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To my surprise, the wolf whimpered and fell to its side, then vanished in a cloud of smoke.
I blew out a breath. It was all pretend. None of this was real.
Then, suddenly Ben was standing where the wolf had been. “What the fuck, Zach?”
“Ben?” I looked around the room. The door was still locked. Ben wasn’t even in this class. Why was he here? “Are you really here or is this another illusion?’
“You need to stay away from Raven,” he said, walking toward me. His steps were powerful, purposeful and he moved much in the same way the wolf did.
“You’re not real. You’re not here,” I said. “This must be some trick of my subconscious.”
“Did you hear me, mage?” He was still approaching me. “Wolves don’t share. We don’t like it. And now that Raven is safe, she doesn’t need you. Stay away from her. She was mine first.”
“Dude,” I said. “Not cool. Raven chose all of us.”
He growled and his eyes flashed yellow. I swore his canines were the size of fangs.What the fuck is going on?“If you won’t back down, I’ll make you back down.”
Ben dissolved and all at once, I was facing another wolf. This one was gray and still huge. I stepped back away from him.This isn’t real.
I called my magic again, sending the same spell to force his shift. The sparks came quickly and struck true. But the wolf didn’t back up. Instead, he lunged for me. Claws dug into my chest as I was knocked to the ground.
I yelled as searing pain burned in my chest from the puncture. His claws were still in me as he pinned me to the ground. This wolf was heavy as hell and I struggled to breathe under the pressure.
Hot breath hit my face as the wolf’s jaws snapped in front of my face. I tried to pull away but the claws tore at my skin and I screamed again. The wolf growled and snapped its jaws again.
This didn’t feel like an illusion.
Pain made my vision blur but I fought against it, willing myself to call a spell. My magic flared and faded, as if it didn’t want to release. I took a deep breath and screamed as I reached for the magic and held it, forcing it through.
A sphere of electricity shot from around me, sending the wolf flying off me. I pulled myself back, wincing against the searing pain. Wolf claws fucking hurt.
The creature was already on its feet, growling again. It raced toward me just as I got to standing.
Extending my hands in front of me, I called another burst of electricity and it slammed into the beast. He whined as the magic hit him, knocking him down again.
This time, in another cloud of smoke, the wolf vanished and Ben was on the ground. He was unconscious and covered in bruises. His upper lip was bleeding and one of his eyes was already black.
Had I done all that?
I ran to him and knelt down next to him. This wasn’t supposed to be real. None of this was supposed to be real.
What the hell kind of test was this?
I pressed my fingers to his neck, feeling for a pulse. I’d used too much force in that last burst. Panic seeped in as I pushed my fingers in harder. I couldn’t feel his heart.
Oh shit. Oh shit. Oh shit.
“Professor!” I called. Where the hell was she?
Black tendrils of smoke wrapped around my wrists and encircled Ben’s fallen form. A moment later, he was swallowed by the clouds and he was gone.
I stood and stumbled backward, confused and shaken by what had just happened.
“Well done,” Professor Flora’s voice called. She was standing near her desk now. Or had she always been there?
“What the hell was that?” I asked. “Why would you make Ben the shifter I had to fight?”
“I didn’t choose Ben,” she said. “The magic was set up for you to call the shifter you most feared. It could have been anyone. But apparently, the shifter you’re the most concerned about is the one who often shares a bed with your mate.”
