I nod, feeling a little bit awkward.
Asa leans over and kisses my forehead. “I will see you in class later.”
With that, he gets up, leaving me alone in his bed. I can’t help but feel like absolutely nothing was resolved, but at least he spoke to me.
Nobody warned me how complicated having a mate would be. But four mates? That’s impossible.
I’m in way over my head.
9:47 pm
Insanely happy.
I really like that I get to sit by Jude in my History of Shifters class on Monday and Wednesday. Seeing him is a great way to start my night. Though, I am a little bit nervous about seeing him tonight.
After Asa left, I went back to my room to shower and get ready for the day. I considered showering in his room, but then decided that if I am going to shower in Asa’s room, it’s going to be when he’s in there with me.
Even with the shower, I know Jude will still be able to smell Asa on me. Everybody will. And I wonder if Jude will be happy for me, or if he will be jealous.
I cringe as I realize how awkward Asa’s class is going to be later tonight. Everybody is going to be aware of the fact that we had sex. Still, I have to go to class. I can’t hide, no matter how much I want to.
Just as I’m about to walk into my first class of the day, I have a mini panic attack. I share this class with Brody and Kolton too. It’s next level awkward for my brothers to know that I lost my virginity last night.
I take a deep breath and hold my head high as I walk into class.
All the conversations stop, and everybody turns to look at me. I’m certain that my face is bright red, but I hold my head high anyway. There is no reason for me to feel ashamed for completing my mate bond with Asa. It is completely natural.
I know the only reason people are looking is because of my age, and because I am royal. Hardly anybody meets their mate when they’re eighteen. They’re all just curious, and I can’t blame them.
I take my usual spot at my desk. Jude hasn’t arrived yet, but I know he will be here soon. Brody and Kolton are both here, but I refuse to look their way.
My phone vibrates on my desk, so I glance down and see a text from Brody.
Brody: Congrats, little sis.
I know he’s congratulating me on completing my mate bond with Asa. After all, it is something to celebrate. But I never thought about how awkward it is to congratulate somebody for having sex.
I lock my phone, putting it back on my desk. When I look up again, Jude is walking into the room. He pauses in the doorway, looking at me with his eyebrows furrowed. He eventually walks over and takes his seat beside me.
“Congratulations, Everleigh. I’m happy for you and Asa.”
“Are you jealous?” I chew on the side of my lip as I wait for an answer.
He shrugs. “I am only jealous that we haven’t had the chance to complete our mate bond yet, but I know our time will come. I will be patient until you are ready.”
Jude is the sweetest man on the planet. Every girl deserves a mate like him. I only hope that Henry and Rowan feel the same as him when they find out that I completed my bond with Asa.
I’m in a new territory here. Vampires don’t share mates. There is nobody that I can even talk to about this.
Even though dragon shifters usually share mates, I can’t talk to one of them. They like to keep to themselves. But it would be nice to know if they ever have jealousy among their mates. Or maybe since it’s a fate thing jealousy isn’t an issue.
I grab onto Jude’s hand and squeeze it. I hear a gasp, and I realize it’s because my classmates think I’m holding hands with somebody who isn’t my mate. I don’t really have a way of reassuring them that Jude is my mate too, but I kind of don’t care what they think. Soon they will all know that my heart belongs to four incredible men.
Jude grins at me. “Don’t worry. They will eventually get used to it.”
I hope he’s right, but more for his sake than mine. Me… I’m past caring what they think. The only thing that matters is that I am insanely happy.
3:17 am
Everything is perfect.
Asa canceled class.
Everybody seems to be really excited when they walk up to the door and see the handwritten note taped up saying there won’t be class tonight, but my heart sinks. I feel like he’s just avoiding me. Even if it is silly, I can’t shake the feeling.
Feeling frustrated, confused, and hurt, I decide to walk to the teacher’s wing of Elite Academy and pay a visit to Henry. He told me that he was going to talk to Asa, and I’d really like to figure out what he found out. If he figured out anything.
I knock on Henry’s door, hoping he is here. I think he just does one early class on Monday and Wednesday, but he could be out. Not a lot is open at three in the morning, but because there are so many vampires in this town, there are a few shops that are open twenty-four seven.
The door opens up, and I smile when I see a shirtless Henry standing on the other side.
I’ve never seen him without a shirt on. Even in class, he keeps his shirt on. But damn… Henry is hot. His jeans ride low on his hips and I can’t help but glance down. He smirks when he sees me looking. I just own up to it. He’s my mate. I’m allowed to look.
He grabs my arm, pulling me inside his room, and he shuts the door behind me. As soon as the door is shut, he pushes me backwards against the door and kisses me hard. It’s the kind of kiss that takes my breath away and leaves me wanting more. A lot more.
“Hey,” he says, backing away from me. “I’m really glad you came by.”
“If that is the greeting I get, I will come by every night.” I’m still trying to catch my breath. “Maybe next time we could just keep going.”
My face grows warm as I realize what I just said, but I meant it. I’m ready to complete my mate bond with Henry, that much I am certain of. I’m ready to be mated officially with all of my mates.
