9. Nine

Damn, I missed her.

We didn't make it out of the training fields before Oakly and the rest of her Nexus arrived. To my utter shock, she bounced over to Ry and gave him a quick peck before damn near tackling me to the ground.

"Willow, don't ever do this shit to me again. I feel like I lived nine lives waiting for you to wake up."

She sure doesn't look like it right now. She's fucking glowing. Her purple hair is shiny, skin absolutely flawless, and there's this sense of pure happiness radiating off her.

A foreign flutter starts in my chest where my bond connects to her, and I gasp the moment I wrap my arms around her.

"Oh my God, you bonded."

"How the hell did you know that?" Despite her question, she beams at me.

"I can feel the difference in our bond. We have so much to catch up on."

We give swift kisses to each of our Nexuses and haul ass, ignoring the arguments from them about us not walking alone to Gaster's. Don't get me wrong, it turns me on that their protectiveness is so fierce, but come on, it's campus and if push came to shove, I'm a dragon.

"Spill, we're out of earshot. Which one?" I question.

"Jamie…" Of course. He's been amazing to her since they met. "And Nikoli."

Picking my jaw off the floor, I shoot her a saucy smile.

"No wonder you're so damn radiant. Tell me everything."

Taking our sweet, precious time getting to Gaster's, Oakly fills me in on the very, very busy few days she's had. She didn't exactly say it but hinted around to the fact that it hit her guys hard seeing her so distraught over my coma-like state, and my guys losing their minds about it put some shit into perspective for them.

Since that night, they've pampered her like a spoiled princess, giving her any and everything she wants, even Ry, and well, one thing leads to another when you feel loved and cherished.

"I have a shit ton to tell you, but we'll have to wait until we get—" I huff, my words cutting off as someone shoulders me into Oakly.

"Oops, didn't see you there."

"Germ." I'm disappointed to see that Gima's face is all healed up. I didn't get to enjoy the sight of the fugly bruises I know I left.

"It's Gima, you Nexus stealing whore. Watch where you're going next time," the bitch shrieks at the top of her lungs.

"You fucking delusional cunt." I snarl.

Heat surges through my body, and I want to let it flow out. Burn the bitch to a crisp. My fingers tingle with the desire to lay her ass out, but Oakly latches on to me, dragging me away.

"She's not worth it and she's just mad you're a true Primary. Fuck her. Let's go," Oakly says loud enough Gima can hear every word.

"Elementra, I could end that bitch," I growl as she continues to pull me away.

"Yeah, I know. Calm down, your claws are showing, like literally."

Glancing at my hands, they're still small and delicate, but silver scales replace my fair skin, and my nails are four inches long, curved, and sharp as blades.

"I hate her. If she goes near my men, she's fucking done for." My shifter side must be a little bloodthirsty because that murderous promise calms it enough for me to completely pull her back in.

"Damn, you can be scary. Has that side been giving you trouble?" she asks.

"No, I haven't had any of the problems Draken's described, like needing to shift at least every other day, her taking over, or anything like that. That was the first struggle with her pushing so hard. Even when she went toe to toe with Draken, it was easy pulling her back because we both were satisfied once he calmed down, but she was raging just now. I wanted to rip Gima's head off. Why is she still here?"

"She comes from one of the strongest families in Elementra. If I had to assume, it'd cause huge problems in the higher families, but she did get suspended from E.F. training class. From what I heard, by heard I mean eavesdropped on Ry's conversation, Corentin will make the final decision on whether she can return or not. That all got put on hold when you know, you passed out and wouldn't wake up." She shoots me a teasing side-eye like me and Elementra planned this out together without her.

"Speaking of higher families, did you know I was a damn princess?" I ask in a hushed yell.

"What do you…" Oakly's eyes bug out of her head as she realizes what I mean. "Oh shit. They're the Vito Nexus. I didn't even think about that, Willow. It's easy to forget who they really are when they just walk around here like this is where they belong. Plus, I've kinda just put them in my mind as ‘Willow's Nexus.'"

She isn't one to care about social standards or keeping up with the social hierarchy. And from the little she's talked about her family, they apparently care about it too much, so she avoids it and them as much as possible.

Still, you'd think she'd pay attention to shit like this.

