16. Why Choose

Why Choose

When They Choose For You

S ebastian snorts, rolling his eyes at Derek. "I hope you enjoy rejection, mutt," he sneers, lounging against the door like he owns the place. Derek bristles, fists clenching at his sides.

"Better than a flightless bat," Derek snaps, his voice low and dangerous. I pinch the bridge of my nose, feeling the tension in the room rise like a tidal wave. Great. Just what I needed—a vampire-shifter slap-fest.

"I'm not thinking about dating at all right now," I cut in, exasperation clear in my voice. Both of them stop mid-glare and turn to look at me, disbelief written all over their faces.

"Seriously?" Derek says, raising an eyebrow.

Sebastian leans in slightly, a smirk playing on his lips. "Clearly, he clearly doesn't know how hot your blood gets when I kiss you." He throws a smug glance at Derek.

Derek clenches his jaw. "And he doesn't know how fast your heart beats when I kiss you." The tension snaps again, and I can feel the heat rising in my cheeks. I need to shut this down before they turn my room into a battlefield. My eyes flick to the top drawer of my desk, the one I almost never open. I sigh, walking over and pulling it open to retrieve something I hardly ever use—my wand.

It's sleek and polished, carved from dark oak, with swirling patterns of runes and symbols etched all along its length. The handle fits perfectly in my grip, and the tip gleams faintly as the magic within it stirs to life. The wand is as deadly as it is beautiful, and the boys seem to realize this the moment I lift it.

Step by step, I approach them, the wand held steady in front of me. "Both of you," I say, my voice low and dangerous, "decided to spring this whole ‘mate' thing on me today. And here's the deal— no one gets to pick for me." I take another step forward, and they both back away slightly, their eyes fixed on the wand.

Derek looks sheepish, his earlier bravado deflated. "Does that mean you've already chosen?"

I sigh, rolling my eyes. "No. I've had unhealthy crushes on both of you for the better part of a year, and frankly, this whole situation is completely unfair. I hate the idea of rejecting either of you, but I also made a promise to myself that I wouldn't let myself fall into dating when I've still got my own crap to fix." Both boys are silent as I stop right in front of them, holding the wand up just a little higher. "So, if you're as interested as you say you are, you're both going to have to figure out how to talk to each other nicely, because I am not dealing with your drama."

Proud of my little "scary witch" moment, I cross my arms and wait, eyebrows raised, for them to respond.

Both Derek and Sebastian look at me, then at each other, like two kids caught sneaking cookies from the jar. The guilt is clear, but there's still a flicker of determination in their eyes.

I tap my wand lightly against my hand. "Well? What's it going to be, boys?"

The boys exchange a look, and I can practically see the gears turning in their heads. Derek is the first to speak, arms crossed but clearly trying to come off as reasonable. "We could always come to a gentleman's agreement… at least until the whole thing with Kyla is over."

Sebastian's lips curl into a smirk, tilting his head in agreement. "Yeah, we could do that. Set some ground rules. Keep things civilized."

My eyes narrow as they nod at each other, both completely ignoring the fact that I'm standing right here. What is happening?

"Rules?" I repeat, not quite believing my ears.

Derek, not even glancing my way, continues. "Okay, so we agree—until Zaria picks one of us, nothing but sex is off limits."

Sebastian nods again, pretending to consider it. "Right, and no sabotaging or getting in each other's way. We keep it fair."

My mouth almost drops open as they start negotiating my life like it's some sort of sports game. "Are you guys serious right now?"

They don't seem to hear me—or care, apparently. Derek scratches his chin thoughtfully. "So, what happens if she picks both of us?"

Sebastian's smirk deepens, and he chuckles darkly. "Well, you know the bro code—‘thou shall not make eye contact with another bro during a devil's three-way.'"

They both burst out laughing, clearly amused with themselves.

I, however, have hit my limit.

"I hate both of you equally right now," I say, my voice a mix of exhaustion and pure exasperation. They finally stop laughing and look at me, guilt creeping back into their expressions. Oh, now you remember I exist. Crossing my arms, I shake my head. "If this is your version of being ‘civilized,' I'm screwed."

Sebastian can't help but grin, "Not for a while yet, I'm afraid."

