by S. L. Morgan
“I’m sure it will be on a live broadcast like the quests were if the leprechaun has her way. You can all gather around and watch it there.” I looked at the tall shifter, “Later.”
I wanted to shift, and you know what? I think it would be awesome to bust a damn rule at this school. I needed my wolf to free up this frustration I was dealing with. I glanced over my shoulder to see Dom and Melanie were held back by our professor, and I decided to use my early out time as wisely as my elf professor suggested.
I headed directly toward the rainbow trees so no one would sense me shifting outside of school guidelines. I remembered the trail Dom and I used when Ethan randomly shifted and took off in a direction away from the school, and no one spotted him.
Once in wolf form, my wolf lent me her strength, calm mindset, and oddly enough, her not pissed at Dom mentality. I was able to calmly take in that Dom didn’t do anything out of malice. He was desperate to keep everyone’s eyes off me when he took me away from the school to extract the demon. Sadly enough, he’d trusted a leprechaun, but my wolf gave me the insight that he had no other option.
He had no draw or pull toward her. My wolf was calm in the room because his was. She scented her alpha mate had been shoved in a corner by Dom with all the devastating emotions of the dissolved bond Dom’s wolf was experiencing. Dom’s wolf was chill, but the two wolves silently found peace from being in the room together.
While all my angered nerves calmed with each paw pounding against the forest floor, I stopped seeing red. Dom had this leprechaun issue, and I had Bradley as an issue. This sucked for both of us.
I shifted back late that night—after lights out—and quietly snuck into my dorm.
“Jenna,” Vannah whispered after I slipped into bed. “You and I were supposed to work on you tonight. Where were you? Dom stopped by three times and didn’t seem very happy you weren’t anywhere to be found after your House Fae class. He, of course, shut everyone up—lying that you were upset and offended by the leprechaun, and because you were his student, he let you off the hook with classes for the day to stay in the library, your dorm, or whatever lie he could use. You cannot put him in those positions.”
“Well, all of what he said was true, except I shifted and took off. I really don’t care if the school punishes me. That leprechaun is going to be a bigger problem than this school could dream up to punish me for shifting outside of guidelines, and Bradley’s being just as stupid.”
Kat mumbled in her sleep, prompting me to lower my voice.
“What are you talking about? And quit pushing your luck because you’re upset! Your and Dom’s wolves need as much time together as possible. You can’t just take off on him. That’s not fair, and you know it. He’s dealing with much more than I think you realize without that bond. Don’t pull that crap again. Now,” she smiled and took a breath, “what happened with Bradley? I thought you were breaking it off with him. Tonight, he approached Dominic and challenged him.”
“What the hell?”
“Yeah, don’t take off and you might be around for when a shifter acts like an idiot.”
“What did he say? What did Dom do?”
“Well, I don’t know verbatim, I was too far away. I caught some of it, though, and about the leprechaun…you’re right. That girl isn’t shaking off Dom’s arm as easy as I think he’d hoped. He could have used his mate at his side when she was all over him in the library, and Bradley called him out for being a jerk in creating the quest. Apparently, he didn’t like House Fae’s presentation today either. Listen, I get it. I had to sit through the girl rambling on and on about how amazing Dom was in helping her too. She actually proved she’s too young, maturity-wise, to be around college kids. She acts like a thirteen-year-old, not like she’s about to turn eighteen. That’s not the point, though. She’s immature and annoying, a lot of us felt that way, but you have to get over it. Now, why would Bradley even think to challenge Dom like that in front of all the master shifters and your friends.”
I laid my head back into my pillow. “Because he’s not giving up hope that Dom and I aren’t mates. He believes I’ll come back to him like I did Dom, I guess. I don’t know.”
“He’s not giving up hope? You told him—nicely—right? You told him that you and Dom realized that you were true mates after you separated like you did?”
