Page 53 of The Hunt of Night

“Oh, don’t be so dramatic,” Vallie grumbles, stepping toward him with a huff. She raises her hands and pushes against his chest, making him scream as he falls. It’s slow, excruciatingly slow, and when his back hits the snow, he slips across the glistening surface off toward the center of the empty space.

“Fuck,” Kryll grunts as another roar rattles through the air, making my bones stiffen in fear.

I blink, watching in horror as Grant flies through the air once, twice, three times. Blood gushes everywhere, staining the pristine white snow as everyone gapes in horror.

My instinct to react is halted by the fact that I can’t see the danger. That doesn’t matter to Cassian as he bands his armtighter around me and takes off running to where Raiden and Kryll start waving to everyone.

There’s no saving Grant. He’s gone, and if we don’t move, more will join him.

The strain and struggle to move quickly, with Cassian and Flora holding me back, is too much to bear, and I slip out of his hold. “Run with her, you’ll be quicker,” I state, and Cassian shakes his head.

“I’m not going anywhere without you,” he grunts, refusing to see past me.

“I’m fine, I’ll be fine. Take her,” I yell, taking off ahead before he can say another word. The peak is almost beneath my feet when Grant’s body finally falls limp. The quiet that echoes around us lasts a whole four seconds before another screech rents the air.

“Run!” Vallie screams, and everyone cries out, running as fast as they can, despite the climate toward the peak of the mountain top that tapers off into a point.

I’m panting and out of breath as I all but fall into Raiden’s arms when I reach the top. In the blink of an eye, the ground shifts, and the air warms around me, revealing the campus.

“Well done,” Professor Tora declares from behind me as more and more students from our oversized group fall through the magic that draws us back to the academy.

I land with a thud on my ass, along with Raiden, as we both try to catch our breaths. I watch as his fangs extend and his eyes go wide with relief, and I quickly use the moment to check in with myself, too.

My worry dissolves as I feel my magic tingle through my veins, and I sag with a mixture of relief and exhaustion as I let the warm afternoon sun cast down on me.

What the fuck was all of that? Invisible trees? Invisible dragons? What else could there be out there that we haven’t faced yet? It can’t get worse, can it?

My mind is spinning with the insanity of it all. Working as a team, seeing everyone have different strengths over one another, swirls something inside of me, something that awakened a part of me I was too afraid to consider.

Something I need to explore.

My wolf.

22

ADRIANNA

The dining hall buzzes around me, unaware of the turmoil that’s taken root in my gut. I’m quiet, I can sense it. I don’t have the mental capacity to engage in unnecessary conversation, and the glances I keep getting from everyone around the table confirm they can sense it, too.

I shiver. The cold chill still hasn’t quite left my bones yet. I think it might take the rest of the week to warm me up again. I might even go in search of a second blanket for bed tonight. Otherwise, I know I’ll be pummeled by icy nightmares, and I’m not about to succumb to that.

“What’s on your mind, Alpha?” I startle at the deep rumble of Cassian’s voice, slightly surprised by him using his apparent nickname for me in public.

“Nothing,” I breathe, unwilling to lift my gaze from my plate, where I continue to move my peas around the porcelain instead of actually eating them.

“You’re a shit liar,” Brody states with a scoff, and I do manage to lift my stare this time, only to give him a dirty look. When he doesn’t falter under my irritation, I roll my eyes, turning away from him once again.

I can hear Flora giggle softly from beside him, making me sink my teeth into my bottom lip as I keep my emotions in check.

“So, what is it?” Kryll asks, capitalizing on the moment, and I shake my head.

“Do you need girl talk?” Brody offers, and my gaze flicks to Flora, who smiles softly at me, making it abundantly clear that if that’s what I need, then she’s here for me.

“No,” I admit, offering her a tight smile in response, and she nods.

“But you need to talk,” Raiden chimes in from my left, his stare burning the side of my face as I hum. ”With who?” he pushes, unrelenting, and I sigh.

The quicker I give them an answer, the quicker they’ll back off. That’s clear. Irritating, but clear.

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