Page 27 of Zodiac Monsters

“Noted.”I responded through thought with a smile and a nod. “Are we still on for, uh…” I rubbed my neck where I assumed he’d bite me.

He acknowledged the hint by patting me on the head. “I’m counting down the days.”

With one more look shared between us, we finished our silent conversation, and he headed off. I started gathering my things with a sense of relief while letting my thoughts wander to everything I’d just learned.

“Lila.” Adrian’s voice pulled me from my task, and I jumped when I realized, at some point, he’d appeared right beside my desk. I scanned the room around us, only to see that we were the only ones left, and I didn’t know what witchery had allowed this to happen. How unfocused had I been to not even notice the last person leaving or the sound of the door shutting?

Though, in my defense, I had a lot to think about these days.

“Yes, professor?” I managed something cordial and socially acceptable, despite the fact that there was no one else around. I wondered if the door was locked. I’d been so oblivious, I hadn’t noticed. But then, Professor Karras wasn’t one to risk eavesdroppers or interlopers.

I swallowed thickly before I forced a few more words, as if continuing to talk would give off the impression that I was comfortable and chill and totally not on edge around everyone and everything lately. “Did you need something from me?”

He cleared his throat and broke eye contact like he had any reason to be uneasy.

Weird.Who did he think he was? Me?

“Just a status update.” He was impressively deadpan for how much uncharacteristic nervousness was in his body language. “As we approach the next full moon, it might be a good idea for us to chat. I haven’t been overly forthcoming with you, and it’s not fair or safe to keep you in the dark at this point. Especially not now that you…”

Please don’t say ‘fucked my brother.’ For the love of ALL that’s holy and just, don’t tell me Marcus and Adrian are swapping stories about my vagina. Anything but that.

No, they wouldn’t do that. They didn’t like each other, according to Marcus. He didn’t know about my dealings with the professor because they were friends. He only knew about the night of the Capricorn moon because I’d called him to the cafeteria, and he’d happened upon me—and protected my decency, I might add. I side eyed Adrian without explanation, and I wouldn’t be clarifying why.

“Now that I what?” I said when he was taking way too long to finish his sentence.

“Now that you have an idea of what to expect.”

Good answer. I’d have golf clapped if I had the mind to be sarcastic around him.

“Not really.” I only half lied. I knew enough to suspect that, if I encountered either one of them, I’d be facing down a Pisces mixed with a vampire or an incubus. But I had no idea what two floppy fish were going to look like in weird zodiac shifter context. Not knowing how to swim somehow felt considerably more relevant this month, and yet, he’d not seemed terribly worried about it. “I mean, I don’t have the foggiest clue what your trigger could be, so whether I run into you or not, or whether you get turned into a fish monster or not, is really up in the air.”

Adrian snorted despite himself. “You’re surprisingly good at making light of this situation, considering your position.”

“I don’t really know how else I’m supposed to handle it. I’m not just going to cower in my room every time there’s a full moon. And even if I did, I doubt I’d be safe there.” I hugged my arms across my chest in a natural defensive gesture. “But honestly, I think you’re more nervous about the full moon than I am. You said yourself you can’t do anything in that form without my consent, so what do I have to be afraid of?”

Adrian frowned. “It’s not that simple.”

“Of course it’s not, but I’m trying to do better about freaking out about things I can’t control.” I took a step back from both my desk and my professor, and I subtly analyzed my escape route. “Anyway, it was a really interesting lesson today. My parents really liked astrology growing up, and I didn’t care enough to pay attention to all the ins and outs. It’s a lot more complicated than I realized.” One more step, safe and slow and subtle.

“Did both of your parents talk a lot about astrology?” He was watching my every move with the precision of a predator. “Do you know their signs?”

I scrunched my nose at that. “My dad literally made us read our horoscopes over breakfast every single morning. My mom is a Libra born in late September, and my dad was born in late December, so he’s a Capricorn like you.” Oh no. That mortifying moment you realize you slept with an older man who has something in common with your father.

What have I done? Is this what having daddy issues looks like?

“Why are you making that face?” He raised both brows, and I cleared my throat.

“No reason.” I grumbled.

“So your dad was most interested in astrology, but it was your mother who enrolled you here, right?” What was he getting at?

I nodded. “I already told you that. She got her accounting degree here.” Here we go again. Was he also trying to imply I wasn’t human? “We’ve been through this.”

Professor Karras threw up his hands defensively. “I’m not trying to overstep. I’m just trying to understand a bit more about you. I feel like we got off on the wrong foot, and I’d like to do better about that since you’ve insisted on spending the year in so many of my classes.”

My laugh was involuntary. “I couldn’t really get around that without completely giving up on everything I came to college for in the first place.” I chewed on my lip, then stopped when I realized I was nibbling on his literal mate mark. “I promise I didn’t come here in hopes of spending every day of my life on uncomfortable egg shells.”

“Well, I want to remedy that.” Say what now? “The awkwardness, I mean. I’ve been incredibly unfair to you these last two months. Let me make it up to you. It doesn’t have to be so tense in the interim.”