I stepped out of the Jeep and stretched. Three cramped hours in the Jeep would drive anyone insane. As a dragon, I preferred wide open spaces, somewhere I could spread my wings and feel the wind against my scales.

Rubbing the back of my neck, I took a step toward the campus and froze when something crunched beneath my foot. I glanced at the ground and spotted bits of shattered glass glittering in the mid-afternoon sunlight. Not what one expected to see when entering an elite campus. The academy would have a groundskeeper on staff for such a reason.

I took one last sweep of the parking lot, noticing how every inch of the ground sparkled, some chunks larger than others. And only when I looked up did I realize the source. Nearly every vehicle had a broken windshield, not to mention broken side mirrors and dented hoods.

Whistling under my breath, I stepped onto the grass and took in the entire scene. Six broken windshields, and a wheel barrel on the far side of the lot packed with wooden debris.

“Mr. Lafay?”

My gaze darted toward the approaching voice. I immediately recognized her. The silver hair and sharp slate eyes, the stern way she held herself as she marched toward me. The headmistress. Quite a dragon-lady from what I remembered. Which had made me laugh when we’d first met seeing as her animal-half was furthest from a dragon.

She closed the distance between us, the scent of mongoose filling my nose. “Glad to see you were able to find the time.”

I lifted a brow, amused by her icy tone. I knew she meant to intimidate me, and I wished her luck in that endeavor. But as a dragon, and the alpha no less, it would take much more than a foot-long rodent to accomplish that.

“Care to tell me what this is all about?”

She gestured toward the parking lot with a pursed mouth. “Have a look for yourself.”

“Yes, I’ve seen it. What does this have to do with Jinx?”

“Your daughter caused this mess.” The headmistress sighed. “When we first admitted her, as we do with any student, we explained the rules to you both. Shifting on campus is grounds for immediate expulsion. We can’t allow the children to run amok. We are an institution of learning. Not a zoo.”

My eyes narrowed. “I’m sure there’s been some sort of mistake.”

“No, there hasn’t. Let’s continue this chat in my office, shall we? Virginia is waiting for you there.”

I definitely disliked this little rodent. Every bone in my body longed to shift, toss her up in the air, and swallow her whole if only to show her the cost of scolding a dragon.

She pivoted on her heel and strode through the campus grounds with me at her side. I refused to follow her like some well-trained pup. But as we made our way toward the door, I slowed at the sight of blackened earth and a burning tree perched in the middle of the grounds.

Breaking away from the headmistress, I approached the smoldering tree. Flames ate at the branches, the leaves crisp and charred. If I’d thought the headmistress lying before, I couldn’t deny it now. Only dragon-fire burned like this. The flames were eternal until the dragon squelched them.

“You’re saying Jinx did this?” I reached out and touched one of the searing branches. The fire leapt toward my hand but left me unmarked. All part and parcel of being a dragon.

“Believe me, Mr. Lafay. The entire faculty witnessed it.”

“And did you see what led to this? Jinx isn’t exactly the sort to lose control.”

When Mrs. Davies didn’t immediately answer, I turned and eyed her, a bit of my own fire creeping up the back of my throat. She was hiding something, I could smell it.

“Let’s discuss this in my office.”

“Fine.” I turned and marched the rest of the way.

The headmistress led me through a labyrinth of hallways, none of which I paid attention to. I wanted this over and done with.

Finally, Mrs. Davies pushed open a set of glass doors and led me into a giant office. We passed a group of administrative staff, their wide eyes tracking my every step. Unsurprising. Most people feared dragons. Not only were we the largest shifters but also the most temperamental. Jinx was different, though. She’d always been so soft and gentle.

“In here, please.” Mrs. Davies gestured me inside.

I stepped into her office and didn’t notice anything other than my daughter. She sat across the room, bundled in a thick sweater and jeans, her knees pulled up to her chin. She seemed so lost right now, and so small.

“Jinx?”

She turned her head, and I caught the distinctive shimmer of tears in her eyes. Annoyance wrinkled her nose, then she turned back toward the window, completely dismissing my presence. I hadn’t seen my daughter in seven months, but this wasn’t the same child I’d dropped off. I’d meant for the academy to help her, but one glance suggested that maybe they’d made things worse.

“Have a seat, please, Mr. Lafay.”

I sank into the plush chair and shot Jinx another glance.

“Well, you saw the damage on the way in,” Mrs. Davies started. “During our morning recess, Jinx shifted into her dragon form and terrorized the school grounds. Not only did she break our playground, but also close to ten faculty vehicles.”

I could practically feel the old mongoose fishing around in my back pocket for my wallet. “I’ll cover those costs.”

“Indeed you will.” She picked up a pen and held it poised over a slip of paper. “Virginia is no longer welcome here, either. I expect you to have her packed and off campus grounds by the end of the school day.”

Mrs. Davies had mentioned the expulsion before I’d left, but I’d hoped in those three hours, they might have come to a different decision. “Don’t you think you’re being hasty?”

“You and your daughter both know the rules. Shifting is cause for immediate dismissal.”

