Azure Dragons (Supernatural Shifter Academy #2) - G. Bailey Page 0,39

whatever it’s worth, what matters to me most is that you’re happy, Boots. Whether that’s with me, with Shade… with any of us. That said, though,” he adds, pulling me against him, “I’d be disappointed if I couldn’t still do this.” And he plants a soft kiss on top of my head.

I laugh, letting him draw me into a full-on embrace. “Thank you, Silas,” I murmur into his shoulder. “I mean it.”

“So do I,” the dragon shifter replies, and I can feel him smiling against my ear. “But we’d better go catch up with the rest of them now. People are starting to give us weird looks.”

Chapter 15

I don’t think I’ve ever felt relief as palpable as the relief I’m feeling now, with the exception of when we found Silas alive after he’d been taken by the Academy. I feel like there’s a renewed spring in my step in the aftermath of our talk, and even though the sun is beating down on us and I can already feel sweat forming under my uniform, I have a feeling things are going to work out. It’s amazing what a little romance can do for a person’s mental state.

Silas lets go of my hand when we arrive at the convention center, smiling at me as we break off from the main group and head over to the place near the entrance that we’ve been using as a meeting point. It takes several minutes for the others to arrive, coming in groups of two and three. It’s only after everyone is here, talking excitedly and looking around at the guests for the day that I realise Hunter still isn’t here, and I immediately feel a pang of worry in my stomach. My mind is already going to worst-case scenarios, visions of the vampire shifter strapped to a table in a laboratory somewhere while the humans suck the life out of him, just like they tried to do to Silas. I’m on the verge of full-on panic when Hunter’s familiar voice sounds over my shoulder, and I turn around to see him jogging up to us, a look of concern on his face. “Sorry, sorry,” he says, running a hand through his red hair as he comes to a stop between Hazel and Landon.

“Where did you go?” I ask. “We were starting to get worried.”

“You should be,” Hunter replies grimly. Seeing the looks of confusion on our faces, he sighs. “Look, it’s about my dad,” he elaborates, crossing his arms. “He told me the school board is having a meeting with a bunch of the other Academy representatives from around the world. I’m usually able to get more out of him on stuff like this, but he wouldn’t tell me anything—just that they’ll be discussing ‘measures’ to be taken in the aftermath of the riots.”

“‘Measures’?” asks Shade. “What kind of ‘measures’?”

“Like I said, I don’t know,” Hunter replies. “I even asked Amelia. She said he wouldn’t tell her a word about it, and he tells her everything. I…” He swallows. “I have a bad feeling about all this, you guys.”

“You’re not the only one,” Landon adds grimly. “We’re talking about Academy-wide decisions, here. The last time they did that, we were on lockdown for weeks.”

“And they weren’t talking about the future of the whole shifter community back then,” Silas adds, crossing his arms. “I don’t like the sound of this.”

“Do you know where this meeting is being held?” Xander asks.

“It should be in the auditorium,” Hunter replies. “This afternoon, if I remember right.”

The twins exchange a look, and Ruby’s mouth drops open. “You’re not seriously thinking…?”

“I seriously am,” Xander replies. “If they’re making decisions about our future, I want to know what they decide.”

“Well, how are we even supposed to get in?” Ruby demands, throwing her arms up. “We’re talking about sneaking into a board meeting, here. That’s not exactly an easy task.”

“Wait, we’re talking about sneaking into a board meeting?” asks Landon.

“He’s the one who’s talking about it,” Ruby responds, nodding at her brother. “I think it’s impossible.”

“It might not be,” Hunter speaks up then, and the rest of us go quiet as we turn to look at him. He sighs, looking suddenly put on the spot. “Look, I can’t promise anything,” he says, holding up his hands. “Ruby’s right; anything administration-related won’t be open to the public. They’ll probably have bouncers, and a group of students trying to muscle in through the front door will stick out like a sore thumb.”

“So then