Chapter 34 Zuko
zuko
. . .
My mom had been talking for eight minutes straight.
“—and I just think if you’re going to formally announce your mating, we should at least meet her first. Properly. Your father agrees, don’t you, Skarnax?”
“She deserves a proper welcome-to-the-family dinner,” my father rumbled somewhere behind her on the call. “Markings displayed, blood oath witnessed, perhaps the maiming of her enemy, oh, and—”
“Dad,” I sighed as I walked across the courtyard toward the library. “First of all, I will be inviting her to dinner. I promise. Second—”
“Where did you claim her, again?” he cut in.
“Where her neck meets her shoulder,” I muttered, my cock hardening at the thought of how good it felt when the bond snapped. “Fuck, she’s perfect.”
My mom gasped. “Language, Zuko. But you are right. Rune is a bright, glowing angel of toxic venom perfection, and I want to meet my daughter-by-mating, so bring her home.”
I rubbed a hand over my face. “Mom, I promise I’ll bring her home after finals. Okay?”
She huffed. “Fine, okay, but after finals, you bring her home and let me dote on her.”
“Mom, I will,” I cut in, going through the library doors and following Rune’s midnight orchid scent. “I gotta go.”
“Are you meeting with her? With Rune?”
Before I could deny it, I spotted Rune walking toward me, her hair tossed up in a messy bun, tablet in hand, and eyes glowing gold. “Hey, toxin,” she said with a soft smile that hooked every vein in my body.
Fuck. I loved her so much.
“Hi, pretty little poison,” I purred, forgetting Mom was on the phone.
My mom screamed in delight through the receiver, reminding me. “Is that my daughter-by-mating?”
Rune froze mid-step. “...What?”
I moved fast. “Okay, yes, Mom. I gotta go, bye! Love you!” I shoved the phone into my pocket, hanging up as my mother shouted something about family dinner plans and custom jewelry.
Rune raised an amused brow. “You know, I would’ve talked to her.”
“I know,” I groaned. “That’s what I was afraid of.”
She laughed, her fangs glinting in the fae light. “Your mom sounds cute.”
“She’s a menace.”
“Have you met my family? I love menacing supernaturals!” She wrapped her arm around mine and tugged me deeper into the library toward our table in the corner.
Slater lounged upside down on a chair like a feral bat, hacking something on his tablet.
Koa sat over an open tome about healing.
Dimitri read through the text of something on his tablet with a slight tension in his jaw.
Rune pulled me down beside her.
“Congrats on the bond.” Slater pouted, glancing at me with jealousy. “Even though you cheated.”
“Cheated?” I blinked.
“Yeah, you fucked and marked her, forcing the bond. That’s cheating.” Slater blinked his sad red eyes at Rune. “Right, venom baby?”
“I wouldn’t argue if you wanted to force the bond.” She fluttered her pretty golden eyelashes at him.
He groaned dramatically. “Do not tempt me. I want the Fates to do their thing. Now, let’s move on to the fact that finals are ruining my will to live. Bring me back to life, venom baby!”
Rune leaned over and kissed his pouty lips. “Better?”
He grinned, licking his lips. “Much.”
I leaned back in my chair and watched her with her potential mates. I wasn’t as envious as I had been before the bond snapped. Feeling how much Rune cared for them made me realize she really did love me as much as she loved them.
Unfortunately, our peaceful study session was ruined when a vampire with a too-fake smile strode to our table.
“Hi, Dimitri,” Brynn purred as she leaned directly over his shoulder.
Irritation flared through my matebond with Rune.
Dimitri hissed as he moved away from her. “Leave me alone. You are a danger to my mate.”
“You’re not mated yet, are you?” She huffed, crossing her arms. “I get it. You’re into Rune, but why can’t we be friends? I’ve admired your work for years.”
All four of us turned and glared.
“Leave,” I snarled.
“Now,” Koa added.
“We know you’ve been trying to get close to our brother-mate. Not happening, and none of us want you here.” Slater grinned darkly.
Rune propped her chin on her fist. “I swear to the Fates, if you breathe near him again, I will make you shit yourself again.”
Brynn’s face dropped.
She turned away in a huff and left the library.
“Rune,” Slater said, waving his hand like he was cooling himself down. “I’m so turned on by you right now.”
She smiled sweetly. “Fates give me strength not to murder that bitch.”
“I’d help you hide the body,” Dimitri offered.
Damn. That’s useful.
“I have a venom that eats through bone and flesh.” She shrugged. “Thanks for the offer, though, overachiever.”
We settled again, books open, tablets out, and pens scribbling as we studied for our upcoming finals.
“So,” Slater said suddenly, fingers still flying across his screen. “Problem.”
Rune frowned, glancing over. “What problem?”
