my own pace quicken until we were clinging on to each other, desperation and need pounding us together.
Pleasure built up like a storm desperate to break. Tension mounted. My ears rang with the sound of my own moans. For once, I didn’t care who saw or who heard. All I cared about was Liam.
His breath was hot on my skin as my pleasure broke, hurtling through me like a bullet train. I shook in his arms, my core convulsing with a million quakes. Breathless, I clung on tight, feeling his shaft throb between my thighs. He shuddered and dropped his forehead against mine. Our gazes locked as we came together, and I swore I could see his soul in his eyes.
Liam dragged his thumb against my cheek. “Norah, I—”
A throat cleared from behind us, and Liam stiffened. I pulled away from him, breath heaving, stars dancing in my eyes. Someone had walked in on us, like this, and I had the sneaking suspicion that it might be one of my other instructors. Heat flooded my entire body. I wished the earth would swallow me whole.
“Liam, I thought you knew better than to get involved with a changeling student before her graduation.” The Head Instructor’s voice was sharp and cold, and dread slipped down my spine. Slowly, Liam eased me onto the ground. My knees were shaky underneath me, especially when I turned to face Alwyn. Her face reflected everything in her voice.
“Apologies.” He gave her a curt nod, one that held none of the warmth he’d just been showering on me. “But I have reason to believe that Norah is my mate.”
“As far as I’m aware, Kael has much more reason to believe she’s a Winter fae.” She tsked, shaking her head. “There are reasons these rules exist, Liam. Go to my office. I’ll be there shortly, and we’ll have a chat about this situation.”
“It was my fault,” I blurted out. I had no idea why I said it. The words just popped out before I could stop them.
She raised her eyebrows. “I don’t doubt you were involved in this, but I have something else I need to speak with you about. Bree Paine. I’ve received word from the Autumn Court that her wounds infected her, and she’s quickly transforming into a full Redcap. And they believe you know where she is.”
My heart hammered hard as I hastily gathered my pants into my arms. What was left of them. “I don’t know what you mean.”
“You know exactly what I mean.” A pause. “Where is she, Norah?”
“Honestly, I have no idea,” I said, hoping she could see the truth in my eyes. Because I didn’t know where Bree was. She’d been run out of the Autumn Court, and there was no telling where she’d gone.
Alwyn narrowed her eyes and sniffed. “For your sake, I hope you’re telling the truth. Because if she shows her Redcap face anywhere near this Academy, we won’t hesitate to shoot her on the spot.”
Chapter Twenty
“Where have you been?” Sophia hissed when I took my seat next to her in our History of Fae class. “You keep disappearing all the time, and people keep asking me where you are. I don’t want to get you in trouble, but there’s only so long I can make up excuses.”
“Sorry,” I said with a wince. “There’s been a lot going on. Kael and Liam have been giving me some extra training since I pretty much suck at everything. Guess they think I’ll be useless if I don’t get any help.”
I hated lying to Sophia. She’d been nothing but kind to me since we’d met. She was always there to listen to me complain about my sleepless nights, she’d never judged me once for my terrible skills, and she didn’t laugh when I fell flat on my face when I tried something new. And now I was repaying her by keeping secrets and lying to her. Truth was, I was just too scared to tell anyone what was going on. The entire Academy hated the Redcaps, and half the new changelings were hoping to join the Hunters when they graduated. If any of them knew I was trying to help one of the ‘monsters’...well, I didn’t think it would go down very well.
She frowned. “That’s strange, since Liam was one of the people who was asking me where you’d gone.”
“Right.” A pause. “Well, he and Kael aren’t great at letting each other know what’s going on.”
What a lame excuse. If I