Page 14 of Wolf Touched

My blood neared a hum, and I touched Raffe to ground myself. “But Slade waskidnapped.” My voice rose so high it was almost inaudible. “Hesavedme.”

“I don’t know anything about that. I was locked up. But I know for a fact that Slade has been testing you the entire time you’ve been here.” Dave held out his hands, palms up. “He told me he found you the first night you were here and watched you in the woods. He saw a deer walk right up to you.”

Acid churned in my stomach and inched up my throat. Dave hadn’t known about that.

“Fuck, man.” Keith fisted both hands. “I smelled him in the woods that night, but I thought he was out there practicing magic.”

“That’s not all.” Dave sighed. “That day at the bookstore when the books fell, when I returned to the stand, I glimpsed Slade outside, watching you.”

My eyes burned, and my heart felt like it was beingstabbed repeatedly. “By making the books fall like that when my blood wasn’t humming, he had me thinking I was going crazy.” Between that and feeling like someone was stalking me, I’d been anxiety-ridden, making my emotions more volatile. Worse, my blood was still fizzing, and I knew Dave wasn’t lying.

Boy, how I wished he was.

Slade had pretended to be my friend while manipulating me the entire time, even pretending to be kidnapped to make me think he’d saved me.

To get me to trust him again.

I placed a hand on my chest and pressed. The pain was so intense that I wouldn’t be surprised if my heart ripped right out of it. The first person I’d trusted here, the one who’d made me feel as if I’d finally found a friend, had been behind my captivity.

My blood hummed, and I stepped into Raffe.

Dave rasped, “I was supposed to die in the woods. I should have. Lafayette was upset because he was the one who carried me to the spot. Skylar, you need to leave. This university isn’t safe for you. It never was.”

Raffe’s protective instincts flared, and he looked at me, his eyes glowing. “We’vegot to go.”

“If we disappear, they’ll know, and our friends will be at risk.” There was only one clear answer—weallhad to leave. Everyone who was tied to us, including two people Raffe would object to.

“Fuck, she’s right, man. We gotta figure this out.” Adam sighed, glanced out the window across from him … and froze. “And we don’t have long.”

CHAPTER FIVE

Idropped my hand and Raffe and I glanced out the window, which faced campus. Even though I didn’t have the same view as Adam, I had no doubt what he saw—Priestess Olwyn heading toward the apartments.

“We’ve got to get out of here.” I breathed through my teeth, rushing toward Dave.

Keith grabbed me around the waist and tossed me into Raffe. He linked,You’re going the wrong way.

My back hit Raffe’s elbow, and a sharp pain shot through my shoulder blade.

Raffe snarled as he placed his arm around me and tugged me behind him. His rage slammed into me, squeezing my already battered heart like a vise. The only time I’d ever come close to feeling this intensity was a couple of weeks after Raffe and I had broken up.

Touch her again, and I’ll kill you,Raffe commanded through the bond.

Raising both hands, Keith widened his eyes.Man, I was trying to move her out the door, especially since we now know who Supreme Priestess Olwyn is.

We didn’t have time for grandstanding. “We need to get Dave the hell out of here.”

“Dave?” Raffe spun around, his face tight. “No fucking way.”

“I’m not asking.” Even though I loved this man with my entire heart and soul, he wasn’t my boss. I couldn’t be in a relationship with someone who tried to control my every move, and the only reason I wasn’t angry with him was because he was protecting me out of love. “I’m not leaving without him.”

“Listen, I appreciate what you’re trying to do.” Dave sighed and winced. “But I’m injured and will only slow you down. You should all go now while you still can.”

This was further proof that Dave was a good guy. There was no way I was leaving someone behind who’d been threatened, and he hadn’t known what they were going to do with me. He’d been put in an awful spot, one he regretted. “Then you better get moving.”

Skylar, you can’t be serious. This guy drugged you and wanted to drain you that day you were heading back to the apartments by yourself.Raffe stepped in front of me, blocking my way.He got blood-crazed and drank from Josie. He should die before he loses control again.

I placed my hands on my hips.Have you ever made a mistake? Say, like, treating a girl like shit and adding to her losing control of her magic? You weren’t nice to me. What would you have done if I’d decided you could never change and treat me differently? And don’t forget, yes, he wanted to drink blood from me that night, but he controlled himself and told me I needed to walk away, not run. If he’d lost control, he would’ve jumped me. He’s the only vampire to hold back once my blood had been activated.I rocked back on my feet.And how would Josie feel if you left him to die or be torturedafter she risked her life to save him? I suspect she wouldn’t be happy.

---