“Wish granted.” Ethan started forward. I yelped and went to run, but Ethan grabbed me around the waist and tossed me over his shoulder as if I was a bag of grain. I screamed and beat my fists into his back as he started walking.
“I can do this all day, so you might as well stop,” Ethan said as he hiked me back to school. “Your punches feel like a back rub.”
It was useless. I gave up and let myself sag there like a sack of potatoes. I watched the outline of Ethan’s ass move through his jeans as he walked.My eyes glued to the waistband of his boxers, which had risen upward as his pants sagged past his hip bones.
Okay, I was mated, but that didn’t mean I couldn’t look at other guys, right? Ethan had a nice… view.
“Are you going to behave now?” Ethan asked as we passed through the threshold of the castle. He began the long walk down the hallway that led to the dorms.
“Probably not,” I said back. “Would you expect otherwise?”
Ethan grumbled a few swear words under his breath and said, “At the very least, can I put you down now be sure you aren’t going to run away?”
“Nah. I like being carried. Saves me from having to walk.”
Ethan smacked my ass,hard. I yelped, and he said, “There’s more to come if you don’t start acting like a lady.”
“I am no lady.”
“We all know that by now, Miss Emmaline.”
Ethan slid me off his shoulder when we got to the staircase that led up to the dorm rooms. Our gazes connected. The look that Ethan gave me was so warm and full. As mad as he’d been a few minutes ago, he suddenly looked... really happy.
I had a sudden thought that came out of nowhere. What if I took Ethan back to my dorm, and what if we—
Guilt overtook me. Flirting with Ethan was harmless, but I was pretty much cheating on my mate by allowing my mind to wander. How could I even think of messing around with Ethan? Shit, I felt bad. I needed to stop.
I wrenched my eyes away from his and started climbing the staircase. “Well, this was fun, but I can take it from here. I know where my room is.”
“I don’t think so. I’ll accompany you,” he said, taking the stairs two at a time.
“What are you going to do? Sleep outside my door all night to make sure I stay inside?” I challenged.
“If you keep it up, sure.”
“Maybe I’ll build a rope of pillowcases and sheets and scale down the window,” I suggested. “I never liked being a trapped little princess.”
“I won’t have any trouble coming after you.”
When we got to the top of the staircase, Ethan suddenly paused. He flung out an arm to stop me.
“I smell blood,” he said. He put an arm around my shoulders. “Something’s not right here. We should go get a teacher.”
I noticed that, down the hall, my dorm room door was propped open. A thin red trail was leaking out from within. “It’s coming from my room.”
“Emma!”
I didn’t listen. I shoved past Ethan and ducked away as he tried to catch me. I ran full-speed toward my room. When I got there, I had to press a hand over my mouth to prevent a horrified scream from leaking out.
Morgan was on the floor. She had large gashes across her chest and neck— gashes that were weeping blood and that had torn her clothes. A huge pool of blood spread around her lifeless body. Her face was pale, and her form was unmoving. I was sure she was dead.
“We need to get her to the medical ward.” Ethan was immediately beside me. He stooped down and picked up Morgan. Her blood soaked his shirt, and her head rolled lifelessly on her shoulders.
My mouth gaped. “But… but…”
“She’s still alive. I can hear her breathing,” he told me. “We need to hurry.”
Ethan started to move. I followed him at a quick pace as Morgan’s blood dripped on the carpet, creating a trail.
