Page 30 of Angel I Am Not

Ari laughed as Luc pushed past her, shaking his head. “Class. Now.”

He looked back to see me and Ari closing our distance and growled again, grabbing me and yanking me out the door. “Until we figure out what the fuck happens with that boost of power we’ve been getting all weekend, no touching in public.”

“Not even a little?” I teased as we stepped into the hallway.

“I want to fucking punch you right now, but we’d end up destroying a village.”

Ari followed behind us, adjusting the strap of her bag. “That seems dramatic.”

“You haven’t seen us actually fight,” I said.

“I watched you break a couch.”

“That was sex.”

“Nick.”

“What?”

At first, I thought having a mate was going to be a chore but if this was how bothered my brother got—the brother who always seemed to be in control—this might be fun after all.

We made it outside, the campus already crowded with students moving between buildings. Ari slowed beside us, taking everything in with open curiosity until a group brushed too close and Luc shifted immediately to her other side, boxing her between us without touching.

“Why are we even going to school? Shit’s boring,” Ari grumbled.

Both of us stopped as we burst out cackling, turning to look at our sweet angel. Her eyes widened when she realized we had heard her, shoulders drawing in slightly.

Luc recovered first. “Ari, we were all given different tasks to utilize and train our gifts. Dante is smart but he’s also a little crazy. He put us in places that strengthen our control.”

“No you didn’t,” she spat, then immediately slapped her hands over her mouth in horror. “Sorry.”

The apology killed most of my amusement.

Luc stared at her for a second before nodding. “You’re right. I didn’t.”

Ari slowly lowered her hands.

I stepped closer, careful to retract the claws that had started to sharpen earlier before resting a hand against her shoulder. “And you don’t have to apologize every time you correct us.”

“I know.”

“You clearly don’t.”

Her mouth tightened. “I’m working on it.”

“That’s all I’m saying.” I pressed a kiss to her forehead before she could overthink it, feeling some of the tension leave her shoulders beneath my hand. “Angels and demons can’t use their gifts at will because it would upset the balance of the universe. Dante gives us a chance to learn control by sticking us in situations where losing it would actually matter.”

Ari glanced between us as we started walking again. “That sounds dangerous.”

“It can be.” I slipped my hands into my pockets before instinct had me reaching for her again. “I’ll explain the rest when we get back home, alright? All you need to know is that you’re allowed to feel. You’re allowed to show emotion, mess up, and do things that aren’t necessarily right.”

Ari opened her mouth to fight me, but I continued before she could.

“You’re not an angel anymore and while it’ll take some time to get used to that, you can start by being yourself.”

“So, just be me?”

“Yes, with all your smiles, love for those godawful lattes, and the snarkiness that creeps in every now and then.”