I nodded my head. “I know how compulsion works, but what can a shifter do?”
“Shifters and vampires are like the two sides of the same coin,” she explained. “In other words, we offset each other. If a vampire uses their blood to take control of a human, an alpha shifter can use their blood to destroy the connection. It’s also the reason why a bite from a shifter can kill a vampire. We’re poison to them.”
It was amazing to me that humans have known about the existence of supernaturals for centuries, and no one ever made this connection. It made me wonder what other secrets they had. “You’re poison to them, but only the blood of an alpha shifter can destroy the compulsion?”
She nodded. “Yes, that’s why it’s rarely performed.”
I figured I knew the answer to this one. “Because shifters hate reapers, right?”
“Yes, and no,” she shrugged. “Shifters don’t love reapers, that’s for sure, but the blood connects the shifter to the human, creating a psychic link between your mind and his.”
This connection was his sniffer abilities on steroids. “Are you saying he’ll be able to read my mind?”
“Sacha’s ability to sense your emotions will increase. You could be anywhere, and he will know what you’re feeling. And if you’re asleep at the same time, he can enter your dreams.”
That sounded like something out of a B-rated horror film. My most intimate thoughts and emotions would be available to Sacha at any given moment. The whole idea was terrifying. “How long will it last?”
“There’s no set time,” she replied. “But it won’t last forever.”
This information changed my perspective. I’d get my memories back, but I’d have to give Sacha full access to my mind. And what would he do if he entered my dreams? Could he control what happened, or access memories I might not want him to see? This situation just got seriously complicated. “I don’t know how I feel about all of this.”
“No one said you had to do it,” she reminded me. “You can always wait for the memories to return on their own.”
There’s no timeline for that, either. It could be weeks or months before I remember anything that made sense, and I didn’t have that kind of time. I had to clear my name and find the proof I needed to help Cassius. His brother would come for him again, and maybe the next time, he’d succeed. My choice was clear. “If Sacha is willing to help me, I’m going to trust his intentions, and let him perform the exchange.”
Chapter Nineteen
It was now or never.
Ten minutes before nine o’clock, I left my dorm and headed for the stables. The hallway was empty except for a few people watching television in the common areas. I wrapped my arms around my middle. With all of the guards monitoring the academy, I wasn’t sure how I’d sneak past them or what I’d say if caught. The ceiling cameras followed me on each floor. I had to trust that Sacha had a plan.
That, or he’d done this before with success.
I reached the main floor without any issues and made my way toward the exit that led to the stables. As I pushed the door open, a gust of wind thrust into my face. I couldn’t believe how quickly the temperatures dropped around here. It was only a few hours ago that I was outside sweating my butt off. A motion light flipped on, and I jolted. It surprised me, but I was pleased. I now had an illuminated pathway.
The stables were eerily dark and intimidating. It looked like a shack compared to the beauty of the academy’s medieval architecture. My nerves built with each step I took. The stables weren’t small. They could hold up to thirty shifters during a full moon. I should’ve asked Sacha exactly where I was supposed to meet him, or at the very least, brought a flashlight. I was out in the open in the middle of the night with no weapon. Well, except for the panic button on my bracelet.
If I could roll my eyes at myself, I would have. I heard a noise coming from inside the stables. It sounded like footsteps over broken twigs or dead leaves. “Sacha, is that you?”
Sacha stepped out of the darkness. He looked gorgeous per usual in one of his tight, dark t-shirts and jeans. Unlike me, he wasn’t trembling. Shifters were always warm. That’s why it was easy to find them using infrared goggles. They lit up like a Christmas tree. “Who else would it be?”
I shivered. “Let’s go inside before we get caught.”
“We won’t get caught. One of the guards owed me a favor.” I didn’t ask him to elaborate as I followed closely behind him. When he opened the door, candles illuminated the space. It was also about twenty degrees warmer in here, which I appreciated. We passed by at least two dozen cages before we turned the corner. There was a tucked-away spot with a few chairs and a refrigerator. That’s where guards usually sat. “The guards only come down during a full moon. Any other time of the month, this place is empty.”
He took a step toward me, and I held up my palm. “Before we do anything, I want to know more about the process.”
Crossing his muscular arms, he asked, “What do you want to know?”
Probably way more than he wanted to tell me. “If your blood can destroy the compulsion inside of me, why did I get a fragment of memory when you kissed me?”
“As I recall, you kissed me,” he corrected.
I let out a long exaggerated sigh. “Can you answer the question, please?”
“It was my saliva,” he explained. “It’s not as potent as blood, which is why you only got a small piece of memory, but it serves the same purpose.”
Did that mean that if I kissed him enough, it would bring my memories back without giving him a connection into my mind? “When we kissed, did you get any kind of feeling?”
The corner of his lip curled. “You’re going to need to be a bit more specific.”
That was such a guy response if I ever heard one. I elaborated, “Could you feel my emotions when we kissed, or did you have any dreams that might’ve been mine?”
He tapped his finger against his full lips. “You want to know if we can do this without creating a connection between us.”
