Page 10 of Midnight of Ashes
I bit the inside of my cheek but did as he commanded.
“I have sent you half a dozen emails. I had to hear from the dean that you were shot. What the hell is going on?”
I laced my hands in my lap as my advisor lowered himself to the couch next to me. “I’m sorry. I still haven’t gotten to my emails. I’ve been recovering and trying to catch up on the schoolwork I’ve missed.”
The truth was, I was now ahead in all my classes. I’d been bored as hell this past week and read ahead in just about every subject.
Brent’s mouth pressed into a firm line. “I’m glad to hear that you’re staying focused on your studies, but that doesn’t mean you haven’t put your academic career at great risk. What the hell were you thinking going to a club like that alone?”
I blinked up at him. “I wasn’t alone.”
My advisor’s expression went thunderous. “Who were you with?”
I swallowed hard, choosing my words carefully. “My boyfriend.”
Redness crept up Brent’s throat. “And that would be?”
“Knox Gallagher.”
The redness intensified as Brent’s jaw worked back and forth. “Mr. Gallagher and his roommates are bad news. I thought you were taking your academic career seriously. That you wanted to be a doctor.”
“I do. I am. I’ve submitted all my missed assignments and rescheduled any tests and quizzes I need to make up.”
The professor’s expression softened, and he dropped a hand to my leg. He made it seem like he was aiming for my knee, but it was too high for that. My stomach roiled and pitched as he squeezed my leg.
“I’m glad to hear it, Hayden. We’ll just have to stick together to make sure you achieve those dreams.”
6
CÁEL
I followed Hayden’s scent down the hallway of the science building. It was faint now, mixed with the smells of humans, but just that hint of her was enough to take the edge off my beast. He’d been riding me all day. Since I didn’t have any classes with Hayden, I hadn’t seen her much, and my animal wasn’t pleased.
Ever since we’d all touched her, the need to be close to Hayden had intensified. Add to that the fact that we’d almost lost her, and it was a miracle my dragon hadn’t gone feral yet.
Just the memory of it had scales rippling across my back. I struggled to bring my ragged breathing under control.
Knox fell into step beside me. “You okay?”
I jerked my head in a nod, not able to speak just yet.
“You ready to head home?”
I nodded again. “Where’s East?”
My voice was rougher than normal, a telltale sign my beast was close to the surface.
Knox surveyed me again, and I didn’t miss the concern in his eyes.
“East?” I pressed, desperate to get the focus off me.
Knox turned back to the hallway ahead, now mostly empty of students. “Dunno. At the car, probably.”
My steps faltered. Knox always knew where his twin was. But since the incident, he’d barely been able to look at Easton, let alone talk to him. The new normal had me twitchy, the feeling of our unbalanced bond settling in deep.
I clenched and flexed my hands at my sides. “Do you…uh…want to talk about it?”
I wasn’t good at this crap. Talking. Feelings. I’d shut all of that off for so long that it seemed impossible to open it up again. With anyone but Hayden.
