“The founding Prods and charitable donors hold very high respect at our Academy. And for whatever reason, you are held in their respect.”
My narrowed gaze holds on him until it all settles in together in my mind.
Mr. Von Hunter.
A small smile plays at my lips.
“So, Mr. Von Hunter has threatened you to ensure his son’s blood donor’s safety.”
“No, we would never bend the rules for one student. And we do not bow to threats, Miss Castillo.”
Really?
It seems that you do, Doctor Professor Headmaster Willms. He’s just trying to show me he’s the one in control, but I know Mr. Von Hunter has him by the balls.
“So I’m free to go then?” I challenge with an arch of my eyebrow.
I’m almost standing from my seat when he speaks flatly. “No.”
My wings slump just slightly.
Maybe I misread this situation.
“You will be closely monitored from here on out,” he says in that droning voice of his.
Monitored. That’s not so bad. I mean, it’s not like I’m not already being monitored anyway. The band around my ankle is magically glowing again.
“And Monday when class starts again we will begin your Rebuilding, Restructuring, Rejuvenating volunteer work.”
“Excuse me, what?” I tilt my head at him as if my left ear is better at hearing ridiculous phrases than my right.
I’ve never seen this man smile before, but the twitching way his lips are moving at the corner just might be sheer joy on his face.
“We’ve begun reconstruction of Building J. You’re an Elite this year but we are so appreciative of the volunteer time you’ll be donating this semester. The Rebuilding, Restructuring, Rejuvenating volunteers will be laying bricks by hand after class starting Monday.”
By hand.
What. The. Fuck.
“You’re dismissed, Miss Castillo. Do try to stay out of trouble.” He looks away from me and pretends to be engrossed in the messy papers littering his desk but for several seconds I just stare at him.
“I said, you are dismissed. Please do not make me reconsider my decision.”
My teeth grind together and I shove out of the chair and slam open the door with so much force that Miss Warren looks like she’s rethinking her earlier politeness to me. My feet won’t stop storming down the tile hall and my palm collides with the glass doors at the entrance only to be met with a different sort of solidness on the other side.
Hard muscle slips beneath my palms.
“Holy shit, Izara?” Syko’s rasping voice humming across my name is an emotion all on its own. I missed him for so long and now he’s right in front of me and it feels like a hole in my chest just opened up. My body reacts to just this voice alone. Something inside me completely shatters at the sight of him. My heart tells me this is real, that he’s really in front of me, but my mind screams something different.
Illusion. Illusion.
But Syko feels solid as I’m suddenly wrapped within his embrace.
He feels so fucking good.
He feels like heaven come to life just to wrap me up in the safety of this beautiful man’s arms.
“Are you okay?” he whispers against my hair.
