He pushed between me and Aaron, and snarled. Alex faced down the three behind me, and their suddenly uncertain gazes flickered to Aaron.
“Yoou do noot beloong here,” Alex snarled at them. “Begone.”
They weren’t students? They were four against two, but Matt and Alex weren’t just any fighters. And moments later, I heard bushes rustle. I didn’t dare take my eyes off Aaron, who growled at Matt, a pure animal sound. I expected him to say something. Instead, he backed away, embracing his beast as he did so.
Only once he was fully Dire did he snap, “Yoou are a stupid bitch.”
Then he turned and bounded into the forest, leaving only Matt and Alex on the path.
“What was that aboout?” Alex asked.
“He said Darius wanted to talk to me.” I struggled to hide how much I shook.
“It’s noot the first time they have threatened her,” Matt growled.
I winced. Alex regarded me with wide eyes. “Why didn’t yoou repoort them?”
“Because Darius has connections on the council,” I stated. “I was pretty sure he’d be believed over me.”
Alex uttered an odd hissing noise. “I’ll get Neil, and we’ll track thoose unauthorized Dires. Send thosegilipollaspacking,” he said. To Matt, he added, “Stay with her until she’s in her room.”
Matt nodded, and we watched Alex bound off into the woods.
My mouth dropped open. “There’sfourof them.”
“Noothing Neil and him can’t handle,” Matt said. His eyes were flashing like strobe lights, a sure sign of his agitation. “Angel, with those blookes aroound, yoou can’t just go foor a walk whenever yoou feel like it.”
I swallowed an angry retort, because I’d been damned lucky he’d come after me.
As we turned back toward the academy, my foot scuffed against something amid the leaves on the path. I bent to pick it up.
It was a syringe filled with an amber liquid.
Matt snarled when I held it up. “I doon’t think he was going to take no foor an answer.”
My pulse pounded. Just what had Aaron wanted from me? “How did you guys know I was in trouble?” I asked.
“Didn’t.” Matt answered. “Saw yoou were goone, and Alex and I decided to go foor a run. Caught that bastard’s scent almoost right away.”
I’d been lucky, and I knew it. “Thank you, Matt. I think I’ll go hide in my room now.”
Matt clacked his jaws. “Alex will repoort this.”
“Yeah.” I sighed. “Nothing will get done until everyone comes back, though. It will give me time to think.”
I needed to come up with a game plan. Because it seemed Aaron and Darius were out to get me—any way they could.
I’d never been so happy to see Mari. Her eyes widened in horror as Matt explained what had happened. She planted her enormous hand on my shoulder.
“We are getting chocolate from the dispenser,” she declared. “And then, we are going to lock ourselves in our room, and eat it.
Sounded like a great plan to me.
* * *
The events of the day had wrung me dry, and even the caffeine-laden chocolate wasn’t enough to keep me awake...
I was in the forest.
