I changed out of my uniform skirt and opted for pants instead. After school hours, we were free to wear whatever we wanted. So, I put on black yoga pants and an oversized t-shirt. I was never the type of girl who really cared what I looked like. Comfort was more important to me.
As I began walking outside, a voice stopped me dead in my tracks.
“Hey, where are you going?”
As I turned around, I spotted an angry looking Lain looking at me.
I forgot about my shadows.
“Hey, I was uh...”
I was stumbling over my words. One thing we had forgotten about when scheming was my security detail.
Now what?
“I really hope you aren’t trying to get out of here right now. You know the rules,” Lain stated, clearly frustrated with me.
So, it appeared he thought I was escaping. Maybe I should run with that idea.
Before I could say anything, Donovan opened the front door and stood towering over me. “Hey, there you are. I told my dad I would escort you directly to meet with him,” Donovan stated, his eyes locked on Lain.
Lain looked between us. “Wait, I wasn’t told of this,” he said.
My palms were sweating as I thought we were caught.
“You are just her bodyguard. You are not always privy to information sent out from the Dean,” Donovan stated. He sounded very snooty and I saw Lain back down a little.
“My apologies. I just thought...” Lain started to explain, but Donovan wasn’t about to listen.
“No, it doesn’t matter what you thought. Maybe you and Zane need to communicate better. Now, if you will excuse me. I have to get this Human to the Dean. Now.”
Donovan grabbed me by the elbow and ushered me out through the heavy wooden doors. With a loud thud, they closed behind us and I didn’t dare to turn around and see if Lain had followed us.
“Don’t say anything, just follow me,” Donovan whispered to me.
Terrified, I did as I was told.
Donovan led me through the blackness and over to the barn. Bright silver stars sparkled over us and the damp grass crunched under our feet as we swiftly walked.
Once we were hidden in the shadows of the barn, Donovan let go of my arm.
“Sorry if I hurt you. I had to make Lain believe me,” he apologized.
“No problem. You helped me out back there. I guess Eden and I forgot to devise a plan to get away from my bodyguards,” I admitted.
“You and Eden have a plan?” he asked.
“Well, yeah. That was why I wanted to talk with you,” I said.
“Ok, well we only have a few minutes,” Donovan said, looking around.
He was creeping me out. It was like he was expecting someone else to be out here.
“I have something to tell you, but before I do, I need you to promise me something,” I began.
“Ok,” Donovan stated, looking a bit confused.
“I need you to promise not to tell anyone the information I am about to give you and I really need you to promise to not lash out and do anything dangerous,” I added.
“Audrey, you are really freaking me out. Just tell me,” he demanded, his tone dark and angry.
“Not until you promise.” I refused to give in until he gave me his word.
“Fine, I promise,” Donovan spat out.
Leaning in, I began to tell Donovan everything that happened. I started with seeing Marcus and Alex sneaking out and how I had followed them into town. I then went on to explain how the night he kissed me, I overheard Zane and Professor Martin talking about their plans to bring Humans to the academy. As I spoke, Donovan’s face showed a range of emotions starting with anger to disgust and then finally to devastation.
“They are going against everything this academy stands for,” Donovan raged.
His fists were clenched tightly at his sides and his fangs protruded through his mouth, gleaming in the sliver of moonlight that filtered into our small shadowed area.
If I weren’t already freaked out, I would have been worried about being in the presence of an angry Vampire. But, something told me I didn’t need to worry about Donovan.
“It is terrible, but they are going to continue hurting innocent people if we don’t stop them,” I said, reminding him of the cause.
I think he was more tempted to kill Zane.
A moment of clarity washed over Donovan and he turned and looked at me. “Audrey, does this mean that you and Zane are...”
It was like he couldn’t finish his sentence. It was weird and a little bit awkward to be having this conversation with Donovan, after he confessed his feelings for me. But, if I wanted to save myself and other people, this had to be said.