“Of course, I told him that. It didn’t help. He’s off the rails, in my opinion. Why does everyone have to be so damn stupid? The leprechaun, the bear shifter, me…freaking Dom! All of us are as dumb as bricks. If only we could erase this entire school year after vacation and start over, knowing what we know now.”
“Shut up!” Kat said in her sleep.
“We do that,” Vannah’s whisper was audible to my wolf, “and you lose the control you finally have over your wolf, and we have to go through killing that thing all over again.”
“It was a stupid sarcastic statement, Vannah.” I flipped onto my stomach, Dom’s face appearing like he was staring at me through my dorm window. “I miss him.”
“He misses you,” Vannah said. I felt her rub my back, “No more taking off and acting out. I’m not reliving you getting busted all the time like we’re at Dark Water again. You even missed out on pie tonight. A pie that Tan was more than happy to get while Dom was cringing at every interruption that leprechaun sent his way to keep his attention.”
“This is a mess.”
“It is, and we have too much to worry about and plan without you taking off like you did. So, before you lose it and do that again, at least come talk to me first.”
“I was just so pissed. I’m better now. My wolf forgives him for telling my entire, pathetic life story to that idiot, so I forgive him too.”
“Glad you listened to the wolf. You have no idea how hard he worked and how determined he was to finally end your threat.” Vannah reminded me. “Don’t forget that tomorrow when you get annoyed, because you will.” She rolled her eyes, “That leprechaun ain’t going anywhere anytime soon. We’re all, I think, collectively hoping her seeing Dom with you again will help her move on.”
“Hopefully, it’ll help Bradley move on.” I glanced back at the door. “I really want to see Dom.”
“You have to wait. How about some incentive for you to make your magic work?” Vannah gave me a sly smile. “It’s obvious you and Dom need to be close at all times, and the only time you’re both going to get that real closeness is when all eyes are off you two.”
“What are you trying to say? We’re not merging.”
“No, you’re not,” Vannah answered. “You’re going to learn how to cloak yourselves while you start staying with him. Next week, Kat is out of here, and it will only be me who notices you’re not in your own dorm. Lusa and I talked about it, and she’s working to open Dom and E’s old room up again. She knows he needs to be close to you. If you get that cloaking spell down, you can conceal yourselves from the school, and you two can be all cozied up together like you were in the cabin.”
“You think that’s a good idea?”
“It’s all you two have. It’s healthy for your wolf, Dom’s wolf, and Dom. Shifter mates thrive on closeness with each other, so it will help you both through the tough times. Hopefully, opening up the cloaking spell will open up your ability to use more of your magic.”
“Great idea,” I grinned. “How about I surprise Dom with that spell when I have it figured out?”
“Surprises aren’t really a great idea these days.”
“It’s not going to hurt anything. I’ll show up as his and E’s new roomie and let him know I’m getting my stuff down.”
“If that’s what helps drive you to tap into that power, then I’m down. Do it. Now, go to bed. It’s two in the morning, and I’ve been up all night hoping you weren’t caught in another leprechaun trap.”
“Very funny.” I rolled my eyes.
“I know, that’s why I said it. Go to bed. Look forward to seeing Dominic tomorrow and also holding back your desires all day
long for each other.”
“Yes, it should be fun since I’m aching to see him right now.”
“Go to bed, Jenna. You’re up in three more hours with him for training. You’ll see him soon enough.”
Chapter Thirty-Two
The next day was better than I imagined it would be. Dom brought us into rotating exercises, and we switched through them so quickly that we didn’t have a chance to blink before changing the routine from workouts, to training, and now finally ending the class by shifting into our animals and racing through the riverbed course as fast as our animals could go.
My wolf didn’t trail behind Dom’s. She was burning her legs off, trying to keep up with this speed I’d never seen him kick his wolf into. It was exhilarating and what both of our wolves needed. It was the same togetherness the wolves had experienced at the cabin and would have shared if I hadn’t bounced on the school last night.
