Turning around, I gave him another hug and watched him go. When I went back inside the dorm, Enzo was eyeing me cautiously.
“What happened?” he asked softly.
“Nothing bad, but I’d rather not talk about it now. I promise you’ll be the first I let know when I’m ready, though.”
He nodded and smiled. “As long as it wasn’t bad, take all the time you need. He might be able to kill me, but I wouldn’t hesitate to retaliate if he’d hurt you, even if it was just emotionally.”
“And that’s why I love you.” After kissing him quickly, I darted toward our bedroom to make sure he’d gotten everything I wanted. There wasn’t much I needed to bring with me besides some extra clothes. I didn’t have a weapon of choice, not when I knew I had my dragon simmering just beneath the surface.
Regardless, I noticed the dagger I sometimes carried was tucked into the bag right next to my training suit, which would be my go-to attire for the imminent battle.
“Everything looks great. Let’s go,” I said when I turned back toward Enzo.
He stared as if he really wanted to say something heavy but stopped himself before grinning and grabbing the bag. “Better fly steady on the way down there.”
Enzo had never ridden on the back of Chelle before. It hadn’t been something that ever really crossed my mind as a thing to try, but he seemed eager to give it a go, and I wished we’d thought to practice previously.
“Just don’t do anything like tug too hard on her scales and I’ll make sure she doesn’t barrel roll. You just might pee your pants if she does.”
His face blanched, and I laughed before leaving him to ponder the fact that his life was going to be in the hands of a dragon.
After recovering from whatever thoughts raced through his head, Enzo caught up to me at the door where I waited for him.
“She wouldn’t actually kill your mate, right?”
Chelle chuckled inside my head. How much should I torture him?
Not much. Just enough to make him behave on the trip, I replied while grinning at Enzo.
“She said probably not, but she’s kind of hungry, so don’t test her patience. It’s worse than mine,” I finally answered him.
“Shit,” he murmured as we headed down the hallway toward the platform.
When we got downstairs, the front doors were just opening, and a man nearly as tall as Enzo entered. His dark eyes briefly flicked to us before he turned his head up and continued forward as if we were beneath him and not worth a second glance. I’d never seen him before, but since Enzo didn’t seem alarmed, I didn’t say anything until we were outside.
“That was Lyssa’s dad. He must still be pissed at me, but he’s always been arrogant, so who knows. Hopefully, he’ll give Alistair whatever he’s been working on and then be gone. We don’t need him in New Orleans and, more importantly, Lyssa doesn’t need him in her head. He’ll only make her doubt herself and the progress she’s made.”
The man was lucky we had somewhere to be, because I wanted nothing more than to go turn him around and punch him in the throat in hopes of destroying his vocal cords. He didn’t deserve a daughter like Lyssa.
Before I continued picturing all of the things I wanted to say to him, Enzo led me to where the rest of our group was already waiting. JayLeigh had shifted and Finley was climbing on top of her, not an ounce of fright showing.
“This is how it’s done. Taking control and showing the dragon who’s boss,” Finley said proudly when she reached the top.
JayLeigh snorted and turned, purple scales reflecting off the moon that was high in the sky. “I’m sorry, what was that?”
As Finley opened her mouth to reply, JayLeigh bucked her off and everyone went silent as the vampire flew through the air, but like a stealthy cat, she landed on her feet.
“This is going to be fun.” Finley grinned and then moved for JayLeigh again, still no fear whatsoever.
Talon began to shift, and Marek was speaking quietly with Peyton, probably giving her tips on where to hold and sit.
This was it. We were leaving. If Phox was right, there was no turning back, but I tried not to focus on that and thought about seeing Meme again instead as I shifted, enjoying the trepidation rolling off Enzo as he watched my dragon come into view.
Chapter 17
The trip had taken nearly thirteen hours to complete, and all of our dragon forms were exhausted, but according to Marek, everything was going as planned. JayLeigh had cocooned us all in some sort of speed enhancement bubble, very similar to the one she created when we needed privacy.
