A dragon shifter novel Chapter 56

Kael

My boots hit the corridor floor in a steady, furious rhythm. Each step feeds the storm clawing through my chest. I need air. Space. Anything that doesn’t smell like Evander’s dragon fire or sound like the echo of my own words biting back at me. By the time I slam through the dorm doors and into the crisp air outside, I’m running purely on instinct. My hound paces beneath my skin, restless and wild, demanding freedom. “Pierce!” The voice snaps through the haze, sharp and commanding. I skid to a stop at the edge of the path and look up just long enough to see Professor Hill standing there, coat swishing, eyes narrowed. “Where the hell do you think you’re-” He pauses, brows knitting tighter as his gaze scans my face. “What’s gotten into you?” I don’t answer. I can’t. The words are too tangled with guilt, rage, and confusion. None of them fit right on my tongue. I push past him, my shoulder catching his arm, and keep walking. “Pierce!” he barks again, authority dripping from every syllable. “Slow down!” I don’t. Not when every nerve in my body is on fire. Not when my hound claws at the edges of my control, snapping to get out. The smell of scorched earth and pine hits me as the training field comes into view. I barely make it ten more steps before my restraint snaps. I drop to one knee, palms slamming into the dirt. The shift tears through me in a single breath. Bones crack. Fire rushes under my skin. My vision sharpens into shades of blood and smoke. My growl rips through the air as my claws dig into the ground. The forest calls; dark, vast, mercifully empty, and I answer. Without another thought, I bolt forward, pay hound’s massive paws pounding the earth, heat spilling from my chest with every breath. Trees blur past me and branches snap underfoot as I charge into the woods, leaving the academy, the fight, and every damn confusing emotion behind. All that’s left is the sound of my heartbeat and the roar of my own fury echoing through the trees.

Cassian

Kael Pierce has always had a temper. Brilliant student and a natural–born fighter, but that boy burns too hot for his own good. I’ve seen it a hundred times before. Rage simmering just beneath the surface, waiting for an excuse to bleed out. But this… this is different. I’m on my way back to my cabin behind the dorms, a cup of coffee in hand and the intention of a quiet evening, when he tears past me like a storm. He doesn’t even glance my way. The rage rolling off him is palpable, like standing too close to an open flame. I stop mid–step, brows furrowing. “Pierce,” I call out, my tone sharp enough to catch most students but not him. He doesn’t flinch. That alone makes me pause. Curiosity flickers to life, and I reach out, just a touch, brushing the edges of his thoughts as he stalks away. Chaos. Flames. A heated argument. Evander Drayke. And at the centre of it all – Allison Rivers. I withdraw immediately, jaw tightening. I don’t pry into students‘ private affairs without reason, but her name crosses my desk far too often lately. I exhale slowly, rubbing a hand across the back of my neck. Of course, it’s her. It’s always her lately. Still, I remind myself, they’re young. Tempers flare. Friendships form and break faster than moon cycles here. I’ve seen far worse drama play out in these halls. Whatever’s happening between Drayke, Pierce, and Rivers is probably trivial. Hormonal nonsense. Not worth ruining my weekend over. I start walking again, coffee still in hand, though my gaze drifts toward the forest where Kael disappears. The wards ripple faintly in the distance. His magic is wild and unrestrained. I sigh through my nose. “Trouble always finds the passionate ones,” I murmur, and head back toward my cabin. Still… something about that girl tugs at the edges of my mind. Something off. Something not entirely normal. I push the thought aside. I’ve learned better than to chase ghosts on my weekends. The unease lingers anyway.

Allison

The sound of my door slamming makes me jump. When I rush into the living space, it’s only Evander standing there, pacing like a caged beast, hands dragging through his hair in that way that screams ‘barely–contained fury. “Evander?” I ask carefully. “What the hell was that?” He doesn’t answer, he keeps pacing, jaw tight, golden eyes flashing like embers ready to ignite. “Where’s Kael?” I try again, stepping closer. His head sЯaps foward me. “Why?”I blink, folding my arms. “Why? Because he was just here, you were sharing some very deep secrets, and now my door is getting body–slammed like it owes someone money. What happened?” That makes him pause. His shoulders sag, and the tension drains all at once as he exhales. The dragon fades from his eyes, leaving just Evander, tired, frustrated and maybe a little regretful. “Sorry,” he mutters. “We… had a disagreement.” I tilt my head. “A disagreement? What kind of disagreement ends with him storming off like the devil’s on his heels?” His gaze flicks away, landing somewhere near the floor. “It’s fine,” he says finally, even though it sounds anything but. “He’s not going to say anything.” That phrasing twists my stomach. He looks up then, expression guarded but soft, like

he’s trying to protect me from something.

I don’t even get a second to process his words before there’s a rapid knock, followed by Tessa’s unmistakable voice, loud enough to rattle the hinges. “Girl!

Let me in before I start screaming and draw a crowd!” I groan and hurry to the door before she makes good on the threat. When I pull it open, Tessa all but

tumbles inside. The look on her face when she spots Evander standing behind me is priceless. Her mouth drops open like she’s about to scream again. “Wh-

what’s going on in here?” she demands, scandalised delight vibrating through every word. I roll my eyes, fighting a smirk. “Nothing,” I say smoothly, even though my pulse is still thundering. “Evander was just… dropping by with some notes from class.” Evander, bless him, nods stiffly like the world’s worst liar.

“Right. Notes.” Tessa narrows her eyes between the two of us, then folds her arms with a slow, sly grin.

1/2

1:34 pm

Tempers Flare

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SmutGoddess

7 days ago

Love Tessa!!!!

57

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