10. Adrianna

10

ADRIANNA

" Y ou look truly fucked."

I pry my eyes open to find Nora grinning down at me, mischief written all over her face. It takes me a second to process where I am and what she just said, but once I do, I hurry to pull the sheets tighter.

"Nora," I gasp, pushing my hair back off my face as I stare at her with wide eyes.

"What? You do," she retorts with a shrug. I'm definitely not having this conversation right now.

"That's because she is."

My jaw falls slack as my eyes widen, watching as Brody saunters into the room without a care in the world.

"Brody!" I yell, ready for the ground to open up and take me now, while all he does is smile down at me with innocent eyes.

"What?"

"Stop. Oh my?—"

Laughter echoes through the room and the three of us turn to the source to find Raiden leaning against the door frame. His hair is spiked in every direction, his composure is relaxed, and he almost seems… carefree.

"Oh my days, is Fangs laughing? I didn't think he could do that," Nora states, pointing a finger at him as she grins in amusement.

I steel my spine, ready for him to be irritated with my sister's nickname for him, but to my surprise, he pays it no mind as his gaze settles on me.

"Hey." The smug look on his face should piss me off, but apparently, I'm incapable of negative emotion at the moment.

Nora takes a seat on the bed, making me inch the sheets even higher as Raiden strolls closer.

"Stop acting like you're her favorite," Brody grumbles, sticking his middle finger up at the vampire.

"But I am," he retorts, planting his hands on his hips as he gives Nora a pointed look, eager for her to correct the mage.

"He's not," Nora states, making Raiden gape in surprise.

"I'm not?" He seems genuinely shocked, while I'm genuinely confused as to why this conversation is happening right now. I'm thoroughly fucked, lying in bed after napping for who knows how long, and I need a minute to pull myself together.

"Are you forgetting the part where I used to have dead legs? He's my favorite," she explains, pointing over to the doorway where Kryll is standing with Cassian at his side.

"I mean, that's a little unfair. We can't all be fancy dragons with healing abilities. I'm doing the best I can with what I've got. Besides, you nicknamed me. That has to mean I'm the favorite," Raiden insists, fighting a point with my sister despite this being about her thoughts and opinions.

Nora stands, rolling her eyes at Raiden as she points at him. "Fangs." Her finger shifts to Brody. "Wizzy." Cassian. "Howler." Kryll. "Favorite." With far more sass than I could ever muster, she turns back to Raiden. "Does that spell it out for you?"

Raiden, for once in his life, is speechless, and it's not at my hands for a change. My sister is far too pleased with herself as she sashays out of the room without a backward glance. Only when the door clicks shut behind her does Raiden exhale. "Whatever. She's confused right now. She will change her mind," he grumbles, and I can't decide if it's aimed at us or at himself.

"I have no idea what that was, but is everyone ready to eat?" Kryll asks, clapping his hands from where he remains by the door, sensing an air of hostility from the grumpy vampire.

My stomach grumbles at that very moment, answering for me, and the five of us wordlessly get ready. Back in my fitted combat pants and tee, with my black cloak over my shoulders, I use my magic to braid my hair into a crown against my head again before I join the others.

No one speaks. No one has to. It's perfect.

The queen's laughter greets us first as we round the corner, the patio setup coming into view. Nora hurries toward me like a raging loon, blustering past Brody and Raiden unapologetically as she links her arm through mine.

"That's her," she whispers, nodding toward the table like I'm supposed to know what she's talking about.

"Who?"

"Dad's lady friend," she explains, and I accidentally draw to a stop as I take her in. Brown hair falls in a short bob, framing her face and matching eyes. She laughs along with whatever story he's telling.

I start to move but freeze once again. This time, my eyes shift to Cassian.

"What's wrong?"

"I'm…"

I'm what?

Fuck.

Shaking my head, my vision blurs as noise tingles in my ears.

"Alpha?"

I shiver at his nickname for me as I try to piece together what feels different. Something does, I just can't process it.

Swiping a hand over my face when shaking my head doesn't work, I manage to focus on the present, but I'm still left empty-handed about what I'm feeling. Cassian takes a step toward me, but I wave him off, opting to fixate on the woman seated beside my father again.

As I watch them together, I try to remember a time when my father smiled so wide or laughed so naturally, but I fall flat. Whatever my father says has the woman giggling once more, only this time she looks our way and I catch a shift in her eyes. It's only for a split second, but it was there.

"She's a dragon," I breathe, familiar with the movement in her eyes, having seen it in Kryll's before.

"She's beautiful," Nora adds, and I nod in agreement.

