The likelihood of someone sneaking past Frost's attention, and you could bet your ass he was on guard after Eva’s escape, was very slim. Chan had been very convincing though when he slipped me the notes, his whole demeanor even changing to the point that I believed he was telling the truth. But then he reverted right back to the strict professor the whole class had witnessed and it left me unsure. He was one hell of an actor to be able to flip his switch like that.
I mean, sure I had heard stories of dragons growing up, just like the others had, but I never thought they were actually real, let alone shifters for that matter. If they had the ability to shift, then what the hell made them stick around this hellhole? It certainly wasn’t the prospect of being able to char an escapee alive and have dinner. Something about it didn’t add up to me, and if I could figure it out, then perhaps we could actually trust Chan.
Maybe when I took him up on his offer to catch me up from the few days I had missed we would learn more about him. Possibly even figure out more information about who bought Shay and why she was brought here. I knew Sebastian would have been serious about keeping records, all druids were. It was just a matter of finding the right ones and I hoped like hell Frost hadn’t taken everything of use after the professor escaped with Eva. I was counting on the fact that Frost had been so pissed and intent on finding them, that thinking about raiding Sebastian's things wouldn't have occurred to him.
I smiled as I turned the corner to my room. Shay was something else, so timid and shy, but at the same time her courage was heartening. I knew no matter what, we were going to help her escape with us. Knowing what they were using her for, and her possible fate, I couldn’t do otherwise. I knew Eva would agree with me once she learned what was going on. Now we only had to figure out if we could trust our new messenger.
I entered my room, and pulled the skirt off, ignoring the closet for pajamas. It wasn’t like I wasn’t going to take them off in a second anyways to relieve some of this tension. I stripped down and slid under the covers just as the door automatically shut me in for the night. The lumpy mattress sagged in the middle and I nestled in deeper. It was odd what a few days on the hard floor in solitary could make you appreciate.
My hand found my center and I started circling my nub, rubbing gently as I reached up and pinched my nipple. Images of Beck between my thighs and Jet’s mouth hot over my breast ran through my mind and my back arched as it would for them. I slipped my finger between my folds, still wet from Becks dick rubbing hard against my ass and let out a low moan as my eyes shuddered close.
I thrust my finger in and out, building my pleasure until I was right on the edge and ready to climax, letting the wave of my orgasm wash over me. The metal from the bed squeaked around me and I was glad I didn’t have a roommate at the moment. My fingers stilled and my eyes flew open at the thought. I hadn’t shifted enough to make the bed move like that.
My gaze shot to the edge of the bed where a pair of annoyed dark brown eyes met mine, her jet-black hair falling around her face.
“Who the fuck are you?” I barked out, my irritation clear at the interruption.
“I think that much would be clear,” she replied dryly.
“Yeah not so much,” I sat up, and swung from the bed, my nakedness not bothering me in the least as I stood to face her and she sat up.
“Since it’s not clear, I’m your new roommate. And I would appreciate it if you would have the decency to play with yourself on your own time. I don’t want to hear all that, especially when I’m trying to sleep,” she laid back down on the bed and turned her back to me as I struggled not to gape at her.
I stomped over to the closet and pulled out some pajamas, not caring how loud I was or if she got her precious sleep for that matter. I slammed the door shut and landed on the mattress, the bed squeaking beneath me.
Who the fuck did she think she was? I had no clue she was even in here, if I had I wouldn’t have done it. Okay, I corrected, if I had known she was in here, I still would have done it. I just would have been quieter about it.
I let out a frustrated breath. It was going to be a long night in more ways than one.
The next morning, I woke up surprised at how fast I fell asleep considering what an emotional day it had been. I took out an outfit for the day and frowned at the neatly made top bunk. Of course, she was already gone for the day. She seemed like she was that kind of person. I rolled my eyes as I headed for the shower. It was probably better that way because I had a thing or two to say to her, and it was likely to not end well.
After a quick shower, I headed to breakfast, eager to talk to Jet and Beck about the newcomer. I was surprised to find Alayna leaning over Beck, her tits on full display as she laughed at something he had said. Anger rose in me and I started to make my way over to make it clear exactly who’s man she was fucking with but stopped in my tracks as she glanced at Carmen and he winked in my direction.
I let out a long breath, it would seem she was just up to her old stunts again, and I had nothing to worry about. It was probably best I didn’t let that one rile me up anyway considering my recent stint in solitary. I would feel really good to drown the bitch though, and almost worth it. If Frost wasn’t gunning for me, I would have been more than happy to see what her pitiful sparks were against my tidal waves. I cackled as I pictured her looking like a drowned rat, pinned up against the wall with my water. A girl could dream.
The line moved quickly as I glanced around for the new girl. She was already seated at a table by herself, her back military straight as she ate her food. Her hair was pulled back from her face in a small bun and she ignored the few students that passed her who were murmuring amongst themselves. No one approached her though, and she didn’t seem to care one way or another. Despite my encounter with her last night, I found myself respecting her for that at the very least.
