Escaped Daughter (Morrigan University #1)

24

The next morning, I woke to find an unwelcome, but not fully unexpected guest sitting on my chair backwards. I swallowed a yelp and glared at him.

“Prof. A. Hole, huh?” Wyatt greeted, holding up my phone to me. “Seriously? How old are you?”

“What I really wanted to write wouldn’t fit in the contact box, so I went with something that amused me,” I threw right back. “This needs to stop. Get out.”

“No, because we need to talk seriously before you get too involved with one of your suitors and they find out,” he declared, his tone serious and clear he wasn’t playing.

“Find out what?” I asked as I propped myself up with my pillows, careful to make sure I was covered.

He studied my face for several moments. “You really don’t know, do you?”

“If you’re going to play games, get out. Actually, just get out and—”

“I wasn’t giving you shit or being a jerk by what I was calling you, Bevin.”

That took me a moment, but then I snorted. “Right, sure.”

“You’re a goddess.”

I narrowed my eyes at him again. “How could you possibly know that about me? You’re full of shit and—”

“I’m not playing,” he snapped. “You’re a goddess.” He shook his head when I went to object. “Who named you? Do you know what your name means?”

“Yeah, it means ‘fair lady’ if a girl and ‘young soldier’ if a boy,” I answered. “So what?”

“Who named you?” he pushed, shaking his head when I wouldn’t answer. “It couldn’t have been your parents. They would never have let you go or thought of sacrificing you if they’d gotten the vision.”

“What vision? ” I whispered, wondering if he wasn’t fucking with me.

“You don’t know,” he sighed, setting down my phone and scrubbing his hand over his head. “So I’m a complete asshole in your eyes and here I thought you were fucking with me to hide it.” He pulled a book out of his bag and tossed it on the bed. “That’s a second-year master’s students’ textbook and I’ve flagged the section on goddesses. Read it.”

“Look, I don’t know what—”

“Did you know Bevin is the Anglicized form of Bé?inn?” He waited until I shook my head. “Who named you?”

I didn’t answer thinking back to my studies of the gods and goddesses. “She was one of fertility?”

“According to humans, but we know more.” He sighed again when I simply stared at him. “I have a book on her if you want.”

I did, but this didn’t make sense. I mean, I knew he wasn’t saying I was an actual goddess. It was just a term used for seriously powerful witches who were said to be blessed by a god or goddess. But they were rare, really rare. Maybe a tenth of half a percent of witches and warlocks were a god or goddess, probably less.

My mind spun round and round with what I knew about them, never even having met one and I shook my head. No, it couldn’t be me. I wouldn’t have been able to hide my magic then.

“Bé?inn is the goddess of spirits,” he tried again. “She’s a lesser-known goddess—obviously—but a powerful one. She’s lesser known because there are very few known goddesses that she blessed. I looked into her after I knew you were a goddess and then your stunt in my class. Guess what she is also the goddess of?”

I had a hard time even forming one word, guessing what he was about to say. “What?”

“Animals. There’s a legend she was the first to bless a spirit animal with an actual spirit and that was how familiars came about.” He nodded when I shot him a disbelieving look. “It’s said she can call any familiar from their master or bless them into harvesting more magic. Sound like anyone we know?”

Oh fuck. Oh fuck .

“Who named you, Bevin?”

“What vision?” I whispered as my heart raced.

He let out a slow breath. “It’s said that the wisest of the family will be blessed with a vision from the god or goddess blessing their bloodline before the witch or warlock is born to warn them that they’ll need protection and great care. So, I ask again—who named you?”

My grandfather had. It annoyed my parents, and I’d heard the story many times how he was adamant I was given the name Bevin, saying it was a Millen family name.

And he never doubted I could talk to animals. Never seemed shocked I could talk to his familiar or use him to harvest magic for me. He pushed me to start the business and use my unique magic to build money and power that would protect me.

All he did to get me away from my family who would have used and abused a goddess witch. All the planning and hardship to get me away from them instead of standing up to them as a member of the family.

It all fit.

I shook my head as I pulled my knees to my chest. “How? How do you know it’s me?”

“You have the mark,” he whispered gently. “I’ve seen it.”

That snapped me out of it. “There’s no mark on my body.”

“There is at certain times.” He held up a finger to hold me off when I went to argue. “It’s in the book. I’m not making this up, however , it’s different than what I thought.”

“What?” I demanded.

“It says like an actual god or goddess demands worship, so does a witch goddess, and the mark will appear. I—and most—thought that meant praise . When you are praised as the one the goddess blessed, people thinking it fitting it’s you, the mark will appear. It’s not that kind of worship though. It’s the other kind.” He sighed when simply blinked at him. “When I worship your body, it’s visible.”

“Oh, bullshit ,” I hissed, annoyed I even bought it for a second. “No fucking way.”

He stood and shoved the chair under my desk before storming over to me. He yanked down the covers and pulled me to him. “I’ll show you.”

“Stop,” I argued, smacking his hands away. “Just stop!”

He froze, his eyes on mine. “You need to believe me, Bevin. This isn’t a joke and you’re in danger given your situation. I’m not fucking around with you and this isn’t to get sex. I’m serious .”

And I believed him. He wasn’t pissed like he was mad at me for talking back. He was scared . I could see it in his eyes.

“Why are you scared?”

“Because I thought you knew and were fucking with me. I thought you had more—your protection is shit. You’ve got nothing and no one watching your back and—”

I snorted. “Like I’ve told you everything.”

“Oh, that I believe, and you drive me insane.”