Before shifting, Dom gave us instructions to report directly to the gyms, shower, and change, then head up for breakfast. I took longer than usual in the showers, wondering what I was going to say to Dominic when I saw him after yesterday. It was our first time talking since separating at the cabin. I wasn’t pissed at him anymore, but I was worried about the predicament this leprechaun issue had us both in now.
I walked out with Kat and Emily, the two ignoring me most likely because I was rude to their shifter friend yesterday. I noticed Dom, leaning against a tree, shades on, and staring off to where the majority of the shifters ahead of us were walking toward the dining hall.
I wasn’t going to be hesitant around him. We had a lot of stuff to talk about in a short amount of time. Any concern I had in being with him again left the minute he pulled his glasses on his head, and a smile that jolted my heart appeared on his lips.
“Oh, God,” Kat mumbled, she and her friend walking faster and turning before reaching Dom.
He shrugged while I stood there, taking him and the satisfying feeling of his presence in. I felt the earth pulling my feet hard into the surface. The sensation of being grounded to the surface soothed me while Dom pulled himself up and walked up to me.
He looked down into my eyes as his teeth captured his bottom lip. “Ever run out on me again like that, and I’ll let the owl carry you back, kicking and screaming in the air, and drop you right in the middle of the school lawns for everyone to see.”
I rolled my eyes. “Is this where the dominant side of you comes in?”
He nodded. “When you’re running away from your problems instead of facing them head-on? Pretty much. Besides, after all the work I did to get you freed of that spawn and keep you off the radar, you decide to go off and beg the school to get busted?”
He cocked his head to the side, trying to be stern, but I could feel his aura was calmer than it had been since the day we left the cabin.
“Speaking about problems, that leprechaun chick is—”
“I’m taking care of the problem,” he said, his voice gruff. “She won’t be a threat to you.”
“What about you?”
“I’ll make sure she’s not a threat to either one of us. I’ll handle her. It might take longer than we’d both like, but she’ll get the point.”
“And what’s the point she’s going to get?”
Dom ran his hands up my arms, his lips quirking up into a subtle smile. “That you’re my girl. It’s a pretty simple point. Might take her a little longer to get it, though.”
“God, I’ve missed you,” I said, feeling better about everything at the moment.
“You have no idea how I’ve missed you.” He traced my lips, eyes smoldering as they stared into mine. “Your lips. Your warm body next to mine. The serenity of having you in my arms. It’s difficult to shove those emotions aside and focus on anything but that.”
“How are you doing?”
“Okay. I think I’m handling it well, and you all seemed excited with the new routine this morning—though that was mainly for me, not the rest of you. I’ve got to keep things moving, or everyone would’ve seen Master Dominic,” he mocked his trainer name, “walk up to his girl and prove to them how much you really are my true mate.”
I reached my arms up around his neck and felt him grow stiff.
“Um, I’m not supposed to hug you now?” I asked in confusion.
He leaned his lips toward my ear. “We have eyes on us. It seems like I have a stalker now.”
“Oh, my God. She’s out here?”
“Walking down to us as we speak,” he answered in a low growl. “You know what…screw it.” He sighed and then I was enveloped in his strong arms, his biceps completely flexed after our workouts this morning, and I was in heaven with his tasteful and zealous kiss.
For the first time, it was Dom making the satisfied noises, not me. His wolf appeared, the man letting down all his guards, and I felt more connected to him than I had in too long. I slipped my hands from his neck and under his arms, relishing in his tasteful kiss. The passion and excitement of our kiss escalated quickly as Dom pulled me closer into his hard chest. I found the world spinning around us and thought about how stupid I was for taking off on him yesterday when we could have been spending our time close and like this.
“Excuse me?”
Shit! The leprechaun.
