Marcus sweeps through our little cottage and finally nods an all-clear to Ian. Saints, there are only three people allowed in my cottage besides me—Marcus, Luca, and Simon—and only three professors who can change the wards. My cottage is safe. Safer than anywhere on campus.
“A precaution,” Ian assures me. He rakes a hand through his hair, staring down at me, a thousand things unsaid running through his bright blue eyes. “If you have an affinity… saints, Juniper. I hope you don’t.”
He gathers me into his arms, his scent spiking, protective alpha energy radiating off of him. When he releases me, he presses a kiss to my forehead.
“My darling, I hope you don’t.”
* * *
Marcus handsme my phone when I step into the cottage, and then locks the door behind me.
“You must have dropped it in all the chaos,” he says. “Luca’s been blowing your phone up, but I don’t have your passcode, so I couldn’t answer it.”
I scroll through the list of missed calls and immediately delete the five voicemails Luca left, already knowing the desperation I’ll hear, the defeat and the pain.
I fire him off a quick text.>
>
Not a question, but a desperate demand.
“Ian sealed the wards against alphas when he left. Honor guards, Ian, and Professor Cadigan are the only alphas allowed within the wards until we can assure the threat has passed.”
“Can we…?”
Marcus shifts his weight from foot to foot. “I’ll need eyes on you the whole time. Perhaps I’ve been too lenient before. I trust Luca, but anyone could come upon the two of you on the bridge. It’s not a safe enough place for you to meet. Not any longer. Promise you’ll stay close to the wards.”
I nod, swallowing around the lump in my throat.
Marcus looks out the small curtains over the window in the kitchenette and nods. “We should go. I’m sure he’s out of his mind with worry. I know I would be.”
I’m left to consider that as we make our way through the omega residences toward the small, forested footpath that leads to the edge of the wards and the small creek that hems in the residences.
When Luca sees me, he stalks toward the wards, so close their magic crackles against his skin. His eyes are wide and wild, the green of the sea before a storm. His shoulders are hunched, and I know his alpha instincts drive him. The need to protect.
At Marcus’ nod, I race through the wards and into Luca’s arms, just as I did when I met him behind Rose Manor, needing to feel him, to know he’s real.
He wraps his arms around me, almost too tight, but when his purr roars into the quiet morning, I still, settling in his arms.
Knowing he needs this.
To trace his hands over every inch of my body and feel for himself that I’m uninjured, even though his lower lip is split, even though the shadows of bruises cover his face, and singe marks cover his tattooed hands.
“Please see Doc,” I beg. “For me.”
“Others need her attention more than I do.”
“Please, Luca.”
He nods into my shoulder, pressing his nose into my neck, breathing in my scent. “I will. For you. Fuck, I’m so relieved that I’d do just about anything you asked.”
“Then hold me a bit longer?”
“Oh, princess. You never have to ask for that.”
“I hate that you can’t come into the wards.”
“It’s a wise precaution.”
