When I glanced at Enzo, his whole body was shaking in laughter. “Being in good with Gemma is much more fun than being on the outs with her.”
“Yeah, you say that now. Just give it a few months. You’ll change your mind,” I complained, thinking of all the ways I was going to harm every hair on her head when I saw her again the following day.
Enzo brushed my hair back, his knuckles brushing over the slight points on my ears. “You really do look beautiful. I’m sorry she made you uncomfortable, but I promise we’re going to take it slow tonight and only stick with things you’re okay with.”
“I really appreciate that.” I pulled away a little and tugged him forward, so we could keep moving for two reasons: I didn’t want to be in the hall when Gemma came out of my room. Also, he was making my girly bits go a little wild, so I needed a distraction from his overwhelming hotness.
“So, where are we headed?” I asked, mostly to distract myself.
“A surprise. Actually, one we need to hurry up for before the wind ruins it.” He grabbed on to my hand and, within a second, we were outside on top of the tallest peak where we finished our original first date at.
Before I could really take in everything he had done, a gust of wind came tunneling over the mountain and almost knocked me on my ass. Enzo righted me as he waved his opposite hand. When he was done moving, the wind was gone, and it was about twenty degrees warmer.
“What did you do?” I asked as I saw his surprise was more than ruined.
“Put a shield over us, but I needed to be present to keep it active, so when I went to get you, all of this was left unprotected.” He bent down, trying to salvage what was left of the candles and other assortments.
Kneeling, I began to help him and noticed a basket tucked next to the rocks. Delicious smells were permeating from it, making me drool a bit. I was more than excited to know that, while the chocolate and strawberries currently spread across the grassy area were ruined, not everything else was.
“Sorry, this wasn’t how I wanted our date to start,” he grumbled as we finished picking everything up.
“It’s the thought that counts. You know how much I love it up here, and it means a lot to me that you thought to bring me here. Any time we can get away from the school is the best time.”
Taking several steps closer to me, his hands trailed up my arms agonizingly slow before settling on my face and gently cupping my cheeks. His lips pressed to mine, and I eagerly pressed closer, happy to have a little bit of dessert before dinner.
My arms wrapped around his shoulders as my fingers became entangled in his silky-smooth hair. If I was a lesser woman, I might have even been jealous of his locks, but knowing he was all mine, I took full advantage.
Pressing my body closer to his, my hips made contact with the hard length of his groin, and I knew at least one of Gemma’s suggestions for our date was definitely going to be happening, possibly even third base.
Enzo’s mouth pulled away from mine and stalked down my neck, but then he pulled back to look into my eyes. The golden depths swirling and staring intently back at me were what I missed most while he was gone.
“We should eat before the food gets cold,” he whispered.
“But I’m enjoying dessert,” I hummed.
“As much as I am too, I also timed our date so we could eat dinner while the sun was setting, and I don’t want you to miss it.” His hands gently turned me around before wrapping around my waist, and he settled his chin on my shoulder.
My breath hitched as I took in the multitude of colors swirling together and the clouds moving through the sky as the sun set. Deep purples from the night began to emerge as the landscape before us deepened from orange to deep red, offset by the silver clouds floating across the horizon.
Dinner completely forgotten, we stood silently in each other’s arms as the minutes ticked by. No words were needed to know this was a moment we would both remember. Energy passed between us everywhere our bodies touched, causing my skin to feel like it was on fire and the only way to put it out was to give more of myself to Enzo.
I finally had him back, and I didn’t want to waste another moment, mostly because the threats from Malina were very real. I didn’t know how to deal with her hurting those I cared about.
Life could be awfully short, even for supernaturals, and I decided as the final rays of the sun disappeared behind the mountains, I was done moving cautiously with Enzo. I wanted to give him all of me. There were no promises of a tomorrow in our current situation, and I wanted to have no regrets.
Turning around, I pressed my hand to his heart. It beat wildly beneath my fingers, and I knew without a single doubt in my heart that he was feeling what I was as I slid my other arm around his waist to bring him even closer.
“Are you sure?” he whispered before I even had to say anything.
“More sure than I’ve ever been of anything in my life.”
His lips crashed down on mine in an all-consuming kiss that distracted me so thoroughly that I hadn’t even realized we’d left the mountain top until the backs of my legs made contact with his bed and he gently laid me back on the soft surface.
“I’m going to worship every inch of your body before I’m done with you,” he murmured passionately as he pulled my shoes off and made his way to the top of my pants.
Before he continued, a look of hesitation flashed across his face. “Are you absolutely positive this is what you want, Raegan? Once I taste you, I won’t ever be able to let you go. You’ll be mine for life, and I’m more than okay with that, but I need to know you are as well, because I can’t lose you again.”
Leaning up off the bed, I reached for him. “Enzo, I love you. I’ve known it since the moment you disappeared and my heart nearly ripped in two, but I refused to admit it, because I couldn’t deal with the thought of losing another person I loved. Now that you’re here, I don’t want to miss out on a single thing with you.”
