"Don't avoid me anymore then," I whispered, barely audible.
He reached for my cheek and ran his fingertips along my jaw. My mind screamed from the sensation of his gentle touch.
And then he brought his face close to mine, and I felt his breath on my lips.
His hand moved to the back of my neck as his fingers wove into my hair.
I noticed a slight tremble in his touch as if he were trying to keep control.
"How do I keep you safe when I worry I could hurt you?" His voice caught in his throat.
"You won't hurt me," I said, lifting my chin slightly.
And as his fingers tightened in my hair, he leaned in and kissed me.
Every part of my being lit up from the intimate contact. I'd never realized a simple kiss could have such an effect on a person. My head spun with euphoria, and I was certain this was what pure heroin must feel like.
As his full lips explored mine, the nag in the back of my brain wondered how he could want to kiss me. I'd always admired him from afar, but to think he did the same with me was too far-fetched to even fathom.
He pulled away for a moment, catching his breath, and gazed into my eyes.
"I've always wanted to do that," he breathed, rubbing his bottom lip with a knuckle.
I huffed.
"What? You don't believe me?"
"I don't know." I lowered my gaze to avoid his searching eyes.
"Well, it's true. If you'd paid any attention at all, you would have caught my staring eyes a million times over. But I always seemed to be the furthest thing from your interest."
I grinned, allowing myself to believe him, just a little.
"I just never thought...." I shrugged.
It was sad how much I believed his disinterest in me from the start. I'd never had much luck with boys in the past, so even thinking for a second I'd have a shot with Clayton was never an option.
"Shaye, you're the most intriguing person I've ever met. There's something about you, something very real and alive." He smiled into my eyes.
Then he reached in again and hovered his lips just over mine.
"I want to kiss you again," he whispered, tickling my lips with his breath.
I closed my eyes and allowed myself to let my guard down, just enough to be able to savor the magical moment.
As our lips met again, we became lost in each other's embrace, forgetting about everything around us. His breath grew heavier the more we kissed, and it generated a new excitement within me—one that made me want to lose control with him.
I allowed the sensations to move through me as I savored the closeness of his body and his mouth. His energy intoxicated me, and a small whimper escaped my throat.
He shuddered from the sound, and his arms wrapped tighter around me in response. The thrill of his strength nearly unhinged me, but just as I was about to respond to his hold, a strange growl rumbled in his chest.
He pushed me back at arm’s length with fear shooting from his pupils.
"I, I'm sorry," he muttered. "I don't know what..."
And his words were cut short by another voice sailing up the stairs.
"Claaaaaayton," Josie called.
"Shit!" he blasted.
He grabbed my arm and pulled me toward his door. Reaching behind him, he opened it without removing his eyes from the stairwell.
"Quick. In here," he said. "Stay quiet."
He closed the door with a quick click and leaned his back against it.
Before long, the rapping of knuckles broke the tense silence.
His jaw fell open like a child about to be caught stealing cookies, and a fit of giggles washed through me.
He lifted a finger to his pursed lips to shush me, but then he buckled over with silent laughter as well.
"Clayton, are you in there?" Josie snapped.
He shook his head and rolled his eyes.
Another moment and her short, annoyed footsteps echoed down the hall.
"That was close," I whispered.
He moved to me and took my hands.
"She's gonna be really pissed when she finds out about this," he said, looking at my delicate hands in his large, powerful ones.
I smirked, but couldn't help but feel a twang of fear from Josie's wrath that would shower down on me. But it was worth it. This feeling was something I wanted to hold on to for as long as possible. I finally understood how these kinds of feelings could also cause deep pain for people, but I pushed those fears away with all my effort.
Clayton noticed the shift in my eyes and bent his head down to study my gaze.
"I'm sorry," he started. "I don't know what that sound was."
He thought I was worried about the growl that came out of him.
I supposed I should have been, but compared to my desire to ravish him, fear of the beast was the farthest thing from my mind.
"No, don't be sorry. We moved quickly, so soon after your shift. We need to be more careful."
He took a deep, calming breath.
"Agreed." He nodded, then grinned. "But that doesn't mean we have to stop."
Chapter 9
Allowing Clayton time to relax and calm down proved to be the hardest thing I'd ever done.
Sitting on his bed, surrounded by his pillows and comforter, all of which filled my senses with his alluring scent, was pure torture. I didn't know what it was about him, but every part of me was attracted. Sure, he was gorgeous, perfection, really. But it was also his vulnerability and his sensitivity that drew me to him. He was just as lost as the rest of us, and all I wanted was to hold him.
He paced across his room, taking steady breaths.
"It feels like tight anxiety in my chest," he said. "I always know when it's about to happen, but I just don't get much warning. Seconds, really."
I understood now why he had to exercise full control in every part of his day. With only seconds notice, he would have no time to shelter, and the beast would reveal itself without him being able to control it.
"Is that why you were sent here?" I asked, remembering the day he first arrived.
