by Jen L. Grey
“There is no way in hell that’s going to happen.” Jess’s wings magically appeared, not even tearing her clothes. They were a translucent silver with magic dust sparkling in the air all around them. She began flapping her wings and vanished from sight almost instantly.
“Did you see that?” My eyes had to be playing tricks on me.
“Yes.” Rage stood there blinking. “I can’t say I was expecting that.”
“Well, I’m pretty sure we don’t have a chance of winning.” Jess was sure full of surprises. She kept me on my toes.
“Nope, so I say we just take our time.” Rage opened the door and bowed. “After you, mi’ lady.”
“We’re being formal now?” When he did stuff like that, it made me swoon. Although I could never let him know willingly. I slipped past him, entering the hall.
“Just need to treat my mate with the love and respect she deserves.” He placed his hand on the small of my back and guided me toward the elevators.
“Uh, oh. What did you do?” I loved giving him a hard time.
“If you’re that suspicious of me, then I haven’t been giving you the proper attention you really need.” He grabbed my waist, pulling me in until I pushed against him. “Maybe I should remedy that right now.”
“Promises, promises.” My body came alive, and I needed his lips on mine.
He lowered his lips to mine, and his tongue teased, asking for entrance. I moaned as I opened my mouth.
“Excuse me.” The pretentious voice I’d hope to never hear again filled my ears.
Rage froze and pulled back with a growl. “What’s your problem?”
“Two people frisking each other in the hallway. That’s what.” Ashley squared her shoulders and glared at me.
“Come on.” She wasn’t worth our time. She was miserable and only wanted to ruin our day. “The others are waiting on us anyway.”
He sighed and took a step back, releasing me. “Fine, but we will continue this later.”
“Of course.” I ignored Ashley and passed her as she probably dreamed of my demise.
Within minutes, we were out in the parking lot. Jess’s wings had disappeared, and she flipped her hair over her shoulders. “Give me the keys, Cole. A challenge is a challenge.”
“We’ve never seen your wings before though. Who knew how freakishly fast you are?” Cole clutched onto his keys like a toddler with his toys. “Had I known you were faster than me, I would’ve said the second person to the car would get to drive. So, really, you’re at fault here.”
“Just because I don’t flaunt my abilities around like a peacock strutting his feathers doesn’t mean that winning a challenge can be just ignored. Hand me the keys, now.”
“I can’t help that I’m amazing.” Cole took a step back and shook his head no. “That shit just leaks out of me.”
“At least that last statement was true.” Jess placed both her hands on her hips. “Damien, tell him that I won fair and square.”
Oh, gods. They were like an old married couple. At the very least, they were entertaining.
“She did.” Damien shrugged and opened the passenger door. “So give her the damn keys before I decide to eat you.”
“Vampire blood is exotic.” Cole’s face broke into a smirk. “But at least you’d die tasting something better than chocolate.”
“You couldn’t kill me even if you wanted to.” Damien slid into the back seat and shut the door.
“Give her the damn keys.” Rage groaned and walked around to the passenger side, opening the back door. He glanced at Cole. “You can ride up there with her. Raven and I will sit in the back with Damien.”
“Fine.” Cole threw the keys at Jess and pouted. “You better not mess her up.”
Jess rolled her eyes and got in the driver’s seat while I crawled in the back so I was sitting between Damien and Rage.
There was no telling what would happen in the next couple of hours.
Chapter Nineteen
As soon as we pulled back into the school parking lot, Rage and I were the first ones out. I couldn’t believe all of the shenanigans that happened during our trip.
“Did you really have to pour your beer down my shirt?” Jess was still soaking wet from Cole’s supposedly accidental fall.
“It wasn’t on purpose.” Cole grinned as he crawled out from behind the steering wheel. “Unfortunately, it was just too risky to let you drive back. What would’ve happened if a cop pulled us over and smelled all that on you?”
“I’m full, and I still can’t handle this,” Damien whispered to Rage and me. “I’m heading back to our place.” He moved fast, gaining distance from us.
“You suck.” Jess stomped and balled her hands into fists. “You pouted all the way there, and you pulled that stunt. You’re just a piss poor loser.”
“At least, I’m not the one smelling like piss.” Cole arrogantly bobbed his head like that was the best comeback on the planet.
“Okay, it’s over.” The last thing we needed was Isadora catching wind of this. “Come on, Jess. Let’s go back so you can take a shower.”
“Fine, but only because you suggested it.” She marched past us and headed straight for our dorm room.
“Well, that was fun.” Cole chuckled as he watched Jess’s dramatic exit.
“You’re such a dick.” Rage grabbed my hand, tugging me toward the girl’s dorm.
“Oh, wow. You acted even worse than that before you shagged your mate.” Cole followed behind us.
“Shagged? Really?” What, were we in an Austin Powers movie?
“You must be a pretty damn old vampire.” Rage reached over and punched Cole in the side. “Hey, your jealousy is showing.”
“Guys, stop.” I paused and pointed at Cole. “You need to apologize to her. That was rude.”
“Oh, please.” Cole straightened his shoulders and crossed his arms. “She got even by telling those hot girls at the next table that I was the worst sex she’s ever had.” He shuddered. “I’m a great lay.”