Grabbing my hands, forcing us to jump up and down, she squeals loud as shit. "Oh my Elementra, my best friend is the awaiting Matriarch."

The what?

"Quiet down, don't announce it to the world," I scold. She laughs as she mumbles out a half-assed ‘sorry, your highness.'

"God, don't call me that. I can't handle that shit today." I let out a deep sigh before changing the subject back to the bitch we were talking about. "Would her power be beneficial in any way to the E.F.?"

She cuts her laughter off immediately, staring at me. Her silence is louder than an answer.

"Of course. What's her gift?"

"Persuasion. You've probably never noticed because you're stronger than she is—thank fuck I am too, and all our guys—but yeah, she has the power to persuade others," she informs me.

"Someone with that kind of crazy shouldn't have a gift like that. But damn, it'd be shitty and petty of me to let Corentin kick someone out of the E.F. program if they could help. And unfortunately, that psycho and her gift could help with the Mastery."

"You're better than me 'cause I'd say to hell with her. Byeeee."

Our laughter follows us into Gaster's office, where he stands from his desk, smiling at us.

"What has you two cackling like that?" He picks as we both give him a hug.

"Willow willing to be the bigger person, all princessly and shit, and isn't gonna get Gima kicked out the E.F. program." Oakly summarizes, shooting me a teasing smile.

"What a vile girl. But good for you for doing the right thing, Willow."

"I never said I was doing the right thing. I have every intention of beating her ass, again, if she keeps this shit up with me. But I know we need numbers and strength, so I can't jeopardize that out of spite," I say seriously.

"Well, okay then. Absolutely, do as you must." Clearing his voice awkwardly, me and Oakly giggle at his uncertainty. "Are you girls ready to see something exciting today?"

"Whatcha got for us, Gaster?" I ask, leaning forward, letting my curiosity take over and forget about all the other shit for a little while.

"A well-kept secret. Only one other person has seen or had access to this. But I believe you two should see it."

"Where is it?" I ask, hopping up, bouncing on my toes, my curious little heart kicking up a few notches.

We maneuver through the maze of artifacts, stacks of books, and piles of parchment, following Gaster over to his bookshelves that line the back wall of his office. They're completely full, overflowing rows holding thousands of years of precious knowledge and information.

Immediately, my attention is drawn to a book that obviously sticks out from the rest. Its glossy white spine is stark nestled against the collection of worn black and brown leathers. Even the cream-colored parchments are shades and shades darker.

"Good eye, girls. I see you both have spotted it," Gaster says.

My intrigue peaks and I reach out to run my finger down the spine, unbeknownst to me that the damn thing was going to shock the shit out of me. The quick zap sends electricity flowing all the way up my arm, causing me to pull my hand back rapidly.

"What the hell, Gaster?"

"Oakly, go ahead. It's just a small shock. I would've warned Willow if her curiosity hadn't got the best of her so quickly." He raises his eyebrows, giving me that look that says, see what happens when you touch other people's stuff.

She has no qualms about sticking her fingers out and taking the shock since she had a warning. Once she pulls her hand back, Gaster places his on the book and a vibration shakes the entire shelf.

"Okay, Willow, call your magic forth and command the book to open. There won't be any more shocks."

I eye him skeptically but still follow his directions. The command leaves my lips, and I watch in amazement as the books, their shelves, the entire wall holding them up, begin to vibrate and disappear in front of my eyes, revealing a doorway.

"Holy shit, it's a secret room," I squeal, taking off, calling my flame in my hand for some light as I make my way down the darkened hall. I hear Gaster command light, and suddenly the brick hallway comes to life as ever-lasting flames flicker into existence.

"Come on, hurry up," I order as they just slowly make their way to me.

Finally, we make it to the opening at the end of the hall where a room the same size as Gaster's office comes into view. Soft lighting illuminates the space, making it feel homey, inviting, just like his cottage. The scent of lavender mixed with musty wood fills the air, a heady and calming combination that a book lover like me instantly recognizes.

Comfortable chairs and a love seat sit center in the room across from a large walnut desk that's covered in parchments, books, quails, and an ever-lasting lamp. The bookshelves here are smaller than the office, but I can tell just by looking at how worn and cracked the spines are, these are ancient texts that have been read over and over.

