Page 29 of We Hunt the Night

Kane shouts after me. “Where are you going?”

I don’t answer him and slam the door shut behind me. I just need to be away from her. From how she smells so fucking good, from how her smile makes my heart do weird things. I have to admit it to myself—I’m attracted to her. I like that she gives as good as she gets. She really fucking impressed me when she hexed all my weapons, even if I wanted to kill her for it. She is a smart and wicked witch.

I walk through the academy, ignoring anybody who shouts out for me, blanking them all. I don’t know where I’m going until I’m standing in front of the leaderboard and my name is in the top three. Kane’s at the top. That fucker Asher is underneath him and then under is me. Black and Maz are fourth and fifth. All of us keep our names high up, since supplies are sent back to the camp for the foster kids, and they depend on it to stay alive. When we go to the war, wherever we are on this board is what is left for our families to live on. I’m surprised Asher is still up for climbing the leaderboard after I beat the shit out of him for hurting my bonded. He doesn’t get to teach her a lesson—only I do that.

My dragon tells me Kane is coming near, even before he walks into the room with his hands shoved into his jogger pockets. He stops at my side, looking at the board in silencefor a long time. “Are you worried about slipping down the leaderboard? I’ve seen you’ve been working hard to?—”

“No.” I cut him off. Because of the spell for the top, I’m in third, but after a few days I’ll be back up there. I have nothing to distract myself anymore unless Juniper comes up with another problem.

“Then what is it?” he demands.

“Nothing.” I snap. “I didn’t ask you to follow me.”

“I could tell you’re pissed and when you’re like this, you are hot-headed and reckless. I’m making sure you don’t do anything stupid.” Kane, the leader, the one who feels like he needs to watch us all and fix everything. He can’t fix me.

He’s one to talk though. “Reckless? You poisoned her ex. For what?”

“She smiled at him over breakfast.” He shrugs. That doesn’t sit right with me, and he should be dead. Maz and Kane are half in love with Juniper, and this just makes it clearer. Our bonded group is in chaos and it’s dangerous. “You spelled the top, didn’t you?” Kane asks, but he knows. There is no point in admitting it. “I honestly thought it might have been Black because he’s good with spells and potions, but you’re the best. I should have realized it was you. Why?”

“I have nothing left of my family.” I remind him. “Nothing. Except...” I look down at the gold ring on my finger that I keep cloaked. It can’t be seen by anyone in the academy. It’s rebellious, and they’d try to take it. I drift my eyes away from the ring that my father wore. “I wouldn’t like to lose it. That’s the only reason I helped her.”

“Right.” He doesn’t believe me. “You know—you’re always very intense with your women, but you get bored so fast. She doesn’t give in to you and she challenges you at every moment she gets. I think all four of us have a problem because she’sdifferent and exactly what we need. I’ve realized that I don’t know what I want, but I know I won’t leave her side.”

“You can’t ride with her—you know that, right? It would be making her...” I warn him with a low growl.

“I know what it would be making her. I’ve read the prophecies, I’ve read every bit of it, over and fucking over, from the minute that I was told about them. The minute that we were given the dragon books on our history and the curses of the dragon race. I know what it would make her, and she is not ready for that.” He snarls back. “I’m not ready for that.”

“Neither am I.” I chip. When we all turned eighteen, we were given the history of dragon books—books that were written to warn about every curse that’s ever been laid upon us, every bit of magic used on the dragons to control them. Our ancestors wrote about how they broke the chains, how they freed themselves, only for all of us to be captured again like slaves in this forest. “She’s growing weak without us properly teaching her.”

“There’s nothing weak about her.” Kane reminds me. “I thought you’d know that by now. The truth is, she has become our weakness.” He is right, and I hate her for it. We are the only shifters that don’t get fucked with, and now the witches have a way to break us. She is our weakness, and I know he is right. “By the way, leave the wolf alone.”