“It was all a lie. I mean, at first, I really liked him, and I thought he liked me. I guess I was crazy to think I would ever be good enough for someone like you all,” I said.
Even though I detested Zane, it still pained me to know he had played me like a fool. I had real emotions and they were crushed.
Grabbing my face, Donovan forced me to look at him. “Don’t ever say you aren’t good enough. Zane is scum, not good enough to walk on this earth. I have known about how dangerous he is for years. But anytime I tried to tell my dad or the other professors, everyone thought it was just some stupid vendetta I had out for him,” Donovan finished, shaking his head in disgust.
“I’m scared,” I admitted, my lips trembling.
“I know. But, we will figure this out together,” Donovan assured me.
I sighed and relaxed into his touch. Donovan could feel my tension ease and he carefully placed an arm around my shoulder, bringing me in to him.
I thought I would feel strange in his arms, but instead, I felt like I had finally found my home.
A vision of him kissing me and how I had felt so many emotions flashed through my mind. There was something between me and Donovan and I wasn’t sure what it was. Right now, wasn't’ the time to figure it out. I had much more important things to think about.
As he held me, Donovan whispered in my ear. “So, now you need to tell me the crazy plan you and my sister devised,” Donovan smirked.
Looking up, I saw how his golden eyes lit up as he looked at me. They were beautiful and I knew if I allowed myself to, I could get lost in them.
“Well, first we need to find out when Marcus and Alex plan to go back to town. We need pictures of them for evidence. Next, we need you to help us.” I wasn’t sure what we needed Donovan to help us with, but something told me Donovan had his own plan in mind.
“You are in luck,” Donovan smiled down at me.
“I am?”
“Yes, it just so happens that I have known about Marcus and Alex sneaking out for the last few weeks. Now, I had no idea what they were doing. I never wanted to get caught following them. Looks like we can get that evidence you need tonight,” Donovan finished, a smug smile covering his mouth.
Donovan and I were staring at one another, mesmerized by the closeness we now held and the plans we were about to embark on. I guess that’s why we never heard the footsteps approaching us.
“Well, well. Look what we have here,” a voice rang out.
Cringing, I didn’t need to turn around to know who was now standing behind me and Donovan.
CHAPTER 6
TIME STOOD STILL.
Closing my eyes, I held my breath as my heart began to pound against my chest. Of course, we would get caught. As recent events had proven, I had the worst luck in the world.
“Seems like the Human really likes Vampires,” Alex seethed, stepping closer to where Donovan and I were standing.
“I think you need to stop,” Donovan warned.
Alex stopped mid-step, but he tried to keep his composure. It was clear he was unnerved by the Dean’s son, as he should be. However, Alex was also a little punk, so he would try to save face somehow.
“Maybe you need to stop hitting on Zane’s girlfriend,” Alex said, a nasty smirk crossing his lips.
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My stomach dropped as I listened to Alex talk. He was so sure of himself.
“You have no idea what you are talking about,” I said, adding my own comments in.
Alex turned and glared at me. It was clear he detested me because I was Human.
“Sure, I do. You are supposed to be meeting with Zane here soon. I overheard Lain and Jordan talking about Donovan having to take you to the Dean’s office. I knew that wasn’t the case, so I followed you,” Alex sneered.
Shaking his head, Donovan wasn’t about to listen to Alex any longer. “Maybe you were really out here to take a nice stroll through the woods,” Donovan said, hinting at Alex’s dark secret.
A look of disbelief crossed Alex’s features and now he was really showing his worry. His poker face was gone and now a scared kid took over.
“No... that’s not true...” he was stumbling over his words as his body began to shake.
“You know, Donovan, now that I think about it, I think I have seen Alex out here at night before. I have a really good view of the grounds from my bedroom balcony,” I said, turning to Donovan.
If Alex wanted to play a game, then I was in.
“Neither of you are supposed to be out here either,” Alex shot back.
