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

by Cali Mann

  I frowned. Had the guys taken Adrian some food? I guessed Terrin wouldn’t, but would Sciro? Or was he having to scrounge whatever chips and soda they had laying around? I grabbed a tray and loaded it with two bowls of soup, rolls, and salad. I dropped two pieces of flan on it as well. Terrin was probably loving this meal that would remind him of home. Ducking out the back door of the dining hall, I headed toward the boys’ dorm.

  Hesitating at the door, I wondered if Adrian was sleeping. I knocked anyway.

  “Hailey,” he said with a sleepy smile. His swelling had gone down, so the white bandage perched precariously over his nose.

  “I brought soup.”

  “Fantastic.” He gestured for me to come in.

  I carried the dishes to the coffee table which for once was almost clear.

  Adrian sank down on to the couch next to me. “What a spread.”

  With a shrug, I said, “I figured if I was going to bring you lunch, I should do it right.”

  He grinned. “Abso-fucking-lutely.”

  “I’m sorry.” I gestured to his face. “About all this.”

  “You didn’t hit me.”

  “No, but I kissed you and started it all.”

  He reached out and wrapped his fingers around mine. “I never regret kissing a gorgeous girl.”

  My cheeks felt warm. Damn blushes. “Good.”

  Leaning forward, he brushed his lips against mine. Warmth uncurled in my gut, loosening the knot that had been there all day. Grasping his tee shirt in my hand, I held him close and gazed into his sea-green eyes. I kissed him, and he inched closer on the sofa. My lips parted as the kiss deepened. His hand slipped across my stomach, igniting every nerve he passed.

  He trailed kisses down my neck and across my chest, pushing my coat off my shoulders. I watched him hungrily.

  Adrian lifted his head and met my gaze. “Hailey, is this what you want?”

  “Yes,” I breathed. “But what about pregnancy?”

  He smiled. “Shifter biology is different than humans. There’s no chance of that until we’re older.”

  “Oh.” I licked my lips. “Okay then.”

  His gaze heated. “Then let’s adjourn to the bedroom.”

  I nodded.

  He took my hand, pulling me to my feet, and we crossed to his bedroom. Art hung on the walls, some of naked women, but also of beaches and oceans teeming with life. I gazed around, rapt, but he tugged me toward the double bed. The sheets were black silk, soft as butter, and slid over my skin as I lay on them.

  Shedding his shirt, Adrian climbed in beside me and kissed me tenderly. He slid off my tee shirt, revealing my new bra. When I’d had the choice, I’d chosen a lacy push-up one that showed my assets instead of the school-issued one. He cupped and stroked my breasts, sliding his thumb under the lace and caressing each nipple. Sensation flooded through me, and I groaned.

  Reaching out, I ran my hands over the smooth skin of his chest. His muscles tightened under my touch.

  He grabbed my hands and held them above my head with one hand of his. “Tsk tsk,” he said. “It’s not your turn yet.”

  I never wanted to be trapped, but this wasn’t imprisonment. This was the gentle insistence that I take my pleasure first. My heart skittered against my ribs.

  After dispensing, one-handed, with my bra, he put his mouth on my breasts. Passion surged through me, and I arched against him, wanting more.

  “Impatient,” he said, shaking his head. His practiced hand undid the fastening on my jeans.

  I licked my lips, wetness flooding my panties in anticipation.

  He slid his fingers into my folds, stroking my sensitive nub. I moaned. Adrian pushed two fingers inside as his thumb continued to rub circles over my core. My hips bucked. His green eyes darkened as he watched me.

  My breath sped up as he drove me toward the cliff. Waves crashed over me, drowning me in pleasure. I gasped as his ministrations increased. I came, shattering and shuddering against the sea wall.

  Releasing my arms, he lay down next to me, eyes smoldering. “I’ve wanted to do that since you punched Monica in the courtyard.”

  Tears welled at my eyelids. To be wanted, not just sexually, but desired for the joy of giving me pleasure. I leaned against him, catching my breath and breathing in his salty smell. “You really are amazing.”

