Page 58 of Novice Girlfriend

“You want to lie and tell me you didn’t enjoy it, little sexy?” Winter called over, sounding like he was trying not to laugh.

“No, but I want the groveling too,” she answered, sounding like she was debating if she should pout.

Winter chuckled and tilted his head to study her. “Twist my arm. Sure. Now? Later? Repeatedly?”

She made a noise that was part shocked and part turned on, which was not what she should with the amount of males around her. Then she basically imploded and stormed off, the best parts of her bouncing as she did.

I didn’t watch like others did, knowing I was being watched, and merely meeting Winter’s gaze with my own neutral one. He simply smirked, wrapped up what he was handling, and then went to chase after his girlfriend while about a dozen men adjusted the way they were standing.

Myself included.

“Playing with fire there,” Taylor said under his breath.

“Playing with nothing,” I clarified. “Just not blind and noticed something men noticed including your dad.” I gave him a look to shut it and he let out a heavy breath and did.

I had a gift for doing that. Shutting people up. Yeah, I mediated well, but my parents said I was born with the ability to shut down any conversation or win any verbal sparring from the moment I’d learned to talk. It wasn’t about being an only child, but along the lines that I wasn’t much of a talker, so what I said was always pointed and mattered.

I used a lot of magic to lay what was needed while teaching some of Taylor’s people. Winter and his friends were a huge help and they were loaded with magic, a few really powerful for still being students. Then Tracey came and blew us out of the water and honestly took our breath away.

“Thank you,” Tracey told me firmly. “I know you’re part of all of this, but you can’t be paid extra as a team lead for the council. It’s seen as a conflict and the council guards can’t have extra jobs like cops or—it’s amazing how much you’re putting in.”

I dipped my head and accepted what she was saying but wasn’t really sure what was going on. Obviously, someone had started shit or said something to reach her ears that I was getting too much from Bevin? Maybe it was unfair the time she’d spent with me?

Honestly, probably all of the above with how selfish people could be, but I appreciated her shutting any of it down.

“Whatever you guys need,” I told her since others were listening. “We’re stretched thin, and there are some things I can’t teach without approval, but this—Wyatt could teach if he was here.”

She frowned and looked around. “I actually haven’t seen him much this break. That’s odd. I wonder…” She seemed to think better of what she was going to say. “We all need to take breaks, so hopefully he’s getting rest or recharging and not family drama.”

Or something was going on that I didn’t know about and she was covering it because Taylor looked like he was trying not to react.

Not my business, not my circus.

But as much as I wanted to work out, I was too tired after all of that and napped at the glamping setup while Loki harvested for me. The beds were insanely comfortable and someone was always cooking or around, so it was like a community. That was nice, but sometimes I just wanted the quiet too. I could tell others felt the same because there wasn’t pressure to chat.

I was actually off Saturday, but Bevin was going to integrate the last of the council’s familiars into the group that was there all the time. It had taken longer than planned because some really were as egotistical as their warlocks, but she was finally comfortable with taking that step.

It was a last-minute plan before school started again and all the council members could swing the time. Normally, that was when they were the least annoying and the ones who had already gone felt bad for those who hadn’t.

At first. Now that things had dragged out because of the attitudes of their familiars, people were losing patience. Luckily, it wasn’t too bad and none of it was pointed at Bevin.

Still, I wasn’t the only one who made sure to get her out of there fast. I was glad for the timing because Eunice was actually starting his shift. He hadn’t been around besides just for work which was part of what was so weird. He always volunteered for everything.

Always.

He was someone who always wanted to help. Not just the council, but to move or with a party. You name it and Eunice would be there. He was that kind of guy and genuinely a nice person. Never asked for anything back, but everyone would because people only had good things to say about him.

Seriously, I didn’t think one guard could talk shit about him and that wasn’t a thing. No matter how nice the person, personalities still clashed and nothing matched without some friction.

But with Eunice? Nope. Everyone liked him and I’d never heard a bad word about him.

Bevin caught on when I gave her a look and glanced his way. She winked at me and hummed a bar of the Mission: Impossible theme song before we headed that direction. Seriously, she was such a damn goof. Normally, I would have chuckled and enjoyed it because I knew she’d done it because I was worried.

But I was worried about one of my best friends. Eunice and I hadn’t just gone through guard schooling together. No, we’d met in grade school. He was one of my oldest friends and honestly like a brother to me. I’d do anything for the guy.

Even break my own morals about privacy and take his valid beating later when I confessed what I’d done.

Bevin tripped over her own feet when we got closer and wasn’t focused on that or me when I caught her. I was about to ask her if she was okay, but then I saw she was trying to hold it together… While staring at Eunice’s familiar.