Page 37 of Moon Cursed

There was no reason Ash would. Because when I asked her to put her phone in the desk tray and leave it out there during our meeting, she didn’t see that under the desk was some complicated cell-phone-hacker-device thing that remotely downloaded the program that would let us intercept every text and email she sent on her phone. The one that hacked into her laptop was under my desk.

It was incredibly unwise to put your fingers all over a werewolf’s things, because they’d scent you coming from a mile away. But this way, none of us laid a pinky on her cell or computer, which she confirmed with a subtle sniff when she picked up her phone.

“Are you sure this will work?” Ava asked. “All she has to do is call Sunella and all of this ends up pointless.”

“There’s always that risk, but I believe we’re safe. Wind wolves are careful with the spoken word. More so than the rest of us. They’re not as careful with their texts and emails because they don’t have to be. Only alphas are allowed to be taught the skills that lead to computer hacking, and alphas trust other alphas. They also trust their nose to tell them if someone’s been snooping on their things.” I nodded to myself. “We’re good.”

“What were her demands?”

I rolled my eyes. “Exactly what we thought.”

“She wanted complete authority over the staff?”

“Yep.”

“So that she could recruit them for the coup that’ll kick you out and put her in charge?”

“That was the subtext.”

We shared a look, cracking up.

“She also demanded complete authority over my fates,” I added.

Ava’s brows crumpled. “What? Why? What would that get her or the council? Even with authority over them, she still can’t force you guys to bond before you’re ready. Because there’s a word for that—it’s called rape.”

My head slowly bobbed. “It’s strange to say, but I don’t think that’s their angle. I promised the council already that I would complete the bonds. They didn’t need to send Ash here for that. They must have something else in mind.”

“Like what?”

“I don’t know,” I whispered, “but it can’t be good. I speak from experience”—I thought of Castor and how easily Dagem arranged his murder—“the power in this school can do a lot of damage. Deadly damage.”

Chapter Four

Edric and I stood off-stage in the alpha auditorium, watching as the new Vice Headmistress Ash introduced herself to the teachers, staff, and students, and received a roaring, standing ovation from every alpha and beta in the room.

“Order and sanity will return to the halls of Corvin Academy,” Ash called over the cheers, beaming wide for possibly the first time in her life. “This, I promise you.”

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