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“Who says I’m joking?”he asked, leering at me.“I’m sitting at a table with three gorgeous females—can’t I look a little?”And then he was staring atmybreasts!

I honestly didn’t know what to say.I would have thought he was teasing Emma and Kaitlyn and me, but that wasn’t the way Avery teased.And he’d never stared at any of us in a sexual way—which was what he was doing now.His eyes on my chest actually made me uncomfortable enough to put a hand over the tiny hint of cleavage that was showing at the top of my uniform shirt.

Griffon, who had come to sit on my other side, noticed Avery leering and frowned at him.

“Is there a problem here?Why are you looking at my Blood-bonded mate that way?”he asked.

“Don’t worry—I know she’s taken.I won’t touch—I just like to look,” Avery told him.“Though of course, Emma’s tits are nicer,” he added and began eyeing her in a way that made both Bran and Lachlan bristle.

“Avery, if this has something to do with us not bringing Saint back yet, Ari has tried to go get himtwice,” Kaitlyn said.She looked as confused as I felt.Why was our coven mate acting like this?

“Why should I care if you bring him back or not?”Avery demanded, frowning.“He’s just my roommate.Who cares if he decides to stay in the Sky Lands?”

“Just your roommate?”I exclaimed.“Avery, he’s yourboyfriend.I mean, you’re wearing his Mark!”Then I looked more closely at his forehead and gasped.The soft, glimmering Mark that had hovered like a tiny star between his eyes ever since he and Saint had Blood-Marked each other was gone!

Emma and Kaitlyn seemed to notice at the same time.

“Avery, where is Saint’s Mark?”Kaitlyn demanded.

“Did you hide it somehow?”Emma asked, looking puzzled.“Maybe so the other Drakes don’t bother you while Saint isn’t here?”

“Hide it?Hell no—I got rid of it!”Avery declared.“I’m not wearing another male’s Mark on my forehead!What do you think I am, some kind of fag?”

All three of us gasped at the same time.

“Avery, that’s hate-speech!How can you say that?”I exclaimed.

“And last time I looked youaregay,” Emma pointed out.

Avery glared at her.

“No I’m fucking not!”he growled.“And I’m not staying at this fucking school anymore where I’m the only Warlock either.”

“Avery, what are you talking about?”I asked, really confused now.“You’ve never identified as a Warlock before.”

“Well I do now,” he said flatly.

“But…you’re leaving Nocturne?Really?”Kaitlyn looked like she might cry.“Why would you do that?What about our coven?”

“Warlocks don’t join covens—that’s strictly for witches,” Avery informed us.“Anyway, I spoke to my father this morning and he told me he can get me into an exclusive school for Warlocks on the West Coast—Bruckers.I’m going to be majoring in Magical Finance.”

“Finance?”I said flatly.“Since when are you interested in that?”

“Father says it’s a great opportunity and a good career path,” Avery said loftily, and took another sip of his black coffee.

“Since when do you care what your father says?”I asked.“I thought you two didn’t get along?Aren’t you closer to your mom?”

“I might have been a ‘mama’s boy’ in the past, but that’s behind me now,” he told me.“I have to think about my future—it’s time to cut the apron strings.”

I had never heard him talk this way in my life and I felt completely bewildered.From the looks on Emma and Kaitlyn’s faces, they felt the same.

“But, Avery—you can’t just move away from Frostproof,” Emma protested.“We’ll miss you—yourmomwill miss you!”

“I have to go where I have an opportunity for personal growth,” Avery said, frowning.Honestly, he sounded like some kind of business brochure!“Anyway, it’s already done.I’m transferring to Bruckers at the end of the week—if not sooner.”

“But, Avery, ” I began.“You can’t just?—”

“If you’ll excuse me, I think I see an opportunity for ‘personal growth’ right now.”