**Harper''s POV **


    Sage''s handnds on Dillon''s forearm, not his shoulder. What does that mean?


    Axeles over and puts a hand on Dillon''s shoulder before guiding him away. I attempt to follow, but he puts a hand up to stop me. He gives me


    the universal sign for "It''s okay" and I can finally suck in a breath. What the hell just happened?


    Demi shoots me a questioning look and I shrug, still


    trying to remember how to breathe and trying to calm my racing heart. I don''t know what I would have done if I''d been wrong


    about Dillon. He and Archie already mean the world to me.


    I''ve already spent hours daydreaming about our future. The thought of all those


    dreams shattering is heartbreaking. I couldn''t stand it.


    Sage is moving


    down the line again, but I can''t focus on her. I can''t stop my eyes from going to where Axel is talking to Dillon further down the field. Dillon looks animated and Axel appears to be trying to calm him.


    I can''t hold back any longer. My legs are moving towards them before I can stop


    myself. Dillon turns to look in


    my direction and I pick up speed, running towards him now as he


    moves towards me.


    Dillon''s arms open for me and I run into them. He lifts me from the ground and


    I nt my lips on his


    in a desperate kiss. We all agreed not to go this far until our bond was confirmed, but I couldn''t wait a second longer. I felt so close to losing him just now and I know I''d regret never kissing him for the rest of my life if that had happened.


    So right here, in the


    middle of the training field, in front of some of my parents and arge group of students, I have my first kiss. It''s messy, it''s raw


    and is passionate. It''s amazing.


    When I finally break the kiss and look into Dillon''s eyes, I can see


    my own emotions reflected there.


    "I thought I was going to lose you," Dillon breathes.


    "Me too."


    My eyes well with tears, and he kisses me again. It''s slower this


    time, less desperate and more sensual and exploratory. I think I have just found


    my new favourite pastime. Why did we wait to do this?


    As I deepen the kiss, my tongue delving into Dillon''s mouth to meet


    his, someone clears their


    +25 Bonus


    throat nearby and I suddenlye back to my senses with a flush of embarrassment.


    I break the kiss and bury my face against Dillon''s chest to hide


    my shame. He wraps


    his. arms around me, shielding me from view with a chuckle.


    "Sage has moved on. It might be best if you don''t follow for now," Axel says.


    "Why did she touch Dillon? He''s not Demi''s bond."


    "I''m not sure. I guess she will exin it to youter, but


    we have always been told that if she touches someone anywhere but on their shoulder that we should move that person away from her. Only a shoulder touch identifies a bond," Axel exins.


    "Well, that was a bit exciting, wasn''t it?" Theo says with humour as hees


    to join us.


    I lift my face to scowl at him, and he holds up his hands in surrender.


    "No. It was terrifying," I huff.


    "Yes, that''s what I meant," he nods, his face turning deadly


    serious and almost making me smile.


    Theo trying to be serious has always been funny to me. Of all my parents, he is the least serious. He finds humour in almost any situation and I love him for it. "Deacon said you should go to Ruby. You have been assigned an apartment there," Axel says.


    "Which way is that?" I ask, trying to remember the location of each building.


    "I can take her," Dillon offers.


    "Yeah, I bet you would love that, wouldn''t you, Romeo?" Theo snorts. "But you still have a ss toplete. I''ll take her."


    Dillon sighs


    and kisses the top of my head. "I''ll see you for dinnerter," he says before releasing his hold on me


    and jogging back over to join his ssmates..


    I watch him go with a new appreciation for him. I can''t wait until


    he''s officially mine.


    "Okay... let''s get moving before we have another romantic movie moment in the


    middle of the field," Theo sighs.


    I cast onest look at Dillon and he waves before taking position in front


    of his sparring partner.


    "Be good," Axel grins before jogging back over to his students.


    I roll my eyes and turn to follow Theo.


    We arrive at an old-looking building and I remember my mum telling me it''s where


    she once lived with my dads when they were at the academy.


    The entrance way is spacious and doubles as amunal area, which is currently upied by students and their luggage. My mum Luke is calling out names from a tablet and handing out keys to teens, who then head up one of the two enormous staircases.


    Theo leads me straight to Luke, who hands him a key and tells him I''m in apartment number three. My mum doesn''t make


    a fuss over me, and barely nces my


    way as she continues assigning rooms to students. Which is good.


    "Deacon will port your luggage over soon, so make sure you answer the door when he knocks. Intake day is always busy, but this is a crazy one, so be ready to answer when hees," Theo says as we climb the grand staircase.


    "Okay," I nod.


    "Here


    we are, apartment three." Theo hands me the key and I unlock the door, excited to see my new home.


    I push open the door and I''m


    surprised to see how spacious the


    apartment is. From the doorway, le can see an open-n kitchen area with a table big enough to seat six. Behind the counter is a lounge area. with arge L shaped couch and a TV on the wall.


    "I''ll leave you to explore. I need to


    get back to mybat ss before Axe uses me of cking," Theo says.


    I turn to thank him and watch him walk away before I step into the apartment and close the door.