Breeding in the Academy: Searching for Freedom (All 9)

Chapter 17

Moonlight washed over us as we drove through the dark forest. It had been about ten minutes since we left the safe house, and we still haven't come across Raven and Corey. Worry gnawed inside me. Why haven't they joined us? Where were they? I knew that I couldn't communicate with them since we all dumped our earpieces, and we couldn't wait because we had to get to the Prime and get them to a safer area.

A flash of light to my left caught my attention. I glanced in that direction, and a sigh of relief escaped me. A familiar motorbike with two people on it was headed in our direction. When they joined beside me, I glanced over. In the limited sight I had, I was able to see Corey behind Raven. Blood drenched his shoulder, and his face was scrunched in pain. Almost as if he knew I was looking at him, his eyes fluttered open, and pain-filled blue eyes met mine. I gritted my teeth. When I met them, I never wanted him or the others to have that expression again, but here he was with these eyes. He gave me a soft smile and nodded to reassure me before his eyes fluttered closed again.

Time passed, and clouds had blocked the moon. No Academy forces were seen, but we knew that they would be. After riding for forty minutes, we came across a familiar object. Slowing down, we came to a stop. I looked around, making sure that the others were okay. Axel and Brandon were gathering their equipment while Corey leaned against Raven for support. A closer look at Corey made me concerned. He was too pale.

"We need to hide the bikes," Axel spoke in the quietness. We nodded, and we dragged our bikes into the brush. I felt bad leaving our bikes like this but they were almost out of gas. Once that was done, we picked up our bags and started towards Destination Cinderella. I glanced at my watch. There was still a few minutes until midnight which was when Marc, Kayli, and the Prime were to leave without us.

Labored breathing made me look behind me. Corey was breathing and sweating heavily. He was too weak to walk so Raven was carrying him on his back. The look of despair and concern made my heart hurt. Letting Axel take the lead, I stayed back until I was next to Raven. I looked at Corey who had his eyes closed. "How injured is he?"

Raven frowned. "Bad. The bullet tore through his shoulder. I was able to get the bullet out but..." His voice trailed off. His hands tightened around Corey's arms. "I can't loose him, Luna. I haven't told him I lo-"

I turned to face him, glaring at him. "Don't think like that. Corey is a fighter. If you regret not telling him something, then tell him when he wakes."

Raven suddenly looked like a lost puppy. "What will I do if he rejects me?"

I hid my smile as I saw Corey's eyes wide open, shocked at Raven's feelings. "You'll just have to take that risk, but what about Kayli?"

Raven's lips curled into a small smile. "The day after we had that talk with Kayli about Kevin, Kayli confronted me about my feelings for her and for Corey. She said that she loves us and knows that I love him. She's given me her acceptance." His dark brown eyes looked at me. "It's all thanks to you, Luna."

I gave him a lopsided smile. "Oh?"

"She opened up to us," Raven spoke as we stepped over a small creek. "If you hadn't, we wouldn't have known the truth behind Kevin's death and Kayli's guilt. By telling us her guilt, she opened up to us in a way that we haven't seen in years."

I shrugged. "She just needed a push, but I'm glad that you guys are finding your happiness."

Corey moved around as if he was waking up. His blue eyes looked at me in sadness. "You'll find your happiness, too, Sang."

I sighed, looking at the cloudy sky. I imagined that the sky was clear and that stars were twinkling in the sky with the Polaris shining brightly, but my life was like this cloudy sky. The clouds were the obstacles and the starry sky was my happiness. The clouds may disperse but they will always come back, blocking me from my happiness. "I finally got my brother back. I'm happy." I peeked at them, seeing their tight lipped expressions. Even Axel and Brandon seemed stiff. "My life is more dangerous than yours. I don't want anyone to get hurt because of me, and I'll be alright."