  Pushing up on his elbow, he grinned down at me and winked.

  I laughed.

  His eyes trailed down my skin, and my laughter cut off. He stood and stripped. My mouth watered at the beautiful man that was revealed. He tugged on my jeans and underwear, sliding them down my legs and tossing them away. Spreading my legs, he slid between them. The hard length of him pressing against me made me melt.

  He kissed me on the lips, softly and gently. His fingers trailed against my skin, reigniting the flames. His cock pressed against my entrance. Lifting my chin, he gazed into my eyes. “What do you want, Hailey?”

  “You,” I gasped.

  With a smile, he pushed himself inside me, one slow inch at a time. A twinge of pain echoed in my awareness, and Adrian tensed slightly, his gaze deepening, but it was gone in an instant. My body opened to receive him, and he began to move. Ecstasy washed through me, intensifying with each thrust that came. We fell into a natural rhythm, meeting each other at the central point. I moaned as the pace increased and we approached the pinnacle together. When it hit, we clung to each other shuddering.

  29

  Adrian

  Hailey and I eventually made it out to our cold lunch, but it was amazing anyway. I hadn’t wanted to say goodbye, but she’d insisted that she’d missed enough classes and I needed to rest. I didn’t know about that. I felt amazing. I almost hated to wash away her scent with a shower, but I needed one.

  Stripping again, I headed into the spray. I scrubbed down, remembering the feel of her hands on my skin, and turned the dial a little colder. Pausing my soaping, I scratched my shoulder, wondering if I’d gotten a bug bite there. I shrugged. The light in her eyes when I’d brought her pleasure made me groan. I scrubbed my skin harder. Lingering under the water, I knew I needed to get down to the pools even if my nose wasn’t ready yet. My shifter side wanted to be immersed in water. A shower wouldn’t satisfy him for long.

  When I couldn’t put it off any more, I flipped off the shower and grabbed my towel. As I dried off, I glanced in the mirror and froze. Outlined across the top of my shoulder was the dark lines of a new tattoo. Adrian the Casanova of Thornbriar Academy had been marked.

  “No, no,” I muttered, scraping the vines with my towel. They didn’t budge. “Shit.”

  How had this one girl done this to me? I liked Hailey. I’d enjoyed our time together, but I wasn’t ready to make this kind of commitment. Despite their fight, part of me still believed she was Terrin’s. This was just the start of the tattoo. If we never touched again, would it fade? I’d never heard of a mate mark doing that.

  “Hey, Adrian,” Sciro shouted from the main room, then his voice trailed off.

  Shit.

  Sciro had a vampire’s heightened senses. He’d smell what we’d done, and he’d know who I’d done it with. I wrapped my towel around my hips and tossed another one over my shoulders. I stepped out into the main room. “Hey, Sciro.”

  He arched an accusing eyebrow. “She’s Terrin’s.”

  “He has nothing to do with this,” I said.

  Rubbing his head, Sciro sighed. “It was consensual.”

  “Of course it was fucking consensual,” I snarled. “What do you take me for?”

  “You knew she was a virgin?”

  Nodding, I glared at him. “How do you know?”

  “The blood.” He grimaced. “Terrin broke your nose for kissing her. What do you think he’s going to do to you now?”

  “He said he never wanted to see either of us again.”

  Sciro’s shoulders slumped. “He’d have forgiven y’all eventually.”

  “Would he?” Closing my eyes, I
took a breath and then stalked toward my bedroom.

  “Adrian?”

  I stopped, facing my door. “Yes?”

  “Was it worth it?” His voice had an odd quality to it, almost a wistfulness.

  Terrin. The mate bond. The look in Hailey’s eyes when I made her come. “Completely.”

  He exhaled, and I marched into my bedroom.

  30

  Hailey

  I kept finding myself staring out the window and brushing my fingers across my lips the rest of the afternoon. I knew I should have been concentrating on what the teachers were saying or on my escape plans, but all I could think about was Adrian’s lips on mine.

  When Professor Roth dismissed the class, I gathered my books and turned to leave.