He pushes a piece of hair behind my ear, then leans into me. “I’m definitely okay with us taking things further. I’ve been waiting for you. All you have to do is say the word.”
I look up at him through my lashes, my heart racing.
“You completed your mate bond with Asa.” He raises an eyebrow.
I nod. “Last night. I… I couldn’t sleep. Everything going on with him just has me so crazy. I went to his room to talk, and then we just didn’t talk at all.”
He laughs, walking over to his bed. He takes a seat. “Why does that not surprise me?”
“Did he talk to you?” I take a step forward, toward him.
“No.” Henry shakes his head. “I tried to talk to him, but he kept saying he was too busy. He just keeps saying we’ll talk later.”
At least it’s not just me.
I sigh, sitting on Henry’s bed. “It’s so frustrating. I know I should go back to his room and demand answers, but it would probably just end up the same way it did last night.”
Henry turns to me, grinning. “How was it?”
My face once again grows warm. “Uh, it was nice. Like, really nice. I liked it. A lot.”
He rests his hand on my thigh, gently stroking it. “Sex does feel good, but I imagine it’s nicer when it’s with your mate.”
“Have you had sex with a lot of people?” I don’t know if this is an appropriate question to ask, but I’m curious.
He shrugs. “When I was younger, maybe. But it’s been a while. Like, ten years. I didn’t want to be in a relationship with anybody but my mate, and I was tired of meaningless sex. So I’ve pretty much just spent the last ten years masturbating a lot.”
My eyes widen. Ten years is a long time. “Have you thought about me while touching yourself?”
His smile widens and his eyes light up at my question. “Multiple times a day since we met.”
I don’t know why, but I like the idea of him touching himself while he thinks about me.
I turn so that I am facing him, scooting farther o
n his bed. “Henry, what if I don’t want to wait any longer for us to complete our mate bond? What if I’m ready now?”
I expect Henry to say something, but he doesn’t. He just starts kissing me again, but it’s more intense than it was when he pushed me against his door and kissed me. Now he pushes me against his mattress and his body presses into mine. I love the feeling of his weight on top of me. He doesn’t kiss me like he’s going to break me, which is how Asa kissed me. But Henry kisses me like he wants to devour me, and I want to let him.
His hands squeeze my thighs as he kisses me hard, and I don’t know why, but I like this. I like it a lot. I’m thinking Henry must really like my legs, because he is always touching them every chance he gets.
He reaches for the bottom of my shirt, pulling it over my head. I want it gone. I want every layer of clothing between us gone. I just want to feel his skin against mine.
Soon after he pulls off my shirt, he unhooks my bra, tossing it aside. He resumes kissing me, and I love feeling his chest against mine. I love making out with Henry. I’m definitely excited to do more, but everything leading up to us completing our mate bond is perfect.
I will always remember this moment, and this is a good moment to remember. Everything is perfect.
Henry tugs at my shorts, pulling them off. He never breaks the kiss, which is completely sexy. This is a man who knows what he’s doing. He knows what he wants and he’s going after it. He doesn’t stop to ask permission, which I like very much.
Once my shorts are gone, I feel him tug on my underwear. I lift my butt up a little to make them easier to remove.
He pulls away from me just a little bit, and he looks at every inch of my body. “Everleigh, you are the sexiest woman I have ever laid eyes on. I just want you to know that I am so in love with you that it physically hurts. I can’t wait another moment to make you mine.”
My heart swells at his words. “I love you too, Henry.”
He gets up, pulling his jeans off, then he climbs back on top of me and kisses me hard. “Please tell me you’re on birth control. I don’t want anything between us when I take you for the first time.”
“I am.” I nod.
“Good.”
Henry lines up with my center and he pushes inside of me. He doesn’t go slow like Asa did, and I don’t want him to. He moves against me, hitting all the right spots, and he doesn’t stop kissing me.
His tongue is magical. I can’t wait for him to explore other areas of my body, but right now, this is what I want. It’s what I need. I give my heart, body, and soul fully to Henry, loving that he is mine just as much as I am his.
He swells inside of me, just a little bit, and it’s enough to push me over the edge. I moan against his lips.
Henry is mine now, and it’s an amazing feeling.
Thursday, September 17
9:17 pm
Vastly different.
Waking up in Henry’s bed is vastly different than waking up in Asa’s bed. Mostly because Henry is actually still in bed with me. He has me wrapped in his arms, and I am using his chest as a pillow.
This is nice. It’s also how I wish my morning with Asa would have gone. Instead, I’m left wondering if he hates me. With Henry, I know exactly where I stand. We are in love, and I have no doubts about that. I can feel it radiating out of him through our mate bond.
Henry makes me feel giddy and excited. He gives me butterflies. I want to stay in his arms forever. I almost wish I had completed my mate bond with him first, which makes me feel guilty for even thinking it. But I can’t help it. I do kind of regret Asa, but only because it feels like he hates me.
Henry kisses the top of my head. “Asa does not hate you.”
I look up at him. I know he can read my thoughts through our mate bond, but I don’t feel the need to block him like I did Asa. I have nothing to hide from Henry.
“How do you know?” I’m genuinely curious, because it seems like he does hate me. It seems like he’s spent my entire life hating me.