Faintly, I sense Gaster's magic lingering everywhere in the room, crawling all over my skin, as if his essence is embedded in the fabric. It feels like home.

"Gaster, are we in your pocket dimension?"

"We are. The shock you both felt upon touching the book was the dimension accepting your magical signature. This is my personal study, where I keep my most valuable records and research, but if for any reason either of you needs to come here, you now can. The book you both saw is concealed from other eyes. Only the three of us can see its difference. Look around, get comfortable. We're going to study down here today." He gives us both a pleased smile. No doubt our auras are giving off some powerful, happy vibes right now.

Oakly goes straight for the artifacts while I go to the books. Most of the time spent with Gaster in the mornings consists of reading, learning, trying to absorb every bit of information as I can, and at night, I like to soak in the tub with a book or in my reading nook for at least an hour.

It's always been my escape, and there's what seems to be an endless supply of things for me to read here in Elementra. I used to say my Tbr would outlive me, but now that's not the case, so I just keep piling on to the new list.

Slowly walking along the bookshelf, I mindlessly let my fingers drag, tracing the lettering of those that have the titles on the spine. My fingertips begin to tingle, and I stop my caressing stroke on the book that caused the reaction.

Naively, I've assumed that between the healing vial Gaster makes and a healer like Jamie or Dr. Evie, they could cure just about anything, but according to the text in my hands, that's far from the truth.

The Deadly Cures.

Page by page, I scan over a variety of different poisons, illegal or forbidden tonics and plant combinations, and the formulas for their cures. Reading some of the deadly tonics, I can't help but think of Draken's mother and her addiction. Some kill you within hours of consumption, and some are highly addictive, slowly killing you as the ingredients eat away at you from the inside out but leave your mind in blissful ecstasy. The cures for these are readily available and easy to find.

Flipping ahead, I come across a very small list of what they call the Dark poisons. The cures for these aren't easy to make or readily available. All the substances mentioned to make these concoctions use natural resources that are found throughout Elementra and have extraordinary healing properties if used properly.

The poisons aren't poisons at all, they're powerful healing elixirs. If the creator of the elixir is infusing the ingredients with their magic using ill, deadly intentions, that's the added element that creates these deadly creations. Even though there are hundreds of other brews listed in this book, none are powerful enough on their own to be considered Dark, even if they were to be infused. The very short list of Dark poisons only consists of four, and with minimal availability of the cures, there's no stopping the results.

Death.

My chest grows heavy as I read over the Dark poisons.

The Necrotic Lotus Poison causes rapid decay and necrosis, spreading from the point of contact or ingestion until the entire body is consumed, leaving nothing behind but your bones in approximately thirty minutes.

The Wymfire Poison will burn you from the inside out, heating your body, essentially boiling it until you combust. It's fifteen excruciatingly long, painful minutes. Less time if your element is fire, somehow blocking its ability to leave the body, adding to the burning heat that's already coursing through you.

The Tarring Poison turns your blood to black, sticky tar. Cutting off the blood flow in your arteries and veins, stopping your heart within seven minutes. It's the fastest acting poison of the group and is said to weigh the body down, making it hard to breathe, talk, scream, do anything as the slick tar slithers through your vessels.

Lastly, and deemed the worst, The Poison of Essence. This poison destroys your life essence, starting with the magic within you, then your element, finishing with your gift. Once your magical essence is gone, you swiftly age, your mere human body accelerating through the lifetimes you've lived, then disintegrating into thin air, leaving no trace of you behind.

This poison takes the longest of the deadliest, one hour. But I can't imagine how that hour feels, measly seconds that pass in the blink of an eye or a drawn-out lifetime of despair as your very being is ripped away.

Tears threaten to fall from my eyes as I read the cruelty in my hands. I've seen evil, lived with evil my whole life, but for someone to do something like this to another person for no unjust reason is barbaric. My vision grows cloudy as I try to hold back the waterworks, or so I thought that's what was happening until a flash of light drags me into a vision.

Lyker is shoulder to shoulder with his Nexus brothers, brutally fighting off other people, both in their shifted and non-shifted form. They're delivering savage blows, holding nothing back. Lyker swipes his partially shifted claws across throats, drives them into the fur coats of wolves, and sends bodies flying left and right as more and more try to pile on top of him and his brothers.

