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The headmistress laced her fingers over her knee. “The mark isn’t permanent until you seal the bond with your pair.”
“That’s done by sex and blood sharing,” Blaire said, leaning over.
“But we’ve had sex, and he’s—” Charlotte bit the inside of her cheek and winced.
Blaire blinked. “He’s? What?”
“I don’t want him to get in trouble.”
“Whatever he’s done, I would like to know,” the headmistress said. “It will help me guide both of you through this transition. I am aware of what he did to the man in the alley who attacked you.” She inhaled deeply through her nose, sitting forward and placing her arms on the desk. “Charlotte, I protect my students. I understand what drove him to commit the crime. Having Dominic Harrison’s backing made it easy to cover what Aiden did. But no one outside of those involved can ever know. Understand?”
“I understand,” she whispered. The unspoken consequence of the headmistress’ words settled over her like thick tar, stealing her breath. Aiden would die. She looked at Blaire, unable to look at the headmistress when she admitted what happened. “Aiden drank my blood. When we had sex last time, he bit too hard or something and I bled a little.” She drew a breath and rushed to add, “He didn’t use fangs! I would have noticed the difference. He’s… bit me other places where I could see. I know what it feels like when he uses his normal teeth.”
Her face flamed. It embarrassed her to admit something about her sex life in front of the headmistress of Blackthorn Academy. It was weird to discuss her sex life with a stranger at all, but she had the feeling this was normal for them. If it had been Blaire alone, she wouldn’t balk at having a conversation about it. It wasn’t like she knew what his fangs felt like, but she suspected there would be pain. Aiden’s bites never hurt.
“So not only have you engaged in sexual activity, but he’s tasted your blood?”
She nodded.
Blaire didn’t seem to bat an eye at the clinical way the headmistress asked intimate questions. If sex was part of whatever the sealing a bond thing was, it made sense. She had to learn about it somewhere. Was it so different from counselors and sexual education classes? At least she wasn’t in a classroom full of students talking about sex.
“Then you’ve come close to sealing the bond without realizing it.” Before Charlotte could ask what it would take, the headmistress continued. “The mark is special to your pairing and is a symbol of your lasting bond. Pairs who have formed deeper connections can see their mark on occasion, but the visual is fleeting. It is the bond calling to the other, making itself known.”
“So what does a bond mean?”
“Korrena pairs have a special connection no others share. You will connect on an emotional level where, if the emotions are intense enough, you will sense them. No other person can ever bond with you this way for as long as you live. It’s the greatest love you’ll ever know.”
Love? If she was Aiden’s Korrena, did that mean he loved her?
As if reading her mind, the headmistress said, “Many Korrena pairs sense their bond before it reveals itself. The pair may have already formed a romantic relationship prior to their awakening. In some cases, they don’t know each other, and they adapt and get to know one another. In some cases,”—she gave Blaire a pointed look—“they might dislike one another.”
Blaire scoffed. “There was a lot more to it than that. We didn’t actually hate each other.” She rolled her eyes.
“But wait. Are you saying if the mark shows up you have to be with the person? What if you’re enemies? What if the person is a bad person? Like one of those rogues?”
“The bond is a magical thing, choosing pairs that are compatible but might need to get to know one another and allow a connection to form organically. You don’t have to accept the bond, but it’s painful to be away from your pair. It can make you physically ill.”
Charlotte laughed. “Well, that explains a lot.”
“How so?” Blaire asked.
“Recently, both Aiden and I were sick.”
“I remember he was. I didn’t know you were.”
“I went to Atlanta with my mothers. We didn’t see each other but once in two weeks until tonight.”
“Well, you won’t be ill anymore if you choose to accept what I offer,” the headmistress interjected.
Charlotte turned to look at her as russet eyes narrowed.
“Like I offered Blaire, I am extending a scholarship from the clan to attend the academy so you can be close to your Korrena, preventing the illness associated with your separation. You may enroll in any program you wish and obtain a legitimately recognized degree like any other university in the country.”
Blaire smiled. “That solves the issue with being away from your moms.”
“My moms,” Charlotte mumbled. Lines etched her forehead. “What about my mothers? What do I tell them?”
“They cannot know about us,” the headmistress said. “In Blaire’s case, she could abandon her old life, but based on what Blaire, Aiden, and Riley have shared with me, I understand you are very close to your mothers.”
