Chapter 74

Anila’s POV

“Oh, thank god,” Kendra said as she rushed toward me. I was still holding Harley’s hand, too shaken to let him go. “I was worried; where have you been?”

I was just going for a run,” I lied. “Sorry for worrying you.”

“Penny told me you went back into the building,” Kendra said, folding her arms over her chest. “I had a search team looking for you.”

My cheeks flushed.

“I’m so sorry; I really didn’t mean to worry anyone. I left something in my room, grabbed it, and then left right away. Zach was with me, so I was completely safe.”

Her brows furrowed at the mention of Zach, but eventually, she nodded, and her body relaxed.

“Well, I’m glad you are safe. They aren’t able to find any signs of a dragon. They think it was a false alarm. Only one student saw it and now they are being pulled away for questioning,” Kendra explained. “We should be cleared to resume our nightly activities soon.”

I sighed in relief; I was glad they were going to stop hunting for my little dragon, but I was worried about where she had gone. She wasn’t in the tree where I had left her and now I worried she came back to the campus and was going to cause mayhem.

Penny ran towards me and before I could grasp what was happening, she threw her arms around me and pulled me into a huge hug.

“I was so worried,” she said, nearly crying. “Don’t ever do that to me again.”

“I’m sorry, Pen,” I whispered, hugging her back, finally releasing Harly’s hand. Though I missed his touch already, he didn’t step away, and I was glad for his nearness.

“Where’s Zach?” She asked, stepping back and taking notice of Harley.

My cheeks flushed almost immediately, and it made her brows raise in response. I cleared my throat, hoping to distract her.

“He’s with Xaden I think,” I answered.

She nodded thoughtfully and we were soon joined by the other girls who were talking a million miles per minute. I turned them out though when I got this strange sense of unease; I wasn’t sure if it was my feelings or Xaden’s thoughts. Ever since we bonded, I was way more in tune with his emotions, and I wondered if he was more in tune with mine too.

I looked up at Harly and I saw that he wasn’t looking at me; his eyes were fixed across the campus, and I followed his gaze to see Xaden and Zach speaking with Principal Rapport.

They looked serious.

“What’s going on?” I asked, looking up at Harley who looked just as confused.

“I’m not sure,” he said. “But I’m going to find out.”

“I’m coming with you.”

He paused and turned to look at me.

“Maybe you should stay with your friends,” he tried to reason, but I shook my head and stubbornly put my hands on my hips.

“Nope, I want to find out what’s going on,” I told him. “I can feel that something is wrong. I can’t really explain it, but I can feel it.”

He sighed and then he nodded. He took hold of my hand and entered my fingers within them. I loved the feeling of his massive hand tucked in my small one. I felt protected and safe, and it took everything I had not to lean into him and bury my face in his broad chest. My cheeks flushed at the thought, and I had to shake my head to get the thoughts out of them.

Just because Xaden basically permitted us, doesn’t mean it was right. Xaden was still my boyfriend; he was the one who marked me, and I needed to respect that. But still, even as the thought crossed my mind, my bear was very adamant that Harley was ours. His bear belonged to mine, which meant there was at least one part of me that only belonged to Harley.

My bear didn’t want to claim the others in the same way that she wanted to claim Harley, just like my wolf doesn’t want to claim Harley in the same way that wants to claim the others.

Then, there was still a part of me that wanted to claim Damien, though I wasn’t sure if that was my wolf or my bear speaking. It didn’t really matter; they were all my mates and not being around them was driving me insane.

As we approached, I was able to tune out the conversations from everyone else and just focus my attention on my mates.

“Edmond Richards,” Principal Rapport spoke the name like it should mean something, and telling from the drained color in both Xaden and Zach’s faces, it did.

“No,” Xaden said through his teeth. “Are they stupid? Ruling that monster as the new Alpha King? He only wants power.”

“Isn’t that what they all want?” Zach asked, folding his arms across his chest. “It doesn’t make Edmond much different.”

“You know as much as I do that Edmond is going to destroy this nation single-handedly if he’s given an ounce of power,” Xaden said, shaking his head with dismay written all over his face.

“Which is exactly why some Alpha’s have started a war over it. You know the rules as much as I do; the one who kills him takes the throne,” Principal Rapport told them. “I’ll excuse you from your classes for the next unforeseen future.”

They both nodded in agreement, but I wasn’t going to stand back and listen to this anymore.

“You’re leaving?” I asked, making myself known to them.

They all turned to look at me and I could see the many emotions crossing each of their faces.

