The Dragon Sea

Chapter3.

I kicked and pushed, trying to free myself from the grasp of the stranger who held me so tight my bones were about to crack. The Rogue probably wanted to drown me so that I couldn't tell anyone I saw him, but I was not going to go down easy.

Despite hating using my fox's strength, I elongated my claws, hoping they would be enough. I then pierced the hand that held me, drawing his blood. I could swear the water around us warmed , but that was impossible, considering the temperatures this time of year.

Nevertheless, my tactic succeeded and the Rogue released his grip, allowing me to push off him and swim towards the light, praying I would still make it. The powerful current did not help me much. My first gasp for air as my head broke the water's surface was so sharp and deep that my lungs spasmed in pain. I looked around, trying to stay in place and fight the flow, but the man who had attacked me had disappeared.

Careful, Lisa whispered in my head, and I spun around once more and finally saw the his head.

"This is the last f*****g time I play noble!" I heard his voice as he swam towards the rocky shore; his silver hair reflected the sunshine, and I felt terrible just for a second because it looked like I had stabbed a grumpy old man.

"Damn it," I muttered and followed him. After all, I still had to check who he was and report him to school security. Some packs were expelling old people, and they had to fend for themselves. I was always against such policies; even King Gideon had enacted legislation to ban them. However, it was still fairly easy to accuse a lonely old man of rule violations and banish him. I couldn't even consider them rogues.

"Hey!" I trailed after him, pulling my long hair forward to provide some cover. "I am sorry for clawing you, but you shouldn't have done that—"

The old man was already walking out of the water, his wet clothes sticking to his body and— I had to acknowledge that he was in spectacular shape, his lower body had the finest shaped backside I had ever encountered, not to mention the broad shoulders and…

"Do what?" he growled, the sound low and deep, different from what I was used to. "Save your damn life?!"

"Save from what?" My blood began to simmer at his tone. "From NOT being groped by an old man?"

The Rogue visibly tensed and his head snapped in my direction, his eyes blazing— mesmerising green eyes with golden specks that seemed to spark when the light touched them. "What did you just call me?"

Alright, I needed to take a breath because it started to feel like I had forgotten how. The man glaring at me now was a genuine work of art crafted by the gods themselves. Water still dripped from his chiselled jawline, and his silver hair contrasted with his bronze skin. It was safe to say that I had never seen a male specimen more gorgeous than this one, and that while growing up around royal lycans, who were naturally blessed with their looks and physique.

Who the hell was this man?

"Are you deaf?" he demanded. "What did you just call me?"

"Old," I mumbled, suddenly aware of my nakedness. It was one thing to shift for a fight or to talk to an old banished rogue, but this situation called for more coverage than just my hair.

Get a grip, Lisa ordered, as if she was in a position to do so.

"How old are you exactly?" he asked me with his silver brow arched. Somehow, that made him even more attractive. I was glad I remained in the river up to my waist. Needless to say, I was lacking experience with boys. Rafael was like a cousin to me, and his male friends never paid too much attention to me, except for his future Beta, who simply had to be respectful to me. I kissed a foreign ambassador's son once, that was about it.

"I am the one who should be asking questions!" Despite the circumstances, I folded my hands over my chest to look slightly more menacing and serious. "After all, you are on my territory."

"Which is?" he tilted his head as if he saw right through me and all my intrusive thoughts.

"Moonrise Academy!" I was waiting for his reaction, but he gave me none. "Not only are you trespassing, but you also attacked me!"

"Attacked you?" He scoffed, running his hand through his wet hair, and I completely lost it. I felt my heart beating so fast it was too hard to hide it. "I saw a young woman on the verge of a waterfall about to commit suicide. If I wanted to kill you, I should have just watched you jump."

"Suicide?" I gasped. "Are you nuts? I occasionally jump from that waterfall, and I am always fine!"

"How was I supposed to know that? It doesn't look particularly safe for frail girls! And who can swim with these currents?" He got visibly annoyed, pointing back at the river.

He does have a point, Lisa whispered, but I shoved her to the very back of my mind.

Yes, no one else was doing that. Nica and Raf always thought I was crazy jumping from that height straight into the merciless currents, but… Nica was a wolfless Omega, these kinds of things were unimaginable for her, while Rafael had his… episodes. He had to avoid such entertainment.

