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“SO HALF YOUR NEW STAFF is Otherkind from the College?” I laughed as Ryane opened up the containers of food she brought home with her. Gumbo, fried catfish, red beans with rice and for dessert, macaroons.
“I couldn’t believe it either. First, it was the cook, then the wait staff showed up and sure enough, more Otherkind. I could feel it, like ants running up my back, do you guys get like that around each other?”
I stuffed a macaroon in my mouth with a shake of my head. “No,” I mumbled through the coconutty treat. “It’s a scent thing for some of us, others don’t even know one from the next. Sorta like you guys and religion, unless you offer up what you are it doesn’t really matter, and nobody pries.”
“Huh, must be something left over from the Hunter side then. Baby, what do you think?” She turned to Keegan, who was making a sandwich of the catfish, smothering it with tartar sauce. “You’re not kissing me till you brush your fangs mister!” She shook her head. “Way to ruin good Cajun catfish.”
“What? I like it like this.” He took a giant bite, humming as he chewed it down. He licked his fingers, looking thoughtful. “Yup, perfect. So who you got over there?”
“A couple girls named Tawny and Gilda? I guess they are Vampires, as they came with their own synthetic supply, which was nice, I didn’t have to share my stuff. They didn’t know I was a Vampire right away actually, so there is certainly something to this Pureblood thing.”
“Why do you say that?” Keegan asked with a curious tone.
“Well, I was chopping this onion and accidentally nicked my thumb because I was going so fucking fast and it was like the whole place stopped working. Ashley, this cute little Siren, actually dropped a dish. Then they were all just looking at me, like I was some sorta unicorn.”
“You are.” I slipped my arm around her. “Typically the turned aren’t potent or very strong, but because of your specific combination of Hunter blood, and type O-Keegan here, you are something of a special case. They won’t understand, so don’t try to explain it. Okay?”
“Yeah, they didn’t say anything, just stared for a minute before I sucked it down and closed it up. Then they just went back to work, like nothing was up. It was really weird.”
“Please be more careful in the future,” Keegan suggested with concern. “If those blood suckers get it in their head to come at you... I don’t want to have to start killing the student body, okay? We have enough problems as it is with keeping the peace.” He wrapped his arms around us both. “We are going to have our work cut out for us this year. I have plans and those plans have plans. I want to do so much and at the same time we need to ferret out the issues so they can be backhanded the fuck out of the way.”
“I agree. Has Keegan told you that he’s making us the Deviant Class Representatives?” I chuckled, getting out from under his heavy arm. “Thinks we can make a go of the social scene and stir up some trouble.”
“Oh? I don’t do social very well.” She chuckled nervously. “Or don’t you remember that I tend to hide out.” Keegan smiled wickedly, making her blush slightly, looking up at him. “What will I have to do exactly?”
“Aside from thoroughly pissing off Collette? Set up interclass mixers, arrange mixed study groups, be seen with me. Nothing too hard.”
“He’s lying. You have to be the face of Grigori’s Deviant Class. Abide by all the rules, no more missing classes, eat with the groups, and I suppose you will need a room in the dorms, unless you plan to keep the townhouse, but why pay for it if you can get it free?” I poured some gumbo in a bowl, taking a crusty piece of bread.
“Probably because I like access to a bathroom I don’t have to share with like fifty other people,” Ryane grumbled, going over to her thermos. “Damnit. Keegan can you grab me some liquid gold, please?” She hated calling it blood, and my suggestion to refer to it as her bottle of Kimmy wasn’t gonna work.
“You’re out? Already?” he asked, his eyebrows disappearing up under his hair. The thought that he needed a haircut crossed my mind as I stepped back, they looked like they were about to get into it and I was curious how far it would go.
“Um, yeah.”
“That was supposed to last you at least two days.”
“Not working around all those people, it wasn’t. Every time I came out from the kitchen and got too close to a patron, I could hear the thump in their veins calling on me. So I would take a sip here and there. Apparently I took a lot of sips.” She laughed lightly, although Keegan stared at her sternly.
“You need to learn moderation.” He put down his sandwich, wiping off his hands.
“This coming from the man that can’t keep his fangs outta my neck?”
“Easy you two, at this rate you’ll be bickering and I won’t get any sleep and I have a welcome to the Deviant Class mixer to plan apparently.” I stood between them and Keegan looked over the top of my head.
“You don’t let me feed like I would prefer, so I take what I need from you.”
“Sorry if I think monogamy is important.”
“Oh, boy... Listen here you two, stop this, what’s the point of you fighting, yes, she needs to learn moderation, but what do you expect, Boss, when you cater to her whims and let her do as she pleases all the time?”
“Yeah, well that’s gonna shift now that the carriage house is back up and operational. Come to think on it, Sig...
I didn’t like the way my name rolled off his tongue all of a sudden. “Boss?” I answered distrustfully.
“You got your rope in your bag here?”
I shifted in place. “I have some, why?”
“Would you do me a favor and go and get it?”
I sighed deeply, cracking my neck to the side. “Yeah, sure.”
I headed upstairs to the room I had been occupying, closing the door tightly behind me and locking it. She just had to go and incite him. I huffed, smoke billowing out from my mouth and nose. I went to my bag and unzipped it, I didn’t keep too much with me, just some clothes, the keys to my lockboxes at the banks, the odd bit of rope, my slings and bondage tape. The latter being for me. I learned early on that the binding of my chest to keep my wings at bay was a crucial and comforting transition. I kept myself wrapped nice and tight, and it kept me feeling safe and secure no matter what.
I fished around for the rope, finding it at the bottom of my bag. The silken length of thirty-five feet would do for whatever Keegan had in mind for her, for now.
When I came back downstairs, Keegan had stripped Ryane down to her panties and she was on her knees, her hands behind her with her back straight, lifting her breasts to a lovely height. I clicked my jaw. She was beautiful, especially in such a vulnerable state.
“Sig, you are far more creative with the knots than I am. Would you bind her for me?”
Her eyes went wide when she saw me and I heard the smallest of whimpers as her cheeks went crimson.
I looked at Keegan as I began to unwrap the length of rope, finding its tape marked center. This would make it easier for me to control as I bound her. “Legs up, open, free or behind?”
I didn’t like his methods, but I also knew better than to undermine him in front of her.