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

by Cali Mann

  “Look at this,” Brenton growled, backing away from the microscope. I didn’t think he knew how to speak in anything but growls or sneers.

  Leaning closer, I peered into it. The cells merged on the card, and I grinned. “That’s it!”

  “I think so,” he said, inching farther away.

  I blinked at him. “What, do you think I have cooties or something?”

  “Leave me alone, Rosie Posie,” he muttered.

  “Why?” I stepped closer to him. “What’s going to happen if we touch? You won’t be able to control yourself?”

  He snarled. “Back off.”

  Reaching up, I stroked his cheek with the back of my hand.

  Flames erupted in his eyes and he shoved me away. I flew back toward our table, knocking the microscope over.

  “What the hell?” I exclaimed.

  Brenton loomed over me, his hands balled into fists. Raising one hand, he growled, “You fucking bitch.”

  Fear danced along my nerve endings, and I raised my hands. Was he going to punch me? For touching him? What was his problem? I yanked my hands down and glared at him. “Do your worst, Brenton.”

  He stood frozen, staring at me. Then with a growl, his fists came down on our table, shattering all the glass slides. The broken pieces rained over me, and I lifted my arms to protect myself. Glass sliced small cuts in my forearms, and I winced. I cried, but I wasn’t really hurt.

  “Brenton and Hailey!” Professor Alexander roared next to us. “What is going on here?”

  Lowering my arms, I sniffed back my tears and got to my feet. I forced my voice not to tremble and said, “He pushed me.”

  “She ruined our experiment, sir,” Brenton said. His voice was as calm and placid as a lake.

  “Both of you—” The Professor pointed toward the door. “Get out of my class.”

  “But—” I began. Brenton was already gathering his things. He didn’t care.

  The Professor was turning back toward the rest of the class. “And you both receive zeros for this assignment.”

  “Yes, sir,” Brenton said.

  “That’s not fair,” I protested.

  “It’s perfectly fair, young lady.” Professor Alexander shoved his finger into my chest. His brown eyes flamed. “You provoked a fire shifter.”

  Dammit. The Professor was a fire shifter. Of course he took Brenton’s side. I exhaled. What did I care? I was getting out of Thornbriar as soon as I could anyway. I didn’t need to pass the damn class. “Yes, Professor.”

  26

  Hailey

  I stomped down the steps toward the caverns for my late night swim with Adrian. My water phase continued, and I needed to keep the element satiated. The halls were silent as I headed down stairs. Dark shadows slipped over the walls from the flickering lights. They’d wired the caverns as Adrian had said, but the current appeared uneven because the light wasn’t steady.

  When I entered the one we’d used before, Adrian dived through the water, his pale form gleaming under the lights. As soon as he came up for breath, I said, “Adrian.”

  “Hey, Hailey.” He waved an arm. “Come on in.”

  I slid off my clothes and dove into the warm water. The temperature was perfect. Warm and salty, the water unwound every tight muscle I had. I lay on my back, floating as Adrian had taught me, and tried to relax.

  Trapped. I was trapped by Terrin, trapped by the school, trapped by my own powers, whatever they were. A knot settled in the pit of my stomach, and all the warm water in the world couldn’t make it unwind.

  Every time I floated close to Adrian, he slipped further away. What was wrong with him? I purposely floated toward him a few times, and it kept reoccurring. What was going on? Grasping the edge when I got near to it, I flipped myself upright and turned to look at him. “What’s up with you?”

  He looked away from me. “All good.”

  The knot in my gut tightened. All this shit today, and now my friend was avoiding me. “I had a fight with Terrin this morning.”

  “Yeah, I know.”

  “Did he say something to you?” I pushed off from the wall and doggie-paddled over to him.

  “He cares about you, Hailey,” Adrian said.

  “Funny way of showing it.” I grimaced. Calling me his girlfriend when he hadn’t even asked and I didn’t even know if I’d say yes. Now he’d obviously told his friend to back off. “I’m not his property, you know.”

  “What?” he asked, a frown creasing his handsome face.

