Yes." I answered, more confused than ever . "Jordan, what is happening.?"
In one swift leap, Jordan has grabbed the voluminous book on the table. Wolf Lore. I joined him, my neck hovering while my eyes strained to see by the light of the candle.
Jordan's hand shook as he traced the brittle pages. His voice was raw, almost breaking.
"Here—" His finger pressed down hard against the curling script.
I leaned in before I could stop myself. The words bled into me like poison.
Blood rites are the strongest form of Wolf-binding. When shared willingly or unwillingly, they do not merely heal or restore, but tether. One life bleeds into the other, forever linked.
My stomach twisted so violently I thought I might be sick.
"What do you mean… tether?" My voice was too thin and sounded strange even to my own ears.
Jordan's jaw worked, like he was chewing down the truth he didn't want to say. His eyes lifted—glowing faintly, that cursed wolf-light simmering beneath his skin.
"It means…" He swallowed hard. "You heard my thoughts because the ritual bound us. Blood magic isn't just power—it's union. Your heartbeat, your pain, your thoughts… I feel them. And you'll feel mine."
The words stole the air from my lungs.
"You're saying we're… stuck?"
He gave a crooked smile, not his usual arrogant smirk—something darker, hollow. "Not stuck. Bound. Wolves call it the Blood Oath. Once it's sealed, it can't be undone. Not by time, not by distance. Not even by death."
Bound. Forever. The word clanged in my head, brutal and absolute.
Straight from the frying pan into the blazing fire. My head spins at the sickening realization.
I stepped back like he had burned me. He followed without even thinking, like his body was chained to mine. A string pulled taut between us, dragging him closer when all I wanted was out.
"You did this to me without asking," I spit out , my voice laced with spite.
Something flickered in his eyes—guilt, maybe, or something that looked too much like it. "I had no choice. If I hadn't, you'd be dead."
My mind worked overtime. Somewhere I had read in Wolf Lore that the other alternative to get rid of Wolfskull poisoning was to lay the victim beneath the rays of the full moon.
"Night, I thought of that too" Jordan said quietly hunched over me while I collapsed on the couch, my head spinning "But I couldn't sit still and wait for nightfall while you lay there only inches away from Death. "
Wasnt Death a better alternative than this ?
"So right now I have no life of my own" I fumed, twisting my fingers wryly "I have to be yoked against my will to a Werewolf. A freaking red furred wolf. " I buried my face in my hands "God. I am so so doomed. "
"You make it sound like it's a punishment" Jordan shrugged nonchalantly. I looked up to find his eyes locked on mine and his face encased in that trademark smirk.
"You make it sound like you are enjoying this" I snapped.
"Well technically I am" He smiled "Now that you can read my thoughts too, we are even. You have always been pissed that I could scroll through your mind. You can visit mine anytime you like. I wouldn't charge you rent ."
I hesitated, inhaling and slowly exhaling to burn up my tripling anger. But when I opened my mouth, the words were a half yell "Have you thought about how dangerous this is for me? I wasn't bounded to you when I got poisoned by your girlfriend."
"She's not my girlfriend", He muttered.
"Who cares?" I screamed out with frustration "Now that you have done this, who knows what more horrific horrors would be thrown my way."
He ruffled his hair idly. "Well you have a point there ." I resisted the urge to kick his idiotic skull "But I will still be saving your ass" Then he sneered and added testilly "As usual ".
The sound of sharp noises and a bell completely erased my retort. Jordan and I darted to the bed and yanked the curtain wide open. Something was happening outside. I wanted to open the window but he beat me to it. I fumed silently. We peered wordlessly into the distance.
A big blazing torch was held by the crisp outline of Viviette Tom. The torch was shining too brightly on the faces of two students kneeling like thieves caught in a heist. I peered closer. Cassidy and Peach.
My chest did a leap.
Principal Scavenger was pacing with a broad frown on his face. When he opened his mouth, his voice was loud, strict and laced with disappointment "Caught sneaking in from Tish at the dead of night . My God. What kind of kids are we raising?"
Viviette Tom shrilled crisply "Thieves no doubt. "
"Both of you, to my office now" Principal Scavenger snapped, moving in furious strides .
