Found: A Reverse Harem Academy Shifter Bully Romance (Thornbriar Academy Series Book 1)

by Cali Mann

My breath caught at the simple sexiness of it. “Uh . . . yeah.” I scratched my neck and grinned sheepishly. “Do you want me to show you?”

  “Some other time,” she said. “I should go back.”

  “I’m Terrin,” I said.

  She smiled. “Hailey.”

  “Nice to meet you,” I said. “Welcome to Thornbriar. It’s not such a bad place.”

  “Thanks.” She glanced back through the fence with longing on her face, then she turned back toward the building.

  “Want me to walk you to your dorm?” I asked.

  She shrugged as if it didn’t matter to her, but I suspected it mattered more than she would ever admit. Few people had been kind to this girl. I just wanted to wrap her in my arms and protect her forever. Not that I was good at that. My lack of any living family was proof enough. My skills as a defender were minimal at best. She deserved someone better, but at Thornbriar I might be all she had.

  7

  Hailey

  As soon as my head hit the pillow, I was out. Still in my wolf phase, I must have dreamt the usual rabbit chasing dreams, but I woke with no memory of them. I was bone tired from recent events, and it wasn’t like things were going to get any easier. Today was my first day of classes at Thornbriar.

  I’d barely seen my dorm room last night other than to wonder how I got a whole room to myself. I found myself oddly missing the snoring of the other girls. The space was small, but fully stocked with a bed, a desk, and a couple of small lamps. A closet was built into the wall and filled with clothes.

  A knock sounded on the door.

  Slipping out of bed, I ran a hand through my hair to try and tame it. I opened the door to find a girl smiling at me. She had curly brunette hair and wide blue eyes, but the clothes she wore were the same gray and green colors as the pajamas I’d donned last night.

  “Hi,” she said brightly. “I’m Monica Gray.”

  “Uh, hi.”

  “Professor Frank said you might need some guidance this morning, and I volunteered.”

  I nodded.

  She gestured to the other doors. “This is our suite. The four of us each have our own rooms, but we share a bathroom there.” She pointed to the last door on the left.

  “You’ll want to get up pretty early or shower at night, because Jocelyn takes forever.” Monica rolled her eyes. “You’ll find some clothes in your closet, but you can buy anything else you want with your stipend.”

  My eyes went wide. “I get money?”

  She smiled benevolently. “All the scholarship kids do. For clothes and gear and stuff.”

  “Oh.” I glanced down at her plaid skirt and blouse. “Are you a scholarship kid?”

  Monica snickered. “No, I’m a Gray.”

  My face must have looked as baffled as I felt.

  With a sigh, she said, “The Grays are kind of famous. My father sits on the Council.”

  “That’s like the ruling government, right?”

  “Well, Hailey no-last-name, you’ve got a lot to learn.” Monica scowled. “Grab a shower and get dressed, and I’ll show you to the dining room.”

  “Okay.” I closed the door on Monica and sighed. This day was going to be a lot harder than I thought.

  I rubbed my head, where an ache was already blooming, and opened the closet. A white robe hung on the back of the door, with a school patch on the breast. Hanging on the bar were school uniforms: plaid skirts and white tops. In the three drawers at the bottom lay pajamas and two unopened packages of underwear and bras. Ugh. Still no jeans.

  Glancing over I looked wistfully at the jeans and shirt Mr. Reed had picked up for me, but I needed to try to fit in here. For at least as long as I stayed. Running my teeth along my lip, I slipped out of my pajamas and into the robe. A hot shower would feel amazing. All the supplies for washing were in a little kit at the edge of my desk.

  After the shower, I grimaced and put on the school uniform. It fit well at least, although I didn’t know how they’d known my size. The shoe choices were slim: sturdy Mary Janes or sneakers. I chose the Mary Janes for now and was surprised to find that they too were the correct size.

  Monica was waiting for me in the room outside. The four bedrooms lined a large living space with a couch, a TV, and a small kitchen area with a mini fridge.

  “Couldn’t I just eat breakfast here?” I mused.

  She cocked her head. “No, silly. The whole point of the dining hall is to see and be seen.”