  “We aren’t anything,” I said, thinking about the pink frosting smeared floor. “Even if we had been, we basically broke up this morning.”

  Adrian gave a half-smile. “But you’re his.”

  “I’m my own person.”

  “Of course you are,” he said. “But my pack brother has an interest in you, and I’m not a poacher.”

  Frustration welled up in me. Terrin and I had kissed. We’d held hands. Hell, he hadn’t even wanted to make love. None of it meant he owned me. He hadn’t paid for me at a virgin auction. I was my own person, and I was tired of people treating me like I was bought and paid for.

  Chewing on my lip, I stared at the lights along the edge of the pool. I didn’t even know how much longer I’d be at Thornbriar. I was eighteen now. I could shift at any time, and then they’d all know my secret. How much longer would I even be alive after that? This was my fucking life and I wanted to make the most of it. I stared at the blond Adonis in front of me.

  I reached out and grasped Adrian’s shoulders. I think I caught him off guard because he let me pull his body closer. Then I pressed my lips onto his. At first, he resisted, his body stiff and unyielding against mine.

  But slowly, his firm lips softened as I kissed him, parting and letting my tongue dive inside. I wrapped my arms around his neck, pressing my naked body against his. His arms came around me too, stroking my lower back. I shuddered at the jolts his touch sent through me and kissed him more deeply.

  A girlish gasp echoed through the cavern, and Adrian and I jerked apart. We stared up at the brunette at the pool side, hands on her hips.

  Monica said, “I knew it,” and then turned on her heel and flounced off.

  “I can’t do this,” Adrian said, shoving me away. He climbed out of the pool and grabbed his clothes.

  I shivered. The pool felt cooler around me.

  27

  Terrin

  The door shuddered with the hammering knocks. I yawned scratching my jaw as I crossed the suite. “I’m coming,” I called.

  I opened the door and stared at the furious brunette. “It’s late, Monica.”

  “I caught them,” she sputtered.

  Rubbing my forehead, I asked, “Caught who?”

  “Adrian and Hailey. Naked in the pools,” she seethed. “And kissing.”

  “What?” I scrunched my face, trying to chase away my sleepiness.

  Monica grabbed my arm. “Kissing, Terrin. They were kissing.”

  “Adrian and Hailey.” My body tensed as I gazed at her.

  “Yes.”

  A roar grew inside my chest, swelling up my throat. My girl. My pack mate and my girl. I grabbed a shirt off the back of the couch and slid it on. “Where?”

  She led me to the stairs down to the underground caverns.

  Adrian walked toward us, his head hanging. When he caught sight of me on the warpath, he raised his hands. “It wasn’t what you think—”

  I charged across the hall and slammed my fist into his face. His nose broke with a satisfying crunch, and he landed on his back on the floor. Blood streamed from his nostrils.

  “Terrin!” Hailey cried from the stairs, and she ran across the hall. Kneeling by Adrian, she cradled him in her arms. “What is wrong with you?”

  “What is wrong with me?” I growled. “You’re my girl. My mate.”

  Hailey glared up at me. “I am not owned by you.”

  “Shit, Hailey. I thought you cared about me.”

  “I
do,” she said softly. “But we aren’t together.”

  “Yes, we fucking are,” I said.

  She sighed. “We are dating, but we haven’t had a single conversation about our relationship. I told you this morning.”

  I roared. The sound that came from my throat was more jungle cat than man. The hall lights swayed on their strings.

  “I won’t be trapped by you,” Hailey said. “I won’t be trapped by anyone.”

  “And you kissed my man,” Monica shouted from behind me.

  Adrian pushed up on one arm. “I’m not your fucking man, Monica. We are not dating.”

  We all stared at one another menacingly. Then, Monica turned and pranced away.

  Hailey helped Adrian to his feet, and he held his shirt against his nose. “Let’s get you to the infirmary,” she said.

  “And you, man. You’re supposed to be my pack brother. You’re supposed to have my back.”

  “Terrin, it didn’t mean . . .” His shoulders slumped. “I didn’t mean to hurt you.”

