Page 25

Rachel

W e get to the guys’ dorm and find Derrick pacing the room, his massive frame coiled tight with tension, eyes flicking to the door the moment we enter. He stops when we walk in and I almost collapse under the weight of his worry hitting me through the bond.

“What’s going on? Where’s Lucas? What happened?” The questions fly from my mouth as my eyes search the room for my missing mate.

“He’s not here. He was summoned to Dean Harold’s office for a disciplinary meeting,” Derrick says and it’s like a bomb goes off. Everything is dead silent for a split second before everyone starts talking at once.

“The fuck for?” Liam snarls.

“Oh God. This is all my fault,” I cry.

“What are you talking about, Firefly? What’s your fault?” Bas asks concern marring his features.

“Yesterday, after you left me and Lucas… there was an incident… Trent-” The sob I’ve been holding back finally breaks free.

“That piece of shit tried something again?” Liam growls, gnashing his teeth together.

I sniffle and try to catch my breath. “He was just being an asshole, like usual. But Lucas shifted and chased after him.”

“Good. At least my brother has some sense,” Liam grumbles.

“Yeah, but now he’s in trouble because of it. I just know Trent did something to get Lucas in trouble.” I bury my head in my hands and continue to cry.

“He was protecting his mate. Noone could blame him for that. I’m sure they’ll do an investigation, find out what really happened, and Trent will be the one in trouble, not Lucas,” Bas assures me. “The real question is why neither of you told us about it.”

“Lucas told me not to worry about him, that he would take care of Trent. And I didn’t talk to any of you the rest of the night because of Liam’s party.”

He takes a deep breath before letting it out along with any negative feelings before he walks up to me and wraps his arms around me, pressing his forehead against mine.

“I need to know you’re safe, Firefly. If Trent, or anyone, is bothering you, tell me. Please.”

I nod my head against his and sniffle as he rubs my back. I feel better in my mate’s arms, but I’m still so worried about Lucas, there’s no way I can completely relax.

The front door opens and we pull apart to see Lucas, hair mussed, shoulders slumped, and a storm behind his usually bright blue eyes. His anger and frustration hit me in the chest through the bond and I gasp. I try sending him all my love and support through the bond so he knows I’m here for him but his dead eyes make me think it’s not working.

“Lucas?” I breathe, wanting more than anything for him to tell me everything’s going to be okay. But he doesn’t.

He walks past without saying a word, only stopping at his bedroom door. “Moonbeam… I-I’m sorry. I just need a minute.” He pushes the door open and steps inside, closing it softly behind him.

Everyone is silent as we each process what just happened. My happy-go-lucky mate walked right past me and locked himself away. Whatever he’s going through, he’s choosing to go through it alone and that breaks my heart almost as much as the quiet sobbing I hear coming from his room.

It’s dinner time by the time he emerges from his room. Bas tried to get me to go back to my dorm, promising to keep me updated, but I refused. I’m not going anywhere until I know Lucas is okay.

His sad blue eyes widen when they land on me sitting on the couch.

“Moonbeam. You’re still here?” He looks like he hasn’t slept, shadows under his eyes and a tension in his jaw that makes my chest ache.

“Your couch is more comfortable than mine.” I shrug.

“Liar.” His eyes sparkle. “They’re all the same.” He walks over and sits down beside me, pulling me into his lap and burying his face in my neck as he wraps his arms around me. “I’m sorry for how I acted earlier,” he murmurs into my neck.

“You have nothing to be sorry for. It’s okay to need space sometimes.”

“Yeah, but not from you,” he mutters, tightening his hold on me.

“Yes, even from your mate,” I argue, running my fingers through his hair.

“I just can’t believe they benched me.” His sad sigh breaks my heart.

“They what ?” Liam roars.

Lucas pulls his head back as if just realizing we’re not alone. He looks around at his pack, taking in their concerned expressions.

“Someone filed a report. They’re saying I’m dangerous. I’m benched for two weeks until they complete their investigation, at which point I’ll find out if I’m to be expelled or not.”

Oh my God!

The volume level in the room rises as my other three mates respond to Lucas’s declaration. I know on a logical level that the ire and rage flying around the room isn’t aimed at me but that doesn’t stop my fox from scurrying to the far reaches of my mind as I curl in on myself.

“Hey, Moonbeam,” Lucas whispers at me in a conspiratorial tone. “You have dinner yet?”

I nod my head and whisper back, “yeah, Derrick made me eat, he said there’s a plate for you in the fridge.”

“Perfect, then how about you sneak off to my room and I’ll grab my dinner and meet you there? By the time they realize you’re gone it’ll be too late and I’ll get you all to myself for an extra night.” He shoots me a wink and that’s all the permission I need to get out of this room.

