

ASTERION SCHOLARS TOURNAMENT



Eligible seniors enrolled at any institution in the Asterion School District may apply. The tournament will comprise three rounds, each dedicated to one of the following subjects: metamorphological science, inter-species history and shifter literature. Competitors must be 18 years of age or have signed permission by a parent or guardian to enter. Enter to win: First place with $5000 cash prize, second place with $2500 cash prize, third place with $1000 cash prize.



Viviane’s POV



“Come on, Viviane. It’s five thousand dollars!” My best friend, Kiera, is jumping up and down in front of the school bulletin board.

 

I shake my head, “I can’t get up on a stage in front of that many people.” 



Kiera rolls her eyes. “Oh please, I know you sang for Nerissa last week. Though I still don’t understand why you’d help that selfish cow.”



“That was different



Viviane’s POV



“I’m sorry!” I immediately squeak. “I didn’t mean… You… I–” 



Caspian closes the remaining distance between us, coming so close I have to tilt my head all the way back to see his face. I try to back away, but he catches my nape in one powerful hand. “You what, Viviane?”



His fingers send bolts of electricity all the way down my spine. “You startled me.” I admit weakly.



“You didn’t seem very startled.” He growls, squeezing the back of my neck. “It looked like you knew exactly what you were doing.” 



I’m shutting down, preparing for the physical retribution I’m sure is coming. “I swear I didn’t mean to.” 



Caspian studies me for a long moment, watching as I twist myself into knots waiting for his attack. I flinch when he releases me, stumbling to regain my balance. “Prove it.” 



I blink in confusion, amazed that he hasn’t hit me yet. “I– how?” 



He thinks 



Caspian’s POV



She’s perfect. 



I knew the moment I smelled her. My wolf went beserk, demanding I find her immediately, demanding we claim what is ours. I thought I could wait until the end of the competition, to do my duty and see out the judging. 



All thoughts of duty went out the window the moment I heard her voice. I knew she was the one singing, rather than the pretty brunette on stage. That incredible, bewitching voice belonged to my mate, and the woman on stage was not my mate – not even close. 



Yesterday I might have taken the lip syncer home with me, but now I have no interest in her. I have no interest in anyone but the trembling shifter in front of me. Half of her face is obscured by dark glasses, and a staff is leaning against the wall to our left. 



If she’s blind her other senses must be so heightened that she can sense the things around her. Her head is tilted up, directly at my face, and when she turned she’d immediately began backing away from me, her attention never wavering from my position. She knew where I was. 



But doubt reared its head. If she’s that adept at sensing the world around her why does she need a staff?



She doesn’t speak, not as I tower above her, not as I reach for her long, silky hair and drop my head to breathe in her scent completely. “What are you?” I ask. It’s clear she’s not a wolf. A cat shifter perhaps, but there’s something else entwined in the intoxicating aroma of woman, feline and mate. I cannot recognize the combination.



Before I can coax an answer out of the delectable morsel, I hear the lip syncer approaching behind me. When she speaks, I’m more certain than ever that she didn’t sing a single word of her performance. Interesting. My mate helped the she-wolf cheat, but why? 



“Is everything alright sir?” 



I rein in my drooling wolf, and pivot, looking the woman up and down. “Of course,” I reassure her with a smile. The pint-sized enigma behind me takes the opportunity to dart away, slipping through the gap between my back and the wall and positively fleeing, swiping up her staff on the way.



I let her go. 



Silly little mate, doesn’t she know better than to run from a predator? Doesn’t she know how much I’m going to enjoy hunting her? I would have been disappointed if she made it too easy.



I use her departure as an excuse, focusing on the cheater. “I thought I saw a blind woman lost back here, so I came to help her. I’m sorry if I distracted you during your performance.”



“Oh,” She blushes, “That was my stepsister, she was just here to support me. You’ll have to forgive her, she’s shy.” 



“Stepsister?” I repeat, barely able to conceal my pleasure. “But she doesn’t go to the Academy?”



The brunette adopts a thin smile, “Her mother is not as… established in society as my father. And they insist on making their own way.”



“Well I’m sorry to have scared her,” I lie. “I can’t say this officially yet, but congratulations on your victory, I look forward to our dinner at the Pack House.” It’s true enough, there’s no question my mate’s song was the best performance of all the contestants. She’s a lock, and I certainly plan on enjoying the dinner. “Bring your family.” 



______________



Viviane’s POV



I run all the way home, barreling into our tiny apartment and heading straight for the bathroom so I can splash cold water on my face. Bracing my hands against the counter, I stare at my flushed expression, still panting with exertion. 



Caspian Shaw just called me his mate. 



It isn’t possible. There is no such thing as fated mates and even if there was, a bond could never exist between a werewolf and a mermaid. Shifters can intermarry and reproduce, but they are all cut of the same cloth. Mermaids belong to a completely different biological order.



More importantly, Caspian is the very last person I would ever want for a mate. I’ve had my fill of violent men. Of wolves who think they can do whatever they want because they’re at the top of the food chain, no matter how many people they hurt. 



I’m finally happy, finally moving forward with my life. Mom and I are as safe as we could possibly hope to be, I’m in my senior year of high school. After I graduate I can get a real job, do vocational training, maybe even go to university. 



I cannot let some overbearing future Alpha get in the way of my future, of everything for which we’ve worked. Part of me wants to run, to pick up Mom and leave Asterion, Leave Nightshade territory all together. We could find a coastal pack – build a life by the sea – but that would mean letting fear dictate our existence again. 



The problem is, I am afraid. Caspian Shaw terrifies me.



