by Rachel Jonas
“It’s fine,” he said with a nod.
Surprisingly, the flash-flood animosity that rose between us receded and I knew it had to be the bond. Under normal circumstances, the interaction would have been closely followed by visions of what it would feel like to rip his head from his shoulders.
“Something else we need to figure out is why Chief wouldn’t let you leave.” Rayen lowered to sit on the porch after speaking. “We heard you mention it when Ori carried you to the cave.”
Naturally, my gaze slipped to Kai. After all, this was his father we were getting ready to discuss. I wasn’t sure how much I could say without offending him.
“Well, I intended to speak with Ms. Long that night, about withdrawing, but your Chief was there instead. He wouldn’t listen to anything I said, my reasons I thought it best that I return home. He just seemed adamant that … I had some greater purpose.”
The four shared a look I wasn’t sure how to read.
“Sounds like him,” Kai mumbled under his breath, giving some insight into the relationship between he and his father. His gaze lifted to meet mine again. “He never elaborated on that?”
I shook my head. “No. That was all he said.” A thought occurred to me, so I shared it. “Is it possible he knew I was your mate? Maybe he was aware that Spirit had brought me here and that was the greater purpose he mentioned?”
“You have no idea how badly I wish that were true,” Kai scoffed. “My father’s not the man he used to be. He’s never been soft by any means, but he’s somehow become even more callous over the years. If this had been a while ago, I’d believe his intentions were that pure. But lately, I barely recognize him by the decisions he makes.”
“Besides,” Rayen cut in, “Spirit hadn’t even told us you were our mate, so Chief wouldn’t have sensed it. That’s not how it works.”
Well, there went that theory. It seemed that the one positive spin I could put on why their Chief kept me here had just been shot out of the water.
“We know he’s definitely up to something. That’s not even a question,” Kai sighed in frustration. “What we need to know now is what that something is.”
Chapter Three
Noelle
Shortly after our talk on the porch ended, my clothes were returned to me—against Rayen’s better judgment, apparently. Then, it was Ori who suggested we head back to the dorm to grab some of my things before it got too dark.
Besides, I didn’t want to let anymore time pass without letting Toni know I was okay, without letting her see for herself that I was fine.
As Kai’s Jeep rocked and swayed over uneven terrain, I was grateful for the nonstop conversation the guys kept up. They were full of questions, maybe intentionally because they sensed my nerves.
“So, which one is dominant?” Paulo asked with a grin. “Witch, dragon, or wolf.”
With everything going on, I’d barely stopped to think about it. Still, it didn’t take me long to know.
“My dragon,” I revealed. “Which feels kind of strange, having only identified as a witch for so long.”
He nodded as we hit a pothole and my body bounced back and forth between him and Ori.
“Guess this means we need to teach you how to fly,” Rayen added, drawing my eyes toward him. The hint of a smile on his lips had me biting down on my own.
“Guess so.”
“What are your classes for this term? Any combat?” Ori chimed in, stealing my attention.
“Um, yes. They wanted us to get more of our general studies out of the way first term, while we were getting used to things,” I answered.
Understanding, he nodded. “Nervous?”
“About fighting?” I smiled and it was almost arrogant. “No. My dad’s been sparring with me since I was six. He had this thing about always being prepared for the worst. Apparently, some stuff that happened before I was born made him super protective of me. Even though I’m not a kid anymore.”
After sharing that snapshot into my life, I recalled what it had been like. I wasn’t smothered, but my parents—mostly my father—kept a tight rein on me. Hence the reason the four dragons who now surrounded me had been called in on guard duty.
“What sort of stuff? I mean, if that’s not too personal to ask,” Kai corrected, keeping his eyes on the bumpy, dirt road ahead.
“Well, it’s not personal, but it’s definitely complicated,” I began, trying to speak loud enough so he and Rayen could hear me where they sat in the front seat. “Do you know anything about my mother?”
I only asked so I’d know where to start, but when they each shook their heads, it became apparent just how separate their people were from ours.
“She was born hundreds of years ago … the first time, anyway.”
Paulo turned to glance at me when the strange statement left my mouth. “The first time?”
“She was killed, but her soul was collected inside a stone on her necklace, a talisman my grandmother had made for that very purpose. That’s how she was resurrected present day—no memory of her past life, no memory of who she was. They weren’t sure why she’d been killed. Until about twenty years ago. When I came into the picture.”
I felt Ori’s eyes on me as he stared.
“It was because of me,” I admitted.
My life was so much weirder than they realized. It was rare for me to tell others of my family’s past. Some knew because they had studied our history. But they definitely never heard it from me. However, it was different with the Omegas. They weren’t just anybody.
“How is that possible?” Rayen interjected. “You said she was killed centuries ago. What did that have to do with you?”
I nodded, letting him know he hadn’t misheard. “She was pregnant at the time of her death. When her soul went into the stone that night, mine did too. My family later discovered that the Liberator hadn’t been after her; it was after me. Mine was the life it sought to end.”
The thought of it made me even more aware of the symbol on the back of my neck. Seemed I’d been outrunning evil my entire life.
