Page 8 of Rising Luna
Hunter and Jackson tightened their grip on her.Yep. I set off an alarm.Having them close helped my mind clear. While finding and exposing Lupe wasn’t my responsibility, I had already found Lupe’s accomplices. I’d have left already if I weren’t required to finish my classes. So, although I needed to stay for six more weeks, I would use that time to expose Lupe.
"We won't be. Taxis get here fast. We caused a delay already in her plans by killing her followers. If anything, she might go to this town in desperation to find more people to join her," Hunter answered.
Sera groaned. "Gods, I hope not. Those people were freaky as hell."
The car arrived, and we all piled in. Sera chose the front seat, while I squeezed between Jackson and Hunter in the backseat. Sera gave the driver directions, and I glanced at the school. Silas stood at the doors with a look of sadness on his face. He gave a small finger wave and then walked away just before the car started moving.
I felt a surge of anger upon seeing Silas again. He had rejected me because I was a Shadowborn, something I couldn't change about myself, and he thought my kind was evil. He evensent an Enforcer to kill me while I was at school so he wouldn't have to deal with me anymore. Death freed one from the mate bond, leading to another blessed union. This was especially helpful for males, as they had fewer chances of finding a mate than females.
But that sad look on his face caught my attention.
Did he look sad because I was with my mates? Or because we were leaving without him? I knew that most people at school didn’t have to contend with a rejected mate. Only one party at a time was sent to the school to reform, a way to keep the couple away from each other and heal from the rejection. We only convened at the term’s end or when noteworthy progress occurred. If Silas hadn't tried to restore the bond when he showed up here, I wouldn't have been able to reject him and make him a student alongside me.
I can’t decide if this was a mistake.
"What's going on?" Jackson asked while he looked out the window.
I didn't realize I was still looking out the window. I looked up at my mate and smiled. "Nothing. Lost in my thoughts."
It wasn’t enough for Jackson. Eyes narrowed, he nuzzled into the curve of my neck. I shuddered and laughed as his nose brushed my skin. His actions amused me, a fact he was cognizant of. Pushing him away, I laughed. I gasped as I felt his tongue touch my skin. Jackson laughed before biting the sensitive area. A wave of heat rushed to my lower belly, and I bit back a moan. Things would be easier if it were only Hunter and Jackson. Since Sera was sitting up front and already looked pained at seeing me with my mates earlier, I kept myself from making a sound.
"We could have the car turn around and have fun in our room instead," Jackson suggested in a whisper.
"Provocative statement, but we have to see what she is up to."
I felt Hunter’s kisses on the other side of my neck. It made me sigh as my mates licked and kissed all along my neck. Hunter seized my thigh and slipped a finger beneath my shorts, tracing it over the lines of my panties. I shifted, granting him better access, before Sera spoke.
"Looks like the town is just ahead. Do we have any idea where to even start?"
Forgetting where I was for a moment, it was like Sera's voice was a bucket of ice water over my head. I smacked my mates to make them stop trying to have sex in the car's backseat. "No." I stopped myself from saying anything about Lupe yet. The driver could know her and report back to Lupe what was said. "Let's just explore for a bit to see if we can find something to do." I noticed both of my men were trying to hide their smiles while I sat there feeling uncomfortable.
Trust me, love. No one cares but you,Hunter said through the bond.
I glared at him, but it only made his smile grow. It will always be wonderful to see Hunter carefree like this, but right now I just wanted to slap the smile off his face.
Sera looked back at me, and I leaned my head towards the driver. It was an attempt at a signal, and it worked. Sera didn't say another word. The driver pulled over by a small restaurant. Reaching over, Hunter gave the man some money and signaled for everyone to leave. Once they were all on the sidewalk, they continued their conversation.
"What could she be doing out here? Like I get there are people who don't work or attend the school, so she could scout for new followers, but is there anything else? Like... is her pack close by?" Jackson asked no one in particular.
Jackson moved Sera to stand next to me, and both men sandwiched us in the middle as they walked around. Sera giggled at seeing them like this, even over her. They seemed tocare about her, and not just because she was my friend, which only made me love them more.
"I don't believe she has a pack anymore. Working at the school didn't leave room for her to be a part of one." I answered.
"What about Teowulf? Do you think he knows?" Hunter asked.
"That's a good question. If he doesn't, then he isn't paying attention to the mate bond. Though I am wondering if she has him bound, even through the bond, to where he can't feel anything."
"What do you mean?"
I wasn't even sure what I meant. For a moment, my wolfish side emerged for part of that response, causing my words to become muddled.What do you mean?
Shadowborn can manipulate bonds. It's part of their magic and why they are so feared. He could be bound where he cannot say anything.
Wonderful.
"My wolf said Shadowborns can manipulate bond magic. Basically, Lupe can bind Teowulf from even recognizing what is going on. Just because they are mates doesn't mean he has access to everything that is Lupe."
I sensed my mates’ shock through our bond. I understood why they had become uneasy. Maybe they forgot I was a Shadowborn. The magic of my wolf was the same as Lupe's. There was a difference, though. I would never block my mates out from knowing things about me.
