by S. L. Morgan
“It was at your previous school. You and Dominic sensed each other’s wolves. You were both too young for such a connection to be forged—he eighteen and you seventeen. We were sure both of you were in grave danger and not mature enough to fight off being mated for the power. It had to be stopped.”
“So you all just came in and stopped us. This is why our wolves both sense more, but we mentally fight it off in our natural forms?”
“Yes,” he said sorrowfully. “You must understand that no malice was intended. We’re doing our best to protect you.”
“But now it’s okay?”
“Now, you both are ready,” he answered.
I should’ve been angry that my memories had been tampered with, but I knew that it was meant to protect me. The more I heard, the more it made sense. Our wolves already knew each other. It’s the reason I didn’t cower to his alpha stuff, the reason I felt a pull toward him, and him towards me.
“Dominic doesn’t remember me. Since that Oracle Godmother brought me back here, he doesn’t remember our connection.”
“Dominic will always be your mate. You’ll just have to be patient. It didn’t take long for you both to reunite, it won’t take long again. Your wolves already know each other, just stop fighting them and their instincts.”
“How do we beat this thing?”
“The school—your friends even—have been given a fresh start. Even now, they are working to ward off all the sinister spells that fell on the students; however, as I said, the school will lure them all back to it. It will slowly digest who they really are, and they will fall under the spell again. Some may be able to fight it. You should work with your friend, Vannah. She is a strong witch—a Woodson witch. You will need her, so don’t lose her to the school again.”
“I don’t know how to warn her.”
“There will be a new professor for House Mage, Joseph Ramirez, he’s a Brujo—a powerful witch from Mexico. He will watch over her. He has no desire to dabble in the darkness of Immortal Academy. He’ll work with Vannah, he’s been instructed to. It will be like killing an enemy from the inside out. The more talented and powerful immortals you can keep from succumbing to the evil of the school, the better the chance you have. This is the only way. There’s nothing we can do. I tried, and you see where I am.”
“Yeah, if you hadn’t noticed, I tried too, and I’m here with you.”
He laughed. “Your powers have kept you tethered to your body. The brujo is working with House Mage to purify the school, and then you will be brought back. Their memories will be lost on what has happened here. It will be like your first day of school again.”
“Oh God,” I sighed with frustration. “The only thing cool about the first day at this place was having my bug and my map…which I totally forgot about my little buddy. That was it. Well, that and the pie.”
My dad laughed again. “You have your mother’s personality and my love for pie. Listen, I said it would be like the first day of school…when your friends were normal. Jessica is at peace, and you will be the only one who remembers her death. You and the owl shifter, Ethan. Ethan will not whisper a word of it to anyone. Other than that, it will be just like any other day at the academy. You will see the difference, not the others.”
“This sucks. Dominic won’t even remember how he worked to kill off all those things? He practically saved the school while I died.”
“Dominic will only remember what your wolf spirit lets him remember,” he said.
I felt a heavy weight pulling me away from my father. “It’s time you go. They’re bringing you back now. I love you, Jenna. Always know I am proud, and when your mother’s cursed spirit is at rest, she will be just as proud.”
“Wait. I’m not…”
My eyes snapped open, and I was staring at my dorm room ceiling.
“Get out of bed sleepy head,” Lusa’s voice said with a laugh. “My brother is going to blame me for you being late to his training.”
“What day is it?” I asked. I sat up, thinking maybe Dom and I were back, “Wait. Why would he blame you for me being late?”
She looked at me and laughed. “Because you’re my dorm mate? He’s got this weird thing about you not answering his alpha, and it’s starting to bug me. He acts like his ego can’t take it, but the Dominic I know would usually admire a chick who could possibly kick his butt.”
“Oh, so we’re back to that again.”
“Back to what?” she looked at me curiously. “If I had to guess, I’d say you look bummed out that he would question you. You two have something going on the side?” she teased.
“You would think,” I accidentally said out loud. “I mean—”
“What?” she asked. “You know, you and Dom act like you annoy each other. Although, last night at the ball showed me you two are actually the perfect match. The outfits were priceless,” she laughed.
“Right,” I said, blinking a few times.
Okay, so it was a day after the Ageless Ball. Lusa was friendlier than ever. Did I have my friends back? The thought of getting them back sounded terrific, but the void of Dom and me having to restart, me remembering him, but him not remembering me totally sucked.
Why didn’t you let him remember us? I internally scolded my inner wolf. She pranced around like she had nothing to be sorry for. She helped Dom save the world, she knew his wolf was her true mate, and she taught me my lesson.
I had to really get Dom connected with me again. I felt stronger with him, and even now after my wolf had jumped into him, I was losing his strength. The truth was I needed him, and I was not one to admit I needed anyone.
Chapter Thirty-Eight
It was a roller coaster of a month. The good news was that I had my friends back. As for Tanner and Emma, that was an interesting breakup. Tanner moved on, and I wanted to feel bad for the sprite, but after the spell had been lifted and everyone had their original personalities, it didn’t take long for her to realize their relationship wasn’t going to work. His love ‘em and leave ‘em side was more than she could handle, but they managed to stay friends. Oddly enough, Vannah and blue-haired Nick managed to cool it as well, knocking their relationship back to friendship.
