Page 40 of Underworld
Plus, I totallywasfucking her Alpha, or at least I would be very soon if I could get him alone after class.
Logan hummed. “Well, given what you’ve accomplished for the Academy so far, I’d say your position has already been earned.” He turned on Starling. “However, if you feel my judgment should be questioned, you’re free to discuss it with the Dean.”
Starling paled at that prospect.
“That’s what I thought,” Logan said, turning to address the restless crowd of shifters. “Now, some of you know Lily already. She’s a student, just like you, and she’s also the Champion of the Third Echo of Calamity you’ve been learning about firsthand. Kaito has judged the best classes for her to attend to help assist her during this crises, but it doesn’t mean we’re going to go easy on her.”
The wolves growled in agreement and the panthers roared.
Thanks a lot, Logan.
He grinned at me, having heard my thoughts through the bond.
You’ll thank me later when you come up against Cerberus. He’s Lucifer’s pet, but he likes shifters.
Noted,I thought back at him.
Logan cleared his throat. “Now, she’ll be joining our class today. If anyone has a problem with that, take it to the Dean. And show yourself out while you’re at it, because we don’t have time for division. This class is about teamwork, so start acting like it.”
He went quiet for several long seconds and I fought not to squirm as almost every last student looked me over like I was a piece of meat.
“Good,” Logan said when nobody moved to leave. “We’re playing Catch. For Lily’s benefit, I’ll explain, although most of you have played this before. We’re going by team rules.”
Great.
“I’m going to break this,” Logan said, pulling a translucent orb from his pouch. It glowed from within, the colors reminding me of the barrier surrounding the Academy. “It will summon a magical creature from one of the realms close to ours. That creature is your target. You’ll be evaluated as a group based on speed, agility, and strategy.”
He glanced at me on that last one, which gave me a bit of hope. My speed couldn’t hope to hold up to a shifters, but I wasn’t half-bad at strategy.
“Whoever catches the target will get extra credit, but the point of the assignment is about working as a team.”
Before today, I would have laughed at that, but the motley group of shifters, both wolves and panthers, were all here together, sitting or standing companionably.
Minus a few snags, Logan had done a great job doing the impossible.
I had no doubt Aaron played a heavy role in the progression of wolves and panthers working together. He stood at Logan’s side, nodding in agreement, and the panthers seemed to fall in line as the two Alphas worked together.
Pride bloomed inside me, warming me as I watched my mate pace and talk to the other shifters. With all Hell literally breaking loose outside these walls, the packs needed to learn how to operate as a cohesive unit.
Logan glanced at me before looking back over the group. “All right, everybody. Hope you’re ready.”
He hurled the orb into the air.
“Catch!”
Chapter 10
A burst of light shot up from the ground as the orb exploded, sending a beam of light into the sky.
The shifters responded with a chorus of howls and panther screams, an eerie music that sent shivers up my spine. All around me bones broke and cries of pain tore out, transforming into animal roars as everyone took their animal form.
Magic hummed in the air, ripe with the moonlight the exuded down into the clearing.
The ones who had already shifted were in a frenzy and for about two seconds, I felt frozen, because it looked like they were all headed straight forme.
But then I saw the small thing skittering along the ground that had escaped the beam of light.
The shifters weren’t coming forme. They were after the little floppy-eared creature that looked remarkably like a bunny, its dark eyes wheeling around in its head as it ran for its life.
