Year Two (Bloodshed Academy Book 2)

by Jen L. Grey

  I could see her point. “As you know, Ashley was in self-defense, and so was Nate. As Rage was trying to tell you, he grabbed my arm and yanked me back.”

  “And each time, you claim it was in self-defense.” She dropped her hands and leaned back in her seat. “I’m just saying I’ve noticed a pattern.”

  “Both times I witnessed it and vouch for her.” Rage’s jaw ticked, openly glaring at Isadora.

  “It’s come to my attention that your relationship with Ms. Wright could compromise your judgment.” She laid her hands on the desk and tapped her fingers on the wood. “So maybe I need to be more cautious moving forward.”

  Rage frowned but nodded. “Yes, she is my true mate, but I wouldn’t lie about the self-defense. Damien can vouch on the incident with Ashley, and there were numerous witnesses around for today.”

  “Yes, I’m quite aware.” She leaned over her desk and focused on Rage. “You’ve been loyal to the Academy, and I hope that continues.” Her green eyes landed on me. “And as far as you, just know I’ll be watching. I see more things than what people realize.”

  It probably wasn’t a good sign when the headmaster of Bloodshed threatened you each time you met. “I understand.” At this point, I just wanted to get out of here and run away as far as possible, but I had a feeling that wouldn’t do any good.

  “Good, you both are dismissed.” She turned to her left and began tapping the keys on her computer keyboard.

  Rage stood and grabbed my hand. “Come on. Let’s go.”

  Not needing further encouragement, I jumped to my feet and followed right after him.

  I wasn’t sure what had just happened, but the one thing I did know was that the headmaster wasn’t a fan of mine. I couldn’t imagine that the rest of my time here would be pleasant.

  Chapter Nine

  There comes a time when you realize that you’re at a pivotal juncture in your life. What you choose in a given moment will determine how your future plays out. For some reason, I knew this task for The Elites tonight would set the course for both Rage and me.

  It was strange riding in Cole’s car with only Rage. To be honest, I wasn’t sure how Rage had talked him into it and probably didn’t want to know. “How I wish we were heading out for a date night.”

  “You know, we need to do that.” Rage glanced at me. His royal blue polo brought out the brown of his eyes. “I feel kinda like an asshole now. We’ve never gone on a date.”

  “The dance counts, right?” That was the worst and best day of my life. The best because I had finally synced with my wolf and, because of that, realized I’d met my true mate. The bad was Greg. To be honest, that whole relationship was sad, but thankfully that was in the past.

  “I don’t know if I want us to count that.” Rage winked at me and leaned over, putting his warm hand on my bare thigh. “You did come with another man.”

  “Yes … But I left with the one that counted.” His hand on my leg did things to my body that wasn’t appropriate for the situation. I’d worn shorts since the weather in New Orleans was hot and humid. His touch always did things to my body. I cleared my throat and adjusted my white shirt, looking for some kind of distraction.

  “Damn straight you did.” His growly voice only turned me on even more.

  The Dave and Buster’s orange sign appeared and he slowed down at a red light. “Alright, here we are.” He glanced around to see that all the street parking was taken. “I guess it’ll be the garage.”

  “Do you have any idea why we’re here?” Obviously, it had something to do with The Elites, but this was a strange place to meet.

  “All ages hang out here, so there is no telling.” Rage pulled up to the ticket machine and rolled down his window, leaning out to hit the green button. He grabbed the ticket and rolled his window back up. The large lever raised, allowing us to enter the garage.

  It was packed, but we were able to find a spot on the third floor. As we plodded down the stairs, Jordan appeared at the bottom.

  Her hair was pulled back and her makeup downplayed. Her golden eyes popped with the earth tones she wore, and her lips were a light pink instead of the usual vibrant red. Just like me, she dressed in a pair of shorts with a tight red shirt. “You guys are right on time.”

  Apparently, she didn’t think promptness was one of our key attributes. “What are we doing here?”

