6

Winter

I wanted to chase after Bevin, but I needed a bit to also settle with my mind and feelings. Everything I was getting from Teddy just confirmed what I’d already figured out and knew in my soul.

She was a goddess witch.

It was the only answer to the puzzle I was seeing.

I was a jealous man… Normally , I was a jealous man.

After growing up with nothing, what was mine was mine . I wasn’t selfish. I didn’t steal and wasn’t greedy.

But what was mine was mine. It was that simple.

And I wouldn’t ever, not ever share a woman. Hell, I’d never even tried to poach one. There were more than enough women and men for everyone, and the toxic culture of taking “the best” like the others were rejects was toxic . I hated that shit.

Fuck, I hated it especially because I was always one of those rejects as an orphan.

While Bevin caught my eye—and every other man’s—the fact two guys were already sniffing around her would normally have stopped me in my tracks.

Stopped me cold.

But I didn’t care and still pushed to be around her. That was a huge flag for someone who was as laid back as me and didn’t want drama, conflict—any of it. There were other signs. Her vast power when untrained.

Derek’s interest in her. He was too much of a pompous, aloof jackass most days to ever chase after someone. Especially someone so much younger no matter how pretty or great in bed she must be.

And she must be amazing from the way Derek just about stalked her.

Then she dropped the bomb about being able to speak with animals and she was getting as much from Teddy as I did.

Yeah, she was a goddess witch for sure.

I shared a look with Teddy, and I read him loud and clear, nodding that I was on the same page before looking back at Bevin.

We needed to protect her.

I couldn’t hear him the way she probably could being able to talk to animals. It was more like getting vibes—emotions from him almost. Maybe it was a sort of telepathy with just him without words. He had no voice but yeah, he communicated with me for sure.

And I knew what to do.

I gestured for him to follow me back to his housing, the fucking prison of bullshit that I hated to put him at. I saw the sadness in his eyes and promised him again that it wouldn’t be for much longer. I’d never let this be his future no matter what I had to do.

Never.

I stopped by the attendant who had given Sergey shit. “Hey, give the hothead a break, and next time an order gets messed up, I’ll make sure it’s dropped off to you, okay? He gets shit on all day and then—I’m sure it’s not you specifically, but I know last year one attendant kept dumping the picked-up shit on his familiar.”

And it was this guy. It was in his eyes.

“That’s rough,” he mumbled, clearing his throat. “Fine, I’ll try and back off. We get it from all of them though.”

Asshole. What Sergey said was valid and fair when it was the guy’s job.

Still, you got further with honey than vinegar. I clapped the guy on the shoulder a bit harder than needed. “I feel you, man. I get shit on all of the time for working. I’ll hook you up. We’ve gotta stick together.” I waited until he looked at me. “But let me know if you figure out who that asshole was. That can’t be allowed and I have words for him. Alone.”

The guy went pale. Yeah, that was quite the threat coming from someone as big as me.

And with the reputation I had.

Now that he realized I wasn’t a pushover, I slapped on my best business smile and went back to friendly. I locked Teddy back up and wished the attendant a nice day before pulling out my phone.

“I need backup,” I told my best friend, Danny, when he picked up.

“When and where?” he asked without hesitation.

“Now, and I was hoping you could locate them.” I cleared my throat. “Travis Haddock.”

“So it’s like that, huh? You’re really chasing after the freshman with others already after her? That’s not like you, bro,” he worried.

“Yeah, but she’s not like others. I don’t know… I just need to help her with this.” I sighed when he didn’t respond. “She doesn’t have anyone either, Danny. We know what that’s like. She might not be an orphan, but her parents are the ones who hurt her. She’s on her own.”

“Fine, we help her, but hear me that that could be the reason you’re drawn to this one and to be careful. I’ll gather the boys.” He hung up before I could respond.

Not that I knew what I would have responded. I didn’t think he was right on this, but he had a valid point and one I would think on.

If nothing else because I wasn’t someone who was dismissive to my friends.

Luckily, Travis had gone off campus with some friends, so we could easily catch them away from cameras and eyes. I was leaning against the wall when he walked out of the exit.

“You’re done running your mouth about Bevin and this bullshit with your family or I’ll kill you and dump your body where it will never be found,” I told him darkly.

One of his friends spotted me first and grabbed his arm to stop and look at me. The fucker had the balls to scoff at me.

I slapped on a smile and pushed off the wall. “Sorry, that sounded like a joke. It wasn’t. I’ll fucking kill you.”

“You’re already dead for threatening me,” he snapped. “Do you have any idea who I am? One word from me and—”

I threw the punch so fast that he didn’t even see it coming.

And he was unconscious before he hit the ground.

