Page 6 of Dead Wolf Rising (Bad Moon Academy 3)

“This one’s empty,” Adler says. He gently closes the door to the room next to where I’m standing and comes to open Morg’s. Glancing inside, he presses his lips together. I follow his gaze and take in all the bright boas and ridiculous colors.

“This was Morg’s room.” I press my fingers into the frame of the door, wrinkling my nose and turning back to Adler. “I guess she’s not the only one with a fetish for fluffy things.”

Jinx had ridiculous boas at her little party.

He grunts, crossing his arms over his broad chest. “What are you thinking?”

“I’m thinking there should have been signs.”

“We should keep moving,” Everett says, interrupting our conversation.

Tipping his chin in the direction of the stairs, Adler waits for me to pull myself out of my own head. I nod and suck in a sharp breath.

“Right, enough pity party.” Spinning on my heel, I follow behind Carter, Everett, Draco, and Brayden. Adler falls in behind me, offering a layer of protection and strength I hadn’t realized I needed.

This first floor proves as fruitless as the other two. The cafeteria is the last place we check, but of course it’s deserted. I smack my hand against one of the shelves in the pantry, huffing in frustration.

“It doesn’t make sense,” Carter whispers to himself. He runs his hands through his hair.

Regret for snapping at him earlier has me moving toward him. I grab his wrist to stop him from pulling out those beautiful locks and lean against his body. His other hand comes to rest on my lower back, and we stand like that for a few seconds until the tension between his shoulders relaxes a little.

“We’ll figure it out soon.”

He frowns, and I suspect he hates not knowing when he’s the one who’s been teaching for so long. Letting go of his hand, I glance around the space again, eyes landing on the small wooden door leading down to one of the creepy basements. The same place Jinx had taken my friends when she captured them.

“We’re not done yet.” Moving forward, I reach out and grip the cool metal of the knob. “We haven’t checked the dungeon.”

Brayden tsks. “How foolish of us.” He sets his hand on top of mine, his palm nearly as cold as the doorknob. “Let me go first.”

I narrow my eyes on him. “I’m not afraid.”

His eyes darken, and with a vicious smirk, he takes a quick step toward me. I take an automatic step away, my back slamming into the shelf behind me.

“Liar,” he whispers then opens the door. “Besides, if Jinx is down here, she’ll try to kill you. I’ve already died once. What’s one more time?”

“Who says your friend will save you again?” Draco growls.

Brayden snickers and looks over his shoulder at his twin. “My friend?” He shakes his head. “Death doesn’t have friends. He has minions.”

It doesn’t escape my notice that he avoids answering the question, but before I can stop him, he jogs down the steps, disappearing into the darkened stairwell.

“Dammit.” I start after him.

“Fool,” Draco mutters to himself. “Always so stupid.”

“He was trying to protect Raven.” Hearing Everett defend Brayden almost gives me pause. I’m too worried about what will happen to him if he’s alone with Jinx, so I continue without stopping to listen to the rest of their whispered conversation.

If things weren’t so serious, I’d be eating up all of this drama. The emotions are as thick as a twelve-inch dick.

Dear God, Joan. Please don’t make rhymes with male genitalia.

She makes a noise which sounds like a laugh.You try being stuck inside your head. It’s a dark place, and I’m not talking about the lack of lighting.

I take another step, but the heel of my shoe hits the edge of the stair, and I slip. Slapping my hand against the cobweb covered wall, I press my palm into it to keep from sliding down the stairs on my ass.

Have you always had the grace of a baby cow?Joan asks.

You’re a real asshole, you know that?

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