  “The boy I told you about, he’s here.” Her eyes scanned the area, and she opened the door to go outside. “Come on out here.”

  Rage sighed and placed his hand on the small of my back. “Fine, but we need more answers before going in there.”

  The entrance to Dave and Busters was less than twenty feet away. A group of four people stood right in front of the door. The girls were wearing halter tops, shorts so short that only a little was left to the imagination, and makeup so dark you’d think they were part goth. One of the guys puffed on a cigarette and had his hands all over one of the girls. The other guy was absolutely gorgeous, and a sweet scent hit my nose. The other girl was trying to lay all over him, but his eyes weren’t focused on her breasts at all. Rather, his eyes connected with mine. His musky scent hit me.

  He was a shifter.

  “That’s him.” Jordan’s voice was barely a whisper but loud enough that both Rage and I could hear her. “He’s half wolf and half dragon.”

  “Dragon?” Those were rare. From what I remembered of Professor Shaw’s class, they tended to stay around the equator, favoring hotter temperatures year-round.

  “Is this some kind of joke?” Rage closed his eyes as if he was keeping his anger in check.

  “Do you smell the musk and brimstone?” Jordan smiled at me like we were just having the best time. “Play along. He can’t know we’re on to him.”

  Now that she mentioned it, there was an acrid egg smell to his musk. It was disgusting.

  “So what do we do?” Rage opened his eyes and glanced around. “Kidnap him here while his friends watch?”

  “For someone that most girls want, you’re not the smartest.” Jordan arched an eyebrow and propped her hand on her waist.

  I couldn’t help but giggle. Of course, Rage wasn’t dumb, but he was being a smart ass.

  “Really?” His shoulders lowered, and he shook his head.

  “I’m sorry, but you did kind of deserve that.” I winked at him even though I couldn’t hide the grin. “But I love you.”

  “Oh, dear god.” Jordan threw her hands in the air and rolled her eyes. “Can we keep that sappy shit for when you’re alone.”

  She reminded me of Cole for a moment, and I had to bite back my remark. “We’ll see if we can manage.”

  “No, seriously.” Jordan flipped her hair back and giggled. “Play along. He’s eyeing you.”

  “No, no, no.” Rage shook his head and grabbed my arm, pulling me back toward the garage. “My mate will not be the bait.”

  “So, I guess you’d rather this guy have the same fate as the other one in the clearing.” Even though her words were rough, she was acting her part. She rolled her eyes and grabbed my hand, pulling me back toward her. “Stop acting so jealous.” Her voice got louder. “She broke up with you for a reason.”

  Rage growled, and his eyes began to glow. “What the hell …”

  “Hey, she’s right.” I was trying to play the part like Jordan, but I felt awkward and stiff. “It’s not like anything is going to happen.” I gave a smile that fell flat. “I can’t leave here knowing I could’ve prevented something bad from happening. He deserves a chance to live just like we do.”

  “Fine, but I’m going to blend in and lurk.” Rage released his hold on me, and stress lined his face. “Give me a minute. Then you two come in.”

  As he strolled off, Jordan yelled after him. “How many times does she have to say she’s not interested?”

  His footing faltered for a second before he continued heading to the front door.

  “Pushing him isn’t wise.” I got that Jordan wasn’
t part of our normal group, but she had to know that.

  “I don’t get what all the hype is for fated mates, but now we’ve got more of our target’s attention.” She licked her bottom lip and glanced his way.

  Let’s see how awkward I can be, I thought. I turned, following Jordan’s gaze, and stared into yellow eyes.

  “Hey, are you paying attention to me?” The girl that was doing everything possible to catch his eye pouted and glared in my direction.

  Her friend realized it too and untangled herself from the guy she was with. “Come on, y’all. Let’s go play some games and get a drink.”

  “That’s a great idea.” She wrapped her arm through our target’s and tugged him in the same direction Rage had just entered. “Let’s go have some fun.”

