Chapter 164 PLEASE BE ALIVE

Chapter 164 PLEASE BE ALIVE
CHAPTER 164

EMBER

I woke to a heavy weight pressing down on my thighs, pinning them to the mattress. The room was still dim, the thick purple curtains blocking most of the morning light.

I shifted slowly, trying to ease the stiffness in my back, and turned my head. Rowan lay inches away, his face relaxed in sleep. His sculpted jaw was slack, dark lashes resting against his skin, and his messy hair fell across his forehead.

One arm rested possessively across my waist, his bare chest radiating steady warmth that soaked through my clothes. The faint metallic scent of his skin mixed with the lingering smell of snacks from last night.

For a moment I just watched him, the blood bond humming quietly between us like a second heartbeat. It felt good. Safe. But it also pulled at me with the knowledge that the others were here too.

A different weight shifted on my legs. I groaned softly and tried to move them, but they wouldn’t budge. My muscles protested, stiff from yesterday’s chaos. I sat up carefully, propping myself on my elbows, and looked down.

A massive white wolf sprawled across my lap, tongue lolled out to the side in a ridiculous expression. Magnus.

I narrowed my eyes and kicked him lightly in the ribs. “Magnus.” I snapped.

His head snapped up instantly, sea-green eyes blinking at me. I winced as I pulled my legs up to my chest, rubbing the sore spots.

“What?” I demanded.

He tilted his head, then nodded pointedly at my thighs.

Is he being serious now?

I glared at him. “My legs are stiff. How did you think sleeping with your big head on my tiny thighs was a good idea?”

The wolf smirked—actually smirked—then bounded up the bed toward me. He stopped right in front of my face, breath warm and slightly damp, and dragged his tongue up the side of my cheek in one long, sloppy lick.

I batted him away with both hands. “Ugh, stop!” He shifted back a step, tail wagging once before he flopped down again.

I turned to my other side and froze. A huge brown lion lay curled there, thick mane spilling across the sheets.

Ouuu, this was Lance.

I reached out and ran my fingers through the long, coarse fur along his neck. It was softer than it looked. A deep rumble vibrated under my palm, like a living engine. I paused, wondering if I should pull away, but the lion opened one golden eye.

When he saw it was me, he pressed closer, pushing his heavy head against my chest. I giggled despite everything and scratched behind his ear. The rumble grew louder.

A low growl came from above my head. I tilted my head back. Kael loomed over me, partially shifted. Dark scales covered his chest and arms, glinting faintly in the low light.

The texture looked rough but felt surprisingly smooth when I reached up to trace one. The scale shimmered under my fingertip, shifting from deep black to a rich blue that you’d only notice up close.

Heat flooded my face as yesterday’s memory hit me—clinging to his dragon form during the escape, the raw power of him beneath me.

“What’s with you guys sleeping in your other forms?” I asked softly.

He growled again, but this time it sounded more like a contented moan. I flicked my fingers against his forehead. His eyes opened, one brow arched in that familiar irritated way.

I laughed. “You’re silly.”

He closed his eyes for a second, then smiled. “Continue doing that. Azriel likes it.”

I leaned closer, voice dropping to a whisper. “Who’s Azriel?”

His eyes snapped open, shifting to a deeper, stormier gray shot through with lightning-like streaks. Up close they were mesmerizing.

I cupped his face with both hands, thumbs brushing his cheekbones. “Your eyes look different but beautiful.”

He blinked, and the storm gray returned. I frowned in confusion.

Kael chuckled, the sound low in his chest. “That’s Azriel’s eyes.”

Realization clicked. “Your dragon is Azriel.”

He nodded.

I sat back, thinking. “Magnus’s wolf is Fenrys, Lance’s lion is Gabriel, and yours is Azriel. Do all of you give your order forms names?”

A flash of light beside me made me turn. Lance shifted in a ripple of muscle and tawny hair. His broad shoulders and defined chest filled my vision.

My gaze trailed down before I could stop myself, taking in the hard lines of his abs. I bit my lips to suppress the moan and let my gaze trail down to mid section but his curled legs blocked the rest. I frowned slightly and looked up at him.

Lance was staring down at me, his lips curved into a smirk, eyes glinting with mischief. “Disappointed, baby girl?”

My face burned in embarrassment. I scowled. “Fuck you, Lance.”

He burst out laughing, the sound loud and warm. I couldn’t help smiling back.

Rowan groaned behind me and tightened his arm around my waist, pulling me flush against his bare chest. “Shut your mouth, Lance. Some of us are trying to sleep.”

Lance winked at me. “To answer your question—no, our order forms have their own names. After our first shift, they introduce themselves. They’re like… separate entities inside us. Different personalities we have to manage and control. Sometimes they get feral. Their emotions can override ours and make us do things we don’t want.”

I raised an eyebrow. “Oh.”

He leaned in and kissed me softly, lips warm and lingering just long enough to make my stomach flip. When he pulled back he winked again. “That one was Gabriel.”

Kael smacked the back of Lance’s head. “Idiot.”

Lance just smirked wider. I started laughing, the sound mixing with the others’ grumbles. The easy teasing felt good after yesterday, but underneath it my chest still ached with worry.

I glanced around. “Where’s Ragnar?”

A noise from the window drew my eyes. Ragnar hung there, wings spread wide to cover his body, hooked onto the frame by what looked like a strip of cloth. I couldn’t see much else.

I turned to Lance. “Does he always sleep like that?”

Kael chuckled. “Worse. Don’t worry about him. Have you forgotten he’s a bird boy?”

We got dressed a few minutes later, the room filled with the sounds of rustling clothes and quiet complaints. I slipped out and headed back to my dormitory, feet moving quickly along the familiar paths. The academy felt heavier today, the new wards pressing down like invisible walls.

When I pushed open the door to my room, silence greeted me. The bed on Liana’s side was untouched. No rumpled sheets, no discarded clothes, no sign she had come back at all. My stomach dropped. I checked the bathroom, then her closet—nothing. The emptiness pressed in, thick and wrong.

I rushed out and ran straight to Headmaster Michal’s office, heart pounding against my ribs. I knocked hard.

“Come in.”

I stepped inside, breath short. Michal sat behind his desk, looking as exhausted as the rest of us. Dark circles shadowed his eyes.

“Liana didn’t come back last night,” I blurted. “She wasn’t in the auditorium, she wasn’t in our room. I haven’t seen her since the attack started.”

Michal’s expression tightened. He stood slowly. “I’m about to assemble everyone in the courtyard. Mordecai just contacted me—they’re returning with the list of students who didn’t survive. And bringing the injured back to the academy.”

My heart began racing faster, a heavy thud that echoed in my ears. The room felt too small.

If Liana didn’t make it back to the academy, does that mean she’s dead? The thought hit like ice water. I didn’t want to believe it. She had to be among the injured. She had to be okay. We’d fought together, laughed together. She couldn’t just be gone.

I swallowed hard, fists clenched at my sides. “She has to be on that list. The injured one.”

Michal didn’t answer right away. He simply nodded toward the door. “Come with me. We’ll find out soon enough.”

I followed him out, legs heavy, dread coiling tighter in my gut with every step. The courtyard was already filled with students, their voices a low, anxious murmur.

I scanned every face, searching for Liana’s familiar smile, but she wasn’t there. My hands started to shake. The festival attack replayed in flashes.

Please be alive. Please just be hurt and safe.