A dragon shifter novel Chapter 37

The Truth

Professor Hill

Scorched’s office smells of scorched parchment and discipline. It’s basically an old dragon’s den of rules and intimidation. I am summoned like an errand boy, dragged away from work that actually matters to sort out a schoolyard scuffle. It is juvenile and beneath me. Scorched leans back in his chair, fingers steepled, and says the name. Allison Rivers. Of course, it is her. That girl. She seems to always be in the eye of the storm, like trouble magnetises itself to her. Yet… something about her sits wrong in my mind. Wrong enough that I cannot look away. “They’ve accused one another,” Scorched says flatly. His reptilian eyes narrow on the two boys standing before us. Evander, the golden dragon heir, rigid as carved stone and Cage, the arrogant warlock, radiating smug defiance. “Search their minds, Hill. We’ll have the truth.” I incline my head, masking the curl of distaste in my/gut. A bloodhound, that is all I am to him. A blade drawn when claws will not do. Still, if it involves Rivers… I am curious. I start with Evander Drayle. His gaze meets mine head–on, steady, but his dragon thrashes just beneath the surface. All I have to do is slip a single thread of thought into the cracks, and his mind parts for me. The images slam into me, hard and uninvited, a picture of blood, mud and Allison’s back laid bare with wounds raked deep. Her limp body cradled in talons that feel far too real to ignore. Overlaying it all, branded into his dragon’s skull like a burn mark, is one word on repeat. Mate. My brows furrow. That is wrong. Bonds do not declare themselves until the Moonlight Festival. Yet his beast believes it absolutely, and he does too. I sift further, searching for what I came for. A boy’s voice echoes, thin and nervous, telling Evander that Cage pushed her. It is a memory built on hearsay, not sight. There is no proof, only fury. I pull back, unsettled, as my pulse races faster than it should be. The dragon has claimed her. “Nothing conclusive,” I say carefully, though my mind is anything but calm. Scorched’s nostrils flare, smoke curling. “Then check Cage.”

Cage sneers at me as though daring me to try. I do try, and I do succeed. His mind is a maze of sharp edges and arrogance built like a fortress. However, arrogance is only a wall with cracks, and I have never had trouble breaking walls. I press in further, and there it is, rotting beneath the floorboards–the beam. Allison is balancing, slow and careful. His boot is connecting–the dark curl of satisfaction as she plunges into the water. No hesitation. No guilt. Only smug amusement. Layered beneath it all is… fear. Fear of something in his dreams. Something that is consuming his mind and making his skin crawl. I catch the echo of crimson eyes and twisted antlers, and for a split second, Cage’s pulse is not the only one that spikes. I withdraw from his mind as cold settles behind my ribs. Scorched’s voice snaps across the room. “Well?” I let my gaze linger on Cage a heartbeat too long. He shifts under it. Good. I straighten, tone flat and deliberate, “Evander Drayke believes the girl was pushed. He did not see it himself. Cage, however…” My lips curve humourlessly. “Cage does not need to believe. He knows what he did.”

Scorched’s jaw clicks as his teeth grind together, smoke hissing from the corners of his mouth. “You pushed her,” he growls, each word rumbling like an earthquake underfoot. Cage’s smirk twitches into a brittle thing. “I was-”

“Silence.” Scorched’s voice cracks like thunder, the desk rattling. Even arrogant warlocks know when to shut their mouths. The principal rises, scales flickering down his arms as his claws curl against the wood. “You endangered a student’s life for your own amusement.” His voice dips, low and lethal. “That is cowardice and stupid.” Cage’s jaw clenches, his defiance flickering weaker now. Scorched leans forward, eyes burning molten gold. “So here is your punishment, boy. Since you find her so pathetic, so far beneath you, you will teach her. You will ensure she does not fall further behind. You will be her tutor.” Cage’s head snaps up, outrage

twisting his face. “You can’t-”

“I can.” The walls shake as smoke pours from Scorched’s nostrils. “And if you harm a single hair on her head, I will have you expelled and branded. No school. No council work. No future. You will be nothing but a gutter warlock.” Silence swallows the room as Cage’s mouth opens, then shuts. There’s no grin now. Only the sour twist of a boy choking down an order he cannot escape. Evander’s shoulders ease beside me, though his dragon still seethes behind his eyes. Scorched sits back, claws tapping once against

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The Truth

the desk. “Do I make myself clear?”

“Yes,” Cage mutters, the word scraping out like broken glass.

“Good,” Scorched says, slashing a hand toward the door. “Get out before I change my mind and decide you are both better off in

chains.”

The door barely clicks shut before Evander rounds on Cage, dragon fire still simmering in his veins. He closes the distance in two

strides, jaw tight and fists coiled. “You stay the fuck away from her,” he snarls, low enough not to carry but hot enough to scorch

the air. Cage does not flinch. He steps closer until they are nearly nose to nose, smug smirk curving again. “Don’t flatter yourself,

Drayke. Babysitting strays isn’t exactly my idea of fun.” I roll my eyes skyward. Gods. Children in men’s bodies. Before either can

throw the first punch, I reach out and smack them both hard across the backs of their heads. The crack echoes and is deeply

satisfying. “Enough,” I say, voice iron–hard. “You are wasting my time. Get to class before you embarrass yourselves further.” They

glare at me like sulky boys caught fighting in the mud, but neither argues. I arch a brow, daring them to try. Finally, they turn away

from each other.

I remain a moment longer, the silence pressing in. My hand brushes the back of my neck, a restless habit as I exhale slowly.

Evander’s mind still lingers with me. Blood, claws and that word. Mate. It is dangerous, confusing and impossible. I adjust my cuffs,

square my shoulders, and turn down the hall. I have a class to get to. More importantly, I have a student to watch very closely. If

Evander’s memories are any indication, Allison Rivers is going to be a complete mess today if she is even upright. If she is not still

lying in the infirmary. Either way, I am curious.

Comments

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6 Comments >

love the book so far! goddess of the underworld was fantastic and this one has me just as hooked

thank you for being such an amazing writer it’s been a while si… More

7 days ago

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