“Why?” Ori’s expression was no longer curious, like it had been a second ago. It was fierce.
I shrugged with a smile that didn’t quite fit the heavy tone in Kai’s Jeep at the moment. “Beats me. Because I’m a weirdo, I guess.”
No one laughed, so the grin I wore to mask my real feelings faded.
Ori turned to gaze out the window, deep in thought.
“What’s a Liberator?”
“A rare lycan,” I answered when Paulo asked. “There have only ever been two. The first killed my mother, the second tried right after I was conceived—again, I guess—twenty years ago.”
“Tried? Was someone able to kill it?” Rayen asked.
I shook my head, thinking about someone very special in my life—my godfather, Nick. “No, he’s still alive. It’s a long story, but he tried and failed. Then, fast forward to about five years later, where he’s helping my dad teach me to ride a bike,” I added with a smile as I thought of him. “Things started out bad, but like always, love won. He’s basically one of my favorite people in the world.”
My heart was a little heavy when I thought about not getting to tell him goodbye before leaving for the academy, but he wasn’t absent just for the sake of being absent. His wife, my aunt Roz, was giving birth to their second kid. Otherwise, they would have been right by my parents’ side. Like they always had been.
“Sounds like your life’s just as complicated as ours,” Paulo said with a grin when he glanced back over his shoulder.
Pushing aside the strong emotion that crept in, I nodded. “Agreed.”
Ori had been really quiet, so I turned to him next, finding his attention still focused outside the Jeep. Just as I was beginning to wonder what he was thinking, his gaze shifted toward me.
“So, this … Liberator,” he began, “it came after you twice. Did your family ever figure out why?”
I wished I had a better answer
than the one my Aunt Hilda had given me. “All they’ve ever told me is that I’m special, that they believed the supernatural world was all about balance, and my potential gifts may have thrown things out of alignment for a while.”
There was a brief moment that he stared into my eyes thoughtfully, but then I lost him again to whatever thoughts he was keeping from me.
Static moved over my skin and I breathed in at the feel of it.
‘I don’t like any of this,’ came a stern voice inside my thoughts. It was Ori, sharing with his brothers what he wasn’t yet comfortable sharing with me. Well, not on purpose anyway.
‘What are you thinking?’ Kai asked.
‘That what happened in her past, and what’s happening here might be connected somehow,’ was Ori’s answer. ‘It all sounds a little too close for that not to be the case. We may need to get in touch with her family?’
“No!” The word flew from my mouth so quickly, I barely realized I’d said it aloud.
Four sets of eyes drifted toward me. Had it not been for needing to see where he was going, Kai would’ve stared longer. If I didn’t say something to recover from what I’d just done, they’d know I heard everything they said—now, earlier.
Think fast, idiot.
“Uhhh …Shoot! I just remembered something,” I said slowly, making things up as I spoke. “I—I don’t have my ID. They’ll never let me back on campus.”
My heart was racing a mile a minute, and I was grateful dragons’ sense of hearing wasn’t as keen as wolves. The four settled down, thinking this was the true reason I’d freaked out.
“It’s fine,” Rayen assured me. “We know a few of the guards. They’ll let you in.”
Faking a smile, I breathed out with relief. “Oh! Well, everything’s good then, I guess.”
Hot, awkward mess. Yup, that was me.
I kept my mouth shut the rest of the ride—it was better that way—and sure enough, Rayen was right. We got in without a problem. Once the guard saw who escorted me, there were very few questions asked.
We passed through the iron gate and I glanced around. The added security posted around the perimeter, and the extra sigils etched and glowing in the stones of the border wall, led me to believe the academy had been on lockdown. My guess was that they hoped to ensure no one else got off campus.
Maybe even hoped to ensure I couldn’t get back inside.
Yet, here I was, being gawked at like a failed science experiment.
We came to a stop in the small parking lot on the west end of campus and Kai shut off the engine. My heart still hadn’t slowed, and I was grateful for the heat. It hid that I was also sweating because I had no idea what I’d experience once I came face to face with the other students.
I was certain that, even those who hadn’t seen what happened, had at least heard. Add that to what took place at the Pinning Ceremony, and I’d be lucky if they didn’t take off running when they laid eyes on me.
Scooting toward the far end of the seat, I planned to just hop out on my own. However, a hand stretched toward me. I caught Ori’s gaze the second my palm touched his, and I let him help me down onto the pavement.
He was still strong-willed, and a pain in the neck with his I-am-man-hear-me-roar attitude, but I could admit to seeing something else in him, too. Something that made my stomach flutter when he touched the small of my back to let me walk ahead of him.
It dawned on me that I had Paulo’s attention, and it made me a little fidgety.
“Are you really that scared to be back here?” he asked, calling me out.
“What? I didn’t say that,” I shot back, trying to play it cool as I walked very, very slowly toward the dorm.
“You didn’t have to say it,” he reasoned with a laugh. “You’re pale as a ghost right now, and your hands are shaking.”
I glanced down at them before shoving both inside my pockets.
“You don’t have to do this, you know. If you just need clothes, we all have sisters,” he revealed. “It would take two seconds for us to get enough stuff to last you a couple weeks.”
