by Cali Mann
With my hands on my hips and breasts thrust out, I glared at him. “What’s going on with you?”
Adrian leaned away from me.
Dammit. I was sick of guys treating me like I was a leper for no good reason. I reached out and grabbed his arms, pulling him toward me as if I was going to kiss him, and threw him fully clothed into the pool instead. His splash roared behind me as I gathered my clothes and charged toward the stairs.
I had thrown him. How had I done that? I wasn’t strong enough . . . oh, vampire strength. A giggle rose up my throat and spilled out, high pitched and girly. I pressed my lips together, cutting it off. What was wrong with me?
Halfway up the stairs, I realized I was still naked and paused to yank on my clothes. Then I hurried on, not stopping until I reached my room. I closed and locked the door and leaned against it, breathing hard. I stomped to the bed. Part of me wanted to fall on it and hope I woke up tomorrow in a better space. The other part of me knew I was wet and salty and needed a shower.
Stripping again, I grabbed my robe and went to the shower. I let the hot water run over me until it turned cold, roomies be damned. Then I pulled on my coziest pajamas and climbed into bed. The sun was still high in the afternoon sky, but I had no problem drifting off.
8
Adrian
Sweat dripped down my forehead. I slammed another punch into the bag and then ran a hand through my curls. The gym so wasn’t my scene, but I could be guaranteed not to run into Hailey here and that’s what I needed. The image of her furious, wet, and naked, hands on her hips was seared into my brain. I’d never been so terrified and turned on in my life.
I’d dealt with girls’ moods before. Some might even say I was good at it, but she disarmed me effortlessly. When I’d gotten back to the dorm last night, I’d yelled at Sciro. Why hadn’t he found an answer yet? What were we supposed to do about our mate? He’d stared at the floor and shrugged. Bloody Sciro was bewildered. What the fuck were the rest of us supposed to do?
And how the hell had she thrown me in the pool? Sure, I’d been caught off guard but I was no wimp. I spent hours in the pool and I’d even held my own sparring with Terrin. Where did a chick get that kind of strength? She wasn’t an air shifter. A well-fed vampire might have had that kind of strength, but Sciro had confirmed, earth shifter, probably a wolf. I slammed my fist into the bag, and it swung wildly.
Terrin caught it, holding it steady for me. He quirked an eyebrow. “Girl troubles?”
“Dammit man, doesn’t it bother you?” I took aim and loosed another round.
“I told her I’d let her have her freedom.”
“But she’s your ... our mate!”
“She doesn’t know that.” He shrugged. “And she’s her own woman. She needs to choose us for herself.”
“That’s another thing,” I said, ignoring his words and hitting the bag with a combo. “Where’s her mate tattoo? We get double whammied and she’s got nothing?”
“Dunno.” He frowned. “But I think, when it’s time, it will come.”
“And you’re just willing to wait for it?” I growled.
He met my eyes, and he smiled. “I’m willing to wait for her. Hailey is worth it.”
I grumbled and took another swing at the bag. “She’s running around free as a bird, while I can’t even get a hard-on with another girl.”
Terrin sighed. “It’s not like she’s really running around on us. I mean, have you ever seen her with another guy?”
“No,” I muttered.
“You should have stayed with us for the break. Spent some time with her.” He shrugged. “Not like your parents were home, anyway.”
“I don’t need to spend time with her,” I said, thinking of all those late nights in the pools. “I know her.”
Terrin gave a sad smile. “Do you? Or do you only know what you think she is?”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“Just ‘cause you’re a slut, doesn’t mean everyone is.” He shoved the bag toward me and walked away.
Ouch. I dragged my sorry ass to the showers and tried to let the water wash away thoughts of emerald eyes and gorgeous breasts. Even my element had no effect on my thoughts. I wanted to go back down to the pools, but what if she was there? I didn’t think I could face her again.