“He’s talked to me about you for years,” Henry explains. “Asa always keeps to himself, but one day, a few years back, he told me about you. He said he had met his mate, but he had to wait for you to be older. Waiting killed him. But that is how we became friends, by talking about you.”
My heart warms at the thought of Asa talking to Henry about me. I imagine all of this happened when I was a young teenager. I spent most of my time obsessive over a guy I thought I could never have. I suppose not much has changed. I’m still obsessing over Asa and he still doesn’t want me.
“He’s being so dumb. He’s going to lose you if he’s not careful.” Henry clenches his jaw. “You are too good for him.”
It feels nice that Henry is taking my side, but I also worry that he will end up resenting Asa if this continues. I don’t want that. I know that someday he will come around. When he does, I want us all to be a family.
“I would never do anything to intentionally hurt you. I promise I won’t resent Asa. If you forgive him, so will I.” He pulls me closer, snuggling me to him.
“Can we just skip class and stay here all night?” I ask.
“As much as I would love that, I’m pretty sure Jude and Rowan will want to see you today.” He strokes my back with his hand.
I can’t wait for the day that I can wake up surrounded by all four of them. But until then, this is nice. I miss Rowan and Jude, though. I haven’t seen Rowan in a couple of days, and I’ve only seen Jude during class. I need time with them too.
I wonder what they’re going to think about me completing my mate bond with Henry. I don’t want either of them to feel like I chose them last, that is not the case. With Asa and Henry, it just happened, and I like it that way. I want it to be like that with them too. The timing needs to be right. I want to do it because we’re ready and not because we’re supposed to. I just have to wait for them to be ready. I hope it doesn’t take them too long.
“Trust me, Everleigh. Both of those boys want you, they’re just waiting on you to say the word.”
I raise an eyebrow. “How do you know?”
“One, because they’re teenage boys. Two, because you’re hot.” He laughs.
I don’t know about all that, but I do hope he’s right. I am ready to make Jude and Rowan mine.
Henry smacks me on the butt. “We need to get ready for the day. You have class soon.”
I grin. “Do we get to shower together?”
“Hell yeah.”
That is all the motivation I need to get out of bed.
3:01 am
At the same time?
Usually when I hang out with my mates, it’s one on one. It’s not really on purpose, I think we’re all still trying to get used to the fact that I have four mates. So when Jude suggest that we go see Rowan, I jump at the opportunity. I’m thrilled at the thought of hanging out with the two of them at the same time.
Sneaking into Mystic Academy is surprisingly easy, but I still hate the fact that I have to sneak on campus to see my mate. There shouldn’t be different schools for born and bitten vampires. It just isn’t right.
I’m surprised that Jude knows right where Rowan’s room is. It makes me think that maybe he’s been here before, and it’s a comforting feeling. I’d like to think that they are becoming friends. I want my mates to get along. We’re all going to be together for the rest of our existence, so I think it’s important.
Jude knocks on Rowan’s door and it opens a few seconds later. Rowan grins when he sees me.
“I didn’t know you were coming too.” He grabs my hand and pulls me inside his room.
Jude walks in behind me, shutting the door. “I figured you wouldn’t mind if I brought her along.”
Rowan furrows his brows, looking at me. “Why do you smell different?”
Jude grins. “Yes, Everleigh. Why don’t you tell Rowan why you smell different?”
Why is this suddenly so awkward? I search for the right words, but I really can
’t find them. Thankfully, Jude speaks up.
“You see, when a mommy and a daddy love each other very much—”
I cut him off. “I completed my mate bond with Asa and Henry.”
Rowan’s eyes widen. “At the same time?”
Jude laughs so hard that he has to hold his stomach. I’m glad he finds humor in this situation.
“No.” I shake my head. “Not at the same time.” Though that does have potential.
“I don’t think I’ve ever seen your face so red,” Jude says.
I cover my face with my hands. “Oh, my gosh, Jude. You’re so annoying.”
“It’s fun to watch you squirm.”
Rowan chuckles. “I wouldn’t know. I guess I’ll have to ask Henry and Asa what it’s like to watch her squirm.”
And now they’re teaming up against me. Great.
“Don’t be embarrassed.” Jude pats me on the back. “We’re just jealous we haven’t had our turn yet.”
I clear my throat. “So, uh, what are we going to do?”
Yep, let’s change the subject away from mate bonds and sex.
“I think we should have a Harry Potter marathon,” Jude suggests. “Which Hogwarts house are you?”
“Hufflepuff,” Rowan answers.
“Really? I’m Ravenclaw.”
They both look at me, I guess waiting for me to declare which Hogwarts house I’m in.
“I haven’t seen Harry Potter,” I admit. “We didn’t have a TV growing up. My dad isn’t much for human entertainment.”
Jude’s and Rowan’s jaws both drop open in surprise.
“She’s definitely Slytherin,” Jude says.
Rowan nods. “Definitely.”
“Is that a good thing?”
Neither of them answer. Rowan just turns on his TV and pulls me over to his couch. I sit down between Rowan and Jude as the movie starts.
Vampire School (Elite Academy Book 1) Page 12