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6
Ben
I hatedwalking away from Raven knowing that I was agreeing to let her be bait. I knew she could take care of herself, but I also knew there was a lot in the world of magic that she still didn’t know about. Part of me wanted to let her stay sheltered from the other bad parts. I mean, getting forced to open a portal to the fae realm was bad enough, but there was more out there.
Luka was already at a table in the library when I walked in and he did a good job of ignoring me when I entered. If the creep who threatened Raven did his homework, seeing her mates in here would probably tip him off. I almost hoped it was enough to scare him away. Though, we did need to catch him. I didn’t want Raven being cornered in the locker room again. My whole body tensed at the thought. Whoever this guy was, he was sneaking into a women’s locker room. It wasn’t right.
I grabbed a book from a random shelf and settled into a table not too far from Luka. After opening the book, I looked around the library and saw the twins seated nearby, also with books on their desks.
I knew none of us were actually reading. We were all waiting for Raven. Despite the fact that I wasn’t fond of sharing her, I was grateful for her other mates right now. The twins were powerful mages. I’d heard stories about them and the things their family could do. Luka’s powers were rumored to be stronger than most other demons, and I knew my wolf could be out in a heartbeat if needed.
Raven was still putting herself at more risk than I wanted her to, but we had her back. And I was glad that the four of us could be here for her.
I looked down at the book I had and couldn’t help but smile. I didn’t even know what it was about because it was written in what looked like ancient runes. Probably some old dwarf history.
Flipping through the pages, I skimmed the pictures. At least I could figure those out on my own.
A tingle shot through me and I knew Raven was approaching. I could feel her.
Forcing myself to stay glued to my book, I felt the hair on my arms stand on edge as I caught her scent. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Raven take a seat at a table in the middle of the room. She had the decoy book with her and I could sense her nervousness from here.
It was probably good that she was nervous. That meant she’d be cautious. My Raven had a history of running headfirst into things without thinking and a little hesitation might keep her alive.
I glanced at the clock on the wall. It was midnight on the dot. Any second now that asshole was going to stroll in here and approach Raven. Or he’d see us and bolt. Either way, it was time to stop pretending I was reading.
Scanning the room, I looked for anyone I didn’t recognize. Any signs of movement from behind the shelves drew my attention. But so far, all I saw was a handful of other students who looked like they were legitimately studying. And one couple that ducked behind a long bookshelf.
Nothing looked out of the ordinary.
The twins had also given up reading at this point. The books on their desks were closed and they were looking around the library just as I was. None of us were doing a great job of stealth but I think we were too worried about Raven to pretend we weren’t here.
A sizzling sound came from above me and I glanced skyward just as the lights went out.
Surprised murmurs and a few startled cries sounded from around the library and my heart raced. This was not what we had planned.
My eyes adjusted enough that I could see the outlines of the tables and some movement but in unshifted form, my vision wasn’t much better than a normal human.
Fuck it. I was not going to wait around for some asshole to come and grab my girl. “Raven?”
I stood, knocking the chair to the ground. I made my way around the table, my hands in front of me to feel for anything that might catch me off guard as I walked toward her table.
“Raven? Move toward my voice.”
I bumped against other desks as I moved closer to her.
“Raven, answer him,” Luka called. “I can’t see you anymore. Raven? Where did you go?”
“What do you mean you can’t see her?” One of the twins called, I had no idea which one, but I could hear the panic in his tone.
“Demon, you had eyes on her?” I called.
“I did,wolf, but she’s gone now. Her table is empty,” Luka said.
“Fuck,” I said.
“My magic won’t light,” one of the twins called. “It’s like the trials. I can’t make fire.”
“Don’t tell me we’ve got another monster on the loose,” I said, a shiver going down my spine. That thing was awful.