Fuck it. She didn’t control me. I yanked on my clothes and headed out. The courtyard was busy as usual, and I glimpsed Terrin and Hailey cuddled on a bench. She held a cup of hot something between her hands and smiled up at him. I growled, low in my throat. Like he’d said, they’d spent time together over break and seemed more bonded than ever.
“What’s she see in him?” a voice muttered next to me.
I swung around and stared at asshole Brenton of all people. “What the fuck do you care?”
“Don’t.” Despite his casual tone, his hands were curled into fists at his side.
My thoughts ran over all the help Brenton had given us during the rescue mission. “Can’t lose a lab partner, eh?”
“Well,” he said, shifting his feet. “Good lab partners are hard to find.”
“Especially ones as sexy as Hailey, am I right?” I forced a locker room laugh into my tone.
“Damn right.” He shrugged a shoulder toward Terrin. “I know he’s your pack brother, but he ought to treat her better.”
I frowned. “How?”
“Well, I sure as hell wouldn’t let any girl of mine go around with needs unmet.”
Needs unmet? What the fuck did he mean by that? I stared at him.
“Just saying,” he said, and he walked away.
I blinked. Was Hailey fucking Brenton? She’d mated both me and Terrin and she was sleeping with someone else? Fury curled up my spine. I swung back toward the courtyard.
Terrin said something funny, and she leaned her head back laughing. I charged toward them.
9
Hailey
My laugh cut off when I saw Adrian barreling toward us across the courtyard. His face a mask of anger and his shoulders hunched. What was wrong now?
Terrin caught sight of him too, and stood, partly in front of me. He put his hand out, stopping his brother’s forward momentum. His voice steely calm, he said, “Adrian.”
“She’s been fucking around, bro.” Adrian’s fury-coated voice echoed against my ears.
I glanced around, hoping it wasn’t as loud for everyone else, but the courtyard seemed to have cleared out. The sun was setting, and the colder air was settling in.
Terrin growled. “We went over this. Hailey’s not—” He glanced at me. “She’s a free woman.”
With a frown, my eyes darted between them. What was going on? Adrian couldn’t be bothered to give me the time of day, and now he’s worried about me being with someone else? It didn’t make any sense. “And it’s none of your damn business.”
Adrian pushed against Terrin’s hand as if he wanted to punch me, and I flinched back.
“She’s fucking Brenton, Terrin,” he snarled. “Asshole Brenton.”
My cheeks warmed.
“Adrian,” Terrin said fiercely. “You’re imagining things—”
A tempest swept through Adrian’s sea-green eyes as he watched my reaction. My stomach swirled, and I thought I might be sick.
“Look at her goddamn face, man,” he crowed.
Terrin glanced over at me, and he blinked. His face fell in disappointment, but he shook it off. “Leave her alone.”
My muscles quivered. He’d said I was free, and now he was disappointed in me? What right did he have? Ice coated my voice. “You told me I was free.”
“I don’t care who you fuck,” Terrin said squeezing my arm. “You are free.”
“Will you stop lying to her?” Adrian said, his eyes still burning me. “You aren’t fucking free, Hailey, none of us are.”
“Don’t,” Terrin muttered.
Adrian yanked his coat off and pulled his shirt over his head. Crossing his arms over his chest, he shi
vered in the cold air and shoved his shoulder into my face. Outlined across the ridge was the leaf and vine pattern of a mate mark.
“No.” I stepped back, tripping over the bench behind me. “It’s not me.”
“Of course it’s you,” Adrian said. “I haven’t been able to fuck anyone else since.”
“It’s okay,” Terrin said, reaching out and steadying me. He pulled me down onto the bench.
I shook my head. “It’s not okay. I’ve been with you for weeks—” I stared at him. “You knew I was mated to Adrian and you—” My head hurt.
“You’re mated to me too,” Terrin said, baring his shoulder. “We didn’t want to scare you until we understood it better.”
My mouth dropped open. I tried to speak but I could only sputter. “I can’t . . . I don’t have . . . that’s impossible.” At least, I thought it was impossible.