I let out a long, drawn-out breath before staring down each of his friends. “Let that be a warning for each of you. Don’t spread this shit or help him anymore.”

“Because it is all shit,” Danny said as he handed the guy who had seen me first something. “The Haddocks are going down. Travis is just too fucking stupid to get it, but he’s in trouble now. If you’re smart, you’ll cut his toxic ass off and bail.”

“Gregg’s not coming back.” I snorted when they all seemed shocked. “You’re really surprised the Haddocks are lying and pulling bullshit out of their asses? Were you born yesterday?”

“No, but the story isn’t that implausible,” another guy snapped.

I glanced between my friends and we started laughing. “Yeah, it is, twit. A woman doesn’t just cry rape because she got caught having sex. And campus got involved to… What? Not call her on the lie? When we can force confessions? Right, yeah, that’s how Morrigan normally works, fools.”

“I said that was suspicious, but he said her parents wouldn’t let her be questioned,” a different guy muttered. “I’ve not said anything and I’m out. Travis is—I’m out.” He held his hands up in surrender and took a step back even.

“Smart,” one of my other friends chuckled darkly. “Especially when I TA a few of your classes. I do all of you. So I suggest you all follow his wise lead and don’t piss off my boy here. I’ll be paying attention now, and we’ll have another conversation like this if you do.”

“Well, not like this,” Danny purred before nodding to Travis. “More like that.” He tilted his head and studied Travis. “But with more liquids. It’s rather impressive there’s no blood when you hit him so hard and knocked him out.”

I snorted. Like I’d leave a mess like that? I pulled up my pants and squatted down as I used magic to force Travis to wake.

He did with a gasp and stared at me with too wide of eyes.

I healed his injuries but left the pain. “You talk about her again and you’re dead, savvy? Leave this shit with your psycho cousin and liar family behind you and look to your own future if you want one.”

“You’re dead,” he hissed as he scrambled to his feet.

“Dude, your family’s lying to you,” his friend with the paperwork mumbled. “Gregg’s convicted. That chick isn’t turning anything around even if she reverses her statement. Wyatt found the potion on him and he confessed.” He slapped the papers against Travis’s chest. “You fucking lied to us or let yourself be lied to. Now we’re going to look like assholes too.”

“No way, and she’s just some slut who—”

I punched him again but not as hard so he stayed conscious.

He did land on his ass with a satisfying thud.

“Enough,” I snarled, sounding a lot like Teddy. “Your cousin was caught with the potion and tried to rape the freshman he had no chance with.”

He narrowed his eyes at me. “ You don’t know what you’re talking about because the Shaws gave him that potion and said he could have their daughter. To take her purity and get it over with so they could be mated and our family had the alliance.”

“You fucking liar,” a different friend of his hissed. “You did know and lied to us. You said the potion was bullshit.” He shook his head when Travis tried to backpedal. “Fuck you, loser. Your family is going down. You’re not as hot of shit as you think, and just because your family used to be a top-tier—mine has more money. So go fuck yourself and find your own ride home.”

He stormed off and the others went with him, leaving Travis sitting there like the chump he was.

“That’s just the start of this,” I warned him. “So shut your fucking mouth and worry about yourself.”

“I can’t,” he grumbled as he held his face. “I’ll get—”

“This isn’t a fucking negotiation,” I seethed as I stepped towards him like I was going to hit him again. He whimpered and folded into himself.

Pussy. Fucking pussy who just bullied a woman he thought an easy target.

“I don’t care what your family wants or what they will do to you. I will do worse.” I gestured to my friends. “And I’m not alone, but you are now. So go ahead and do your worst. Your family is shit to the college right now, and I heard they want any excuse to bounce you and cut off the Haddocks for good.”

“And Winter’s beloved,” Danny chuckled. “Always helping out and working with students who need the income. I’ve never heard a professor say a bad word about him. His dad is a decorated hero—you’re fucked if you go up against him. We’re all useful to the university, and we’ll be his witnesses.”

“Right, we went out for food. We never saw you,” my other friend added. “No cameras here. It will always be like that because you can’t hide in your room from us.”

I snorted. “We could get into his room and beat him in his bed and no one would know. No one would care. It would—”

“I get it,” Travis snapped. “Fine. I’m done. I won’t say anything else about the—” He shut his mouth fast when I pulled back my arm again. He scrambled to his feet and ran off.

One of my friends who hadn’t spoken yet went and picked up the papers he’d dropped. “You’re taking a risk for a woman who is a lot of trouble. That’s not like you. You good?”

I opened my mouth but then closed it, trying a few more times before sighing when a few of them chuckled. “We’re not even having sex yet and I feel closer to her than that woman I dated junior year. I just feel like she sees me. She gets me and values me. I don’t know. Maybe it’s stupid when she’s trouble, but she didn’t blink at my history and just saw me.”

