“Gerry.”
I gasped, nausea swirling in my stomach. I'd just run into him yesterday, and he’d thanked me for my healing salve. It’d healed him completely other than for his eye that had been removed, and he seemed so happy.
“How?” Rhett asked, his voice cold as he sat down in his chair.
“Injection of a new drug with properties similar to a human invention,” Rowan clipped, and my bearings crashed.
My body started to tremble, and Rowan scooped me out of the chair before sitting down with me in his lap.
“Humans could be on campus?” My voice cracked, but Rowan moved his palm up and down my spine.
“No,” he assured me. “Tabitha laid the wards around the academy, and she hasn’t felt a break in them.”
For some reason, that did little to calm my anxiety.
There was a light rap on the door before Alister stepped in, and my anxiety dwindled.
His red eyes met mine before flicking to Rowan, and his nostrils flared. “When did this happen?”
“Apparently last night,” Rhett answered, adjusting the cuff of his sleeve. “Damien told me this afternoon.”
Alister’s gaze bore into me, and he stalked forward. “Rowan, do you mind if I—”
“Go ahead,” he rumbled. “She still has feelings for Damien, Thorn, Lachlan, Kian, and Rhett. Besides, I know you two had a previous... relationship.”
Rhett’s lips parted as he stared at me, but he pressed them together without saying anything.
Alister smirked as Rowan helped me down off his lap, and he brushed his knuckles down the side of my cheek, sending tingles throughout my body.
“Yes,” Rowan said as our bond pulsed. “She’s attracted to you.”
“Good.” He leaned forward and his lips brushed mine, causing static electricity to erupt between us.
I leaned into the kiss, and his fang sliced my bottom lip before he sucked on it as it healed. I let out a whimper, and he pulled back with a satisfied smirk.
“Does that mean your affections for me are still there too?” My heartbeat thumped hard in my chest.
His brows furrowed as he nodded. “Of course they are, sweet ruby. Why wouldn’t they be?”
I shrugged as hesitation flooded the bond, and Rowan’s hands gripped my waist and pulled me back into his lap again. Tucking my head under his chin, I sighed.
“She just wants to make sure her affections are returned to those whom she’s already given a piece of herself to.” Smoke bloomed from Rowan’s mouth as he exhaled.
“They are,” Alister said.
“She shouldn’t worry about that,” Rhett mumbled. “Where did you find Gerry’s body?”
“The fae who found Gerry the first time he was attacked found him again. Same place in the Bestial Forest.” Rowan’s voice was gruff, but his touch was soothing as his big hand stroked my thigh.
“Nate?” Rhett asked, and Rowan nodded. “Fuck. Damien just caught him speaking with his mother from the Fire Kingdom back in the fae realm through the fire pit. He said Nate was planning on doing something to Wren in order to hurt Thorn. Damien gave him a very... convincing talk so he shouldn’t be much of a problem anymore, but if he’s finding dead bodies, then maybe there’s more to it than just a feud with the Ice Kingdom.”
The room went silent before growls vibrated in the room.
“Hethreatenedmy mate?” Rowan growled.
“If he makes so much as one move near Wren again, I’ll kill him,” Damien spat, emerging from behind Rhett. “The only reason I didn’t was because it was on campus, and I’d rather not be expelled.”
“I wouldn’t have expelled you,” Rowan said, and Damien muttered a string of curse words before sighing.
