Mixed (Book Five) E-Book

Bella Lore

• Herausgeber: Lukeman Literary Management
• Kategorie: Fantasy und Science-Fiction
• Serie: Mortal
• Sprache: Englisch

Seitenzahl: 256

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2023

Beschreibung

This is book #5 in a new paranormal romance series by bestselling author Bella Lore. "I couldn't stop reading." --Reader review (My True Mate) ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ When her father suddenly dies, Winter Grace, 17, is forced to fly across the country and attend a mysterious prep school, an ancient castle in a fog-covered island on the coast of Maine. Nothing here is what it seems, and it isn't long before Winter, feeling a surging power for the first time, realizes that she is not who—or what—she thinks she is. But when Winter feels an inexplicable crush for an elusive and dangerous boy at the school, she realizes a greater destiny is at play. She knows the relationship might destroy them both—yet she also knows that they can never be apart. In this book, Winter is ready for the fight of her life—to step into her powers and liberate her school from the ancient evil that inhabits it and save the ones she loves. But will the magic power she is up against be too much even for her? Creating an unforgettable world of vampires, werewolves, shifters and magic of all sorts, a world of fantasy, love and sacrifice, this book will take you to another place, rife with shocking twists and turns. Fans of books such as Vampire Academy and Twilight and Crush are sure to fall in love! Future books in the series are also available. "The story was very well written and was unique as compared to other shifter stories." --Reader review (The Alpha's Mate) ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ "Excellent from start to finish and leaves you wanting more." --Reader review (My True Mate) ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Leseprobe

M I X E D

(Mortal, Book Five)

B e l l a   L o r e

Bella Lore

Bella Lore is the paranormal romance author of the MY TRUE MATE series, comprising five books; THE ALPHA’S MATE series, comprising four books; the REJECTED BY THE BETA series, comprising four books; 9 NOVELLAS BY BELLA LORE, comprising nine books;  and  the MORTAL series, comprising six books.

Bella loves to hear from you, so please feel free to visit bellaloreauthor.com to learn more and stay in touch.

BOOKS BY BELLA LORE

MORTAL

MORTAL (Book #1)

MATED (Book #2)

MATCHED (Book #3)

MARKED (Book #4)

MIXED (Book #5)

MESMERIZED (Book #6)

MY TRUE MATE

MY TRUE MATE (Book #1)

MY TRUE MATE (Book #2)

MY TRUE MATE (Book #3)

MY TRUE MATE (Book #4)

MY TRUE MATE (Book #5)

THE ALPHA’S MATE

THE ALPHA’S MATE (Book #1)

THE ALPHA’S MATE (Book #2)

THE ALPHA’S MATE (Book #3)

THE ALPHA’S MATE (Book #4)

REJECTED BY THE BETA

REJECTED BY THE BETA (Book #1)

REJECTED BY THE BETA (Book #2)

REJECTED BY THE BETA (Book #3)

REJECTED BY THE BETA (Book #4)

9 NOVELLAS

BOUND TO THE ALPHA (Book #1)

DESIRED BY THE ALPHA (Book #2)

FALLING FOR THE ROGUE (Book #3)

MATED TO THE ALPHA (Book #4)

MY TRUE ALPHA (Book #5)

PROMISED TO THE ALPHA (Book #6)

THE ALPHA’S BRIDE (Book #7)

CONTENTS

CHAPTER ONE

CHAPTER TWO

CHAPTER THREE

CHAPTER FOUR

CHAPTER FIVE

CHAPTER SIX

CHAPTER SEVEN

CHAPTER EIGHT

CHAPTER NINE

CHAPTER TEN

CHAPTER ELEVEN

CHAPTER TWELVE

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

CHAPTER NINETEEN

CHAPTER TWENTY

CHAPTER TWENTY ONE

CHAPTER TWENTY TWO

CHAPTER TWENTY THREE

CHAPTER TWENTY FOUR

CHAPTER TWENTY FIVE

CHAPTER TWENTY SIX

CHAPTER TWENTY SEVEN

CHAPTER TWENTY EIGHT

CHAPTER ONE

Winter

The snow beats against the safe house's windows, where inside a fire crackles in the stove. Put the pieces together and the setting should be cozy: a sheepskin rug, books lining the shelves, the smell of vegetable stew filling the air.

Too bad the only thing I feel is dread.