“Well, then I guess we should all keep our mouths shut,” Donovan warned.
“I won’t tell the Dean I saw you all out here if you don’t share what you saw,” Alex began. “But, that doesn’t mean I can’t tell Zane his girlfriend is a cheater,” he snapped, giving me an evil glare.
Now I could really see Donovan getting angry. Hissing, his pearly white fangs flashed through the black night air. I gasped and took a step back. Even though I lived among Vampires, it still struck me as terrifying when one unleashed their fangs in front of me.
Taking a step closer to Alex, Donovan grabbed him around his shirt collar and held him off the ground. Alex’s legs shook like crazy as he struggled to get out of Donovan’s strong grasp. But, it was to no avail. Donovan was clearly much stronger than him.
“You are going to march back into the academy and go straight to your room. You will never speak of what you saw out here,” Donovan growled, each word laced with a deathly promise. “If I discover that you even hinted about me and Audrey being out here, I swear you will never see the academy again. You will be banned forever,” he finished, dropping Alex onto the wet ground.
Alex landed on his backside and began scrambling backward. He didn’t say another word as he quickly jumped onto his feet and raced back toward the academy.
Donovan and I didn’t dare to move until we saw the heavy academy doors close behind Alex.
“Wow, that was close,” I said, letting out a heavy breath. I swear, I hadn’t breathed until that moment.
Finally able to calm down, I noticed Donovan was still angry and on edge.
“I don’t trust him,” Donovan stated.
“I don’t either, but right now, we can’t do anything. At least we know he won’t say anything to Zane,” I added.
“Maybe. We have to get all the evidence we can against them and then turn it over to my dad. I want those guys out of this academy as fast as possible,” Donovan said.
“Me, too,” I sighed.
Taking my hand, Donovan forced me to look at him. “I know you are scared, but I really appreciate your trusting me with all of this. I promise you; I won’t let anyone hurt you,” Donovan said.
I believed him, too, even though just days ago, I thought he detested me. It was clear Donovan was a caring guy. I was seeing a side of him I never knew existed, but I really liked it.
“I know I can trust you. So, what do we do now?” I asked.
“I have been following these guys, like I said earlier. They keep to a specific schedule. Every Monday night like tonight, Friday, and Saturday nights they go out and into the woods. We will have to catch them Friday.”
Nodding my head, I took in his words and memorized them. I would tell Eden later tonight after my date with Zane.
“So, we will try to catch them sneaking out again?” I asked.
“No, we will be one step ahead of them. We will be waiting in the woods. When they venture into the area, we will follow behind them.”
“Ok, that sounds easy,” I shrugged.
“Just trust me. I’m good at following people without being detected.”
His words struck me as odd, but I didn't say anything.
“Oh crap!” I yelled out, remembering I had to meet with the enemy soon.
“What’s wrong?” Donovan asked, confused by my change in demeanor.
“I need to text Zane. It’s almost time for me to meet with him,” I stated.
Donovan’s face fell and his eyes grew dark at the mention of Zane.
“I hate that you are still meeting with him,” he said.
“I know. Trust me, it isn’t easy for me either. But, I have to keep acting the same around him, so he doesn’t know anything is wrong. I will try to see if I can get any information out of him,” I finished.
“Don’t do anything dangerous,” Donovan warned me.
It warmed my heart to hear him so worried about me. How could I be thinking of Donovan like this? I couldn’t like him, could I?
There was no time to worry about that now.
“I have to meet Zane now, but we will talk more tomorrow—about everything,” I said, flashing him a smile.
Smiling back, Donovan squeezed my hand and then raced off like lightning.
Twenty minutes later, I was meeting up with Zane in the lounge area. There was a huge floor to ceiling screen and rows of plush chairs for students to sit in and enjoy movies. Zane had ensured we would be alone.
As I waited outside the room, I spotted Jordan watching me carefully. He stood off to the other side of the hallway and his eyes never left me.
