Chapter Eleven
NOAH
Noah closed the book he was reading and sighed deeply. The rain fell outside and created a lullaby that could drift him to sleep if the students weren’t screaming and talking loud downstairs. Apparently, it was board games night. All of the students and teachers gathered in the living room, divided themselves into groups, and played board games and charades.
He wasn’t in the mood for social gatherings. Having to plan activities and grade the students were already tiring. The majority of them wouldn’t last a day in a vampire training camp. Still, they weren’t vampires or hybrids like him.
Noah sighed again and relaxed his shoulders. Placing the book on the coffee table, he leaned back, rested his open arms over the sofa, and closed his eyes. He focused on the falling rain and the wind. Rainy nights weren’t welcome when he had no place to sleep. That night, he had a cozy attic that smelled of lilies and vanilla, and he was wearing Grace’s tracksuit. He hadn’t returned it to her. She hadn’t asked for it back.
Being in her refuge made him feel less anxious. It was the reason why he had chosen that place to sleep. It smelled great and was surrounded by warm energy. It smelled like the pretty hybrid from whom the headmaster had ordered Noah to stay away. When he first heard about the headmaster’s conditions, he didn’t think anything about it.
Why would it be hard for him to stay away from the headmaster’s spoiled granddaughter? He knew the type. They found him a challenge, a way to spice up their boring lives, but not mate material. Not even boyfriend material.
In his line of work, having a relationship was impossible. Maybe not impossible, but not recommended.
He sucked in a breath and opened his eyes, facing the window that protected him from the rain. The sky was dark, but if he concentrated hard enough, he could see the clouds move with the force of the wind and the raindrops splash and slide down the glass. His enhanced hearing filtered away the noise as his mind searched for Grace’s voice. If he focused and closed his eyes, he could almost follow her enticing scent. He was sure he knew where she was at all times once she arrived from college.
At night, when he couldn’t sleep, he imagined the pretty purple cloud that surrounded her one level down from his sleeping place. Grace’s aura was purple to him. The other people were either black or white. Grace stood out from the rest, no matter how many times he looked at her.
A bed, warm meals, and even a salary—he didn’t know what he did to deserve that. He wasn’t sure why he stayed and agreed to protect Grace. Still, it was highly unlikely that the headmaster would acquire permission from the council for Noah to stay there. Would he even want to stay for longer than a few weeks?
My revenge is over.
There were other vampire lords to kill. Rogue werewolves who attacked innocent people. Bounties that made him enough money to survive. His aunt’s home. It’s been ages since he went to see her. They’d talked on the phone. He told her that he had killed their enemies. She asked him when he was coming back home.
“Home.” Noah swallowed his pain. “Where’s that?”
He turned his head and looked at the door. Grace had invited him to join her and her friends. She didn’t let him eat alone and was always following him around. He wasn’t going to pretend that he didn’t enjoy that. She was friendly and kind to everybody. Also single, according to the random conversations he had heard.
Off limits.
It’s not like I’m going to stay here long enough to date a good girl like her. Her grandfather would rip my heart out.
He cringed at the thought of having to run away in the middle of the night while an angry werewolf came after him.
Then, he laughed. “Totally worth it, though.”
“What is?”
Grace’s voice startled him, and he sat up. She was standing at the threshold with a grin and curious eyes.
“Shouldn’t you be playing games with your friends?” Noah questioned her.
“We are playingFind the Killer, and I was wondering if you wanted to join us,” she answered.
“What’s that?”
“Well,” —she strolled to the sofa— “we have envelopes to choose from. One of the players will be the killer, the other the victim, but we only know who the victim is. Then, we have to examine the clues left behind to understand what weapon was used and search for it. In the end, we ask questions until we find the killer. It’s more complex than the common game played with a board game.”
“Sounds rather boring,” he mumbled.
She leaned closer, her fragrance tickling his nose. “Do you have a better suggestion?”
Is that a trick question?
It’s been a while since he was with a woman. None as beautiful and alluring as Grace.
Grace frowned. “Are you feeling okay?”