“And you mean to tell me no one else has ever lost control and shifted before?”

A flicker danced behind her eyes before she blinked it back. “That’s irrelevant. We are perfectly within our rights to expel her.”

I sat back with a huff. “Jinx, what happened?”

“Mr. Lafay, I assure you, I have already explained the situation.”

“And now I want to hear it from my daughter,” I snapped, ire rising up the back of my throat.

The scent of fear permeated the room and lifted both Jinx’s and my head. A quick whiff led to a moment of pure clarity.

“You’re afraid of dragons,” I surmised.

“What? I—”

“Don’t bother lying to me. I can smell your fear. And you want to expel my daughter because when she shifted, it terrified you.”

Jinx shifted her weight and lowered her feet to the floor. A light frown puckered her brow, but she still didn’t say a word.

“Regardless of what you may think, our academy is not for everyone. We are not run by the same rules as the public schools. But perhaps such a place might be better for your daughter.”

“So, that’s it, then?”

Mrs. Davies lowered the pen to the paper and scribbled her signature across the bottom, finalizing Jinx’s expulsion. I ground my molars and forced my gaze to the pristine floor. Lashing out at the headmistress wouldn’t accomplish anything other than proving her right. And from her stern words, arguing would be pointless. Prejudices came in many forms.

Thankfully, Brookview wasn’t the only nearby academy. It’d scored the best, but the last thing I needed was a fearful rodent schooling my daughter. Jinx needed a loving environment, somewhere she felt comfortable enough to open up and heal. This wasn’t the place.

I loosened my jaw and glanced at Jinx. “Come on then. Let’s get you packed up.”

“Your letter, Mr. Lafay.”

The sound of Mrs. Davies’s grating voice irritated my dragon. It rose from the darkest dregs and stretched, unfurling its wings with the promise of retribution. I turned toward the headmistress and snatched the paper from her hand. But before we left, I loosened the bonds on my dragon, just a little, and let the beast out to play.

Mrs. Davies choked back a gasp and slid back in her chair.

Heat flushed under my skin, and my mouth curled into a mocking grin. “Good day, Headmistress.”

Her trembling hand rose to her throat before she squeaked out an indistinguishable response.

Touching Jinx’s shoulder, I guided her out of the office and left the door wide open. If the woman wanted it shut, she could damn well do it herself.

At the administration desk, I pulled out my wallet and handed the secretary my card. “Phone number and email, so you all can contact me regarding the damages.”

The secretary took it with a soft smile, her focus straying to Jinx. “We’re going to miss you around here, hun.”

Jinx didn’t utter a word. Instead, she wrapped her arms around her waist and meandered toward the door.

“Poor dear. We really are sorry she won’t be staying,” the secretary murmured.

I lifted a brow. The headmistress had seemed all too eager to show us the door. Interesting that the others didn’t share that feeling.

With a nod toward the secretary, I led Jinx out of the office and waited for her to lead us to her room. She started down the nearest corridor, arms still wrapped around herself. She pulled her sweater over her mouth and held it there as she walked.

“Hey, don’t worry about the headmistress. We’ll find you a different school.”

She half-shrugged. Well, that was something, at least—a response of some form.

“Mr. Lafay?”

The sound of my name dragged my focus away from my daughter. I glanced back toward the office, my brows furrowing. What now? Another form I needed to sign? Another well-wisher?

A woman hurried toward us, teetering precariously in a pair of bright pumps. I didn’t know the first thing about women’s shoes—nor had any inclination to learn—but I could tell this woman wasn’t entirely accustomed to wearing such a heel. She held her arms out for balance as she moved, the four-inch spikes clacking against the tile.

“Wait, wait, wait,” she chanted under her breath as she minced her way toward us.

I scratched my brow and hid the curve of my lips behind my hand.

A few steps away, her heel snagged on a crack in the floor. Her eyes shot comically wide the moment she pitched forward.

“Dad!” Jinx shouted, finally speaking.

Without thought, I dove into the fray and caught the woman and braced her fall.

“Oh,” she breathed, her palms flat against my chest. Unexpected heat seared through my shirt and punched through my gut. “Oh, I’m so sorry!”

She lifted her head, and time stopped the moment our gazes locked. I’d never seen such big, beautiful eyes before, a honey-brown color emphasized by long, sweeping lashes. Human eyes had never held my interest before. Too dull when compared to glimmering dragon eyes. But this woman…hers called to me. So warm and soft with a hint of that hard edge we dragons possessed.

She blinked and severed the connection. “Geez, I’m so sorry. These heels, they’re just horrible, but I…” She caught my gaze again and stuttered. “I…I…I can’t remember what I was saying.”

A smile teased my lips.

“You must think I’m a klutz. Thank you for catching me. Saved me a massive embarrassment, that’s for sure. So, yeah…” Her gaze darted to Jinx then back to me. “Um. You can let me go, now.”

I could, but I didn’t want to. I rather enjoyed the feel of her in my arms—she was so slight and fragile. Not to mention, the flush in her cheeks and her delectable scent, a combination of citrus and lilies. It’d been a very long time since anyone’s scent had affected me so strongly.