“He deserved it.” I shrug. “I don’t care.” The only reason I didn’t kill the wolf for touching her is because he had a point. An irritating point.

“Let’s go fly. It always helps.” Kane suggests. A peace offering.

I look at the board one more time before nodding and going with Kane. Nothing is going to help get her out of my blood and soul. For some reason, the more I argue with her, the more I feel like it’s seconds away before we both slip into something so dangerous that no spell will save us.

Chapter 18

Ibarely slept. I can’t get the kiss out of my head, or the feel of his skin against mine. How the entire kiss felt like... well, familiar. Intoxicating. Addictive... and forbidden. I can’t be in love with my bonded, can I? The same questions are flickering around in my mind, and I can’t find an answer. I can’t find a single reason why my bonded has become an obsession of mine in all the wrong ways. If Lock talks, we will all be punished. Terribly punished and mostly likely killed. There are reasons why we can’t be together—our races do not mix. I was born to witches; to continue the witch race and I know that—but I can’t stop looking at my bonded. Wanting Black to kiss me again. Wanting so much more. This isn’t smart of me. It’s reckless and dangerous—everything I’m not. I roll over in bed, looking at Black’s empty bed. He left me in our room last night and said he was going to find Lock. I felt like I should have told him not to kill Lock, but that asshole likely would deserve it, and I was too confused last night. I need to find Lock and get him to keep his mouth shut. I’m not sure how I’m going to do that, but I’ll find a way. I glance at my watch and figure if I skip breakfast and the shower, I’ll have half an hour to find Lock before potion class. Idon’t want to be late to that class, and Lock will be in it. I just won’t be able to talk to him there in front of an entire class.

All my bonded are gone, but Vale and Kane’s scent lingers like they slept here. I’m not sure they did. I was so tired that I didn’t even look at their beds before I crawled into mine last night. I suspect they are angry still about Black and Maz shifting—and I don’t want to argue with them about that this morning. I need coffee, but finding Lock is more important. I throw my clothes on and grab my dagger, sliding it into my waist clip before using the bathroom quickly and rushing out of the room. I knock on Wini’s door and wait.

Wini grins. “Hey! Do you want to go?—"

I hate interrupting her, but I have to. “Sorry, but have you seen your brother? I don’t even know where his room is, but I need to find him.”

She pauses. “Whatever is wrong, my brother is the last person you need, bestie.”

“It’s not like that.” I wince. “I just?—"

She holds her hand up. “No need to explain it. But ask the academy and it should lead you to his room. If not, he might be at breakfast.” She looks back into her room. “My bonded is sleeping in, but if you give me five minutes, I can come with you.”

“That’s okay.” I reach over and hug her. I might end up dead today for kissing my bonded if her brother talks and I want her to know she is a good friend. “Thank you for being my friend. I know I’m strange, but it means a lot.”

“This feels like a goodbye,” she mutters.

I lie. “It’s not.” I pull away from her, unable to look into her eyes. “See you in class.” I leave before she can ask me anything else, before she can work out that I’m scared. Because I am scared. What if they see Black as the issue and try to kill him? I don’t know if I could survive losing one of my bonded, but I’veread war reports of it being possible when witches are bonded to two shifters. One dies and the witch can survive it—but she goes mad. Her mind is cracked and broken. My heart would shatter with him, and I will do everything I can to make sure I don’t lose him. I have to. I search the breakfast hall and grab a coffee when there is no queue, but Lock isn’t here. The academy is no use, sending me through endless corridors that lead back to the potion classroom and not Lock’s room, no matter how many times I ask. Dammit. Eventually I know I’m out of time and join the class, coming into the room and sitting at my table around the cauldron, while waiting for Lock to come in. Black and Vale stroll in a few moments later, sitting at the same table as me, Vale not meeting my gaze. Black’s thumb brushes mine under the table and I shiver, turning to him. “Did you find Lock?”

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