"It seems the rest of our guests have arrived. Come on now, I'm famished," the queen orders and we all shuffle toward the table with the same hunger vibrating through us, too.

"I'll move," the woman murmurs as we approach. Nora takes the seat on the other side of my father, and when the woman smiles nervously at me, I know she's moving for my benefit.

"Oh, no, please, stay where you are. I'm good over here," I insist, pausing her before she stands completely. A wide smile blossoms across her face as she murmurs her appreciation while my father's megawatt smile turns my way.

Joining my guys on the other side of the table, Kryll sits the farthest away, closest to his mother, and Brody takes the spot beside him. Raiden leaves a spot, pulling the seat out and waving for me to take it as Cassian grumbles from his spot at the end.

I'm just about to mutter my thanks when my legs give out and I fall to the ground. Agony echoes in the cry that parts my lips as pain takes over my body. Every bone, every muscle, it's all throbbing with an unbearable ache.

"What's going on?" My father shouts from across the table, panic in his voice as the sound of chairs dragging across the floor echoes around me. I should be embarrassed, but the pain makes it impossible for me to worry about anything else but the torment rippling through my body.

"I don't know, I—" My words cut off as another groan bursts from my lungs. My head dips, my chin pressing against my chest as my teeth grind together. Attempting to try to breathe through it does nothing, but after a few moments, it feels as though the pain is subsiding.

"Did we break her?" Brody whisper-shouts, earning a scoff from my left, but I can't be sure if it's Cassian or Raiden.

"Don't be dumb, asshole," Raiden bites when the woman's voice cuts through the air.

"Could it be her wolf?"

My wolf? How does she know about my wolf?

Biting through the remnant ache that latches onto me like a second skin, I manage to maneuver myself so my arms are braced on my seat as I remain on my knees. I lift my head in time to see a look passing between Cassian and my father before the latter curses under his breath.

"Shit. The blood moon." He swipes a hand through his hair, frustration pouring from him as a cold cloth is suddenly placed on my neck.

I startle when I look up to see my father's ‘lady friend' is the one pressing it against me. "Hi, I'm Julietta. I just want to… I don't know what I'm doing. Helping, I think, but if I'm overstepping, just?—"

I shake my head, cutting her rambling off as I take a deep breath. "Hi, Julietta. Thank you," I breathe, wincing as pain floods my bones again. "I'm sorry to be rude. I'm sure there's a good conversation waiting for us, I just… what about the blood moon?" I ask, offering Julietta a tight smile before turning to look at Cassian.

"You've heard of a?—"

"Of course, I've heard of a blood moon," I interrupt, irritated with my own tone and lack of composure in front of the queen, but hot damn, everything hurts. "But what does that have to do with me?"

Cassian drops to his knees, a half smile shifting on his face. "You're a wolf, remember?"

I groan again, breathing through clenched teeth as I try to suffer through it until it once again subsides enough for me to speak. "Why does it hurt?"

"The blood moon forces wolves to shift. It reminds those who don't always believe in their inner wolf that there's no escaping it."

"Are these warning pains as if I'm about to shift?" I rasp, one step away from pleading with fuck knows who to end me now and put me out of my misery.

"Basically," Julietta murmurs, a pinched smile on her lips as I sigh.

"Great."

"Are you okay?" Raiden asks, a helpless look on his face as I nod.

"I'm good."

"Are you sure?" he pushes, scrubbing the back of his neck with uncertainty as I bite back a pained sob.

"No."

"Let's get you back to the academy," Cassian declares, making me frown as I stare up at him.

"What difference is that going to make? If anything, it's going to leave me vulnerable."

"I don't know, but being here won't help. Besides, you have the four of us to protect you. No vulnerability here," he insists, a worried crinkle marking between his eyes.

"Why won't being here help?" I ask, boycotting the rest of his statement.

"The blood moon doesn't touch these lands, and these warning pains are a beacon, telling you to come home."

"Why aren't you getting them then? And if you say you are and I'm just overreacting to this hot mess, then you can fuck all the way off," I grumble, helplessly aware of the mess I'm in. Again.

Now I can't even walk to the dinner table without an issue arising.

I'm a literal walking catastrophe.

"It always starts with the women, Alpha. I'll likely feel it in a few days, but never like this. Maybe heading back will help ease the pains."

"Maybe being a wolf isn't for me," I whisper, recoiling at the ache that clings to me, and he grips my chin, forcing me to meet his eyes.

"You were always meant to be a wolf, Addi. It's a lot, you're going through more than most could even imagine, but you're right where you're supposed to be, and we're going to be right here with you every step of the way," he insists, waiting for me to nod in agreement before he turns his attention to Kryll.

"Reach out to Beau. It's time to leave."