While I appreciated the offer, getting some of my things wasn’t the only reason I was here. That wasn’t even the main reason I was here. It was about Toni, the twins, and Tristan.
When I breathed deep, the guys stopped walking, forcing me to do the same. They made it very apparent they weren’t moving until I explained myself. Kai stood posted in front of me with his arms locked across his chest. Paulo braced his back against the brick of the building we’d halted beside. Ori and Rayen were moving in closer from their respective positions and, before I knew it, I was surrounded by walls of flesh and muscle.
One firm word touched my ears. “Talk.”
I peered up at Paulo when he made the demand, not even blinking as he waited. Typically, I didn’t like being forced to do anything, by anyone, but … these four made even being a dick kind of sexy.
Exhaling sharply, I realized I would be better off just telling them. It was the only way I’d ever get out of the… dragon huddle they formed around me.
“I just get weird about things like this, having to face people who know about me.”
“Know what about you?” Ori asked, that hard look still present on his face.
My gaze lowered when I removed both hands from my pockets, wiping damp palms down my jean shorts. “People who know … I’m different.”
The four were quiet. For ten straight seconds the only sound was that of the distant conversation and laughter as others did their own thing in the courtyard. During that time, it felt like the guys had moved in even closer. Or maybe that was my imagination, and the “walls” were just closing in on me because I didn’t particularly like having this conversation.
“You’re a princess. Supernatural royalty,” Paulo stated, as if I needed reminding.
“I know who I am,” I mumbled. “But things aren’t like you think. I was never popular, or first on anyone’s list for anything. I’ve always been … kind of on the outside.”
I knew they probably didn’t understand this, but I wasn’t really in the mood to explain it. However, when I tried to push past Kai and Rayen, the two moved closer, until their shoulders nearly touched, boxing me in again. They were huge, to the point that they blocked out the setting sun and all I could see were their silhouettes. It was no use.
“I was bullied, okay,” I finally forced out. “I had a hard time controlling my magic when I was young, and I was always a little weird, I guess. Then, there was a girl who just kind of made everything worse, and I suppose I never fully got over it. Which I know sounds really pathetic, but—”
“It’s not pathetic,” Kai interjected.
I peered up at him, exhaling sharply.
“Your parents didn’t put a stop to it?” Paulo asked.
Frustrated, I rolled my eyes. “They would have, if they’d known.”
“You didn’t tell them? Why?” Now it was Ori who asked. I was gonna get dizzy if I kept whipping my head to see who’d spoken.
So many questions.
“Because,” I huffed, “I didn’t want them to look at me differently, didn’t want them to think I was weak and needed them to step in. I had enough of that already.”
There was more of that silent, broody staring, making me frustrated and hot for them all at the same time.
“Anything else you wanna know?” I asked sharply. “I mean, because who doesn’t love being pressured into reliving those awkward, teenage years.”
After speaking, I crossed both arms over my chest, realizing how exposed I felt. Only, I wasn’t allowed to pout and wallow, because my arms were pulled back down to my sides by Paulo.
“You said you know who you are, right?” he asked. When I nodded, he tilted his head a bit, deepening his stare. “Then, tell me. Who are you?”
I didn’t understand at first, but answered anyway. “I’m Noelle, daughter of the mainland’s king and queen.”
“And what else?” h
e pressed.
I blinked hard, trying to think of whatever answer he was after.
“I’m … a witch,” I added, “a dragon, and a wolf.”
“And what else,” he pushed again.
“And … a student at—”
“Wrong.” The depth and conviction in Paulo’s voice when he interjected shook me to my core. My shoulders were taken and I was made to face him, looking right into his eyes.
“Whoever others had you convinced you were before,” he continued, “whatever you believe they saw when they looked at you, from this day forward, none of that matters.” His finger went to my chin and I wasn’t allowed to look away. “All any of us see is you, our queen.”
My stomach fluttered again when he finished making his declaration. I was at a loss for words, only able to nod in response.
I was turned loose, and now that I’d been set straight, the Omega huddle I’d stood in the middle of, suddenly broke apart and they fell into formation again—Paulo and Rayen walking at either side, Kai ahead of me, Ori at my back.
With them, I felt … untouchable.
Chapter Four
Noelle
We approached my dorm and, too tall to fit through the doorway otherwise, the guys all ducked their heads. Being escorted certainly dulled my anxiety, but it hadn’t left completely.
Although, with how Paulo had just put me in my place, I guessed that was something they’d see to it that I overcame.
There were so many strange looks and stares to dodge, and I pretended not to hear the whispers. It all made me grateful that being back here was only temporary for now. Maybe a couple weeks spent elsewhere, hanging with the guys, would give everyone a chance to forget what happened in the courtyard.
Despite my effort to avoid eye contact, there was a guy posted in the vestibule whose stare was impossible to ignore. A snide grin was set on his lips, and as he held my gaze to lean in toward his friends, I felt sick. There was no doubt they were talking about me.
It seemed no matter how hard I tried to just be normal, tried to fit in, I sometimes thought I simply wasn’t meant to.