Chapter 5

5

NIKO

Dad: Hey, can you stop by my office when you have a chance? I have a favor to ask.

I look down at the text again and sigh, not knowing what type of favor Dad wants to ask me. My dad and I are close, but we don't have anything in common. When I was growing up, he always wanted me to be just like him: all about sports. But that's not who I am. It took him a little while to realize it, but he didn't let it affect our relationship. It didn't hurt that my younger brother was much more into sports, so Dad was able to pour his love of baseball into him.

As I walk through the locker room toward his office, I plug my nose at the putrid smell that's radiating from the area. Fuck, athletes stink. My vipers react to the scent as soon as I do because they start to shrivel up and hide under my beanie. If only I could do the same.

Keeping my head down, I head straight for my dad's office, not wanting to make eye contact with anyone there. There are whispers and mutterings, but most of the players on the team know who I am, and they know to leave me the hell alone. There were a few who tried to talk to me the first few times I showed up, but they learned quickly I wasn't the chatting type. At least, not to them.

While sitting down on the chair in front of dad's desk, I wait for him to get off the phone. I glance around the space, loving what he’s done with it. There’s multiple family pictures all over the light gray walls, along with team pictures throughout the years. I snicker when I see he has a mascot of a Cockatoo on the top of his filing cabinet. There’s Cockatoo decor everywhere. Definitely a proud coach.

"You summoned me?" I raise my eyebrow, throwing out a quick smile so he knows I'm joking with him.

"Yes, and thank you for coming, Nikolai." I roll my eyes at his use of my full name but keep my mouth shut. As many times as I ask him to just call me Niko, he never does.

"I have a favor to ask, and I know you’re going to want to say no, but know that I never ask you for favors. Ever. So it must mean I need this badly." He lifts his cap off his head, setting it down on the desk. He’s always wearing athletic clothing with a baseball hat. We’re similar in that I’m always wearing my beanie.

"Oh, my Medusa, what's the favor? It has to be pretty big if you're buttering me up."

"I'm not buttering you up," he tries to argue, but sighs loudly when I narrow my eyes. "Fine, I was. But I really do need this Nikolai."

"Okay, tell me what it is."

"I need you to tutor one of my players."

"No." It's more like “hell no,” but I don't want to cuss in front of my dad.

"Nikolai.” He sighs, rubbing his temples. “I didn't tell you this earlier, and I haven't told your mom yet, but I'm pretty sure my job might be at risk."

Sitting up quickly, my feet land on the floor with a thud. "What are you talking about?"

"The team hasn't won a championship in a while, and there's been talk about replacing the coaching staff if it doesn't improve this year."

"Wow." I don't follow the team all that well, but I know they've won a few games here and there. Apparently, not enough. "What can I do though? How is tutoring one of your players going to help?"

"I think he and our new pitcher are going to make a difference on the team. But he's not that good academically. He doesn't fail his classes, but he gets pretty close. If he does poorly, I can't play him, and I need him to be my catcher this season."

"Ugh," I moan loudly, tossing my head back and closing my eyes.

As much as I really don't want to tutor this person, I also don't want to upset my dad. And if I can help him keep his job, or at least help his player stay on the team, then I need to do it. But I don't want him to know I'm going to give in. I’ll let him stew in the uncertainty for a few seconds.

After a minute of silence where neither of us says a word, I lift my head and lock eyes with him. I laugh when I see he's not even paying attention to me, but is petting one of his snakes. I'm pretty sure it's Mikey–that one has always been feisty.

"Fine," I tell him, chuckling when he smirks at me. "You knew I would say yes, didn't you?"

"No, but I know you, and you would want to help me."

"So, who am I planning to tutor and what am I tutoring him in?"

"His name is King—" I cut him off before he can finish his sentence.

"King Porter?" I ask, secretly hoping I'm wrong and there are two Kings on the baseball team. Even though I know those chances are slim. There’s a better chance of a Dryad working as a firefighter.

"You’ve met?"

"He's my roommate," I mutter, hating I agreed to this. Of course it would be him.

"That's even better, then. What are the odds?" He chuckles, and I force myself to not roll my eyes. This is going to suck.

It's been an hour since my conversation with my dad, and I'm still annoyed at the fact I have to tutor King. Luckily, I'm working at the library today, so I'm hoping it gets my mind off it for a while.

I started working to make extra money throughout the school year, and I've stuck with it ever since. It's an easy job, plus it's where Mummy Mocha is located, and that café is my weakness. I can't go a day without stopping and getting a coffee from there. I'm currently walking around the third floor; shelving books students have left behind.