He was probably around fifteen or sixteen at the time, already well over six feet tall with his well-carved athletic build. I couldn't pull my eyes off him that day. Hazeldene hadn't yet had a student who looked like him—his deep black skin bowled me over with its stunning beauty, and when he smiled, his white teeth radiated, lighting up the room.
"Yup." He shrugged. "They called it rage disorder, oppositional defiant disorder, temper tantrums. You name it, they labeled it." He paced some more. "Problem is, I've never actually felt the shift that extremely before." He looked at his clothing and ran a finger along a tear. "Like, this has never happened before."
I took a double-take.
"You mean, you never actually changed form?"
He took a deep breath. "I don't think so. It's just always been uncontrollable fits of rage."
My eyes widened. "Holy crap."
"Yeah. I know." He shook his head. "But I've always had the strength to stay grounded, to control it. It's like two opposing forces, the beast and the calm."
Okay, so I was pretty sure I was right about Clayton having the earth element in his favor. It was what gave him the ability to control the beast. But something had shifted now, making him weaker in his ability to contain it.
I wondered if there was some way I could help him.
I stood up from his bed and held my hands out.
"Come here," I said. "I want to see something." I waved my fingers for him to come closer.
He hesitated at first, uncertain if he was ready to be near me.
"It's okay," I assured him. "Hover your hands over mine. I want to try something."
"Shaye, I can still feel the aggression within me. I don't know if this is a good idea."
The worry emanating from his eyes convinced me it was a great idea.
"Hold your hands still," I said, keeping my palms up just beneath them. "Now try to allow some of that en
ergy to leave your chest and move out through your hands. I'll try to pull it out of you, to help give you some relief."
"I don't know." He shook his head. "I don't think it works like that."
"Let's just try." I held his eyes with mine, hoping he would trust me.
He exhaled for miles as he held his hands over mine. At first, I could tell he was resisting, using his strength to suppress the energy and keep it trapped within him.
"Let it out, Clayton," I said. "Slowly."
He shook his head with uncertainty. But then I felt it. As strange vibration moving from his hands to mine. A shudder of energy that sparked with crackles and snaps.
He pulled his hands away instantly.
"Are you okay?" He checked my hands for any damage.
I rolled my eyes at him and grabbed his hands again, placing them back in their position.
"It's working," I muttered, focusing on our hands. "Close your eyes. Concentrate."
As Clayton settled into a second attempt, I opened my mind to him through my palms. In an instant, I felt his rage and his trauma. I felt his entire soul in constant turmoil, fighting his own inner being like it was an enemy. I stretched my palms wide to pull some of that force out of him.
Then the crackles and snaps sounded again.
Something was happening.
His energy focused into his hands, creating a surge that tingled up my arms.
As the sounds grew louder, our eyes popped open in surprise, and we stared at each other and then at our hands. We watched as deep purple energy flowed from his hands into mine. As the power gathered in my palms, I consumed it like fuel, and in an instant, flames burst to life in my hands.
His first instinct was to pull away, but I stopped him.
"Don't move," I blasted. "Let me use it."
I continued to pull the energy from his hands and created a tight fireball between my fingers. I manipulated it into different forms and shapes, controlling it like never before. As my heart pounded in my chest, I stretched the flame into a dagger and then bunched it together into a ball of intense heat.
Never once did I feel pain or burning. I had perfect control.
Mesmerized, we stared with jaws dropped. Then the color leaving Clayton's hands began to fade. His shoulders relaxed, and he stumbled back.
I clapped my hands together and extinguished the flame as I jumped to steady him.
He fell back onto his bed with an exhausted thump and stared at his ceiling.
"You did it," he murmured. "I'm at peace."
And he fell fast asleep.
It wasn't creepy that I was watching him sleep, right?
My inner voice kept telling me I was being weird.
But I couldn't help it. First, I needed to be sure Clayton was okay and breathing. And second, I didn't know yet if I needed to get Graney Greta or not. But lastly, I just liked looking at him in such a restful pose. It was the first time I'd seen him relaxed, without tension in every muscle.
In all honesty, I knew he was okay. Maybe more okay than ever.
As I realized it would be safe for me to go, a wave of disappointment moved through me. There was nothing beyond his door that was more interesting to me than being with him.
What had just happened between us was indescribable. It was the first time that I'd combined powers with a supernatural and had it work with compounded efficiency. We were able to use each other’s gifts to enhance our own.
I bit my lip as the notion ran through me.
We were a match.
As I moved to his door with delicate footsteps, I heard him rustle on his bed. Turning, I watched as he sat up on one elbow. He blinked as if having been asleep for hours, but I was sure it hadn't even been a full sixty minutes.
"Where are you going?" he murmured.
"You need to rest," I said.
He smacked his lips. "I think I just did."
"No, you need more. I thought you'd sleep through the night."
He checked the time seeing it was still early evening.
"Shaye, I feel like I just slept for two days. I think I'm good."
My eyebrows pulled together in confusion. I was sure he'd need more than that, but judging from the brightness in his eyes and his big smile, he seemed to be fully rested.
"Come here." He reached out for me.
I stepped closer to his bed, and before I could figure out what he wanted, he pulled me into it with him.
