Chapter Thirty-Six

Adrian’s POV

I glare daggers at Aurelius, watching him flinch beneath my gaze. “I thought I made it clear that magic was prohibited,” I snarl, no longer needing to spare Lydia of my anger towards the Sorcerer. She is dead weight in my arms, unconscious as he headrests unmoving against my chest. No matter how loud my voice gets, I know she won’t wake for at least twelve hours. That’s the dependability of magic on humans. I’m naturally immune to spells to a certain point thanks to the wolf that shifts beneath my skin, but Lydia has no protection against such things yet.

Aurelius remains seated as I tower over him, nowhere for him to hide around his towers of books. The only thing that keeps me from harming him is the Treaty, which he is well aware of. The grounds of this campus are bound by a pact made long ago by the leaders of each clan, signed in blood and bound by magic that prevents us from harming each other while within a certain proximity of the school. One of the main reasons why Martin Loveday entrusted the care of his daughter to me is because his signature is on that Treaty. I have half a mind to call him right now and tell him how close his dear friend came to breaking that pact.

The weight of my Mate in my arms is the only thing that grounds me, keeping my anger from getting the better of me. She has already accepted me for what I am, by some miracle, so I certainly don’t plan on splashing her opinion of me in blood by avenging this wrongdoing. I want her to trust me, and the Dean showing up tomorrow with two lame limbs instead of one might make her suspicious.

“Adrian,” Aurelius reasons, settling back in his chair after realizing I have no intention of lashing out at him. “I swear that I didn’t do anything to her. She must be so vulnerable to magic that just the lingerings of it in the air are enough to affect her. She will be fine.”

I clench my jaw and look down at Lydia, fast asleep in my arms. Her eyelashes flutter, chest rising and falling evenly as she sleeps. I inhale her scent deeply as I sigh, willing it to calm the wolf within me that howls to avenge her. I shove him back down, forcing myself to relax. It’s true the whole study smells of magic, ingrained into the wood of the floor, the pages of every book and lingering in the Dean’s hair. He might be right about Lydia’s susceptibility to succumb to such amounts. “You should have thought about that,” I say, voice still layered by a growl.

Aurelius gives me a knowing look, stroking at the mustache on his lip. “Isn’t that your job?”

I flash my teeth at him, annoyed by his reasonable answer. “I can’t control other people’s magic,” I say, feeling my body temperature begin to rise again. Lydia stirs in my arms, reminding me of her presence as she murmurs something indistinguishable. I force myself to exhale, regulating my temper. By the time she rests her head back against my chest, my heartbeat has leveled. “You got lucky this time,” I keep my voice lowered but ensure that my expression remains a threat all its own. “Don’t let it happen again. I’m taking her home.”

As I turn to walk out of the study, I feel Aurelius’ eyes on my back. His voice stops me before I enter the elevator, calling to me from behind his desk. “I’d be careful if I were you. It may be dormant for now, but that girl possesses power as strong as her father’s. Though foolish of him, I can’t entirely blame him for hiding it from her.”

I cast him a dark look before pressing the button to send us down. I knew that from the start, though I feel no interest in continuing a conversation with Aurelius tonight. If I have to stay in that stinking study for one more minute, I don’t think I can remain as civil with Lydia unconscious due to his overpowering magic. Even when the elevator deposits us on the ground floor again, the stench of the study clings to our clothes, burning my throat with each breath.

I stride purposefully through the corridors towards the exit to the parking lot we parked in earlier this afternoon, thinking back to the horrified expression on Lydia’s face when she saw me shift. If I had it my way, I never would have shown that to her, even after revealing what I really am. It’s a nasty process to break my entire body down into something else, while my wolf tears through my skin to take my place. That fucking Aurelius had to open his mouth about it. I should have known better than to keep quiet about what this academy is. I went through so much trouble to keep the wool over Lydia’s eyes until I knew her well enough to gauge her reaction. I’m just glad she didn’t pass out immediately after seeing me.

The school is empty now, filled with only the lingering scent of the students who passed through today. With any luck, maybe she won’t remember anything that happened tonight and I’ll be spared by the barrage of questions that are yet to come. I’m sure she’ll be curious about Jasper once she wakes up. As much as my blood boils at the thought, I know he loved her when they were children. I think I made it more than clear enough to him earlier that she’s mine now, and that I’d happily break my father’s rule to snap his neck if he touches her.

The air is cool on my skin when I finally burst through the doors, kissing the sweat that has collected on my brow. I let myself get worked up again thinking about Jasper. I take a few breaths of the cold air, watching it escape in whisps of clouds past my lips. Lydia’s breath mingles with mine, reminding me to pull my coat closer around her so she doesn’t freeze. Her warm blood is too sensitive to Montana weather still, so I take the ends of my coat and fold them over her legs like a blanket before heading to the car. It might snow tonight, judging by the smell in the air. My poor girl won’t be thrilled about that.

The Mercedes is the lone car in this lot, making it easy to spot. I unlock the doors and slide Lydia into the passenger seat, making sure to secure the buckle around her before heading to the driver’s side. As soon as I turn the car on I crank the heat up and make sure the air vents are facing her body, and press the button for her seat warmer. I silence the tempo that connects to the car from her phone, not wanting it to wake her up. She certainly has a feminist taste in music.

I speed through the empty lots and pause only for the gates to swing lazily ajar for us to exit, hinges made slow by the old magic that courses through the steel. The secluded road is deserted and dark at this time of night, making me grateful that Lydia is knocked out cold. I remember her face when we encountered that woman last night, and I have a feeling she may make her appearance yet again. I told her that she was a ghost, which I’m grateful that she believed. I would never want to tell Lydia the true story about her apparition and why she haunts this stretch of road.

As if reading my mind, a set of gleaming eyes peer out from the treeline ahead, running beside the car in the darkness of the trees. I lock eyes with the yellow lights, daring them to follow us home. They would never make it past the gates anyway without my permission anyway. He can waste his breath following us if he wants. I press my foot against the gas pedal and speed as much as I can with the curvy road, staring straight out the windshield. Once we get to town, the wolves will knock him off of my tail. I’m just grateful that he has waited this long to try and follow us back.

Lydia stays fast asleep as the lights from the small town illuminate the darkness up ahead. As soon as I blow through the red light at the empty intersection, I spot a lone figure on the sidewalk between two buildings, waiting right where they should be. I lock eyes with them as I fly past, giving them a silent command that sets them off running into the road behind me, intercepting the yellow eyes on the other side of the street and body-slamming them into the alleyway they pass by. No vampires are allowed in my town.