Dodging Calamities (Artemis University #7) - Erin R Flynn Page 0,3

size could make.

“You think you’re the predator here. You are mistaken.” I walked off laughing, wondering if I should use a water rune to put out the flames of rage coming off of him.

“That was not the plan,” Ray reminded me when he fell in step with me closer to my dorm, wearing only shorts.

I put a barrier up so no one could hear us. “No, but I got something from him today, and it’s the first useful thing in a while. However, he’s in a prime spot to do more damage. He needs to be handled, and soon.”

“You have an idea of how to do that?”

“Already going.”

“Tell me what you found.”

So I did. He was not happy, but it was information we needed. It was a problem to handle later, and I was already on top of because I’d gone out to the woods to deal with the situation I’d created with Hudson.

And I wasn’t any fucking closer to having an answer to that one.

After dinner, I’d decided to meet up with Lucca since he’d kept looking at me as if plotting the best way to get me naked and have me for dessert. Yes, and please. He’d easily sniffed me out and followed me to the empty building and classroom—having more than our pick on a Sunday night—and banged me against the wall.

Twice.

“Are you ever going to forgive him? He’s miserable and needs you. He’s a mess without you.” he asked when we were done, panting and his chest heaving.

And still inside of me.

“What?” I gasped, my eyes going wide as it hit me who he was talking about. “Are you fucking kidding me right now?”

He closed his eyes and lowered his forehead to mine. “I’m sorry, that came out—”

“Get off of me,” I snapped.

“Kitten, I’m sorry,” he murmured, sounding like a pup who’d gotten spanked, but still did as I wanted. He gently pulled out and lowered me onto my shaky legs. “I’m sorry. My brain-mouth filter wasn’t—”

“Yeah, but he was still on your brain while having sex with me,” I bitched as I tried to get to my clothes on wobbly legs. “It doesn’t change you were thinking of someone else just because he’s a man, Lucca. I know you guys are—were—I don’t know—together, but that’s separate from us.”

“It is, but I care about you both,” he whispered. “It’s a hard position to be in.”

I shot him a look that didn’t hide the hurt I was feeling. “And it’s not for me? You think this is what I wanted? You think I ever wanted any of this? You have no idea how horrible it was for me to go through that. He never told me. He knew I was his mate and didn’t tell me. I—you—I cannot stop hearing him say ‘don’t take my mate from me’ like a child crying for a toy. I’m that toy he didn’t respect or—”

I bit my lip when my voice cracked and turned away, grabbing some napkins from whatever teacher’s desk to clean up. Hopefully, it wasn’t a shifter who would smell us at least.

Right then, I didn’t fucking care if it was, but later I might.

I batted his hands away when he tried to touch me and yanked my clothes on hard enough that I heard a seam tear. “Don’t bring this up again. Don’t use what we have to try and influence me to help your friend. You’re supposed to be on my side too. Remember that.”

“I am on your side, Tamsin.”

I shook my head. “I’m not asking you to be on my side over his. I said too, meaning be neutral. Clearly, you’re not. You’ve never once asked me how I’ve coped with being treated that way or dealt with finding out he demeaned me as he did again. But now you’re asking if I’ll forgive him and guilting me about the state he’s in. I thought you wanted me. Did you just want me to help heal him?”

“No, no, kitten!”

I wasn’t sure I believed him, and I was really sure I was overreacting, but after what had happened earlier with Hudson… I wasn’t sure what I was doing or feeling anymore. I hadn’t meant to hurt the dragon, and I didn’t see what I’d done so wrong, but I’d clearly hurt him.

Maybe I was seeing lots wrong?

Maybe I was being too harsh on all of them?

Maybe not harsh enough?

I just didn’t fucking know anymore, and I couldn’t figure out the answers, all while I had