Warrior Fae Trapped (Warrior Fae #1)(54)

He’d said, “You needed a phone. Now you have one. You have a new computer, too. It’s in the office. Don’t break them. What is this, oatmeal? You couldn’t make something edible?”

She hitched her backpack a little higher on her shoulders, the weight greatly reduced thanks to the thin and light computer she’d unpacked earlier in the office. She should’ve been over the moon now that she was firmly in the modern age with everyone around her. Unfortunately, all she could think about was whether the cute boy she’d been crushing on all year would be in class tonight—and whether he’d been turned into a walking nightmare.

“That’s a work phone,” Devon said, professional and confident. “You need to keep it on at all times tonight. Keep it on vibrate, and respond if any of us contact you. Got it?”

“Yes,” she responded, brushing the hard outline with her fingertips again.

“If it doesn’t show up, wait in the class until one of us texts you with an all-clear. That’ll mean we’re waiting for you outside.”

“Okay.” They’d gone over the plan before leaving Devon’s house, but clearly Devon didn’t think any of it had sunk in. She wondered herself.

His voice hardened. “If it does show up, don’t let it get you alone. Vampires naturally beguile their prey. You’ll be attracted to it. Maybe even crave it. But don’t act on that, got it? That’s a trick. You have to remember that those feelings aren’t real.”

“I know.”

“Keep your eye on it, but keep your distance, too. If it follows you, stay around other people until you can lead it to Macy or me. We’ll handle it from there. Okay?”

“I know.”

Devon looked out over the grass for a silent moment. His sigh was so soft that she barely heard it. Then he stepped closer and put his large hand on her shoulder. The comforting heat of his touch seeped down into her.

“It’s not really Donnie, Charity, okay?” he murmured, for her ears alone. “It is a creature wearing a mask that looks like Donnie. It won’t care about you; it’ll care about your blood. This is a war. Donnie was a casualty of that war. Understand?”

With a sinking feeling in her gut, Charity pulled away. “I know,” she whispered again, acid sharp in her throat. She blew out a breath and tried to keep her composure.

“Be safe,” Devon said. “Be strong. Macy will be waiting nearby if you need anything.” And then he was striding away, Yasmine at his side, the two of them crossing the grass like a couple of beautiful celebrities.

Macy stepped up next to Charity. “How are you doing?”

“If I said ‘fine,’ would you believe me?”

“If I said ‘yes,’ would you believe me?”

Charity gripped the strap of her backpack. “I don’t want to do this. What if I end up being the bait that lures Donnie to his death? I get that he’s…changed, but…”

“This sucks. There’s no two ways about it. One day you should talk to Roger about it. Shortly after he became alpha and started cleaning up the Brink, an elder turned one of his good friends as a personal FU. Roger chose to be the one that disbanded the newbie. He felt responsible for killing his friend. Or so I heard. So he knows what you’re going through. He’d talk to you about it. He’s good like that.” Macy patted Charity’s shoulder. “At least you had no part in Donnie’s change. It could easily have been you. I mean…if vamps can change fae. And, you know, if that’s really what you are.”

The pep talk was going downhill.

With a deep breath, Charity shouldered her courage and gave a resolute nod. If she waited any longer she’d lose her nerve entirely.

“Good luck,” Macy said, drifting toward the shadows.

Luck would be on her side if Donnie strolled in as a regular, hot, hard-to-talk-to guy. Maybe he was used solely for blood? That would be gross, but at least it would still be him.

Each step a trial in courage, Charity made her way to her class. Once there, she forced herself to walk through the door. An expansive lecture hall greeted her, with a podium set up on a small stage in front of a white screen, and stadium-style steps covered in seats going up to the back of the room. Students sat in front of their laptops, bored expressions on their faces. A few groups murmured, waiting for the professor to start his dull lecture.

She checked her watch. Two minutes to go. Class would start anytime.

As she scanned the faces a second time, relief flooded her. One more time for good measure, and then she climbed the steps to her usual spot in the back.

No Donnie.

Thank God.

She pulled the clunky wooden desk up and over her lap. Maybe he had escaped after all. For all she knew, he was having a long chat with his father’s attorney about his next steps. That conversation would likely result in a psych evaluation, given how absurd it would sound. Such things took time, so it was reasonable to expect him to take a week off. Maybe longer.

She dropped her backpack to the ground, forcing her thoughts elsewhere. She pulled out the fantastic laptop, top quality, with a price tag to match. Roger was really going the extra mile, trying to butter her up. Getting her a phone made sense, since communication within a company was key, but a laptop was an extravagance. She had a computer and it did the job fine, slowly but surely. Not like she was complaining. She’d barely yelled at Devon as she was ripping into the packaging, and even then, it had only been to thank him.