Chapter Four #2
Without another word, Remy tapped into the well of magic inside of him and teleported all of them back to the inner courtyard of their apartment complex. At this point, he didn’t give a damn if anyone saw them. The only thing that mattered was getting Starla the help she needed.
Teleporting on campus in a restricted zone should have been impossible, but he was able to pull it off.
Ever since his magical upgrade, Remy had been able to do some pretty advanced magic with ease.
He’d been told it was probably since he came from an alpha line, and he’d never been more grateful for that fact than he was now.
The apartment complex where they lived was set up like a square with a large courtyard including a swimming pool, an outdoor kitchen, and a garden in the center.
Balconies ran the entire length of all five floors, and strings of fairy lights were wrapped around the wrought iron railings.
Some of the residents could usually be found in the courtyard at all hours of the day and night since it was a favorite spot to hang out and be social, but at the moment, it was strangely empty.
“Damien!” Remy bellowed, not caring if he disturbed anyone. Most of the residents were probably at the party anyway, but there was a chance a few strays stayed behind.
Damien Carver was the powerful demon who owned the apartment complex they lived in. They didn’t know much about him, but Remy considered him a friend rather than a mere landlord. Even so, their friendship came with boundaries he didn’t dare cross.
Although no one knew exactly how old he was, there were rumors that he might actually be one of the original founders of Trifecta University, though he had never confirmed or denied the claim.
Based on the demon’s mysterious background and considerable influence, Remy suspected the stories were probably true.
Most people tended to be wary of Damien, intimidated by his dark presence and formidable reputation.
There was even speculation that he might be a ruthless mob boss running some sort of nefarious empire, but the truth was he actually ran several legitimate businesses, including a successful chain of steakhouses called Carvers.
Despite his shadowy reputation, Damien had quietly assisted countless individuals over the years.
Although he liked to be discreet, his good deeds had earned him a devoted group of loyal followers who currently helped manage his various businesses.
His private army was steadfast in their allegiance to him, and the speed and precision in which they handled any problems that came their way was one of the main reasons why people them.
“I’ll call him,” Kyler offered, pulling out his phone.
“No need. I’m already here, and you better have a damn good reason for summoning me like that.”
The deep voice echoed through the courtyard, then a heartbeat later, Damien Carver strode out of the shadows.
Impeccably dressed in his signature black suit with a matching dress shirt, the demon looked like the wealthy businessman he was.
His black hair was slicked back, and his dark eyes held a hint of irritation in them.
Remy winced. He knew better than to disrespect the demon, but worry for his mate had overridden common sense.
“Hudson is sleeping, so keep it down,” Damien ordered, mentioning a medical resident who lived in the apartment complex. “And I just brought Cassandra home after an incident at Carvers tonight. She needs peace and quiet.”
“Is she okay?” Kyler asked.
Damien gave him a bland stare. “Would I allow anything else?”
“Not important right now,” Remy snapped. “Damien, my mate has been drugged.”
“Your mate?” Damien’s brow raised, then his lips curved into a smile as he glanced down at Starla. “She’s a fairy? Congratulations, you lucky son of a bitch. She’s lovely.”
Remy had to grind his teeth together to stop himself from snarling at his friend. He didn’t like anyone complimenting his mate, even someone he trusted. “Can you heal her?”
The demon strode closer to peer down at the sleeping female. “What happened?”
“I’m not exactly sure. I got a text saying she was in trouble and found her stumbling down the street a few seconds later. I think she was at the welcome party, but I didn’t have time to ask for details before she passed out.”
Damien’s eyes narrowed. “I can’t sense a trace of a spell, so one of her drinks must have been laced. Not much can knock out a full-blooded fairy, so it must be a powerful potion. Something that wasn’t made by a student but was more likely bought on the black market.”
“If students are using that kind of shit here…” Anton’s lip curled in anger.
“That’s a problem for later,” Remy insisted impatiently. “Can you counteract it?”
“You’ll have to cut her for me.”
Remy had been worried he was going to say that. He knew Daimon was a blood demon, which meant the main source of his power came from manipulating blood and magic together. Wanting to get it over with, he started to shift one of his fingernails into a claw but found he couldn’t do it.
He was no stranger to bloodshed. In fact, he loved a good bloody battle, with his fists and in his shifted form.
But causing damage to an enemy or opponent was vastly different than causing harm to his mate.
Even though he knew it was going to help her, the very thought of hurting her was completely abhorrent to him.
“I can do it,” Anton offered quietly.
The instant his friend stepped closer, Remy spun around, shielding her with his body to protect her. Turning his head, he let out a silent snarl of warning.
Anton held his hands up in surrender. “Whoa, buddy. I was just trying to help.”