The enclosure had served to increase each dragon’s speed, as well as keep our passengers safe. There was no chance they’d fall off with the cocoon around us, but JayLeigh hadn’t told them that until after Chelle had her fun.
Poor Enzo almost had a heart attack when Chelle appeared to spiral out of control and he damn near fell off. I had probably enjoyed it more than I should have, but it was all in good fun and certainly woke up the group when we were halfway to our destination.
When we reached the outskirts of New Orleans, my eyes scanned the swamps for Meme. She said we were to meet her on the east side of town, a few miles out in the swamps. Apparently, it was wolf territory, but I didn’t worry about it. Based on the phone conversation I’d heard a few weeks back, the alpha knew better than to mess with my Meme.
Marek found the landing spot first, and we followed his lead. Coming in, I could see cabins set up all along the wooded area and wondered how large their pack was. We hadn’t made it out this far when we’d visited over the summer, but now I wished we had.
Mind if I take over as soon as we land? I’ve missed Amalia, I said to Chelle.
Of course not. Just know I’m right here whenever you need me.
As soon as Enzo disembarked from my dragon, I shifted back to my human form and then began laughing at the daggers Enzo’s eyes were shooting at me.
“What’s wrong with you?”
“Did you not remember me almost dying on the way here?” He threw his hands in the air, clearly exasperated with me.
“Oh, you were fine. Don’t tell me you’ve been simmering about that the whole second half of the trip.” I couldn’t help but laugh, which only made the situation worse.
“There will be payback. I don’t know when and I don’t know how yet, but when it happens, it will be epic.”
My thumbs rubbed at the side of his face, trying to smooth the stress lines out. “Calm down. I promise she won’t ever do it again.”
“Damn right, she won’t. I won’t ever ride with her again,” he grumbled.
Meme was walking toward us, so I patted his back and let him continue to stew. He’d get over it sooner or later.
“Raegan,” Meme called, her arms open and waiting for me.
“Hi, Meme. I missed you.” My arms wrapped tightly around her slight but strong frame.
“I missed you, too. Next time you’re here, I hope it will be on better circumstances. We have news for you, but let’s wait for the others. I do hate to repeat myself.”
A small smile lifted on my lips. She really was the best.
Once Marek and JayLeigh were shifted back to humans, Amalia led us to the wolf den, as she called it.
“Everyone, this is Jones. Jones this is everyone,” she announced when we entered what appeared to be his home. It was massive and ridiculously oversized unless he had a shit ton of pups running around somewhere.
Meme took a seat at a large round table located in a spacious area off the living room. “Jones has been helping me track Vincent. We searched all of his known hideaways, but it didn’t appear he had been to any of them in ages, so we expanded and found one of your students. She’s a bit of a wreck, but one of my covens has her.”
“Does Headmaster Stone know this?” I asked her.
“He does. I let him know the moment we located her, and his horde should be here shortly. He’s the one who recommended she go with the witches, so she can be around pe
ople who best understand her. Alistair said he’d notify the family and they’d likely be there to get her soon.”
“But no sign of the vampire?” Finley asked.
Meme shook her head. “But we’ll find him. He can’t hide forever.”
Jones moved his chair out and leaned back while reaching his arms behind his head. His arms were thick with muscles, skin dark, and hair cropped short with a slight curl to it. His bronze eyes moved about the room before he spoke.
“My wolves have a better lead now that they have a fresh scent to go off. It won’t be long, I promise. All of you are welcome to stay here or head into town. We have temporary housing set up for those arriving by portal, but there are enough rooms in the pack house for those of you already here if you can share.”
Ah, the big house made more sense. Though it was technically his, it seemed it was also a place for anyone who was a guest of the pack. Drakken had been like that, but since it was also a school, I hadn’t thought too much about it while we were there.