  “Uh … yeah, okay.” He glanced over at us one last time before following the other three people in.

  “Here in a few seconds, we need to move.” Jordan dropped her façade, and her normal negativity returned. “That skank is going to cause us a little bit of trouble. That’s why we’ve gotta use his interest in you to get him away from them.”

  Our cause was good, but Rage popped in my mind. “I’m not so sure …”

  “Oh, save it.” Jordan tapped her foot and crossed her arms. “It’s not like anything is going to happen. Rage better keep himself in check.”

  “It’s not that …”

  “No, stop.” She reached over and grabbed my arm. “We’re going in there, and you won’t lead him on. All we are doing is talking to him and getting him outside so we can get him to the safe place.”

  “The safe place?” It unnerved me that I had no clue where that was.

  “Yeah, now come on.” Jordan’s grasp was firm, and she dragged me after her. She opened the door and began to giggle. “Now let’s act like friends.”

  At least she was being honest with me. I’d never been to a Dave and Busters before. The arcade was so loud it was like someone drilling on my eardrums. “Holy shit.”

  “I’m glad my hearing isn’t as good as yours.” She grumbled but kept a smile on her face. “It’s just obnoxious to me.”

  A group of guys hovering over guns laughed as one of their buddies lost the game. “Loser.”

  The dings and chimes of all the games overwhelmed me. When my eyes landed on some pool tables, I almost cried happy tears. “Let’s go over to the pool tables. It’ll at least be a little quieter over there.”

  “It’s better than in here.” Jordan and I walked side by side, scanning the area for the hybrid. Hell, maybe I should give him a name. I decided to call him Ralph.

  When we turned the corner to the pool tables, I wasn’t surprised to find Rage there. He was sitting at the bar that separated the arcade and pool area. He had a draft beer, and there was a girl sitting next to him. Obviously, she was trying to catch his eye. However, his eyes never wavered from me.

  That girl had no chance, but I couldn’t blame her for admiring my man.

  She reached out and touched his arm that rested on the bar table.

  “Not interested,” he said gruffly as he pulled his arm away.

  “It doesn’t have to be anything serious.” She attempted to make her voice sound seductive.

  “Not interested,” he took a long pull of his beer and turned his back to her.

  “It seems that I’m not the only one who’s taken notice of you.” A raspy voice behind us startled me.

  The scent of musk and burning sulfur made my stomach churn. I turned around, and there was Ralph. “I’m sorry.”

  Jordan giggled, the sound a little over the top like any tipsy human girl would act. “Ignore her. She should be a blonde.”

  “Hey.” It was one thing to act like friends, but it was completely something else to insult me during the process. We weren’t close enough for that shit. “Watch it.”

  The hand from the girl outside appeared on his shoulder as she sashayed around. She sized me up and down and seemed to think she looked better. “How much longer are you going to be?” She ran her finger down his chest. “I’m getting lonely.”

  Dear lord, just gag me now.

  “These are some people who are from my circle.” He removed her hand from his chest but smiled. “So I’ll be back in just a few minutes.”

  “Okay, I’ll go get us some more drinks then.” She pointed to the empty glasses that were stacked on the pool table. “Don’t be too long.” She openly glared at both Jordan and me before turning around to make her way to the bar.

  “So … you’re a shifter too?” He picked at his bottom lip and glanced around.

  “Yeah, I am.” I wasn’t sure what to do here.

  “Can we go back outside for a minute? It's a little too loud in here for me.” Jordan pouted and motioned to the door.

  “Yeah, sure.” He winced and pointed to his ears. “It’s terrible for me too.”

  The three of us headed back toward the front doors, and when we stepped outside, the quieter surroundings made me feel less on edge.

  He hovered close to the door and scratched his head. “I’m finally happy to see different races hanging out with one another.”

  “What do you mean?” He must have grown up like me and only been around his kind. However, that couldn’t be possible since he was a half-breed.

