Page 20 of Zodiac Demons

And I was about two miles into the drive when I rerouted to the witch’s office in Uptown Graves to make an appointment with Madam Claudine.

Chapter 9

Seventeen Months ago

Every full moon was a time bomb of stress, as Omari specifically chose those nights to try and corner me. He was the only one still alive who had ever seen me shift, and I’d nearly killed him on more than one occasion growing up. Despite being barely two years my senior, and tremendously stronger than I was in natural form, the unbridled power of having the claim to moon beams of two combined species was unmatched, and I was starting to think he truly resented me for it.

At first I’d thought he hated me out of spite for my mother murdering his before he was old enough to know her, but as he had taken it upon himself to lock me in a supply closet until the moon was far enough above the horizon that I couldn’t leave campus, I was beginning to suspect he just got a sadistic sense of joy out of exploiting my unique weaknesses.

There were several teachers who couldn’t go home on full moon nights either, especially during the winter when days were so short, and classes sometimes ended long after the sun had set, so there were sleeping quarters around Graves specifically for refuge, but I wasn’t simply an inconvenienced werewolf. I was an Omega who also had heats and baiting scents on a night like this, on top of being a two-sided Gemini and a Basilisk who had an equal drive for bloodlust and intense violence, so I needed the added protection of wards both to prevent Alphas from losing their minds around me, and to prevent me from losing my mind around lesser creatures—which were… most creatures, incidentally.

Not to mention that, unlike a werewolf, my transformation had very little physical alteration, which meant I’d remain easily recognizable as a member of a founding family. One accidental murder could mean twenty intentional murders to eliminate any possible witnesses, lest our family name be tarnished by a night of casual slaughter.

Yet another thing my brother knew too well and exploited to my detriment. By his design, I’d lost my virginity to his high school girlfriend, an Alpha jackal shifter who he’d never be allowed to marry, while he watched for his own twisted amusement. I just don’t think he’d expected me to respond to that bit of trauma by dragging that same girlfriend outside and eating her alive, fully shifted into my serpent, fully moon fueled, and with unapologetic violence that my other mind had no qualms about. I let him watch that part too, much to his shock and horror.

He got over the cannibalism, but he’d seemed to take it as a fun, new challenge to see what else he could force me to do when my mind was split and my instinctual needs were unsated.

Which was why I determined that this closet was probably the safest place for me to stay tonight anyway, in case there were any other shifters on campus after hours. I wasn’t going to play into his hand, and I really didn’t need to play into anyone else’s hands. If I scrunched tightly enough into a ball on the floor, it wasn’t even that uncomfortable.

I said this, only to hear the sound of the closet door unlocking not five minutes later. I expected to see the janitor opening the door, but instead, I was hit with that familiar sage and those always enchanting golden eyes.

“Weird place to take a nap,” Marcus said with an easy grin. “Do I want to ask?”

“Probably not,” I relented with a sigh. I’d chosen not to text him, but I’d still seen him once a week in Astrology Club for the last month, and something about him was unusually pleasant for an Alpha. He was easy to talk to, and his general proximity put me at ease in a curious way that was hard to explain. I still didn’t know his exact species, but our Astrological signs were technically compatible, so I just told myself it was that.

I might have been in trouble if he was from a Zodiac order of shifters, but we were rare enough that it wasn’t something worth worrying about. The renowned Hidalgo Emery having a hybrid shifter son was already unusual without adding in the less than 1% chance of it being a Zodiac shifter he mated with.

I suppose the same could be said for me though.

“I’m surprised you’re still on campus.” I feigned light hearted laughter. “How’d you find me?”

His cheeks reddened and he glanced away, and I didn’t understand what part of that question was enough to make a vampire blush. I didn’t even know vampires could blush for that matter.

“Y-your pheromones are quite intense even when you’re indoors on the full moon.” He uncharacteristically stumbled over his words. “I was staying late to finish up an assignment, then as I was about to head out, I picked up on your scent and just kind of followed it. Didn’t expect it to be coming from the janitor’s supply closet, though.” Cute. No. What? Why was my brain calling a nervous Marcus cute? “I’m guessing since this door locks from the outside, you didn’t choose this little room yourself. Were you cornered by that alligator shifter again?”

“No, I didn’t, and no, I wasn’t.” I said, before accepting his hand and letting him help me to my feet. Beau had even disappointed my brother with how disinterested he’d become toward me after Marcus compelled him. A vampire’s sight was an unexpectedly powerful tool for something that did no physical damage. “This is just the product of having an annoying big brother.”

That made him snort. “That’s surprisingly relatable.”

I met his gaze, a bit surprised. “You have a brother?” I suppose that made sense. Again, his last name was Emery, and again, it was almost expected that the ancient Vampire who was a part of the Counsel would have more than one off spring. Though probably not more than one hybrid offspring.

“A half-brother.” He shrugged, and that tracked. “Tormented me my whole childhood, so we don’t talk much anymore though.”

“That’s… also surprisingly relatable.” I blinked a few times as that sunk in. How strange that we would be so similar. “I actually wish we talked less. If not for the fact that I was forcibly enrolled at Graves, I wouldn’t have minded talking to him never.” I grumbled.

“Fuck, for how much our dads hate each other, they sound like the exact same people. Because I definitely wasn’t trying to be a college freshman at twenty-five.” Marcus shook a hand through his hair, and words had never disarmed me so completely in my entire life.

From everything I’d seen in class, he was charismatic, well liked, and good at talking to people. We were polar opposites at a high level glance, but maybe there was something more beneath the surface that explained why his aura was so easy for me to stomach.

“Does your brother go here, too?” I’d never seen him interact with anyone, nor anyone who looked obviously tied to his bloodline.

“He works here, unfortunately.” He waved a hand dismissively. “He’s eight years older than me. I was the affair turned permanent family arrangement.”

“I was also the affair, but the women kill each other in my family.” Why that was funny to both of us, I would rather not acknowledge. “My brother is only two years older than me, so he’s hard to avoid.”

“I noticed.” His eye roll was purely playful. “He’s not very subtle about yanking you around during school hours.”

And this time, my cheeks were the ones that were hot.