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What a fucking day.
33
EZRA
The bullying never stopped, and my mate didn’t say a word to me about it. I can’t shake that while Aya drags me out of the Academy building. She’s walking fast with her fingers clamped on my arm, her scent running hot with temper. Every step pulls at my back where my wings are still healing. Under my skin, the torn muscle is knitting itself back together with an itch that’s driving me crazy. My dragon came back sometime last night, sore and cranky, and he’s been pushing at me ever since. He keeps trying to stretch out and making it worse. I’ve ignored it most of the day. I’m running out of patience for that too.
Outside, she drops my arm and scans the grounds in a slow circle.
“What are you doing?” I ask.
She doesn’t look at me. “What do you think I’m doing? I’m looking for a wagon. You aren’t flying in your condition.”
“A wagon.” Is she serious? “What are you going to do, pull me home like a rickshaw driver while I relax in the back?”
She whips around with her lip curled and growls at me. Anyone on campus probably caught it. My dragon, who has absolutely no survival instincts when it comes to my mate, hears it just fine and damn near purrs at her. I shut my mouth.
Okay, I’m backing down a little.
The Academy door swings open behind us. Josiah steps out with his thumb hooked in his belt. I’d swear he’s been lurking in the hall waiting for his cue.
“I can give you a lift,” he announces.
“There’s no vehicle here, Jo,” I say.
He shows me his fangs, and now I know exactly what kind of lift he means. At the snap of his fingers, the air beside him splits open with a hum. Red light bleeds around the edges of the tear until it widens into a full portal. On the other side sits our cabin on the community lands, with its front porch and the tree line behind it.
My dragon sees a threat and throws my wings out of my back. Pain tears up through the joints where the membrane is still fragile. My stomach rolls, but I lock everything down and don’t make a sound. Sweat beads along my hairline.
Aya’s scent spikes sharp and scared. She reaches for me but stops her hand short of my wing. She forces a smile. “That’s really sweet, Jo, but we’ll sort ourselves out.”
I step toward her. “Aya—”
She rounds on Josiah. “What the hell do you think you’re doing?”
He laughs and snaps his fingers again. Fine red light prickles over our skin and blurs everything in sight. He’s wrapped us in a shield. Aya shrieks when the portal surges forward.
“Aw, fuck” is all I manage.
I don’t feel a thing as it swallows us. We come out on our front path with the sun warm through the trees. When Josiah steps out behind us and shuts the portal, the shield peels away with it.
Aya spins with her hand on her chest, her heartbeat going wild. She checks every direction before her scent evens out.
“Uncle Jo,” she scolds.
He turns his red eyes on her. She stares back until she can’t take it anymore, then decides the porch is more interesting. He strolls over. “Such a stubborn wolf. Ezra has been chasing you for so long. Now that he has you, he’s learning he’ll be chasing you for the rest of his life. Same as I chase my Layla.”
My dragon lies down. I sigh. “Thanks, Jo.”
He shrugs. “There’s a chapter in my book about this. Three chapters, actually. Pursuit, patience, and knowing when to open the portal yourself instead of waiting for her to stop running.” He drops his voice, even though no one’s out here but us. “Do you still have the flyer?”
Aya and I nod.
He grins. “Good. Layla’s anxious about release day. I know she’ll perk up if she at least sees the two of you buying copies.”
“Wouldn’t miss it, Jo.” We say it together.
“I prefer the Mer, personally.” He tries to keep a straight face and fails. “Angie sure doesn’t. It’ll be a long time before she gets over Sirena making that potion backfire on her.”