“I think someone protests a little too much.” Rage laughed.
“Aw, Cole.” I couldn’t help but joke at his expense. He took every opportunity to take a shot at us. “Remember, size doesn’t matter. You’ll be okay.”
“Hey, no.” His mouth dropped and he placed a hand over his heart. “I have a big penis.”
“Sure, that’s what they all say.” I reached over to pet his head.
“No.” He smacked my hand away and pointed at me. “I can show you.”
“You will not be showing my mate your package.” Rage lowered his head and glared. “That would end our friendship.”
“Ugh.” Cole stomped much like a toddler would. “That’s not fair and a low blow.”
“You know what?” Cole didn’t even appear to be attempting to leave, and having him around Jess could lead to even more drama. “Let’s go hang out at y’all’s place. We never do that.”
“I’m sure hanging out is what you mean.” Cole winked at me. “But remember vampires have good hearing.”
There were no off-limit topics with him. Sometimes, it was mind-blowing.
Rage tugged on my hand. “Jess probably needs to cool down anyway.”
“Fine, let’s go.” Cole took off, grumbling about women.
I cringed as I rushed into Professor Shaw’s classroom. I had gotten distracted by Rage’s lips, and now I was late to class.
He hadn’t entered the room yet, so some weight seemed to fall from my shoulders as I slipped into my seat.
“Gah, I was hoping you left school or something.” The vampire hissed and scooted her seat farther away from me. “You are a menace, to begin with.”
“Now, now.” Professor entered the room and obviously heard what she said. “This class will be one of respect for each other, or you’ll have to answer to Isadora.”
Whispers filled the room. No one wanted to mess with the headmaster.
“Now quiet.” He slammed a hand on his d
esk as he scowled. “One more interruption, and I’ll take matters into my own hands.”
The room quieted, and the vampire scowled in my direction.
“Okay, good.” He grabbed a marker and headed to the board. “Today we’re going to learn a topic that is beginning to get attention and debate. Anyone want to guess what it is?”
“World hunger?” One of the vampires chuckled at his own joke.
“No, not that.” Professor Shaw glanced around the class once again. “Anyone else want to take a guess?”
The class remained quiet, and he nodded his head. “Okay, it’s the topic of hybrid creatures.”
“What’s that?” Someone shouted from the back.
“The less technical term is half breeds.” Professor Shaw’s eyes landed on me.
I hadn’t even considered that was a possibility. When I was back home, we only associated with other wolf shifters. My mate was a wolf shifter.
“There are a few people out there who don't respect the ideology that they should only mate, consummate with, or date their own kind. It’s a growing epidemic that will have adverse consequences on our society.”
“How would it be bad?” The question left my mouth before I could stop it. However, even though the concept was foreign to me, I still needed to understand why it was bad.
“Having two paranormal sides fighting against each other would leave them unbalanced or worse.” He sighed and glanced at the ground.
I shuddered at the thought. No one should ever feel remotely like I had with my wolf. If I had those issues while being only a wolf shifter, I’d hate to put someone in an even worse position.
I rushed through the woods, needing to get to the clearing as fast as possible. Rage had distracted me this morning, which caused the predicament I was in now. Thoughts of his naked body filled my mind, and I lost my footing, stumbling.
Shit, Damien was going to kill me. He was laid back about most things, but tardiness was not tolerated. We’d been practicing combat for the last few months now that my wolf was in control. The flowers bloomed all around, and the air was fragrant like the perfume area of a mall.
When I reached the clearing, there was no Damien though. Just an empty space with grass and some dandelions. There was definitely going to be hell to pay. He’d make sure of it.
I leaned back against a tree, hating that he gave up on me. Sometimes Rage wanted me to be late since Damien had banned him from our training sessions. As soon as something happened and I got hurt, Rage would lose his shit. Now Rage would shift and run on the other side of the woods so I could reach him easily if I needed him.
There was no point moping out here. Might as well turn around and face the music. I pushed off the tree when I heard a rustling behind me. “Damien?” Maybe he was just running late.
Instead of an answer, there was even more rustling of the trees. “I’m sorry I’m late.”
Paws began hitting the ground as a large black wolf came into view. Its eyes were locked on me, and it growled, baring its teeth.
I’m surprised he would do this to me, but last time, he’d mentioned that I was getting better. “Are you lost?”
The wolf growled louder and pawed at the ground, growing even more agitated. It began running toward me at full speed.
Not sure what else to do, I shifted into my wolf so we were at least on an even playing field. I growled, knowing I couldn’t stand down. Any sign of submission would make it an uneven playing field.
Raven, I just ran into Damien. He told me that you called off training and he was coming to check on you.
The black wolf leapt into the air, and I rolled underneath it, barely escaping its sharp claws. Somehow, knowing that this wasn’t one of Damien’s training sessions made me nervous.
Are you okay? Rage’s voice raised a notch since it was filled with concern.
There’s a black wolf attacking me. I didn’t have time to chat him up. The wolf was stalking toward me once more.
What do you mean black wolf? Where are you? I could already tell he was running in my direction.
