“We are not so different from humans. We’ve adapted with the times like any other generation; modern styles of clothing, and the same technologies of the human realm. The difference is—we have magic. But, magic drains you and its better saved for when it’s truly needed. So, things like using electricity, rather than magic, to light a room because it’s effortless.” His grin turns mischievous. “That doesn’t mean I don’t get lazy and use my magic to flip a light switch from time to time. But, you get the point. We’ll talk about the unicorns later.”
He throws the last sentence in so nonchalantly that I almost miss it. “Wait—we’ll talk about—” I’m cut off because we’ve reached the large glass doors of the structure and he pulls me inside. We’re in what I suppose is the lobby, of sorts, but it looks like a giant living room. The center of the room is sunken down about three steps and is lined by brown, leather couches and a couple of recliners. Even from the door, I can see that the leather is soft and comfortable. The décor is all muted tones: creams and rich shades of brown. The walls are covered with landscapes. I stifle a laugh when I see that the portraits all depict the kind of world I’d imagined we would step into. Sparkly sunshine, green hills, and mountains with waterfalls, peppered with creatures of fairy folklore. The back wall is entirely floor to ceiling window, only broken apart by a giant stone fireplace with a massive flat screen TV, mounted above it. The whole room is welcoming and peaceful.
Aden has stepped to my left where the room breaks off into an alcove that feeds into a long hallway. Nestled in the alcove is a desk, behind which sits a perky, young woman with shoulder-length, white-blonde hair, and beautiful green eyes. Shocker. Aden lets go of my hand and strides over to her. She jumps up from her seat and runs around the desk to throw herself into his arms. She’s petite and Aden easily lifts her up in a big bear hug. A low burn churns my stomach and my fists clench at my side. I stay back, not wanting to interrupt their moment, and tell myself that I don’t want to get close enough to pull her off of my man by her hair. No. Not my man! Ugh.
When Aden finally puts her down, he whispers something in her ear and she turns curious, but friendly, eyes on me. He motions me forward and I start in their direction, watching as her smile widens the closer I get. I finally come to a stop in front of them, and stand awkwardly, not sure what to do now. A million questions run through my head, things I have given up the right to ask, but find myself desperate to know, none-the-less. Has he dated her? Slept with her? Is she the one he replaced me with?
My musings are interrupted when she grabs my hand and pulls me in for a hug. Surprised, I am thrown off balance and tumble into the embrace. She smells like cinnamon, and her arms are warm and comforting. I feel myself softening toward her, struggling to remember why I’d been upset.
“Shaylee, it’s so great to finally meet you! Aden has talked about you so much over the years, I feel like I already know you.” My eyes fly to Aden, gauging his reaction. His face is sporting a lazy grin, and he winks at me. His wink makes my toes curl. The pixie releases me and steps back, keeping my hands in hers. “I’m Laila, Aden’s sister.” The rest of my anxiety melts away, replaced by profound relief. Sister. His freaking sister.
“Alright, Laila, give her some breathing room.” Aden ruffles her hair and Laila throws him a dirty look, but her eyes twinkle, full of love for her brother. He pulls my hands from hers, tucking me into his side, but before I can melt into him, I stiffen and try to step away. Once again, he tightens his hold and keeps me anchored. I’m so tired of fighting him; my body is aching from the tension. I give in and cuddle into his side, telling myself I’ll pull away in a minute. Maybe…
I’m going to get her settled and show her around, we’ll meet you at Mom and Dad’s for dinner tonight.”
Laila nods and pulls me in for another quick hug. “We’ll have lunch one of these days and get to know each other. You’re already a sister to me.” Just like that, the tension is back and I hastily step away from him.
“Laila,” Aden warns. Her eyes bounce back and forth between us, taking in the chasm I’ve created.
“I thought she was—“
“She is.”
Laila’s face clouds with confusion, but with a small shake of Aden’s head, she lets go of whatever she was going to say. “I’ll see you later, Shaylee.” She gives me a bright smile and heads back to the desk.