This has to be the Alpha trials.

A powerful, commanding growl fills the air. I can feel the dominance vibrate through my physical body, even though this is only a vision that has yet to come to fruition. The shifters and wolves that are ambushing him or even near him hit the ground, bowing their heads, whimpering. Lyker turns on his heel, looking around, when suddenly, in slow motion, I watch as a dagger soars through the open space, impaling him right in his chest.

He pulls the dagger out and looks at it before slamming to his knees, clutching his chest, his healing never kicking in. I watch as black goop pours from the wound. No, not goop, tar. He looks right into my eyes, somehow knowing where my incorporeal body is standing as his brothers kneel around him, pressing healing vials to his mouth, holding a shirt to his wound.

He slumps forward, their arms catching him before he faceplants the ground. The minutes tick by at the speed of light as they frantically try everything they know to do, until finally, one of his brothers lets out a wail that pierces the ears of everyone around.

He's gone.

My vision returns to normal, although disoriented from the tears that are falling down my cheeks. Gaster and Oakly are standing a few feet away, concern written across their faces as they gaze into my sorrow-filled eyes. My heart hurts like I've just watched a friend be killed right in front of me, my chest heavy with the knowledge of what I just saw.

"What happened, child?" he asks mournfully.

"What were you planning on teaching us today?" I ask, sniffling, wiping the tears from my face.

"Nothing too strenuous, just some enchantments you may miss from switching classes and ones that will give Oakly a leg up," he answers with a puzzled look.

"Change of plans," I declare, passing him the book that's clutched in my hand. "We have some cures to brew."

"Are you excited about your first shifter class?" Draken asks as we make our way to the shifter fields.

The fields are on the opposite side of the castle, giving plenty of privacy and seclusion from everyone else. Although the shifters in this class have complete or almost complete control over their animals and shifts, that's not always the case for the first years, according to Draken and Corentin. Having us away from the student body keeps all non-shifters or lower dominant shifters safe.

"I was a lot more excited this morning before my vision, but I'm trying to stay positive and excited," I tell him honestly.

I hate the fact that I can't tell him anything. I was only able to tell him I had one and it wasn't good. All the details have to stay with me. I did inform him about the Dark poison cures we started working on. They'd take the day to ferment and then they'd be ready to go tomorrow.

Based on the book, I assumed it would take so much longer because the ingredients for the cure are difficult to find, but that was me underestimating Gaster. As soon as I told him I needed them, he transported out of the secret room and returned twenty minutes later with everything we needed. He didn't tell me how he acquired them so quickly or where he keeps his stash, and I didn't push like I normally would. I was just thankful he had access to them.

Me and Oakly watched intently as he made the first batch, the precise way he crushed some ingredients, grinded others, and some went in whole. He showed us step by step how to push our magic into the concoction to ensure it turns into the cure. The better the intentions, the better it'll work.

Now we wait, then vial them up. There'll be enough for multiple vials for all four of the deadly poisons.

"What can I do, little wanderer?" he asks, looking determined and hopeful, ready to battle this fight for me.

Laying kisses on his hand that's gripped in mine, I give him a reassuring smile. "Exactly what you're doing. Just being around you makes it so much better."

"I can do that. I can be in you too."

I know by his teasing wink he's just trying to lighten the mood, but fuck, I'd be willing to take him up on that offer right now.

Walking onto the fields, my eyes appraise the men, the many men, who are dawdling around. Taking a measure of each one of them, it's impossible to tell what kind of shifter they are from here, but damn, they're big, all fourteen of them. Not as big as my guys, but still massive compared to me.

"Did you all leave a little detail out about this class, Draken?" I ask, clipped.

"What do you mean?" he questions, obviously not picking up on my unease.

"I'm the only female in this damn class," I snap.

"Shit, I thought Corentin explained, so I didn't even think to do so. You're too strong to be in the other classes, little wanderer. The other shifters would sense your dominance and either cower or flock around you. The academy doesn't mix very dominant shifters with lower dominant shifters, so this is the highest of high in strength in the academy, and you're one of them, just the only girl. The rest are lower dominant," he whispers.