"Damon." I crouch next to the cot he's on.

His breathing is ragged, every inhale looking painful. He hasn't woken up once since we arrived at the safe house yesterday.

"I'm sorry," I whisper, not wanting the other people in the house to hear me. Tears spill from my eyes, and I wipe them away.

It's all my fault that he's here, wounded to within an inch of his life. I took too long in the underworld, trying to find Alec.

On top of that, I also lost the Golden Coin in the process. If I'd been back in my body, then I could have helped Damon fight off the wizard who took it out of my hand.

Instead, I wasn't there. Damon was only trying to help me, and this is where it's gotten him.

I sit next to Damon, taking his cold and clammy hand in mine. I pull the wool blanket over his chest, hoping to warm him up a bit. He's right by the stove, but he still feels so cold.

Brushing some dark blonde hair away from his face, I sigh. It's a knife to my heart, seeing him like this.

I hear footsteps and quickly stand up, trying to rid my face of any sign of tears.

"Hey." The voice is soft and familiar, a warm hug in a time of need.

"Hey." I stay turned away from Alec. He's the person that I'm closest to in all of this, but I don't want even him to see me cry.

He joins me next to the cot. "It wasn't your fault, Winter."

I don't look at him. "I don't regret coming to get you from the underworld."

Alec's hand comes to rest on my shoulder. "I know you don't. But it wasn't your responsibility to keep Damon safe. It was his choice to watch over you and protect your body."

I shake my head. "It was my idea in the first place, though."

"And who knew the spell, huh? Who suggested it?" Alec's dark eyebrows rise.

I don't want to answer that. It was Damon, of course. When I told him that my father sent me a message that Alec wasn't dead but was actually stuck in the underworld, it was Damon who recalled a spell he'd once read. Without his knowledge, I wouldn't have been able to use the Golden Coin to travel there and find Alec.

"I needed his help," I mumble, still not willing to give up responsibility.

"And he gave it willingly." Alec's voice is firm. "Damon is strong, Winter. He'll pull through this."

I look back at Damon's unconscious form. "What if he doesn't?"

"He will." Alec's hand slides from my shoulder to my back, offering comfort. "We'll make sure of it."

I lean into him, grateful for his presence. In the midst of all this chaos and danger, it's comforting to have someone to lean on.

But I can't let myself be too comforted. There's still so much to do. The wizard who took the Golden Coin is out there, and we don't know what he plans on doing with it.

Plus there's the fact that we're basically in the middle of a war. The Silver Hunters are still occupying Hawthorn Academy, and they're still chasing down supernaturals like us.

The Golden Coin was supposed to be our ticket for taking down the Silver Hunters, but I dropped the ball on that.

Alec wraps his arms around me, and we stand in silence for a few moments. The fire crackles, and the wind outside continues to howl.

Alec clears his throat. "I know this might not be the time, but I... I want to thank you again for coming to find me."

I turn to face him, taking in his deep hazel eyes. "Are you serious? Alec, I would go to the ends of the Earth for you."

A little too late, I realize how desperate I sound. Alec knows about my feelings for him--we kissed, after all--but still my face warms.

He chuckles. "You went further than that. You went to another realm."

I can't help but laugh at that, too. "I guess so."

His hand still rests on my back, and I feel myself relax in his embrace. It's comforting to be with him like this, but at the same time, it's confusing. I don't know where we stand, especially since our kiss feels like a lifetime ago.

Alec's eyes soften as he looks at me. "I'm glad you came for me, Winter. I don't know what I would have done if you hadn't."

I feel a lump form in my throat, and I quickly clear it. "You don't have to thank me, Alec. You're my friend, and I care about you."

His lips quirk up in a small smile. "I care about you too, Winter." He leans in and presses a soft kiss to my forehead, and I feel my heart race in response. It's a simple gesture, but it means so much to me.

We pull away from each other, and I can feel my cheeks flush. It's not the time or the place to act on these feelings, but they're there, nonetheless.

Suddenly, Damon moans in his sleep. His eyes are still closed, but his brow furrows in pain.

"Damon?" I whisper, excitement and fear warring in my chest.

Alec moves to the other side of the cot and crouches down. "Damon, can you hear us?"

Damon groans, and his eyes flutter open. They're unfocused for a moment, before they finally settle on our faces.

"Winter?" he rasps out.

