Thornhill Academy. Chapter 60

**Evander**

I sat on the edge of the bed with Allison, curled up in a little ball with one arm tucked under her cheek. Her breath was slow and even; the rise and fall of her chest was enough to keep me anchored. Tessa had said they were going shopping. Shopping didn’t prepare me for this: for the way a day spun out of control; for a pub full of danger and liquor. If I’d known, I would have gone with them. I should have. I shouldn’t have trusted that she’d be safe. I hated the way my chest tightened thinking about the things that could have happened. Kael had been there. Thank the gods, Kael had been there. My gratitude was conflicting because it was tangled with something else. He’d barged in like a storm with my mate and laid down a warning that had me angry and thankful all at once. I owe him my life a dozen times over. And yet the thought of him standing between me and what might be ours....him touching what my dragon and I had only just found...made a slow, ugly jealousy crawl up my spine.

A loud, incessant banging snapped me out of the spiralling thoughts. My head lifted as the sound repeated, harder and more annoying. I rose, boots whisper-soft on the floorboards, and opened the door a crack. Cage stood at the base of the stairwell, looking like he’d spent the night arguing with fate and losing. His hair was rumpled, dark circles dug deep beneath his eyes, and there was that familiar insolent curl to his mouth. He slammed his fist against the wood again, a harsh, impatient rhythm.

“Dude, can you not?” I called down.

He looked up at me, his scowl immediate. “Where’s Rivers?” he snapped.

I shrugged, careful, not wanting to give him anything. “Don’t know. Probably out enjoying her weekend somewhere.”

He muttered under his breath, something about being kicked out because she couldn’t stop being an idiot and my hands wanted to move before my head could stop them. I tasted blood in my mouth at the thought of someone speaking about her like she was less than human. I wanted to march down those stairs and rearrange his face. But my mate was sleeping in my bed, and she owed me more than a scuffle right now. I kept my fists at my sides and closed the door with quiet authority. Back in the room, the dragon under my ribs settled, a low contented rumble that made the hairs on my forearm lift. I crossed the floor and sat back down, closer this time, and watched her breathe. Her lashes rested against her cheeks, and when she shifted in her sleep, the faint scar lines on her back that peeked out flexed and softened. I let my forehead rest against my knuckles and smiled, ridiculous and half-ashamed. I liked her in my space. Liked the way she filled the bed with a presence that was both quiet and enormous. Liked the soft exhale she made whenever the dragon under my skin tickled her with warmth. Liked that she’d let me hold her and let me call her mine.

I waited until the hall cleared of voices and footsteps, and everyone was either off on errands or enjoying their weekends, before I moved. She hadn’t so much as stirred since Kael dropped her off, still fast asleep in my bed, her face soft and peaceful in a way I didn’t think I’d ever seen before. Carefully, I slid an arm beneath her knees and another under her shoulders, lifting her with ease. She made a soft sound in her sleep, a faint sigh against my chest, but didn’t wake. The warmth of her skin seeped through my shirt, and my dragon rumbled with satisfaction at the contact. Her room was quiet, sunlight cutting through the stained glass in shades of gold and green. I lay her down gently on her bed and brushed a strand of hair from her face. She’d want a shower when she woke, probably food too. Luckily, she had both here, and I didn’t plan on leaving her side until I was sure she was okay. The scent of her filled the space, and I loved it. I couldn’t help myself; I needed to clean up, to burn off the leftover tension running through me. So I took advantage of the rare privilege of her private shower, one that didn’t reek like the locker room stalls and let the hot water pound against my back. For a while, I just stood there, allowing the heat to calm the restless parts of me. My dragon liked it here, in her space. It felt safe, familiar, *right.* I shouldn’t linger too long, but I did.

When I finally stepped out, steam trailed me like smoke. I wrapped a towel around my hips and ran a hand through my damp hair, already feeling more like myself. That is, until I stepped into the room and froze. Allison was awake. Sitting upright, tangled in her sheets, blinking blearily around the room, until her gaze found me. Her eyes widened, darting down the length of me before snapping back up to my face. Her lips parted, and that blush crept up her throat fast.

I couldn’t help the slow, crooked smile that tugged at my mouth. “Afternoon, pet,” I said, voice low. “I hear you had a very interesting morning.”

She blinked, still half dazed. “Evander…?”

“Mm.” I leaned against the doorframe, arms crossing leisurely over my chest. “Kael found you at the Serpent’s Veil.”

Her face twisted into something between confusion and horror. “Oh gods…” she muttered.

“Yeah,” I drawled, amused. “You were apparently about to be a vampire's next snack.” I tilted my head, watching her expression shift from embarrassment to realisation. “Next time you want to get yourself killed, maybe tell me first. I’ll bring the fire.”

Her eyes finally met mine again, mortified and exasperated, but alive. That spark I loved was back.

She crossed her arms tightly, tugging the sheets higher over her chest. “You could at least put a shirt on before lecturing me.”

I chuckled, the sound low in my chest as I pushed off the wall and took a step closer. “Why?” I teased, voice softening. “You look like you don’t mind the view.”

Her jaw dropped, and she threw a pillow at my head. I caught it one-handed, laughing as I tossed it back onto the bed.

“Fine,” I said, grinning. “But only because I’m trying to be a gentleman.”

She rolled her eyes, muttering something under her breath, but I saw the corner of her mouth twitch, and it made something inside me settle. She was safe. She was here. And gods help me, I never wanted to leave this room again.