Page 82 of Daughter of Garnet

I lower myself as much as I can and curl up around the sabertooth. His sweet cedar scent is much more pronounced in this form, and I can feel the way my soul stretches to his.

Sadness that I'll never be able to feel this with Cameron, unless I can figure out a way to get that collar off of him, momentarily overwhelms my dragon's joy. She knows just as well as I do what the government has done to him by blocking his beast.

As if noticing my attention is elsewhere, the sabertooth growls playfully and bats me with his paw. I bump him with my nose.

I cannot deny that this feels nice. Right. I knew I needed to shift again, but I didn't know that being around Dominic Bradly would feel so good.

CHAPTER 39

Zoe

I wake to the sound of branches snapping and breaking. When my eyes fly open, I can tell I'm still in my dragon form by the saturation of the colors around me.

Dominic is nowhere to be found. I'm not sure when we fell asleep or how long we were here, but he's gone now. He must've been trying to sneak out, but couldn't stay quiet enough.

Gods, the Alpha is confusing.

I won't deny that I feel better than I have in a long time after spending so much time in shifted form with him. That nap was probably the best one I've ever had.

Shifting back is easy; my dragon is more than happy to cede control after so much time with her scent match, and I get dressed quickly. My watch shows that it's just after lunchtime.

I've missed most of today's classes.

If I hustle, I can make it to Menagerie Management on time. That's probably why Dominic took off so fast. Shitty of him not to wake me up.

Professor Trisha has just called the class to order by the time I slide into my seat. Jeanette looks over at me with wide eyes.

"What is going on with your hair?"

Shit, I slept in the forest as a dragon, and I didn't even take a peek at my hair. I pull the elastic out, try to smooth it, and then throw it up into a bun and hope for the best.

Warren is here, looking half asleep, which isn't a surprise considering he was wasted at nine thirty in the morning.

Dominic isn't here, but none of the Alpha Aides are.

Why was he in such a rush to leave after our nap if he didn't have to be here?

I'll never understand that man.

After class wraps up, I try to grab Warren to continue our conversation, but he shrugs me off and says he has another class to get to.

I run into Viv on my way back to my dorm.

"You never came back after you left with Warren and missed the next class." She falls into step beside me, and worry laces her tone. "What's going on?"

I wish I could tell Viv everything. Having someone to talk to about this, other than the three guys it directly affects, would be nice. Especially another woman. Who better to bitch about the way men are behaving than someone who gets it?

By the time we make it to my room and she follows me in, my mind is made up.

I trust Viv.

"I have to tell you something, but it has to stay between us." I sit on the edge of my bed, and she takes the chair by my desk.

"Of course. I'm a vault."

"I mean it, Viv. It's life and death."

Her eyes widen. "What the fuck kind of secret are you keeping?"