Demonic Regime

Chapter 54: Holding Hands

Case kicked the door closed and jumped his armload of treats onto my bed. "You're terrible at dating."

"What?" I glared at him. "I did fine."

"Bruce clearly wanted to be alone with you."

"We were alone all night," I stated. "I was showing him our room."

Case eyed me. "Really, Rudy? You don't know what that means. I've even pulled that move. I want to see your room means let's go be alone and do stuff."

"We haven't even kissed," I snapped. "Bruce isn't going to jump me. Alpha or not, I'd punch his face in."

"That's one way to start a relationship." Case laughed and plopped down beside me. He opened a container of cookies. "So, how'd it go? I already know no first kisses happened."

"Fine." I shrugged. "We talked about stuff. He wants to come here for Christmas and make it official."

"The mark."

I nodded. "It's going to hurt like hell." I tugged at my hair. "Having another person's mark is weird, but getting that mark—" I groaned. "I'm not looking forward to it."

"The only other option is mating."

"Too soon."

Case grinned at me. "Yeah, you don't even understand when someone is flirty with you. Sex is kind of a leap."

I shoved him. "Go on your bed."

Gathering a few packages, he moved across the room. "Don't worry. Bruce probably finds it cute."

Breathing out through my nose, I moved onto my side and faced the wall. "You're so annoying."

Case chuckled to himself. "But honest."

***

I headed for the dorms as I tried to remember everything I needed to get done by this weekend. Spotting a bench, I sunk into it and rubbed my face. I had never been this behind in my life. Rubbing my forehead, I took out my phone to check my calendar. Why was it so full? It hadn't been this bad last year. My finger hovered over Bruce's name, marking every day he was going to be here. Now I understand why teachers warned us not to let dating and relationships get in the way of school.

"Rudy," sang a voice.

Case slid across the bench and put his arm around my shoulders. "I'm starving. Let's eat."

"I have to change and go to the pool."

"Yeah, after you eat. You're running on fumes. How can you swim?"

"I have hours to make up."

"Not that many, and you have all semester. Stop panicking." Case glanced at a nearby group of rugby players.

I hadn't noticed that they were watching us a little too much. I looked one of them right in the eyes and glared. He turned away and motioned to the others. Whatever they wanted, I was too tired to deal with. For once, I might use my little brother to take care of it for me. Drake just had to growl a bit, and that would end whatever shitting thing they were saying about me.

"Heads up, but the whole dorm was kind of buzzing this morning when I got up and you were at the pool," said Case.

"About what?"

He smiled at me. "Rudy, lift your head out of the over-chlorinated water for two seconds." Case messed up my hair. "You marched the next alpha of Bloodhound into our room last night. Not to mention the man is huge. Bruce is impossible to miss. Some rumors were going around about your engagement, but that kind of confirmed it."