When I spotted Zane, I mustered a smile and waved. His large smile lit up the dimly lit hallway as he sauntered over to me.
“Hey, I missed seeing you today,” Zane said, leaning in and kissing me on the cheek.
It took all of my power to not scream and push him away. I was disgusted by his behavior and to be this close to him made my stomach churn.
“I missed you, too,” I lied.
Taking my hand, he led me inside the lavishly decorated room.
Jordan remained outside of the room and as we sat down side-by-side, I heard Zane’s phone chime, alerting him to a text.
Quickly pulling out his phone, Zane gave me an apologetic look before he glanced down at his phone. A deep frown came over his face and I couldn’t help but watch him. I wanted to know what had him so upset.
Sighing, he typed a quick reply and then put his phone back inside his pocket.
“Sorry about that,” Zane stated.
“It’s ok. Is everything alright, you looked upset,” I added, placing my hand on his.
I needed him to continue to trust me so I could lure some information out of him.
“Yes, just a few guys who didn’t follow my orders,” he began. “By the way, were you out talking with Donovan earlier?” he asked.
My heart froze and my breath faltered at the mention of Donovan. Had Alex ratted me out? That little jerk would pay.
Deciding it would be best just to go with as much honesty as possible, I said, “Yes, I had been upset and he talked to me. I think we saw Alex, too,” I added, trying to ensure I kept it all in sync.
“Oh, well I hope he didn’t bother you. Donovan still has a huge problem with me, as you could tell from the dance,” he said, shaking his head with an angry huff.
“No, I think the Dean sent him to check on me. Donovan isn’t a huge fan of mine either,” I nervously giggled.
Draping his arm around my shoulders, Donovan grabbed the remote and began scrolling for a movie for us to watch. “Never mind him. Donovan is useless. Let’s just enjoy watching a movie and being together,” Zane added.
“Sounds perfect,” I mused.
&
nbsp; As I nestled in close to him, I noticed his phone had fallen out of his pocket and was sitting in between our chairs. Realizing I could use this opportunity, I shot up in my seat.
“Hey, would you mind getting us something to drink?” I asked.
“Umm, sure,” Zane said.
Getting up, he left the room and Jordan peered in. He had red blood smeared all over his lips and as he took a swig from his large glass of blood, he smiled at me. He knew it bothered me to watch them drink blood.
Rolling my eyes, I waited for him to return back to his post.
Once the coast was cleared, I grabbed Zane’s phone and opened the screen. I found his messages app and began searching through names.
I saw a group text with him, Alex, and Marcus.
Opening the app, I began reading.
Alex: tonight’s venture into town isn’t going to happen.
Marcus: Why, I am on my way?
Zane: You better have a good reason for this.
Alex: Yes, ran into your girlfriend with the Dean’s son. Seems she was upset. Too many eyes on us tonight.
Marcus: That sucks, want me to take care of her?
I gasped as I read Marcus’s text. He was talking about me
Zane: Not yet. You know the plan. Just a few more days.
Alex: If we are going to get your plan to work, we have to act fast.
Zane: I am the mastermind here. Don’t tell me what to do. Besides, Professor Martin is still working on the last batch of applications. He is using his new form to track Humans like Audrey. We will meet up again on Friday and then we can all go into town.
Marcus: Sounds good.
Alex: Ok.
I pulled out my phone and quickly took a picture of the messages on Zane’s phone. When I was finished, I tucked the phone back into its hiding spot between the chairs.
Zane arrived only seconds later, and I sighed a breath of relief. I had gathered a little bit of information. Only now, I had more questions than before.
What form was Professor Martin using to track Humans? Why did Humans need to be like me? What did that even mean?
All I knew was that I had to talk with Eden and Donovan, but I was trapped with the one person who wanted to hurt me the most.
Unleashed: Book 2 in the House of Shadows Series Page 4
