He pushed himself up, shoving me away from him as he did.
“What the fuck are you doing?” he asked, sliding a hand over his face. He looked around the room as if trying to process where he was before his eyes landed on me. Whatever he saw in my expression had him scratching the back of his neck, confusion once again prominent in those blue depths. He frowned again. “I’m sorry. Did I hurt you?”
I shook my head and slid from his bed. Seated on the floor, I kept my gaze lowered.
A nervous chuckle escaped him as he slid down beside me. “I swear I didn’t invite you here for this,” he said, placing a hand on my knee. He gave it a squeeze before reaching beneath the bed and pulling out a file. Handing it to me, he added, “When I was younger, I heard my father talking about a journal he kept from the last Emerald. He said it was hidden away somewhere only he could get to it, so I went searching for it.”
I grabbed the folder and shuffled through a few of the pages. In it was a few pictures of my mother, one I’d seen before. The others showed her a lot younger and I could imagine it was from a time before she’d met my father. I pushed the pictures aside and delved into the paperwork. There were notes jotted down on every sheet of paper, notes that described some sort of project, though it all felt Greek to me.
“Were you able to find it?” I asked, scanning through another set of notes.
“I found it, but before I could read through it, my father took it away from me. I hadn’t been able to find it since.” His fingers glanced off the side of the folder. “I found all of this in a discarded box in the attic. My father knew something about what your mother was doing and was determined to keep it secret, though I can’t figure out why.”
“Did you ask him?”
He let out a huff of air, that same pained expression I’d seen as he slumbered marred his features. My mind went back to the conversation I’d had with Amber earlier. She’d been certain I shouldn’t trust Colton but before she’d had time to fully explain, Sergio showed up, ending that conversation.
“Can I ask you something?” I asked, before I lost the nerve.
“You want to know about my birth.” He said it in a way that made me feel guilty for having brought it up. His shoulders sank. “What have you heard so far?”
“That you were born during a blood moon.”
“It’s a lot more complicated than that,” he smirked, though his gaze darkened. “Do you know what it means to be born on during a blood moon?”
I shook my head. There was a lot I didn’t know about shifters and apparently this was something I needed to know about him before I could trust him.
He shifted uneasily, scooting himself a few inches from me. “Shifters born under the blood moon are born fully shifted. From what I understand, my mother went into labor and the doctors did all they could to delay my birth, hoping they’d be able to save her life. But they were too late. I was already clawing my way out of her before they’d had time to prepare and I’d killed her.”
My mouth formed a small O but I didn’t say anything as grief crept its way into his eyes. Silence stretched between us as I tried to process what he’d told me. I’d never heard of a shifter being able to shift before their sixteenth birthday, let alone shift as a newborn. I’d asked Grandma about it before when I’d wondered why I hadn’t shifted yet. Her response had been simple. Shifters need to mature into their wolf states or else the shift could have a negative impact on their mentality. They’d become violent and quick to anger.
I could definitely see that in Colton considering the way he’d treated me before. However, looking at him now, I saw something entirely different. He was strong and determined, able to take care of himself, but there was a vulnerability there just beneath the surface.
“That must have been hard for you,” I said, breaking the silence.
He scoffed at that. “It was harder for my father who’d lost his mate. He punished me for it every chance he got, especially when he’d been drinking.”
He tugged up his pants leg, showing a series of old scars that marred the beautiful skin there.
My heart ached for him. I couldn’t imagine what it must have been like for him, growing up with the knowledge he’d inadvertently caused his mother’s death. That was bad enough. But for him to brutalized for something he had no control of? I winced as hatred for his father flowed through me. The loss of one’s mate did things to the person’s mental stability but that was no excuse for what he’d done to his own son.
Pain spread through my hand and I realized I’d balled my fist so tight I’d managed to pierce the skin of my palm with my fingernails. Relaxing my hand, I watched as Colton stood and walked toward his desk. Picking up something, he returned and pressed a piece of cloth against the wound. Cold seeped into the wound and I knew he was using magic to soothe the ache. It wasn’t as potent as Amber’s had been that first day but it was enough.
“Do you think you could take me to your father? Maybe if he saw me, he’d agree to give you the…”
His demeanor changed and his snatched his hand from mine. The muscles of his jaw tensed and his blue eyes darkened. “Have you lost your fucking mind? I don’t want to be anywhere near that man and you shouldn’t want to either. He’s dangerous, Brin.”
