**Avery**
After Conner left my room, I put on my pajamas. Am I glad that he picked an outline? Yes, because now, I can finish it this week. I bet he picked it because of the name. I laugh inside. Pride before the fall, Conner. Pride before the fall.
I take out my chemistry book and look over the syllabus again. There are so many in-class experiments that we have to do. Not only does that mean that Cassius will have to help me complete them, but it means that I will have to touch him. Asher hates me, especially, if Cassius and I touch. Maybe, it is because I slapped them once. I am still astonished I did that. I paid the price for being so bold, but what if there were no such consequences? I sigh, because that is a silly notion. I believe that every action has an equal and opposite reaction, but it always has a reaction even if it isn't what we thought would happen. I take notes over the first three chapters before I put them aside.
Next, I open Mrs. Moore's syllabus. It covers a dragon's entire lifespan, starting at the teenage years, and culminating with estate planning. I sigh, because I know Clint won't be happy, plus, this might be my hardest assignment yet. I know, I will just tell him to imagine my face as another girl's, and I will put the face of one of the characters from my books on him. Being in a school filled with dragons and very few humans, we only study dragon history and culture. I have learned that once they mark their mate, in both human and dragon form, that bond is for life. They can't choose or reject their mate either. Supposedly, the mating bond consists of such strong magic, rendering those under its spell helpless to resist. I don't see how anything could be so powerful that it could control a dragon. At least that is something I will never have to worry about experiencing. I just have to worry if a boy will ever find me attractive. I pull myself away from those negative thoughts, because this won't be an easy course for me to pass, especially if I keep thinking like that. I hope that Clint will be a partner and not make me do everything, because if he does, we both might fail, and failure isn't an option.
I feel myself grow hungry as my stomach begins to growl. I should have fixed something for me when I made dinner for The Trio. I slide on my fuzzy bunny slippers and hop down to the kitchen. I use the servants' stairs, because that will ensure me not running into any of the guys. Once there, I make myself a salad and a small sandwich. I take a soda from the fridge and put it onto my tray. Before I enter the sanctuary of my room, I hear raised voices coming from Cassius's room. I also hear my name. I sigh, because nothing good can come from that. I go into my room and lock the door. My door won't keep them or their dragons out, but it will at least slow them down.
**Cassius**
All during practice I was distracted. I kept mulling over what happened under the bleachers. Once home, I took my dinner up to my room. I am in no mood to be social until I can figure out why I saw Avery looking up at me while Jessica was giving me a blowjob. I eat my food so fast, I don't even taste it. I had just put my headphones on so that I could listen to some music, when both of my brothers came barreling into my room, like someone set their asses on fire. "Get out!"
"Believe me, I will, but something happened besides you fucking up practice," Clint growls.
I scoff because it sounds to me like his little date with Lenore wasn't enjoyable. "Did Lenore deny your pathetic ass?"
Clint rolls his eyes, "No, I saw something when I was fucking Lenore and it creeped me the fuck out!"
"What does this have to do with me?"
"I think that you might have seen something too, which is why you fucked up our practice," Clint explains.
I shrug, because I couldn't care less what Lenore showed him. I prefer Jessica. She's physically more my type. But my brothers and I have always shared this mental connection. What if he saw Avery, too?
Clint pushes Conner in front of him. "It's Avery," Conner says as he sighs.
Wait! Avery! Did they both see her when their girls were fucking them, too? I shake my head to clear that insane thought from my mind. "What about fucking Avery?"
Conner falls into the seat beside my bed and Clint sits on the other. I see Conner run his hand through his hair, then over his face, before his head falls. Speaking to the floor, Conner says, "I went into Avery's room to tell her which play to write. She came out of her bathroom in a towel. Before she turned, I saw a scar which looked like a set of long claw marks on her back. I think that they were dragon claw marks."
"Impossible. She's human, and a weak and pathetic one, at that. No dragon would dare mark her, temporarily or not." But, is that why I saw her instead of Jessica? Was she touched by a dragon? "Are you sure?"
He nods, but says, "She said that it was just a scar from when she was attacked at the orphanage."
"It could be that. So forget what you saw, and be happy that her pale skin didn't blind you." Clint stormed out when I said that, and Conner reluctantly followed him. Now, I really do wonder what Clint saw. Did he see the same mark that Conner did or something else, like how I saw Avery?
I texted Clint asking what he saw. All I got told was to fuckoff. I will leave for school early so that I don't have to see her, because I have some research to do. Maybe, whoever temporarily marked her is linked to my mate. I know that when a dragon's Grand Ceremony is approaching, he becomes more aware of his surroundings. That increased awareness is what allows his dragon to scent its mate so quickly. This has to be why I saw Avery, because there is no way a human, especially one like her, could be my mate.
**Avery**
After I enjoyed my very late dinner, I crawled into bed with my book. I fell asleep while reading. I must have, because I bolted awake like I usually do, but this time, I remembered a bit more. The dream started out innocently enough. The Trio walked into school with me and everyone stared. They each touched me and I didn't flinch, because it felt really good and more intimate. Cassius roared something to the school in Asher's Alpha tone, but I can't recall what he said. However, I do remember what he did next. Cassius pushed me into a stairwell, pinned my arms above my head, and kissed me passionately. I can still both smell and taste him. As his warm hand was traveling up my cool thigh under my dress, I woke up. I laughed, because this portion of the dream had to be because of my book. It was some dream though. This dream will never come true, but it is odd that I remember so much of it.