by G. K. DeRosa
Drake appeared beside me, his typically pristine uniform covered in black sludge.
I arched a brow at him, taking in the head-to-toe tar blanketing his body. “You look pretty gross.”
“Thanks a lot, human,” he snarled. “You know, if it weren’t for you, these damned Underworlders wouldn’t keep coming onto academy grounds.”
I absentmindedly ran my fingers over the devil’s mark on my chest. Ever since I’d been stamped with the six-six-six symbol, the attacks had become a weekly occurrence.
“Sooorry,” I huffed. I did feel bad about putting my team and all the other students at Darkhen at risk. I’d even considered leaving the academy all together, but Ryder and Cillian had insisted it wasn’t an option. Plus Ryder said it was good practice for us to hone our demon slaying skills.
Ash appeared a second later, his tall, naked form emerging from the depths of the woods. The shifter’s nakedness used to make me super uncomfortable, but after months of training together, I’d grown accustomed to it. I just kept my eyes on his and nowhere else. Otherwise, my cheeks turned fifty shades of red—which he found hysterical.
“Put some clothes on already,” hissed Drake. The ice prince was in a fouler mood than usual. I wondered if we’d interrupted something when he got the middle of the night call.
Raine had been mysteriously absent from our suite the past few nights, and I had a niggling sensation she’d been spending her evenings with Drake. Not that I cared… At all.
Ash smirked and flicked his wrist, muttering a few words. “You can look now, Luna. I’m dressed.”
I peeked from the corner of my eye to confirm. He’d tricked me on more than one occasion just to see me flustered. Apparently, nakedness was much more of an acceptable thing around Azarians, especially shifters.
Luckily, Drake shared my penchant for clothing. I wouldn’t have imagined anything less from the prim and proper Fae prince. An unwanted image of a naked Drake popped into my mind, and I quickly shook my head to rid myself of the way too vivid picture.
Whoa… what was that about?
“Why are you blushing now, Luna girl? I’m not even naked anymore.”
I glared at Ash. “I wasn’t. It must be these freakin’ frigid temperatures.” Schooling my expression until the tingle across my cheeks faded, I turned to Drake. “Do you want me to get that stuff off you?”
“I already tried. It seems to be immune to my powers.”
No wonder he was scowling. Drake was the strongest magic user of the eight of us. There wasn’t much he couldn’t do after three years at the academy. Plus he had that royal Fae blood running through his veins.
“Let’s just get back to the dorms so I can get these clothes off and shower.” Drake turned toward the well-worn path toward the dormitories, and Ash and I followed behind.
A big yawn escaped as we trudged through the deep snow. Now that the adrenaline was fading, my limbs weighed a ton. I’d come a long way with my magic since arriving at Darkhen five months ago, but using it still took a lot out of me.
I sprinted ahead of the boys when the dorm building came into view and reached for the door handle. The freezing weather was the one thing I hated most about living at Darkblood Academy. Why couldn’t they have built the school in the Fae Summer or Spring Courts?
Before my fingers closed around the antique knob, the door whipped open and I smacked into a hard body. A familiar hard body that sent my pulse skyrocketing.
“Whoa there, mini minx, no fondling the faculty.” Ryder’s dark eyes peered down at me, the stars sparkling across the sky above no match for the twinkle in those onyx irises. The wry smirk on his lips flipped into a frown when his gaze moved down to my cheek. “You’re bleeding.”
I thought I’d felt a slight sting earlier when I was barreling through the forest. His thumb brushed over my cheek, and I winced.
“It’s nothing. Just got smacked in the face by an evil branch. No biggie.”
The sound of footsteps crunching through snow made me take a big step back from Ryder. His hand dropped away, but his eyes remained on the cut across my cheek.
Drake and Ash appeared behind me, deep in some heated conversation.
“Why didn’t you guys call me?” Ryder barked.
“It was nothing we couldn’t handle.” Drake pressed his arms against his chest, the dark goo dripping down his jacket.
“That’s not what it looks like to me.” His dark gaze bounced from Drake’s blackened form to the cut on my cheek.
The Fae prince let out a shrill laugh. “You’re kidding, right? You’re pissed because your precious human got a little scratch?”
