Page 37 of Zodiac Hybrids

Was I interesting? Really? I felt like the least complicated person here, but maybe that was interesting when you lived in a whole nother realm from my version of normal. “Do I need to fill out an application?”

Ceto shook his head. “Nope. Just show up next week at whatever time works for your schedule, and we’ll sort out the details.”

“Just like that?” It had been way harder to get a job back home. Even my first retail job had required drug tests and three interviews. “Not even an interview?”

“This was your interview.” He chuckled. “And you passed. Woohoo.” His tone remained perfectly deadpan as he made an exploding motion with his hand. “My parents own the place, and we’ve been looking for help for a while. You’d be doing me a favor if you took the job. So think about it.”

“O-okay.” Somehow, he had a way of knocking me completely off guard, whereas Marcus and the Professor both kept me teetering on my toes on a crumbling cliff side.

“I’ll see you next week, Human Lila. You’ll have to tell me how your field trip went when you get back.”

“Sure.” We exchanged numbers like we were… friends? Or something? Then I settled for turning on my heel and heading to the door. I waved goodbye to Ceto, and I found my way towards the bus home.

Well, that went well, I guess. Strange as it was, it solved at least one of my problems, so I couldn’t be too upset about the weird vibes.

Chapter 22

Veloce Hot Springs was an enchanting little resort. The hotel itself consisted of twelve rooms, and the baths were built with stones from the surrounding forest. Tall stalks of bamboo divided the pools for privacy, building tightly woven walls, while the pleasant ambiance of fountains filled the quiet refuge in the mountains. Some of the pools were segregated by gender, and were thusly clothing optional, while the mixed bath required swimsuits. I, for one, would be opting for the clothing.

As Professor Karras stopped into the lobby to check us all into our rooms, I stood among the class, who was already starting to pair off with their would-be roommates. I glanced about, not sure who to ask to be my partner. I didn’t know anyone other than Marcus, and the professor already decided I couldn’t pair with him.

“This is so dumb.” I muttered under my breath.

“We won’t be spending much time in our rooms, so don’t worry so much, Baby Doll.” Marcus said, giving me a pat on the back that ended with a lingering touch. As the professor was finishing up, before he could return to the group, Marcus leaned over and whispered, “I’ll still keep you out as late as you like.”

My whole face was red, and I was quick to hide behind my hair once I was back in the professor’s sightline.

“So, room assignments!” Adrian addressed the class loudly enough to quiet the chatter. “Linda and Evelyn.” They looked at each other and fist bumped. “Daniel and Aiden, I’ll be paired with Marcus, Rachel and Sadie, and since we have an uneven number, and Lila was the only one who didn’t request a specific roommate, you’ll be getting your own room. It’s your lucky day.” He tilted his chin in my direction, and somehow, nothing about that felt like luck. No, that just meant there was no one in my room who would hear me scream if an Incubus-Aquarius snuck in at night.

Actually, I got the impression he was trying to keep an eye on Marcus more than he was trying to torture me, so he would probably be too occupied with him tonight. He was pretty confident I wouldn’t trigger his transformation this month so… this was actually awesome. It meant after being social all day, I’d get a place to unwind alone.

In hindsight, this was the best way it could have worked out.

I released a sigh of relief as Adrian handed out room keys. He didn’t make any suggestive comments or gestures as he gave me mine. Maybe this was an apology for always being so hot and cold. Like, he owed me a safe, comfy place to sleep after the last month. I think he owed me more than that, but this was an acceptable start, really.

“Feel free to use the baths or enjoy the spa or massage tables for the afternoon. Then let’s all meet for dinner around six. Around nine, we’ll do some star gazing, but other than that, the schedule is completely open, so have fun.”

As soon as he concluded his speech, he threw an arm around Marcus’ shoulder like they were old friends, and all I could think was I really needed to ask what the hell their relationship was. He dragged away my only friend, so I went to my room to get situated. I’d only brought a small backpack worth of clothes, considering we were only staying overnight, so there wasn’t much to unpack. It was just me and a big comfy king bed all to myself.

I sprawled out like a starfish and let myself sink into the comforter. I’d never had a bed bigger than a twin, and something about it being so wide and so long that I couldn’t reach any of the edges was a wonderful thing that I didn’t know I needed in my life.

I rolled over, snuggling my cheek into the pillow.

This was great. Maybe this was going to be the start of some new experiences. I’d been nervous about this field trip because I didn’t know what would happen with the professor, and truth be told I felt really self-conscious about walking around in a skimpy swimsuit, but I had to constantly remind myself that this was college. I should have been embracing new experiences, not being terrified of them. This was the most relaxing, innocuous thing I could do. There was nothing risky about being here. If the professor was confident his monster was caged, then I should be confident that I could enjoy this vacation. It was time to start living life.

Hell, thinking of all the things I’d already experienced, I wasn’t a virgin anymore, I knew what an orgasm felt like, I’d been on a date and been kissed by the coolest guy I knew, I’d ridden on the back of a motorcycle, I just got a job, I was at a resort during a time of year when I’d normally be buried in snow, and I learned a whole ass world of demon and monster dick existed. What was I complaining about? I’d experienced more in a month than I had in my first twenty-two years of life.

The pep talk seemed to help as I changed into my swimsuit and put on the complimentary robe in the bathroom. I checked my reflection in the mirror, assuring the mark on my neck and my lip were both hidden adequately by makeup. Hopefully the waterproofing would hold up to the steam.

With one last heavy inhale of confidence, I headed out to the baths. My club mates were already lounging in the mixed bath, and in some sudden, unexplainable burst of social courage, I opted to join them. I folded my robe neatly in a locker, then I stepped out to the open air pools.

The temperatures were frigid, but they perfectly complimented the steamy hot springs. The mixed bath was large enough for probably twenty or so people, but this time of year, it was empty outside of our club. It was a quiet weekend, making it feel extra intimate for team building.

I took my first step into the hot pool, taking a moment to adjust to the shock of hot water against my cold skin, and I found a seat in the rocks a few feet from the rest of the circle. Marcus wasn’t here yet, nor was the professor, so I just settled on quietly enjoying a nice soak while eavesdropping on the group conversation.

“Okay. Seriously though. Can we talk about Dr. Karras?” Linda opened the floor for her cringy obsession with our thirty-four-year-old baby sitter.

“Honestly, I picked the mixed bath hoping he’d be here.” The girl, who I recently learned was named Sadie, groaned. She was cute and bubbly, with her long red hair tied back in a bun. “I know he’s got fifteen years on me, but he is built like a god. None of the boys our age look anything like that.”