Damien patted his shoulder. “It’s the mating frenzy. It would be best if everyone keeps their distance until they get a handle on things. Remy, if you can’t cut her, you might as well bite her.”
“Wouldn’t that also infect him with whatever potion she’d been given?” Kyler asked.
That didn’t matter to Remy. The only thing he cared about was healing his mate.
Besides, if he got a taste of whatever was running through her bloodstream, he would be able to recognize it later.
While he couldn’t bring himself to cut her, he didn’t have the same reaction to the thought of biting her.
He desperately wanted to mark her and claim her as his mate, but he felt like an asshole doing it while she was passed out.
Damien huffed out an impatient breath. “It will be easy to remove it from him. Now, stop stalling. She’s your mate, for fuck’s sake. You’re going to end up biting her anyway, so you might as well do it now.”
His friend’s words rang true, yet he still didn’t feel right about taking advantage of his mate while she was defenseless. Despite this, the primal urge to sink his teeth into her grew more intense, gnawing at his self-control. It was a compulsive need, growing stronger with each passing second.
Torn between protecting her and succumbing to his baser instincts, Remy finally made a decision. He drew her closer and buried his face against her neck. Breathing deep, he inhaled her sweet scent into his lungs and felt a wave of lust hit him so strong it threatened to bring him to his knees.
Nuzzling the delicate curve of her neck, he pressed his lips against the pulse there. Her intoxicating scent teased his senses. The sheer force of his longing made his pulse race, but he fought to keep himself grounded, determined to ensure her safety even as his own restraint faltered.
Biting her neck would be too intimate to do with his friends watching.
Even with his back turned, he didn’t want to share that experience with anyone but his mate.
Instead, he lifted her limp arm and pressed a kiss of apology on her wrist. He would rather she be angry at him than leave her infected by an unknown potion until they could find another strong healer to help.
He felt his teeth extend into fangs and was careful to keep the pressure light as he bit into her wrist. There was no reaction from her, but the rush he got from the small taste of her blood was overwhelming. It triggered a surge of desire so strong that it made him feel absolutely feral.
Remy forced himself to release her, even though every cell in his body was demanding more. “Do it,” he said in a barely audible growl. “Now.”
“Hold her still,” Damien ordered. “I’ll force the potion out of her through the wound.”
“I didn’t sense anything in her blood,” Remy admitted.
Even though he had been distracted by the taste of her, he could tell she had strong magic running through her blood. However, he hadn’t sensed anything wrong in her bloodstream besides alcohol, and that worried him.
“You didn’t consume enough of it for it to affect you.
It’s a powerful potion. Not something a student could manage to make on their own.
It’s also laced with a powerful spell that makes it very difficult to trace,” Damien told them as he forced a small trickle of liquid out of the tiny holes on her wrist. He breathed out a sigh of relief when the task was done, the only sign of the strain he had been under. “She should be fine now.”
“Thank you.” Remy glanced down at her. “Why isn’t she waking up?”
“Don’t worry. I forced the potion out of her, but the spell attached to it might linger a little longer. It’s strange, since I can’t really get a sense of it.”
“So, there is an almost undetectable magical date rape drug circulating on campus?” Anton growled in disgust. “This is a fucking nightmare.”
“Which is why we need to stop it from spreading before more people are drugged. Luckily, I’ve got an impression of it now.
And once I find out who made it, I will make them pay dearly for bringing this shit to our city.
” Damien nodded toward Starla. “You best take her somewhere private before she wakes, or she might claim you right out here in the courtyard. Fairies tend to be quite wild when the mating fever hits them. You’re a lucky wolf, Remy. ”
While Remy’s dick didn’t seem to mind that idea, his brain certainly did. “Wild?”
“I mean, they are known to be very…uninhibited. Fairies don’t have the same sense of modesty that most of the races do, especially during the fever. Oh, and the females can be quite forceful when they want something.”
Kyler grinned. “Really? I thought fairies were pretty chill?”
“Remember, their race has had a reigning queen for centuries. Some of them can be pretty intense. I once dated this fairy who had an affinity for…” Damien cleared his throat. “Never mind that. Now, I’ll just take these two with me and give you some privacy.”
“Where are we going?” Anton asked.
“To the party to track the source of the drug.”
Kyler blinked in surprise. “Do you really need us for that?”
“No, but your friend and his new mate need privacy. That also means we’ll have to move your stuff out of the apartment later,” Damien told Anton, who shared a two-bedroom apartment with Remy on the ground level.
“Right.” Anton sighed.
“There is a one-bedroom still available on the third floor next to mine,” Kyler said.
“It’s yours if you want it,” Damien offered.
“Great. Thanks.” Anton shot Remy a wry grin. “Looks like you got out of going to the party after all.”
“Find the fucker who did this to my mate.”
“Consider it done,” Damien swore darkly, then the three of them disappeared.