Chapter 100 100- Never Underestimate How Hot Cuddles Can Get
LEXI
The sun is just starting to rise when we decide it’s time to head back to the Academy. There is the faintest hint of pale orange on the horizon, just enough to soften the darkness without really chasing it away. The sky is still mostly dim and shadowy, and the world has that strange quiet that only exists right before morning fully arrives. It’s cold too. The kind of cool early morning air that makes your breath visible and leaves the grass damp beneath your shoes. Everything is unbelievably still. Even the birds aren’t awake yet. I hug my parents tightly one last time before stepping outside with Blake. Mum squeezes me like she’s trying to memorize the shape of me and Dad pats my back in that quiet, reassuring way of his.
“I’ll call later.” I promise.
“Of course you will.” Mum says, smiling like she already knew that. They hover in the doorway as Blake and I step out into the yard. I’m one hundred percent sure it’s because they’re nosy and want to see Blake shift. Which is totally fair. It IS really cool. I take a few steps away from him to give him space to transform. And then suddenly something yanks me backwards. Hard. The movement is so fast and violent that I don’t even understand what’s happening at first. My feet leave the ground and the air is punched out of my lungs as I’m dragged back. My mother screams. Blake snarls, a deep, vicious sound that makes the hair on my arms stand up, and he launches toward me in a blur of motion. He grabs my arms and pulls me toward him with terrifying strength. I feel something still tugging at me from behind. Fabric stretches tight across my back and there’s a sharp ripping sound as the seams of my shirt tear a little. Then suddenly the pressure vanishes and I stumble forward into Blake’s arms. He doesn’t even pause. The moment he has me, he pushes me behind him, placing himself squarely between me and whoever grabbed me. I spin around, my heart racing so fast I can barely breathe. Three people stand a short distance away. Two men and a woman. One of the men must have been the one who grabbed me. The others are holding weapons, short enchanted blades or something similar, while the third man has his hands raised, glowing magic swirling between his fingers. I want to cast something. A barrier spell. A shield. Anything. But my hands are shaking and my thoughts are racing too fast. I can’t seem to focus enough to gather the magic properly. Note to self: cast my defensive spells BEFORE going outside from now on. And… Maybe learn some more defensive spells. Because it seems like I’m going to need them. The guards who had been stationed by the front door step forward now, moving quickly but cautiously. Even they give Blake a wide berth. The woman takes a step forward.
“Just give her to us.” She says coldly. Her voice makes me shudder. Blake doesn’t move. He just stares at them.
“Leave. Now.” He says darkly. I don’t know exactly what happens next. One of them moves, maybe the one with the magic, and suddenly everyone is moving at once. It’s chaos for a few seconds. Blake lunges forward with terrifying speed. The man with the magic barely has time to react before Blake slams into him, knocking him completely off his feet. There’s a sharp crack as the man hits the ground and the glowing magic sputters out instantly. The other two attackers barely get a chance to respond before the guards tackle them. There’s shouting, struggling, and the sound of metal clattering on the ground. And then it’s over. It takes five, maybe ten seconds. Blake drags the unconscious man up by the front of his jacket and drops him unceremoniously at the guards’ feet.
“Deal with it.” He growls. His voice is still thick with anger, his shoulders tense like he’s barely holding himself back from continuing the fight. Then he glances back at me. The anger in his expression shifts instantly into something else, sharp concern, and he turns away from the attackers without another word and rushes back to me. My parents come running out of the house at the same time. Suddenly I’m surrounded. Dad pulls me into a hug from one side while Mum wraps her arms around both of us. Blake ends up pulled into it too simply because he’s standing too close to escape. It turns into some kind of chaotic group hug. Blake looks deeply uncomfortable about the entire situation, standing stiffly while my parents cling to me like they’re confirming I’m still in one piece. Eventually we all step back. Blake doesn’t waste any more time. He steps away and shifts. My mother gasps loudly as the burst of flame reveals the dragon in our yard. My dad just stares, clearly impressed. I climb onto Blake’s back quickly, my hands gripping the familiar spikes near his shoulders. Then, with very little warning, he launches us into the air.
This time the flight is short. No scenic route, he takes me straight back to the Academy. We land in the same courtyard we left. I scramble down and he shifts back. Then without another word he grabs my arm and starts pulling me to the dorms and into his room where he secures the door. His shoulders are tense.
“Uhm… Blake? Are you okay?” I ask tentatively.
“No. I shouldn’t have taken you there in the first place. It was reckless.” He says coldly. I frown.
“What? No! It was kind of you. I really needed to see my parents. I feel so much better. Besides, you kept me safe. You and the guards dealt with those guys in like two seconds. I know I'm going to have to learn to do things a little differently and be more careful. But all this actually just made me feel more confident.” I assure him. Then when I see it isn’t working, I keep going.
“If that kind of thing is what’s going to happen… Well I know that you will keep me safe, just like you said and I can work on learning different ways to keep myself safe along the way. We can get better at outings and things. But I don’t think it went that badly. It was a little scary, but everything turned out alright, didn’t it?” I ask. Blake gives a reluctant, stiff nod. Okay there has to be something else to it. He really seems worried about something.
“Is there something I’m missing?” I ask. He sighs.
“I didn’t even know that they were there until they already had their hands on you. I didn’t see or hear them. They must have used magic.” He tells me. Oh… So THAT’S what’s bothering him. One of them touched me. And he didn’t see it coming. I step in closer and tug on his arm until he looks at me.
“I’m okay Blake. Really, really okay. Honestly, I’m more okay now than I was BEFORE we went out. Thank you so much for taking me. It really does mean a lot to me.” I assure him. He stands there stiffly for a moment, then sighs. He tugs me against his chest.
“Stay here in my room tonight.” He mutters into my hair. I tense up slightly then relax. He’s stressed and feeling unsafe, it’ll make him feel better if I stay close. So that’s what I’ll do.
“Okay sure.” I agree. I yelp as Blake picks me up and drops me on the bed. I kick off my shoes as he does the same and crawls into the bed beside me. He tugs me tightly against his side and pulls the blankets over us. At this point, I really am exhausted and I fall straight to sleep.