Page 109 of The Hunt of Night

“I’ll stop. It was me this time,” Addi insists, not moving her gaze from mine.

“Actually…” another voice interjects, pulling our attention to where a girl stands beside the professor.

“What do you want now?” Addi asks with a sigh, tension rippling from her, and I frown.

“I was just wondering if you were aware of the new moon two days ago.”

New moon?My gaze narrows. Ah, fuck, this is the girl who muttered bitch under her breath earlier. I knew I should have hurt her then. That’s what I get for being a nice guy.

Addi rubs her hand against my chest before stepping away from me.

“Let’s get on with it then,” she grumbles, patting her hair to make sure it’s all tightly fixed to her head.

Cassian quickly rushes through the crowd that instantly stops their dancing to focus on the drama unraveling before them.

“No, I’ll?—”

“No you fucking won’t,” Addi retorts, raising her hand to stop him in his tracks. His mouth opens, ready to object, but she doesn’t give him the chance, and it’s hot as fuck. “You can fight for your own shit when I don’t have so much pent up tension desperate to be released.”

Addi turns to the girl, who audibly gulps once she has my girl’s full attention, and I grin.

“Let’s go, bitch. Say it,” Addi snaps, shrugging out of her cloak as she faces off with the wolf.

It takes the girl a moment, all eyes set on her, giving everyone a chance to step closer. Raiden and Kryll included, who step between Cassian and me to watch.

“I challenge you to a duel for Cassian Kenner.”

The maniacal grin that spreads across Addi’s face is venomous, and I love it. “It will be my pleasure to bring you down a peg or two.”

“You won’t,” the girl bites back, finding her strength, and Addi scoffs.

“Do you want to commit to hand to hand combat only or are we using our abilities?” She quirks a brow, waiting for an answer, and the girl wets her lips nervously.

“I’m not scared of your abilities,” she states, standing tall as her eyes beam amber, her wolf letting its presence be known.

“Good.”

Addi lifts both hands as she takes a deep breath, summoning her magic before she launches them at the poor, delusional girl.

Wind whips her off her feet, her cry of panic echoing around the gathered group as the professor stares in horror, but keeps his mouth shut. Once the wolf girl is dangling upside down, Addi blasts a wave of fire in her direction, stopping the burning inferno a mere inch from her face.

“Concede?” she asks, voice bored as the girl’s screams grow wilder.

“Never!”

“Are you sure? I can burn you to death until all that remains of you is the smell of roasted bitch,” Addi warns, cocking her head at the challenger.

Tears stream down her face, panic consuming her. A few grumble at the mention of burnt flesh, but I grin like a manic fool. She’s everything, and I am in awe of her.

Even now, when she wields such magic, she pauses, offering her enemy a way out. Whether the girl takes it or not is her problem, I’m going to love my girl either way.

Love?

Do I?

I blink, my throat drying as I watch her.

All of the sounds disappear as I feel my world tilt.

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