“Oh, Anila. I’ve been meaning to speak with you. Do you have a minute to come to my office?” Principal Rapport asked.

I nodded to him but then I turned back to my mates.

“Tell me the truth; are you leaving?” I asked, looking at Xaden and then at Zach.

They both looked at one another as if they were speaking to each other’s minds.

Seriously? They choose now to have a silent agreement? I folded my arms across my chest and stubbornly glared at them. Xaden finally sighed and then nodded, stepping closer to me.

“Yes, only for a little while,” he told me recently.

“We don’t know how long this war is,” Zach pointed out, earning a scowl from Xaden.

“You are fighting a war?” I asked, still staring only at Xaden. He was the one I could feel and read the most because of this mark on my neck.

“We have to,” Xaden finally answered. “We can’t let Edmond be the new Alpha King. It would destroy us.”

“The new Alpha King? What does that mean?”

They all looked at one another, confused.

“The Alpha King is the King of all shifters,” Harley explained. “Usually, it’s a wolf shifter because wolves are the strongest of all shifters. They are strong in strength, magical, and basic shifter abilities, and they run in packs so there are more of them in one cluster than there are any other shifters. So, usually, a wolf is voted as the King.”

“Voting doesn’t usually need to happen though; once an Alpha King is established, they rule as King until they die. Then, usually, it’s their heir that takes over. However, this last Alpha King didn’t have any children and they died recently in another war. It was an explosion, and nobody really knows for certain who made the fatal shot, so whoever killed him, isn’t able to take over as Alpha King,” Xaden continued. “When an Alpha King is established, other Alpha’s have the right to take the throne from him by starting a war to kill him. That’s what’s happening now.”

“And you are expected to fight in this war?” I asked, my mouth dropping open. “And if you kill him, you’d be the Alpha King?”

Xaden nodded grimly.

“I don’t want the title, but if it means Edmond doesn’t have it, then I’ll gladly end his life.”

I swallowed the lump in my throat, trying to keep the tears from spilling out of my eyes.

“What if you don’t come back,” I whispered. Then I looked at Zach as my eyes filled with tears. “Either of you…”

Zach’s face softened and then Xadne wrapped me in his arms, holding me close to his body.

“It’s not something for you to think about right now,” Xaden whispered. “We’ve been called back though, and we have to go. I’m so sorry, Anila. The last thing I want to do is worry you.”

“But I am worried,” I whispered. “I can’t lose you…”

He bent and brushed his lips against mine, taking me in and deepening the kiss. For a moment, all thought left my mind and yet I was strangely aware of my other mates watching me. When we pulled apart, I was breathless.

“When do you have to leave?” I asked.

Xaden looked as if he didn’t want to answer me; he looked at Zach who gave him a strained look in response and then my heart sank into my stomach.

“Now…” I answered them both. “You’re leaving now.”

“We were about to find you to tell you once we were done talking to the principal,” Xaden confessed. “Our father just called and ordered us back immediately. I’m so sorry.”

I nodded as tears finally fell out of my eyes.

“Will I hear from you while you’re away?” I asked, my voice coming out squeaky.

“I’ll try to reach out to you when I can,” Xaden assured me, placing both hands on my shoulders to hold me steady. “It’s going to be okay, Anila. We have the strongest warriors in all of Stardust Valley and this place is huge. Out of hundreds of territories, our best is the best.”

“We are going to kick ass and then come right back,” Zach agreed. “There’s nothing to worry about.”

They say it, but it doesn’t mean I believe it and that I won’t still worry. But I knew that’s not what they needed right now. They needed me to be strong for them both. I couldn’t have them out there fighting in a war and worrying about me.

So, I forced a smile and nodded.

I hugged Xaden one last time and then I dared it and went to Zach to throw my arms around him too.

Fuck it; he was my mate too!

I heard Xaden give Harley a bro hug and say, “Take care of her while we are gone.”

“Always,” Harley said without hesitation. “Be careful out there. “And when you get back, we should talk about some things.”

Xaden nodded but gave Harley a thoughtful smile.

“I couldn’t agree more.”

Zach and Harley exchanged head nods and then without another word, my mates turned and left me standing and staring after them.

I leaned against Harley who wrapped his arms around me.

“It’s going to be okay,” he whispered. But I wasn’t so sure.

“I’m sorry, Anila. But we really should talk,” Principal Rapport said, stepping beside me. “Harley, you can join us if you’d like. It might help to have at least one of her mates nearby.”

Harley nodded and kept his hold on me.

“Come on,” Harley said, pulling me away from the spot I was frozen in, and we followed Principal Rapport to his office.