By the time I’m in comfy clothes and curled up in Lucas’s bed, he’s stepping into the room balancing a plate in one hand and a drink in the other all while trying to shut his door as quietly as possible. When he succeeds, he makes his way over and joins me in his bed. He settles in and turns on the next episode of Shifter Season before he digs into his dinner. I must be tired because he’s not even halfway through his meal when I feel my eyes droop as I drift off to sleep.

Despite the reason for it, this week has been the best of my life. I’ve been spending every evening at the guys’ dorm getting to know my mates and I think I’ve finally fully embraced all of them in my heart. Lucas is still the only one I’ve had sex with but the way it strengthened our connection makes me eager to do the same with all of my bonds.

With Lucas suspended, he can’t attend any practices or games, so I’ve been keeping him company while the others are busy with baseball. I like to think I’ve done a pretty good job distracting him this week, but today is the big day. It’s the first time he’s ever missed a game and I can tell it’s weighing on him. He puts up a good front, but I know he’s worried about letting his teammates down by not being there. Even though it’s not his fault. There’s no telling him that though.

I wake up early and get dressed, putting on my number sixty-four jersey. Seeing me in his jersey is a guaranteed way to cheer Lucas up. He definitely liked it a lot last week. Rushing out of my dorm, I give the girls a hasty goodbye before heading back to my guys. I normally wouldn’t be up this early on a Saturday, but I want to see all of my mates before they leave for the stadium and wish them luck at their game.

I walk through the front doors of the boys dorm glad it’s not spelled to keep the opposite sex out like the girls is. It means I get to surprise them at their door instead of calling and having to wait for one of them to greet me outside. I walk through the empty lobby straight to the elevator, immensely grateful most everyone sleeps in on the weekends. I only see one guy in the corner chair sipping coffee and reading a book.

I gently knock on the door, waiting less than a minute before Derrick opens the door shirtless, hair tousled, sleepy-eyed but grinning like I just made his whole morning.

“Emerald!” He pulls me into a tight embrace and I melt in his arms. There’s something about being in his strong arms that just makes me feel so safe.

“Good morning to you, too,” I laugh into his chest.

He kisses the top of my head before pulling away to close the door. “Missed you,” he murmurs as he gazes at me with his intense green and gold eyes.

“You just saw me last night.” I can’t fight the smile. I know exactly what he means. I missed him too. For someone who never wanted mates, it sure is hard to go any length of time without them.

“Anything more than an hour is too long,” he agrees seriously.

“You’re so silly. Where is everyone?”

“Right here, Firefly.” Bas’s deep voice rumbles behind me just before his warm hands slide around my waist. I swear he’s got a sixth sense for when to sneak up on me. He chuckles at my reaction to his sudden appearance and wraps his arms around me. “I missed you, too,” he murmurs in my ear, making me shiver.

“I knew I heard my Moonbeam!” Lucas appears with his usual bedhead and easy smile, but there’s still a shadow of worry lurking beneath the surface. “What are you doing here so early, baby? Not that I’m not happy to see you,” he adds on quickly.

“Can’t a girl just come see her mates on a Saturday morning?”

“A girl can, sure. But it’s a little early for you to be up,” Lucas chuckles.

Rolling my eyes at my smart ass mate, I huff, “just for that you don’t get a good morning hug.”

“What the-”

“Can I get one of those?” Liam asks as he too joins us.

I give him a blinding smile. We’ve come so far from one of us always running away from the other to giving morning hugs. Our bond strums inside, bright and warm, as I wrap my arms around his waist. It’s the first time we’ve touched since our explosive first kiss in the library and my fox practically purrs in my head.

I reluctantly pull away, not wanting to come on too strong, even though he’s the one who asked for a hug.

The softness in his eyes as he looks down at me has the bond heating even more.

“Thank you, Shadow Girl,” he murmurs, his husky voice going straight to my core.

“Well. Since we’re all up, I’ll make breakfast,” Derrick offers and my stomach growls at the prospect.

By the time Derrick whips up breakfast, the apartment smells like heaven. There’s bacon, cheesy scrambled eggs, and a huge stack of french toast. We gather around the island and for a little while it’s just laughter and teasing, but as we dig into our food the tone of the conversation shifts.

“So,” Lucas starts around a mouthful of french toast, “any updates from your Dad, Derrick?”

Derrick nods, setting down his fork, a serious look overtaking his face. “He’s still digging. He called me last night. Said there’s something seriously off about Ranger. His record is too clean. Like ‘powerful people hiding their messes’ clean.”

Bas frowns. “Makes sense. No one gets into power without pissing someone off. The fact there’s not one complaint, no smear campaign, not even a tiny scandal… seems fishy to me.”

“That’s not just clean,” Liam replies. “That’s scrubbed.”

Lucas’s jaw tightens. “Someone like that is someone with enough power to make the school take this bullshit report seriously…”

We all go quiet letting the weight of that sink in.