I smile at him. "Hey, Damon. You gave us a scare there."

His eyes drift shut again, and he lets out a weak chuckle. "Sorry about that."

Alec places a hand on Damon's forehead, checking his temperature. "How are you feeling?"

Damon winces. "Like I got hit by a truck."

Alec nods. "That's to be expected. You were in and out of it for a few days."

Damon's eyes widen. "Really?"

I nod. "Yeah. You were hurt pretty badly in the fight with the wizard."

Damon tries to sit up, but winces in pain and falls back onto the cot. "What about the Golden Coin?" he asks, his eyes darting around the room.

"We lost it," I admit, the guilt heavy in my heart. "The wizard took it."

Damon's eyes widen, and he tries to sit up again. "We have to get it back," he insists, his voice urgent.

“I know.” I nibble my lip. “We need its power.”

“Destroy it,” he rasps.

I stare at him. Huh?

“That’s not…” I shake my head, trailing off.

Even though Damon can barely lift his head, determination flashes in his eyes. “If you can’t use the coin, it’s best to destroy it.”

My heart races. “How do we destroy it?”

“The legends say that only the strongest can do it.”

I look at my lap. Well, then. That’s definitely not me.

I can use the coin, though. And I will. I will get it back.

"We’ll take care of everything," Alec assures him. "But right now, you need to rest and recover. You've been out for a while, Damon. We're just glad you're awake now."

Damon's eyes drift shut again, and he lets out a soft sigh. "Okay," he murmurs, his voice barely audible.

I look at Alec, and he nods at me. "We'll let him rest," he says, standing up from the cot. "You should get some rest too, Winter."

I nod, standing up as well. "Yeah, I should."

Alec takes my hand, and we start to walk towards the door. "We'll figure out what to do next," he says, his voice low and reassuring. "We'll get the Golden Coin back, and we'll take down the Silver Hunters."

I nod again, feeling a sense of determination settle in my chest. "Yeah," I say, my voice steady. "We will."

Alec pulls me into a hug, and I feel myself pulled into his embrace. Despite everything that's happened, I still have him and Damon by my side. And together, we'll figure out a way to make things right.

As we draw apart, he pushes hair away from my face, making my breath catch in my throat. His gaze drinks me in, and suddenly it's like I've forgotten how to breathe.

"I don't want to lose you, Winter," he says, his voice barely above a whisper.

I swallow hard, trying to push down the surge of emotion that threatens to overwhelm me. "You won't," I say, trying to sound confident. "I'm not going anywhere."

He smiles at me, that familiar warmth in his eyes. "Good. Because I don't think I could handle losing you again."

I can feel my heart race at his words, the heat of his hand on my cheek. It's like everything else fades away, leaving only this moment between us. I want to forget everything else and just be with him.

But we don't have that luxury. The war still looms over us, and we have a long road ahead.

His gaze drops to the necklace I'm wearing, the one he gave me when we were in the pocket dimension.

"I think it's kept me safe." I touch it and smile a bit. Alec's mother gave him the necklace, and that alone makes me love her.

I would love to know more about her. He hardly ever talks about his family, though. Not that there's been time. We've basically been in survival mode since we met.

"Good." He touches my hand and sighs. "I promise I won't be leaving your side again."

I shake my head. "You don't need to promise that."

He shuffles closer. "It's where I'm meant to be," he breathes.

He leans in, his lips hovering close to mine. My heart beats so loudly in my chest that I'm surprised he can't hear it. I tilt my face, our lips about to touch...

And then someone knocks on the open door.

We both jump back, and Alec's face falls with disappointment. I turn towards the door, irritated at the interruption. It's my least favorite person in the world. Heather.

"Can't we get a break?" I mutter under my breath.

"Sorry to interrupt the love fest." Heather crosses her arms, looking like she smells something bad. "We're have a meeting, and Nora requested you both be there."

Alec and I share a look. A meeting? Have Nora and The Guild cooked up some kind of plan?

"Thanks." Alec's voice is tight. Despite his history with Heather--or maybe because of it--he likes her just as much as I do.

He knows all about how she and her friends tried to kill me. What I don't know is what happened between the two of them when they dated.

That's another thing I'm curious about, but it's probably a discussion for another time.

We nod at Heather, silently acknowledging her request. "We'll be there," I say, keeping my voice level despite the annoyance I feel towards her.