However, something in all this irked me a bit more.

"Frail?" I seethed, walking towards this Rogue. "I am not frail, I can kick your ass if I have to!"

He watched me storm towards him for a moment, then tilted his head back and erupted in laughter. It was a harmonious yet booming sound that reverberated through the nearby forest.

My fists clenched hard. How dare he?

My best chances against a guy that big were to act quickly and not waste any time. He was arrogant and that was his main mistake. I had wiped many a smirk off rogues’ faces for that very reason and this guy would be no exception.

I aimed to hit his nose as that always worked for me in the past. That or clawing his eyes out but I couldn't bring myself to destroy those beautiful eyes.

However, before I could reach his face, he caught my wrist and twisted it, pinning me against his chest and catching my second hand with his free one. A wave of shock jolted through me at how quickly it ended, followed by panic because I was no longer sure what he was about to do.

"Let go of me!" I growled, struggling against the Rogue's grasp.

"This is not how you say please," he teased. "Or sorry, for that matter."

"Sorry?" I kicked him on the knee, trying to dislocate it, but this guy seemed to be made of steel. He didn't even flinch. "Sorry for what?"

"I did nothing to you, and yet you attacked me twice," he chuckled, toying with me. "That calls for a punishment."

"Punishment?" I hissed, extending my claws and slicing through his skin, finally giving me a moment to escape his grasp. "You are trespassing!"

"Well, how could I know that? It's not like there is a sign or anything!" he shrugged, his gaze travelling up and down my naked body, making my cheeks flush.

"My eyes are up here, you know?" I hissed and lunged at him again, which prompted another burst of laughter from him as we tumbled onto the grass.

He rolled me over and pinned me to the ground with his body weight. Water was still dripping off both of us and tufts of grass and autumn leaves stuck to us here and there.

"And what beautiful eyes they are." His lips curled into a smirk. "Like the turquoise ocean during a storm—"

My lips parted because no one ever had said anything that beautiful to me. Let alone a man this handsome.

"Let—" I had to clear my throat because my voice sounded low and foreign to my own ears. "Let go of me."

"Absolutely," he smiled, but his face only got closer to mine. "As soon as I am sure that you are not going to assault me again."

"I did not—" I was about to protest when his grin widened. It was pointless to argue, he did kind of have a point. Which I hated to admit. "I will not."

"Fine," the Rogue smiled at me. "I'll take my hands away once I've finished what I truly want to do right now, and please know that if you don't want it, I am not going to do it."

My brows knitted together. What on earth was he talking about?

"What do you want to—?"

"I am dying to kiss you." His words were so raw and honest that I found nothing to reply with. No snarky response found its way to my tongue, my heart began to pound so loud that he must have heard it too.

"Any objections?" he asked again, and a part of me hated him for it because I would never be able to blame this on him. It seemed like he was reading my mind when his lips curled again and his hands moved my wrists above my head with ease.

My chest was heaving, pressed tight against his when he leaned down brushing his lips past mine gently, seeking permission. I gasped, because that kiss with the ambassador's son did not make me feel anything remotely close to what I felt now. I clenched my hips together on an instinct and felt his chuckle vibrating against my skin.

"I am not going to hurt you," he whispered against my mouth and another gasp left me, granting him permission to deepen the kiss. He was gentle and rough at the same time, his tongue entwining with mine as our breaths mingled. The cold ground beneath us felt warm now, in fact the air around us seemed unbearably hot, as I lost my last bit of control.

His arms were not holding me anymore, instead, they were roaming all over my body and I arched my back when his mouth reached my neck, caressing it fervently and gently at the same time.

"Who made you?" The Rogue growled as he traced my collarbone, sliding his finger all the way to the peak of my breast. "Cruel— gods— sent a nymph to torture me."

Or maybe they sent him to torture me instead.

He returned to my face before I could reply, covering my lips with his for another kiss that made me forget who I was. Nothing else mattered, my fingers were already tangled in his hair, pulling him closer as if this was where he belonged.

I was going crazy with desire, unable to think clearly, so greedy for these new sensations that I couldn't stop. I didn't even know who he was, and yet I was allowing him to explore my body so boldly.

He suddenly stopped, breaking my bliss, and I didn't know what to think about it. A rush of panic rippled through me as he observed me with his silver brows furrowed.