Truth be told, there were couples all over the place. The only reason I never interrupted their sneaky little kissing moments was that I had zero interest in them and because it was obviously rude. Unfortunately, we had a leprechaun on our hands—a jealous and most likely unforgiving one—and interrupting was considered normal for them. They thought they could do whatever they wanted, whenever they wanted, and everyone let the sneaky, hateful bastards get away with it.
I leaned my forehead into his chest. Please tell me she knows about us?
“Yes,” Dom answered my thoughts in a low voice. “What’s up?” he asked the leprechaun curtly.
“I hope I’m not interrupting,” she said as I turned to see her prancing up to us, her uniform skirt that was too short on all of us in the first place, looking like a mini-skirt on her long legs.
“You are,” Dom stated, using his Master Dominic voice.
I watched her expression hold. This was probably the first time she’d had the privilege of meeting the Master Dominic side she’d praised so fervently yesterday. Dom needed to watch himself, though. There was a reason most supes just shut up and let these jerks do their thing and get away with murder—funny I thought of that word of all words.
“Oh.” She stepped back, and I didn’t miss the fiery look she flashed me before her cheeks flushed red while Dom, who was now standing with his arms crossed, waited for her to come up with the reason she went totally out of her way to find him.
“Go on, then,” he urged. “What brings a fairy all the way over to House Braeclaw’s gym area while everyone is at breakfast?”
I kept my mouth shut because anything I would’ve said to diffuse Dom would make him look weak in front of the leprechaun or stupid if I was completely rude to her for pissing me off.
“Kat told me I could find you down here when I noticed you weren’t at breakfast,” she stammered, and her eyes met mine again. “I didn’t realize you were with Jenna.”
“Understandable,” he answered. “Seriously, what’s up, Mel?”
I looked at him like he’d lost his mind for calling her their buddy name, but my attention was back on Melanie when I heard her let out a breath of relief in response to Dom’s softer tone.
“Well, I was told we were going to meet with some of the staff today to help with the lesson plans for the successful project we completed together.”
“Who told you that?” Dom said in frustration. “I never said I was going any farther with that project other than helping you with some parts of it.”
“My dad.”
“The school president?” I finally added, letting her know I was onto her lame namedropping of being the president of the school’s daughte
r, hoping it would redeem herself for pissing Dom off.
“Yes.” She flashed a challenging smile at me. “Or as I like to call him…my dad.”
“Oh, God. I’m getting something to eat before they cut us off. You can deal with whatever dumbass project the school has you on now.”
“You should be wary of your language here.” I heard Melanie say as if Dom were suddenly relieved of my presence and happy to be in her company.
“Wary?” Dom laughed. “What school did you pick that term up in?”
I stopped when I heard Dom laughing so hard, I thought he’d seriously lost his mind—most likely in fear of the leprechaun who’d interrupted us and knowing he was going to be stuck in another project with her.
“I didn’t think it was funny.” She grinned at how freaking gorgeous Dom looked with his smile and this new contagious laugh I was immediately in love with.
It actually made me smile back at him. “You okay?” I called from where I’d walked away from the two.
“Fine.” Dom pulled it together. “I’m heading up to eat with Jenna.” He looked back at Melanie. “The president of IA can wait for my decision on whether or not I’m going to do another project. I have some studying to do, and I’ve spent enough time away from my girl.”
Dom motioned for the leprechaun to head up to where I was waiting for him. She reluctantly followed his lead, and he slyly stepped away from her, brought his arm over my shoulder, and kept me close to his side between himself and the clingy leprechaun.
“You having pie this morning?” he asked me, ignoring the childish stomping coming from the upset leprechaun to my left.
I looked over at her crossed arms, lifted chin, but also noticed a smile of success twitching in the corner of her mouth. Dumb fairy was going to be up our butts until Dom finally shut her down…safely.
I wonder if my magic could reverse a strong leprechaun’s memory?
“Hope to God it can,” Dom said. “Now, quit talking to yourself, and let me know if I’m having our bakers hook you up with some pie.”