“We thought so too, but it’s true, Hailey,” Terrin said.
I rubbed my shoulder, feeling numb. “But I don’t have any mate mark.”
Adrian yanked his clothes back on and sat down on my other side. “Doesn’t make any damn sense to us either.”
“Sciro is researching it,” Terrin said, stroking my hair back from my face. “He’ll figure it out.”
My stomach swirled uneasily, and I forced the words out, “I have two mates?”
“Yes,” Adrian muttered. “So you can’t go around fucking that asshole Brenton.”
I stood, my heartbeat racing, and glared at both of them. “I can fuck whoever I damn well please.”
“What he means,” Terrin said, scowling at Adrian. “Is that we both care about you and want you to be happy.”
Adrian muttered, “Fuck that.”
Terrin swiped at him, and Adrian flinched, backing away from us.
“I don’t care about the mate marks.” I grimaced, looking back and forth between them. “I won’t be owned, not by you or by some stupid magical tattoo.”
“But—” Adrian began, and I didn’t stay to listen. I turned and stomped away through the swirling snow.
I turned from the dormitories and headed for the back yard. I couldn’t deal with anyone, least of all the guys. After stepping off the back porch, I tromped toward the woods. The leafless branches waved against the dark sky. My vampire eyesight wouldn’t let me trip over any twigs. Birds called from the trees, their voices echoing over the dark landscape. The moon had hidden away behind a cloud, and I wanted to disappear as well.
Leaning against a trunk, my eyes closed, and I groaned. I only wanted to be free, and I kept getting bound to others. How could I have two mates, and no mate mark myself? I yanked my collar and gazed at my shoulders but I had nothing, not even a single leaf. They must be bound to someone else. It couldn’t be true.
Snowflakes landed on my hand and I opened my eyes, staring at their delicate patterns. How had they known about Brenton? Did they know about the blood too, or just the sex? I didn’t even know what it meant, how could they? Did I like Brenton? Or were we just using each other?
It wasn’t like I could tell Terrin and Adrian, oh hey, I’m a spirit shifter and I’m in vampire phase. Mind if I take some of your blood? I ran my teeth over my lip. Did Brenton know that air wasn’t supposed to be my element?
I didn’t want to see either of them ever again. I couldn’t feel that and be their mate too, could I? I liked them well enough, but I wasn’t bound to them. There was nothing on my skin or in my soul that needed them. A heavy weight settled in my stomach, and I wrapped my arms around it. Wasn’t much use lying to myself? I did care, and I desperately didn’t want them to get hurt. Worst of all, if we were mated, then when the Council killed me for being a spirit shifter, they’d die too.
I sat there for a long time, hashing and rehashing my mixed-up thoughts, but it didn’t do any good. There were too many secrets and too many worries, and I was beginning to think it’d have been better if I died in the caves.
10
Brenton
Hailey stomped into Biology and didn’t look at me when she reached our table. She banged the vials around and nearly cracked one against the side of the bench.
The professor began, giving our assignments for the lab. I opened my book and tried to ignore the bristling chick next to me.
After the third round of experiments was a bust, I muttered, “What’s up?”
She didn’t respond.
I glanced across the classroom. Terrin wasn’t paying any attention to his work either. He cast a soulful glance at her, and his shoulders slumped. I jerked my thumb in his direction. “Your boyfriend giving you a hard time?”
“He’s not my boyfriend.” Her lip curled. “Why’d you tell them?”
I blinked. “Tell who, what exactly?”
She rounded on me her emerald eyes blazing. “Why’d you tell Adrian about us?”
“I didn’t,” I said, shaking my head. “I said Terrin should meet your needs, that’s all.”
A frown creased her brow. “Then how’d he get to...?”
“Your blood needs.”
Her eyes widened, and she grasped my arm. “You didn’t say that did you?”
“Say what?”
“Blood?”
“No,” I said, shaking my head. Then it came together in my mind. That’s what she was worried about. “What do they think you are?”