“Hey, who was the one who put me in danger Sunday?” I bitched. “You and your bullshit and games are—” I snapped my mouth shut. “You want things from me just like my family. I can’t trust you.”

“I lied about the study,” he growled. “I lied . Okay? Don’t you get it? I was trying to give you fucking cover . That’s why I was getting so pissed you were acting like that because it seemed obvious that I was giving you cover when you—but you didn’t know. I was never going to put you front and center with a fucking study so people found out about you before you’re power is secure.”

I opened my mouth but then closed it before trying again. “Why wouldn’t you just tell me that?”

He grabbed my arms and shook me. “I’ve been trying to . I’ve been texting we need to talk. I’ve called you over to me and—do you have any idea how fucking scared I was when you were gone and those assholes were running to find you?”

I didn’t get a chance to reply as he leaned in to kiss me. I ducked him at the last second, but he wasn’t deterred, kissing along my neck instead. I gasped when he bit my earlobe, surprised I liked that.

“You drive me insane , Bevin. Please, just please believe me. Let me show you. Let me touch you. Stop running from me when I’m doing all I can to protect you. Stop fighting me like I’m the enemy. I’m not . I’m an idiot and a fuckup, but I’m not this asshole you think me. Let me protect you. You have to see this.”

I think I nodded or maybe said yes, but I did something that consented because he thanked me several times. I watched as he quickly slid my shorts off and spread my legs. Opening my mouth to say something , I simply moaned as he touched me.

“Watch, Bevin. Watch for the mark right here,” he guided, touching under my belly button and the lowest part of my stomach. “Watch it flare when I worship you, goddess.”

I nodded, shocked it was there of all places. Then again, hidden was better no matter when it appeared because I doubted while I was orgasming was really the only time.

Better than a tramp stamp, right? Most would have had it covered by their pubic hair, but I liked being completely shaved so my skin was completely visible.

“Fuck, I love touching you,” he groaned as he pushed fingers in me and played with my clit. “Come, goddess.”

It took a bit longer, but then I did, biting my lip to keep quiet as I saw with my own eyes he told the truth. A symbol appeared as if light was flashed under my skin but then went dark to show it clearer, almost like a faded tattoo.

And then I recognized the symbol and knew it was all true.

It looked like a gear almost, maybe a tire rim of a fancy vehicle but no, it was the symbol of Hecate, the goddess of us above all others. She was the goddess of witches and warlocks, and while known by many names to hide her true self from humans, we all knew her mark.

Hell, it was the main symbol on the emblem of Morrigan University since Morrigan was one of Hecate’s many names. Most thought they were different people, but we knew the truth, calling her that mostly so humans didn’t think we were a cult or investigate us. Hiding in plain sight was sometimes the smartest play.

“Do you believe me now?” he asked as he stopped playing with me and leaned in closer.

I nodded, pulling away. “Please leave.”

“What? Why? We have to talk—”

“ Please leave ,” I demanded, sounding hysterical to my own ears. I shoved at him which did nothing but push me back. That was fine, I pulled the blanket over my nakedness, a mix of everything including disappointment in myself that I caved for him again.

Not sure how that really was on my mind with all the other life-altering shit going on, but it was.

“Don’t cry, Bevin,” he begged, reaching like he was going to touch me.

I slapped his hand away, wiping my tears I hadn’t known were there. “Please. Please just leave.”

He sighed. “Fine, this is too much, I get it. I’ll go and let you process, but we have to talk about this, handle it. Okay? Promise me?”

I shook my head. “I don’t trust you at all . You always make demands and say shit and boss me around and—I need to fucking think! Just fucking go so I can think and stop pushing me. I didn’t escape their prison to be your captive!”

He turned like I’d hit him before quickly standing. “Is that how I’ve really seemed to you? That I want to cage you and use you like that fucked up family?”

I opened my mouth to deny it because that was harsh, but I couldn’t. “I don’t know. I—you said yourself you were a jerk thinking I was messing with you. I wasn’t, so try to see it from my side. You’re overbearing and demanding. You show up whenever, start shit in my life, and I don’t mean this, and you just—you won’t fucking go even when I’m begging you to. What would anyone think?”

“I’m scared to leave you when you’re flipping the fuck out, Bevin.”

“I’m partially flipping the fuck out because of all the people who could have figured this out, you scare me, and I feel trapped—that you’re going to trap me with this.”

He sighed. “And that’s the last thing I want.” He went over to his bag and picked it up, pulling out another book and tossing it on the bed by the first. “That’s what I have on Bé?inn. Read both. Don’t tell anyone and… I’m here if you need me, okay?”

“Okay.” That was all I could give him since he was at least trying as he changed what he wanted to say to not be such a dick. I got this was serious, but he seriously wasn’t the boss of me.

“It’s going to be okay, Bevin. You’re not alone anymore.” He didn’t wait for my reply, flaring up his spell circle and finally leaving my room.

I stared at the spot for several moments. “Yeah, I am.” I flopped back to the bed and pulled the covers over my head, still crying as I tried to get my shit together so I could get ready for class.

I was a goddess, and if my family found out, I was in so much deeper of shit as they would lock me up and use me until there was nothing left. And right then, my only other option was a powerful professor who I didn’t think I could trust as far as I could throw him.

In other words, I was sort of fucked either way. For the moment, I grieved that and how unfair life was that he’d found out before I had and was now in control of me. I just hoped he wasn’t the type of man where if he couldn’t have me, no one could, because he had that power now to blow up my life completely.

Fuck.

The End

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