I rolled my eyes. All of them had been pushing me to stay in Rowan’s room because it was warded. “I need to grab more clothes.”
“I’ll walk you.”
I hesitated, tucking my hair behind my ear. “To be honest, I just need a few minutes to myself. It’s broad daylight out, and I promise I won’t go into the forest, okay? I’ll be fine.”
He pursed his lips. “Message me as soon as you get to your room, and let me know when you’re coming back to Rowan’s room. I’ll meet you there.”
“I will.” I kissed his lips again, slower. “Thank you.”
I walked past the falling cherry blossoms as the cold chill of winter blew through the air.
Winter was only a few days away, and I was so ready for the cold weather.
Rhett made my heart happy, but I needed a minute alone to process what happened to Alice, and that it happened ultimately because of me.
I didn’t know what had gotten into Grayson. He’d always been a garbage wolf, but there was something else wrong. I’d only hoped it wasn’t due to the ritual to break the bond. I didn’t know what damage a black magic side effect could do, but I didn’t want to find out either.
A man who looked to be a few years older than me was wandering around the Natatorium in circles. At first glance, I didn’t notice much out of the ordinary.
There weren’t many other students out right now because it was class time for the majority of students, so I didn’t see anyone but him in the immediate proximity, which made my hairs stand on end.
The man had ratty white hair and green-colored eyes. His skin had a blue tint to it, and he was smacking himself in the head with the heel of his palms.
I went to walk toward the stone path so I could get to the dorms without passing him, but the man’s eyes locked on me—and the chill that zipped down my spine was something I’d only felt once before, when humans were chasing me.
He started sprinting toward me, and I looked around to find nobody else around.
Panic and fear swelled inside me, jolting through my matebond to Rowan, and I spun and started sprinting back toward Arcane Hall.
Heavy, insistent footsteps hit the ground behind me as I ran, and my muscles strained as I pushed them hard.
I was fast, but whoever it was, they were faster.
Magic spread through my veins, and my tail popped out, but before I could fully shift, the man grabbed my tail in a vice-like grip. My body flung back against his hard chest, driving all the breathable air from my body.
My tail throbbed as he crushed the end of it in his palm, and I knew I needed to run or scream, but my body had become like petrified stone.
“Fox shifter, arctic,” a stern voice stated in my ear, chilling and lacking any sort of emotion. “Thought to be extinct. Last encounter seventeen years ago. Strengths: stealth and speed. Weaknesses: small and weak.”
My heart dropped to my stomach, and I forced my head to look back at him. Cold, dead-like eyes stared back, but it didn’t seem like he actually saw me.
Seventeen years ago was when humans killed my parents, which meant that this impossibly strong, fast, and unscented man was human.
He loosened his grip on my tail, and I called on the magic in my bones. Burning prickles shot through my body as everything around me grew, and my tail shrunk out of his hold.
I bolted away, daring to look back to see him hold his hand out toward me with a small hole embedded in his palm, and urgency moved my legs faster.
But the human didn’t try to catch me. Instead, there was a thunderous noise as small bullets whirred past me, making me turn my head forward and skid in different directions to avoid being hit.
Just as the scents of my potential mates permeated the air, one of the bullets punched its way through my back. Pain exploded through my body as it tore through the front of my belly, and I smacked into the ground, rolling a few feet.
A low whimper left my lips as warm liquid seeped from the wound and soaked my fur before dripping onto the cold grass beneath me.
My magical energy hit empty, and I shifted back into my normal form. The familiar tingles of healing targeted the spot, but my consciousness was fading quickly.
Low, distorted voices surrounded me, and I was enveloped in an icy embrace.
I opened my eyes to see Rowan in his enormous red firedrake form, and I couldn’t even muster the appropriate surprise.