Her eyes blinked rapidly, and she turned away, her shoulders shaking.
“Hailey,” I whispered against her ear. “I don’t care that you’re a spirit shifter.”
She froze. “You know?”
“I know,” I said, spinning her around to face me. I met her eyes. “And I don’t give a damn.”
She stared at me. “You really don’t, do you?”
I shook my head, then glanced back over my shoulder. “But I suppose he would.”
Hailey bit her lip, casting her gaze to the floor.
With a groan, I wondered if she knew how fucking sexy she looked when she did that. I wanted to take her in my arms and do terrible things to her. It’d only been by holding back and not touching her at all that I’d been able to keep myself in check over the last few months.
“Back to work you two,” Professor Alexander said as he passed. He wore a traditional purple and gold robe today, and it swished on the stone floor.
I nodded and turned back to the experiment.
Hailey sniffed and then joined me, her hand brushing mine gently.
I grinned, a warm fire roaring within me.
As soon as class ended, I grabbed her hand and pulled her outside. We ran until we hit the back doors and exploded out into the snow-covered back yard.
She looked down at our entwined hands and back up at me. “I thought you didn’t like to touch.”
“I don’t like to be jostled or pushed or shoved,” I said, as we climbed over a log and onto the forest path. The cold wouldn’t bother her in vampire form and my internal heat kept me warm. “Too much of that growing up.”
Hailey frowned.
“But, before, I was afraid if I touched you, I wouldn’t be able to control myself. I want you too much.”
“And now?” Her eyes turned hungry.
I smirked. “I think you want me to lose control.”
She licked her lips and reached out to caress me.
I evaded her touch. “Not yet.”
Hailey looked around. “Where are we going?”
“A place I know.” I turned by the creek, and we followed it down to where it widened. Circling around the cliff, we came upon the waterfall, frozen silent and still. The sunlight reflected off of it, making rainbows in the air.
“It’s beautiful,” Hailey said with a gasp.
Pulling her around the edge, we slipped into the cave behind the waterfall. It was dark and dry inside. From behind a rock, I brought out a bunch of sticks I’d wrapped in a tarp and set about starting a fire.
Hailey spun around in a circle. “Incredible.”
I grinned. Vamp
ire sight must be amazing. I huffed on the dry wood and it sparked instantly. Fire shifters had tricks of our own. The blaze roared up and warmed the space.
“Won’t it melt the waterfall?” Hailey asked.
“What if it does?” I asked with a shrug. “Won’t hurt anything. Besides, I’m sure that it’s frozen solid this deep into winter.”
I shook out the blanket I’d kept rolled with the sticks and lay it out over the rock floor.
“Bring girls here often, do you?” Hailey asked, lifting an eyebrow.
“No,” I answered honestly, sitting down on the flannel blanket. “But I do like to come here by myself sometimes and I like to be comfortable.”
She dropped down next to me. “Thank you.”
“For what?”
“For accepting what I am. For not hating me.”
I stroked my fingers along her cheek. “I could never hate you, Hailey.”
Leaning forward, she pressed her lips to mine, sweetly, gently.
Hell no. With a roar, I pulled her against me, plundering her mouth with mine. She melted in my arms, and something inside me growled, “Mine.”
Hailey stiffened in my arms.
I pulled back and studied her face. “What’s the matter?”
“I don’t belong to anyone.” She sighed. “You goddamn shifters are all the same.”
My eyes narrowed, my face tightening. “I don’t share—” I began when pain shot through my back, and I groaned. My spine twisted, and I fell forward onto my hands. Agony screamed along my nerve endings.
Her eyes wide, Hailey scrambled back toward the wall.
I panted and yelled as my shoulder blades tried to push themselves through my back. My whole body contorted. Each bone rearranged itself, and I howled in anguish. I crouched on the floor, shuddering with every change. The pain seemed to go on forever, but at last, it faded.
Lifting my now enormous head, I gazed at Hailey through refracted vision. Her form a mass of colors and light.