About a half an hour into the first class, it was clear Professor Puth was a good teacher, engaging, and liked the material. He seemed the type to stay out of the drama and simply do his job, which was my favorite given how many wanted to interject themselves into everything to do with me. Granted, it was needed for some, and I liked several of them, especially Dean White.
It was simply too much and overwhelming. It blurred all the lines, and it was nice to just have a teacher be a teacher, and Professor Puth would only be my teacher.
When class was over, I felt Zack fall in step with me. “How are the new pup guards?”
“Good. Lots of potential, and it seems to have chilled Glen out to have pups again instead of mostly strong Betas, but…”
“But just because Glen’s an Alpha doesn’t mean he should be boss, and he’s always going to be a dick whose face you want to punch in?”
“Yeah, I really want to punch in his face. I will once before I leave here for good when our job is done,” he confessed.
I snorted. “Good to have goals.”
It was his turn to snort. “Like you don’t have the same one.”
“There’s a reason we’re friends.”
He threw back his head and laughed so hard it echoed in the open area, lightening both of our moods. Sometimes it was the little things that we needed to get through the day.
Even if the “little things” were plans to punch someone out when we could.
18
“Your development is good,” Instructor Larson praised the next morning after my run. “Melody Rothchild did well by you, and I fully believe that is the only reason you’re not imploding with your vast power as an unknown. Many unknowns have gone that route that have had even a fraction of the juice you do. Sad, but true. It’s so much easier for the unknowns that are shifters as it’s a matter of shifting or not.”
I nodded. I’d heard it before and it made sense, but it was nice to have as many independent sources confirm it as possible. It was something that kept me up at night or filled my nightmares, given all fairies were relying on me to get them out of Faerie or… The possibilities were long on what could have happened.
“I’m going to speak with the guy who was your power assessor last year and go over where you were before drawing up the best plan on combining the two.”
“Ahhh, well, that’s a bit complicated,” I warned.
He raised an eyebrow at that. “I know the savant was young, but I saw your performance at the Power Playoffs. It was a thing of beauty. He—”
“He didn’t approve of the plan. Things went sideways and—it’s complicated. You’re going to want to speak with Dean White on all of that as she’s the one who’s been working with me since. On a lot too. I mean, way past what… Well, I’m not sure what. She simply always uses ‘astoundingly advanced’ when she refers to much of anything I do.” I shrugged, not sure how else to explain it.
I was still ridiculously new to all of this.
He nodded after a moment. “Fine, but I’ll still start with the one you started with. I need the journey, not simply where you’re at, if I’m going to fill in any gaps as well since your education has been crammed into a year. Too much can be overlooked then.”
I held my hands up in surrender. “Preaching to the choir, man. I worry every damn day if we skip anything and everything that it will out me or blow up in my face, so be the adult and handle what you think best.”
He shot me another glance, seeming amused this time. “You’re a lot more reasonable than I would have thought given half of what’s said about you.”
I snorted. “I’m reasonable with people who are reasonable with me. I respect people who treat me with respect. I know it’s a crazy idea when I have breasts, and big strong men pee standing up, but well, it’s also a great place to kick them when their heads are up their asses. I want to survive and save my people. If you can help me get there, then I’m diligently under your tutelage.”
“Good, because I also want to go over your diet and possibly make changes. College kids don’t have the best diets, and that could greatly help you—”
“Talk to Irma. She’s the boss of me. Izzy’s my roommate, and she tracks a lot of bars and stuff she’s always ordering me extra to eat. There’s gels, and I never have plain water, but herbal tea with juice infusions for extra calories and sugars.” I nodded when he couldn’t hide his shock. “I use a lot of magic. Talk with White. Maybe she can put it in terms that make sense without telling you what I’m doing.”
He didn’t take offense to what I said, but cleared his throat so I knew to listen to him. “My mental shields are a fortress, believe me.”
“I do, but everyone slips. The one thing I’m learning reading journals is there’s always a stronger rune or a way to sneak past a ward or barrier. I have the charm and a rune, and I’m still ridiculously careful. No one can keep guard all the time and take on all challengers.”
“It’s smart you’ve learned that so young.”
I snorted. “I learned it way younger, but that’s not a conversation for someone I’m not friends with.” I was impressed when he let it go since most
