Azure Dragons (Supernatural Shifter Academy #2) - G. Bailey Page 0,43

mine. “Listen, Boots,” he says, “today was rough. For all of us. I don’t want to think about what will happen if the Academy listens to Hawthorne, but I wanted to see how you were doing. I can’t even imagine what this must all be like for you.”

“Not great, Landon,” I reply, a humourless smile appearing on my face. “Not great.” I reach out and take hold of his hand, the warmth of his skin filling me with a sense of hope I didn’t even know I needed. “Thank you, though,” I tell him quietly. “It’s nice to know I’m not alone in this.”

“You’re not alone, Boots,” Landon replies, leaning forward to kiss me quickly on the cheek before pulling back. “You never were.”

“I’m surprised they’re even still doing this whole song and dance,” Shade remarks as we come to a stop outside the convention center the next morning. It’s a routine that’s getting old for all of us now, and I think it’s starting to wear on the other students; allegedly, this is the last day we’ll be spending at the conference before it’s back to classes as usual at the American Academy. I wish I could say that’s a relief, but at this point, I’m not sure anything is going to be enough to quell the growing dread I’m feeling.

“What do you mean?” asks Hunter.

The wolf shifter shrugs. “I was half-expecting them to drag us out of our beds kicking and screaming in the middle of the night. They’re obviously thinking about it.”

“A little optimism would be nice, Ivis,” Hazel fires back from where she’s walking next to Xander. They’ve been joined at the hip all morning, and she has a glow about her that suggests something more than just idle chit chat happened in their dorm room last night. I’m happy for her; a little comfort goes a long way in times like these. “They didn’t agree to anything.”

“No, but they sure as hell might,” Shade replies, crossing his arms. “And what are we going to do if they do, huh?”

“As much as I hate to admit it, Shade is right,” Silas agrees. “We’re going to need to think about some kind of exit strategy.”

“Exit strategy?” I ask, shaking my head. “What does that mean?”

The dragon shifter turns to me. “Who do you think they’re going to start with if they do decide to start this project up again, Boots? The answer is you. You’re one of the few successful hybrid experiments, and they’re going to want to study you. The rest of us, too, probably. We need to consider the possibility that the Academy might not be safe for us anymore.”

“Was it ever?” I ask, feeling hopeless.

None of the others respond, looking away from me, but that’s all the answer I need. Silas is right, even if I don’t want to admit it; it’s not a possibility I want to consider, but this is the reality of the situation. “So what are you saying?” Hunter asks finally, breaking the silence. “Are we going to have to run away or something?”

“I don’t know,” Silas admits, shrugging his shoulders. “Maybe. All I know is that we’re going to want to get ahead of the school board, no matter what the Academy ends up deciding to do. We’re going to need a plan if things go south.”

“I don’t know about the rest of you, but I can just up and leave,” Hunter protests. “I have family here.”

“You’re our family, too, Hunter,” I protest. “How do you know your father won’t end up siding with Hawthorne?”

“He won’t,” the vampire shifter snaps. “He… he can’t. I won’t believe that.”

“But what if-” begins Hazel.

“What are you all doing standing about?” comes the sound of a new voice, making all of us jump. I turn around to see Josie approaching us, her hands in her pockets and her dark hair pulled up in a ponytail. “Last I checked, the conference was happening inside.” In spite of her scolding, there’s a twinkle in her eyes, and she grins when she comes to a stop in front of us.

“Sorry,” Landon mutters, looking at the ground. “We were just… uh…”

“Trying to figure out where to go next,” Ruby hurries to supply. “To be honest, it feels like we’ve sort of exhausted our options.”

“You’re telling me,” remarks Josie. “Try spending three days going to nothing but faculty meetings. It’s enough to drive a person insane.”

I exchange a look with Silas before turning back to her. “Josie,” I