Leander laughed. “Guess he was a bit mad.”
“He was ready to throw down earlier, so I’m not shocked,” Axel said as he shook his head. I wasn’t going to leave Vlad to fend for himself, so we started to walk closer, but by the time we reached his side, Dorian was unconscious and cuffed on the ground. Vlad stood and glanced up, triumphant despite his split and bleeding lip and eyebrow.
“Fuck I wanted to do that for a long time,” he said before he spit on the ground. “Asshole.”
“He did deserve it.” Axel laughed as he gazed down at the blood-and-dirt-covered witch. He’d be facing all kinds of hell when he woke up for siding so strongly with the proven traitors.
“What happens here now?” I asked. We’d lived and breathed this university for years and had never seen a change in leadership.
“A vote for a new board. The faculty has been meeting for weeks to work out the appointment of a new Arch Mage. The college will go on as it always has,” Vlad explained. “It’s the cycle of things. But I sure am glad you showed up like you did. Made for an interesting day, and now we’ve eradicated our weakest links. For that I’m grateful. This place will stand a bit stronger now.”
He reached out a hand to shake mine, and I didn’t hesitate to oblige. His grip was strong for a moment, then he released me, grabbing Dorian’s unconscious body and throwing him over his shoulder.
“I’m taking him to jail. Good luck with your mate and queen.”
“Thank you,” I said, Axel and Leander echoing the sentiment. “We’ll be taking Lucian with us.”
“Good. He deserves to retire,” he said over his shoulder as he walked away.
“Let’s collect our professor and get the fuck out of this place,” Leander prompted. I couldn’t agree more. We’d accomplished what we’d come for, and more, and I had a pregnant mate to get home to.
ChapterSix
Farren
As I stepped out of the car and glanced at the city around us, I felt like I was living a whole new life. I couldn’t remember how long it had been since I stepped foot in a city without fear holding me back. Before I found Mountainview and West, I’d spent way too much of my time on the streets, hiding from my true nature by pretending to be a witch. That wasn’t exactly the recipe for enjoying your surroundings.
Sure, I’d had Zerah in my head at that time, but it was still hard.
With the passing thought of my missing dragon, a wave of guilt hit me. I couldn’t remember how I’d gotten into the situation of being attacked, yet I couldn’t help but feel responsible. She was gone because of me, and no one had any clue if she could survive or not. The thought of losing her forever was soul-crushing.
And that definitely wasn’t something I wanted to dwell on tonight. Not after Kane had brought me all the way here. Getting to know them was my top priority, at least until Niko got back with more information, though I wasn’t getting my hopes up too high about this professor he was seeking out.
“Are you still okay with this? If not, we can go back,” Kane said as he walked around to my side of the car. His eyebrows were furrowed in concern, but I waved it away and put a smile back in place. Breathing in his sweet and smokey campfire scent had my mind calming down. I took another deep breath of him before finally answering out loud.
“I am. Still feel a bit strange about all this, but I promise I’m going to give you guys a chance. So yes, I want to stay. We need this.”
“It’s strange for me too. Is there anything I can do to make you more comfortable? Do you want me to hold back?”
That was the opposite of what I wanted. “No,” I said adamantly. “If we’re going into this dating thing, then we’re going all in. I’m not gonna have you holding yourself back, not touching me or acting differently than you would have before the attack. Just do what feels natural. If it’s too much, I’ll tell you.”
A wolfish grin spread across his face, taking away the worry. “Head back to the car so I can take you home and fuck you?” It was a joke, and it broke the tension just like he probably intended, getting both of us to laugh. We had to keep things simple, but it was starting to work for us, and that was all that mattered.
“Okay, maybe notthatfast. Especially because something smells amazing here.” He laughed when my stomach rumbled. “I guess that hour-and-a-half drive to the city will do that to you.”
“They have a steakhouse here. I figured a place like that could handle your hearty dragon appetite. Plus, I’m a big dude. I can put some food away.” The prospect of food had his face lighting up. Giving them permission to get to know me all over again had apparently changed everything. The fact that he was so easily showing me a new side of himself meant that he trulywantedthis work. He hadn’t given up on me, and that fucking meant something.
At the end of the day, they were right. You couldn’t argue with fate.
Kane hesitated for only a second before he took my hand and led me inside the steakhouse. I’d expected him to take me to one of those generic chain restaurants, but it looked like he’d done his research. Miller’s Steakhouse was a bit fancier even though it was still rustic. They’d gone for farm chic with dark woods, white walls, and pops of red. The tables were spaced out, so we weren’t on top of each other, giving us the perfect opportunity to have the date-night atmosphere while getting the privacy we needed.
The first thing I noticed was how friendly everyone looked. Outside of Connie and her boundless enthusiasm to serve diner food, most waitresses looked worn and jaded. Here, they had smiles on their faces, joking with each other as they passed. I didn’t know how Kane even knew that about this place, but it was the perfect spot.
After Kane slipped our hostess a tip, she took us to a secluded table in the back corner. We sat down, and I couldn’t help but glance around. Now that I was here, it was starting to settle in.I’m not at Mountainview. I’m out and not hiding… This is wrong.Even after all this time, I still felt that lingering claustrophobia that always happened in public, like even though my magic was gone, they all knew it was a mask, that I was a dragon in disguise.
Kane seemed to know something was up, so he quickly handled ordering our drinks. When he got me lemonade, I smiled. At first, it was a bit uncomfortable when their little comments or gestures reminded me that they knew me even though I didn’t know them. But now that I’d decided to open myself back up to them, those moments became precious, solidifying their status as my mates in a way that settled me instead of unnerving me.
“So, did you spend much time in the city?’‘ I asked him as he slid me a menu and flipped open his own, browsing for a second before answering.