Aden grabs my hand again and I let out an exasperated sigh. He squeezes my hand to let me know he heard me, and gives me another damn wink. He guides me slightly in front of him, and places his hand softly on the small of my back, showing me the way with slight pressure. An electric current flows from the spot where we are connected.
We head down a long hallway with more fantasy paintings hung on the right side, while the left is a wall of windows. The sun streams in and warms me, and I feel the rays building strength in me. We reach a break and the hallway splits, going in either direction to our left and right. Just before it turns, there is a set of wide, tall double doors on the right. They are carved wood with small symbols, scenes, and creatures. But, in the center, they each have a large set of wings. It’s incredibly beautiful and I’m mesmerized by the intricacies of the art. My hand reaches out and I run my fingers softy over the carving, reverently tracing the wings. There is something about them that tugs at my curiosity, but the full thought eludes me. “These are incredible.”
“Exquisite.” I turn my head to agree and see that Aden’s eyes are on me, not the door. His face is serious as he studies me, naked desire emanating from his eyes, deepening the color to a dark emerald. A flush washes over me and I feel the pink of my cheeks, reddening when he reaches out and runs a finger down the side of my face. Involuntarily, my eyes close and I revel in the sweet touch. When I open them again, the intensity of his gaze has waned, but it’s replaced by a softness and a smile plays at the corners of his mouth.
I seem to be lost in a fog because I’m startled when he taps the end of my nose, opens one of the large doors and gives me a chin lift, encouraging me to enter the room. I drag my gaze away from his and walk ahead of him into a gigantic, open space. The ceiling is, at least, twenty feet high. Mats cover three quarters of the floor. The rest is hardwood. Mirrors line three sides of the other room, broken up by solid walls, about three feet across, with racks of weapons anchored on them. The other wall, directly across from the doors, is made of large windows. I sense a pattern here.
“What is this place?” I take in the sight with awe, keeping my arms hanging at my sides, but my fingers itching to explore. There is something about this room; it’s charged with power.
Aden is leaning against the wall next to the door, his arms, once again, folded across his broad chest, watching me with a knowing smile. “This is the main training room. I’ll teach you to use your magic here, to protect yourself physically and with your power.”
Excitement fills me and I clasp my hands in front, fighting the instinct to bounce with anticipation. Am I going to learn to use all of those?” I ask, gesturing to the walls of weapons.
“I can give you a basic knowledge of all of them, but we’ll determine where your strengths lie and give you expert skill in those. To be honest, your most important skills will be your magic and fighting without any weapons.”
I can’t help it; I daydream, for a second, about kicking Aden’s ass…his very fine ass. Oh, for crying out loud, can’t you keep your mind off of his body? Apparently, I also need to work on my self-control. The images of fighting with him morph into pictures of us rolling around on the mats, sans clothes. When did I become so obsessed with sex? I shake off my thoughts before I give in to my hunger and attack him.
Aden steps off of the wall and returns his hand to my lower back. Reluctantly, I let him lead me from the fascinating chamber. “I’ll show you your room and you can get unpacked.”
Once we exit, we turn down the right hallway and walk until we reach, what looks like, another common area. Although, this one s
ports game tables and other things to keep people entertained. There are three people, two men and a woman, sitting on the plush couches, deep in discussion. The room sits off to the left of us, and straight ahead is a wide staircase. Aden puts a little more pressure, hurrying me towards the stairs and I move a little faster, but continually sneak peeks at the group. Suddenly, one of the men look up and his stunning, blue eyes meet mine. A broad smile breaks out onto his face and he jumps up, swiftly moving in our direction. Aden halts and I hear a long suffering sigh behind me, his breath tickling the back of my neck, exposed under my ponytail. The man is tall and muscular, with wavy hair that naturally achieves that sexy, messy look. His eyes are a piercing blue with laugh lines creasing the side, and deep dimples appear with his infectious smile, softening the hard lines of his jaw. Holy cow, he is yummy. But honestly, he doesn’t really compare to Aden. He reaches us in no time and grabs me up in a giant hug, twirling me around.