I guess I shouldn’t be surprised he figured that out. I decided to try this from another angle. “I can’t imagine you want to be connected to me any more than I wanted to connect to you. I mean, if you can pick up on what’s in my head, shouldn’t I be able to do the same to you?”
“I don’t know,” he replied. “I’ve never done this before. Honestly, I never thought I’d be willing.”
“Why are you doing this?”
Sacha closed the distance between us. “Because I know your family, and I do not doubt that you’re here for an important reason. I want to know what that reason is.”
He wasn’t wrong. “And you think this connection between us will tell you?”
“No,” he shook his head. “I think you’ll tell me.” He peered down at me with intensity in his eyes. “You’ve already said that something important happened while you were under the compulsion spell. I’d be willing to guess you’d do just about anything to solve that riddle.”
There was no point in lying. Sacha would have access to my mind soon enough. “I’m here, aren’t I? Let’s get this done.”
“Okay, Mina, I’ll give you back what you lost, but you have to answer my question first.” He waited for me to agree, and I nodded my head. “Why are you here at the academy?”
“I’m here because someone framed me for murder. I believe they want to start a war between factions.” I stared him down firmly. “That puts thousands of lives at stake.”
He sat down on a nearby tree stump. “That wasn’t the answer I was expecting.”
I kneeled in front of him. “Now, you know the truth.”
“There’s something else you need to know,” he insisted. “And I won’t do this without telling you everything.”
I prayed he wasn’t about to tell me I’d turn into a shifter. “Tell me.”
“You already know about the mind connection, but there’s also a physical element,” he explained. “The blood connection c
ould make you feel drawn to me, or at least, a need to be near me.”
I chuckled. “Are you saying your blood will make me feel attracted to you?”
“We both know you’re already attracted to me,” he said, confidently. “The blood will make those feelings stronger.”
It sounded like he was implying that I would be helplessly attracted to him and unable to resist like I was under a love spell or something. I dismissed his concerns. I wasn’t a lovesick schoolgirl with a crush. I was a trained warrior with full control over my emotions, and I had no doubt I could resist him. “Thank you for the warning, but I’m sure I can handle it. Let’s do it.”
Sacha watched me for a long moment as if he were apprehensive.
“Oh, come on.” I tugged on his arm. “Don’t tell me the alpha shifter is afraid.”
“Fine,” he replied swiftly. “Let’s do this.”
He reached behind and pulled a long hunting knife out of his back pocket. How was he able to keep a weapon that large without getting caught? “Where did you get that?”
“You’re not the only one with secrets, reaper,” he winked.
He opened his palm and slid the blade over his skin. Red blood poured out of the cut, and he held out his hand for me to take. “Drink it now before the gash closes.”
In addition to heightened physical strength, shifters also had rapid healing capabilities. That’s one of the main reasons they were dangerous and extremely difficult to subdue. I made a stink face. “You couldn’t have put the blood in a cup? This way is unsanitary.”
He let out a low, irritated growl.
“Okay, okay,” I took his hand. “I was just pointing out there were better ways of doing this.” I lowered my head toward the blood, taking in the intense, sulfur smell, and I tried not to think about the ramifications of my decision. Instead, I closed my eyes and focused on my mission. Soon, I will know what happened to me, and I could clear my name, save Cassius, and hopefully prevent a war that would cost thousands of lives.
“The healing has started,” he stated with frustration in his tone. “Do it now.”
“Here goes nothing.” I put my mouth around the incision and let the warm blood flow into my mouth and down my throat.
The liquid was so warm I felt the heat in my throat and stomach. The longer I drank, my skin vibrated with energy. All of the exhaustion of the last few days disappeared, and I was invigorated. I was enjoying the sensation so much I hadn’t realized I was sucking the blood out of Sacha in heaps. I had no idea how long this went on, but I knew I should stop when I started to feel dizzy. I finally managed to yank myself away. My legs wobbled. The room seemed to vibrate like my skin, and I managed to stumble into a chair before I collapsed. When the spinning ceased, I searched for him.
Sacha sat on the ground with his head lowered, and his legs pulled into his chest.
A bright light exploded in front of my eyes, and I couldn’t see anything. Inside the blindness, colored shapes began to form into scenes. They didn’t make sense. I saw faces of people I didn’t recognize, and then quick flashes of places like the room I’d seen before. I tried to make sense of it, but things were moving too quickly. It was like watching a dozen movies all viewed on one screen at the same time.
Pain seared in my head, and I rubbed my temples. The information overload was more than my mind could handle. “What’s happening?”
I tried to reach out for Sacha, but he didn’t seem to notice. His buried head was beneath his folded arms. Worried that I’d taken too much of his blood, I tried to crawl over to him. The pictures continued to race in my mind like I’d pressed the fast forward button on the remote control. The stress this was doing to my body made my muscles ache. Everything around me continued to spin like I was on some kind of carnival ride.
Everything went black.
