Veiled Spirits

At Levi’s bellow, Tyler goes as white as a sheet. He almost trips over himself to leave the gym. After glaring at me one last time, he storms out.

“Are you okay, little raven?” Levi asks gently.

I raise my eyebrows at the endearment. “I’m fine, thanks. That was, by far, not the worst thing someone has done to me at this school. My name’s Izzy, by the way.”

Levi’s fists clench at his side when I mention prior bullying. He seems to shake himself out of his anger. “That type of behavior will not be allowed in my class. I can’t change what other instructors do, but you won’t have to deal with it here. And I know your name, little raven.”

I’m not sure how he knows my name when I haven’t told him yet. Maybe he was warned about me by other professors. “Why are you calling me little raven, then?”

“It suits you,” he tells me with a shrug.

I narrow my eyes on him. I don’t look anything like a raven, so I don’t know what he means by that. “Fine. If you’re going to call me a raven, then I’m calling you a screech owl.” That’s the most annoying sounding bird name I can come up with on the spot.

Levi grins at me. “Deal.”

“I got in trouble in class, screech owl,” I tell him as I shake myself out of the memory.

“For what?” he questions in his deep baritone. As he speaks, Levi stands from his chair, unfolding to his full towering height.

He’s incredibly muscular. I’ve had the pleasure of seeing him without a shirt a time or two. The glistening dips and ridges of his rock-hard abs are forever burned into my mind. The only person I’ve met who’s more muscular is Luca, but I’d rather not think about my frustrating wolf mate.

“For falling asleep in class.” When Levi cocks an eyebrow in disbelief, I sigh. “And telling Moore that his class is boring.”

He barks out a laugh. “Sounds about right for you, little raven. What’re you supposed to do here as punishment?”

“Run twenty laps.” I rub my hands over my face, trying to make my eyes feel a little less gritty and tired. If I’m going to run five miles, I need to be at least somewhat awake.

“Seems a bit harsh,” Levi comments as he stretches his arms over his head. His black long-sleeve tee rides up above his black jeans, showing a glimpse of his cut Adonis belt. I yank my gaze away before he can catch me staring.

I huff a laugh at his observation, which is the most I have the energy for at the moment. Anything involving me and the school is always extreme.

“Let me grab my phone, and I’ll run with you,” Levi tells me, already turning back to his desk before he finishes his sentence. I shrug off my bag and lean it against one of the chairs, knowing it’ll be safe here while we run.

“Damn. That is one fine specimen of a man,” Aggie declares from beside me. “If I were still alive, I’d jump that man faster than you can say, ‘Aggie, you’re dead. Stop hitting on the living.’ You’re lucky to be alive when you are. They didn’t make men like that back in my day.”

I choke on my spit at Aggie’s commentary. Turning my head, I glare at her. When she turns to look at me, I widen my eyes in a what the hell look. Aggie shrugs and continues to check out Levi’s ass. I totally don’t look at it with her until he turns around.

When I drag my gaze up to his face, I see him wearing an amused smirk. My cheeks pink at him catching me checking him out.

Turning on my heel, I flee his office to escape the embarrassing encounter. This is all Aggie’s fault. Unfortunately, I can’t exactly blame it on my ghost friend to Levi. I don’t need one of the only nice people at this hellhole thinking I’m crazy.

With his long legs, Levi easily catches up to me. We don’t say anything as we reach the track and start running. I put my earbuds back in because physical activity is always better with music. “Shake it Out” starts playing. As I run, black spots dance in my vision. I ignore them the best I can. The longer I run, the more lightheaded I feel. My body feels all floaty and untethered from the ground.

When a wave of cold rushes over my scalp and down my spine, I realize I’m going to pass out. I don’t have time to brace or even slow to a stop. One moment, I’m running. The next, my vision goes completely black.

The last thing I hear before I fall headfirst into oblivion is Aggie shouting, “Kid!”

“Kid! Wake up! Now!” Aggie screams in my ear.

I snap my eyes open and bolt upright at her yelling. Looking around, I expect to see my room or the forest. Instead, I’m greeted with a masculine bedroom that I’ve never been in before. Dark wood floors and navy walls give the room a cozy feel.

Glancing down, I see I’m lying in the middle of an absolutely massive bed. The thick blue comforter and white sheets are softer than anything I’ve ever felt. While the bed is luxurious, I have no idea where I am or how I got here.

“Um. What’s going on?” I ask Aggie as I struggle out of the plush mattress. It feels like I’m sitting on a cloud. While it’s comfy, it’s super hard to get out of. After what feels like five minutes of fighting the stupid thing, I finally get out of the bed and stand up. My bare feet land on a thick oriental rug I hadn’t noticed before.

“You passed out while running. Levi kidnapped you. Now, you’re here, and all four of your mates are at HGU, wondering where the hell you are.” Aggie paces back and forth across the room as she fills me in. Her spectral form hovers a few inches above the floor as she walks.

“I don’t even know where to start. What the fuck do you mean, Levi kidnapped me? Where even am I?” I scan the room for my shoes as I question Aggie. None of what she said makes sense, other than the passing out part, of course. On top of not getting enough sleep, I also haven’t eaten nearly enough this weekend to keep up with my magic usage.