  “Hailey.” Brenton glared at me.

  Well, that was a cold shower. I sighed. “Yeah?”

  “Why weren’t you in Bio today?”

  I snorted. “None of your business.”

  “You already caused me to get a zero,” he growled.

  “Yes,” I said, glancing across the classroom to Terrin. I tried to catch his eye, but he ignored me just as he said he would. I knew I should give him his space, but I didn’t want to leave without saying goodbye.

  Turning to Brenton, I said, “And you should be glad that we’re not partnered anymore. The project’s over.”

  Brenton’s eyes narrowed. “Professor Alexander decided it would be good practice for my control if we remained partners.”

  “What?” I whipped around and stared at Brenton.

  He gave an exaggerated sigh. “I said, he’s my fire shifter mentor and he thinks that . . .”

  “I don’t care what he thinks.” I frowned. “And why do you have a mentor? Is that a thing?”

  He growled. “It’s T.A. for focus. They think I fly off the handle too . . .”

  I raised an eyebrow, and he stopped.

  “Never mind. We’re partners until the end of term,” he muttered and stomped off.

  Taking a deep breath, I reminded myself that I was leaving. I just had to figure out how. Rustling through my pack, I pulled out the notes I’d made about the tunnel. I should go and check it out.

  I headed down the stairs toward the pools, hearing the laughing and splashing of other water shifters. With a frown, I retreated back upstairs. I wasn’t going to be able to explore when they were all down there. Tonight, I’d head down. Maybe I’d see Adrian again and we could . . . heat rose in my cheeks at the thought.

  A rare warm evening meant the courtyard was packed tonight. I saw Adrian’s blond head bent in conversation. I grinned and strode over.

  He stood and looked down at Monica.

  I stopped, frowning. He was probably telling her off for turning us in to Terrin.

  Adrian brushed her curls out of her eyes and smiled down at her.

  He was flirting? My mer-creature screamed inside of me, the wail echoing against my temples. I blinked at the unusual pain.

  I shook myself. No, we’d had sex, but Adrian and I hadn’t made any commitments. He’d been tender and kind, everything I’d hoped for my first time. I liked him, and while it could grow into something more, I didn’t have the right to ask it of him. I knew he was a womanizer. I’d known it before we made love. Besides, I was leaving soon, and likely we’d never see each other again.

  My mer-creature cried out again in anguish. I could almost picture her tearing at her long green locks. It had to be something to do with being a shifter. Had there been a mate’s mark? I shoved up my sleeve and stared at my shoulder. There was nothing there. If we hadn’t marked, why was my creature pissed?

  I frowned at Adrian and looked back at my shoulder, but nothing had changed.

  A growl echoed behind me, and I swung around.

  “You fucked him?” Terrin said, anger flowing off him in waves. It seemed to heat the air around me, and goose-bumps broke out across my skin.

  My jaw fell open. “How did you know?”

  “You were looking for a mate mark,” he muttered. Turning away, his broad shoulders hunched.

  I swallowed. “There isn’t one.”

  He ignored me and strode toward the building. I closed my eyes. He’d left me again and it hurt in ways I hadn’t expected.

  I glanced back toward Adrian, but he hadn’t even looked up. I cared about both of them, and they’d both given up on me.

  Wrapping my arms around myself, I turned back toward the dorms. It was a good thing, sort of. I could run, disappear through the tunnels and no one would even notice I was gone. It was for the best.

  My heart ached as I slowly climbed the stairs. Best to go tonight, before it got any worse. There was no one and nothing for me here. The suite was empty. Everyone really was at dinner. I grabbed a bag, and packed a few clothes, and some snacks the guys had shown me how to order. Then, I looked around, but there was nothing else. A few books, mostly from the library and the school uniforms. Not likely to need those outside, and I wouldn’t want anything to lead back here.

  I shut the door with a sigh. My mer-creature still whined within me, but I ignored her. My chest felt hollow, echoing with each beat of my heart. I crossed toward the hall with the library and the stairwell down to the pools.