  He let Hailey lead him away. I just stood there, like an idiot, my fists clenching and unclenching over and over again. I’d given her my heart, and she’d betrayed me. Worse. She was an innocent and I hadn’t been able to protect her from my pack mate’s charm. I had failed again.

  “I don’t want to see either of you.” I growled. “Ever again.”

  Hailey glanced back at me from the corner. Her chin lifted. “Don’t worry. You won’t.”

  28

  Hailey

  An older nurse greeted us at the door of the infirmary. She nodded her graying head. “Ah, the boys have been playing again I see.”

  “Playing?” I asked.

  “No worries,” she said. “Young shifters can get a bit rambunctious.”

  So, when I punched Monica, I was losing control? But when the guys hit each other, it was being rambunctious? What kind of crazy rules did this place have?

  Adrian patted my arm as if he could see the annoyance on my face, and I coughed up a smile. He climbed onto the bed the nurse indicated.

  She held a gauze to the bottom of his nose to staunch the blood flow, and with her other hand, she grasped mine and shoved it against the dressing. “Hold here, dear.”

  “Okay.”

  She gently washed Adrian’s face. The nose didn’t look that bad without the streaks of red, but it was definitely swollen. Handing me an ice pack, she said, “Hold this on his nose while I get the doctor.”

  I nodded. As soon as she was out of earshot, I said, “I’m so sorry, Adrian.”

  “Not your fault,” Adrian said, breathing through his mouth.

  “Yes, it is. I kissed you. You didn’t want to.”

  “But Terrin shouldn’t have been such a jerk.” He winced.

  I smiled. “That’s true enough.”

  He tried to smile back. “I did enjoy kissing you.”

  “Me too.” Squeezing his arm, I kissed his cheek. “And it’s not like Terrin can be any more pissed at us.”

  He snorted and groaned.

  A young female doctor came in and approached the bed. “Again Adrian? Whose girl you been kissing now?”

  Adrian laughed and winced even harder. “They kiss me, Dr. Wang. You know that.”

  She chuckled. Looking over his chart, she nodded. “I’m going to have to reset the nose. Then you’ll need to rest for at least a week. No strenuous activity.” She looked pointedly at me, and I raised my hands.

  “Swimming though, right?” he asked.

  The doctor frowned. “Yes, but keep your head above water.”

  He moaned.

  “The water will help you heal faster, but getting these bandages wet won’t. Am I clear?”

  “Yes, Doc.”

  “Okay.” She gestured to me. “You might want to take his hand. This is going to hurt.”

  I frowned. “No pain reliever?”

  “He’s a shifter. He can handle it.”

  Holding Adrian’s hand, I watched as the doctor placed her hands on his nose. Adrian tensed.

  “Relax,” she said soothingly as if she’d worked with many wild animals. Which I supposed she had.

  Adrian took a deep breath and shrugged his shoulders.

  She placed her hand on either side of his nose, and snapped it back into place in one quick motion.

  He yowled and squeezed my hand. But then it was over.

  The doctor handed me some gauze to mop up the blood. Then she packed his nose with more gauze and bandaged it. “Ice it every few hours until the swelling goes down, and get some rest.”

  Adrian nodded. “Thanks, doc.”

  She glanced at me. “Don’t worry. Shifters heal fast. He’ll be up to his old activities in no time.”

  I smiled.

  Sliding off the table, Adrian raised an eyebrow. “I’m still handsome, right?”

  “Of course,” I said.

  After I dropped Adrian off at his suite, I headed back to my own bed. There’d been no sign of Terrin, thank goodness. By the time I opened the door to my suite, it was after three in the morning. The outer room was silent and dark, and I opened the door to my room. I flicked on the light and stared at my bed. The bedding had been ripped to shreds with a knife or a claw. Long strips of sheets and blankets hung over my desk, my closet, and my floor. The pillows had been shredded and the stuffing dribbled across the floor.

  On the wall over my bed, Monica—because who else would it have been—had scrawled in red lipstick, “Get out! You don’t belong here.”