Our instructor bristled, bright yellow flashing across his irises, as he clenched his jaw. “I’m pissed because the three of you took an unnecessary risk.”
“Then maybe you should resume your twenty-four hour watch over Luna if you don’t trust her safety to us.” Drake barreled by Ryder, shoving his shoulder into him as he passed.
“Drake!” he called out, but the prince didn’t even glance back as he marched up the stairs.
“Yeah, he’s kind of in a mood tonight,” I muttered.
“Now you tell me.”
Ash stepped forward, the shifter looking the best out of the three of us. Perks of being a dragon. “You know Drake likes to think he’s in charge when you’re not around. He doesn’t like being second guessed by you, and you do tend to do it a lot when it concerns Luna.”
Ryder’s jaw softened, the murderous glare in his eyes receding. “She’s the newest member of the team, a human, and she’s got that supernatural target on her chest. I’m just trying to look out for her.”
Ash’s hand closed over Ryder’s shoulder, and he gave him a knowing smile. “We know that, man, and that’s exactly what we’re all trying to do.” With a wave to me over his shoulder, he squeezed between Ryder and the door and disappeared up the stairs.
Once the door slammed behind him, Ryder’s gaze lifted to mine. “Am I really being that unreasonable?”
“Yup.” I popped the P for extra emphasis as I squirmed by him. It was freezing out and I didn’t understand why we were still standing outside.
Ryder’s heavy footsteps trailed behind me as I marched up to the seventh floor. I’d officially moved in with Scarlett, the goth vampire member of The Seven, at the beginning of the semester. I missed my roomie, Cinder like crazy, but Cillian insisted. I didn’t want to put my best friend in the line of demon fire so I eventually gave in. I still held out hope that once this mark was removed, I could return to my old dorm.
When we reached the seventh floor common area, I twirled around to face my dark shadow. “You can go back to your building now; you don’t have to escort me all the way to my room.”
“I just want to make sure it’s clear before I leave. Scarlett’s out hunting tonight, isn’t she?”
I nodded, having completely forgotten. Two or three nights out of the week my new roommate went out with her vamp clan to stalk the furry creatures of the Fae forest. She’d told me it wasn’t as good as human blood, but it satiated their innate desires to hunt. I was all for it. Anything that lessened the possibilities of turning into a tasty vampire snack.
I unlocked the door, and Ryder stalked in ahead of me to check all the hidden nooks and crannies for demon baddies. I’d be scared of him. His broad shoulders, bulging biceps and fathomless onyx eyes marked him a predator. It was easy for me to forget that, but in moments like these, I was glad he was on my side.
Once he’d completed his detailed inspection, he circled back to the center of the room where I stood, stifling a yawn.
“Damn, mini minx, I didn’t think my presence was that boring.” A wry grin curled his lip, revealing that cute dimple until his eyes landed on that darn cut again. His brows pulled together, and he huffed. “Let me clean that up for you before I go.”
“That’s really not necessary.” I shook my head as he neared. Being this close to Ryder never turned out well
for us. We always ended up kissing or fighting or a bad combination of the two.
His musky sandalwood scent consumed me, robbing me of all rational thought. “I know it’s not, but I want to.” Was it wishful thinking or did his voice sound breathy? “I should’ve been out there with you guys tonight.”
“You can’t be with me twenty-four-seven, Ryder. It’s not good for either one of us.” Mostly my fragile heart. “The team is strong, and Drake’s right, we can take care of ourselves.”
He arched a dark brow. “I know, I know.” Lifting his hand to my shoulder, he gave it a squeeze. “And I’m really proud of how far you—all of you have come.” He turned toward the bathroom and was back a second later with the first aid kit. “But that doesn’t mean I can’t take care of you.” Wrapping his fingers around my hand, he dragged me to my bed. “Now, sit.”
I sank down onto the soft mattress with a huff. There was no point fighting him on this. The demon bad boy was as stubborn as they came, especially when it came to my safety. He folded his big frame beside me, the bed dipping under his massive weight, and angled his body toward mine. Dipping a cotton swab in alcohol, he gently swept it over the cut.
I winced from the sting, chomping down on my lower lip.
He leaned in closer, blowing cool air across my cheek to lessen the burn. When he retreated, his eyes fixed on my lip snagged between my teeth. He slowed, his gaze lingering on my mouth, and a sexy growl vibrated in his chest.