"Fucking hell, Draken. I don't want shifters to cower, flock, or challenge me. I just want to learn about shifter culture, not assert myself somewhere on the shifter pole," I complain.

What the hell, Corentin?

"I'm sorry, sweetness, but that is shifter culture. It's all about strength and dominance. Two things you have plenty of, so there's nothing to worry about. And I'm here. Nothing's going to happen." I don't get to reply to him or refuse this class before the instructor walks over to where we're hovering on the side of the field.

"You must be Willow. I'm Vince, Shifter Instructor for the advanced classes. Headmaster Vito informed me this morning you'd be joining us." He outstretches his hand and I stare at it for a moment before reaching mine out.

The last big-ass, burly instructor I had let me get my ass beat, so I reasonably have unease. Letting my eyes roam over him calculatingly, he's a couple inches shorter than Draken but still built like a brick wall. He doesn't give off the dickhead vibes Claven did, more laid back and relaxed, almost lazy-like.

"Thanks for having me. They haven't done the best job filling me in on what to expect from this class, so bear with me while I catch up." I shoot a side-eye to Draken, who's rocking back and forth on his toes.

A genuine laugh falls from Vince's mouth, easing my tension toward him just a little. "No worries at all. Draken, go on and join the others, get everyone stretching while I get familiar with her strength, then we'll join you all."

"Go on. I'll be fine." I nod toward the others, sending him some reassurance down our bond. After a quick kiss, he jogs off, looking back at me three times.

"Have you tested your dominance before?" Vince asks.

"Probably not the way you're about to test it, but yes, it's been tested." I smirk.

"I'll push my dominance in the form of a growl, small, medium, high and I'll judge your reactions. Try to keep your animal from challenging mine if you can. If not, it'll be okay. I'll back off immediately," he explains.

I can feel my dragon sitting idly in my chest. She's not the least bit intimidated or interested in anything he has to say. My human side appreciates the fact that he'd back off if she came out ready to brawl.

"On three, I'll start small and keep increasing till we're done." I nod my understanding, bracing for his animal.

His growl is different than I was expecting. I mean, the guys are growly all the time, but I haven't heard a shifter growl, other than Draken. His growl tends to start out as a deep rumble that comes from the depths of his chest. Even in his non-shifted form, you can hear a faint whistle, like the wind traveling through his massive teeth. And it grows into a thunderous, high-pitched roar, and you can feel his power vibrate through the skies. It's like nothing I've ever heard before, so I don't have anything to compare it to.

Vince's small growl sounds more like a hiss, like he's forcing air from the back of his throat and as he pushes more, it turns deeper and guttural. The noise continues to increase, becoming mighty, a raw, primal roar. My dragon looks at him curiously, but still not intimidated in the least. I swear she's looking at him like a sweet kitten meowing.

"Holy shit, are you some kind of big cat?" The question slips out the moment I think it, not giving the logical, respectful part of my brain time to catch up.

His eyes widen before he lets out a booming laugh. "Did your animal react at all?"

"Yeah, she did…"

"And?" he pushes.

"Well, she thinks you're a kitten. That's why I asked," I answer honestly, chuckling when his jaw hangs unhinged.

"Headmaster Vito said your animal was on a need-to-know basis. So I can assume between that and the fact your animal thinks I'm a kitten, it's powerful." He raises a brow, fishing for information. Not in a malicious way, more curious. I can understand that.

"I guess you could say that. How did I do?"

"You're not going to have any issues in my class. I didn't push all my dominance, but if you didn't even react to what I did, you aren't going to have any issues with the others. Let's get over there to them."

Draken approaches me as soon as we walk up, looking me over like he couldn't see everything that just happened from the fifty feet we stood apart.

"Well, no claws came out, so I'm assuming you handled it fine."

"I made an idiot of myself. I told him my animal thought he was a kitten."

"Damn, little wanderer, that's amazing and true. Vince is a Nemean lion," he informs me between fits of laughter, bending over, clutching his stomach.

I look at him, horrified as what he says sinks in.

"Are you kidding me? He could bite my head off."

"You'd have no problem eating him."

I shake my head as Draken laughs and my damn dragon purrs, pleased that he has so much confidence in her. Luckily, Vince's booming voice blocks that little sound coming out of me.

