Page 37 of Evergreen

“I’ve enchanted plenty of people by accident,” Nerion continued. “That’s what my song does, right? It makes people want me. And even without the song, I knew how to get what I wanted. But I was always the one in control, the one who was wanted. But with Teddy, it was backwards. I was the one being enchanted. And that terrified me because I knew if he ever stopped wanting me back, I’d literally turn into sea foam and cease to exist.”

I felt my stomach twist as I listened. I’d been there the whole time and still, just hearing the story reminded me of how much of a chance Nerion had taken with Teddy. How much he’d risked for him.

“So you’re saying I should tell him,” I said slowly. “How I feel. Even though I don’t know what happens after graduation. Even though it could all fall apart.”

“I think we’re saying,” Teddy interjected gently, “that not saying anything guarantees it will fall apart. At least if you’re honest, you give it a chance.”

Nerion nodded. “Plus, you’re a dryad. You only have to visit the grove every month or so to stay powered up. So you can see him as often as you want. It’s not like your kind are big into getting day jobs or anything.”

“Assuming he wants to make it work,” I said, but I was already thinking about how I could approach this. What I would say to Cass. How I could explain that what happened between us wasn’t just a one-time thing for me.

“He will,” Nerion said with absolute certainty. “Trust me on this. It’s written all over his face. And, even if it doesn’t work out, at least you had a good time, right?”

I wanted to believe him. But as I finished my lunch and headed back toward the conservatory, I couldn’t shake the anxiety coiling in my stomach. What if I was misreading the situation? What if Cass just wanted the sex and nothing else? What if telling him how I felt would ruin what we’d just started building?

The only way to find out was to actually talk to him.

When I reached the greenhouse, my nerves were already frayed. So, instead of sitting around and overthinking my way through every single thought I’d ever had, I threw myself into work. Most of the debris was clear now and that meant getting my hands in the soil. That, above all else, calmed me down.

The soil was cool and damp beneath my fingers, rich with the kind of life force that made my magic sing. I worked methodically, removing the last of the charred debris and testing the pH levels to see what amendments we’d need. It was meditative work, the kind that let my mind wander while my hands stayed busy.

I’d been at it for about an hour when I heard footsteps on the gravel path. I didn’t need to look up to know it was Cass. I’d gotten good at recognizing the particular sound of his gait. It was quick, slightly impatient, like he was always in a rush to get somewhere.

“Are you always here,” he asked, setting his bag down near the work table.

“That’s sort of my job,” I replied, which was true enough. I just didn’t mention that the real reason was to burn off some of this nervous energy coursing through my veins. “And my major. Why are you here so early?”

“I wanted to get some practice in before we started the real work,” Cass said, and I could hear something different in his voice. Something lighter, maybe. Less guarded. “Professor Blackwood gave me something to help me with my control issues. We’ve got sessions twice a week now.”

I looked up from the soil, genuinely impressed. “That’s great. She doesn’t usually take on extra students.”

“Yeah, well.” He shrugged, moving to grab one of the work gloves from the shelf. “Apparently I have potential or whatever. Her words, not mine.”

I couldn’t help but smile at that. Cass was trying. Actually trying. And not just to work off his punishment faster. He was investing in himself, in getting better at controlling his magic.

“That’s really cool,” I said, meaning it. “You’ll have to show me what you’ve been working on.”

“Maybe later,” he said, and there was something in his tone that made me think he had something else on his mind. He was being quieter than usual, less prone to his typical sarcastic commentary. “Do you mind if I go work on the glass a bit?”

“Not at all,” I said, waving him toward the other end of the greenhouse. “I have lots of plants to work on, anyway.”

“Thanks,” he said, heading toward the stack of glass. Then he stopped, looking back at me. “And maybe later we can sneak back to your room again? I’ve got some things I want to show you.”

My cheeks flushed immediately and I felt my cock twitch in my jeans. “Uh… yeah. That would be… great.”

Chapter 16

Cass

It didn’t take a lot of convincing to get Linden back to his room before our real shift started in the conservatory. I might’ve felt a little bad about pulling him away from the work he loved so much, but I just couldn’t stop thinking about that giant green cock of his. I’d been picturing it in my mind ever since the night before, wanting to taste him again. And, of course, I had some other ideas about what I wanted to do with it too. But I was determined to take it slow, for Linden’s sake. He was new to all of this.

It was hard though, forcing myself not to jump his bones the moment I saw him. So, with every ounce of self-control I had, I led him back to his dorm, shut the door behind us, and flipped the lock into place.

“I’ve been thinking about you all day,” I said, my heart already pounding and my jeans tight. “It’s hard to think about anything else, actually.”

Linden’s eyes darkened as he looked at me, his pupils dilating with interest. “Yeah?” he asked, his voice dropping to something lower, rougher. “What have you been thinking about?”

I closed the distance between us, my hands already reaching for the hem of his shirt. “About this,” I said, pulling the fabric up and over his head. His green skin was already flushed, golden patterns flickering beneath the surface like bioluminescence. “And about how I want to try something different today.”