Heat ignited in my core, spreading like wildfire toward my lower half. I couldn’t help but meet his eyes, the dark lashes fanning over those impossibly profound orbs. Holy demon babies, why was he so hot?
“I already told you not to do that,” he said, tugging my lip free. He dabbed a little more alcohol on the wound and sat back, keeping his gaze lowered.
This was pretty much how the past month had gone—lingering looks fraught with sexual tension and that was it. He hadn’t kissed me since the night of the school dance when my father mysteriously showed up and then disappeared. Again.
Darkblood Academy: Supernatural Slayer Squad comes out on August 1 and you can preorder it here now!
While you’re waiting, you can read the complete Hitched series and read the story that started it all. Meet Kimmie-Jayne Starr and her bachelors and discover how the human and supernatural worlds came together.
Hitched: The Bachelorette
One innocent human girl. Twenty-five supernatural bachelors. Six weeks to choose The One.
When struggling actress Kimmie-Jayne Starr discovers she’s snagged the starring role on the next huge reality TV show, Hitched, she thinks all her dreams have finally come true. But as soon as she lands on the beautiful island of Mystic Cove, something feels wrong.
Sure, the twenty-five bachelors are heart-stoppingly gorgeous, but she’s certain they’re all hiding something—something supernatural. As she gets to know the guys, protecting her heart proves impossible when she finds herself irresistibly drawn to more than just one.
As a string of strange accidents on set grow deadlier, Kimmie realizes there’s much more to this dating show than she ever could’ve imagined. If she can’t figure out who’s behind these incidents, she’ll end up risking more than just her heart.
Buy it now or read for FREE with Kindle Unlimited!
Also by G.K. DeRosa
The Hitched Series
Hitched: The Bachelorette
Hitched: The Top Ten
Hitched: The Final Five
Hitched: The One
The Vampire and Angel Wars
Wings & Destruction
Blood & Rebellion
Souls & Salvation
The Vampire Prophecy
Dark Fates
Dark Divide
Dark Oblivion
The Hybrid Trilogy
Magic Bound
Immortal Magic
Beyond Magic
Magic Bound: The Hybrid Trilogy The Complete Collection
The Guardian Series
Wilder: The Guardian Series
Wilder Destiny
Wilder Revelation
Wilder Legacy
Wilder: The Guardian Series The Complete Collection
Acknowledgments
A huge and wholehearted thank you to my dedicated readers! I could not do this without you. I love hearing from you and your enthusiasm for the characters and story. You are the best!
A special thank you to my loving and supportive husband who always understood my need for escaping into a good book (or TV show!). He inspires me to try harder and push further every day. And of course my mother who is the guiding force behind everything I do and made me everything I am today. Without her, I literally could not write—because she’s also my part-time babysitter! To my father who will always live on in my dreams. And finally, my son, Alexander, who brings an unimaginable amount of joy and adventure to my life everyday.
A big thank you to my new talented graphic designer, Sanja Gombar, for creating a beautiful book cover. A special thank you to my dedicated beta readers/fellow authors Jena, Kristin, Tiea, Michelle and Patrick who have been my sounding board on everything from cover ideas, blurbs, and story details. And all of my beta readers who gave me great ideas, caught spelling errors, and were all around amazing.
Thank you to all my family and friends (especially you, Robin Wiley!) and new indie author and blogger friends (you’re the best Mary Ellen!) who let me bounce ideas off of them and listened to my struggles as an author and self-publisher. I appreciate it more than you all will ever know.
G.K.
About the Author
USA Today Bestselling Author, G.K. De Rosa has always had a passion for all things fantasy and romance. Growing up, she loved to read, devouring books in a single sitting. She attended Catholic school where reading and writing were an intense part of the curriculum, and she credits her amazing teachers for instilling in her a love of storytelling. As an adult, her favorite books were always young adult novels, and she remains a self-proclaimed fifteen year-old at heart. When she’s not reading, writing or watching way too many TV shows, she’s traveling and eating around the world with her family. G.K. DeRosa currently lives in South Florida with her real life Prince Charming, their son and fur baby, Nico, the German shepherd.
www.gkderosa.com
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