Page 36 of Demon Reform Academy, Term 3

36

PANDORA

I jerked awake with my heart pounding against my ribcage. Panic crawled up my throat from a violent glimpse into Dex’s bond. His emotions were so strong that my soul was lurching toward his.

I struggled to catch my breath, the air feeling thick and heavy in my lungs as I pushed up off the bed. The sheets clung to my damp skin like a second layer, but I crawled down the bed, careful not to wake Hunter or Reed.

When I’d woken up from the chaos-curse-induced coma, none of my mates had budged from my side until Dad came by. Skel and Bram slept on the floor on Hunter’s side. None of them had wanted to leave, and to be honest, I didn’t want them to leave, either.

Urgency washed through my veins, echoing the panic that surged through him. I could almost feel the tremors in his hands, the way his body seemed to convulse with an anxiety that was about to consume him whole.

Where was he?

I sensed the invisible thread that tied our souls together. It felt taut, vibrating with his emotional turmoil. Taking a deep breath, I followed it to my closet.

The weight of his fear pressed against my heart, but I shoved it away and carefully opened the door.

Dex was sitting on the floor in the farthest corner, his knees pulled to his chest as his ragged breathing filled the silence. His white-blond hair was stuck out in every direction, drenched in sweat. This sight of him, hiding in the closet, shattered something deep inside me.

He didn’t even notice me come in.

I clicked the closet shut behind me and padded over to him, letting my soul reach for his.

“Dex?” I knelt down beside him, my fingers trembling as I reached out to touch his arm.

His head snapped up, and I met his gaze—his fog gray eyes were wild, pupils blown wide with fear.

“Dex,” I rasped again, but it was more like a plea.

His lips trembled, but nothing came out. His chest heaved erratically. Tears welled in his eyes as shadow tendrils swirled violently around him, twisting and lashing out. I hadn’t noticed his magic around him until now.

He wasn’t in control.

I sucked in a sharp breath as an icy wave of dread crashed over me. My heart pounded in my chest. The shadows seemed to darken, pulling at the edges of my vision. My lungs tightened, and my hands trembled, but I curled them into fists. I ignored my nails biting into my palms.

“I can do this,” I whispered to myself, pushing off my knees and onto my heels. My skin prickled as a memory of Mother’s shadows threatened to surface.

The shadows flickered again, their tendrils reaching closer to me.

I fell back on my ass and scrambled back a couple feet, my breath hitching. Panic clawed at my throat. My vision blurred, the shadows shifting like hers did, circling closer.

But— Dex needed me.

He gasped, his body trembling violently, a broken sound escaping his lips and bringing me back to the present. He was crumbling right in front of me, his shoulders hunched as if the weight of everything happening lately was too much for him to carry anymore.

Who could blame him?

I squeezed my eyes shut, willing my heartbeat to slow.

Inhale.

Exhale.

I could do this.

I had to do this.

His shadows pressed against my resolve, but Dex was my fated mate. His magic wouldn’t hurt me.

I shoved the fear back down where it belonged. My hands steadied—barely—and I moved forward, crawling to him.

“Dex…” I wrapped my arms around him, gently tugging his head into my lap.

His mother had locked us in cells, sliced into him, cut his head off, and infected him with dark magic. Now, his father was taunting him with his weird obsession for me because he was Mother’s fated mate.

I was Dex’s fated mate , and I’d been the target of assassination attempts and a demonic curse.

There was bound to be a breaking point for him—and that must’ve been it.

“I can’t—” Sobs broke through his chest.

The sound tore through me like jagged bone piercing flesh. Our matebond cracked open, showing me that he was coming undone from the inside.

His shadow magic swirled around us, but I clutched him tighter, pressing my cheek to his hair. His hands gripped at me, holding on like I was the only thing keeping him tethered to reality.

“You don’t have to do this alone,” I murmured, my own tears slipping down my cheeks. “You don’t have to be alone, Dex.”