  Monica wore the same school uniform I did, but she really wore it. The top two buttons on her blouse were undone and her skirt seemed slightly shorter than mine. Her curly hair was pulled back on top and tied with a matching ribbon.

  “Do we have to wear uniforms?” I asked.

  “Okay, Debbie Downer,” she said. “No, after we turn eighteen, we are not required to wear the uniform. But it shows school spirit.”

  I shrugged. Whatever. “Let’s go eat.”

  Monica led me out of the suite and down the hall. We descended a stone stairwell with some other students. The dining hall was on the first floor of the next building and mealtimes were staggered for the lower and the upper school, Monica explained as we walked.

  We passed through the same courtyard that I’d seen the night before from a different direction. There were students clustered here and there on stone benches or lying in the grass. Some had brought their meals out into the early morning sunshine.

  The double doors to the dining hall swung open as we approached. Two gorgeous guys came through. One with golden hair and a long sinewy body, and the other was Terrin from last night.

  His topaz eyes stared intently at me, and I caught my breath. He was solidly built, but he moved gracefully like a cat. His black hair curled against his head, and his coppery skin appeared smooth to the touch. My hand lifted, and I caught myself, yanking it back to my body.

  Forcing my eyes to look away, I studied his friend. He had an easy smile, but there was a tightness to his full lips. I wondered what worried him. They both wore the button-down white shirts of the school uniform and jeans. I grinned. Guess not everyone was into school spirit as much as Monica.

  Terrin’s friend glanced up and caught my smile. He grinned back, and his whole face lit up. He had green eyes, as deep as the ocean, and an angular nose. He was beautiful and he knew it.

  A hand slammed into my back, and I stumbled. Tripping over my own feet and the unfamiliar shoes, I lurched into a broad chest. Hands came up as if to catch me and shoved me to the ground instead.

  “What the hell?” growled a deep male voice.

  Blinking, I looked up into the most startlingly handsome face, and my words caught in my throat. Dark auburn hair, blue eyes, and chiseled features sat atop a muscled physique. No school uniform for this guy, just a soft jersey tee shirt and black jeans.

  “Watch where you’re going,” he said, his eyes hard. A bit of fire blazed in their stormy depths.

  “I’m sorry,” I said, stumbling a bit over the words. What was the matter with me? I never acted like this.

  He sneered, “I don’t need your apologies, new girl.”

  My heartbeat chittered against my chest. Why was he doing this to me?

  Planting his legs wide, he loomed over me and glowered. “Are you just going to lay there?”

  “Leave her alone, Brenton,” said a familiar voice next to me. Terrin’s warm hand slipped into mine and helped me to my feet.

  I looked back and forth between two guys who couldn’t be more different. Terrin’s calm support and Brenton’s almost scorching anger, and for the first time in my life, I felt helpless. My cheeks grew hot, and tears threatened. Even when I’d been trapped in Hasting’s House, I knew I was strong and I could fight back. What was wrong with me?

  Glancing around at the other students laughing and gawking, I caught sight of Monica, her lips boasting a vainglorious smirk. Right behind her stood the girl from last night, her arm across Monica’s shoulders.

  I pressed m
y lips together. These were enemies I knew how to fight. Pushing away from Terrin, I marched across the quad and pulled back my fist. Even though I knew I’d get in trouble, slamming it into pretty Monica’s eye was the best thing I’d done since I’d arrived at Thornbriar. She crumpled to the ground, screaming.

  I sneered and said, “What, are you just going to lay there?”

  8

  Adrian

  Holy shit! The new chick had punched Monica Fucking Gray!

  She stood over her like an avenging angel, all fire and brimstone, her hands planted on her perfect hips, and her black hair flowing behind her like a cape. My dick stood instantly at attention.

  Although to be honest, it had never taken much to catch his interest. I’d been pretty casually flirting with Monica Gray over the last few weeks, and she’d wanted more. Girls usually did, but I was way too young to settle down to just one chick. Probably why she’d pushed the new girl into that dickhead Brenton.