  “Planning a heist, Rosie?” a deep voice inquired.

  With a groan, I glanced up at the dark shape approaching me. “What do you want, Brenton?”

  He didn’t answer, just stated, “You weren’t at the party.”

  “Is that what that was?”

  “The loathsome ones seemed to think so.” He quirked an eyebrow.

  Ignoring his overture, I kept walking toward the stairs. “Go bother someone else. I have places to be.”

  He reached out a hand and grasped my arm. “And where would that be?”

  His hand. On my arm. It had to be the first time Brenton had ever intentionally touched me. Why now? Of all times? “I’m going for a swim.”

  “What have you got in there? Diving equipment? The pools aren’t that deep.”

  I glared at him. “None of your business.”

  He looked down, scuffing his feet on the rough floor.

  Shrugging off his hand, I muttered, “Go away, Brenton,” and headed down the stairs. At least he didn’t follow me.

  My footsteps echoed in the silent pools. No one swam tonight. The lights flickered on and off. The smell of the saltwater hit my nose, and I sniffed. Adrian hadn’t made any promises to me. I hadn’t made any to him, either. That’s what I wanted. I called the shots. We made love, but he didn’t owe me anything. I’d known I was going to leave.

  Isn’t that why I’d broken up with Terrin? If we’d even really been together. He wanted to make all the decisions for me. All the choices.

  Running my hand along the slick rock walls, I followed the pools back through several caverns until there were only caves. The lighting stopped, and I pulled a flashlight from my bag. I’d borrowed it from the science lab, along with some extra batteries. I didn’t know how deep I was going to have to go in order to find the way out.

  I was a spirit shifter. They were all in danger the longer they knew me. Either the Council would execute me, or I’d go crazy and have to be put down. Or worse, I’d kill everyone. I needed to leave. It was better this way.

  31

  Terrin

  Heading back up to the suite, I tried to choke down some chips, but I wasn’t hungry. I’d cared about her so much, I’d been willing to wait until she was ready. Yet, she’d gone and had sex with Adrian. I wanted to be angry with her, but mostly I was pissed at myself.

  I knew Adrian was a ladies’ man. He’d had sex with nearly every girl he ever encountered. But I had trusted him, as a pack mate, to leave Hailey alone. I’d been wrong, so fucking wrong.

  Squeezing my hands into fists, I slammed them down onto the glass coffee table. It shattered, and I stared at my hands, bloody and broken. She’d been a virgin. Something precious and untouched. Someone that needed pro
tection, and I’d introduced her to the wolf. How could I have been such an idiot?

  Suddenly the room felt too small, my skin too tight. I slammed open the door and headed down the stairs to the back yard. I was half-way across the yard when I realized I had already shifted, my clothes left behind me in shreds. The cat leapt into the woods, running. We dived over roots and around bushes and forded streams. We ran until we hit the property line, nearly slamming into the iron fence. The electric loops on top glinted in the moonlight.

  I’d met Hailey at the fence, the section closer to campus, that first night. She’d told me she wanted to be free. Sciro said it was because of her past, but I’d never even asked. I didn’t want to know about the time before I could protect her, all the hurt she’d experienced that I couldn’t control.

  My jaguar huffed. Then I’d caused her more pain. I’d wanted to keep her safe. I shivered in the cool night air and realized I’d returned to human form, laying naked against the fence.

  I never cried. Even when I’d returned home from my last mission to find my grandmother, my aunts and uncles all lying in pools of their own blood. The drug cartel I’d been hunting had murdered everyone I’d ever cared about. I’d stood stiff and silent as the police came and cleaned up the mess. Mr. Reed had led me away, telling me about a magical place called Thornbriar Academy, where I’d be protected.

  I hadn’t told him I could protect myself. Though I could. I just couldn’t protect those I loved.

  32

  Hailey

  The tunnels went on forever. I tried to remember what the book had said, but it seemed a long time ago when I’d found the red card. Every time the tunnel split, I took the right path, hoping it would lead me out. They had to go somewhere right? I sighed. I just hoped I wasn’t being led around in circles.