24. Addi

TWENTY-FOUR

Irun my hands down my sides as I take a deep breath before swooping open my bedroom door and slamming it shut behind me.

There. I'm out of those goddamn four walls, and I'm not going back until I'm exhausted down to the bone.

Peering down at my bodice, I count the daggers at my waist, taking another deep breath before I descend the stairs. I've forgone the cloak, black or gray. There's no point hiding my daggers at this stage. Hopefully, if people see them it might keep them at arm"s length.

I spent the entirety of yesterday hiding out in my room, going crazy so I didn't have to run into anyone, but I can't do that again today. I won't survive it.

Slipping from the house without running into anyone, I take off straight into a jog, eager to feel the breeze whip against my skin as I work my muscles.

Friday night was something else. I still can't wrap my head around how everything escalated so quickly. I signed up for a date in order to get Brody to strengthen the ward on my room. I thought I had the upper hand on him because there was no way he was getting in my pants no matter how much he hoped. Now I'm wondering if that would have been a better option, and I still don't actually know the consequences that are due to come my way.

A duel. A fucking wolf duel. Despite hiding away in my room, I didn't opt to hide away from the facts as well. I spent hours researching a wolf"s duel and everything it entails.

My face scrunches with the fury that simmers in my veins at the thought of it as I run down the more secluded campus pathways.

I'm lucky Leticia didn't kill me. I'm adamant that's a testament to my strength, but my gut twists knowing there was a hint of luck in there, too. A duel among wolves over another wolf is sacred—fucking sacred—and Cassian just let it happen.

The moment Leticia tapped out, she practically joined me to Cassian without a word being spoken. He can fuck who he wants and do what he wants, but if he wants a relationship with anyone, they have to defeat me in a duel. It will come eventually, I assume. Mating and bonding is huge within the wolf community. So there's definitely going to be another battle on my hands.

Yay.

Despite my competitive nature and constant desire to win, I eventually came to the decision that when that happens, I'll tap the fuck out before it even begins. They can have him. They can preferably take him as far away from me as possible while they're at it. I'll be gracious in defeat, but my soul knows that it really won't be as simple as that. I'm a fae; people will likely challenge me just to have the opportunity to kill me, and I get the feeling many are going to try.

Fuck.

Shaking my head, I try to compartmentalize the thoughts that are taking over my head. I can't go back down this path again. I'm strong, resilient, and determined. No matter what is thrown my way, I will overcome it.

With a deep exhale, I focus on my breathing as I put one foot in front of the other. My heart pounds, my body warming, and I relish the effect running has on my limbs. All too soon, I approach the pathway where the fallen log rests, where I first saw Raiden and Cassian. My pulse thuds in my ears, making me tense as I try to wrap my head around my emotions.

It should be a relief that no one is out here, but I can't seem to dismiss the sense of disappointment that cascades over me. My lips purse with distaste at the reality. Despite the horrors of Friday night and the mess they've dragged me into, I'm still drawn to them. Not like a moth to a flame. No. That would be too nice. More like a lamb led to the slaughterhouse.

I'm the lamb. The fucking lamb…and they're one huge cluster fuck of a slaughterhouse, ready to dismember me one piece at a time.

Rounding back toward the origin buildings, I consider going around again but opt against it since it hasn't done much to clear my thoughts. Perspiration clings to my skin as I step inside and slip up the stairs before anyone sees me.

I'm going to have the best shower in existence, then find something to watch on television to distract myself. Or maybe I should do some yoga first? I'm not sure.

Taking the last few steps, I slow when I hear Flora yelling.

What the fuck?

My pace quickens with panic as I rush to the top step to find her standing toe to toe with Brody, and no Arlo in sight.

Her finger wags in his face as she glares at him. "Don't give me any of that crap. The sheepish look on your face screams you're guilty of something, and I won't have you waiting here for my friend. She definitely doesn't need your drama."

I'm slightly impressed. That's a lie. I'm mega impressed as I edge toward them. "What's going on?" I ask before Brody can reply, and both of their heads spin in my direction.

Flora's right. There's guilt in his eyes, and now it tinges hers. "Oh my gosh. I'm so sorry, Addi. He showed up here looking all…" She waves her hand at him in explanation, unable to find the words. "And I just knew I needed to get him out, but he's refusing to leave."

