I nod grimly. “Brush and comb set. High-end, from what I could tell.” My hands clench into fists. “Someone is either phasing in or they’re skilled enough to get past the school’s security.”
“Stalker or suitor?” His voice carries the same deadly calm I feel settling over me.
“Does it matter?” I respond, my pink eyes probably flashing darker. “Either way, they’re marking territory that isn’t theirs to claim.”
Something has set our mate on edge, and every instinct I possess is screaming that we’re being hunted. The drow head was a message—but what kind? A warning? Proof of capability? And now grooming tools, intimate and personal. Someone is escalating their game, and I need to know what is happening behind that closed door.
My unicorn snarls beneath my skin, territorial, and protective. If this is another potential mate thinking they can intimidate their way into Raven’s affections, they’re about to learn why black unicorns are considered the most volatile shifters alive.
Whatever gift was left in Raven’s room, it wasn’t from someone who respects boundaries. And that makes them a threat that needs to be eliminated.
Chapter 33
Raven
I standin my room with my two nest fathers, their familiar scents—Balor’s cedar and leather, Ziggy’s something wild and untamed—usually comforting but doing nothing to ease the knot of anxiety in my chest. They examine everything with predatory focus, their eyes cataloging each surface, each shadow. Neither of them picks up the brush and comb set, treating it like a venomous snake coiled on my dresser.
“Do you know when this appeared?” Balor asks, his green eyes never leaving the silver implements that gleam too innocently in the afternoon light.
“No, I left midday yesterday to seek counsel from Daddy Leander about Hemlocke and his shift.” My hand rests on the egg carrier, seeking comfort from my mate trapped within, the smooth shell warm against my palm. “It wasn’t there before I left. We came back a little while ago, and it was here.” The words taste bitter. Someone violated my sanctuary while I was gone, walked through my space, possibly touching my things.
Daddy Ziggy shifts on the spot and starts prowling my room like the displacer beast he is. His movements are fluid, predatory, as he sniffs every corner and visible item. The sound of his breathing is deliberately controlled, testing the air for any trace of an intruder. He’s searching for a clue I don’t think he’ll find. Watching him hunt makes my skin crawl with the realization that someone else was here doing the same thing.
“We didn’t find anything with the drow head. I highly doubt he’d slip up now.” The resignation in my voice surprises me.When did I start thinking of this stalker as inevitable? When did I accept that someone unknown is circling my life like a predator?
“No, but there’s always a chance he will slip up and reveal himself.” Balor says as he pulls me against his chest. The familiar warmth of his embrace should comfort me, but I can’t shake the feeling of being watched. “Abraxis did the same thing, dropping gifts for his your mom in her room. He had Ziggy helping him with it.” No sooner does he finish the sentence than Ziggy shifts back to human form, his feline features melting away.
“Hindsight, it was probably a mistake helping him. Look how badly he messed things up for everyone.” Ziggy says, exasperation thick in his voice. He allows the eerie green to fade from his eyes as he approaches me, but something flickers there—knowledge, suspicion. He takes my hands in his, and his touch is warm, calloused from years of fighting. “More than likely, it’s a mate who may or may not be the one that can phase.” His eyes dart over to Balor, and that’s when I see it. He suspects someone specific.
My stomach drops. It’s not just theoretical anymore.
“Spill it, Dad. You have a suspect in mind.” I rest my palm on Ziggy’s chest, feeling his heartbeat steady and strong beneath my fingers, and stare up into his feline eyes.
“I have three if I’m being honest.” He sighs, the sound heavy with worry. “The first is a blink hound, one of the ones at Shadowcarve.The second is another displacer beast from my pride.” He stops and looks over at Balor, waiting for a nod that makes my blood run cold.
“We also have spectral panthers, white unicorns, and shadow dragons who can do something similar to what I can.” Ziggy’s voice grows quieter with each species he lists.
I nod slowly, my mind racing through the implications. “White unicorns are thought to be extinct or damn close to it. Shadow dragons live on the northern continent. None have ventured down here since Klauth and my father returned.” I pace my room, my bare feet silent on the cool hardwood. The familiar motion helps me think, but I can’t shake the paranoia that someone might be watching me even now. “Spectral panthers don’t have a human form. So that logically leaves the very large pack of blink hounds and your pride, Dad.” I look at Ziggy, and he nods sadly. The thought that it could be someone from Ziggy’s own pride makes my chest tight with betrayal and fear.
“I’m going to assign more guards to you.” Balor’s voice carries the finality of a royal decree.
“No...” I growl, the sound rumbling up from my chest like distant thunder. “I need to be able to sense everything around me, and another body attached to me tighter than Corvis and now Hemlocke will hinder my ability to protect myself.” I flex my wings, feeling the leather membranes stretch and contract with my agitation.
“Okay, but if he escalates, or you feel threatened, we will place a guard with you. You’re the heir apparent—we have to protect you above all others.” Ziggy’s tone carries a seriousness I rarely hear from my normally happy-go-lucky father. The gravity in his voice makes this feel more real, more dangerous.
“Alright, if there’s an escalation, I’ll agree to a guard of my choosing.” I raise my chin and tilt my head—a combination of both my parents’ moves that signals I won’t be argued with.
“Who would you choose?” Balor asks, and I smirk despite the circumstances.
“Orpheus while in Shadowcarve. What I can’t do, my brother can. Outside of Shadowcarve, I want Evan with me. He gives me the ability of a quick escape.” What my father doesn’t know is I’ve been planning for this ever since I was crowned heir apparent. I’ve always known this position would paint a target on my back.
“Solid choices, and since my son is in all of your Shadowcarve classes, it won’t be obvious that he’s guarding you.” Balor smiles, pride mixing with concern in his green eyes.
“It’s times like this I wish I had Mom’s lightning.” I hug both of my nest fathers, breathing in their familiar scents one more time before leaving my room to join my mates.
“Is everything okay?” Hemlocke is the first to move close, his pink eyes searching my face as he kisses my cheek. His lips are warm and soft, and I lean into the contact. Corvis is on the phone with someone, but his pale silver eyes track my every movement with protective intensity.
“It will be. My brother Orpheus is going to be my guard at Shadowcarve, and Evan is going to be on duty for my other three classes.” I kiss Hemlocke softly on his velvety lips, tasting the faint sweetness that’s uniquely him, before walking over and hugging Corvis from behind. I rest my head against his shoulder blade and sigh, feeling the soft rumble of his dragon through his chest—a sound that always calms me.