This was normal. Vannah was scared to commit in a relationship, and if it felt too serious too fast, she pumped the breaks on it. Tanner was a player and was already eyeing some vamp chick I hadn’t met yet. My friends were themselves again for the first time since we got to this place.
Normal was good. The heavy darkness that clouded the school had been lifted, and it literally felt like the sun came out from behind dark clouds—to me at least. Everyone around me had no idea the crazy spell they had been under. No one knew the bizarre fact that this school was turning them into something it wanted and slowly eating their personalities—their souls—alive while being here.
We were back to normal class sessions, learning about all the Houses and the history of each of the immortal beings at this school. It was a breath of fresh air. As much as I hated sitting in lectures, I had to admit, the normalcy of everything outweighed me being bored in class.
Dom returned to Master Dominic with me, and that was the hardest part of the new normal at this school. I gave up hope on the Dom and Jenna are fated mates part a few days into the school being straightened out. The dude was all over my butt and singling me out during training, and it was starting to piss me off instead of making me long for the Dom I felt a surreal connection with.
I was under the dude’s watchful eye, and I swear I was getting busted at every turn I made with the guy. It was annoying and frustrating. My wolf was pissed off at him too, but I had my friends back, and from what I remembered about my out of body experience with my dad, I had to make sure I didn’t lose them to this school again. There was a looming battle hanging in the air, and we all needed to be ready for it.
“Mind if I have a word with you, Silvers?” Dominic’s voice interrupted me as I savored my hot apple pie.
My
eyes lifted to the table he was once at, and I smiled at all the hateful expressions and arched eyebrows directed toward me.
“What did I screw up now?” I asked, remembering our morning drills and using the skills I had learned from him before the spell was lifted from the school. Throughout all the madness of the school being a bizarre trip, one thing I took away from it all was learning to fight—like Dominic. I held it all back, trying not to upset the balance of everything being reset.
“Jenna,” Vannah startled me. “Quit being so rude,” she laughed.
I looked over at her, then back to Dominic. “Sorry, my brain kind of goes dead once I start in on my pie.”
“All I need is a minute alone,” he said in a low voice.
I twisted in my seat and looked up at him. “Alright.” I stood. “What do you need?”
He guided me over to a corner in the lunchroom. “Today. The way you fought.” His dark eyebrows knit together as he studied me. “How did you learn that technique you used to drop Jon and pin him?”
“You taught me that,” I answered. “Remember?”
“No, I don’t,” he answered sternly. “That’s my own personal technique. I’ve never trained anyone on that.”
“God, Dominic, I just dropped, let him come in for the fake pin, spun around, and took him down by the knees with my feet. Anyone could do it, but you’re the one who taught me how to do it and when it would work best to my advantage.”
“Are you some kind of a mind reader?” he asked.
Crap. Did I just use a technique he taught me out on the quest?
“No,” I answered in the same rough tone. “You taught it to me. Sorry that you don’t remember doing it. Maybe with all your, ‘I’m going to break you and your wolf and have the best shifter unit at this school’ talk, you forgot you gave up your technique. Why? Am I in trouble or something? I finally do something that should be approved by you, and you act like you’re pissed off about it.”
His lips tightened, and I ignored the lustful thoughts that wanted to take over when his arms crossed and his bulging biceps tried to remind me of the guy I fell for.
“No. You’re not in trouble for anything except for your foul mouth that is directed toward your instructor,” he shook his head, and I could tell he was fighting a smile, “again. You really need to work on that. I’m getting sick of you throwing language around at me like you and I are friends. You’re my trainee, and I expect you to respect that I’m your instructor. The next time you think you can use foul language toward me, I’ll make sure you don’t get your shifting time in for at least a week.”
What an asshole! Dude practically hates me now—damn this school. I knew it was driving its evil to tear Dominic Rossi and me apart. If it weren’t for me knowing this school had it out for us, I would seriously hate this guy. God, I should hate him right now for interrupting me eating my now cold apple pie.
“Sorry about that. I need to keep my frustration in check when I feel I’m being singled out by my master.”
“You’re not being singled out. I was curious, that’s all. I never share any of those skills with my new recruits. It wasn’t something you made up either. The timing, the reason, and how you did all of it, that’s something I came up with.”
“Well, I’m sorry I stole your special little fight move. Is there anything else?”
His eyes were severe. “No,” he managed in a low voice. “I’ll see you this evening in wolf form.”
Great, that actually sounded like a threat. Dom being up my butt for a month was getting old. Now, this hatred he’d developed for me was just making it all worse, and I was over it.
“What was that all about?” Vannah asked when I got back to my abandoned pie. “What’d you do to upset your master now?”
“I guess it’s pretty obvious he and I don’t get along, eh?”
“Obvious is an understatement. If I had to guess, the dude hates you to cover up the fact he most likely likes you. You shifters are weird like that.”
