30. Which One?

Which One?

Both? Both. Both is Good.

M y alarm clock blares to life, and without even thinking, I send a sharp jolt of magic in its direction. The poor thing goes flying off the stand, clattering to the floor with a dramatic thud. Well, that's one way to deal with it.

From across the room, I hear Derek chuckle. "I take it someone doesn't want to get up today."

"Mmmph," I mumble into the pillow, not even bothering to lift my head. "Too tired."

Sebastian, already leaning against the wall, dressed like he'd been up for hours, smirks. "Your fault entirely, witch."

I let out a groan, though it's muffled by the pillow. "Not my fault. You two get a break between rounds, I don't."

Derek crosses his arms, grinning. "Hey, you're the one who thought it'd be smart to challenge a vampire and a wolf shifter. We've got natural stamina, remember? Way better than human." His tone is teasing, but he's not wrong, and I hate it.

Sebastian laughs softly. "We should probably stop teasing her before she throws whatever magic she used to kill the clock at us."

Derek leans over, trying to nudge me out of bed. "Come on, you never skip classes."

I groan even louder, burying my face as deep as possible into the covers. "There's a first for everything," I mutter. Derek opens his mouth, about to argue, but I'm quicker. Rolling onto my back, I give Sebastian a pointed look. "Speaking of firsts, last night was a pretty big one for both of us, wasn't it?" I add with a wink, my voice laced with just the right amount of sass.

Sebastian's lips curve into that smug grin that always gets to me. "Touché, witch," he says, his tone as smooth as ever, and I can't help but feel a little too pleased with myself.

Derek shakes his head with a laugh. "Alright, fine. You win today. But you've got ten minutes before we drag you out."

"Deal," I mumble, already halfway back to sleep. Honestly, who knew playing with a vampire and a wolf could be this exhausting?

I drag myself down the hallway, feeling more like a zombie than a witch on her way to class. The exhaustion from last night clings to me like a second skin. Magical Influences in Society with Professor Bellamy looms ahead, but I can't even focus on the thought of it when I hear hurried footsteps approaching from behind.

"Zaria!" Skylar's voice cuts through the haze, and before I know it, both she and Hazel are in front of me, blocking my path.

"What now?" I groan, barely keeping my eyes open.

"The rumors!" Hazel says, her eyes wide, her red hair practically bouncing with excitement. "Are they true?"

I blink at them, my brain trying to catch up. "What rumors?"

Skylar looks at me like I've been living under a rock. "That Kyla stole your grimoire and that you're mated to a wolf shifter and a vampire."

I smirk despite my exhaustion, giving them a lazy nod. "Yes. Big yes. And slightly bigger—but not by much—yes."

Their jaws drop so fast I half-expect them to hit the floor. "No. Freaking. Way," Hazel mutters, practically gaping at me. "You're mated to both of them?!"

Skylar's eyes are wide as she looks at me like I'm some kind of legend. "Forget the mating thing for a sec—what are you doing about Kyla? We have to help."

Hazel punches the air dramatically. "Let me punch her in the throat. One good punch—problem solved."

I laugh, shaking my head. "Relax, guys. It's all being taken care of. You'll just have to wait and see how everything falls apart for her."

Skylar raises an eyebrow, crossing her arms. "You're sure?"

I give them both a mischievous grin. "Positive. Trust me, it's going to be a spectacular descent." As we walk into the classroom, Skylar and Hazel flank me, their curiosity practically vibrating off them.

"So... two mates?" Hazel starts, giving me a sidelong glance. "Are we talking like... real mates? Not just some ‘oh hey, we're dating' kind of thing?"

I plop down into my seat, still trying to shake the zombie feeling. "Yeah, real mates. Fated mates." I can't help but grin a little, feeling the warmth in my chest at the thought of Derek and Sebastian.

Skylar sits beside me, leaning in close, her sea-blue eyes twinkling with interest. "Okay, so, how does that even work? I mean, we've heard of shifters having mates, but a vampire and a shifter? And two of them? At the same time? "

"Girl, spill," Hazel chimes in, plopping her bag on the floor and leaning her chin on her palm. "Like, how are you even functioning? Two guys? That sounds... intense."