Something cool brushed over my forehead, and I opened my eyes. Sacha was there with a washcloth in his hand and a bowl of water at his side. When I glanced around to get my bearings, I realized he had his arms wrapped around me. I tried not to react, but internally, I was freaking out. “What’s going on?” I asked, as casually as I could.
“You passed out,” he replied. “I was about to take you to the infirmary.”
I rubbed my eyes. “How long was I out?”
“We’ve been here for a few hours,” he informed me. “It’s past midnight.”
I tried to replay everything that happened, but my head was foggy. I tried once more to sit up, and he reached out to assist me. His arm remained on my lower back as we sat parallel to each other on the cement floor. The longer we stayed in that position, I expected it to get weird, but it didn’t. His body heat kept me warm, and his touch was somehow comforting. I wondered if this had something to do with the blood connection.
“Did your memories return?” Sacha asked.
“Yes, but none of the memories made any sense,” I replied, feeling a bit disappointed. “They were all jumbled together. There was no order to them at all.”
“I suppose that makes sense. You said you had weeks missing. Perhaps they came back to you all at once and overwhelmed your mind. It will probably take some time before they fall into place where they’re supposed to be.” He rose to his feet and held out his hand. “We should get back to the dorms.”
I took his hand, and he helped me to my feet. I stared up at him, noting how much taller he was. I came up to the center of his chest, and this close, I was enveloped in his natural scent. All shifters had a woodsy aroma from the time they spent running through the forest in their animal form, but the smell never appealed to me. With Sacha, there was something extra in his aroma that was enticing.
Pleasant, and comforting like a cool breeze. “Kiera’s probably wondering where I am, and I don’t want her to worry.”
“Did she think you were in danger?” he asked.
“At first, she thought we were coming out here for an epic hook-up,” I laughed. “But I told her what we had planned. She’s someone you can trust.”
“Does she know why you’re here at the academy?” he asked. “The real reason.”
We strode outside into the night air, and I shivered. “I’ve told her bits and pieces. I didn’t see how I could get anything accomplished if I didn’t tell her something. We share a room and all.” I rubbed my arms. “But she’s become my friend, which was a surprise to both of us.”
“I can hear your teeth rattling.” Sacha put his arm around me. “Get closer to me, and I’ll keep you warm.”
I wrapped myself around his middle. We made our way toward the academy, and it caught me by surprise just how easily I melted into his arms. There was no hesitation from either of us. I expected the blood bond we created to draw me to him, but I assumed it would feel like need or desire. Instead, I was overwhelmed with a feeling of safety and comfort. It was as if I’d known him my entire life.
Once we were inside, I expected him to release me. He didn’t let go. His arm remained clasped around my shoulders until we reached the dorms. When he finally dropped his arm to his side, he stared at my mouth like he was expecting me to say something. That, or he was about to kiss me. Would I kiss him back if he did? It was hard to tell the difference between what I wanted and what the bond made me feel. I cleared my throat. “Thanks for what you did tonight. It means a lot to me.”
“If I have any dreams tonight, I’ll let you know tomorrow,” he offered. “Or, maybe I’ll see you tonight in my dreams. That would be weird, right?”
A ping of excitement rippled through me, wondering what we might do if he did enter my dream. “Yeah, really weird.”
Sacha tucked a loose hair behind my ear, making my skin tingle. The corner of his lip curled. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”
I stood frozen in place as I watched him head for his dorm. Part of me waited with anticipation, wondering if he would turn back around. The other didn’t want to move because I could still feel his warmth on me, and I wasn’t ready to give it up. I must�
��ve looked ridiculous.
Once I could no longer see him, one thought seemed cemented my mind: I was in serious trouble.
Chapter Twenty
I heard Kiera squeal before I stepped inside our dorm room.
She met me at the door and pulled me into a hug so tight I could hardly breathe. “What’s going on?” I asked.
Slipping her arm inside of mine, she tugged me over to her bed, and we sat down next to each other. Her whole face lit up like she’d won a big prize. “Tell me everything.” I opened my mouth to answer, but she cut me off. “What did it feel like when you took his blood? Do you feel the connection right now? Did all your memories come back?”
I held up my palm. “Hold on a sec. One question at a time, please.”
Her shoulders relaxed. “Sorry, sorry. I didn’t mean to pepper you with questions.”
I wasn’t upset. Kiera had only heard rumors about alphas and their memory abilities. It didn’t surprise me that she wanted to know every last detail. “I’m not upset. I guess I’m a little tired and a bit overwhelmed.”
“I totally get it,” she assured me. “I’d feel the same if I was in your position.”
I laid back on the bed and put my hands behind my head. A second later, she mimicked my position. We stared at the ceiling. “It was pretty crazy. After I took his blood, it gave me this jolt of euphoria. Every inch of my body felt amazing, like his blood healed me.”
“Maybe it did,” she replied as she leaned onto her side. “Shifters have crazy healing abilities.”
I curled around to face her, leaning on my elbow. “It didn’t last, though. The memories came back all at once, and it gave me the most insane migraine. I thought my head was splitting in two.”
“That sounds awful,” she cringed. “Does it still hurt now?”
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