Page 199 of Plug and Drain

The walls seemed to close in on her with each step she took, making it difficult to breathe.

Arken slowed his pace to match hers, and when they reached her door, she felt an overwhelming dread come over her.

A vice was squeezing her lungs, and she wanted to run, but she was frozen in place. The prospect of opening her door was suddenly daunting.

“Here we are,” Arken said quietly.

Susie nodded briskly, tears springing to her eyes as she seized the door handle and went to shove it open—

It didn’t budge.

She frowned, and it took her several seconds to notice that the handles were different. There was a decorative plate surrounding it, and the handle felt different in her hand…polished and embossed with intricate floral designs.

Beneath the handle was a keyhole.

She blinked and drew her hand away. “It has a lock?”

“Enchanted locks to ensure they are extra secure,” Arken explained. “Although as far as anyone else is concerned, they’re simply regular locks. It took far longer to install them than I would have liked. I had to find a witch sensible enough to be discreet about the business, but we finally completed the work yesterday.”

“Wait…” Susie frowned and glanced at the other doors in the corridor. They bore identical locks to hers, including Molly’s door. “Are you telling me you had these installed in all of the dorms?”

“I certainly did,” Arken smiled. “It was one of your recommendations for improving safety for wolves at the academy. I had them installed in the vampire dorms as well. I’ll admit, it felt a little unnecessary, but you did specify equal policies for students, so it seemed only fair.”

“Yes, but…” Susie shook her head. The new school rules had been a topic she and Arken had carefully avoided until now. “I don’t understand. Why this? After all the new rules…the collars you’re making us all wear and making us kneel during assembly. Why would you…?” She dropped her voice so the students passing them wouldn’t hear. “Why would you make our lives worse only to put locks on the door?” Arken opened his mouth to speak, but her mind was already racing ahead. “Unless…” She widened her eyes at him as realisation dawned. “You compromised.”

Arken smiled sadly. “Yes. As much as I wish I could fulfil every one of the items on your list, this was a trade-off. I sincerely hope that one day, I can implement all of your recommendations. But for the time being, Henrikk has eyes everywhere. So, I made a calculated decision to prioritise the changes that would increase the well-being of wolves the most. The sudden appearance of enchanted locks, whilst possible to explain, would have aroused significant suspicion. But, by implementing those other changes, like the collars, I endeavoured to mask the true motive behind the locks.” He cocked his head at her, uncertainty crossing his face. “Perhaps it was wrong of me to compromise. To pick and choose in that manner.”

“There are more pets,” Susie thought out loud. “But there aren’t any more lone wolves left, are there?”

“No, there are not. The packs that adapted to the changes are larger and more cohesive. I believe your pack has grown significantly too with several new members having joined. It’s worth noting that some wolves opted not to join a pack at all. They seem fairly well cared for by the Masters they’ve chosen, although I’m not blind to the fact that some vampires took it upon themselves to claim vulnerable wolves. I’ve tried to keep an eye on the social dynamics. I researched wolf social structures beforehand, but it was difficult to predict precisely how it would play out here. It seemed my gamble paid off, and the shifters by and large are better off. Even so, I know my efforts fall short of the ideal—”

Susie cut him off with a kiss, throwing her arms around his neck and pressing her lips to his. “You did this for me,” she breathed as she pulled her head back to look at him.

“I did it because it’s the right thing to do,” he murmured, peering at her through half-closed eyes. “But mostly, I did it for you.”

Susie stepped closer until she was standing on his feet, her body pressed flush against his. He was hard and solid, and—within seconds, as she continued to kiss him—in more ways than one. She gave him a sly smile. “What else can you do for me?”

Arken’s gave a strained chuckle. “You have classes to attend.”

“Do I, now?” she stood on her tiptoes and sucked on his earlobe. “And what are we learning today, sir?”

“Cheeky.”

Susie’s smile faded when Arken pressed a small key into her hand.

“Do you want to go inside?” he asked. “And before you answer, I’d like to be clear: it would make me inordinately happy if you were to move in with me. But either way, you should still have your own room.”

Susie’s hand closed over the key. The smooth metal felt cool against her skin, its tiny weight anchoring her to this moment. She smiled at Arken and leaned up to kiss him softly, trying to draw courage from him.

The moments stretched as her lips brushed his. No matter how much she kissed him, her looming apprehension grew, and her door became foreboding. The prospect of what lay beyond it soon overshadowed the kiss, and she reluctantly drew back, gripping the key tightly.

I have to do this.

Before she had a chance to overthink it, she inserted the key and turned it.

Click.

She didn’t open it. She was frozen in place.