Page 28 of Starlight Mates

“Nope, I’m one of the single guys here in the city. A mate sounds tiring,” he admits before buying me a drink and one forhimself. We drink in silence for a second, and his face keeps spinning a little. I’m not drunk enough yet though for my Nexus to not send her feelings of disgust over Jake to me. Jake is unaware of my internal battle as he smiles at me, and he puts his hand on my knee. So much disgust comes from my Nexus that I almost feel like throwing up all over poor Jake.

My Nexus would like that.

I tug his hand off me. “I’m sorry. My Nexus is being a bitch and doesn’t like you.” I climb out of my seat and shake my head. “I have to drive back, so bye.”

“Wait, you can’t drive like this!” Jake calls after me and follows me out. When I get to the car, he tugs my keys out of my hands. “I’ll drive you back to wherever you want to go. My uncle died in a drunk crash.”

“Oh, I’m sorry,” I mutter, rubbing my forehead. “I’m not?—”

Jake helps me into the car before going to the driver’s seat and starting up the car. “It’s okay. I was trying my luck anyway with you. Let’s get you home and safe.”

I barely clip the seatbelt in before something hits the car, and it flips up into the air. I scream as the seatbelt pulls tight against my chest and the airbag bursts open in front of me. The car slams down before skidding across the ground, glass spraying into my face. I keep screaming and look to Jake, but he didn’t have his seatbelt on, and he isn’t there. Just blood marks the window. I reach for my Nexus, but I find nothing. No connection at all.

Just silence. What the fuck?

The smell of smoke from the car fills my senses, along with the metallic tang of my blood from my arm, which has glass in it. I look through the window gap to see a man walking towards me in a dark cloak. Shit. The door doesn’t open, too crushed, and I leave it. I undo my seatbelt and climb out of the empty window frame, cutting my hand, but I don’t dare stop to look back.

I run past what is left of Jake on the road, his head at a strange angle. Tears fill my eyes. His death is my fault. He was trying to help me. Whoever that is, is being sent for me, and I don’t have my Nexus. I reach for my powers, but they are gone, too.

I run. I tap the rune on my wrist and shout for anyone, but the street is silent. I keep running down the street, down to an alleyway, and decide to hide in it behind a pile of boxes. Finnegan, sometimes Finnegan can hear me. I scream for him. I scream for him in my mind. Hoping that somehow dreamwalking in the day is even a possibility, like Alek was sure it was. Finn said he can hear me sometimes, even if he is my enemy. Even if he hates me. “Help me…please.”

I’m thrown into the air, the boxes crashing around me as I slam onto my back, screaming in pain as his power crushes my body. The cloaked man throws the hood back, revealing all of his bald head and markings. I know him. He is a Vian, and I know I won’t ever forget how he can dull a connection to powers and Nexus. A rare Nexus gift he stole and made himself invaluable to the Vian. It was risky for him to come for me. “I can finally get your power. It’s been a long time coming.”

“Lay a single finger on her,” a dark voice warns, “and you will know pain like no other. I will enjoy every single scream of yours.”

The man disappears like smoke, knowing he wouldn’t win against Finnegan. Finn stalks down the alleyway, leaning down and picking me up in his thick arms. I don’t know what to say to him. “You came for me.”

He glares. “You asked for help. It was you. Of course I’d be here.” Finnegan lifts me closer. Why does he make my heart race?It.Was.You. He came for me and helped me when I’ve never had anyone do that for me before. Even with my parents, they would have left me if it risked their lives. Maybe not myfather, but my mother would have without another thought. “You’re injured and you’re fucking lucky I was dropping my sister back to the city this evening, so I was close.”

His sister? The woman from earlier was hissister.

Thankfully, I pass out before Finn can see how happy my Nexus is that the mate she is lovingly obsessed with came to our rescue and doesn’t have another woman she needs to kill.Crazy Nexus bonds.

Chapter

Thirteen

Alek hates me now and I don’t know why it bothers me far more than any of the others hating me. He’s still permanently banning me from his lessons, which means I’m failing at the academy, which means Tutor Jettie looks close to tugging her hair out every time she sees me wandering about. Apparently, she won’t argue with Alek on my behalf, but after one conversation with her, I learnt I can’t be kicked out for attempting to turn up for my classes. It’s a loophole for the academy, and Alek is playing the game perfectly to piss me off. Tutor Jettie has been adding more personal history lessons whilst she sends other tutors to try and convince Alek to have me back. He did come to check on me after the attack—they all did, except for Hollis. Onyx wasn’t even mad that his pretty, boring car was trashed or that I broke a shit ton of the academy rules. He says he’s just getting another car, and he spoke to Finn’s dad, who is just happy his son’s mate isn’t dead. I’m sure Onyx’s new car will be black and boring too.

“You look lost in thoughts this morning.”

I lift my head and look at Annie, who is watching me with a soft expression. Her hair is up in a ponytail, the end resting on her right shoulder. “Wanna talk about it?”

It’s an offer, wrapped in friendship, and I should take it with open arms. I can’t fully let anyone in though. Not even someone as kind and sweet as Annie. “I was just thinking about that attack.” I admit to her a little of my thoughts but not the burning guilt over Jake’s death. He was a dad to a two-year-old and lost his wife the year before. I read the funeral listing when Annie gave it to me and suggested I could get special permission to attend if I wanted. I didn’t go. I haven’t slept well since that attack, since seeing that fucker in Starlight City. How are the Vian getting in here? It’s meant to be safe from all monsters except for me. “Sleeping has been on and off. Last night wasn’t good.”

Her forehead crinkles. “I never sleep well either, thanks to, you know, your mate in our room snoring every night.” She shudders. “He also fills the room with a minty smell, and every time I see my mate at the weekends, he gets all jealous of the bear’s scent on me.” Her cheeks turn pink. “Truthfully, it leads to the best possessive sex, though.”

I grin at her. “I’ll tell Finn he is aiding your sex life. He will love that.”

Her eyes widen in horror, even when both of us know I’m joking. “Do not even think about it, Gwenieve.”

“My full first name, you must be mad,” I tease. “Anyway, if you manage to figure out a way to get his bear to stay out, then I’d be all about it.”

She laughs. “If my mate had his way, he’d be sleeping right now on the floor next to Finn to watch me. It’s a bear thing.”

“You should invite him. We could record them both spooning for Finn blackmail!”

We both burst into laughter just imagining it. Our laughs are stopped short though when Hollis walks in, blaring that stupid alarm. No one throws up or ducks, and only some guys covertheir ears now. It’s been two months since we got started at the academy, and they are used to it.

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