57. Riley
Riley
The music faded as I followed a wide corridor away from the ballroom until eventually, blissful silence reigned. The giant wolf trotted after me, tongue lolling out as he padded along the polished floor like a protective shadow.
I caught glimpses of students hiding behind doors with expressions of terror, and I fought back a smirk. Why was everyone terrified of Tank’s wolf? He wasn’t that scary. More of a naughty puppy than an apex predator. At least with me.
For a split second when he leaped toward me in the ballroom, I’d wondered if my life was about to end in an explosion of blood and guts, but the moment his golden eyes focused on me, I knew the beast recognized me and my she-wolf.
He couldn’t speak, obviously, but he sensed who I was, and my wolf reacted with joy at his proximity. She continued to whine and spin in circles, proud that the big, scary alpha was following us like a love-struck Chihuahua.
But amusing as this was, I knew I needed to persuade the wolf to shift back. Tate had acted as if Tank shifting without warning was a major problem. I didn’t know the rules about shifting at a school ball, but I had a feeling Tank would now be in trouble.
“You need to give Tank his body back,” I told the wolf when we reached a thick wooden door. I hoped it led outside, but since I wasn’t familiar with the building, I couldn’t be sure.
The wolf rumbled and huffed loudly. He sat back on his haunches while I tried the door handle.
It clicked open to reveal a dark room filled with shelves upon shelves of books.
Moonlight flooded in from roof windows high above, illuminating a mezzanine floor on two sides, connected by a spiral staircase.
The design reminded me of the library at Moonfall Academy, and I gazed around in awe for a few seconds before remembering I had a big-ass wolf problem sitting two feet away, panting and drooling all over the floor.
Oh well, at least it was private in here.
“Tate’s mad at you.” Tank’s wolf blinked at me and huffed again.
“I think he’s worried because you shifted and threatened that weasel asshole.
” I chewed my lip, unhappy about the idea of Tank being arrested by the Shifter Council stooges while simultaneously thrilled that he’d leaped to my defense yet again.
The Shifter Council usually sent a mage task force to arrest shifters and other magicals accused of crimes. Felix claimed the magical penitentiaries were full of lesser magicals awaiting trial for crimes they hadn’t committed.
Tank didn’t deserve that fate.
“Look, I don’t want you to get into trouble,” I told the wolf. The beast shook himself and then slunk forward, shoving his nose into my crotch and causing me to stumble and fall backward onto a thick rug with my dress hiked up.
“Hey, that’s rude!” I yelped in a mix of annoyance and embarrassment at flashing my bits at a wolf. He huffed up my scent and rumbled loudly. Goddess, did I smell bad or something? Or worse, could he smell Tobias’s scent on me?
The wolf showed me his teeth. Then he licked my thigh and rested his head there, staring up at me in blatant adoration.
“Bad wolf!” I didn’t really mean it, however. I’d always wanted a pet, but my mother hadn’t delivered. Mostly because she’d been too busy trying to find the meaning of life at the bottom of a tequila bottle to bother being a parent.
Tank’s wolf was a lot bigger than a puppy from the shelter, but he made me feel safe and loved, and I decided to embrace that feeling for as long as it lasted.
I reached down to pet his broad head, threading my fingers through his thick, tawny fur.
The wolf sighed happily and closed his eyes, happy to accept me loving on him.
High above, the moon glowed brightly as if she approved of us being together.
Huh. Maybe she did? The moon goddess ruled wolves, and some believed it was she who selected fated soul-bond mates.
I believed nothing of the sort. There was no way the moon goddess in her wisdom had gifted me with such arrogant assholes.
The door burst open and slammed against the wall with a bang, obliterating my little bubble of serenity.
Tate and Tobias rushed in and stopped dead at the sight of me with Tank’s wolfy nose stuck up my dress.
“It’s not what it looks like!” My cheeks flushed bright red, a lovely accompaniment to my scarlet hair. Stupid wolf!
Tobias looked like he was trying not to laugh while a vein in Tate’s temple throbbed so hard I genuinely feared he might suffer a fatal brain embolism.
“Little angel,” Tobias purred when he’d finally stopped choking. “I think Tank’s wolf is in love!”
“You’re not helping,” I hissed, trying very hard to shove the wolf away. But he refused to budge, so eventually I gave up and lay on my back, staring up at the moon peeking through the roof windows while questioning my life choices.
“What the actual fuck is going on here?” roared another angry male from the doorway. Oh great. Simba had joined the party. My wolf wagged her tail in joy, delighted all four of the males she was besotted with had joined us.
Tank’s wolf removed his nose from under my dress and switched position so his head rested across my belly while two glowing eyes burned into me. It was a bit concerning, if I were being honest. Like having a serial killer watching me while I slept.
“Tank’s wolf won’t let him shift back,” Tate said through gritted teeth. He’d given up trying to alpha command the wolf into submission.
Leone strode in and pointedly ignored me. Well good. I was happy to ignore him too. Stupid lion with his stupidly shiny hair. I wondered what conditioner he used on his hair. Damn, that was good shit.
“Tank Frosthaven, shift back now!”
Alpha lion dominance swept over me, making my teeth ache. Tobias and Tate both tensed as they fought against the lion’s dominance but stood their ground. Tank’s wolf, meanwhile, just yawned.
“For fuck’s sake,” Simba muttered, raking his fingers through his mane.
“Such a bad wolf,” I whispered, rubbing the beast’s head. He chuffed and whined with pleasure. “You can’t stay full fur forever,” I told him as the other three argued over what to do. “The school will punish you.” I hated how that made me feel. Tank’s wolf wasn’t evil. Just disobedient.
The wolf sighed and slowly clambered to his feet. With his considerable weight lifted from my legs, I dragged myself up while trying not to flash all the males. Damn those felines for not letting me wear panties!
The wings on my back were now crumpled and bent out of shape, and my halo had slipped.
The minute I escaped this library, I’d head back to Moonfall Academy.
There was little point in questioning Tate.
He was way too sober and would be suspicious if I started quizzing him.
And Tank would likely disappear once he shifted back.
Given what had happened in the ballroom, the dance was probably over by now anyway.
Tank’s wolf shook himself and then shifted back into a naked male. His friends crowded around him, whispering in heated voices while Leone stood with his arms folded, glaring at all three of them.
Before anyone could address my role in this debacle, I slipped out the door and ran back to the ballroom. I spotted a jacket hanging from the back of a chair and threw it over my dress.
It was time to get the hell out of here.