  Still, I adjusted my pants. My pack mate, Terrin had already laid claim to the new girl, no matter what my dick said. He hadn’t been able to stop talking about her last night when Sciro and I were just trying to play a video game.

  Terrin was gaping at the new girl as we all had been, even, to my surprise, dickhead Brenton. I snorted. Will wonders never cease?

  I tapped Terrin on the shoulder and jerked my head in her direction. “Go get her.”

  He bobbed his head and ambled over toward her. Normally, Terrin was smooth as a jungle cat, but this girl put him on edge. I could feel the tension riding him. It coated the air like a thick smog. I grimaced. She brought out his protective instincts, and in Terrin that wasn’t always a good thing. I’d better tag along and make sure he didn’t get in too deep. I hurried over to them.

  Then I saw it. Every time Terrin traced his hand down her back, the new girl softened. He whispered in her ear, and she relaxed. By the time I’d crossed the short distance to them, he was guiding her back toward the dining hall, a hand on the small of her back.

  Shit. I was too late.

  9

  Hailey

  I don’t know how he did it, but Terrin’s voice made my nerves soften. The anger that had boiled through me seeped away. His possessive hand at the small of my back should have made me furious, but it somehow had the opposite effect. I was safe. Protected. I could relax.

  He guided me toward the dining hall, and the eyes of the other students drifted away from us. I took a couple of deep breaths and was rewarded with the smells of roast turkey and sweet potatoes drifting out of the cafeteria. That was it. I was starving. That’s why I’d reacted like a weakling.

  “Hailey?” asked Professor Frank at the door of the dining hall. Her brown eyes searched me as if she could see all I’d been through in the courtyard.

  “I’m okay,” I said, and I was.

  Her eyebrows drew together. “You attacked a fellow student in the courtyard.”

  I blinked. Hadn’t they seen her shove me? How that guy had screamed at me? “She pushed me.”

  “That’s no excuse for violence,” Professor Frank said.

  “No.” I shook my head. “That’s not fair.” The Professor’s serene voice rubbed against my raw nerves. Where Terrin soothed me, she grated. What was wrong with her? I’d only been defending myself.

  Her lips pressed together. “I think you’ll need some remedial classes in control.”

  “What?” I exclaimed. At this rate, I’d be in remedial classes for everything. I was already starting later than any other student.

  Terrin stroked my back, rubbing between my shoulder blades, and I exhaled.

  Professor Frank’s dark eyes sharpened.

  I closed my eyes. Was her kind demeanor a sham, just like the wardens at Hastings House? I should have known I couldn’t trust anyone but myself. What were the punishments like here? More than remedial classes I expected. Opening my eyes, I said, “I’m sorry. I’ll do better.”

  She searched my face again. “I’ll leave you in Mr. Matos’ capable hands.”

  Laying a hand on Terrin’s arm, she said, “She’s had a rough time of it. I think you know something about that.”

  He nodded, and we moved into the dining hall. It was like no cafeteria I’d ever seen before. Along the far wall, tables were lined up, covered in gray and green tablecloths. The food on top was laid out as if we were at a wedding, the promised roasted turkey and sweet potatoes, as well as salad, green beans, a cheese plate, bread rolls, cake, and a chocolate fountain at the end. Terrin guided me along, filling my plate with more than I could ever eat.

  “That’s too much,” I said.

  Terrin grinned. “You’ve been to war. You need to eat like a warrior.”

  I laughed.

  Once my plate was full, he guided me out the back door of the dining hall into a hallway that led toward another building beyond.

  “Where are we going?”

  “My suite,” he said and he must have seen the concern rising on my face, because he put out a hand in a calm down gesture. “I just think you’ll be more comfortable in a quiet place away from public stares.”

  I swallowed. He was right. I wouldn’t have been able to eat anything in the courtyard after what had happened, and the dining hall was still busy. I followed him up the stairs into the boys’ dormitory. The hall looked similar to the girls, and when he opened the door, I peered into the disaster that was their suite. They had a gray couch just like ours, and a TV, although it was several sizes larger. A mass of cords lay in front of it, hooked up to various gaming systems. The kitchen was overflowing with snack bags and there were dumbbells dumped in one corner. A huge sound system sprawled across one side, with speakers that were almost as big as I was.