Danny sighed. “Fine, if she’s good to you, then we’ll be good to her and back you up like always. Just be careful. She’s a Shaw even if she got disowned. They don’t want to let her go.” He nodded when I did a double take. “I looked into it a bit after I saw you hanging around her. Word from my brother’s council guard friends is she got disowned.”

I gave a slow nod. “Yeah, they set up Haddock to rape her and force them to mate because she wouldn’t act like property.” I was glad when they all looked immediately disgusted.

I didn’t expect anything less from my friends.

“I also heard that they made a play for her and to mate her off,” Danny continued. “That she’s worth a fuckton and her dad’s pissed and wants his daughter back to control it all. I don’t know how when… You know.”

“I know,” I promised. “I put it together, and she was good enough not to lie to me even if it was too soon for me to know. She’s good people, and she’s got good people at her back. That’s what you need to know.”

“I heard she was a dud because she doesn’t have a familiar, but that doesn’t track if she got into here with the sexism but then she did something ridiculous in Wyatt’s class,” my other friend muttered. “The freshmen were all abuzz about it. So which is it? Is she powerful or a dud?”

“Powerful but untrained,” I admitted. I sighed when they didn’t seem to buy that. “Last thing I’ll answer so you get she’s been through too much and not be harsh on her like we always are on the women we date.” I waited until they nodded. “The Shaws keep their power at the top by sacrificing their youngest.

“Bevin was supposed to be sacrificed for Alex’s power, but she figured it out and hid her own power. He beat her for it. Her mother too, I think. So she was never trained. I don’t know if they all know about it but fuck, don’t trust anyone in that family more so than other top-tier families. She’s got the proof too. It’s fucking crazy, but she’s not lying.”

“I believe it,” Danny muttered, shrugging when we all gave him shocked looks. “Dude, most of those families are evil. Killing a kid for power—I’m not surprised. Evil is evil. I’m sorry for her. Let me know if she needs help learning or being tutored. I can carve out some time here and there.”

I thanked him, all of them when they made similar offers. All I asked was that they kept their ear to the ground for anything else about her or let me know if there were problems.

We went back to campus, and I realized there was a call I should make before I headed to lunch.

“This is Jasmine Hough,” she answered in a clipped but professional tone.

“It’s Winter Green,” I told her. “We met—”

“Bevin’s friend. Yes. What can I do for you?”

“Travis Haddock knew what was going on with his family and knew he was spreading lies,” I answered, deciding to get right to the point. “I know you and Tracey are handling that situation, but there are things a large man can do that all of the law and official proceedings cannot. And I don’t want more heartache for Bevin while—”

“Yes, I know the way of the world well, Mr. Green,” she drawled. “You want to be her hero.”

I snorted. “If I wanted that, I would tell her . Telling her this or what I just did would worry her. Probably scare her.”

“Rightfully so because you have a violent side,” she chuckled darkly, clucking her tongue when I tried to argue. “You had to deck the shithead at least once to make the threat viable. I’m not a fool.”

“Twice,” I grumbled. “The second time he called her a slut.” I sighed when she basically grunted in acknowledgment. “Look, I’m not going to convince you of anything over the phone, but just let time show you that I’m not an issue. I have a temper when people are mistreated or their circumstances used against them.”

“Clearly, from your own issues,” she accurately surmised. “Well, thank you for letting me know. When I do file charges, I can add the cousin now and even have him questioned under magic should he try to plead ignorance.”

“That was why I wanted you looped in. He also admitted it in front of his friends who were not happy they were party to anything now. They were in the dark and thought the Shaws and Haddocks were making it all a mess but believed Travis.”

“Useful to know. Thank you. But I cannot bring them into the mix because they would admit to your assault as part of the questioning and—”

“No, no, they won’t,” I chuckled darkly. “When Wyatt told you I was good at protective magic, he wasn’t kidding. They won’t remember me doing anything wrong. Only Travis will remember those punches and I healed him so… Yeah.”

She was quiet for several moments which shocked me. “Well, I’m glad for the information, but if there is ever a situation between you and Bevin, you are clearly the one I would have to worry about the most. If your magic is that powerful, you are a danger to her if your intentions are ever—have a nice day, Mr. Green.”

She hung up before I could even try to fix the situation.

“Fuck,” I groaned as I stared at my phone.

Mostly because she wasn’t wrong. I’d just showed my hand and that I was powerful young and that should wisely worry her if I became like most asshole men in our society.

“Fuck, fuck, fuck ,” I bitched as I smacked myself in the forehead with my phone.

Oh well, at least hopefully now the Haddock situation would get better for Bevin and she’d have less to be stressed about.

Hopefully.