SWNOVELS Chapter 5
Blaise
“Good afternoon and welcome everyone,” I heard the guy from the first time I came to campus say into the microphone of the podium set in the middle of the stage. If I recall his name correctly it’s Adam and I don’t have to wait long to find out that I’m right. “For those of you who don’t know me, I’m Adam Albright – assistant to Dean of the Black Sun Academy, Ms. Knight.
In just a moment the Dean will speak but we will wait a few minutes for any last-minute stragglers before she does so.” After Adam stops speaking, he lets his gaze drift to the two sets of double doors at the back of the auditorium as though waiting expectantly for late comers to barge in right then.
His doing so causes everyone else in the room to turn and glance behind them as well. Clover and I are no exception and turn around at the same time as everyone else does. There are three sections of seats in the room with two aisles of red carpeting for walkways that have tiny lights implanted along the paths that split up the sections. As I look around, I notice that the back half of the theater is empty and nearly all the seats in the first half of the theater are filled with students and faculty alike.
As my eyes roam around the open space, I spot the twins, Braeden and Carden sitting in the middle section surrounded by a few other guys and a gaggle of girls. A strange sensation stirs in the pit of my stomach at seeing them surrounded by so many females, but I shake my head trying to jostle the odd feeling of... jealousy? out of my system. Why in the world would I have such a reaction? I don’t even know the two of them!
Quickly I shift my eyes back towards the stage before they notice me staring at them. Clover and I had chosen to sit in the left middle section in one of the last occupied rows before the sea of empty seats behind us. Realizing she knew a few of the students in front of us, Clover leaned forward to talk with them.
Meanwhile I try desperately to get comfortable in my own seat. Even though the dark red velvet fabric is soft, the cushion encased in it is lumpy. I also feel like a spring is going to pop through the material at any second and poke me in the ass, so I give up and cross my legs hoping that the assembly won’t last too long.
Just as I begin to allow my body to relax it stiffens and the tiny hairs along my arms and neck prickle, standing on end. There are two empty seats between where I sit and the aisle itself. I tense as a shadow falls over them and glance to my right to see who has caused the shadow to appear. A quick inhale of breath not quite loud enough to be considered a gasp has my eyes growing wide in shock at who is standing by the vacant chair. Though the intake of air wasn’t loud enough for most of those who sat around me to hear, Clover caught the sound and turned her eyes my way. Realizing I wasn’t looking at her, she shifted her eyes towards whomever was holding my attention captive.
The hot stranger who stood in front of me at the admin office is now before me once more. Only this time I am able to fully admire his appearance. He has discarded his leather jacket that he was wearing this morning, leaving me a lovely view of the grey t-shirt that had been hidden underneath as it snuggly hugs his chest and biceps. An ’ooo’ slips from Clover’s mouth as I sigh appreciatively and then I move my gaze upward so that I can look at his face.
Hot freaking damn! He’s a sculptor’s dream. Well-defined cheek bones, sharp chiseled jaw line, a nearly perfect nose with just a slight bump on the bridge of it as though having acquired a broken bone at some point in his life. He definitely doesn’t look like someone who would walk away from a fight, that’s for sure. Bad boy vibe is the only thought that comes to mind. If I were a dog I’d be panting! A deep sound comes from his chest, and I realize he is clearing his throat to get my attention. I also realize I’ve been staring at him for the last who knows how many minutes. My face flames bright red and I’ve never been happier that the lights are as dim as they are in my life!
Oh my god, oh my god! I think to myself but before I can dwell on my embarrassment, I hear the stranger talk. His voice is swoon worthy, all gravelly and deep sounding. Growl! “Is this seat taken?” he asked with a nod indicating the chair closest to him.
Do I detect an accent? Swoon times ten. I shake my head no and then turn my attention to the stage as someone walks across it to the podium. “Hello. Thank you for coming,” Dean Knight began. “We have what looks to be another fantastic year in the making...”
As the Dean speaks Clover leans in close next to me and hisses in my ear. “Hey, do you know who that guy that just sat down next to you is?” I risk a quick glance sideways to peer at him again. Why, I’m not sure. Hoping to get to look into his eyes again, possibly... unfortunately his attention is fully focused on the front of the stage.
“No. Why?” I whisper back as I shake my head and turn my eyes back to her.
“He was just staring at you like he knew you. But if you don’t know him then stay away from him. Nox Quade is as dangerous as they come.” She whisper a little louder than I would have liked causing me to wince and shush her. Clover piques my interest though and I am now desperate to know more about the tall, dark and dangerous stranger.
Arching an eyebrow, I open my mouth to ask questions like, how does she know who he is and why is she under the impression that he’s dangerous... before I can ask though she whispers, “later” causing a frustrated growl to escape past my lips. But I mouth ’okay’ and shift my eyes back to the center of the stage trying hard to block out the masculine, sexy god two seats away.
∞
Nox
I was all about skipping the ‘welcome assembly’ but as I began to make my way across the campus, a faint yet enticing fragrance fills my nose of strawberries and vanilla. Intrigued, I follow the scent into the auditorium and before I realize it, I find myself walking into the interior of the room. Damn it! Frustrated for not paying attention to my surroundings, I decide to continue on following the scent and find myself standing near the girl that had fallen into me earlier when I was in line in the administration building. It seems as though she can feel my presence because I have stood there for but a few seconds when she turns her green eyes in my direction.
My heartbeat triples as her gaze locks with mine and I can’t stop myself from staring at her. I know from her standing near me earlier that she isn’t much taller than 5’4. Her frame, though petite, is an athletic one and I feel like she was probably a cross country runner in high school. Her mane of fiery red curls dwarfs her appearance and makes me think of the pixies I’d encountered in my youth.
Realizing I’ve been staring, I clear my throat to ask, “is this seat taken?” As she shakes her head no, I quickly claim the chair I was standing next to leaving an empty one in between her and I.
Try as I might though, I can’t keep my gaze off of her. I hear the girl sitting next to her ask if she knows me and realize I’ve been caught staring, so I force my eyes towards the stage. What the two don’t realize is I’ve got exceptional hearing and hear the dark-haired girl whisper, “stay away from him, he’s as dangerous as they come.” This causes me to smirk because the girl has no idea how right she is.