  Terrin cleared some space on the coffee table and set my food down there. Then, he gestured for me to sit.

  The couch was a lot fluffier than I’d imagined, and I sank tiredly into its deep folds. Picking up my plate, I took a bite. The taste was everything the smell had promised, but I forced myself to take slow bites, savoring every bit.

  “You want water? Or a Coke?” Terrin asked from the kitchen area, leaning over the mini fridge.

  His backside was outlined in his blue jeans, and warmth curled in my gut. I shook myself.

  “Coke.” Why not? I hadn’t had one since before I was kidnapped.

  Terrin popped open two soda cans, a tinny sound followed by the gurgle of bubbles. He brought them over and set them on the table, sitting on the couch next to me.

  His nearness heated my arm and thigh that were closest to him. I squirmed in my seat. “So, is Terrin a Spanish name?”

  “Huh?”

  I licked my lips. “Professor Frank called you Matos. Isn’t that Spanish?”

  “Yes, but Terrin isn’t.”

  “Oh.” I was an idiot. What was I doing? Trying to strike up a conversation with this guy, just because he’d been nice to me? I took a couple more bites of food and stared at the carpet.

  “Hey,” he said, touching my arm. “My birth name was Junio Matos. I chose Terrin myself after coming to Thornbriar. I wanted to put the past behind me.”

  I nodded. I knew all about that. “Did it help?”

  “Sometimes,” he said thoughtfully. “You’ve got to look toward the future because the past will drown you.”

  I gave him a half-smile.

  The door to the suite swung open, and two guys stomped in. One was the Adonis I’d seen Terrin with earlier. The other was a paler-skinned guy with coal black hair. He was just as well-built as the other two, but he didn’t look like he’d spent any time in the sun. When they saw me, they both pulled to a stop.

  “Hey. Terrin,” the pale guy said, “and the new girl.”

  Terrin growled. “Her name is Hailey.” He turned to me. “Hailey, this is Adrian.” He gestured toward the blonde. “And Sciro. They’re my brothers in all the ways that count.”

  “Brothers?”

  “He means pack, n
ot blood relations,” Adrian said as he strolled forward. “Lovely to meet you, Hailey.”

  I nodded. Words caught in my throat. How could any group of guys command that much beauty? I flushed.

  “Nice to meet you,” said Sciro. His words frosted as if he wasn’t entirely sure it was nice to meet me.

  Terrin frowned at him, but didn’t say anything more.

  “You missed class this morning,” Sciro said, crossing to the fridge.

  “I was helping Hailey get settled,” Terrin said, leaning back into the couch next to me. “She had a confrontation with Greta’s crew.”

  Sciro shrugged. “Doesn’t everyone? It’s like a bloody school initiation.”

  Despite the sour way he said it, his comment made me laugh. At least I hadn’t been the only one to find the girls mean. They picked on everyone.

  Adrian loped over and sat on the arm of the couch, grabbing a bag of chips off the table. “Mr. Reed is still hanging around. He usually drops the recruits and runs.”

  “That’s weird,” Terrin said, draping an arm over the couch behind me.

  I leaned into his forest scent, then I stopped. What was I doing? I needed to get my feet under me at this school, and here I was hiding out with these—admittedly drop dead gorgeous—guys. “Shouldn’t I be in class or something?” I said uneasily. “Monica was supposed to show me around.”

  “Professor Frank gave me this,” Adrian handed me a folded paper.

  As I opened the paper, I inhaled Adrian’s salt-water scent. It reminded me of home—well, my first home—the beach. A basic class schedule was outlined on it, along with several sessions of “T.A.” that all met in the library. “What’s T.A.?”

  “Tutoring Assistance,” Sciro said, curling his lip. “It means you’re behind in one or more subjects and need to catch up.”

  “Oh.” My heart sank at the three sessions of T.A. listed on my schedule. I’d only be in regular classes half the day. Even here, I was still a freak.

  “Don’t worry about it,” Terrin said. “I had several sessions when I first started. My grandmother pulled me out of school so much, my education was spotty.”