“Next!” Henry barked out, pulling my attention from the new girl. I gave him my number automatically as I stepped forward, looking at him in surprise as he thanked me. The urge to jump over the counter and demand what the fuck was going on was strong. There were way too many people watching though, so I just frowned and moved down the line.
As I approached the table Alayna straightened and sneered at me as she ran a finger over Becks shoulder. “If you decide you want to have some real fun, you know how to find me,” she grinned at Beck before sauntering away, Carmen on her heels like the bitch she was.
I rolled my eyes as I took my seat between Jet and Beck. “So she’s trying to get her claws into you now, huh?” I asked with a chuckle.
“She has no chance,” Beck replied, bumping his shoulder against mine.
“Damn right she doesn’t,” Jet grinned at the two of us, making me smile. It would seem a certain someone was getting more on board with the idea of sharing me with Beck.
The thought of the two of them sharing me more than excited me, though it also reminded me of my new roommate. “Hey, did you guys see the newbie this morning?”
“Yeah, Carmen and Alayna tried their shit with her already, but she wasn’t taking any of it. Everyone is steering clear of her now.” Jet shrugged.
“I see that. She’s also my new roommate,” I stated.
“Oh shit,” Jet mumbled.
“Oh shit is right. She interrupted me rubbing one out last night. So that means one of you better be taking care of that later,” I looked between the two of them, making my point clear.
“Well then,” Beck narrowed his eyes on mine, and I knew he understood what I was getting at.
“Now that’s clear,” I glanced around before lowering my voice a bit, careful no one was passing by. “I’m going to see about being tutored tonight to catch up on my lessons,” I stated, knowing they would understand my cryptic message and if there happened to be anyone listening in, they would be none the wiser.
“Glad you will be able to catch up,” Beck grinned.
A couple of students passed by and Jet spoke up. “Not like you
missed much though, so not sure what the point is.”
“Still, better to be safe than sorry, with the new professor we can’t be sure what he might like to go over,” I shrugged.
“Speaking of, we better get headed to class. He made it clear that he won’t tolerate tardiness,” Jet added.
We all disposed of our trash and put our trays away before heading to class. Alayna and Carmen fell into step behind us, and we could hear them talking about the new professor.
“Too bad he's such a dick, I bet he’s great in bed,” Carmen chuckled.
“Dick or not, I bet I can get him to agree to some fun,” Alayna laughed as I rolled my eyes. Those two really did not know when to quit.
We entered the class and the guys took their seats while I squared my shoulders and headed to the front. Chan, Sir Chan, I corrected myself, was standing with his arms crossed watching us as we all filed in. Just as yesterday, his body seemed to exude shadows that made him look bigger than he was.
“Sir Chan?” I walked up to him.
“Yes, Miss Una?” His fierce eyes met mine and seemed to penetrate my soul, and not the good penetration.
“I was wondering if tonight was a good night to take you up on your offer to go over my missed work?” I struggled to not fidget under his intense gaze, while at the same time searching for some sort of sign that he really knew Eva and was on our side.
“Tonight will be fine,” he gave me a short nod and dismissed me without another word. I don’t know if it was my imagination but the shadows surrounding him seemed to recede for a moment.
I took my seat between the guys, “I’ll be back here tonight for some lessons it would seem.”
“Good,” Jet replied. “We will meet you after that?”
I nodded my reply and looked to the front of the class, again taking notes as Chan gave information. The class passed quickly and before I knew it we were being dismissed for the next class of the day. My hand was cramped from all the writing but not as bad as it was yesterday.
As we left the room I could feel Chan’s eyes on the back of my head, but he didn’t call out to stop me. At the last minute I turned to glance in his direction and he quickly distracted himself with papers on his desk.
I turned the corner to catch back up with the guys and bumped solidly into someone. “Shit, I’m sorry,” I mumbled as the person's hands came up and gripped my arms. A set of bright green eyes met mine as I looked up and I sucked in a breath.
“You,” he breathed out the shock clear in his voice.
“Holy shit.”
Chapter 11 - Adar
It had been so long since that day I’d almost lost my life on the beach. Almost a year and now my parents were on my ass to find a wife. I really didn’t want to get married or have kids just yet. Hell, I was barely an adult and still wanted to enjoy being a single man, traveling the kingdom, hanging out with my friends, and just being young and free.
Soon enough I would take over the role of my father and be chained to this kingdom and all of its nuances. It wasn’t something I looked forward to or wanted. I wished I could have been born as a commoner, not having to worry about how my actions would affect the people.
My father was actually not that bad, his guidance was with a light hand even though he expected a lot from me. He actually encouraged me to spend time traveling and having fun, though reminded me that fun had its limits when you were the crowned prince. It was my mother that pressured me to do more, to be more.
She had a lust for power, one that she tried, and failed, to push on me. I did inherit her magic, though I was half human, and it grated on her that I allowed myself to appear more human than sorcerer. The Evil Queen, as I preferred to call her, had pushed me hard for as long as I could remember to wield the family magic.