“We appreciate the hospitality and we will stay here, so our group can be close together,” Marek said.
The two men continued to exchange information, mostly about territory boundaries and what to expect if we ventured out. The rest of us weren’t too concerned with it, so when Meme stood and gestured for the rest of us to do the same, we gladly followed.
She led us to a kitchen and on the counter were a few dozen beignets.
“Amalia, I think I’ve officially fallen in love with you,” JayLeigh practically purred as she pushed her way through to grab one first.
“I don’t think you could handle me,” Meme quipped, and the rest of us laughed, because she was probably right.
For once, JayLeigh didn’t respond, because her mouth was otherwise occupied.
“So, what now? We keep searching for Vincent and the other student while we wait for Malina to hopefully follow our trail?” Gemma asked.
“That’s all we can do for now, but we need to stick as close to the swamps as possible. It was part of the agreement with the local council. They would assist in the fight and provide resources, but we had to stay outside of town. There is too much history there and innocents to risk any of them getting hurt,” Meme answered.
Wiping my face, I turned toward her. “Where did you find Samantha?” I asked, referencing the witch student who had been found.
“About a mile outside the wolf territory. She was left in a neutral zone, which makes me think it was intentional. Vincent would have known exactly where he left her, and that makes me believe the girl was bait for something else. Or, we have another surprise in store for us.”
I groaned. I didn’t want any more surprises. I just wanted this to be over and all of the people I cared about to be safe.
Enzo’s hand tightened on my shoulder as he addressed Amalia. “What can we do?”
“The six of you can go find your rooms and get settled. Once the rest of everyone arrives, we’ll need help getting them to the tent area out back and making sure everyone has what they need. Then, we wait. We have plenty of others searching for the last student and Vincent, so don’t you go venturing around in parts unknown. It will only get you shot at.”
Peyton’s eyes widened at the last part. I didn’t blame her. New Orleans was a totally different world, and she’d never been there, but hopefully we’d have time to show her all of the greatness it held before we left.
With that, each of us grabbed another beignet before JayLeigh took the whole box. “These will not go to waste.”
I almost objected, but figured I’d let her have this one. We hadn’t been getting along the best since Phox held me hostage, and I wanted to fix that. The trip down had given me a lot of time to think about all of the things that had happened recently, and while I was still pissed at Phox for the way she went about things, I was beginning to accept it.
Between Chelle and Marek, they’d both convinced me it was just the way things were done. I no longer wanted to waste time holding on to anger. Instead, I wanted to use my energy to figure out solutions to whatever information Phox was allowed to give us.
Enzo and I took the first room, while Peyton, Finley, and JayLeigh took the largest so that Marek could have his own. Once our bags were settled, Enzo turned toward me. “How are you holding up?”
“I’m doing better than I thought. I had a lot of time to think on the way down since Chelle was in charge, and it was good for me.”
“Me too, and I have something I’d like to ask you.” He tugged on my hand and pulled me onto the bed. Sitting across from me, I’d never seen him so nervous, so I was beginning to freak out.
“Whatever it is, just say it. I can handle it,” I snapped, thinking something bad had happened and he didn’t know how to tell me.
As long as nobody died, I could handle it.
“Geez, cut me some slack, woman, or you’ll make me regret what I’m about to do before I even do it.”
My face pinched in confusion, and I opened my mouth to speak again, but he covered it up. “Just give me a minute. Nothing is wrong.”
When I nodded, Enzo removed his hand from my mouth and took both mine in his again. “Raegan Elizabeth Keyes, I have loved you for the last two years without fail. You are the light I needed in my life when I didn’t think there was any chance of happiness left for me. I need you to know I will always stand by your side and support you in any of your choices.
“I will fight for you whenever necessary and without hesitation. Hell, I will fight with you, but I know it will only make us stronger. I know I’ve screwed up in the past, but I need you to know that the day you forgave me was probably the second-best day of my life.”
