“Don’t you dare leave me behind, Rion. I swear to fucking God.”
Despite my desire to keep running, my steps falter and I glance back over my shoulder at her.
Fuck.
Sprinting back to the raging witch in question, I stutter as I stop before her. My eyelids flicker as I look from my hands to Elodie’s closest friend and back again, all while my two friends dart past us without care.
“What are you doing? I meant stay beside me, not… this,” she grumbles, waving her hands between us, and I roll my eyes at her dramatics.
“I was trying to get you to move at my speed, but I…”
“You what?”
Dragging a hand down my face, I sigh. “I don’t know where to appropriately put my hands on the one girl my Petal likes,” I blurt, irritated with watching as understanding washes over her and she grins.
“You love her,” she muses, and I scoff.
“Are we doing this or not?” I ask, refusing to acknowledge her words, and to my surprise, she relents, gingerly placing her hands on my shoulders as she nods.
“Whisk me away then. I don’t want either of them to beat us to her,” she orders, and when I don’t immediately move, she snaps my hands up, placing them at her waist before she returns her fingers to my shoulders.
Glancing over my shoulder, I become aware of how far the other two are since they’re using their abilities. It’s the push I need to lift Ocean off the ground and take off after them. She squeals, her nails digging into my shoulders as I work as hard as I can on catching up to Kael and Thorne.
It doesn’t take too long for us to catch up, my pulse thundering in my ears as my wolf tingles on the edge of my consciousness. The second we’re a step ahead of them, the warmth of victory bleeds from my wolf to me, and I take off even faster, excitement buzzing through me as Institute Thirteen comes into view.
I race up the stairs two at a time, skidding to a halt on the fourth floor as I quickly place Ocean on her feet. Her eyes are wide as she clears her throat, and I take a second to smooth my hands over my t-shirt before nodding at her door.
“Open the door, Ocean,” I rasp, anticipation thick in my throat, and she nods, retrieving a key from her pocket before she quickly shoves it into the lock. An eternity passes as she turns it, but I still don’t exhale as she nudges the door open. I can’t. I need to see my girl first.
Luck isn’t on my side as my ears start to warm and my throat tightens, my breath firmly lodged as my Petal doesn’t come into view. Barging past Ocean, who looks as panicked as I feel, I do a quick once-over of the entire dorm room, including the walk-in closet, and ensuite, but come up empty.
“Where the fuck is she?” I snarl, desperation getting the better of me as I stare pleadingly at Ocean, but she’s as clueless as I am.
My nostrils flare as Kael and Thorne appear in the doorway. It doesn’t take a lot for them to read the room and understand the predicament we still find ourselves in. Blinking between the three of them, I feel the space shrinking. It’s too much. It’s even worse with Kael in my proximity.
Without a word, since no one can erase the fury I feel toward him, I exit the room in a huff, shouldering between the vampire and the shadow fae before I race down the stairs. I don’t stop until I’m outside, the bare trees drawing me closer as I plant my hands on my hips and let my head fall lax.
Defeated.
I don’t think I’ve ever felt it as strongly as I do now.
I hate it.
My wolf tingles at the edges of my mind, pleading to take over and shield me from the emotions bursting in my chest. It’s instinctive for me to sleep in the shadows while he protects me, but for the first time, I don’t want to hide from it. Not when it involves my Petal.
But… maybe for a little while so that I can think. I just?—
“Rion?”
“Not now, Ocean,” I grumble, refusing to glance back in her direction, but I should know by now that the psychotic little witch loves nothing more than to push my buttons.
“It’s cute you think you have a choice,” she retorts, snorting, and I glance over my shoulder in time to see her inspecting her nails with an air of perfected arrogance.She’s the perfect friend for Elodie.I want to dislike her even more because she’s currently closer to her than I am.
My lips part, ready to tell her as much, when a muffled cry cuts through the air. I stiffen, my gaze darting to the basementdoor immediately as my blood runs cold. The essence of my wolf rises so close to the surface, I don’t think I can contain him, but his near presence makes it impossible to deny the thundering of my Petal’s heartbeat in the distance.
Hurrying toward the door, Ocean watches me cautiously, but I’m too distracted by my need for Elodie to explain. As I wrap my hand around the door handle, Ocean hurries to my side, but when I step inside, I turn back, lifting my hand to pause her in place.
“What are you doing, Rion?” she bites, and I shake my head.