  “The whole elitist propaganda against races co-mingling.” He kicked at the ground with his feet. “It’s like we are supposed to stay within our kind.”

  The door opened again, and Rage appeared. “Everything okay out here?”

  “Yeah, everything is fine.” I smiled at him, glad to see that he wasn’t held up for too long by the girl at the bar.

  A car pulled up at the front entrance and rolled down their window. “You guys ready to go?”

  I came close to choking when I turned around and found Nate in the driver's seat.

  “Yes.” Jordan reached out and touched Ralph’s arm. “We’re heading to a party with all kinds of supernaturals there. Wanna join us? It’ll be a lot more fun than here.”

  He frowned for a moment and glanced at me. “Are you coming?”

  “No, she’s got a date with him.” Jordan motioned at Rage by the door.

  “But …” His eyes took on an oval shape pupil, which confirmed he was at least part dragon.

  “Come on, man.” Nate motioned to the car. “You’ll miss out on a good time.”

  Something wasn’t right about not telling him the truth, but maybe he’d freak out. “I’ll meet up with you there.”

  “So you’re coming?” He bit his bottom lip as he looked from the car to me over and over again.

  That did it. “Yeah, I’ll see you there.”

  “Okay.” He gave Jordan a wary smile but slid into the seat.

  “Where are you guys going?” I couldn’t not show up now that I promised him.

  Jordan’s frigid demeanor snapped right back into place. “It’s none of your concern.”

  “But I told …”

  “Yeah, thanks for that.” Jordan smirked and slid into the back seat next to him. “I’ll see you around, friend.” She slammed the door in my face, and Nate squealed his tires as he took off.

  A coldness vibrated in my skin, making its way deep inside my bones. Something didn’t feel right about what had just happened.

  Chapter Ten

  The drive back to the Academy blurred together. My mind kept replaying the entire night over and over again in a loop.

  Rage pulled into the Bloodshed Academy lot and parked in Cole’s normal spot. “Hey, we’re here.” His voice was low, and he touched my arm.

  “Yeah.” Honestly, I didn’t know what was wrong. Something was just… off. “That back there …”

  “I’m surprised that Jordan wouldn’t tell you where they were headed.” Rage leaned back in the seat and turned his head toward me. “The only reason why he left was because you told him that you were going to show up.”

  “Right.” Unease settled inside me
. “Did we do something wrong?”

  He reached over and touched my face. His fingertips brushing against my cheek. “It feels strange that they would do that, but it’s a secret society and our first mission. The way I see it is you talked that guy into saving his life.”

  “That’s true. It wouldn’t be secret if they let just anyone know their location.” I turned my head to the left and smiled at him. “I love you.” Those few words reminded me why we had joined The Elites and were exactly what I needed to hear.

  “I love you too.” He winked at me and got out of the car. I watched him as he walked around the front of the car and came to my side.

  As he opened my door, he held out his free hand to me. “Let’s go give Cole his keys back before he starts chomping at the bit.”

  His play on words made me giggle. “That’s cheesy.”

  “But it made you smile.” He pulled me from the car and wrapped his arms around my waist. “That alone was worth it to me.” He leaned down and kissed my lips.

  “Thank you.” I’d grown up feeling like I always had to hide a part of me, and I was learning that wasn’t the case now. He knew and loved me inside and out.

  “You are an amazing, caring person.” He pulled back and cupped my head in his hands. “Of course it’s going to bother you, being forced to break a promise. It wasn’t your fault, so now let’s go back to your dorm and celebrate that we accomplished something good tonight.”

  That did sound like an amazing plan. “You’re right.” I stood on my tiptoes and brushed my lips against his. “Now let’s go see what our crazy friends have gotten themselves into.”

  As I pushed the door open, there was shuffling from the living room. When my eyes landed on the couch, Jess was running her fingers through her hair, and Cole tapped his feet. There was no television on, and Damien was nowhere to be found.

  “What are you guys doing?” I headed to the kitchen and poured a glass of water.