The comment seemed to upset the Dragon, who peeled his lips back from his sharp teeth, and I didn’t think it was a smile. “Thats alpha craps doesn’t works on Dragons.”
“I’m not so lucky.” Matt’s mouth twisted.
The Dragon snorted and transferred his gaze to me. “Perhaps runnings alone is nots the bests idea.” He sounded downright grumpy now. Almost accusatory. Like this was my fault.
My protest was automatic and heated. “It’s the middle of the day. On academy grounds.”
His deep-blue eyes regarded me and his lip curled. “Thats woulds not matters, withs someones likes him.”
Dammit. The fact he’d nearly been proved right only added to my frustration. I gestured to Matt. “Okay. I’ll run with him, then.”
Matt ran a hand through his shaggy hair, the muscles of his arm and shoulder rippling as he created raised tufts in his sun-streaked locks. But looked away from both me and the Dragon. “I can’t bloody protect you from that bludger. Even my human...” His voice, already so low I could barely make out the words, trailed off.
I finally pegged what was written all over him—he was ashamed that he couldn’t stand up to Darius. But I’d felt the power of what radiated from that jerk. And it was obvious it had a purpose among Dires. “I’m not expecting you to protect me, Matt.”
The green eyes snapped to mine, and then away again. “You need someone to watch your back.”
It frustrated me. “I am not going to let that asshole ruin what I am trying to accomplish here.” I gritted my teeth. “And I don’t want either of you guys to tell anyone about this.”
Matt’s eyes widened, and they finally met and held mine. “You can’t be serious, Angel. We need to report this berko bastard.”
“I am serious. Very.” I fixed him with a glare and then switched it to the Dragon. “Any mention of this, and they’ll boost me right outta here. You can’t tellanyone.”
The Dragon hissed. Matt’s brows were so low they shadowed his eyes.
“You met Amadeus,” I pressed. “Darius’s pack donated enough money to buy him a spot on the team. You know I’m right.”
A muscle jumped in Matt’s jaw, and his entire body was rigid. I was finding it damned hard to keep my concentration with so much skin exposed. Skin, and other things. However, I was desperate to make my point.
“This is my issue. And my call. If you want to report him throwing his alpha power around, go ahead. In fact, I think you should. But leave me out of it.”
Matt looked past us to the Dragon. His eyes were glowing emerald.
“Promise me.” I glared back and forth between the two.
The Dragon uttered a low vibrating growl that shook the loose stones on the path, but he nodded, once. I stared at Matt.
“Fine,” he snapped.
“Are you going to report Darius for the misuse of his power?”
He shook his head. “No. That’s between him and me.”
“Then you get it?”
He sighed. “Yeah, no worries. I get it. I just don’t bloody like it.”
“Tells the Dorinthian,” the Dragon rumbled.
I folded my fingers into fists. “What? Why?”
“He’s got a point,” Matt said. “She’s eight feet tall and strong enough to lift a bus.”
I gaped at him. “She’s also a pacifist.”
“Doubt Darius knows that. And if he comes after you within her reach—she’s a Shaker, isn’t she?”
I planted my fists on my hips. “Yeah. But it isn’t her job to protect me. Or yours, for that matter.”
