I took the stairs two at a time, ignoring the wolves at my side. I was sure they had simply been following orders, but I was as annoyed with them as I was with Alarick and Ian. I’d been running drills nonstop for the last eight days. Eating, sleeping—hell, Alarick had tried to convince Shannon to stage an attack during a shower. Thank Selene that Shannon had put her foot down on that one, or I probably would have ended up putting the beta on his ass for that little trick.
I wasn’t an idiot. I knew everyone was worried about Lyle, and the two calls I’d let roll to voicemail had only increased the urgency of that situation. I knew we were still dealing with the fallout from the masquerade and how I’d killed Ashley. A shiver worked across my spine at the memory, and I pressed my nails into my palms, fighting back the sensation. I hadn’t spent more than a few minutes with Luna since that day, since she spent most of her time with Zelda and her new bodyguards. While I’d received reports that she was doing well, even that she had asked about me, I feared seeing me would do her more harm than good. How could she handle seeing her mother’s killer?
But there was a difference between preparing for the bad things and becoming part of some kind of militaristic drill team. I was never going to be some soldier. If that was what they expected, not only were they going to be sorely disappointed, but they needed to adjust their priorities ASAP. Movement in the corridor ahead caught my eye, and I shifted slightly to conceal my nudity while also being able to see who was approaching. It only took me a moment to recognize the sleek brown hair pulled into a pretty braid, the slender figure in the school uniform, and the green eyes hidden behind silver frames. Shannon’s eyes widened as she took in my lack of clothing, and she sighed as she shrugged out of her cardigan before stepping forward to help me slip it on. Being tiny worked in my favor today, as even Shannon’s cardigan was long enough to offer me a modicum of privacy, skimming my upper thighs.
“Thanks,” I told her emphatically, wrapping it tightly around me.
“Training again?” she guessed, leading the way up the stairs toward my room.
“What else?” I replied wearily. Ian had insisted that all of them have a key to my room in case of emergencies. It was how they had been getting in for my kidnapping sessions, but it was also how I was able to enter afterwards to gather clothing, which was the only part I was thankful for. “The militia here decided to run another kidnap and escape drill at three a.m.” Shannon winced, glancing back at me, and I was sure I knew what she was seeing. The bags under my eyes were deep enough to store my makeup in. My hair was hanging in a mix of spikes and the lank strands were full of dirt and leaves around my ears. “Then once I escaped them and made it back to the academy doors, they thought that a running tackle was a great trophy to remind me that enemies will always be over my shoulder.” I glared at Zev then, and he huffed at the ice in my tone.
Shannon sighed, making quick work of my door before darting into my room and turning the water on. “I would have given you a heads-up if I’d known,” she called from the door.
“My guess is that’s why you weren’t in the loop,” I responded, glancing longingly at my bed. My body was crying for sleep, even as my stomach growled in desperate hunger.
“Out. Both of you,” Shannon ordered as she stepped from the bathroom, glaring at the two red wolves who stood sentry by my swaying form. For a moment, I didn’t think the twins would listen, but they turned and left, and I shut the door behind them, sagging against it. The anger that had been fueling me through the morning drained away, leaving behind shaking muscles. My legs trembled like a fawn’s, barely managing to hold my weight. “Ah, angel,” Shannon murmured, hurrying over to me. Shannon’s arms went around me and scooped me up against her chest as though I weighed nothing. Something inside me snapped, and I burst into tears. Heavy sobs