"How— how old are you, little nymph?" he asked, startling me. Were we going to get to know each other NOW?

I licked my swollen lips, trying to remember how old I was since he was that interested. The motion did not go unnoticed by him as the golden specks in his eyes shone brighter.

"Eighteen," I replied, trying to sound confident and mature, but my own voice betrayed me, breaking at the end of the word.

"f**k!" The Rogue rolled off of me, massaging the bridge of his perfect nose as I sat up, hugging my own knees as wave after wave of embarrassment washed over me. Did I do something wrong? Did he not like it? Did he take me for someone else? The questions overwhelmed my mind, combined with years of being told I wasn't enough, suddenly weighed heavily on me.

"You are a student here, aren't you?" he asked without looking at me, his face twisted as if I was the worst thing to ever happen to him. "Not a guard protecting this place?"

My lips trembled, but I tried to keep a straight face. It was humiliating enough without bursting into tears.

I stood up calmly and did not spare him another glance. "Leave this land! Trespassing here is punishable!"

"Wait!" He tried to catch my hand but before he could touch me, I turned into my fox and sprinted away towards the river. My paws got wet, but I pushed a little more leaping into the air, shifting back to my human form, diving back into the water.

It was a very well-kept secret, but I discovered it during my first year here: hidden behind the waterfall was a concealed cave with a clandestine passage leading directly to the academy's main sector. Frankly, it was the shortest way there, sparing me the arduous climb up the mountain and the tedious journey circling around it to meet Nica at the gates.

I swam as deep as I could, the icy water numbing my skin and thoughts. Emerging inside the mountainous confines of the waterfall, I quickly looked back to ensure the Rogue hadn't followed me. Thankfully, there was no sign of him and I felt relief, but the feeling was fleeting the moment I remembered what I had just done.

It's okay, Lisa whispered. Nothing too bad happened.

A loud snort left me as I covered my face with my hands, trying to calm down. Of course, you'd think so. Foxes have a completely different set of morals from wolves.

I wouldn't know much about wolves' morals, she admitted. But I can promise to never judge you. This was—

Enough, I commanded, wishing for nothing more but to stop this discussion. What did she think we were? Gossiping girlfriends? Just help me get home. My shift is over and we need to report this— Rogue.

Sure, Lisa agreed, and I felt her excitement rising. It was rare for me to let her run for more than once per day and even then, that only happened when it was completely necessary.

Shifting back into my fox form, I bolted through the tunnel I knew so well, my paws pounding against the cold stone.

The darkness of the tunnel didn't faze me; every twist and turn was ingrained in my memory. In less than half an hour, I burst out of the bushes on the other side, panting and dripping wet.

Nica waited for me at the gates, her arms crossed. Her eyes widened when she saw my dishevelled state.

"Dany, what happened?" Her voice carried a mix of concern and curiosity. "You look like you've been through hell!"

My bones cracked as I shifted back, standing before her shaking out my damp hair.

"No clothes, I guess?" She tilted her head, studying me. "Is it me, or does something about you look different?"

Damn it. How could she know? I wasn't supposed to look different, but even I had to admit that, for some reason, everything felt different.

Nica got into the postbox attached to one of the mighty tree trunks nearby. These were located all over the woods and contained a clean set of grey one-size-fits-all pants and a t-shirt. Just for situations like this.

My friend handed me the clothes and I began putting them on, even thoughit was a nightmare to pull on super stretchy fabric over my wet skin.

"Switch on the security alarm," I told Nica, who was still watching me closely but did not press anymore questions. "There was a rogue—"

Her eyes widened. "Did you fight him?"

"Kind of—" This wasn't exactly a lie.

Nica was already dialling the code on a secret device attached to another tree, sending the signal to the adults. Starting now, we had a few minutes before others would arrive.

"Describe him for the alert," she asked, as this was standard procedure in such cases, and I felt my cheeks heat up. "What did his wolf look like?"

"I didn't see it," I admitted. "We only interacted in his human form."

"That's okay," Nica offered a supportive smile. "Height?"

"6'3. Maybe 6'4." I looked away. "Way taller than me. Silver hair down to his shoulders."

"So, an old dude," she nodded, and I felt another wave of guilt coursing through me.

