Page 113 of Cursed

An hour later, Kat comes bounding into our dorm’s common room with Quade right behind her.

Her nose scrunches up briefly as she catches all the sex in the air. Then she quickly grins like a lunatic and crashes into me with a fierce hug. “Don’t you ever scare me like that again!” she threatens, and I realize she’s pointing at Rourke.

He lifts his hands in surrender. “I promise I’ll keep her safe.”

“Youdroppedher!” she reminds him.

“And Icaughther!”

Then Kat spots the dragon mating mark on my neck. She stares at me. “That better have been consensual.”

“It was!”

“Surprise!” Rourke jokes. “I’m not a douche anymore!”

“Jury is still out, buddy,” Kat sasses, then squeezes me again to make sure I’m real or something. “So, apparently you’ve been extremely busy.”

“I have.” I tell her a shortened version of all the crazy that’s happened since the Solstice’s Ball—the hospital fight, my weird magic ability, the asylum, and that I’ve officially mated with my guys. I skip over the sexy bits during the matings, but I get a bit dreamy-eyed as my mind skims over the intimate moments we all shared.

I also warn her not to tell anyone else about my ability yet.

“Wow.” She finally closes her mouth from the shock of my story. “Will you teach me how to transmute energy when you figure out how others can apply it?”

“You will be my very first guinea pig after this bunch.” I grin at her and change the subject, “So I hear Douglas went into full protector mode when I left.”

She turns a bit pink and picks at her fingers. “Yeah. He might not be horrible after all.”

I wonder what happened between the two during their secluded time, but I’ll grill her later when all my guys aren’t around to make her feel embarrassed.

Kat leaves us to clean up and settle back into her dorm room. Apparently, she wanted to see me before she did anything else. I will have to make sure we visit as often as I can after I leave the academy. Good friends are a rare thing.

* * *

“Ninety-six, ninety-four, ninety-three, and ninety-eight percent?” Landis flips through my scores for my written and practical exams. “I’m so proud of you!” He wraps his strong arms around my waist and lifts me off the ground, giving me a spin. It seems to be the guys’ new favorite thing… and mine.

A strange emotion bubbles up within me. Since I have never had someone be proud of me before, I had never felt this either—pride in my accomplishments.

Landis sets me down, and we snuggle on the couch, waiting for the others to get back from their exams.

All that’s left is to pass my magical control exam. And weirdly enough, I don’t automatically feel like I might fail that test.

What a strange thing. To not live in a constant state of self-doubt. To know that I can trust in the love of my mates. To not feel like the world is out to get me at all the time. To feel that I can get ahead without constant physical and emotional pain.

Most of that change is from my desire for a change and not automatically defaulting to the abusive dynamic I had with my mother. And some of my new outlook is due to everything I’ve accomplished over the last few months. I helped save the realms.Me—a formerly non-magical null who only had burns and trauma to my name. I now have magic that might save magic itself.

My thoughts swim with that idea alone.

But I can attribute so much of my growth to my mates. Every day, they loved me. Even when I wasn’t at my best. Even when I wasn’t trusting in their love. They understood that you don’t just magically erase trauma. Twenty years of abuse doesn’t just evaporate. Even memory wipes wouldn’t have helped. It imprints in our very cells… until we allow it to fade over time. And with patience.

My mates poured their love into my heart and soul, and I was able to wash most of my old thoughts and pain away. I don’t flinch anymore when my mates want to caress my face. I don’t fear fire like I did.

Is my PTSD completely over and done with? Not likely.

But Iknowthey will help me through whatever surfaces from my subconscious with their patience and love.

And now,I knowI can get through it.

With all these warm fuzzies in my heart, I give Landis a sweet kiss on the lips, and he pulls me into his lap.

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