“Do you really think it could be him?” I whisper

“No idea,” Bas mutters. “But it wouldn’t surprise me. If he got wind of Lucas’s bond with you maybe this is his way of breaking up our pack.”

A chill runs down my spine and I push away my plate having suddenly lost my appetite.

“Which means we need to find out more info,” Derrick says firmly. “Starting with your mom, Emerald. My dad said that he thinks that learning more about her could lead us to Ranger’s dirty laundry.”

“I want to know who she was,” I whisper. “More than ever now. She’s the only real family I might’ve had, and I can’t continue pretending I don't desperately need answers.”

Lucas nods solemnly, then leans closer and whispers, “and we still haven’t talked about getting back at Trent.”

“Please tell me you’re not going to put yourself at risk of expulsion over revenge.”

“We’ll play it smart,” Derrick assures. “Maybe it’s time for a little public humiliation. Something creative. Something that can’t be traced back to us.”

Bas smirks. “I’m already brainstorming.”

“Oh, I’ve got ideas,” Liam grins darkly. “But we’ve got to do it right. We’re not risking our asses, especially with that report still hanging over Lucas’s head.”

Once everyone finishes eating, the guys head off to get ready for the game. Bas lingers behind just long enough to place a kiss on my cheek.

“Wish me luck, Firefly.”

“You don’t need luck,” I murmur, pulling him closer. “But you have it anyway. Bring home that win and maybe I'll have a surprise waiting for you.”

His grin is pure sin. “That a promise?”

“Play like a MVP and you’ll find out,” I shoot him a wink as he rushes out the door to join Derrick and Liam.

Once they’re gone Lucas and I settle on the couch. He hands me a remote and pulls up some ridiculous panda brawling game on the TV.

“This is your idea of a pre-game activity?” I ask, watching a cartoon panda weiding a frying pan dance across the screen.

“Yes, now grab that remote and prepare to face annihilation at the hands of my panda.”

We battle through several rounds laughing so hard I have tears in my eyes. For a little while Lucas seems to be back to his happy-go-lucky self.

But eventually it’s game time and Lucas flips over to the live stream, the mood once again tense.

“There they go, I should be out there,” Lucas mutters.

I reach over and grab his hand. “Missing one game doesn’t make you any less a part of the team.”

He doesn’t answer but he squeezes my hand a little tighter. We watch as the team plays through the first few innings. They’re obviously missing their star third baseman and Lucas sits on the edge of his seat as he watches them fail to stop yet another hit he would’ve caught.

Rolling into the bottom of the ninth inning, Lucas scoots to the edge of the couch, barely sitting on it as he focuses on the game as if he could somehow manipulate it to end with us winning. I echo his feelings, and not just because they’re filling the bond. My guys need a win right now. I don’t know if they could handle a loss like this with everything that’s going on.

We’re tied with the Hallowspire Wraiths and man can those gargoyles jump. They’ve caught the first two hits giving us two outs when Bas steps up to the plate. Whatever happens now determines the winner. It’s all up to Bas. If he strikes out, we’re done. If he gets on base, we’re still in it.

I lean closer to the screen, internally cheering my mate on despite my body freezing as the pitcher winds up.

He releases the throw and the ball goes flying at lightning speed towards Bas.

Bas swings and launches the ball. The muscles in his arms flex visibly on the screen as he swings, power and grace fused in one perfect strike. It sails up and out impossibly high, flying well over the outfield and out of the stadium.

“Holy shit!” I squeal, jumping out of my seat.

Lucas leaps into the air, pumping his fist. “Hell yeah! That’s my boy!”

The team explodes around Bas on the screen, mobbing him as he rounds home. The camera zooms in on the celebration, showing Bas’s bright smile as he throws his arms up, cheering as his teammates clap him on the back. I feel it all through the bond, his pride, his excitement, his need.

“I hate not being out there but damn, that was incredible.” Lucas flops back onto the couch with a huff. “Man he’s about to be the most insufferable guy in this dorm after that hit.”

“Maybe,” I say, an idea forming in my mind. “But I think he deserves a little something for that win, don’t you?”

“An MVP prize?” Lucas asks with a dark glint in his eye, a grin slowly pulling at the edges of his mouth.

I nod. “Help me set it up?”

He jumps to his feet, ready to assist in any way he can. It only takes half an hour to transform Bas’s room. Lucas finds some battery-operated candles and helps me get an after game snack together for my devilish tiger mate. When everything’s set up, I change into one of Bas’s spare jerseys and lay across his bed, legs bare, hair down, soft light flickering off the walls.

Lucas surveys the room like a proud artist admiring his latest piece. Then he crouches beside me brushing a kiss over my lips.

“You look incredible, Moonbeam. He’s going to lose his mind.”

“That’s the idea,” I respond with a giggle as we hear the dorm's front door click open.

He stands back up and crosses over to exit the room.

“One MVP coming right up,” he says with a wink as he slips out the door into the living room.