“God, Dad,” Jinx scoffed. “Get a room.”

And…the moment was ruined, thanks to my darling daughter.

“Get a…” The woman shot me a startled gaze, then stepped back, forcing me to release her. Another adorable blush scoured her cheeks. She scraped her teeth over her plump bottom lip, then gestured toward the office. “Oh, uh, no. I saw you leaving Mrs. Davies office, and I wanted to speak with you before you left. My name is Wren Michaels, and I’m the children’s guidance counselor.”

“Guidance counselor,” I repeated with narrowed eyes. “Why does my daughter need counseling?”

“Oh, no, it’s nothing like that. I’m here for all the children. I help them with anything really. If they’re feeling overwhelmed by their studies, if they miss home, or even more personal matters.”

I stole a glance at my daughter. No one had informed me that she’d been speaking with a counselor. Wasn’t that something I should have been made aware of?

“Jinx, why don’t you gather your things and give your father and I a moment to speak?”

Defiance sparked in Jinx’s eyes, something I’d never seen before. Where had my docile twelve-year-old gone?

“Go,” I growled before she could utter a word. I wanted to hear what this so-called counselor had to say.

I caught the slight tightening of her jaw, but eventually, she rolled her eyes and left. I couldn’t help but note the attitude similarities between her and Noel. Was it possible they’d kept in contact this entire time? And if so, how did I feel about that? The boy was a little more than two years older than her. Not that I’d minded when they were children, but I definitely minded now. Fifteen-year-old boys didn’t think of anything other than girls. And Jinx wasn’t ready for that. Hell, I wasn’t ready for that.

“Mr. Lafay—”

“Keaton,” I said.

She nodded. “Alright, Keaton. I wanted to speak to you about what happened today.”

“What about it?”

She glanced over her shoulder, her face tight as though she feared someone overhearing us. Once convinced we were alone, she nodded. “Jinx has had a hard time this year, getting into fights and whatnot. And I thought—”

“Wait, what?” I demanded, my voice a harsh growl.

Wren paused, her eyes wide with surprise. I caught a slight whiff of fear and clenched my jaw. Humans weren’t generally accustomed to being growled at, something I would remember if I spent a little more time with them. Not that I had a desire to.

Now, Wren on the other hand… I cleared my throat and slipped my hands into my pockets. “Sorry. Go on.”

“Right.” She shook her head. “These fights were only recently brought to my attention, and when I investigated further, I found that Jinx has been in eight fights this school year.”

Jinx. Fighting. “There has to be a mistake.”

“’Fraid not. The thing is, she didn’t start a single one.”

And just like that, it clicked. I sighed and rocked back on my heels, trying to restrain myself. Every bone in my body wanted to rip this building down brick by brick, but the rational part of my brain told me it wouldn’t change anything. But I definitely understood, now. Dominance fights—something the school had promised me didn’t occur here. And in the seven months Jinx had been here, there had been eight. Of course, they’d gone after the dragon. The big man on campus. Didn’t matter that my daughter was tender-hearted as a pup. Explained the flash of rebellion and the harsh glances. They’d forced her to change, to embrace the beast inside.

“I see this means something to you,” Wren pressed.

It did, but I felt no need to explain this to a human. We might live in their world, but we weren’t a part of it. Not entirely. Most humans didn’t understand us, let alone want to.

“Thanks for telling me.” I turned to leave.

“Wait, Mr. Lafay!”

Her hand landed on my arm. I stared down at her long fingers and battled back a wave of something. Not anger, but something far more primal. My muscles bunched as I fought back the bewildering temptation to pin her against the wall. It’d been so long since I’d felt such a rush of desire for someone. The fact that she was a human struck me speechless.

Oblivious to my inner battle, Wren continued speaking. “I thought you should know that Jinx wasn’t the only one expelled today. The child who instigated the fight was as well.”

Sparked by my interest, my dragon roared to the front of my mind, curious about the non-kin woman, as the beast put it. I’d half-expected my dragon to snort in derision and melt back into the shadows, but instead, he paused and eyed her, his nostrils flaring as he took in her subtle, yet intoxicating scent. Such a dangerous fragrance, something warm that blended with flowers and…was that arousal? I couldn’t quite pick it out, not over the scent of the children and floor cleaner, but I could have sworn it was.

Ours…

I shook my head and forced myself back a step, pulling my arm out from under her grip. This woman wasn’t anything of the sort. Nor did I intend for her to ever be.

“Mr. Lafay? Keaton?” she hedged. “Are you all right?”

“Fine,” I grunted, struggling to maintain control of my darker side. The beast wanted out. It wanted to stake a claim on Ms. Michaels right here. But I didn’t. I couldn’t. “I should check on Jinx. Thanks for telling me about all this.”

“Uh, sure.” Her chin dropped as though disappointed I meant to leave. But I had to. I couldn’t stand here and fight with my dragon in front of her. Not when she was the cause.

I spun on my heel and followed Jinx’s scent through the hallways, all the while telling my dragon to drop it. No way in hell I’d ever claim a human.