Dodging Calamities (Artemis University #7) - Erin R Flynn Page 0,92

inside or the central wards of the estate. She probably went two feet past the guard station or stayed in the damn parking lot.”

Good to know there were central wards, but it actually meant a lot to me that he realized I wouldn’t have been so dumb.

“Yeah, that’s what I did,” I confirmed, pulling his attention to me.

Instantly, the anger left his gaze, only concern left there. “Are you okay? Did they—your aura doesn’t seem in pain.”

“I’m fine, thanks,” I whispered, remembering I was naked in my burrito. “It was just a bit—”

“Stop forgiving everyone so easily,” he growled. “And yes, I include myself in that, and I know I’m begging you to forgive me. But you forgive us all too easily. You—you’re fucking worth more, and none of us deserve you.”

And just as fast as he’d come in, he turned on his heel and stormed out, slamming the door behind him. I blinked after him, not sure what to say.

I wasn’t the only one. It was a few minutes before any of us spoke.

“Okay, that was about more than just what we did,” Lucca muttered, glancing between me and the door.

“Yes, but he’s not wrong,” Darby agreed.

“No, we’re assholes.” Lucca cleared his throat. “And you do forgive us too easily.”

I sighed, reaching up and pushing my hair out of my face. “We also have a lot going on. If we had normal, calm lives and you fucked up like this, yes, I would be too easy on you. But that’s not our lives, and I also have a lot of traumas and issues. Just as I would hope you would be understanding of that, I should be understanding I do have a lot of shit. I can’t even keep it all straight.”

“Are you scared of me because I’m a bear?” Lucca asked.

“No, but sometimes the reminder makes me flinch,” I confessed. “Mostly because I thought your bear was Mason’s for so long. I don’t have—Mason was a man to me. It’s not about bears. That’s not my issue with you.” I winced, not having meant to say that. I sighed when I saw he clearly wasn’t going to let it go and explained about his father.

“It’s unfair but it’s not,” he sighed. “I’m not my father and you know that, but yeah, I get it.”

“You do, but you weren’t there that day in that meeting and a few since,” I muttered. “Him getting me honestly scares me more than Ainsworth.” I nodded when they both shot me surprised looks. “Ainsworth would use me like a magical battery and drain me. Your father would use me as a baby making factory and does not see the person, but a mare. It’s… Terrifying.”

“This day went off the fucking rails,” Darby grumbled. “I’m truly sorry, agra.”

“I know. I’m sorry. I’m going to ask for a few minutes alone and to get dressed,” I mumbled against my knees. “I’ll see you guys downstairs.”

“Okay,” Darby agreed when Lucca sounded like he might object or try to argue. The pouty bear caved and both of them left.

And I sighed heavily. I really did have piles of issues, but I also knew women without so many who wouldn’t be okay with what just happened.

Idiots. Men could be such idiots.

Loveable, but still idiots.

I tripped unwrapping myself, which was the comic relief I needed. Then, I dressed in different clothes, not wanting to deal with what they’d stripped off of me. It made sense in my head.

I was surprised to find amusement was the mood when I headed downstairs. My confusion must have caught the notice of several, but Mel addressed it.

“The dragon elders just issued an order that none of the former royals, and now dragon Alphas, are allowed to stand in the way of your council being the first to acknowledge you as a witch.”

I felt my blood go cold that a council had finally said it, took the first real, official shot… So why were they amused?

“They have no real power,” Zack reminded me. “Everyone’s reporting how the council went against everything sacred dragons believed in for whatever the warlock elders promised them, selling out their honor. None are even blinking they declared you a witch. It’s yapping in the middle of a huge storm. That’s why we’re all so amused. They did this big thing to them, and it’s nothing.”

Ray snorted. “Less than. It just set anyone back from doing the same and made them look like idiots. They seriously just helped you and