Page 88 of Examining the Bond

“Her alpha,” I growl with as much bite as I can muster.

He flinches, and Riann wriggles out of his hold, throwing herself at me. Her arms lock around my middle, and I give the pack a final scathing glare before slipping my hand into hers. Every part of me is screaming for a fight, my urges threatening to get the best of me.

I have to get out of here before I end up in a jail cell.

A waft of marshmallows cuts through my dark thoughts, and I look down to find Riann beaming up at me. I press my lips to her hair, inhaling a deep lungful of her delicious scent.

“Let’s get out of here,” I rumble, relief washing over me when her hand squeezes mine.

“Yes, please!”

CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX

RIANN

Skylar is here.

I still can’t believe it. Even though I'm holding her hand, and I can feel her warmth on my fingers and her scent in my nose, part of me wonders if I fell asleep in my room.

If I’m dreaming, I never want to wake up.

My heart thunders in my throat as we head down one of the connecting hallways, electric nerves skittering over my skin. One minute, I was trying to convince myself that the Wilder pack would be tolerable enough. The next, she was justthere.

I really thought she was going to swing at their pack lead.

And the way she called herself my alpha…

My heart skips a beat at the thought.

She keeps up with me perfectly, and I carefully keep my eyes averted. I don't trust myself not to burst into tears until we're completely alone. I don’t slow my steps, wanting to putas much distance between us and the mixer as possible. They’re chaperoned events for a reason, and even though couples occasionally slip away for privacy, it’s frowned upon.

I know I’m already on thin ice with the school after the dean’s threats, but seeing Skylar here immediately overrides any fear I have about punishment.

What are they going to do?Expel me?

“Where are we going?” Skylar asks, her voice low as she glides beside me.

I’m beating back the urge to stop in the middle of the hall and throw myself at her, to wrap myself around her and suck down as much of her scent as possible, like it’ll fill the hole that her absence burned through me. But I want privacy.

“We’re almost there,” I promise as we make another turn. I just hope the door is unlocked this time. If not, Ziel and I figured out how to break in a long time ago, but I don’t want to waste precious seconds when I could be doing more important things… like slamming my lips against Skylar's.

I could take her back to my nest, but that’s on the other side of campus—too far of a walk to make right now. Especially when my body is threatening to vibrate apart.

I need to be in her arms, and I need it now.

We stop in front of a classroom door, and I toss a cautious look down the hall to make sure we’re completely alone before trying the handle. A sigh of relief rushes out of me when the door pops open.

Skylar cocks an eyebrow and gives me a curious smile. It's so gentle and easy that it's like she didn't just square up with an entire pack and rip me away from them.

I drag her inside behind me, and the second the door clicks closed, I flip on the light. Most of the overhead bulbs have gone out, but the room hasn’t been used in so long that no one’s bothered to fix them.

Piles of chairs and desks are scattered throughout the room, and a few old, dusty cabinets sit tucked in a corner. There aren’t many secret spots on campus, so Ziel and I always come here to hang out in peace when we need it.

It’s not glamorous, but it gives us privacy.

I don’t even have a chance to open my mouth and spill the elaborate apology I’ve worked on for days. All I hear is her moan “preciosa” before she swallows me in her arms. I instantly melt, molding my body to hers as my hands fly around her middle.

“Skylar,” I say into her chest, her rich scent oozing around us until my head swims. “I’m so sorry. I…”