“I’m Brannon. I’ve been waiting a lifetime for you, beautiful!” Despite my cautious nature, I find myself laughing at his antics. When Brannon leans back and plants a kiss right on my mouth, Aden abruptly snatches me out of his arms, tucking me back into his side with a low growl. He’s glaring fiercely at Brannon who has doubled over in raucous laughter.
“Shaylee, this is Brannon,” he bites out. “My former best friend.” Aden’s words cause Brannon to laugh even harder.
The other two have caught up to him now and are watching the scene with indulgent smiles. I get the feeling that they are used to Brannon’s boisterous personality. The woman stands slightly apart and rolls her eyes at him. The other man is smiling, his eyes on Aden, clearly enjoying his possessive attitude. Brannon finally catches his breath and his twinkling eyes land on Aden before he steps over and pulls him in for a back pounding, man-hug. Aden doesn’t let go of me as he returns Brannon’s embrace and hard pat between the shoulders.
“It’s good to have you back, brother. I can see why you changed your mind.”
My ears perk up at his comment. I look up at Aden and ask, “Changed your mind about what?”
Aden’s eyes are shooting daggers at Brannon. “We’ll talk about it later, baby.” He abruptly changes the subject by introducing the other man and woman.
“This is Kendrix, he’s Brannon’s twin brother.” Kendrix steps forward and leans in to kiss my cheek, giving me a mischievous waggle of his eyebrows when he notices Aden’s grip on me tighten. He’s acting like a complete cave man and I give him a death glare, which he returns, but loosens his grip. Kendrix is the spitting image of Brannon, but his countenance is calmer, more laid back.
“It’s great to meet you, Shaylee. We’ve heard a lot about you.” It seems an odd comment and I’m confused. They’d heard about me from Aden? I don’t have time to dwell on it, as Aden introduces me to the woman who is still standing a bit off from our group.
“This is Hayleigh.” He lets go of me to give her a swift hug and kiss on the cheek. I bury down the impulse to tug him back and away from the beautiful woman. She returns his embrace, a little awkwardly, and then gives me a warm smile.
“It’s great to meet you Shaylee. I haven’t been here long, but I’ve still heard a great deal about you and I hope we’ll get to know each other better.” Her voice is melodious and it only enhances her striking beauty. Despite the similar coloring of everyone, our features give us a distinct look that sets us all apart from each other. Hayleigh is tall, with a willowy body that is obviously lean with muscle. Her face is flawless, angular with a straight nose and plump lips. Her green eyes are the color of freshly mowed grass, fringed with heavy golden eyelashes and a slight up tilt at the corners, giving them a cat like quality. Her hair is long, just past her waist, and it’s secured by black bands, spread intermittently, down the length. She looks like a warrior and I can’t help feeling a little intimidated by her strength and beauty. But, once Aden is back at my side and my irrational thoughts are behind me, I decide I like her.
“I’d like that. It would be nice to connect with someone else who is fairly new around here.”
Hayleigh nods in understanding, “We can talk tomorrow and set up some time to hang out. Of course, Laila will be there too, if I didn’t tell her we were getting together, she’ll flay me the next time we practice together.” I laugh at her joke, the idea of Laila, besting Hayleigh cracking me up. However, she lifts her brows and I realize she’s serious. Okaaaay. She gives a slight wave and leaves.
“We’ll see you another time.” Aden’s voice is dismissive, obviously ready to get going.
“Oh definitely, we’ll be at dinner tonight. Ean’s going with you, as usual.” Brannon winks at me, “Ean grew up with us. He’s not as good looking as I am of course, but we’re all tight anyway. “I’m sure he can’t wait to meet you, either,” he adds in a stage whisper. Brannon’s got a Cheshire cat grin on his face, and I stifle a laugh at the way he likes to mess with Aden. “See you later, beautiful. I’ll work on convincing you to run away with me then.” He leans in, plainly going for another kiss, when an arm reaches around me and punches Brannon in the shoulder hard enough to throw him off his balance.
“Stop touching my woman and go handle your own, Brannon.” Aden’s voice is hard but it lacks venom. As annoyed as he is, he is well aware that Brannon is just trying to get a rise out of him, quite successfully. Brannon starts laughing again and I hear it trail after him as he walks down the hall. Kendrix and Aden exchange a chin lift and then he steers me toward the stairs again.