He buried his face in my neck, and I felt his hot tears soak into my skin. “Selene and I lived in a closet. She protected me in it. It’s the only place I’ve ever felt safe.”

My heart cracked for him. I stayed still, stroking his hair, letting my fingers dig calming circles into his scalp. The rawness of his pain lingered between us, a living thing, but it was softening. I could feel that in my soul.

“Then I’ll stay with you here,” I told him.

The closet door creaked open, letting in a trickle of light.

I didn’t have to look up to know it was Hunter and Reed.

“Do you need anything?” Hunter murmured gently. His presence was always calming, steady, and his soul was a strength I had come to rely on.

I lifted my head slightly, meeting his warm white eyes. There was only concern reflecting back.

Reed stood beside him, his frame blocking most of the light spilling into the closet, but his soft smile was full of understanding.

“I think we’re okay,” I whispered back, my voice hoarse from the shared emotions with Dex.

They saw how tightly Dex clung to me.

Hunter crouched down just outside the closet, his eyes flickering between me and Dex. “You’re doing good,” he told Dex. “We’ll be out here if you need us.”

Reed stepped forward, slipping silently into the closet. He set down two water bottles—my enchanted one and a spare—carefully placing them in front of us while avoiding the writhing tendrils of Dex’s shadow magic that flickered around the room.

He gave me a small nod before turning back to Hunter. They both retreated quietly, closing the door with a soft click, leaving us alone in the darkness once more.

I could feel Dex’s agony. Every pulse of it vibrated through our bond, pulling me deeper into his pain.

Why was our bond so open right now? Was it because of how desperate his emotions were?

Dex’s pain was suffocating in a way I related to, but slivers of madness were intertwined.

“I’m here.” I bent down and brushed my lips against the crown of Dex’s head.

He exhaled a shuddering breath that was half relief, half exhaustion. The full-blown panic had calmed, but the weight was still there.

He shifted in my arms, pulling back just enough to look up at me. His lips quivered slightly as if he was searching for the right words, but they didn’t come.

He looked…confused.

“Pandora…” He cupped my cheek with one trembling hand, his thumb brushing away a tear. “Thank you,” he rasped, his rough voice laced with something deeper than gratitude—something fragile and raw.

“You don’t have to thank me.” I leaned into his touch, feeling the warmth of his palm against my skin. Something deep within my heart roared to life, consuming a portion of his fear completely—and I noticed what magic it was right away. It was Skel’s. After we’d bonded, I was able to take fear away. “I’m yours , Dex. Always.”

“I can’t believe I almost ruined you… us.” His eyes fluttered shut for a moment, then he leaned up and kissed me. His lips lingered on mine for a few seconds before he pulled back just enough to rest his forehead against mine.

We stayed like that, our breath mingling.

“ You make me feel safe,” he croaked.

My soul craved his, but…I couldn’t take in his shadow magic…not yet. I wasn’t ready for that.

“You make me feel safe, too,” I murmured the truth. He’d went against his mother for me and endured unspeakable torture to try and protect me.

He’d even rejected our bond for my life…stupid, yes, but he did it for me.

Exhaustion seeped into my bones as his bond closed again. But even without a glimpse into our bond, I knew what he was feeling. I was feeling the same thing. It was an emotional crash.

His body relaxed fully against mine as we shifted, easing us both down onto the closet floor, our limbs tangling together.

“Don’t say anything back to this because I know you don’t feel what I do yet, but…” Dex’s head rested against my chest, his breath steady now, slow and rhythmic, matching the beat of my heart. “I love you, Pandora.”

His shadows ceased, but the weight of his words crushed my heart. He…loved me…but…did— Did I love him?

I blinked away the tears and shock and kissed his lips softly, my fingers still running through his hair. “Sleep,” I whispered. “I’ll stay with you.”

“I love you,” he repeated, though his grip on me didn’t soften, even as he drifted off to sleep.

I held Dex close, feeling the warmth of his body against mine, and as the last remnants of panic faded, I let myself fall into sleep as well with one thing on my mind— he loved me.