Thornhill Academy (By Sheridan Hartin) novel Chapter 63

He looked up at me, his scowl immediate. “Where’s Rivers?” he snapped.

I shrugged, careful, not wanting to give him anything. “Don’t know. Probably out enjoying her weekend somewhere.”

He muttered under his breath, something about being kicked out because she couldn’t stop being an idiot and my hands wanted to move before my head could stop them. I tasted blood in my mouth at the thought of someone speaking about her like she was less than human. I wanted to march down those stairs and rearrange his face. But my mate was sleeping in my bed, and she owed me more than a scuffle right now. I kept my fists at my sides and closed the door with quiet authority. Back in the room, the dragon under my ribs settled, a low contented rumble that made the hairs on my forearm lift. I crossed the floor and sat back down, closer this time, and watched her breathe. Her lashes rested against her cheeks, and when she shifted in her sleep, the faint scar lines on her back that peeked out flexed and softened. I let my forehead rest against my knuckles and smiled, ridiculous and half-ashamed. I liked her in my space. Liked the way she filled the bed with a presence that was both quiet and enormous. Liked the soft exhale she made whenever the dragon under my skin tickled her with warmth. Liked that she’d let me hold her and let me call her mine.

I waited until the hall cleared of voices and footsteps, and everyone was either off on errands or enjoying their weekends, before I moved. She hadn’t so much as stirred since Kael dropped her off, still fast asleep in my bed, her face soft and peaceful in a way I didn’t think I’d ever seen before. Carefully, I slid an arm beneath her knees and another under her shoulders, lifting her with ease. She made a soft sound in her sleep, a faint sigh against my chest, but didn’t wake. The warmth of her skin seeped through my shirt, and my dragon rumbled with satisfaction at the contact. Her room was quiet, sunlight cutting through the stained glass in shades of gold and green. I lay her down gently on her bed and brushed a strand of hair from her face. She’d want a shower when she woke, probably food too. Luckily, she had both here, and I didn’t plan on leaving her side until I was sure she was okay. The scent of her filled the space, and I loved it. I couldn’t help myself; I needed to clean up, to burn off the leftover tension running through me. So I took advantage of the rare privilege of her private shower, one that didn’t reek like the locker room stalls and let the hot water pound against my back. For a while, I just stood there, allowing the heat to calm the restless parts of me. My dragon liked it here, in her space. It felt safe, familiar, right. I shouldn’t linger too long, but I did.

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12:49 Tue, Dec 30

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