I rub my temples, feeling a headache coming on. Focus, Zaria, I tell myself, mentally exhausted but not willing to let the situation spiral any further. With a sigh, I turn to Sebastian. "What are you even doing here?"

He shrugs, casual as ever. "Figured since Kyla's on a minor warpath, I might as well come downstairs and wait it out."

I blink a few times, my brain struggling to catch up. " Downstairs ?"

Sebastian points upwards like it's the most obvious thing in the world. "Yeah, boys' dorms on the fifth floor."

My jaw practically unhinges. I had no idea Sebastian was staying so close this whole time. "You… live here?"

"Of course," he says, like it's the most normal thing ever. "It's not like vampires need special permission to stay on campus." Great, I think. Because that's just what I needed—Sebastian living two floors up. I try to push that thought out of my mind for now. More pressing issues to deal with.

I suddenly remember something else he said, something that's been gnawing at me since it left his lips. My heart clenches, and I hate that I even have to ask. "Were you serious? About Sam? About her swapping my grimoire?"

Sebastian's expression softens—just slightly. He nods, crossing his arms as he leans back against my desk. "Yeah. Kyla swore me to secrecy, but since she can't command me anymore, there's nothing stopping me from telling you the truth now. I thought you already knew."

I feel like someone's punched me in the gut. Sam, my best friend, swapped out my grimoire? The person I trusted most? Derek looks just as stunned, his face paling. "I knew Sam was cheating, but a thief? No way. I never pegged her for that."

I let out a long breath, trying to process it all. It can't be true, I think. But I know I can't ignore the possibility, either. "If it's true," I say slowly, trying to keep my voice steady, "I need proof. I can't just believe this without something concrete."

Sebastian shrugs again, nonchalant. "You can always confront her."

I shake my head. "No. Not until I know for sure. Right now, the focus is still on Kyla. At least until I have more to go on with Sam."

Derek nods, though he still looks shell-shocked. "Yeah. One problem at a time."

One problem at a time. If only it were that simple.

As the afternoon fades into evening, the light in my dorm room shifts, casting long shadows across the walls. The boys are still here, bantering and throwing insults at each other like it's their version of bonding. Oddly enough, it's not as unbearable as I expected. Sure, they're still at each other's throats verbally, but somehow, they're managing not to turn my room into a battlefield.

I sit at my desk, pretending to focus on my grimoire, but my attention keeps drifting back to them. Derek's teasing Sebastian about his lack of reflection— real original —and Sebastian is countering with some joke about wolves shedding all over the place. They're both insufferable, but the dynamic between them gives me an idea.

I tap my pen against the desk, a small grin creeping onto my face. Maybe they can't stop sniping at each other, but what if I could channel that energy into something useful? I flip to a fresh page in my grimoire and start writing, the words flowing easily now.

Potion of Harmonious Rivalry

Ingredients:

One sprig of lavender (for calming)

A feather from a raven (symbolizing cleverness)

Two drops of moonlight dew (to enhance focus)

A crushed ruby gemstone (to represent passion and fire)

A strand of hair from two opposing individuals (the source of rivalry)

One teaspoon of honey (for sweetness, because who doesn't need a little sweetness when rivals are involved?)

Instructions:

Grind the ruby into a fine powder and mix it with the moonlight dew in a silver bowl.

Add the lavender and the raven feather, stirring clockwise until the potion begins to shimmer.

Finally, drop the strands of hair from the two individuals into the mixture. The potion should spark for a brief moment, signaling that it's working.

Let it sit for one hour to steep. Once complete, the potion will glow faintly red.

Effect: When consumed by two rivals, the potion will enhance their competitive energy but channel it in a productive and harmonious way. They will still feel the fire of rivalry, but instead of clashing, their energy will be focused on working together—often leading to surprising cooperation. However, the potion has a short duration and should only be used when the rivalry threatens to disrupt group harmony.

I finish writing and sit back, feeling oddly proud of myself. Maybe I'll never need to actually brew this, but the thought of having a spell like this in my back pocket makes me feel prepared. I glance over at the boys, who are still arguing, though with a lot less heat than before. Strangely enough, I feel calmer with both of them here.

Can I really only choose one? The thought sneaks into my mind before I can stop it. I frown, pushing it aside, but it lingers. Or crazier— can I choose both?