Page 150 of Volik

“Da.”

She pulls her hand back as she stands.

I straighten with her.

“You’ll glare the whole time, making sure no one is mean to me?”

I expand my chest with an inhale, making myself as wide as possible. “Da.”

Nix takes a deep breath, blows it out, then nods.

We move at the same time, passing each other next to her desk.

Nix’s eyes become visible to the room as she moves to the spot I just vacated. And the murmurs start immediately.

I stop a few feet behind Nix’s desk and face the class.

Anyone who is looking at her will also see me.

There are some phones out. There was no avoiding that and no use trying to control it. But Nix stays where she is, leaning back against the desk, and after a few moments, the students grow silent.

Her shoulders lift with another inhale as I keep our heartbeat steady.

“There have been some developments.” Furniture creaks as students lean forward over their tables, eyes wide, and I am certain Nix just gave them a glimpse of her beautiful, new pointy teeth. “And as my Investigative Journalism class, it is understandable that you’ll have questions.” Fifty hands lift into the air. “Yes, my eyes are black. And I have fangs. And…” She lifts a hand, wiggling her fingers. “This is not nail polish.”

More hands go up as people begin to murmur again.

I clear my throat, and the room silences as attention snaps to me before going back to Nix.

“But I will not be answering questions right now.” There’s a collective groan as hands lower. “We are going to finish the section we started Wednesday to prepare for next week’s test. If you all participate, I will allow you three minutes at the end of class to confer with one another to choose two questions to ask me. And choose wisely. I am not obligated to answer, so don’t pick something that common sense tells you is inappropriate.” Murmurs start again. Probably everyone wondering if they can ask about sex, and I am torn between smirking and snarling. But instead of intervening, I watch Nix hold up a finger. “If you interrupt class, or spend the hour gawking rather than listening, I will answer zero questions. Got it?”

The class as a whole nods.

And I spend the hour watching my clever mate work.

By the time we reach the end of the second class, I think I understand why Nix wants to continue teaching.

She is good. Understanding. Understandable. Relatable.

She will not need me here as security for the rest of the semester, but I plan to stay anyway, even if it’s just to listen to her talk.

Nix was impressed this morning, during the house tour, when I explained that I make a lot of my own furniture, so I bet she would let me put an extra chair in here. Maybe even my own desk.

“And your second question?” she asks the girl standing two rows up.

The student glances at her notebook. “Do you expect the government to get involved, regarding the mate bond?”

Nix hums.

The first class asked her questions related to the physical changes. If her sight was any different now. Seeing in the dark was something she and I had not yet discussed, but we will. And what did it feel like to grow fangs. Her jaw was sore when she fell asleep, and she woke up with them already formed.

The second class started similarly, asking if the changes occurred at the same time and what prompted it. Woke up with the change, and the exact cause is unknown, but I speculate it happened because I consumed some of Volik’s blood.

I had to work to hide my grin on that one as eyes widened and mouths dropped open.

“This is a good learning question.” Nix sounds pleased with the students’ choice. “If this were for a story, that would be the question to ask the entities who have the answer. A local government representative. Calling your senator. That sort of thing. And you would keep your questions to me about me. Your first question was clever. Technically two, lumped into one. And even though I do not have a medical background or proof, I was able to tell you what I think, because it was regarding my person. This question, if the government will try to put itself into my life, will have an answer of pure speculation on my part. That being said.” She tips her head back and forth like she’s weighing options. “I think they will try. I think they will use whatever reasoning they can think of to request a meeting. I think all their reasons will be bullshit, and their actual motivation will be to assess what danger I may or may not present.”

A low growl rolls out of my chest, and I make no attempt to hide it.