Tears were streaming down my face, and my heart felt like it was going to explode. I didn’t know why he was telling me all of this, but I was soaking it up.
“What was the first best day of your life?” I asked.
“The day you say you will officially be mine forever.” He moved to kneel before me. “I know we’re bonded, but I want you to be mine in every way possible. Raegan, will you do me the great honor of allowing me to call you my wife?”
My head nodded before he could even finish the question, and the tears came so strongly that I couldn’t even talk, but words weren’t needed thankfully.
He pulled me toward him, and we tumbled onto the ground, but it didn’t matter. My lips found his, and passion flared between us like never before. In the midst of chaos, Enzo had brought me more joy than I ever could have imagined.
Even though we had no idea what the following day would bring, it didn’t matter. He was mine and I was his. No matter what happened, Malina could never take that away from us.
Chapter 18
We didn’t leave our room for the next hour, and surprisingly, nobody had needed us, but when we heard shouts from outside, our bubble burst.
“Sounds like the rest of our group is arriving,” Enzo murmured in my ear.
“Jones and Marek probably have it under control. If not, Meme will give them snouts. We’re fine to stay here,” I replied, really not wanting to move.
His chuckle was soft on my neck. “And what if she needs us and we’re not there? Then we’ll end up with the snouts.”
Shit. He was right, and as much as I knew my Meme loved me, she was devious in all the best ways. I didn’t want to test her.
Flinging the covers off of us, I found our clothes and began throwing them at Enzo. Once we were both dressed, we headed outside to find a gaping hole in the sky, much bigger than any portal I’d used before.
“Why is it so big?” I asked Finley when we were next to them.
“Well, Phox was having issues, so JayLeigh went to help and they decided the bigger the portal, the shorter time they had to leave it up.”
“So, they’re just going to shove the whole group through at the same time and hope for the best?” Enzo asked.
“Yep. Sounds like it.” Finley pointed to the far righ
t. “Peyton, Gemma, and Talon are over there. I was supposed to be with the wolves, but one of them growled at me, so I decided to just watch instead.”
She sounded so offended, like none of us had ever snarled at her before, but I knew better. She probably thought the wolf was hot and he’d slighted her. He was lucky she hadn’t bit him. Would have been an entertaining way to start our time in New Orleans.
The crowd was pushing through the portal, and I stood on tippy toes, trying to find any sight of Lyssa. Knowing her dad had been around and we hadn’t been there to have her back had been bugging me. All I could hope was he’d left what was needed and took off. We didn’t need his kind of arrogance to win the battle.
Enzo pointed. “There she is. Shit, this is going to be interesting.”
I still couldn’t see. There were too many people in front of us, and I wasn’t as tall as Enzo, so I started moving through the crowd in the direction he had pointed.
When I finally bumped my way through the shifters, Enzo apologizing behind me, I saw what had him worried.
“Don’t push Richard. He won’t care if you’re a dragon, and it’s more trouble than it’s worth to deal with him right now.”
Richard. That was his name. I wondered if he’d mind me calling him Dick instead. I’d only known him as Lyssa’s dad thus far, and that would have been okay with me to never know anything about the douche, but apparently that wasn’t going to be an option for this trip.
Dick’s fingers gripped Lyssa’s elbow tightly and by the pursed look on her face, she was either really pissed about it or in pain, maybe both, so I intended on doing something about it.
“Tread carefully, Raegan,” Enzo reminded me.
“I got this.”
Plastering a massive smile on my face, I moved swiftly toward Lyssa, completely disregarding Dick. “Lyssa! I’m so glad you’re here.” Pulling her toward me, I yanked her from her dad’s grasp as he let out a scoff. Tough shit, Dick.
“We’re having a team meeting, so come on, let’s go,” I said, still completely ignoring Dick, but he wasn’t having it.
Daring Provocation (Shadow Veil Academy Book 3) Page 13