Page 35 of Bound By Earth (The Nature Hunters Academy 1)

At least a minute passed before sheresponded.

Elias?

Bingo.

Why are you textingme?

We got your tests. Jax will go over them and then be intouch.

Alright, great.Thanks.

He didn’t want to stop. The texting was helping. It wasn’t taking away all of his anxiety, but it was taking the edge off and he no longer wanted to tear down the door and speed off like a bat out of hell to get toher.

You’realright

Are you asking me or tellingme?

Areyou?

Yes. I’m fine. Except that I’m in school and a wanker keeps textingme.

Elias chuckled. She must have watched some British television shows at some time or another to know a British insult. He also found it interesting that she was more comfortable engaging him in text. She barely knew him and yet she was teasing him. Did she feel the weird connection between them aswell?

Such language for alady.

He was poking her, and she was like an angry bear with her growling and snapping. He likedit.

Screw you,Creed.

I like you, too, luv. Have a good day. -E

He waited, knowing what wascoming.

I never said I liked you! And don’t call meluv.

“How do you feel?” Jax’s voiceintruded.

Elias looked up from his phone and met his mentor’s eyes as he considered the question. The magic inside of him urged him to go to her, but it was bearable. He didn’t feel as if he were about to tear through the small town just to get toTara.

“Better,” he said. “Not great. The feeling to go to her and see her isn’t gone, but I can manageit.”

“Good,” Jax said. “I’m going to go back to the school and see if I can do some research on whatever this is that is happening between you two. Can you keep an eye on Tucker? He’s obviously up to something, and I think it’s more than acrush.”

Elias nodded. As soon as Jax was gone, no doubt using the gate they’d placed in the woods behind the house in order to travel back to the academy,Elias grabbed Tara’s personality test then headed for his car. If he was going to keep an eye on Tucker, then he’d need to be where the boy was—at the school. The closer Elias got to the building, to her, the less agitated he felt. By the time he was sitting in the parking lot across the street, he could actually think clearly without wanting to go in and demand to see her.I’m losing my bloody mind. It was going to be a long day. A grin slid across his face as he thought about the earlier texts and picked up the test he’d laid in the passenger seat. Maybe it wouldn’t be so bad if he could poke her a little more. He could feel his magic thrumming through him as if it liked that idea as well. His smile grew as he read her answers. Yes, he was going to have fun poking his angry little bear. So he sent her another text and waited for her response, which was sure to entertainhim.

Chapter 11

Tara pulled her phone from her pocket, trying hard not to draw attention to herself. It had vibrated a few minutes ago. Normally, she would not check it in the middle of class. That was before Elias had texted her. She couldn’t believe he’d texted her. She thought for sure that she wouldn’t hear from him again or see him unless she was offered a place at TGTE. But then there had been a text on her phone, from him. He had asked if she was okay, as if she mattered. She wasn’t about to admit that she’d been hoping to hear from him again after those unexpected texts, or that she had been thinking of things she could text him without looking like a stalker. Nope, not admittingit.

When she’d finally managed to wiggle the phone free, she glanced down at the screen. Her heart sped up as she saw the message was from the same number as earlier. Tara slid her finger across the screen, opening themessage.

“Ms.Thompson?”

Her eyes snapped up at the sound of her name. Mrs. Thorton was staring at her in expectation, brows raised as she leaned slightlyforward.

Crap, did she ask me aquestion?

“I’m sorry. Could you repeat the question?” Tara asked as she covered the phone in her lap as much as she could with herhand.

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