"All right, guys, this is Willow. She'll be joining our class today and possibly for the rest of the term. Make her feel welcome. Her dominance is on par with all yours so don't try any stupid shit." He pauses, eyeing each of them seriously. "Today, we're going to be going over yielding. No one is to challenge. Do you understand me? If you can't out-dominate and force your animal to yield by this point, we're going to have a problem. Come up here and pair up when I call your names."

"This is where we growl at each other, and push our animals power out right?" I ask Draken in a low voice, so no one hears me. As much time as I spend reading, I should probably study up more on shit like this that actually affects me.

"Exactly. That's the main point. Vince is testing to see if we have enough control over our animals that we can back down without fighting. When you have animals as strong as the ones in this class, it's offensive for someone to try to intimidate you, so our instinct is to fight it out."

"Seriously? And how do you think our animals or our bond is going to react to this?" My bond is already anxious, wanting the others, and my dragon is now on the defense, ready to rip open the first person to growl at him.

He cocks his head to the side for a second, checking in with his own dragon, then shrugs. "Not good, so this will be a learning experience for us both."

Fucking hell.

We turn our attention back to the first set of guys, their growls growing louder and louder, more aggressive by the second. Sniffing the air, I can tell they're both wolves from the wet dog scent I keep picking up. I actually did read in my journal, that to me, most other shifters are going to have an unpleasant smell since they aren't my bond, or my mate as they call it in the shifter world. I can pick up that scent from around us as well. There are at least eight wolves in the class.

As the next pair walks up, I can tell one of them is a wolf—there's going to be at least one in almost all the pairs—but the other scent is throwing me off. It's very woodsy, earthy.

"That one's a wolf, but I can't figure out the other," I whisper to Draken.

"Good nose. There are a shit ton of pups in this class. The other is Ethan. He's a massive-ass Kodiak bear. He can stand around ten feet tall on his hind legs."

I know there are all kinds of shifters, but reading about and meeting someone who can turn into these huge beasts are two completely different things. I also tend to forget that I can turn into a dragon that can shift its size.

"Why did you call them pups?"

"That's what the wolves refer to their young, untrained kids as. The older ones take a lot of offense to it. Not all wolves are assholes. There are some really good ones out there, like Lyker, but the ones in this class are little shits who think they're better than everyone, so I take pleasure in degrading them." His devilish smirk makes the pang in my chest ease from his mention of Lyker. I remind myself I'm working on a way to change the trajectory of that vision.

"Who do you think we'll be up against?" I ask, still watching as neither the bear nor the wolf backs down.

"Well, technically, me and you are closer to the same power scale, so we'd make a good match, but I'd refuse and I'm pretty sure Corentin told Vince without telling him, that you're our Primary, so he wouldn't be dumb enough to pair us. So I'll probably face Walker and you'll likely face Gage."

I follow his finger as he points the two out.

Focusing on Walker and taking a deep breath, I've got no clue what he is, but he smells like stagnant water, swampish. Gage is one hundred percent a wolf.

"Gosh, this is so terrible of me, but Walker smells bad. Like rotten eggs, or maybe fish. I don't know, I can't tell, but it's unpleasant," I whisper, mortified at my description of someone's smell.

"That's because he's an Immanigator." At my confused look, he adds, "He's a giant alligator."

I whip my head to Walker in utter shock, watching as he keeps his eyes trained on the match in front of us. His body doesn't say alligator. He's tall and slender. His muscles are cut and defined, but not bulky like you'd think when his animal is pure muscle.

"Draken and Walker," Vince calls right after Ethan finally manages to force the wolf to yield and my bond panics the moment I hear his name.

"Hey, it's going to be okay. No one will be fighting, and I already know I can make him yield. I'm the only one in the class who can. I usually just drag it out so Walker can get some practice. He's a good dude. You've got nothing to worry about," he says confidently. I can feel his assuredness in our bond, so I nod to him slightly as he walks up to Walker, greeting him like a friend.

Walker's first growl doesn't call Draken's dragon out and he responds with a gentle grunt, holding back, but the noise is enough for my dragon to perk her head up and take an interest in him. She's pushing excitement and arousal through my senses, making me squirm in place.

