Page 15 of Dead Wolf Falling (Bad Moon Academy 2)

“What?” she screeches the question.

Apparently, seeing the dead is okay, but reanimating them is a no-no. Go figure.

“Layla,” I begin, but she stands, stumbling away from me.

“You’re a freak,” she whispers. “All of you are. None of this is normal. Morris isdead. Why are you all so calm?” She turns and runs down the wing with the headmaster’s office.

I sigh and rub my temples. Telling Morg and the guys went so smoothly, I guess I expected Layla to be all right with it too. She’s only been here a week longer than me though, so she’s been through a lot of shock in the last month. Adding the fact that I’m a necromancer on top of everything else, well, I can understand her reaction. At least she’s an adult and I don’t have to worry about leaving her alone while she deals with the trauma. I’m so relieved Bea stayed with Adler.

“Crap,” I say before hopping to my feet. “Bea’s in my room with Adler.”

“Who’s Adler?” Everett asks, breaking away from his pow-wow with Draco and Brayden.

“My. . .” I trail off, thinking of the right word for him. “Friend,” I say, finally settling on the simplest explanation. How would I explain what Adler means to me without making them upset?

Adler has been in my life for a few years, and over the last few weeks, he’s gone from coworker and friend to something more, but not quite definable.

He’s part of our harem, Raven. Get it right.

Not now, Joan.

“I have to go check on them.” I turn and head to my room.

No need to give the men more of a reason to get defensive. Wolves are territorial by nature, and seeing as now a fae is within their territory, I’m certain there’s going to be a confrontation, or at the very least, some grumpy growling. I hear and feel the men following after me. I’m keenly aware of the new energy behind me. Brayden’s presence is stronger, almost like there’s a string tying us together which sways with each subtle movement he makes.

A side-effect of bringing him back from wherever he was? Maybe.

There’s no time to get information out of him now, though, because we’ve reached the third floor. I head down the hallway leading to my room, growing more concerned with every step because the door is cracked open, and I distinctly remember shutting it. The light inside my room shorts out.

“Something’s wrong,” I whisper before sprinting the rest of the way to my room.

“Raven, wait!” Everett shouts, but I don’t stop.

Shoving the door open, I glance around my empty room. Bea and Adler are nowhere in sight. I go to the bathroom, wrenching the door open and checking in the shower and cabinets.

“No. No, no, no!” I say, returning to the bedroom. I drop to my knees and check under the bed. There’s no one hiding under there. “They were here.” I sit back on my heels and glance around; three of the men press in, forming a protective half-circle behind me.

“Uh, Raven?” Everett asks from where he stands at my window, glancing over his shoulder at me. “I think your friends are outside. The little one is running toward the woods. . . carrying an eagle?”

“An eagle?” Carter murmurs. “The one from her first day. Of course, that bird was so strange.” He’s talking to himself.

I get to my feet and turn, smashing into a wall of muscle. The three men before me have their arms crossed over their chests and none of them look entertained. I’ll be damned if they keep me from getting Bea and Adler back inside where it’s safe.

“Move,” I say, filling my voice with luna power so it cracks like a whip.

They split apart and drop their gazes in unison. I glance them over, shaking my head at their weirdness in response to my command, and run out of the room.

Why are Bea and Adler outside?

* * *

“Bea!”I scream, searching the grounds once I go out the back door.

The sky is still pitch black in the early morning hour, but the nearly full moon gives me plenty of light. Bea was heading toward the woods.

Let me help, Joan says.I can find our little wolf.

Okay.

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