Everything's going to be okay...
Why did those words sound like a lie wrapped in honey?
As my consciousness drifted off, I could've sworn I saw a shadow hover over my window. Watching... But making no moves.
"Goddess, don't let this get worse…"