“We’re okay,” the Dragon rumbled. “Just having a—discussion.”
I abandoned my underwear and went straight for maximum coverage. Shoved my bra beneath the cot, and yanked my leggings on with such force I heard the seams threaten to give way. Managed to get both arms through the tee just as Eli said, “I want to see Riley.”
His voice dripped with suspicion. I moved up alongside Havoc, ignoring the way he recoiled, backing toward the cot.
“I’m fine, Eli,” I said. “We were having an argument.”
The Bellati’s eyes traveled from me, to the Dragon, and then dropped to the ground.
My panties lay on the cell floor.
While my brain came up with a dozen ridiculous reasons I could state for them being there—wasn’t sure he’d believe a butterfly-patterned thong belonged to Havoc, and the guy grew scales, anyway—my face flushed beet red. I then casually stepped so that my body blocked his view of them.
“Thank you, Eli,” I said. “But as you can see, we are fine.”
The Bellati’s brows danced. “I can see that. I’ll be at the top of the stairs. If you need me, just yell. Again.”
He spun and left. I glared at Havoc as he bent to retrieve my bra, tossed it to me, and glowered back.
“So, am I a prisoner, then?” he demanded.
I gritted my teeth. “Cara says you are welcome to stay in these lovely accommodations for as long as you like. This is the best hiding spot for you until Isobel and Brock are dealt with. But you are also free to fly away and get yourself killed if you prefer.” I turned away, hell-bent on a dramatic exit.
A scuttling motion revealed itself as Fang, racing toward me. Havoc’s glare turned to a glower as the Webspinner climbed up my leg and my torso to hide beneath my hair.
“Fucking hell, Dreambitch, she’smine,” he snarled.
“She seems to be able to make her own choices,” I corrected. “And I must say that so far, I approve of them.”
I snatched my panties off the floor and stalked from the cell, disappointed that there wasn’t a door to slam.
My panties almost fit in my pocket. The bra was another matter. I tucked it beneath my arm.
Eli said nothing as I passed him in the hall, and I couldn’t even look at him. Fang curled up against my neck and vibrated as tears pricked my eyes.
Fuck. After all this, be damned if I was going to cry.
I pelted up the stairs all the way to the fifth floor, pushing past students with single-minded determination and ignoring the stares that followed me. Damned shifters and their noses.
When I got to the top in record time, I realized that I was barely breathing hard. What was up with that? I fuck an asshole Dragon, and suddenly I’m superwoman?
I can’t believe I fucked him. And he’d treated me worse than shit. I’d just decided I was sooo done with men when I slammed through the doors to the dorm level and almost ran into a wall.
Not a wall. A man.
Marcus.
7
Riley
Marcus. The dark circles around his eyes and the hollow cheeks only emphasized the strong bones of his face, adding a dangerous intensity to him.
Why hadn’t anyone warned me that he’d returned to the academy? Had he been hiding in Cara’s suite?
Fuck. He was still so gorgeous. As he stood there staring back at me, I ached to touch him.
So much for my no-more-men resolution. It had lasted, what, five seconds?
