“Interesting,” Alister purred, glancing back at me.
Damien’s shadows slid between my tensed thighs and rubbed between my legs, making me moan.
“Damien,” Rowan roared, smacking his shadows away. “Not now.”
I whimpered. My body was on high alert, and Damien knew exactly how to release the building tension.
“Focus, fledgling,” Rowan whispered in my ear, and I swallowed hard.
“On what?”
“On our next course of action.”
Rhett cleared his throat. “Gerry had mentioned in the last session we’d had together that he thought he could remember a girl’s voice just before he was knocked out.”
“A girl?” Alister repeated, crossing his arms and leaning against the desk. “Did he remember what she said?”
“Yeah, he remembered.” Rhett’s lips thinned into a straight line. “Release specimen 452.”
THIRTY-FOUR
Wren
AfterGerry’sdeathandthe big red question mark on who or what specimen 452 was, Rowan went into work mode.
He stayed in his office the majority of the time working with the academy witch and seer to narrow down who the threat on campus could be. Stress was the main emotion that went through our bond for the past month, and it was disheartening to see him tackle everything on his own. He tried so hard not to worry me, but it was inevitable since he wouldn’t let me help.
On top of that, the rest of the guys had been extra protective of me... even if some had done so from a distance.
When I’d gone back to class after mating Rowan, other students whispered behind my back, but that wasn’t new. What was new was that they didn’t look me in the eyes.
On the upside, I didn’t have to deal with Professor Fallon anymore. I had been transferred to Herbology Practical with Professor Hendrix, who was much more knowledgeable than Fallon was. Plus, I was able to go into the Vinery and experiment with different herbs, and that was where I spent most of my free time.
Callie, the siren I’d met when I was with Thorn, had the class with me, and we were becoming fast friends since Trixie wasn’t around as much.
Trixie had been hanging out a lot with Nate, but Nate had told her that Damien had threatened him if he were to be around me, so she had to spend time with him without me around. She had originally broken up with him because of it, but I could see how sad she was without him around, so I told her it was fine if she wanted to start seeing him again as long as she was careful around him.
I walked into Crystology with Trixie by my side, and my heart lodged in my throat as I noticed Grayson sitting in his seat.
Grayson had disappeared after our bond had broken. Damien looked for him everywhere, and Thorn told us that Mirella had said that he went back to the village to recuperate after what I had apparently put him through with destroying our bond.
His dull blue eyes lifted to meet mine before they darkened, and he stood up.
“Grayson, sit down,” Alister instructed.
Most of the students had already arrived, so all eyes were on us, and I felt more like a spectacle than ever before.
“Why should I?” His voice was low, and his lips were curled back in a sneer.
His blonde hair was greasy and longer than it used to be, and he looked like he’d lost weight too. There was something off with his scent. It still smelled of eucalyptus, but there was a scent of sulfur too.
It was odd not having that bond between us, but I could feel another bond tensing as he approached me.
Alister stepped in front of me, his blood and cinnamon scent calming my nerves. “Either go to your seat or go to Rhett’s office. I’m sure he has some words for you.”
“Alister, it’s okay.” I placed my hand on his shoulder as he stepped slightly to the side so I could address Grayson. “Our bond isn’t there anymore. What else could you possibly have to say to me?”
He chuckled dryly, rubbing his nose on his sleeve. “What happened to the bond, Wren?”
