Page 2 of Dead Wolf Rising (Bad Moon Academy 3)

“She’s still here,” I whisper, eyes flitting over the side of the academy.Joan, she’s still here! When the wards fell, the magic over the academy broke. The lawn turned brown and brittle, the front door was broken.

Everything looks fine to me.

Exactly. Which means Jinx is still here.

And for once, I’m excited to see the demon spirit because it means Bea is still here too.

I only hope she wasn’t a plant like Morg. I don’t think I can deal with being betrayed again.

Chapter 2

ADLER

If it weren’t for the light in her eyes, I’d warn Raven that my instincts are screaming at me to run. A subtle, barely discernible, black aura oozes out of the academy. It wasn’t there yesterday. Something shifts in the air and the wind whips around me, blowing my shirt back with the force of the gale rolling in. A faint earthen musk fills the air, teasing us with the promise of rain. The white globe of the full moon is barely visible, hidden behind angry gray clouds.

“We have to go find her.” Raven glances at all of us.

“I don’t know,” Layla says, taking a step back. “My gut is telling me something bad is going to happen.”

A few of the other shifters agree with her. Our pack shares a look, and I hold Carter’s gaze the longest, trying to get a feel for what he thinks. He knows the most about demons, and I trust his judgement. He grimaces but lifts a shoulder.

“She can’t go alone.”

I nod. “We stay together.” Giving Draco and Brayden a look, I wait for them to agree.

Rubbing his jaw, Brayden lifts an eyebrow. “I don’t plan on going on any adventures if that’s what you’re worried about, Daddy.”

“Bray,” Draco growls his name, but his brother doesn’t even blink in response to the reprimand.

“Where to first?” I ask Raven. If I’m honest, ignoring Brayden is probably worse than reacting to the little nickname he’s given me. Now isn’t the time to argue, though.

Running her hands through her hair, she bobs her head up and down, reminding me of those strung-out country folk that would come into the bar from time to time. Raven’s not strung out; she’s desperately trying not to fall apart.

“Okay. Good. We can start in the ballroom.” She glances at Layla. “You guys can stay out here if you want. Don’t go off on your own. We don’t know that Jinx is gone for good.”

“Be careful.” Layla chews on her nail, eyes flashing to the academy, unease lining her face. “You’re the one who’s in danger, Raven.”

My luna scrunches her face, a glimpse of regret pulling at her lips. “I’ll be fine,” she promises like we’re not about to chase after a demon who wants to sacrifice all of us. “I have my pack.”

Her confidence in us makes my chest swell with pride and my stomach clench with uncertainty. We’re all strong and capable, and if the enemy were alive, there’d be no question over who’d win. I’m not sure who will be victorious in this fight. Knowing this doesn’t stop me from running toward trouble with her. Raven gave me the gift of belonging, and I’ll gladly die to try and protect her.

* * *

RAVEN

The bond doesn’t hide much from me, so I know none of the guys are keen on going back inside the academy right now. It’s dangerous. We could all end up dead, but if Bea is in there, I need to know. If Jinx is still lurking around, waiting for us to grow complacent before she tries to kill us again, I need to take care of her once and for all.

“After you.” Brayden makes a sweeping gesture with his arm, giving me a crooked grin. “Lead us into battle.”

“You make it sound like we’re going to war,” I mumble, turning around and heading toward the building.

“We sort of are.” He jogs to catch up and then keeps pace with me as we walk across the lawn. “The infamous good versus evil.”

Breaking through the clouds which have gathered, the full moon illuminates his face, making him appear almost unreal. I reach out and grab his arm, squeezing him to confirm he is in fact real. He gives me a puzzled look, wrinkling his nose and bringing his eyebrows together.

“Sorry,” I say, dropping my hold on him and facing forward.

Now I look crazy.

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