I closed the window with a look of amusement on my face.
"Finally, an end to all those nightmarish sneakouts" Jordan yawned. He moved to the couch and stretched his limbs tiredly. "You can sleep on the bed. "
I rolled my eyes. Maybe if I slept I would wake to find that this was just a bad dream. Yes a very bad dream. I let my eyes close in a much needed slumber.
__
Cassidy's dorm room has an exciting combination of pink and blue colors. Her roommate lay sprawled on her bed in her own corner of the room, snoring blissfully.
"For God's sake it was just a harmless fun sneakout" Cassidy said to me remorselessly in the morning while I sat in front of the mirror wishing I could get ten more hours of Sleep. Why on Earth did Dr. Fiddlestick have to schedule a class this early.
"Just a harmless fun sneakout" I repeated warily, "Two girls gallivanting at nights in the woods with a Vampire ".
"Harmon and Theodore are Tishian Vamps" She corrected me testilly, buttoning her shirt . Principal Scavenger had summoned her to his office. Probably the reprimand last night was just a tip of the iceberg.
"Oh, two vampires actually . Theodore" I rolled my eyes "God, what happened to Stefan."
Stefan was the nicely decent nerdy classmate of hers who was always trailing her around like a lost puppy dog. Well at least he was human.
"Stefan is just there" Cassidy groans " But Theodore is much more exciting. And very Vampish cute. "
Yes I know all about the heavenly cuteness of those corpse white specie.
"Till he drains the blood out of you" I concluded, sufficiently deciding that my self piety in front of the mirror was enough for the day. Damn Mr. Fiddlestick and his bloody alchemy.
"He's Tishian" Elinora snapped, fiddling testilly with her skirt. Which needed no fiddling by the way.
"God." I swallowed my rising anger "The faith you have in the Tishian Treaty . " I wanted to snap at her. Tell her she was gullible and too easily impressed. Tell her there was danger in the woods at night. Tell her the Treaty was only a piece of paper, and in a broad town crawling with Supernaturals, caution was not a fool's bread.
But instead I stared at the rough set of her mouth, that cast iron stubbornness. I stared at the lushness of her black hair. I stared at her nice little hands twisting my messy red hair into a nice little bun. I stared at the retort forming at her white throat. And all I could see was a toddler stretching it's hands into an open flame.
I would have to protect her. If the flame attempted to scorch her. God.
"Well, the Treaty has grown to be worthy of Faith " Cassidy says crispy. Her crisp tone reminds me too much of Viviette Tom. "For four hundred years, wolves, vampires and humans have coexisted peacefully without any recorded chaos. You have to broaden out a little so you don't miss out on all the fun. "
"You sound like a professor on Tishian Law " I snort
"And you sound as usual like the Dark Magian that you are " Her irritation is becoming visible "Nightie, please we won't be eighteen forever. Why don't we make the most of this year " A broad grin hits her face "If you could snap out of your perpetual gloom for once, you might actually appreciate the exquisite hotness of Tishian vamps " Her voice drops to a whisper "Especially on bed . "
"I wouldn't want to find out" I say flatly
"You should " Cass goes on regardless "Theodore has this big sweet dickie that he definitely knows how to use " She licks her lips "And so did Vance. And Eliot and Brian and all of them...."
"Vamps" I complete for her.
"Exactly " Her voice is a half giggle "Do you think a werewolf could be that good too " She wriggles her waist obscenely "Dick_wise? I heard they could be so weirdly possesive" You heard correct I wanted to say but my throat folds those scalding words and shove them into my belly.
Cassidy continues "Well fuck that shitty law that forbids wolf human mingling" Her voice drops into a frustrated drool "So now human girls like us have to latch unto the next best non human thing " She mouths "Vam-Pires. And mercifully they seem much hotter if you get past the shocking coldness of their shockingly pale skin " She adds "Let's not forget the dick factor"
"I see you have your life all figured out " I snap warily, grabbing my bag.
"The opposite is to wallow in torturing pessimism which you seem to be doing " She snorts accusatorily.
"Well if that keeps me alive, I'm up for it "
"Anytime, anyday. " Her voice is dry .