Page 86 of Dead Wolf Falling (Bad Moon Academy 2)

Chapter 24

RAVEN

After breakfast, those of us who don’t have class on Thursdays go for a run. As soon as we hit the trees, people begin to strip. I pause for a moment and glance around, taking in flashes of flesh. It doesn’t shock me like it used to, but watching a group of people undress is still wild.

Ahem.

Real subtle,I say to Joan and pull off my shirt. As soon as I’m undressed, we shift, and Joan takes control. We take off, sprinting through the trees, jumping over bushes, yipping into the slight summer breeze. There’s a faint bitterness in the air, something I’ve never smelled before.

Fall is approaching.

Oh,I say. It’s almost September now. Two more weeks and the weather will start to change. We’re running along on our own in a small clearing, listening to the birds tweet and other wolves barking, when someone crashes into our side, knocking us to the ground.

Releasing a growl, we roll and hop to our feet, baring our teeth.

A dark wolf prowls toward us. The power rolling off of him is stronger than Draco, which means it must be Brayden. His black fur is identical to his twin’s.

Snarling, we snap our teeth, though we have no intention of hurting him. He lowers his head, but continues toward us until he’s standing at our feet, chin touching the earth. Bowing to us.

Swoon,Joan says on a sigh.Are we allowed to have favorites?

No.

Ugh, you suck.

I snort because she’s been picking up a lot of random sayings, but that’s the first time she’s ever sounded like a petulant teenager.

Lowering our nose to him, we sniff his head, licking his nose and playfully biting it. He yips in mock pain, and we snort.

Puh-lease. You know he likes pain, right?

Yeah.I laugh.Can wolves wrestle?

With a small warning growl, we pounce on him, tackling him and rolling in the dirt. He snorts in surprise and pushes against us, but he doesn’t put up much of a fight. We tumble on the forest floor for a few minutes, making Joan deliriously happy before dropping onto our stomachs and rolling over. Brayden rumbles in approval, laying his head against our stomach and stretching out on his side.

Three wolves come into the small clearing a little while later. Carter, Draco, and Everett didn’t have any academy duties today, so they’re free to roam. They join us in the literal doggie pile, each warm body finding a place to connect with mine until my heart warms. A soft squawk sounds from the tree above us, and we glance up, spotting Adler’s eagle. His head tips back and forth, studying the five of us together.

We yip, trying to call him down, but he chitters and gazes around the forest.

He’s protecting us.Joan groans.Are you sure we can’t have favorites?

No favorites,I say.He better not poop on us.

Joan chuffs.That would be hilarious.

Maybe for you.

Adler keeps watch while we lie together, soaking up the beams of sunlight filtering through the canopy, and for a few seconds, I can visualize what the future will be like as a pack. He may never join our doggie piles, but he’ll find his own ways to be with us.

And I wouldn’t want it any other way.

* * *

Later that night,we gather around the librarian’s desk. Shoulders hang heavy—most of the shifters have already resigned themselves to death. Adler’s fae friend hasn’t come back yet, and even if he had, I’m not sure he could break through Jinx’s demon power again. He couldn’t break through the wards when they trapped Adler and me inside, and Adler can’t fly out of them. Whatever she did is too powerful for fae magic.

“Why are we even meeting? There’s no point. You saw what she did to Howard.” A guy I haven’t really talked to crosses his arms over his chest. A few shifters frown and nod, agreeing with him.

Every day that we don’t have class, we spend it scouring the library in search of information. It hasn’t gone well, and while I understand his frustration, he’s being a defeatist.

---