I smiled at Vannah, a month having her back to her normal self again still felt like I just got my bestie back. “You’re probably right. We’re destined to be together. A strong alpha like him with a wolf that doesn’t follow his haughty alpha commands…a match made in heaven,” I teased.
She giggled—the Vannah, low and in control of herself giggle—and rolled her eyes. “Well, it’s just a hunch.”
“Oh? You using your witchy skills outside of school rules?” I asked.
Vannah’s eyes dropped to her plate, where she was finishing her cheesecake. “You ever get the feeling this school is watching us?” she asked in a hushed voice.
“Are you serious? Are you picking up on something? Because last time, you…” I stopped myself. My God, what was wrong with me today. It was like everything I had held in about what the school was like before the reset was coming out like crazy.
“Last time I what?” she looked at me with curiosity. “Jenna, if you know something, you need to tell me.”
I so wish I could.
“I feel the same as you. I get the creeps here, but you knew that already. It’s just me being upset I had to come here, I guess.”
“Possibly. Don’t tell anyone I said that.”
“Never,” I answered. “You know you can tell me anything, right?”
She smiled. “You’ve always been my most trusted friend. Of course. Just watch your back. I have a weird feeling that things might get crazy at this school.”
“Then use your secret protector spell on yourself,” I ordered her. “Seriously. If you’re sensing something, then go with it.”
“I think I might.”
“Promise me, you will,” I urged.
She looked at my hands, gripping her arm. “Easy, Jenna.” She looked around. “I can’t do anything if you have the entire school watching us. Like I said, it’s just a hunch, nothing more.”
“When did you start feeling this way?”
“Last night maybe?” she questioned herself. “But last night was such a blur I hardly remember it. Maybe this morning, who knows. I just want you to be watchful and try and follow the rules.”
“I will.”
I closed my eyes, remembering how last time it was just Dom and me left to fight this. I looked over at his table, and he turned his head to hide the fact that he was watching me with those brown eyes that once saw straight into my soul and connected with it.
“He will remember.”
I looked to my left to find my favorite owl who always sat next to me, yet said very little these days.
“Hopefully, soon,” I whispered.
“Soon enough,” Ethan smirked.
“I’ve got to get out of here,” I said, getting up. “I’ll see you at free-time tonight,” I told Vannah.
“Okay. We need to study that Lore of the Fae stuff for the final.”
I walked out of the lunchroom and went to the closest restroom. I felt like a dam of emotions was about to break on me, and I was overwhelmed with everything slamming into me all at once. Why was this happening? I couldn’t lose it or let this school start screwing with my mind. I had to stay the course and do my part to make sure we were ready to take out this evil when that day came.
Chapter Thirty-Nine
I was sound asleep when my wolf ears heard the soft tapping at my door. I looked over at Lusa, who was sound asleep and snoring. My wolf drew me to the door with confidence, thinking this might be Vannah wanting to let me in on what she was sensing at the school, and letting me know she threw on the protective spell magic.
I opened the door, and the big brown eyes of Dominic Rossi met mine. He was wearing a simple shirt and sweat pants, not his usual master clothes.
“Jenna,” he said in a hushed voice. “I think we need to have a talk.”
“What time is it?” I said, trying to figure him out.
“Close to three in the morning, but I can’t sleep. Will you trust me to take you somewhere?”
&
nbsp; “The rainbow trees.”
“How do you know about that place?” he scrunched his forehead like he was in pain with what I’d suggested.
“Word gets around. Hold on, let me get my hoodie.”
I slipped on my Dark Water Academy hooded sweatshirt and met Dominic, who looked pale and was rubbing his forehead like he had the worst headache of his life.
“You okay?” I asked, trying to keep up with his long strides.
“No, I’m not,” he answered.
We got to the trees, the moonlight being our only light, and it reminded me of the first time he brought me here.
“What’s up?” I asked, watching him pace.
“You,” he answered. “It’s been driving me insane since that stupid ball.”
“Why, because your cousin thought it was cute to dress us up as a couple?”
“No.” He was stern. “I can’t get you out of my head, and I don’t know why. You’re just a new shifter at this school. I’m not looking for a mate. I don’t want this.”
“What the living hell are you talking about?” I snapped.
“My wolf,” he growled. “Your wolf. Do you sense it, or am I losing my damn mind?”
“All I sense is that you’ve been nothing but an asshole, and I did nothing to deserve you singling me out and trying to beat my spirit down as my instructor.”
He reached for my hand, and I watched his eyes widen as he felt the electric jolt that surged through me before he dropped my hand like I’d burned him. He glared at his palm and then looked at me with different eyes…the old Dominic eyes.
“What is happening between us?” he said in a low voice. “Who are you, really?”
“Listen, I don’t know why you’re feeling anything, but that’s between you and—”
My lips were captured by his, and my breathing stopped entirely. His firm lips pressed against mine, and I jerked back, feeling all of those emotions flood through me again. Dominic’s eyes were silver lined now. His wolf was present and obviously drove him to kiss me. He let out a breath and cocked his head to the side.