“I get why you feel that way, after all he’s done to you, but…”
“But you think you’re different? Or special?” He spat out at me. “You think you’re safer than his own flesh and blood son? What the fuck, Brin? The thought of you asking me to go to that man for anything is abhorrent enough, but you sitting here, thinking you’re safe from his wrath when he own son isn’t is fucking disrespectful. That man is dangerous. He’s hurt people far more than he’s hurt me and don’t think for one moment he wouldn’t turn that anger on you, regardless of who your mother was.”
He stalked away from me, taking two long strides toward the opposite wall before putting his fist through it. Dust and debris fell to the wooden floor as he pulled his fist from the wall before punching another hole.
I stilled at the violence of his actions as he turned to face me, hostility tensing the muscles of his arms and chest. Violent. Quick to anger. Grandma had been right but I couldn’t help but feel I’d done this to him in some way by asking him to return to a place that had been nothing but torment for him. Guilt lanced through me so fierce it caused my heart to clench. Had I been in his position, I would’ve felt the same.
“I’m sorry.” I apologized, which was beginning to feel natural to me as I continued to make mistakes in the way I was dealing with people. I’d been so concerned about my own thoughts, my own agenda, I hadn’t really taken time to consider everyone else here had a life before I came here. I stood and walked toward the door. “I won’t bother you with this again.”
I grabbed the handle, twisted it, and yanked the door open.
“Wait,” he said, coming behind me. He pressed the folder into my hand. “You can have this. I hope you find what you’re looking for.”
Accepting the folder, I walked away, not bothering the close the door behind me.
Later that night, I went over the notes more thoroughly. It still felt like Greek to me but the more I read through them, the more I was beginning to understand what my mother had been trying to do. She’d been trying to find a way to reverse what was done to the Nephrites, hoping to end the threat once and for all but she’d failed every attempt she made to reverse the process. The more she failed, the harder it was for her to convince the Nephrites she was still trying to help them. They became wary of her, which was understandable. After all, it was the shifters who’d created them in the first place, forcing them to live outside of a community they fully belonged to.
Did they turn on her? I wanted to believe they hadn’t but with limited knowledge, I didn’t know what to believe. I thought about sharing the notes with my grandmother but decided against it. She’d been vague about everything she knew of my mother and something about all of this told
me it could put her in danger. I needed something more concrete. I needed her journal. But with Colton dead set against taking me anywhere near his father, I knew getting my hands on that journal was a long shot.
But I’d find a way. I had to.
Chapter Seven
Brinley
Class began a few weeks ago and I was having a difficult time keeping up with the rest of the class. Unlike most universities, the Academy’s primary focus was on shifter studies, ranging from Canis Falls Politics to the physics of how our magic worked. All things most of the students had been learning from a much younger age.
Thankfully, Sergio and Amber had been there to help me. I glanced over at Sergio as he jotted down notes from the board. Canis Falls Politics had been one of his favorite courses and he took his course work serious. He’d planned on running for office eventually, something most Citrines aspired to do. Being the lowest ranking members of Canis Falls’ society, it was their only chance at gaining any type of power.
“Our primary goal is to create a community of shifters, free from the clutches of the American government. We’ve been successful so far by mimicking their ways, but there are still a number of things we haven’t figured out yet. Can any of you tell me what that is?”
Professor Lee’s amber eyes darted across the room, searching for volunteers. When he found none, he scratched the scruff of his neck and shook his head, tossing about strands of raven curls he wore loose against his shoulders.
“Why don’t you call on the new girl for answers. She was raised around the humans. Perhaps she can tell us something we don’t know about their politics.”
Murmurs filled the room as the rest of the class slid their gazes toward Philip. His lips curves into a sly grin as he regarded me.
Fuck, I hated the man. If he weren’t shoving past me in the halls, or finding various ways to make me feel like I didn’t belong there, he was recruiting his friends to torment me on the daily basis. I thought back on the previous day when one of his minions had created a torrent of air to knock my tray of food in my lap. Mitchel snickered as mashed potatoes, roast beef, and gravy stained my white jeans.