"Not— really." Gosh, why was it so hard to tell her the truth? "More like— in his late twenties. Maybe early thirties."

"Gotcha," Nica nodded, continuing her job. "Torn clothes?""

"No," I shook my head, remembering the feel of the fabric under my fingers. It felt… expensive. "It's wet, though and all black."

"Wet?" Nica looked puzzled now. "Why is it wet?"

"We fell into the river." I pretended to brush that question off. "It doesn't matter."

"Sure." I could tell by her voice that now she was intrigued. "Was he worn out and ugly?"

"Depends— on who is looking—" I tried to avoid her gaze in any way imaginable, right now, I was staring at a bird's nest on a branch above me.

"Oh, really?" my friend smirked. "But you were looking. In your opinion, was he ugly? Mediocre maybe? How is his physical state?"

I couldn't take this anymore. "He was the most absolutely beautiful man I've ever seen, okay?" I confessed, finally feeling relieved to let it all out.

"Danielle Frazer!" Nica grinned at me. "Did you just have an encounter with a very hot rogue? Just like we dreamed about for the past months?"

In a way, I did, but it wasn't anything like we imagined.

"Here they are!" I heard our headmistress' voice and gestured for Nica to stay quiet. She stood up next to me, grinning like a mad person. She did not have a proper poker face.

"You are going to tell me everything!" she whispered. "I want ALL the details."

"Only if you don't blabber anything we shouldn't say right now!" I warned her.

"My lips are sealed," she promised.

***

They let us go hours later. The questioning seemed endless. It was like the headmistress knew that I wasn't telling her the full story, but either way, she couldn't prove anything.

As a punishment, she held us long enough to miss dinner at the canteen. That was always one of her favourite tricks with us. Luckily, by now we knew to keep some snacks in different hideouts in our room.

"Oh. My. Moon Goddess!" Nica giggled when I was done telling her everything that happened with me. For the second time. "And… if he didn't stop? What would you have done?"

That was a very good question. What would I have done?

We were sitting in our night clothes, on the long, slender windowsill in our room eating crisps and chatting just like we usually did after the lights went out. This was our time away from all the judgemental classmates and teachers, the best time to share our secrets.

"I don't know." I shrugged. "Nothing like this happened to me before."

"Do you think that maybe—" Suddenly, her smile disappeared as I locked eyes with her. "Dany, could he be your mate?"

"I am pretty sure not." I sighed in relief. Having a rogue as a mate would be just another level of humiliation. "We are both of age. If we were mates, we would have recognised each other."

"Maybe you two are cursed or something," Nica suggested. "Or you are second-chance mates. You know this kind of stuff happens all the time!"

"Oh, please!" I rolled my eyes. "There should be limits to my misery. It was just lust, probably."

I gazed through the glass at the dim schoolyard below and the encircling castle structure, its ancient stones bathed in the soft light of the moon. Most windows were now dark, but a subtle glow emanated from a few on the far side, hinting that not everyone here obeyed the rules, just like the two of us. The quiet murmur of the night was iterrupted by the occasional hoot of an owl in one of the surrounding trees.

"And yet you’ve never felt this way before," Nica teased.

"Maybe I am getting desperate for attention," I giggled, and she snorted to support the idea.

"You and me both." She took more crisps from the bag and shoved them all into her mouth. "This is all the attention and pleasure I am getting."

I wanted to say something else when I noticed a bright spark in the sky.

"What's that?" I furrowed my brows, trying to check if it was just a product of my imagination.

"What's what?" Danica hopped off the windowsill and tried to follow my gaze.

Another bright spark appeared above one of the main school towers, illuminating both our faces.

" Firework?" I tilted my head, peering at my friend, who suddenly turned pale.

"No," she whispered, her eyes emanating a soft glow I had never seen before. "Not fireworks… Dany, it's fire!"

I gasped and saw a third spark, but this time it was moving closer and closer to us, warming the air before I could realise what was happening.

"Dany!" Danica screamed, her voice tinged with raw panic as she yanked me off the windowsill, tugging me to the floor. A gigantic wave of fire exploded in our room, shattering the window into myriad shards of glass that rained down around us. The heat was intense, searing; I could feel it singeing the tips of my hair as we huddled together on the floor, the roar of the fire drowning out all other sounds.