Reaching Answers (Artemis University #8) - Erin R Flynn Page 0,8
wasn’t sure if that was how it truly worked since it was magic… But she kept her head in the sand enough. We didn’t need to risk her having brain damage.
“You okay?” Hudson asked me when I stepped out of the building.
I’d felt him, the energy we experienced as mates dancing over my skin even if we wore muting charms. I shot the gorgeous dragon a glance, trying not to get distracted by his looks.
It was difficult for sure.
He was almost seven feet, filled out in the best kind of way. Not too much, but he would look silly being that huge and not filled out with so much girth.
Fine, it was sexy and I was biased.
Every inch of him was, and before I knew his name, I referred to him as Mr. Panty Soaker. The name still fit with his vibrant blue eyes that were almost violet and changed to dark purple when turned on or about to shift to his dragon form. Most wouldn’t know that first part.
They better fucking not.
He was always clean-shaven, and it made his chiseled features and strong jaw stand out even more to me. He’d cut his hair recently, so it was back to that wet spikey look, but not too short. Perfect to grab handfuls of during naughty fun.
The kind we weren’t having as we were still trying to figure out what was going on between us… Or mostly I was, and if I could forgive him.
My life was very, very fucking complicated.
“I’m fine, thanks.”
He was quiet several moments but then sighed. “Chief snitched to Irma and she told me what little she knew. They were worried you didn’t have anyone to talk to and given we’re… You know, and Lucca’s not…”
Yeah, there wasn’t really any good way to finish that statement.
“Those damn snitches,” I grumbled. “They’re my damn dogs, right?”
“Yeah, and they adore you,” he defended. “You did the right thing.”
I stopped in my tracks. “How much did they tell you?”
“Enough that if you hadn’t done it, I would have shifted and eaten those fuckers and used my immunity as a royal to get away with it.”
Okay then. Good to know.
“Which you also have, Princess,” he mumbled.
I slowly stared up at him with wide eyes, blinking at him when he slowly nodded. Oh boy, that was something to have a nervous breakdown about later. I had been pushing back what I’d learned after finding Neldor, but apparently I really did need to start learning about the next rabbit hole.
No, not yet. I can’t handle it yet. Later. Soon, but later.
“Thanks,” I whispered. “I don’t regret it, but it’s been hard to handle on my own. I told Craftsman just now.”
He gave a firm nod as we started walking again. “Good. I’m here too. I wouldn’t judge you. I haven’t.”
No, he hadn’t.
But there had been a lot of judging going on about what I’d done with Ainsworth, and everyone had an opinion on it. Some of them shocked me, as well as people even having opinions on it, much less such strong ones.
Mel was barely speaking to me and that hurt since I’d done it for her.
Her family was grateful even if they itched for their pound of flesh. Of course I understood.
I wanted it as well. Ainsworth had done a lot to me too. He’d sent people after me and started tons of problems in my life. I wanted to kill that man, and slowly, so I got it.
I got it.
Izzy was clear she wasn’t happy I’d done it behind Mel’s back. She understood and she felt it was probably the right call, but she was fair when she said it was hypocritical of me to have done when I was firm we didn’t keep things from each other in our family. She was more upset there was upset between all of us than at what I had done. Maybe at me for being the one to start it.
Again, fair.
Lucca was flat out pissed at me. We’d been shaky after the whole angry while spanking me incident with him and Darby, but that had been blowing over—or so I thought, mostly at least—but that was on my end. This was his upset with me. He was angry I’d kept this from him as his mate.
And he was furious, as a bear, I would do this to someone so close to me. Shifters and dragons were big on getting revenge and their pound of flesh.