Shoving another book into its spot on the shelf, I spot Kovi walking up to me. Kovi is a Dryad, which means he's a tree shifter, and he's fun as hell to talk to. He stops by the library all the time and keeps me company as I put books away.

"Hey, man," I tell him as I put another one on the shelf.

"Hey, Niko, how was your summer?" he asks.

"It was awesome. What about yours?"

"Pretty good. How are you liking the new additions to the university?"

"Truthfully? I don't."

"What? Why?" he questions, coming to a complete stop.

"You're a shifter, so you don't have this problem, but look at me? Everyone is gawking at me." I gesture to my head, my snakes hissing like crazy, knowing that I'm talking shit about them.

"You may not shift, but do you know what it's like to not be able to control your shifting? It's happened to me, and it's horrible. Shifting when you don't want to could lead to disaster…" His voice trails off, and I tilt my head questioningly. I know there's a story there, but I don't want to prod.

"I get it, I do. Still fucking sucks." I mumble.

"Besides that, are you looking forward to this year?" We start walking again, Kovi and I talking the entire time I'm shelving books. While Mateo may be my best friend, Kovi is a pretty great friend, too. It's good to know that even though it's a new school year, and despite the craziness of having humans on campus, some things haven't changed.

We end up talking and walking for a while before Kovi heads back over to his table and I head out for the day. As much as I want to go home, I’m also dreading it. Strolling down to the first floor, I grab a Sarcophacappuccino giving myself a little treat.

After opening the door to our suite, I hear sounds coming from the common area, so I head there first. Tripping over something in the hallway, I yelp, catching myself from falling. What the hell? Looking down, I see a pair of shoes that were just left in the middle of the floor. How hard is it to put your damn shoes away? They’re not boat shoes, so definitely not Mateo’s.

I stomp over to the common area, stopping when I see Mateo and King sitting on the couch. My blood starts to boil at the mess that’s everywhere. There's cups and snack wrappers all over the table and on the floor. King takes a handful of popcorn and pops it into his mouth, a few stray pieces falling down onto his shirt and onto the couch. What a slob. I'm surprised Mateo hasn't said anything. I know he hates this more than I do.

Mateo sees me first, sitting up. "Hey, how was your first day?"

"Good," I tell him, walking over and standing next to him. "What about yours?"

"Same ol', same ol'. King and I have been hanging out, getting to know each other better."

"Ah." I don't say anything else, just scan the area again. The more I glance at the mess, the more irritated I get. I huff quietly, looking at both of them, "I'm going to head to my room. Make sure this gets cleaned up before you both go to bed, please."

I head straight for my room, wanting to hide out as much as possible. I barely make it to my door when I hear footsteps behind me.

"Hey, Niko, hold on." King's voice cuts through the air, and I freeze with my hand on the doorknob. I stay still, waiting to see what he wants. "Do you have a second to talk?"

"Sure," I mutter. I give him a quick look over and I hate to say this, but he's sexy as fuck. He's taller than me, with a bulky build, but it's the backward hat that's turning me on right now. He's wearing basketball shorts and a black tee with the sides cut off but it's the fucking hat that has my dick plumping up. Lifting my head, I lock eyes with him, and goddamn, he has gorgeous brown eyes I failed to notice before. I can't find him attractive, I just can't. Closing my eyes, I gather up my hatred for him again before opening them and pinning him with a stare. "What do you need?"

"I wanted to say thank you."

"For?" I ask, taken aback.

"For agreeing to tutor me. I'm not stupid, but some classes are harder than others. Plus, baseball takes up so much of my time. It leaves very little space for studying. I do what I can, but I do better when I'm tutored."

"It's, uh, no problem." I tell him, even though, yes, it's a huge problem. As much as I don't want to tutor him, I can't say no to my dad.

"Hey, it makes it easier since we live together."

"Yippee," I murmur.

King looks at me and tilts his head as though he’s accessing me. I know my attitude toward him makes no sense at all, and he's probably wondering what the hell is wrong with me. I can't even describe it myself beyond the fact he's a human and a baseball player, so it's like he already has two strikes against him. It also might be the fact that I’ve never been attracted to a human before, and I can’t stop myself from checking him out.

"Well, thanks again. I'll let you get to bed." He hikes his thumb over his shoulder toward the hallway. "I'm gonna go head back out there."

"Night."

King turns to walk away, and I resist the urge to look at his ass.

I fail.

His ass is fucking glorious.

Oh, fucking hell. I’m attracted to a human.