“There are surveillance loops around you, venom baby.”
Rune froze. “What?”
Koa looked up with an intense expression, phoenix flames licking over his knuckles as he set his tablet down. “Show us.”
Slater turned his screen around to show a shit ton of footage of Rune, with dozens of loops Slater had managed to unfurl.
My jaw tightened at the sight of our mate and I going into the closet in the academy, only for a creepy-ass hooded figure to stare at the door for a few minutes before leaving.
“That’s targeted,” Koa muttered darkly. “That’s not random.”
“They’re watching her,” Dimitri said.
Her hand slid into mine under the table. “Let them watch me. They’ve been wanting to do something ever since last year when they sabotaged the simulator for me during placement exams.”
I squeezed her hand. “We’re going to find these fuckers, and when we do—”
“We ruin them,” Slater finished.
“I was going to say we carve their hearts out, but yeah, ruin works too.” I grinned at Slater.
“Works for me.” His red eyes twinkled.
Rune took a steady breath. “Good.”
A shimmer of magic snapped behind us, and Drecken appeared at the end of the table in his lab coat.
His green hair was messy, all over his head like a deranged scientist, which wasn’t all that inaccurate.
Magical researcher, scientist, same thing.
As usual, his violently powerful aura was barely contained.
He looked straight at our mate. “I brewed something for you.”
Her eyes warmed as she got up to stand beside him. The bond flooded with longing, and I knew it was because she hadn’t spent substantial time with him or Jesper in a few weeks. “What is it?”
He held up a vial. “It should help you metabolize injected toxins without losing venom control.”
Her jaw parted. “You made me an immunity potion?”
“Yes. It should counteract anything that could affect you. Hopefully even tourmalyke.” His voice softened. “Try it, viperling.”
“I already am building an immunity, but if this will help…” She took the vial, and their fingers brushed.
I felt the bond thrum between them, filling with passion.
Rune drank it before shuddering, and a slow smile stretched across her face. “It’s perfect.”
Drecken exhaled like he lived for her approval, and I found that adorable.
“Hi, honey drop.” Jesper walked up and stopped directly behind Rune as his winter woods scent filled the air.
She turned with a bright smile. “Jesper, hi.”
He leaned down, cupped her face, and kissed her lips. “I’ve missed you.”
“I’ve missed you more,” she murmured. “Heard any news about Darian? Those letters have finally stopped.”
“What letters?” I asked at the same time as everyone else.
“And what’s this about the shitty icedrake?” Slater added, with a protective edge to his tone.
Her lips parted before she pressed them together. “Oh, right. I forgot to tell you all.”
“Explain,” I prompted her with a low growl.
“Darian’s a predator,” Jesper blurted. “We’re following up with leads, and a case is open with the council to remove him from the academy and strip all council-affiliation with him.
Most likely, he’ll get life in prison if we can gather enough evidence of him drugging women and having…
relations with them while they’re unable to consent.
However,” he clipped, eyes narrowing at Rune, “I knew nothing of any letters.”
“They weren’t a big deal. He was just baiting me. The same shit he’d say in person. I’ve been finding letters in my room all year,” she admitted, chewing on her lip.
I stood up and grabbed her pretty green braid and tugged until her head angled back and her golden eyes met mine. “If your creep of an ex even looks at you, your fated mates should know. Got me, Rune Bloodwyne?”
Her breath hitched as desire pooled between her legs so thick that the scent alone made me drool. “Got you, toxin.”
Koa’s flames burned as bright as his face. “Um, please let us know if it happens again. Yeah?”
Slater got up and grabbed her chin, turning her to face him, and I let go of her braid. “You let us know, Rune.”
“I will,” she said breathlessly.
The scent of her arousal filled the space, and I wanted her so badly it hurt.
Nodding, he let go of her chin, and Snakey appeared around his neck.
“Don’t leave harassment out,” Drecken whispered, his magic popping around him as if he was in distress. “Let us know when you’re being bothered.”
“Promise us,” Jesper urged.
“I promise,” she croaked.
“Never do it again.” Dimitri’s jaw tightened. “If you’re ever harassed, insulted, or threatened, tell us.”
“I promise,” she said thickly. “I’m sorry. I can handle myself, so I’m not used to talking about things like that.”
“It’s a learning experience,” I told her, kissing the top of her head.
“I know you’re capable,” Drecken told her, his blue eyes staring holes into her. “But I need you to keep us informed.”
“I promised, didn’t I?” She looked each of us in the eyes and smiled. The matebond filled with understanding and love. “I meant it.”
I’d never cared about any singular supernatural the way I did her, but she was my mate, and that was how it was supposed to be. What I hadn’t expected was this deep-rooted sense of fear that she could be in danger.