Brie’s new roommate, Willow, is an anomaly at the witch academy because she’s a wolf shifter. She has to figure out how to explain the new girl to her friends and see if they will get along.
Willow Meets Brie’s Friends
Willow curled her upper lip in a low growl, and most people looked away quickly, embarrassed to be caught staring. She hunched her shoulders and stalked over to the buffet tables where she started piling food on a plate.
“I still don’t understand,” Damian said in a low voice. “She’s a magikin, but she’s at our witch academy. Is she learning witchcraft?”
I shrugged again. “She said something like she’s not really a witch, but this is the closest she could get. The magikin school she transferred from couldn’t help her.”
Erin tapped her chin thoughtfully. “I guess it kind of makes sense. If she’s only part shifter, is the rest of her human? By definition, a human who is granted powers by a Fae is a witch.”
“Good point.” I looked up to see what the new girl would do next.
Willow had finished serving her food and stood at the edge of the seating area, looking around at the many tables. Although the hall was far from full, it still must look like a sea of unfamiliar faces to someone who’d just arrived on campus. The junior students had moved in a few days earlier and been introduced with ice breaking activities, but there was no way for a transfer student to easily get to know everyone. Her ears flattened back against her head and she started to turn away.
Guilt twisted my belly into a knot. I hated to stand up and say something in front of a crowd, but I couldn’t just leave her there alone when I was the only person she knew. I jumped to my feet and waved her over. “Hey, Willow! We saved you a seat over here.”
She seemed to recognize me from across the room, but her ears stayed back as she walked over. Willow looked around at my group of friends with narrowed eyes. “You… saved me a seat?”
The table was only half-full, so I gestured to the numerous empty chairs. “Yeah, take your pick,” I said with an encouraging smile. “I would have invited you earlier, but you disappeared from the room. These are my friends—Damian, Tyler, and Erin. Guys, meet Willow.”
“Nice to meet you,” Willow said as she set down her tray and dropped into the seat.
Erin smiled warmly and Tyler nodded, but Damian tilted his head to one side and looked her over.
“Not bad,” he said, licking his lips in a suggestive way. “Do you work out?”
Willow turned bright red. “I—uh—” she stammered, her eyes darting back and forth as she searched for a response.
I reached across the table and smacked Damian on the forehead. “Stop being a perv.” I stage-whispered to Willow, “You’ll have to excuse him. Like most teen boys, he only thinks about one thing.”
“Hey!” Tyler gestured at Damian, scooting his chair away a few inches. “Don’t lump me in with him.”
Willow glanced at Damian, then looked around the rest of the dining hall. “My mom gave me a can of pepper spray before I came here,” she said in a low voice. “Does that work on witches? If I need to… protect myself?”