His eyes darkened, and lines further creased on his face. “You love me?” He sounded so surprised, like nobody had ever told him those words before.
“Why wouldn’t I? You have been there for me as often as was possible over the last seven months, pushing me beyond my limits and showing me what I was capable of, even when I didn’t think I could. You’re compassionate even if you can also be infuriating, and you have one of the sexiest grins in the world that makes my heart beat faster every time I see it.”
His face softened, but he still didn’t smile like I had hoped. “Nobody has loved me since my mother died, and I didn’t think I would ever be worthy of it again, but I promise you, Raegan, I will be everything you need, and I will love you back just as fiercely.”
No more words were spoken as clothes were stripped and hands moved everywhere. Just as he promised, Enzo worshiped every inch of my body until I was a withering mess beneath him, begging for more. Begging for everything.
My body hummed with energy and when he slid into me for the first time, a lavender glow lit the room as our two beings became one, confirming I had made the right choice. Enzo was my happily-ever-after, and I was going to fight for as long as I could to show him he was worth all the love in the world.
Chapter 22
More weeks passed after the date with Enzo, and I tried to enjoy the time we spent together, but after that night, things became complicated around the school. The first week he had been back was the calm before the storm, which was quickly turning into a hurricane right before our eyes.
Malina was constantly lashing out at me, breaking through on a daily basis, even with the new necklace Enzo had given me that was almost an exact replica of the one I had lost. When I had told him about the afternoon he was taken, his eyes darkened and body shook as he attempted to contain his rage.
I had finally convinced him that I was fine. Nothing bad had happened that I was aware of besides losing my necklace. We were back together, and he was safe; that was all that mattered. It took him a while, but he f
inally accepted too much time had passed for us to try to figure out what happened to me on that day.
“If this bitch doesn’t let up, I’m going to be physically sick,” Gemma complained as she took a seat next to us at lunch.
“What’s wrong?” My body immediately tensed. Students had been leaving early, one by one, as Malina’s strength continued to grow. School was closing a month early and next week was finals, but that didn’t matter much to me. I still couldn’t leave.
“Nothing that any of us can do about it.” She rolled her eyes. “It’s just too much darkness. The weight of it pressing down all around the school is making me nauseous. I’m so ready to leave next week.”
I sighed, wishing I could say the same thing. Enzo squeezed my hand under the table, offering me his silent support. He was staying with me until the council figured out a way to get me out without giving Malina the opportunity she needed to escape.
I don’t need the council to escape. Things are already in motion, which I know you can feel. I sense how the power draws you to me, she boasted inside my head. You can fight it all you want, but your future is mine to control and my day is coming. I will show you what you were meant to be.
My whole body shook as I pushed Malina’s words out of my head. I refused to speak back to her any longer. There was nothing she was going to tell me that would be useful for what I wanted, so I didn’t want to further fuel her drive.
“Everything okay?” Enzo asked.
Forcing a smile on my face, I nodded. “Of course. It’s Friday and our last weekend before school gets out.”
Neither he nor Gemma seemed excited or convinced I truly was, and I hated that Malina had ruined this year for everyone.
I had not-so-willingly come to the academy to learn how to defend myself and find out who my parents were. I might have failed at one of those things, but I knew I was more than capable of holding my own against another scavenger like the one who had attacked me the night I met Enzo.
Aunt Jules came rushing into the commissary and straight to our table. She had stayed at the academy, but I honestly hadn’t seen much of her. She had been too busy working with Headmaster Stone on a secret project I assumed had to do with Malina, but she refused to tell me anything about it.
“I need both of you to come with me.” A grin broke out across her face as she pointed at me and Enzo, and only some of my worry eased.
“What’s going on?” I asked with trepidation as I started to stand.
“We don’t have time for questions. Just come on,” she pressed.
“Oh, hell no,” Gemma piped in as she pushed away from the table. “I’m not being left behind.”
Jules groaned. “I don’t care who else comes, I just need you to move your asses.” She grabbed Enzo’s and my hands, pulling us along and gathering stares from the other students as we moved through the commissary.
“Where are we going?” I asked while glancing back to make sure Gemma was keeping up with us. She was right at my heels, which I appreciated.
“To the front gate. I finished my project with the headmaster.”
Hesitation slammed through me, even though I was curious as hell. The main entrance was painful if I moved too close to it. The stronger Malina became, the more powerful the enchantments on the shield had become, which meant my connection to her forced me to be even further away from leaving the confines of the academy.
Instead of continuing to question her, I let her pull us along. Enzo seemed intrigued about Jules’ enthusiasm, but he held his tongue. He seemed to realize, like I had, that we weren’t going to find anything out until we arrived where Jules was leading us.
The closer we came to the front of the school, the more my body tensed, and my muscles recoiled from the energy lashing out at me, but I ignored it, trusting Jules to make it worthwhile for me.
“How much farther are we going?” Enzo asked as he glanced at me.
Sweat had broken out on my face, and my jaw was tight as the pain became even worse than I had anticipated.