His arms wrapped around me, and he held me close.
"Thank you," he whispered. And he kissed my lips sweetly.
His gentle touch sent chills through me, and I realized he understood our connection now, too.
"So, how's Noah going to feel about this?" he muttered.
My eyes widened. "What do you mean?"
"Well, I know you guys aren't a thing, but I also know how he feels about you. It's not hard to miss."
I took a deep breath.
It was true.
Noah would be devastated.
He was insecure enough as it was, with his disrespected skills and inability to get me out of the friend zone. I cringed, thinking of how this would affect him.
"I'll tell him. Delicately." I pressed my lips together, knowing there was no delicate way about it. But at the same time, I was glad Clayton was being sensitive toward Noah.
"I guess a few feathers will be ruffled," he said. "I think we should probably see Chancellor Kelly pronto."
I nodded. "I agree. Let's make that our next thing."
He tightened his arms around me. "Well, maybe not our next thing." He grinned and brushed his lips over mine. "I could get lost in you. It's like you've cast a spell over me," he whispered. "I don't know how I was able to stay away from you for as long as I did." He paused. "I've never been more content or as ease as I am right now."
I swallowed, absorbing every word and allowing them to fill the void within me.
And then I kissed him with all my heart and soul, allowing a rush of emotions to course through me as I allowed myself to free-fall.
As we danced together in our bliss, my head spun, but then a strange clang shot me back to outer awareness.
Then the bell rang again.
"Terrace?" Clayton grumped, sitting up. "Why would there be another terrace meeting so soon?"
"Something must be wrong," I said, scooching up.
He leaned in and kissed me one more time before standing. He stretched, reaching his arms up high over his head, and then grabbed a fresh hoodie.
Pulling it over his head, he moved to the door.
"Maybe you should sneak out first?" He shrugged. "I don't know. I wouldn't want to tarnish your rep or anything."
"Ha. Good one. It's tarnished beyond repair," I said. "But, yeah, let me sneak out first. You never know who's looking." I smirked. "I'll see you down there."
As I slipped out of his room, my eyes held his until the last second. As I closed the door behind me, I turned and stopped short in my tracks.
"I knew it," Josie spewed in disgust, shaking her head. "Wait until everyone hears about this." Her pin-straight hair accentuated her beady eyes and harsh, judgmental features.
"Mind your business for once, Josie. Don't you have anything better to do? You're bordering on obsessed."
Her eyes widened in feigned injury.
"Obsessed? Maybe. Obsessed with having you removed from here."
"What's your problem, anyway? I never did anything to you." I stared her down, surprised that I felt absolutely no fear for once.
"You're a menace, Shaye," she spat. "You mess up everything you touch around here. And I just want you to know that I plan to wreck you. I'll say anything to make people think you're a bad seed." She stepped closer. "I mean, come on, isn't it obvious I should be the ambassador around here. You've always stood in my way. Not anymore. And this is my new ammo." She waved her palm toward Clayton's room.
My heart rate accelerated out of sheer unknowing of what she was capable of spinning. So m
any of the students here were willing to believe her lies, and she was about to weave a whole new web of them.
"We have to get to terrace," I stated.
She smirked.
"Give me a break. I had Troy and Liam ring the bell. There's no terrace meeting." She shook her head like I was a half-wit. "I just needed proof that you were with Clayton."
As my face reddened with fuming anger, it immediately switched to shock as an unexpected voice interjected.
"Calling a false terrace meeting is a major offense," Professor Finneas said from out of nowhere. "Disrupting school assembly, Josie? That's what you've done?" He turned on his heels and clomped down the stairs with focused determination.
"Wait, Prof," Josie called. "It's not true. I was just saying it to..."
Her voice stuck in her throat as he moved away without listening.
She looked at me with fearful eyes. "What am I going to do?" she said.
Clayton opened his door fully, making it clear it had already been ajar.
His wide smile proved he'd heard everything.
"Dug yourself into a hole, Josie?"
"No." She pressed her lips together. "Once they hear about this..." She pointed from him to me. "And you’re sneaking around to forbidden areas... they'll forget all about the bell when they hear that. You'll both be disqualified from the trials. Or worse."
And she stormed away with an arrogance that stank up the hallway.
Clayton's eyes narrowed as if from boredom.
"Let her tell them. She'll only dig herself further into a hole."
I shrugged. "I hope you're right. But I think it's probably a perfect time for us to talk with Chancellor Kelly."
He nodded and took a huge inhale.
The knot in my stomach loosened from the thought of him going with me. His presence would make me feel less of a criminal.
"The Chancellor needs to hear about the banshee, and should also know that your shift happened while confronting her."
"Yup. Probably true." He clicked the door shut behind him. "No better time than the present."
I rubbed my eyes in preparation of facing the Higher Order under such stressful circumstances. Usually, I was very comfortable with Chancellor Kelly. She was like a maternal figure to me. But today felt different—almost like I had to defend myself to her. I hated the feeling of my current position, particularly if Josie interfered in any way with her lies.
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