Page 8 of Cursed

I can’t see the sparkle and shimmer that Arden and Landis can perceive with their innate gifts, but I can see her aura shine.

Her bullies and would-be murderers, Chara and Millie, were eyeing her the whole time. I had thought they would be an issue when Shayla ran off to use the facilities, but no,Mi Lunamran off and got herself in a world of trouble.

At least, that’s what I assumed happened. I doubt Rourke dragged Shayla out there to his father and then refused to let her go at the last minute. No, she probably followed him like she did Branden, sensing something was going to happen.

It seems his beast got her out of the situation. But if Rourke has harmed a single hair on her gorgeous head, then he’s fucking dead. I don’t care if the authorities throw me into the asylum. Iwillendhim.

My nostrils are flaring and I’m huffing with that thought when I catch the scent of Kat, Shayla’s fox shifter friend.

“Come out, Ms. Kincaid,” I call to the shadows closest to the dorm building.

When she steps into the soft moonlight, I see she’s in street clothes. She must have gone to her dorm and changed as we prepared to slip out of the Academy before Rourke’s father came after all of us.

“What are you doing out here?” I demand, with my professor and alpha voice in full effect.

“I came to help,” she says, voice firm and resolved not to take no for an answer.

“Not going to happen, little fox.” I shake my head and wave her away. “Back to your dorm room. This is going to be a mess. And you need to stay safe.”

“You’re right. It’s a mess already. And I’m not going to be safe.” She crosses her arms and flicks her long black hair over her shoulder. “All her guys are gone, right?”

“What’s your point?” I ask, storming past her to get to my next mission. A mission too dangerous for her to be involved in.

“The assholes after Shayla will come after me,” she states, brokering no argument. “They will likely kidnap, torture, and drain me to lure Shay out of hiding.”

“Fuck!” I shout, not at her, but at the situation. She has a point. “Come along then. But things are about to get ugly. And you will need to stay close but not seen.”

“Uh, okay,” Kat says with a touch of trepidation, realizing she’s swimming in the deep end now.

“Kat,no,” a young male’s voice cuts through to us, and we both jump. Sneaking up on two shifters is no easy feat. When he steps closer, I recognize the freshman student, a stocky yet muscular bobcat shifter.

“Douglas.” Kat hisses, “What the hell are you doing out here? Are you following me?”

He rubs the back of his neck, looking chagrined for his stalking. “Sort of?”

“Sort of?” Kat mocks and rolls her eyes. “Why?”

“Just because I pulled back doesn’t mean I stopped caring about you,” he admits.

“You didn’thavetopull back. You chose to allow the bullies to pressure you. You chose to not stand by my side. So move along now. I don’t need cowards in my life.”

I liked this girl’s spine. I can see what Shayla sees in her.

“Douglas, back to your dorm,” I order.

“No, sir.” Douglas squares his shoulders and defies me. “If Kat is determined to get involved, then I’ll help too.”

“Both of you are going to be the death of me.” I pinch the bridge of my nose and mutter, “And here I stupidly thought it was going to be Shayla’s stubbornness or Landis’ brattiness to do me in.”

Along with my overwhelming need to have my fated mate back in my arms, I find I don’t want to let the incubus out of my sight. He’s grown on me in the past couple of months, even if I’m upset that he irresponsibly claimed our mate. But I love the way he coaxes laughter and joy from Shayla. And well, he’s had the same effect on me—allowing me to relax too. Part of me wishes I hadn’t let him go with Arden.

“What do you have planned?” Kat asks, moving closer. “What can I do to help?”

Suddenly feeling all my exhaustion and anxiety, I sigh. “You don’t happen to know a mind-diver, do you?”

“I do,” Douglas volunteers. “My uncle. I can summon him if you need him.”

“Summon?” I ask before thinking. Then I realize… a demon. I don’t like messing with demons, and there has only ever been one demon I’ve known and gotten along with. Trusted, even.

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