Heather flips her straight black hair over her shoulder and turns around. I watch her go, feeling a sense of unease settle in my chest. Something about her seems off, but I can't quite put my finger on it.

Alec's hand on my back draws me out of my thoughts. "Let's go," he says, leading me towards the door.

I follow him, trying to push the thoughts of Heather out of my mind. Whatever it is, we'll deal with it. For now, we have more pressing matters to attend to.

As we make our way towards the meeting room, I can feel the weight of what's happened over the past few days settling on my shoulders. The battle with the wizard, Damon's injury, and the loss of the Golden Coin weigh heavily on me.

But at the same time, I feel a sense of determination growing within me. We'll figure this out. We'll take down the Silver Hunters and put an end to this war, once and for all.

And maybe, just maybe, Alec and I will finally have the chance to explore what's between us. But for now, we have work to do.

CHAPTER TWO

Winter

My Aunt Nora is pacing the room when Alec and I arrive; the other Guild members, Hawthorn teachers, and students are standing or sitting. We're a ragtag group of survivors, all of us having been through at least one kind of hell in the last few weeks.

I eye The Guild, a group of supernaturals who are committed to keeping our kind safe. It seems Nora is a leader in their community.

Was my dad a member of The Guild too?

There’s so little time to wonder about him. There’s a tension in the room, a sharp need to move this meeting along.

Nora's face is set in a frown, and something about the way she's moving makes me think she's more agitated than usual.

Gregory is leaning against the wall, but he straightens up when I walk in, coming to his full, towering height. He smiles at me, but he looks uncertain. Especially when he sees Alec at my side.

"Hey," he mumbles.

"Hey," I say back, unsure of what else to say.

Things are so weird between us now. Ever since Heather confessed to framing me and making it look like I attacked her when it was the other way around, Gregory looks like he doesn't know how to even exist in the same room as me.

Speaking of Heather... I can feel her watching me and Gregory, pinning me with her stare.

She doesn't have to worry. My feelings for Gregory are a thing of the past. We only went on one date, and since then I've realized that there's only one guy I want to be with.

"Thanks for coming," Nora says, gesturing for us to take a seat at the table. "We have a situation."

"What kind of situation?" Alec asks, taking a seat across from her.

Nora takes a deep breath. "One of our Guild members has gone missing."

I feel a jolt of fear in my chest. The Silver Hunters?

"Who?" I ask, trying to keep my voice steady.

Nora looks at me, her eyes serious. "Lucas."

Lucas. The name sounds familiar, and I recall a tall man with friendly eyes. A Guild member that I met yesterday when Alec and I arrived here towing Damon on a makeshift sled.

"What happened?" Alec leans forward, his gaze intent on Nora.

Nora hesitates, and I can see the worry etched into her features. "He went scouting last night. And he never came back."

"Was he alone?" I ask, trying to piece together what could've happened.

Nora nods. "He was. And we've been trying to get in touch with him nonstop, but there's been no response."

I can feel a tension in the room, like we're all waiting for the other shoe to drop.

"Do you think the Silver Hunters are behind his disappearance?" I ask, my mind racing with possibilities.

Nora nods grimly. "It's a strong possibility."

A man with gray hair--Carlisle, another Guild member--speaks up. "If they have caught Lucas and discovered our whereabouts, it will be very bad for us. We should move."

"We don't know anything yet," Professor Vassily argues. "This is the best place for us right now."

The adults break out into an argument about what to do next, all of them talking over one another.

Alec and I exchange a look, and I can tell he's just as unsure as I am. We're still too new to this world, and all the politics and threats that come with it.

"What do you think?" I whisper to him, trying to keep my voice low so as not to draw attention.

Alec shrugs. "I don't know. It's hard to say what the right move is."

I nod, feeling a sense of helplessness wash over me. This war is so much bigger than I ever imagined, and I don't know if I'm cut out for it.

Brynn comes into the room and takes a seat next to me. "What did I miss?"

I shake my head, not sure how to explain the situation. "Lucas is missing. The Silver Hunters might have him."

Brynn's eyes widen in fear. "What are we going to do?"

"That's what everyone's trying to figure out," Alec says, frustration edging his voice.

Heather stamps her foot like a spoiled child. "This is silly! I'm not going to sit around here like we did at that other safe house. We're just waiting to be found this way. I say we attack the school today and get it over with."

