Page 57 of Elmwood Inclusive Magic Academy
“I won’t, I promise!” I laugh, holding her closer. “Hey, are you blushing?”
“I have never blushed in my life!”
We giggle and get all tangled up in each other. She kisses me on the eyelids and I nestle myself in the crook of her arm.
“I wish we could stay like this forever,” I whisper, as we both doze off again.
Rae
I’m a light sleeper. I’m used to being startled out of sleep. When I hear the sound of the door latch open, I’m immediately awake and out of bed. Maggie stirs, reaching for the warm place where I was a moment before.
“Who is it?” I demand, my voice loud and stern.
“Rae…” says Rory, standing at the door. Their eyes narrow. “Relax, it’s only me.”
I’m aware that my heart is beating quickly. I move my body sideways between Rory and Maggie. My reply is sharper than I intend. “What do you want?”
Much to my relief, Rory doesn’t try to come into the room. They look at me with a brooding expression. I feel a sharp pang of guilt. I haven’t been spending as much time with my pack since I’ve been with Maggie, and I was always a buffer between Rory and the other two. Rory would never say it, but I know they’re feeling my absence.
They deserve better from me. But the idea of spending less time with Maggie is agonizing.
“Kaenan wants to see you,” Rory says, their tone unusually stiff. “We need to speak with you.”
Invoking our Alpha. I can’t say no. I take a deep, steadying breath.
“Sure, I was just getting up.”
Rory glances over my shoulder at Maggie, and bends toward me as their voice lowers. “You should come now.”
“Ok.” I grab a large T-shirt and some worn jeans from a pile on the floor by my bed. I can sense Maggie’s tenseness and I wish I could tell her I’ll be back soon, but it would be too suspicious.
Without looking at her, I follow Rory out of the room.
Rory’s gait eases slightly as we walk down the hall.
“What's going on?” I ask. “I know I haven’t been spending as much time with the pack, but…”
“Rae….” Rory shakes their head in frustration. “I get it, and I can’t imagine what this must be like for you. Butwe’reyour family…we’re more than family. If anything, you should be relying on usmorenow than ever.”
I sigh. I wish I had the words to reassure them. But the truth is that I don’t know what’s been going on with me. They’re completely right, I should be bonding more with my pack.We’re painfully fragmented after the conflict with the panthers, our leadership is locked away in an impenetrable prison, and everyone at this school hates us.
But ever since the betrothal, all I feel is this intense pressure. Pressure I never wanted or asked for. I don’t mind following orders, but…how can I just marry someone for an alliance? I’m grateful to the Houndsville pack for everything they did for us, but does that really mean I have to marry Finley Hound?
Before Maggie, it was just a nagging anxiety. But the more time I spend with her, the more I wonder…
“Remember,” Rory says, nervously. “What we’ve done, we’ve done for the good of the pack. We’re worried about you, Rae. We all need to be strong now.”
“I know,” I start, but something in their tone catches me off guard. “Wait. Everything you’ve done? Rory, have you done something?”
“Just,” Rory rounds the corner to their room, and puts their hand firmly on my chest. They look around, making sure nobody else is in the hall. “Remember how much we all love you, and we need you.”
“I-”
Hands shaking, Rory opens the door to the room, pulls me inside, and shuts it firmly behind us.
“What the fuck?” I gasp.
The room is a mess, with clothes and luggage scattered everywhere. One of the desks is upended, its contents strewn about the floor. Kaenan and Tala are standing on either side of a chair in the center of the room. Tied to the chair is the long-haired mermaid, gagged, her shiny purple-blue fin thumping the wooden floor.
