Page 98 of Obsidian and Frost

Lazriel was back in his full black-on-black tactical gear look, his bag his favorite forest-green.

But Velra wasn’t in her normal black leather corset and pants. She looked much more relaxed, open, and even approachable through forgoing her usualarmorin a midnight-black top that clung to her shoulders in a sculpted off-the-shoulder cut, paired with fitted violet jeans and a thick leather belt. Her bag was a checkered purple and black edgy design.

Things were shifting for her.

She even leaned into me, then Lazriel, and gave us each a kiss on the cheek, before she made a left down the corridor toward her class, wherein Lazriel and I took a right toward ours.

“Want to tell me what’s going on with you? What’s had you resorting to drinking spelled whiskey in order to take the edge off? Something you told me previously that you used to do in the past during times of stress and extreme upset in order to mute your bloodlust and the wrath of the wolf when emotional stress threatened to destabilize you?”

He didn’t answer at first.

His boots struck the polished floor with heavy, deliberate thuds, his jaw set like he was grinding thoughts between his molars.

“I’m fine,” he finally muttered. “I’llbefine. Just adjusting to this threat situation. Another fucking one coming my way.”

“You’re not in it alone. You don’t just have your mom now either. Velra is here. I’m here. It will be resolved. Of that I have absolutely no doubt. So, it has me wondering whether that’s actually all that’s causing this reaction in you?”

When he said nothing, I went to reach for him, but he batted my hand away.

I rounded him, forcing him to pull up short. “Tonight. Before I go to see Velra regarding the Death Sense spell, you’ll come to my dorm room.”

“What? That’s not—”

“It’s been days of this from you. I’m done with it.Tonightwe have it out. Whatever it is, we’ll discuss it.” I stepped closer, our chests brushing, making his breath hitch at the contact. I wasn’t above it either. Like I said, it had been days with him in this piss-poor mood, so fucking had been off the table. I was all for an angry fuck here and there, but he didn’t like the concept. As much as I doubted he’d admit it, except when in the throes of pleasure, the connection was important to Lazriel. He neededthat, pure and untainted, during sex. “Am I clear?” I ground out, my breath fanning over the side of his neck.

“Yes,” he breathed. “Fine.”

Fine.I hated when he said that.

“Good.”

I stepped back, then we turned off into our designated classroom forInter-Realm Relations: Treaties and Cooperation.

Students were already arriving and taking their seats.

I led the way to a two-person desk in the far left corner of the room at the back, and Lazriel followed me over.

As I sank into my seat, I gritted my teeth when he dropped his bag on the table with an unnecessarily heavy thud.

“Are you looking forward to this class?” I asked him as he sank into his chair, then brought out his laptop with a brief burst of vampire speed, opening the lid, then even setting up and titling a new document for this class in split-seconds.

“Not really. It’s all theory. Nothing practical or physical to do.”

“Working the mind is still an act of physicality.”

He snorted, despite his moody state. “That’s so you.”

“That it is, wolfie.”

He laughed, fighting to stop himself and hide his smiling face, but failing beautifully.

Relief filled me that I’d managed to cut through the nasty tension and his awful mood.

Although, it would clearly only be temporary until we had it out properly later.

Fortunately, before it had chance to take root again, the professor walked in, kicking the door shut behind him as he went.

He swaggered down the gangway toward the front of the class, sipping from a large coffee cup.