I have to give it to Heather. She has drive and courage.

Maybe a little too much of it.

Nora sighs. "Are you forgetting what almost happened to us when we were escaping the school, Heather? You and I barely made it out alive."

Heather rolls her eyes. "That's because we weren't prepared. But now we have the element of surprise."

"It's not that easy," Alec interjects. "We don't have enough intel on their numbers, their weapons, or their strategy. That's what Lucas went out to do, right? Spy?"

Nora nods and rubs her forehead. She looks like she hasn't slept in days.

"We can't wait for that. Obviously, Lucas isn't coming back."

Heather scoffs. "We've been sitting here for days doing nothing. I say it's time to take action."

The room falls into a tense silence, everyone staring at Heather with a mix of uncertainty and disbelief.

Nora breaks the silence. "Yes, we need to come up with a new plan. But it needs to be a smart one. One that won't put any more of us in danger."

Heather rolls her eyes. "I'm not suggesting we charge in blindly, but we need to take action. We can't just sit here and wait for them to come to us."

"I agree with Heather," I say, surprising myself. "We can't just sit here and wait for the worst to happen. We need to be proactive."

I had hoped to have the Golden Coin to help us take on the Silver Hunters, but I can't wait around for it to fall back into my hands.

The room falls silent, and I can feel the weight of everyone's stares on us. Maybe we're just kids, but we're not going to sit around and wait for someone else to save us.

"I'm with whatever Heather says." One of the students--a girl who I haven't had the chance to meet--stands up. "She saved us from the Silver Hunters before."

My jaw drops. When was Heather assigned the role of an unofficial leader?

"And what about our parents?" another student asks. "Where are they?"

Brynn chews on her lip and catches my eye. "We've been trying to get in touch with them," she explains. "None of them have answered their phones since the school was attacked."

A chill runs through me. That's not good.

The room falls silent, and I can feel the weight of everyone's uncertainties and fears. Half of us are just kids, and we don't know what we're doing.

"Attack!" a woman's call echoes through the house. "We're under attack!"

Everyone startles and starts moving, prepared to defend the house against the onslaught. There’s no time to do anything, though. The window behind Nora shatters, arrows flying through it.

Our enemies are here.

CHAPTER THREE

Winter

There’s a sharp tug on my shoulder, and an arrow lands in it.

I stare at the arrow, waiting for the pain to set in. And then I realize: it's just in my sweater, pinning the fabric to the chair. The actual arrowhead missed my arm by about a half-inch.

I pull the arrow free and toss it to the ground as people run around me, Nora shouting orders to everyone.

"Winter! Get down!" Alec tugs on my hand, yanking me under the table.

The room is absolute chaos. Nora barks out orders and Guild members rush to the windows, taking up positions. Gregory shifts into a wolf--something I've never seen him do--and runs out of the room, a second werewolf behind him. Another student, a boy named Marlow, shifts into a gorilla. Just like that, it's like a zoo in here.

Nora shouts out orders, her voice strained with urgency. "Take cover! Return fire!"

I peek over the edge of the table and through the shattered window to see several men dressed in all black, their faces obscured by masks and helmets. They all carry swords and bows and arrows.

And they're all aiming at us.

Heather stands up, her fists clenched. "Let's do this!"

I can feel the fire in her voice, the passion that's driving her. But I also sense the recklessness, the disregard for the danger we're all in.

I've faced a number of Silver Hunters already, and it doesn't make sense that there are only three surrounding the house. There must be more.

I crawl towards Nora, who is crouched behind a sofa, her wand pointed towards the window.

"How many do you think there are?" I ask.

"It's hard to tell." She shoots a burst of magic through a window.

I look around. Most of the students are either cowering behind furniture or have run from the room. The Guild members have spread to different parts of the house to hold position.

I can feel the adrenaline pumping through me, and I remember that it's been a while since I've possessed my full powers. They were stunted in the underworld. Here I can finally be my true self again.

Taking off at a crouch, I run from the room.

"Winter!" Nora calls after me.

I don't listen, though. If she's going to tell me to stop, then she should save her breath. I won't sit around and do nothing.

I run to the back of the house, where several Guild members are watching the yard. There's no activity back here, though.

At least not yet.

More Silver Hunters could be out there, though. Hiding. Waiting for the perfect moment to attack.