  Heat flushed through my body as I stared at the words. Blood rushed against my ears. These were my things. Well, not exactly mine, but gifted to me by the academy. What right did she have to destroy my stuff over a guy who didn’t even want her? I was going to strangle her. I yanked open the door and marched across the common room to knock on her door.

  I raised my hand and stared at it, my heart dropping into my stomach. It wasn’t a hand; it was a scaly claw. Turning, I ran for the door, grasping the handle and yanking it open. I ran down the hall and the stairs, praying I made it in time. If they found a mermaid in the middle of the hall, I’d be doomed. Frantically, I tried to remember Professor Frank’s meditations. I should be able to control the change. I took deep breaths, well, as deep as I could in a full sprint. As soon as I saw the first pool, I stripped and dived in. Gills opened in my chest, and I breathed water. My bones thinned and my legs merged into one long tail. Terrin had been right, it didn’t hurt exactly, but a tingly feeling spread through my nerves, like every part was waking up.

  In a way that I’d never been before, I was truly alive.

  * * *

  By the time I’d been able to shift back and gotten back to my dorm, I’d been too tired to clean up. I’d fallen asleep on top of my ripped sheets. Cracking an eye, I’d glanced at the clock and moaned. I was already late for Tutoring Assistance. Professor Ward was going to have my hide.

  I’d shifted. Giddy laughter ran through me, followed by terror on its heels. Part of me wanted to run out into the woods and try to shift into every form. The other, saner part of me wanted to hide in bed all day claiming to be sick. What if they all took one look at me and knew? I hadn’t known that Terrin had shifted but Adrian hadn’t yet. But I didn’t know what to look for. Maybe there was some telltale sign.

  I grabbed a quick shower, seeing as I was late already. What did it matter? I ran a brush through my tangled hair and pulled on my favorite forest tee shirt and jeans. I stared at my image in the mirror. My whole body vibrated and I felt as though I glowed, but the reflection only showed the same old Hailey.

  I took a deep breath. Focus. Like Professor Frank had taught us.

  Throwing on my new jacket, I opened the door and crossed the empty suite. I headed across campus for T.A. Everyone was already in their classes, so the halls were mostly empty. My chair in the library had a stack of new books and a list of assignments. I glanced toward Professor Ward’s office, but his door was shut. Good.
No confrontation to test my control. Was my transformation last night set off by my emotions? Or had it just been time?

  I shrugged off my jacket and set to work. The sooner I got my schoolwork done, the sooner I could go back to looking for an escape route. I had been poring over blueprints and histories of the school to see if there might be a way out that wasn’t immediately obvious. Professor Frank had said that the buildings were previously a monastery. Monks, as I discovered in my reading, liked secret rooms and passages. There must have been something I could use. They couldn’t have boarded up every single one.

  When I came back from the bathroom, I found a red index card in the book on school history I’d been looking at. I glanced up, but the few other students in the library at this time were engrossed in their studies. I flipped to the page marked and stared at the entry. It spoke of underground tunnels leading out of the school and down the mountain. A secret escape route.

  I bit my lip. Someone had known I was looking and shared this with me. I stared at the red card. There was no writing on it. I sniffed it. No smell. Just an ordinary index card except for its bright color. Was this a gift? A threat? Did someone know my secret? I dropped into my seat.

  Returning the books to the shelf, I cleaned up my chair and headed out to lunch. The quad was busy with students now. Terrin and Sciro sat on a bench to one side, with Greta’s gang on the other. I took a breath and walked between them, head held high and looking straight ahead. Still no sign of Monica. Had she left the card for me in the library? Was she hiding out because she ripped up my sheets? Or was she simply busy with her own business for once? A knot curled in my stomach, but I kept my breathing even and held my focus.

  The smell of chicken tortilla soup greeted my nose, the spices heavy in the air. I’d tasted so many different foods since I’d come to Thornbriar Academy. There was no telling what I’d be able to afford once I escaped. What kind of job could I get? Deep breath. Focus. No use worrying about it now. First, I had to get out, then I’d worry about where and how I’d live and eat.