Jules glanced back. “Shit. I’m sorry, Raegan, but we’re almost there. We have to be just close enough or it won’t work.”
“What won’t work?” Enzo asked, and I was grateful, because if I opened my mouth, I was afraid all that would come out would be screams as everything within me began to burn.
She ignored his question and, about a minute later, came to an abrupt stop. We were about ten feet from the main entrance, and as I fought to stay upright, Enzo’s hands wrapped around my waist.
“I got you,” he whispered.
“Is she going to be okay?” Gemma asked, concern weighing heavily on her words.
“I hope so,” Jules responded as she shoved a vial full of some red liquid into my hands. “Drink this, and then run for the shield. You only have a few seconds before it won’t work. That’s why we had to be so close.”
“You’re kidding me, right?” Enzo snapped. “You want to risk having her entire body get shredded without testing it on anything else?”
Jules stepped right up to Enzo. “Listen, Elf. I appreciate everything you’ve done for my niece, but I love her, too. I would never ask this of her if I hadn’t done everything in my power to make sure it would work, including making sure Headmaster Stone approved it. Now, back off and let her make the decision.”
She turned to me and pulled me out of Enzo’s grasp.
“You don’t have to do this, but I know how much you want out and I wouldn’t ask you to trust me if I didn’t think it was worth it.”
I nodded and managed to find my voice without crying out. “I know you wouldn’t, and I’m thankful for you doing whatever it is you’ve done. I’m assuming I’ll find out what that is when I’m done.”
She grinned. “You know it, along with the biggest slice of chocolate cake to go along with the celebration.”
“Throw ice cream in and we have a deal.”
“Done,” Jules said before turning to Enzo. “I need you to shield her as soon as she drinks the vial. Your strongest shield, more powerful than anything you’ve ever done before. I need her to basically be invisible. Can you do that?”
“Of course I can, but why didn’t you ask the council to do it?”
That was a great question, and I was wondering the same thing.
“Because there is a power simmering beneath your skin that I sense from you. I believe if you were truly tested, your abilities could rival that of the council’s. Plus, you have a connection to Raegan none of them have. It’s motivation for you to do it right the first time in order for her to not get hurt.”
He murmured something underneath his breath, but the pounding in my head was so severe at that point, I could barely even hear their normal conversation, let alone his mumblings.
My hands covered both of my ears. “That all sounds great, but can we get this moving along now before my head explodes?” Between the shield’s power and Malina’s incessant demands to get through, I was about ready to pass out.
“I’m so sorry, Raegan,” Jules said. “I promise it will all be worth it in just a minute. As long as Enzo’s ready, drink the vial, then run.”
My eyes met his, and he nodded. “I won’t let anything hurt you.”
I smiled, or at least, I thought I did. Hard to say through all of the sharp pains assaulting my head and now chest, but I knew he meant his previous words. If it was within his power, not even a hair would ever be harmed on my body.
Pulling the cap off, I didn’t even bother smelling the concoction. Instead, I readied myself for the short sprint I’d have to do from where we stood to outside the shield. It wasn’t far, in reality, but as I considered what could happen if it didn’t work, it felt like miles away.
“I’m ready.” After taking one deep and calming breath, I tossed the contents of the vial into my mouth, swallowed in one gulp, and began racing toward the border. My legs went numb as I passed through the open gate, and my vision blurred.
I
wasn’t going to make it.
My steps faltered, and I almost tripped as everything began moving in slow motion.
Adjusting my stride, I righted myself before I hit the ground and pressed forward but didn’t make it very far.
Malina screamed in my head, causing me to fall to my knees.
YOU CAN’T LEAVE ME!
Watch me, bitch, I responded, even more motivated to complete my task.
Warmth filled me as I sensed Enzo’s energy surround me, and I once again had faith I could accomplish getting to the other side of the shield.
Standing back up, the agony began to recede and, before I knew it, there was no pain at all. Turning back around, all I saw was the dilapidated old house that was the illusion of what the council wanted humans to see.
“I did it!” I cheered, knowing they could see me.
After months of being stuck at Shadow Veil, I was finally free. Even Malina’s presence was severely muted. I could still sense her just beneath the surface, but it was fading, and I couldn’t have been happier.
Jules, Enzo, and Gemma appeared within seconds. Each of them hugged me, offering their own congratulations, but when I met my aunt’s face, I knew it wasn’t going to be all celebrations.
“What’s wrong?” I asked.
“Well, I’m ridiculously glad it worked. I swear, you have no idea how happy I am that all the time I spent with the witches in New Orleans when I was bored at my pack could be put to good use, but now I need you to go back. I was only given permission to try this, and then you had to return.”
My eyes widened as any hope I had at real freedom was dashed. “Why?”
“Because there are still hundreds of students in the academy who need to finish their finals next week. If you leave permanently, the council believes Malina will tear the school down in an attempt to get free and find you. They can’t risk all of them to give you your freedom. Not yet anyway.”
Damn it. I could understand where they were coming from. If even one student was hurt because of my departure, then I wouldn’t be able to live with myself.
Delayed Admission Page 19