It had been fun when I was a kid, like a game to me. I loved when the power coursed through me and loved mixing potions, making up my own. Back then, it was all fun and games. I didn’t understand the power that I held could take a life. I was just a young boy playing, having great fun with this power that no one but my mother and I held. The attention she lavished on me when I succeeded was addictive, so I pushed myself to learn even more.
It wasn’t until I became a teenager and began to understand life and death that I pulled away from my mother and stopped wanting to be like the queen. I had lost a close friend to a disease that even I didn’t have the power to heal and it crushed me. Faced with the loss of my friend, I pulled away from lessons with the queen, instead finding excuses to escape the castle as much as possible.
The past year I had spent partying, using it as an excuse to search for the woman from the beach. The one that had saved me. I didn’t know what it was about her that called to me, but I knew I needed to find her. To thank her at the very least.
It was an understatement to say the queen wasn’t happy with me. She was pissed and decided that I needed to find a woman that would lead me back to my rightful place. Manipulating my father into agreeing with her that it was what was best for me, and more importantly, the kingdom.
Constantly she shoved horrible women at me, ones that didn’t know me, let alone want me. They just wanted my title and the riches that came with it. They seemed to take great lengths to try to impress me and beat out the others. Little did they know, their antics only served to annoy me further.
There were many instances of fights between them, even involving the ones I had immediately rejected. I don’t know if they were nuts or if it were the queen whispering in their ears that they had a chance with me. It was such a turn off, and call me a sap, but if I were to settle down eventually, I wanted someone that loved me for me, not for the power that my mother whispered about in their ears.
It was shortly after I had been rescued from the beach with my friends that I caught my mother passing potions to my father. I wondered for many years why he put up with her evil ways and once I saw that, I knew. He didn’t support her ways or even love her. It was all part of her spell, and I hated her even more for it.
She really was an evil queen and hadn’t attempted to hide it from him. He was a caring and loving man, compassionate. The complete opposite of her, yet she was not only the queen of our kingdom, she was also the queen of manipulation.
It took me a lot of time and threats to get it out of her, but she finally admitted that she had been giving him a love potion throughout their entire courtship and continued through their marriage. I was horrified and she begged me not to tell my father. I wasn’t sure he would believe me anyway considering how long he had been under her spell. I made her promise to stop feeding him the potions and she agreed though, I didn’t think she stopped completely.
It was some consolation that his actions and attitude towards her did seem to change a bit. No longer did he seem as loving or as ready to obey her every whim. She ended up having to hide what she did in her magic room quite a bit more, though it didn’t stop her from practicing. I would spy on her once in a while to make sure she wasn’t hurting anyone.
It was one of those days that I decided to spy on her. She stood in front of her mirror as she usually did, asking who was the most beautiful magical being in the worlds. I rolled my eyes at her constant need for validation of her beauty. As my mother, she was obviously older in years but still looked like she could be my sister. I had once asked her what kept her looking so young and she replied simply, “An apple a day.” Always, the mirror replied and told her she was the most beautiful. It was to the point that I thought she had spelled it for her own vanity.
I started turning away but something different happened this time. Instead of telling the queen she was the most beautiful, it swirled and showed a picture of a woman that I immediately recognized, and I gasped. The queen noticed my presence and turned to me, her eyes the same color as mine boring into me.
“You know her?” she accused, ignoring the fact that I had been spying.
“Kind of. I don’t know her name or anything, ju
st that she had saved me from drowning on the beach that day with my friends.” My mind raced as I thought that I might finally be able to find this woman, thank her for what she had done for me. Thank her for keeping me from meeting the fate that so many others met on the beach that day. “I’m pretty sure I told you about her.” I acted as casual as possible, hiding the fact that my heart thudded in my chest for fear of what she might do.
“Who is she?” she demanded, and I could tell she was fighting for control against the storm that clearly raged inside her. “Where can I find her?” her anger increased as she demanded that I give her any information I knew about the woman the mirror had deemed more beautiful than she. I knew nothing except she had saved me and then disappeared, leaving the image of bright purple hair and deep chocolate eyes burned into my memory forever.
The queen raged and swiped at a table that held her ingredients, sending them flying as they shattered into pieces on the floor. She stepped over them as she prowled toward me. “You will find her and you will bring her to me,” she snarled.
Every part of me wanted to step back, but I held my ground, refusing to back down to her. Not on this one. “No. I will not help you hurt someone just because they are prettier than you. You’re out of control, Mother.” I spit out the last word at her.
She laughed, an evil maniacal laugh that sent fear throughout my body, “You enjoy your life here, do you not dear son?” I crossed my arms and didn’t answer. “Adar, I think you’ve become too soft spending so much time around your father. You will help me or I will make you live to regret it.” She left the threat hanging in the air and I knew it was not an empty one. She would do something to make my life terrible, I just didn’t know what.
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