Thornhill Academy. Chapter 73

**Evander**

I was sceptical at first. Hell, that’s an understatement. When Allison told me this afternoon that Professor Hill knew what she was... what she is, every instinct in me wanted to drag her out of the academy and take her as far away from here as possible. The memory of her sitting cross-legged on her bed, wringing her hands while she explained what happened yesterday… It’s been playing on repeat in my head ever since. Apparently she’d forgotten about it last night, not surprising, considering how drained she was, but the moment she told me, my stomach dropped. A teacher. A mind-reading teacher. Knowing. When she said Hill wanted to train her, yeah, I was definitely sceptical. That’s *my mate*. My responsibility. The one person I’m supposed to protect above all else. I needed to know that whoever had his hands anywhere near her magic had her best interests at heart. So of course I went with her to the meeting.

And he… wasn’t surprised. Not in the slightest. He didn’t flinch at the word “siphon.” Didn’t blink at the word “mate.” Just looked at us both with that same unreadable, calculating expression. I think that unsettled me more than anything, how calm he was about it all. Then again, he is a mind reader. He probably already knew the moment we walked in, hell, probably before that. I’d never really thought about what that meant before. I have no defence against someone like him. No walls. No privacy. He could peel back my thoughts like the cover of a book, and I wouldn’t even feel it. The idea sits wrong in my chest, makes my dragon bristle under my skin. But despite that… he seemed genuine. Not kind, exactly, Hill isn’t the sort of man you’d ever call kind, but honest. Grounded. And that matters. Why he’s helping, I don’t have a fucking clue. Maybe guilt. Maybe curiosity. Maybe because he’s the only one who understands what she is and what the council would do to her if they found out. Doesn’t matter. If his help keeps her safe, then I’ll take it. Because she needs this. Training. Control. The ability to hide what she is before someone else notices. If Hill can give her that, then I can swallow my pride and trust him... at least a little.

And the part of me that’s more dragon than man? It’s more than just relieved. It’s hungry. Because now, training means she’ll learn to use my magic. My fire. My power. Which means I’ll get to see her dragon again — golden, beautiful, fierce — my dragon’s perfect mirror. And I can’t help it; even with everything hanging over our heads, the thought makes my chest burn in the best way possible.

“What are you grinning at?” Ally asks, her voice cutting through the quiet as we make our way down the dim corridor toward the dorms.

I blink, snapping out of the daydream I didn’t realise I’d fallen into. “Hmm? Oh…” Heat creeps up the back of my neck, and I rub at it awkwardly. “I was thinking about us flying together.”

Her brow lifts, suspicious but amused.

“My beast and I… like that idea,” I add quickly, trying to sound casual and failing miserably.

She rolls her eyes, a soft laugh bubbling out of her, the kind that makes my chest ache in all the best ways. “Of course,” she teases, nudging me with her shoulder. “You just want to chase my tail.”

She winks. Gods, she actually winks. It takes everything in me not to groan out loud. My dragon, the absolute menace that he is, lets out a satisfied rumble deep in my chest, and it’s all I can do to clench my fists and keep walking.

“Yeah,” I mutter under my breath, smirking despite myself, “you have no idea how much.”

She doesn’t hear me, or pretends not to, because she’s already skipping a step ahead, hips swaying like she knows exactly what it’s doing to me.

By the time we reach her door, my thoughts are a mess. The Moonlight Festival can’t come soon enough. I want everyone, every student, every smug bastard in this academy, to see that she’s mine. I want to hold her hand in public. I want to kiss her in the halls. I want to stop pretending that she’s just another student when she’s the most important thing in my world. Fuck, I just want to kiss her. All the time. She’s already across the threshold by the time I step in, and the sight of her hits me like a punch to the gut. Shoulders slumped, magic faintly flickering around her like a dying ember, she looks drained. The colour’s gone from her cheeks, and I can feel the emptiness in her through the bond.

“Hey,” I murmur, closing the door behind me. I cross the small space in two strides and pull her against my chest. Her body melts into mine before she can think to protest, and I press a soft kiss to her forehead. “You need to feed.”

She stiffens a little, her teeth catching on her bottom lip, eyes dropping to the floor. “I—”

I tilt her chin up with one finger, forcing her to meet my gaze. Her pupils are wide, ringed with faint gold. “Come on, pet,” I say quietly, the dragon in me bleeding through my tone. “You know you need to.”

Her breath stutters, and for a second, I think she’s going to argue again. Then she whispers, “I don’t want to lose control. I’ll tear my bloody room apart.”

I can’t help but chuckle. The image of her dragon flailing around the tiny space flickers through my mind. “You won’t,” I promise, brushing my thumb along her jaw. “You’ll have better control this time. You’ve been training, you’re stronger. Just take a little, enough to sate you.”

She hesitates, eyes flicking up to mine, uncertain but hungry. I can feel it in her, the pull of my fire calling to her magic.

I dip my head closer, my lips ghosting the shell of her ear. “Trust me, Ally. I’ve got you.”

Her pulse races under my fingertips, and when she exhales, shaky, surrendering. I know she’s going to give in.

At least that's what I thought. Instead, she pushes on my chest, leading me backwards until my knees hit the end of the bed and I fall onto my back. She follows, climbing up my body and straddling me. My dragon purrs deeply, and he fights for control, but I push him back down in my mind. She leans over and kisses me deeply, and I get lost in the sensation, my hands finding her hips and grinding her down onto the effect she's having on me. "Careful, little pet," I murmur between kisses. "I am a starving man right now, and I might just fucking devour you."