Azure Dragons (Supernatural Shifter Academy #2) - G. Bailey Page 0,24

while he can’t even master the most basic of transformations, can’t be easy. Add to that his overbearing family and the fact that everyone in the school knows who he is, and you’ve got yourself one unhealthy combination. I’m almost hesitant to touch him, as if he’s some cornered, frightened animal, and I’m the person who’s trying to gain his trust.

Tentatively, I reach out, the distance between us feeling miles long, and let my hands settle on Hunter’s shoulders. He straightens up, stiffening almost immediately at the feeling, as if my touch has sent a bolt of lightning through his body. “Easy,” I murmur. “Drop your shoulders. Let go of the tension you’re holding.”

“How am I supposed to do that?” he asks. “How am I supposed to concentrate at all, come to think of it? Amelia always says you should-”

“Amelia’s not here right now,” I tell him in an overly haughty tone of voice. “Now for the next…” I glance at my phone clock. “Hour, I want you to forget everything Amelia’s ever told you about shapeshifting.”

“I don’t think that’s-”

“Hunter. I’m the one in charge, here.”

“Great. Now she’s gotten power-hungry.” He throws his hands up in defeat, making me laugh.

“Focus,” I tell him, still with my hands on his shoulders. “I’m not moving until I feel you relax.”

Slowly, he lets out a long breath through his mouth, softening his posture and straightening his neck. I feel his shoulders drop ever so slightly, although there’s still a tension in his stance, and I can’t help but wonder whether it has more to do with the stress of the lesson… or our close proximity. “That’s it,” I say, letting go of him and taking a step back. “Now, I want you to just let your mind relax,” I tell him. “Stop paying attention to your powers for a while. Stop thinking altogether, if you can. Let your mind wander.”

“Boots,” Hunter protests, “this makes no sense.”

“I know it sounds counterintuitive,” I tell him, “but you have to trust me. This is what really opened the door for me with Shade. Your powers will sneak up on you when you’re ready, but first, you have to let them in.”

“I… okay,” Hunter says at last. “I do trust you, Millie.”

“Good,” I reply lightly, “because I trust you, too. Now listen to Professor Brix.”

Hunter chuckles. “All right, all right.”

I leave him to focus in silence, and the sounds of the night fill my ears. It’s cooler after the sun goes down, and a crisp breeze gusts over us as we stand here on the hill. We’re the only students out here, and in the distance, I can see the lights of the academic building slowly going out, one by one. Farther out than that, the Boston skyline twinkles against the dark sky, and it strikes me that shifters are arriving from all over the world right now, all in search of a solution that will keep both us and humans happy. It’s a tall order, not least of all because our existence is a secret, and I can’t help but wonder if this conference will bring any real solutions… or leave us even worse off than we were before.

But now’s not the time to focus on that. Hunter needs my help, and he’s been standing there quietly this whole time. I shake myself and turn back to him. “How do you feel?”

There’s a long pause. “Relaxed,” he replies finally.

I nod. “Good. Now, what I want you to do is visualize your form. Picture everything about it that you can—think of Amelia when she’s transformed. Focus on all the details and try not to leave anything out. The rest will come naturally.” I hope.

Hunter continues to breathe deeply, his eyes closed and his red hair ruffled by the wind. I can’t help but appreciate his beauty while we’re out here like this; under the moonlight, he looks more like a vampire than he ever has, his skin pearlescent and pale, his body radiating power…

Wait.

My eyes widen as I see it: fangs, razor sharp and deadly, emerging from under his upper lip. I have to clamp my hands over my mouth to keep from exclaiming with delight, and when Hunter opens his eyes, I see that they’ve gone blood red. “Is this…?” he begins.

I nod. “Don’t look now, Hunter, but I think you might have just passed my class.”

“Holy shit,” he murmurs, staring down wonderingly at his hands before looking back up at me. I’ve never seen him