Licking my lips, I summon the wind that always feels like it's right at my fingertips. The snow whips around the backyard, and a mini tornado forms, whipping away all the snow drifts and exposing the ground.

I expect to see some Silver Hunters hiding behind where the snow drifts were, but there's only one person.

I drop my hands, and the tornado dies. The Silver Hunter--a man--turns and runs. The Guild members shoot magic at him, but he weaves and dodges, disappearing into the woods.

"I'm going after him," I say more to myself than anyone else.

I'm not even thinking about what I'm doing. There's pure adrenaline racing through me, and the next thing I know I'm throwing open the back door and running into the woods.

The snow crunches beneath my feet as I follow the fleeing Silver Hunter. My heart beats quickly in my chest, and I can feel the cold air burning in my lungs. The man is fast, but I'm faster. Soon, I'm gaining on him.

He dodges a tree, then another. I'm practically on his heels now. With a burst of energy, I lunge forward and tackle him to the ground.

The man is quick, and he's up on his feet before I can even blink. He draws his sword, and I know I'm in trouble.

But I'm not helpless. I have a number of tricks up my sleeve.

I summon the wind once again, and a gust of air hits the man square in the chest, sending him flying backwards. His sword flies from his hand and into the snow. I run towards him, my senses on high alert.

The man is down, but he's not out. He flips over onto his stomach and scrambles to his feet. I'm ready for him this time, though. He charges me, but I meet him head on with my super strength. Our bodies collide, and I don't even feel the impact. The man grunts in pain, but I don't give him a chance to recover. I grab his wrist and twist his arm behind his back, forcing him to drop to his knees.

I did it. I got him.

Now I just need to take him back to the safe house, where we can question him about the Silver Hunters' plans.

Before I can do that, though, I notice a small pill clasped between his lips. I freeze. What on earth?

He swallows the pill, and a few seconds later he starts convulsing. I step back, in shock, as he falls onto the ground, foam coming from his lips.

Less than thirty seconds later, he stops moving. His open eyes stare straight ahead, unseeing.

He's dead.

I stare at the lifeless body of the Silver Hunter. The adrenaline that once coursed through my veins now turns to ice. How did he die so quickly? What was in that pill? My thoughts spin around as I search for an answer. Apparently Silver Hunters would rather die than be captured and give away their secrets. This man must have taken the pill to avoid being interrogated.

Seeing what he did to himself, it leaves me shaken. I've seen death a lot in the last few weeks, but it's something I haven't gotten used to yet.

Honestly, I hope I never do. What kind of person would that make me?

Shaking my head, I run back toward the safe house. The others still need my help.

I reach the house cautiously, ducking behind every other tree just in case a Silver Hunter spots me. It's oddly quiet at the house, though. I stop just next to it and cock my ear, listening.

"They're retreating!" someone on our side yells.

I run back to the front of the house, where the rest of the group has gathered. The Silver Hunters have indeed disappeared, though they haven't left us unscathed.

Two Guild members are being treated for injuries, one on the arm and one on the face.

Heather stands in the middle of the room, her fists clenched, her eyes blazing with anger. "We need to go after them! We can take them!"

Nora walks over to her and places a hand on her shoulder. "Heather, we have to be smart about this. We can't just charge into battle without knowing what we're up against."

Heather shrugs Nora off. "I'm sick of waiting around for them to come to us. We need to be proactive, not reactive."

"Where did you go?" Alec grabs my hand, his eyes blazing.

I ignore him, my attention on my aunt. "They retreated?"

Her lips pull thin. "If you can call it that. There weren't many of them. It seems it was more of a scouting expedition than anything else."

"Or Lucas told them where we are." Carlisle frowns at us from where he's applying a bandage to a Guild member's arm.

"Winter! Are you okay?" Gregory steps in front of me, back in his human form.

I start to answer, but Alec beats me to it. "She's fine." He steps in front of me, half hiding me from Gregory's view.

I frown. What's going on here?

Gregory looks like he's about to say something, but then he changes his mind and goes to help cover up the broken windows.

"I'm not jealous," Alec says.

I stare at him. "I didn't say you were."

"It's just, he doesn't care about you."

I shake my head. The last thing I have time to deal with right now is Gregory.

"Where did you go?" It's Brynn, wearing her usual wide-eyed look.