I smile—a raw, real smile that I haven't felt on my lips since I last saw Nora, which isn't all that long but feels like forever. I definitely need her as a friend, for Nora's sake, if anything. She would love her.

"It's okay, Flora. Thank you, but I've got this."

Her eyebrows furrow slightly as she assesses me before turning back to Brody. She snarls at him through bared teeth then waltzes into her room with a flourish only she could pull off. I stare at her closed bedroom door for a moment, garnering the strength to face this asshole.

I don't think I'm ever going to be ready to deal with his shit, so I suck it up and turn to him with a glare of my own. "What are you doing here?" I move toward my door, my arms folding over my chest as I get closer to him.

He rubs his lips together as he winces. "I owe you a stronger ward."

"Bullshit," I rasp with a snicker.

"What?" His body stiffens as he leans against the wall opposite my room, his defenses rising into place.

"That's not why you're here."

He rubs at the back of his neck with a sigh, his gaze dropping from mine for a moment before he finds it again. "No, probably not. I wanted a chance to explain to you, and I thought the ward was the least I could do."

I purse my lips, taking him in. I hate how vulnerable he looks, like he was the one wronged here, but more than that, I hate how much I want the stronger ward.

"You can ward away, but we're not talking," I snap, making a decision I'm not entirely certain of as I open my bedroom door and step into my space.

His gaze shifts around the bare room as he clears his throat. "I have to come in for that."

That little fact makes me pause, and my teeth sink into my bottom lip as I consider whether it's worth it or not. The main factor that has me relenting is that he hasn't stepped in automatically.

"Are you asking for permission?"

He shrugs like it's not a big deal, but a few days ago, he slapped his hand on my door without care. That guy wouldn't be teetering on the edge of my room like this. Something changed, and I don't know what.

"Fine," I grumble, hands clenching at my sides as he steps into my room. My senses are heightened as I watch his every move, alert as hell, while he starts chanting immediately.

It's too late to back out now, and I'm putting far more trust in him than I should, but I'm holding on to the fact that he got straight to it and didn't try to push his way around my room instead.

A few minutes of tense silence drift between us before a bubble forms in the middle of the room and pops, clinging to the window, door, and walls. The second it does, Brody is thrown from the room with a tiny gasp, and I watch in shock as his back slams into the wall outside of my room that he had been leaning against a few minutes ago.

I rush to the open door, cringing as he rises to his feet and dusts off his clothes with a few strong curse words under his breath. Once he's gathered himself, he turns to me with a heavy smile.

"I'm sorry for Friday."

"Which part?" I retort before I can think better of it. He looks at me with wide eyes, fumbling over what to say, and I shake my head. "The fact is, you fucked up on so many levels that you can't even pinpoint which one might have been the worst of them, but an overall apology doesn't erase the shit you caused."

He nods, eyes darting away for a beat before finding me again. "I didn't think it would be, but I had to try." He stuffs his hands into his pants, and the way he seems to brush over it so effortlessly pisses me off even more.

"Do you realize the gravity of what you did?" I snap, my nostrils flaring with anger before I swiftly shake my head. "Don't answer that. I already know the bullshit that will fall from your lips," I grind out, earning me a nervous smile.

"Maybe we could try again?"

I blink at him, and again, and a third time as I process his dumb words. "Like fuck we can." I can't deal with him anymore. I need out of this conversation right now. "I'm going to assume that you flying from my room means the ward is in place?"

He nods, lips parting, but before he can utter a word, I slam the door shut between us, sagging against it as I try to catch my breath.

No one should be that good-looking and so overtly innocent and blasé that it makes them a fucking danger. Swiping a hand down my face, I push up off the wood as a knock sounds from the other side.

Fuck.

He's not going to make this easy, is he?

With a deep breath, I grab the handle and yank the door open, ready to give him another piece of my mind, but I'm stalled when it's Flora I find on the other side.

"Hey," she blurts, nervously looking me over from head to toe. "I'm sorry, I just…do you want to hang out? Do something mind numbing, just…not alone?"

Her question catches me off guard, leaving me to gape at her for what feels like far too long before I nod. I need a distraction, and this might just be it.