\[Serenity’s POV\]
I open my mouth to ask Maverick what it is that he means, but before I can, his mouth is slamming into mine, causing all rationale to go out the fucking window.
Goddess, it’s like heaven erupts within me as his tongue pokes at my lips, urging them to open so that it can meet my own and begin to dance. And his hands that touch me are so fucking rough and gentle at the same time.
No. A small part of me screams, trying to remind me that this wasn’t the time or place. You can’t keep this up.
But I could. In the moment, I found myself wanting this to last forever because it felt like something that I wanted for so long but didn’t even realize it.
Pulling away, Maverick stares at me with dark eyes while his breath comes in deep puffs.
“Do you get it now?” He asks, brushing his fingers along my cheek, running delicious lines of fire along my skin. “Or should I continue showing you?”
“I…” I begin, honestly wanting him to kiss me like that again. “I don’t…”
I don’t get to finish my words as the door to my dorm bursts open and two rogues rush in, their jaws open and ready to attack.
“Move!” I yell, shoving Maverick out of the way as I remember Aunt Elise’s arm after being bitten by one. “I’ll handle these.”
“Like hell, I’m just going to sit aside and let you fight them alone!” Maverick snaps, straightening out.
Ignoring his stubbornness, I catch one of the rogues mid jump and then heave, throwing it into the other, and while they work to right themselves, I bring my wrist to my lips and use a canine to slice my skin. If they wanted to bite me, fine, I would grant them their wish since I knew the outcome would be them becoming humans.
However, as I move to attack, another walks into the room, and I slam into what feels like a solid wall as he smiles broadly.
“Who?” I hiss, slamming a fist on the barrier in front of me. “What the fuck is this?”
As I speak, I look around and find that Maverick isn’t moving. Instead, he is staring straight ahead and seems almost transfixed on the man.
“Maverick!” I gasp when he takes a step toward the man. “Stop! What are you doing? What’s happening?”
‘Something’s wrong.’ Mahogany hisses as I slam my fist into the wall again. ‘There’s something wrong with him!’
‘I know,’ I growl, strengthening my attempts to break the wall. ‘Can’t you see I’m trying to get to him?’
‘Try harder!’
Letting out a growl of frustration, I close my eyes and pull on all of the strength I can muster and then begin to pummel the wall until I can almost feel it chipping.
“Interesting,” the man murmurs, turning his gaze toward me. “I wasn’t sure if you were the one I sought, but now I know that you are.”
“Oh yeah?” I spit, kicking out and managing to burst forward so I can grab Maverick and pull him backward, snapping him out whatever daze he was in. “That’s too fucking bad.”
Once Maverick shakes his head, making it clear that he is coming back to himself, I rush forward, ready to attack the bastard who tried to hurt him, but I’m stopped by the damned rogues.
Shoving my wrist into one of their mouths, I let them bite down, ingesting my blood, but instead of swallowing it releases and goes to the man’s side. Smiling, he pulls out a vial, and to my horror, the wolf begins to spit my blood into it.
“Thank you.” The man smirks. “This will do for now.”
Eyes widening, I watch as the man turns and begins to move while another fucking wall slams into place, stopping me from following him.
“No!” I wail, fighting against it only to not get anywhere. “STOP YOU FUCKING BASTARD!”
“Serenity,” Maverick hisses, grabbing me and pulling me away as my fists begin to bleed from the force of my hits. “You’re not going to get anywhere this way.”
“And what do you suggest we do?” I snap, not wanting whoever that bastard was to get away with my blood. “HE HAS MY BLOOD! I CAN’T LET HIM ESCAPE!”
“I know,” Maverick says, turning to the window and beginning to move. “We’ll have to catch him before he gets out of the school.”
Realizing what he was getting at, I move, pulling the window up and then taking in the distance between it and the ground.
“Shouldn’t hurt too much.” I mutter, climbing up on the windowsill. “See you down there!”
Ignoring Maverick’s shocked intake of breath, I jump, sending myself crashing to the ground below, which I hit with so much force I’m certain my ankle snaps.
Ignoring the pain, I shift into my wolf, allowing myself to nurse my injury while being able to move with enough speed to stop the fucker who took my blood. As I move, I can see others fighting on the lawn and try to ignore the urge to go and feed the rogues they’re fighting my blood.
Dammit. I hiss inwardly, keeping my focus on the school. Please, please don’t let others get bit. With this thought in mind, I burst inside to find the halls empty as all the teachers and guardians are fighting. Thanking the heavens that there won’t be any bystanders to get in the way, I extend my senses only to find that the one I’m after isn’t present.
No! I growl inwardly, refusing to believe that he managed to get away. There’s no way!
\[Elise’s POV\]
After my feet hit the ground, I rush toward the treeline, drawing all eyes to me, including the guards who watch over the area. They don’t move to stop me, and they don’t move to help me, making it even more obvious that maybe, just maybe, I’m the only one who can see the cloaked freaks roaming about the trees.
“Eleanor!” Forrest calls after me, catching up so he can run beside me. “What the hell do you even think you’re doing?”
“Protecting our school!” I snap, though I want to say protecting my niece. “Isn’t it obvious?”
“From what?” Forrest puffs, coming to stand in front of me so that he can stop me. “Can’t you see that there’s...”
He doesn’t finish his words as multiple howls sound before large black figures rush past us, one after another. They flow together like a river, ebbing and waning until they reach the wall protecting the school, where they begin to climb while the guards work to stop them.
“There’s too many!” I hiss, realizing that maybe what I saw in the forest line was a diversion. “They won’t be able to stop them!”
“Son of a bitch.” Forrest gasps, beginning to follow as I move again. “What the hell is this?”
“An attack, obviously.” I huff in annoyance, beginning to shift so I can fight with more strength.
Behind me, I can hear Forrest let out a howl of rage, and when a large black wolf with a single blue streak on its fur rushes past me, I’m actually amazed.
‘Well, I’ll be damned.’ I mutter inwardly, jumping and attacking a rogue that is close to me. ‘He’s an alpha in the end.’
Satisfied that he will be a good partner in this battle, I let excitement rush through me as I throw myself forward, ready to fuck some rogues up.