"What's a pretty little thing like you doing in a class like this?" The slimy, nasally voice grates on every nerve of mine. Looking over my shoulder, Gage, the rugged wolf, stands so close to me, I feel his breath on my face.

"Firstly, back off, you're far too close to me. Secondly, I'm a shifter, so I'm in a shifter class," I smart off, crossing my arms, turning my back to him. I can't help the twitching in my nostrils as his pungent scent invades my senses, pissing my dragon all the way off.

"Sassy, I like it. So what kind of shifter are you?" The creep hums, taking a step closer, ignoring my warning and the one Vince gave everyone at the start of class.

"It's none of your business. And I'm not gonna tell you to back the fuck off again," I warn. Nothing inside of me likes the way he's pushing right now. My dragon's ready to put him in his place. My bond can't stand another male this close to me, and I'm on the verge of snapping if he doesn't respect the boundary I clearly laid out.

"We'll see about that when you're whimpering on your knees," he whispers in my ear, a small growl leaving his lips that brushes across my senses. My dragon lets out a chuff, unimpressed at the lack of force behind it as he walks away.

I miss the majority of Draken and Walker's standoff, but I focus back in time to see things pick up as their growls grow more forceful. There's a slight tremor in Walker's legs from fighting off the command to yield. He gets in one more vicious growl before Draken ends it. He's still holding back, but it's forceful enough, some of the shifters on the sidelines shiver.

I cling to his arm as we watch the next four matches. Obviously, Vince is saving me for last, and after watching everyone else he called up, I know that Gage is definitely the asshole I'll be facing. I stroll up confidently as soon as my name is called, a blush dusting my cheeks from Draken's cheering behind me.

"I waited for you to go last so you could see how it works. Gage is ranked three in the class. This is a good point to see where your dominance measures and he won't hold back like I did, but I'll step in if I think he's going too far," Vince says quietly. From the sincere look on his face, he was told about my first day of class.

"Thanks, I appreciate that." I don't think that'd be the case now. A lot has changed in me since then, but I'm still thankful he isn't going to allow anything to happen.

Turning to face Gage, he's a mask of masculine surety, already counting me out completely.

"Ready to get on your knees for me, pretty thing?"

"Gross. Just start." I sneer, my nostrils lifting at his disgusting innuendo. Unlike how all the others started, Gage skips over the buildup and goes straight to a loud, menacing growl.

"Gage," Vince warns.

I toss my head back and let out a spiteful little laugh just to piss him off. My dragon's sitting in the background, paying more attention to him, but she still isn't concerned. She's more annoyed with his arrogance and disrespect toward us.

Instead of jumping straight in the way he did, I let out a small little warning rumble, my dominance fluttering out only enough to test his reaction. His wolf doesn't like it at all. The human side of him may think I'm weak, he's already convinced he'll force me to my knees, but his animal can tell I'm just toying with him.

After the second fierce growl, with no more than a smirk from me, he starts to get pissed. We go back and forth, him letting out fierce, menacing growls, and me smiling, letting out sweet little chirps. Draken's standing to the side laughing, knowing I'm playing with him, and I should be ashamed of myself for taking pleasure in the fact that he's happy about this little game I've started with Gage. Instead, it just boosts my ego and makes me want to do it more.

This growl that he lets out does rouse my dragon. It's his full force, and she doesn't want to back down from the disrespect he just showed her. But I keep a tight grip on the control I have on her and pat my lips, covering a faux yawn.

"Are you done?" I ask, sugary sweet.

"Answer me this, little tree. When you're done whoring yourself to the dragon over there, how about you give me and my Nexus a turn fucking that sweet little mouth of yours?" he asks with a twisted smile.

Wrong thing to say.

Locking eyes with him, I let the full power of my dragon out. From the depths of my chest, a deep, deafening growl shakes the ground beneath my feet, and I watch in satisfaction as Gage's knees slam into the grass, his head bowing low.

Sauntering over to him, the dominance and power rolling off me in waves floods me with a confidence I've strived to have my entire life. My Nexus may treat me like a priceless gem, but that doesn't mean other males will, not that they should, but treating someone more than an object they can fuck to their liking should be a given. I know what it's like to be picked apart like a piece of carcass and I refuse to allow any man to treat me in such a way ever again.