The wolf began to change into human form. Once the black faded into red hair, I knew exactly who it was.
Ashley. It’s Ashley.
“Did you really think you’d get away with this?” Ashley’s face just about matched the shade of her hair. “Rage will be mine once more when I get through with you, and I’ll finally earn my way to the top.”
A loud growl ripped through my connection with Rage, and I knew he was going to get pissed when I shut it off. Still, if I was going to survive this until he got here, I was going to need all my concentration. As I locked down our connection, I felt him fighting the close.
“Are you fucking talking to him right now?” Ashley approached me, and her hands shook with rage. “Stop it. It took three years for them to notice me. You just waltz in here, and in less than a year, you’ve made it to where I am. That’s not acceptable.”
Them? It sounded like she was referring to more than just Rage.
Her bones broke as the shift began to overtake her once more. Now I had to at least get a shot in.
I rushed toward her and bit into her arm, holding on tight and fighting against her change.
She growled and rolled over on top of me, making my teeth rip open her skin.
Sensing the perfect opportunity, she went for my neck, but I was able to buck her off before her teeth could sink in.
Not wasting a moment, she charged me again, her eyes revealing her target. She was going for my chest, a fast kill location for a wolf. Damien said the eyes were a tell, and this cemented his lessons in my head.
Within a foot of her reaching me, I lowered my whole body, making her flip over and land on her back.
A bear roared off in the distance, alerting me that both Damien and Rage were on their way. Somehow, my confidence began to kick in.
As she flipped back over onto her feet, her eyes were not only filled with hatred but anger as well. Instead of attacking me face-on, calculatingly, she circled me, taking her time.
I had to be the one who ended this. As I struck her paw, she turned around and clenched her teeth in my side, using her large canines to tear deeply into my skin.
Her bite burned, and blood began pouring from the wound. I had gotten too confident, and she took full advantage.
A huge smile spread across her snout, and she charged again, aiming for my other side.
If I didn’t get a strike in now, it was going to be all over for me. I quickly moved back so her mouth only caught air, and I jumped fast, biting into the back of her neck. I bit hard, hanging on as she tried to buck me off. Her blood poured into my mouth and down her neck.
After a few minutes, she rammed me into a tree, making me lose my grip. The sound of paws crashing through the forest filled my ears. Both Rage and Damien would be here in a matter of seconds.
She must have heard them as well because she hunkered and charged me once more. At the last second, she jumped, aiming straight for my throat.
I stood on my back paws, and my front came down on her once more. This time, my teeth locked into the side of her neck, and I shook my head, making my grasp on her lock.
A whimper escaped her, but I held on tight. At the end of the day, I didn’t want to kill her, but if I didn’t, she’d come back for me again. Her intent had been clear with this whole set up; she’d planned on killing me. Still, did I want to be like her? When I felt her body weaken, I let go, and she slumped onto the ground.
Rage burst into the clearing with a loud howl. His eyes were completely feral as he took in the scene. When he saw that it was Ashley lying there in a pool of her own blood, his wolf seemed to relax. He walked over to me and nuzzled my head. You got hurt.
It’s fine. I nuzzled him back, needing him. Since we weren’t members of the same pack, we could only mind link in wolf form.
A big grizzly bear entered the clearing, and his eyes went straight to me.
He was wor
ried about you too. Rage licked the spot where I was bleeding.
I just want to go back to the dorm and rest. Today had been one hell of a day, and I wanted it to end now.
Ashely didn’t move as she laid soaking in her blood. The only proof she was alive was the beating heart we could all still hear.
Let’s get you home. Rage locked eyes with Damien, nodding his head toward Ashley. Damien can finish the job.
No, I don’t want to stoop to her level. Just because I was here at Bloodshed Academy didn’t mean we had to shed more blood than absolutely necessary.
Give me a second. Rage jogged over to Damien, and they did some weird kind of signals.
It was odd that they had their own kind of sign language when they were both in their animal form.
Needing some rest, I laid on the ground, letting the sun hit me. I needed to get to my room and clean my wounds sooner rather than later.
There was some ruffling and then nails tore into my back. Teeth cut into me close to my throat.
A loud growl filled the air as Rage began running toward me, trying to help me. However, my vision was going black. Dammit, if I didn’t get her off me now, I was going to die. She started tugging hard, attempting to rip my throat out.
I did the only thing I could do. I stood on my hind legs and pushed back, making her fall underneath me, cushioning my landing. Her teeth let go as she whined in pain.
That bitch was still trying to kill me when she was at death’s doorstep. I turned around and sunk my teeth into her neck. She had lost her chance for my mercy. I yanked back, and she began bleeding out.
Chapter Twenty
Isadora paced in front of her dark wooden desk as Damien, Rage, and I sat in her office chairs. She’d been notified by Damien of what had happened. He brought her to the clearing, and when she found the dark black wolf, it was clear she knew who it was immediately.
“How do I explain this to her parents?” Isadora frowned and took a deep breath.
“People know students have died here.” Rage shrugged, obviously not upset by what happened in the slightest. “So this shouldn’t come as a shock to them.”