With a sob of frustration, I buried my face in my cousin’s chest while Char hugged me from behind. “What’s wrong, sweetheart?” Dakota asked, and Char made a soft noise of encouragement.
“Remember how Ryker mentioned shifters?” Arctic asked causally, and Char pulled away from me a little. When I looked over my shoulder, I found a wary expression on his face while he watched Arctic. “You will learn the answers to your questions later today unless we cannot calm Angel. If that’s the case, you will learn them now.” In response, Char purred while nuzzling his head against mine.
“Calm, Angel,” Dakota murmured with a touch of fear in his voice. “Let’s not do anything that cannot be undone, hmm? Perhaps you can help me research for the paper I have to write.” Nodding, I numbly allowed Dakota and Char to lead me back to the table that Dakota sat at when I arrived. Char’s computer was a few feet from Dakota’s seat, and I bit my lip while my mind raced. So, am I a shifter? Because that’s the only reason I can fathom Arctic saying what he did. Why else would our questions about them be answered now if I couldn’t calm myself?
Flinching, I jerked back in my chair because fingers snapped in front of my face. “Focus on reading,” Dakota ordered calmly, “not on the mystery we have yet to solve. Patience, cousin, let’s not rush into anything you might regret. Besides, wouldn’t it be more fun to solve it together instead of you being your overly smart self and figuring it out on your own?”
“I’m sorry,” I began tearfully, my mind dismissing shifters while I tried to explain myself to Dakota. “Char knew I figured it out and thought it would be fun for me to play dumb. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you I figured it out, and that I ran. But once I realized what Kyler did, it hurt and I just couldn’t-”
“Angel,” Dakota cut in gently, yet with a stern expression. “I’m not angry that you pay attention and can put the pieces together to solve the puzzle. I’m so freaking proud of you and your strength, and I understand why Jax left you this riddle. I wish I knew you when you were little, because I would have protected you from the bullies you suffered. However, if you keep mulling, I fear you will set something into motion, judging by the way your fox hovers. So, let’s relax and focus on mundane things like school, okay? Later, we can freak out a little.”
I tried to smile but couldn’t quite manage it. Still, Dakota chuckled and kissed my forehead then nudged the back of Char’s shoulder, who did the same. Peace chased away the anger in my soul, and my shoulders relaxed from their tense state. Sighing with relief when I no longer desired to find Kyler to antagonize him, I asked Dakota about his topic. Then, I leafed through the books on the table in search of information about it. Grabbing a sheet of paper, I jotted down any relevant passages, while also noting their page numbers. Thus, it would be easy for Dakota to use them as a reference.
Char, upon seeing how much information I found versus what little Dakota had, protested that Dakota cheated. Laughing, I stood behind Char to nudge his shoulder and took his seat while Dakota pouted, albeit his eyes shone with amusement. Shaking my head when I discovered Char looked for his topic using the wrong keywords, I used the correct ones. I fluttered my lashes at the teenager when several relevant links popped up on the page.
Interestingly, Char’s cheeks turned red. I laughed under my breath while pulling his notebook closer to make a note of the websites I found that appeared to be excellent sources. By the time the bell rang, I had a page full of passages and their websites for Char, who hummed. I had the feeling they played up their helplessness, so I would be distracted by helping them, and my heart warmed as did my soul.
Still, trepidation kept my steps slow while we headed towards biology. Arctic followed us while the boys walked so close beside me our shoulders brushed with every step. Once we stood outside the classroom, Dakota kissed my cheek and warned me to behave myself before waving while he headed towards his class. Riff showed up seconds later, breathing a little heavier than usual. However, he looked pleased to have arrived before we entered our last period of the day.
Swallowing nervously, I walked in as if I would find my executioner waiting within the walls of Honors Biology. Mr. Renard greeted me with a sad smile, quirking his brow once he noticed Arctic. The shifter introduced himself, receiving an apology about the lack of a seat, and he shrugged with an easy smile. Once he leaned against the wall, he yawned while looking as if he lacked a care in the world and could stand there for eternity. Snorting at Arctic standing still for longer than a class, I took my seat while wondering if he would explode or tap his foot so much he made a hole in the floor.
Nearly the second I settled in my chair, Kyler strolled in. His eyes narrowed as soon as he saw Arctic, and my shoulders tensed. Riff placed his hand over mine that curled into a fist on my thigh under the table. His fingers squeezed mine, and I managed a shuddering breath that released my tension. Still, once Kyler took his seat, my shoulders tensed once more. Mr. Renard eyed us from the front of the classroom, and I sighed. He wasn’t sorry about this