I never want to see him again.



______________



Caspian’s POV



When Nerissa showed up to dinner on Saturday with only her father, I almost walked out. I didn’t name the little cheater winner of the talent competition because I wanted her company, I wanted my mate. 



Nerissa wove a pretty lie to explain the absence of her stepmother and stepsister, but I wasn’t fooled. She might be a strong shifter, but she is nowhere near as dominant as I am, and lying to your pack Alpha is not easy for any wolf. Very few can get away with it. 



I barely made it through the meal, exhausted by her vapid chatter. I was happy to be rid of them when they finally departed, Mordred in particular. I cannot put my finger on what bothers me about the man, but my wolf senses that something is off. 



I spent most of Sunday strolling the city, on the lookout for my mate’s sweet scent, eager to pick up her trail. I was behaving entirely unlike myself. Before Friday I hated the idea of finding a mate – I’ve seen the damage the bond can inflict. It destroyed my parents, breaking my father’s heart and taking my mother’s life. 



Yet here I was, scouring the city like a lovesick puppy, head over heels for a girl I met only once. Eventually I had to call it a day, resigned to the fact that I would have to wait one more night for our reunion. The certainty of it calmed my wolf – I knew exactly where I would find her on Monday.



I don’t go to school often, but knowing my mate would be right across the street at the public high school got me there without complaint.



The Academy dismisses its students half an hour earlier than Asterion high, so I was waiting out front when the wave of students poured from the building’s entrance. I saw her immediately, her pale blonde head and oversized glasses standing out in the crowd. 



She moved with confidence and speed, not like any blind person I’ve ever seen. I thought I would need to call out to her, but she saw or sensed me first, coming to a screeching stop while hundreds of other teenagers continued to flow past her on either side. 



When she regained her composure she moved forward, pretending I didn’t exist as she turned away down the street. I chuckled, pushing away from my motorcycle and taking up pursuit. 



She speeds up when she realizes I’m following, but her short legs are no match for my long strides. “You didn’t come to dinner.” I say.



“What?” She actually pauses, sounding genuinely confused. 



“The dinner at the packhouse.” I clarify, trying to ignore the wolf strutting happily in my chest. “With your stepsister. The entire family was invited.”



Her head whips around, “Pardon me?” 



“What’s wrong?” A moment ago her heart was beating so loudly I could hear it, now it was completely silent. 



“Nerissa told you she’s my stepsister?” Her beautiful voice was disbelieving.



“Isn’t that why you helped her cheat?” Shock bleeds into her expression. I catch her waist when she starts to stumble, but she shrinks away from me. “You think I didn’t know?”



The little shifter pauses in the middle of the sidewalk, turning to face me. “She was my stepsister, a long time ago. Now if you’ll excuse me–” 



“I don’t” I growl, unable to resist her challenge.



She shifts uneasily, transferring her weight from foot to foot. “What?



“I don’t excuse you.” I rumble.



Her pert nose crinkles in dismay, her blonde brows drawing together, “But–



“Careful little mate,” I warn, almost purring as I sidle up to her. Her scent is so alluring I’ve almost forgotten what we’re talking about. “I don’t take disobedience lightly.”



She ignores my latter statement, her full lips forming a sulky pout. “Don’t call me that, I’m not your mate.”



I’m aching to remove her glasses, to know what she looks like underneath. I want to know everything: her name, the color of her eyes, what form she takes when she shifts. I want all this, but I can’t help teasing her. I harden my features, lowering my voice to a deep rasp. “You are on very, very thin ice right now.”



She dips her head submissively, backing away from me again. I catch the edges of her school blazer, pulling her back into place, then yanking her closer for good measure. I read the name embroidered on her jacket it swooping cursive, “Viviane Belle.” I roll her name on my tongue, relishing the sound. 



Viviane is trembling again, and though I should reassure her that she has nothing to fear from me, I don’t. I’ve always had a bad habit of playing with my food. “What do you have to say for yourself, Viviane?”



“I’m sorry,” The cat shifter – if that is what she is – answers, unconsciously leaning into my hold. 



I flash my teeth in a smug smile, “Good girl.” 



That’s exactly what she is: a sweet, obedient, rule follower. Her fire only emerges when she is pushed off-kilter, and the moment she realizes she’s stepped out of line she leaps back into place.



I take pity on her, releasing her and stepping away. “Go on, kitten.” I encourage firmly, snatching an orange from the side pocket of her backpack. “Run along home now.”



She retreats hesitantly, eyeing me as if I’m a live grenade. When she feels safe enough to turn her back to me, I call after her, “I’ll see you tomorrow.” It’s an unmistakable threat. “Same time, same place?”




ASTERION SCHOLARS TOURNAMENT

Eligible seniors enrolled at any institution in the Asterion School District may apply. The tournament will comprise three rounds, each dedicated to one of the following subjects: metamorphological science, inter-species history and shifter literature. Competitors must be 18 years of age or have signed permission by a parent or guardian to enter. Enter to win: First place with $5000 cash prize, second place with $2500 cash prize, third place with $1000 cash prize.

Viviane’s POV

“Come on, Viviane. It’s five thousand dollars!” My best friend, Kiera, is jumping up and down in front of the school bulletin board.
 
I shake my head, “I can’t get up on a stage in front of that many people.” 

Kiera rolls her eyes. “Oh please, I know you sang for Nerissa last week. Though I still don’t understand why you’d help that selfish cow.”

“That was different,” I argue without conviction. “No one could see me.” Well, someone saw me, but I’m not co

#Chapter 6 Caspian Wants to Take Off My Sunglasses