Page 14 of Cursed

We get to the top of the access stairs and come around to enter the main entrance. Heritage Cafe is filled with students gathered in little cliques and gossiping about the night’s events.

Douglas jumps ahead of me and blocks me from going in.

“Get out of my way,” I snarl.

“I will. I promise.” He puts his hands out in surrender. “I just want you to know that, if this all goes sideways and we don’t live through it, I’m sorry. I should have stuck by your side. I know that now.”

“If we survive this, then maybe I’ll let you make it up to me.” I wave him out of my way and add with emphasis, “Maybe.”

“Fair enough.” Douglas steps out of my way. His bobcat scent hits me like a punch in the nose. His pheromones are hyperactive since he’s upset. But he caused this tension, and I’m not taking the blame because I was loyal to Shayla. I honestly don’t know what I saw in him. We’d never get along. Cats and foxes aren’t a good fit.

But without further hesitation, he turns and moves on with our plan.

I stare at his broad, muscular back and remember what attracted me to him. He isn’t much taller than me, but he’s twice as wide and packed with powerful muscles.

Snap out of it, Kat!

I follow him in and covertly scan the crowd.

Douglas gets in line to buy us a coffee to blend in. Without having to remind him, he orders my favorite drink, which is a complicated order.

Hmm. All right. I’ll give him points for that.

Once our coffee drinks are ready, we sip them and merge into the crowd, casually and slowly moving closer to the murderous bullies, Chara and Millie, who are wrapped up in an intense conversation. I’m still in shock over what Professor Hollis just told us. These jerks almost killed both Landis and Shayla. It takes everything in me not to use my magic and electrocute them—watching them suffer until their hearts stop.

I take a deep breath to calm myself. I can’t let my temper get the better of me.

Douglas gives me a knowing look. His pupils are blown out. He appears as if he’s about to shift, likely from his heightened emotions. Even though he didn’t want me to be friends with Shayla, he was raging when we were told what these assholes did to her.

Putting the plan in motion, I say in a whispered tone, but loud enough to be overheard by the two horrid females standing directly behind me, “Shayla can’t be here. We saw her fly off on the dragon.”

“I know what I saw,” Douglas grumbles, sounding every bit the irritated boyfriend. “She snuck into the building through a servant’s entrance.”

“And the guys?”

“I didn’t see them.”

“Keep your voice down,” I hiss. “Show me. I need to know she’s okay.”

“Fine, but I don’t think it’s a good idea,” Douglas whispers, and we make our way out the front doors.

As we step away, out of the corner of my eye I see the two staring in our direction.

“Do you think they will take the bait?” I ask.

“Those girls? Yeah. They can’t miss an opportunity to go after Shayla.”

We duck into the servant’s entrance and race down the stairs until we get to Rourke’s hideout apartment. Quade never told me, but his scent and the vamp’s are all over it.

And what the flip?

That dragon alphahole has it all—not only his family’s bazillion dollars and unchecked power but a retreat from dorm life, which looks more like a BDSM dungeon in their bedroom. And do they use that stuff on each other? Or bring others to play?

I wish I had a place like this. Well, not necessarily the dungeon, but I would appreciate a secret retreat. Sharing a dorm with a bunch of obnoxious girls has not been the highlight of academy life. But at least I didn’t have to room with Chara or Millie.

As we enter the apartment, we nod to Mr. Hollis and Maxum. They motion for us to stand away from the door.

I do, but draw upon the magical reserves in my body, readying myself for zapping the fucking hell out of the bitches if I have to.

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