I laugh, pulling my hair back into a messy bun. "Oh, it's intense, alright. I've got no idea how I'm functioning. Honestly, I'm exhausted. But it's... really good."

Skylar lets out a dreamy sigh. "Good? Good ? Z, you're mated to two insanely hot guys, and all you can say is ‘good'? If it were me, I'd be writing poetry in the sand."

Hazel snorts. "Poetry in the sand? Really, Sky?"

Skylar shrugs with a grin. "What? I'm a mermaid, sue me."

I roll my eyes, but I'm laughing. "Alright, fine. It's more than just good, it's... incredible. Like, Derek and Seb... they're different, but in all the right ways. It's like they balance each other out. And me."

Hazel raises an eyebrow. "Okay, but... are we talking like, you've kissed both of them? Or are we talking... more than kissing?"

Skylar gasps, her hand flying to her mouth. "Ooooh, have you...?"

I feel my cheeks heat up, and I look away, pretending to busy myself with my bag. "I mean... yeah, we've gone past kissing."

The two of them practically squeal, earning a few glances from other students starting to filter into the classroom. Hazel leans in closer, her eyes wide. "With both of them?"

I nod, trying to keep my face from bursting into flames. "Yep, both."

Skylar's eyes nearly pop out of her head. "How? I mean... how ?"

I laugh, pushing a strand of hair behind my ear. "I'm not giving you a play-by-play, but... let's just say it wasn't as complicated as I thought it'd be."

Hazel fans herself dramatically. "Girl, I'm sweating just thinking about it. Two guys? That's like... a dream, but also, how do you even keep up?"

I snort. "You've met them. They keep up with me ."

Skylar giggles, glancing over at the front of the classroom where Mr. Whitlock, the student teacher, is setting up his notes. "Speaking of keeping up... Mr. Whitlock looks like he could keep up with just about anything, doesn't he?"

I shake my head, grinning. "Sky, you've had a crush on him since he got here."

She sighs dreamily, resting her chin on her hand. "Can you blame me? Look at him. All tall, dark, and broody with that chiseled jawline. He looks like a character straight out of one of those old-timey sailor stories."

Hazel smirks. "You just want him to sail your seven seas."

Skylar bursts out laughing, swatting Hazel's arm. "Shut up!"

I grin at the two of them, shaking my head. "You two are ridiculous."

Skylar points at me, eyes wide with mock accusation. "Uh, excuse me? I'm ridiculous? Z, you're literally dating a vampire and a wolf shifter at the same time. I'm pretty sure you win the ‘ridiculous' award here."

Hazel nods emphatically. "Agreed. We need more details. Who's... better?"

I groan, burying my face in my hands. "Oh, come on . I'm not answering that!"

Skylar nudges me. "Just a hint. I mean, we've all wondered. You know we have."

I peek out from behind my fingers, grinning. "I'll just say this... they're both really good at what they do."

Hazel and Skylar both burst into giggles, and I can't help but join in.

"But seriously," Skylar says, wiping away a tear from laughing so hard, "you're living every supernatural romance reader's dream. Two hot guys, both totally into you... I'm low-key jealous."

I shrug, trying to play it cool, but I can't keep the grin off my face. "What can I say? I got lucky."

Hazel leans back in her chair, still shaking her head in disbelief. "You really did. I just hope you've got a plan for dealing with all the jealous girls once word gets around."

"Oh, trust me," I say, glancing around the room as more students settle in. "That's already started. I can handle it."

Skylar raises an eyebrow. "And Kyla?"

I smirk. "She's going down. It's just a matter of time."

Hazel grins. "Can't wait to see it. And hey, if you need any backup..."

"I know where to find you," I finish, grinning back. "Thanks, guys. But for now, just sit back and watch the show."

Skylar glances toward the front of the room again, biting her lip. "Speaking of shows... he's looking extra fine today."

I laugh, shaking my head as Professor Bellamy strides into the room, calling the class to order. "Alright, Skylar, eyes on the lesson, not on the teacher." She gives me a wink, but I can tell her attention is only half on what Bellamy's saying. I settle into my chair, still riding the high from the conversation, ready for whatever the rest of the day has in store.