Chapter Ten
Aden
My friends are such assholes. I know Brannon is just messing with me but, apparently, I have no limit when it comes to Shaylee. Next time I get him in the training room, I’m going to beat the shit out of him. And, if he kisses Shaylee one more time, I won’t wait for sparring.
I guide Shaylee up the stairs and feel relief to finally have her to myself again. We reach the second level and I take her to apartment 2B, a small studio. When we go inside, she looks around in surprise.
“This is where I’m staying? I figured it would be more like a dorm room.”
I chuckle at her assumption. “You’re not a child, baby. You won’t be treated like one. There are apartments in the facility for those who choose to live here, mostly for the convenience. However, a good amount of them live on their own. This facility is reserved for adults, but even in the facilities, where they train the children, they still live at home.” I watch for her reaction when I say, “You really are hung up on the idea that you’ve come to Hogwarts, aren’t you?” She rolls her eyes at me and turns to walk about the room, but not before I see the pretty blush on the apples of her cheeks.
She wanders around, getting to know her surroundings, giving me the opportunity to drink her in. She’s so damn gorgeous. There is a part of me that still doesn’t believe I finally have her here. I didn’t even realize how much I missed her the last two years. It’s killing me to know I have to go slow when all I want to do is drag her back to my bed and sink into her, lose myself in her essence. I discreetly adjust myself to take some of the pressure off of my cock, straining against my zipper. Fuck. I don’t know how much time I can give her. She moves into the light from the window and the sunlight shines through her t-shirt, highlighting her perfect breasts and flat belly. I shift uncomfortably, my cock hard as a baseball bat. Okay, so patience isn’t going to work. I decide on a new plan, a much more enjoyable method. I know she wants me and I’m going to use it to my advantage. I’m determined to have her give in by the end of the week. Five days—I’ve got five days. Stop standing here and move your ass.
“Shaylee,” I call to her. She’d moved to the bed and was going through the luggage that I’d had brought to her apartment. She lifts her head, and I crook my finger at her. She stands, facing me, and plops her hands onto her hips in exasperation.
“Aden, you need to stop ordering me around like I’m still six years old.”
I laugh at her comment,
but my eyes become hooded as I slowly peruse her from head to toe. “Believe me, Shaylee, I’m very well aware that you aren’t my little ‘Buttercup’ anymore. Now, get your ass over here.”
She lets out a long, suffering sigh, but obeys me. When she’s standing in front of me, she lifts her brow sassily. She’s so damn cute. I snake my arm around her waist and pull her with me as I open the door and move to the door right across the hall.
“What are you doing Aden? Are you giving me a choice of apartments? Because I’m really fine with the other one, any apartment is a step up from my dorm room.”
As I unlock the door, I can’t help responding cryptically. “I’m definitely giving you a choice of which apartment you’d like to live in . . . for now.” The last words are said under my breath and I’m not sure she caught them. I open the door wide and usher her inside.
This apartment is at least three times the size of her studio. When you walk in the door, there is an open kitchen to the left, stainless steel appliances, white cabinets, and black granite counter tops. A breakfast bar separates it from the large living room that takes up the rest of the space. The right and back walls are windows, washing the room in the dimming light of afternoon. The couch is black leather, bookended with deep, cherry wood end tables. It faces a low cabinet that holds a large flat screen. There are a couple of black leather lazy boy chairs as well. There are two good-sized bedrooms down the hall as well, each with their own bathroom. It’s clearly a bachelor’s apartment, and until today, that’s what it was.
Shaylee takes it all in before looking back at me. “This is way too big for just me.” Chuckling, I turn her back around and pull her back against me, my arms tight around her waist.
My words whisper in her ear, “It’s not just for you, baby. You’ll have a roommate.” The movement of her cheek tells me that she’s scrunched up her cute little nose. Loosening my hold on her, I bring her around to face me, but keep my hands firmly on her hips. “This is my apartment.”
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