Chapter Eighty-Two
Riven and Kael were the first to arrive at the little café Avery loved, sliding into their usual corner table. The place was bustling with students, the air filled with chatter and the smell of roasted coffee beans. They ordered drinks and waited, their conversation low, still buzzing from the morning’s training.
One by one, the others arrived. Avery came in from her lab, her cheeks flushed with excitement, her notes tucked under her arm. Molly slipped in from the council wing, her expression thoughtful, while Lucien strolled in last, his teaching assistant badge still clipped to his shirt.
The moment they were all seated, the café seemed to tilt around them. Heads turned. Whispers rippled. The prophecy-bound five, sitting together in plain sight.
The campus was still abuzz with their union. A bonded five was unheard of, and though the council and the leaders of the realm had recognized it, the students were still adjusting. Some were curious, some envious, some openly hostile.
The rumors were everywhere — some silly, some cruel, some so absurd they made Avery laugh. She and Molly had already decided they would enjoy the chaos of these first months, leaning into it rather than letting it weigh them down.
Lucien, however, had been keeping track. He had a small notebook tucked into his bag, filled with names, overheard comments, and patterns of who was stirring the pot. He was ready to share it all, to lay out the threads of discontent he was already weaving into a map.
But Avery, glowing from her lab, waved him off with a smile. “Later. I want to talk about classes first. I loved it. The lab was everything I hoped it would be.”
Her excitement was infectious, and for a moment the table was filled with laughter and chatter about professors, assignments, and the strange thrill of being students again.
Then Molly’s voice cut in, softer, more cautious. “I should tell you… I was cornered earlier. A group of girls. They wanted to know what it’s like being with Lucien.”
Lucien’s jaw tightened, but Molly’s calm steadied him. “They weren’t threatening, just… sharp. Testing me. I don’t think it was random.”
The bond hummed with quiet tension. Riven and Kael exchanged a look, their wolves bristling. Avery’s smile faded, though she kept her voice even.
“Noted,” she said. “We’ll keep our eyes open. But we don’t give them the satisfaction of rattling us.”
Lucien slid his notebook onto the table, his expression cool. “Then let’s start connecting the dots. Because this isn’t just gossip anymore. It’s organized.”
The café bustled on around them, students laughing, cups clinking, the world moving as if nothing had changed. But at that table, the five of them leaned closer, their bond thrumming with unity. The faction thought they could test them with whispers and rumors. They were about to learn how wrong they were.
Lunch had ended in laughter. Somehow Avery had ended up perched on Riven’s lap, Molly on Lucien’s, and the glares from across the café had been nothing short of comical. By the time the bell rang to signal the start of afternoon classes, Avery and Molly were doubled over in fits of giggles, their fairies glowing brighter with amusement.
The group split for their classes — Avery heading to her lab with Lucien, Molly to her council seminar with Kael. Riven, however, had no classes with his mates for the rest of the day. A rare free period stretched before him.
And he knew exactly how he wanted to use it.
The new suite of rooms was being prepared under Dean Errol’s supervision, with Auron overseeing the security measures. The council had agreed to move them off the campus database entirely, their location hidden from prying eyes.
When Riven walked into the administrative wing, his stride easy and a smile tugging at his lips, Auron caught sight of him immediately.
The dragon lord’s eyes narrowed knowingly. “You’re here to help, aren’t you?”
Riven’s grin widened. “Of course. Avery’s going to want to nest tonight. She’ll want to veg out, feel safe, feel… home. I want it ready for her.”
Dean Errol chuckled, shaking his head. “You’re not the first mate I’ve seen fuss over a bonded partner, but you might be the most thorough.”
Auron leaned back against the desk, arms crossed, amusement glinting in his eyes. “And let me guess — you’re about to ask me to fetch her favorite takeout from the human realm.”
Riven’s smirk was answer enough.
Together, they walked through the suite. Riven inspected every detail — the wards on the doors, the arrangement of the furniture, the softness of the blankets. He made notes about what Avery would want within reach, what Molly would find comforting, and how to make the space feel like theirs, not just another council-controlled room.
“This isn’t just about safety,” Riven said quietly, running a hand over the back of the couch. “It’s about giving her a place to breathe. After everything… she deserves that.”
Auron’s expression softened, the teasing fading into respect. “You’re right. And I’ll get the food. Consider it done.”
By the time the others finished their classes, Riven planned to have everything ready — the suite secure, the wards humming, Avery’s favorite meal waiting.
Because tonight, after the chaos of their first day, she wouldn’t have to think about factions or prophecies or whispers in the halls.
Tonight, she could just be home.