"If you ever speak to me or any female that way again, I'll make it my personal vendetta to ensure you and your Nexus never have the opportunity to bond to a Primary. Fuck around and I'll make it so another female never enters your bed. You understand me, pup?" I growl, pinching his chin, forcing his eyes to meet mine and hold.

My voice is lower, deeper than my usual tone. My dragon's as close to the surface as I'll let her without him being able to see what I am, guiding me with her instincts on how to handle him.

"You're so fucking beautiful. You have them all on their knees," Draken whispers as his strong body presses into the back of mine. He lays his hand on my hip, instantly calming the rage swirling inside of me.

I follow his line of sight, zeroing in on Vince and Walker. Asking my dragon for some assistance on how to get them to stand back up, she floods me with impressions on how to pull my dominance back from the two of them, and they both stand straight up, looking at me in disbelief and shock.

I give them a small bow of my head, following her lead on how to let them know I didn't mean to hit them like that. I don't see Vince as a threat. I respect the way he's treated me so far, and I haven't even been introduced to Walker, but Draken seems to have a positive regard toward him. The rest are fair game in my dragon's and my eyes.

"Answer me," I command, turning back to Gage. His body is shaking like a leaf as he tries to break free from my power.

"I understand," he answers begrudgingly. And I pull my dominance back, freeing everyone at once. I don't care if he means it or not. I'll keep my word if I hear anything not to my liking.

I may have let my dragon's power give me a pretty unearned ego boost, but at the same time, I do have this power, and if I can use it to ensure no other female gets treated the way I've been, then damn straight I'm going to use it.

"Let this be a lesson to you dickheads the next time one of you decides to challenge my true Primary," Draken announces, staring at each of them until they cast their eyes down.

"Class dismissed," Vince bellows as he and Walker make their way over to us. "True Primary, huh? That's the reason I was told not to pair the two of you against one another."

"Yeah, we weren't really announcing it yet. Sorry for hitting you that hard. I only meant to teach Gage a lesson in how to speak to women." I apologize.

"It was unexpected. Is that something we need to work on? You didn't seem to have a problem focusing on me and Walker when you withdrew your power," Vince asks, eyeing me like he still isn't sure how that much strength came out of little ol' me. He doesn't seem mad or offended, though, just shocked.

"I didn't think I'd hit you all, but my intentions in my mind were clear that no man would speak to me that way, so you ended up as collateral damage, I'm afraid. I didn't have any problems zoning in on the two of you and pulling it back once I asked my animal for a little help."

"I think it's an area we should work on. I heard that your Nexus is traveling to the Alpha trials. Now that I know you're going to be joining them, it'd probably be beneficial for you to know how to direct your command at a specified group, so you don't send any E.F. members to their knees by accident." He nods like the more he thinks about it, the more sense it makes.

"How did you know I'd be going?" I ask suspiciously.

"I've known your Nexus for a long time. I was a teacher's aide when Corentin and Tillman started their classes, and he offered me this position once becoming Headmaster. They'd never leave their true Primary behind alone. I'll see you all next class," he says, giving me a knowing look before walking away.

"I've only come across a few shifters whose dominance was as strong as yours, but it felt different," Walker speaks for the first time, analyzing me.

"I'm sorry about that. Again, I didn't mean for you or Vince to get caught in the crossfire," I tell him sincerely, hoping he isn't pissed about it.

"What do you mean different?" Draken tacks on defensively, stepping in front of me slightly.

"I mean no offense. Her power feels divine, ancient. I've only felt power like that during my awakening," Walker says, holding his hands out in front of him.

"Damn, I didn't realize Bri was your true Primary," Draken comments with a surprised look on his face.

"It's a well-kept secret. You know the dangers that lurk in Elementra around true Primaries. That's why I wanted to say something about her powers. Others may not sense it because they've never experienced a bond like we have, but I felt it and its familiarity. I'd keep her as close as possible and be careful letting the full extent of your powers out," Walker warns before turning from us and walking off the field.

"Great, another mystery to add to the craziness that is my life," I whine as I pinch the bridge of my nose and lay my head on Draken's arm.

"We'll figure it all out, little wanderer, don't worry."