The omega turns for a moment when a stunning spell goes wild, whizzing past her.
Marcus takes the opportunity and rushes toward her, tackling her to the ground. Her head cracks against the wooden floor, and she drops her scribe. It rolls away from her, and I dart forward, snatching it up.
She fights against Marcus, clawing at his face and arms with her nails, but he overpowers her easily, pinning her to the floor.
“Juniper!”
Luca’s voice cuts through the roar of my classmates. He stands in the doorway to the classroom, covered in blood and holding a Baphomet mask. He races through the chaos and crushes me in a frantic hug, dropping the mask to the floor at my feet.
Blood splotches across his face, and soaks into his pale blond hair. It covers every visible inch of his white button-up shirt, darkens his navy uniform sweater, but he doesn’t seem to even notice it until he steps back and sees the stains of blood our embrace left behind on my uniform, on my skin.
Police officers pour into the classroom, magical riot shields raised, barking orders.
But Cadigan’s voice rises above all of them.
“Get that alpha!” He shouts, pointing at Luca. “He has one of their masks! He’s in on the attack!”
“Juniper—” Luca begins, just as he’s tackled to the ground before me. He doesn’t resist because he knows what it’ll look like if he does. He raises his hands in surrender, and officers yank his arms behind his back, clicking cuffs around his wrists.
He screams my name, and I shout for him, but it’s lost in the mayhem as he’s dragged away. I surge forward, but Marcus grabs me around the waist and holds me back. I fight against his hold, until he bands his arm around me tighter.
“You can’t get arrested,” he snarls in my ear, and I go still. “We’ll figure this out.”
Police handcuff the omega in the collar. She’s weeping openly now, the light back in her eyes, the sigils on the collar dark.
She’s not being controlled anymore, but she doesn’t need to be.
The damage is done.
All around me, my classmates nurse injuries from her barrage of hexes.
“What were you thinking going for her scribe?” Marcus demands, but he’s more shaken than angry as he takes in the burn on my arm. “Saints, we have to get you to Doc.”
“She couldn’t control herself,” I say, and my heart pounds in my chest, my pulse rushing in my ears.
Saints above. Staring down at the Baphomet mask at my feet, it finally dawns on me.
It’s All Saints’ Eve and Andrew Radcliffe has just demonstrated the results he’s achieved.
* * *
Cassian barrelsinto the room moments later, covered in scorch marks and burns. Professor Cadigan protests, but Cassian ignores him as he rushes to my side.
“Return to your class, Mr. Leclerc. All students are to stay in place until everyone can be accounted for.”
Cassian glares at the older alpha then kneels at my side. “Like fucking hell I’m letting you stay here,” he murmurs. “I’m taking you back to the pack house.”
“Cass, they took Luca,” I say, my voice wavering under the threat of tears.
He envelopes me in a tight hug, and that’s all it takes to make my tears fall.
“He beat the shit out of four Soldiers trying to get to you and ripped the mask off Kel Montrose. His whereabouts prior to the attack can be accounted for, and my family’s best lawyers will reign hellfire down on the Fairhaven PD if they try to hold him. I’ve already made the call. He’ll be home to you tonight, I promise.”
I let out a muffled, shuddering sob against the alpha who holds me so tenderly, and as his hands stroke my back, the weight of everything that just happened crashes down around me.
I just saw Luca hauled off in cuffs for the second time.
Luca, whose first instinct was to protect me as hexes flew, who was covered in so much blood it stained my uniform when he took me into his arms.