As was usual, Sergio had come to my rescue, threatening the Amethyst crew with retribution should they continue to cause me grief but that did little to stop them. A threat from a Citrine, even one as strong as Sergio, meant nothing to them and they continued on with their tormenting.
“Miss. Cooper, is there something you’d like to add to the discussion.”
All eyes were on me as I thought of something, anything to say that wouldn’t make me sound like an idiot. When nothing came to mind, I shrugged.
Professor Lee gave me a disappointed glance before turning to face the board. That was all it took for my books to be tossed from my desk but a gust of wind, more than likely created by Phillip himself.
I bent over to collect my books, wondering why Professor Lee didn’t reprimand him. I understood they expected us all to take care of ourselves, to act as adults, but it seemed odd he’d allow Phillip to disrupt his class.
The answer was clear the moment the professor set eyes on Phillip. Even as an instructor, he was still bound by the hierarchy amongst the packs. Phillip was Amethyst, a higher-ranking member of Canis Falls society, and even the elder Citrines had to show him respect.
He continued on with his lecture, only stopping when the bell rang. The moment it did, I gathered my belongings and rushed for an exit, hoping to avoid Phillip altogether. Sergio must have felt the same way. He was waiting for me by the door.
Taking my hand, he led me from the room, his grip on my hand much tighter than it usually was.
“I’m so sick of his shit,” he grumbled, anger deepening his baritone. “I’m sick of the Cobalts and Amethyst treating us like shit. That’s the first thing I plan to change the moment I run for city office.”
“I’m sure it’s been attempted before.” I frowned. Considering most of the town’s leaders were Citrine, I couldn’t imagine they hadn’t given their best efforts to change the way they were regarded within the town.
“Most don’t really want a change, not if it means turning against the Cobalts and Amethysts lining their pockets.”
I grimaced at that. Just like with human politics, money played a role in everything and the thought was disgusting at best.
He stopped walking and turned to face me. “When is your next class?”
“I’m actually done for the day. I had a tutor session set up with Professor Baxton but he cancelled again.
I was beginning to wonder if the professor was canceling the sessions intentionally. From the time I’ve been at the academy, I’ve only seen him once and even then the session had been cut short.
I pushed those thoughts from my mind as Sergio’s arm snaked its way around my waist, pulling me closer to him. His mouth grazed my ear, firing up the nerve endings there.
“I want to show you something,” he said, his smooth baritone caressed my skin as his scent washed over me.
His hand crept up the bottom of my shirt, and he traced a path of fire in the skin of my back. That’s what I loved about him. He could invoke feelings in me I hadn’t felt before. Though I was in no way a virgin, no one had ever been able to make me feel like I was the only person in the world for them. That combined with the fire he had coursing through me had me melting into his arms, nearly forgetting he’d been waiting for an answer.
I bobbed my head and we were once again walking hand in hand, headed for the forest behind the school. I’d been there before, near the lake with Sergio my first night at the academy, but he took me further in, past the lake and down a hill. He was so anxious to get me there I’d nearly lost my footing a few times trying to keep up with him.
His excitement was contagious and I found myself getting equally excited as we ventured past another row of trees and entered a clearing. Another lake sat at the edge of this clearing, fueled by a waterfall that sat just to the right of it. Crystal clear water dipped and swelled against the plush green grass and I found myself mesmerized by it.
“It’s beautiful,” I breathed, taking in the scent of fresh grass and cool water. A cool breeze brushed against my skin and I could feel tiny goosebumps raising in its wake.
Sergio pulled me in front of him, wrapping his arms around my waist. He rested his face in the crook of my neck, pulling my back against him. “I knew you’d love it, Nena. I stumbled upon it a few days ago and couldn’t wait to show it to you.”
I leaned my head against his chest. I could stand there all day, wrapped up in his arms with a view like that and be perfectly content. But Sergio had other plans. He grabbed my hand and led me closer to the lake where he’d assembled a small tent with thick comforters spread across the bottom. A basket of treats sat in the middle and a giddy shiver tumbled through me. He’d put thought into this little impromptu date, I realized and it made my heart swell.
He released my hand and gestured for me to get inside. I climbed inside and waited for him to enter. The smells coming from the basket assaulted my nose and I tugged the lid open. My stomach grumbled at the sight before me and for the first time that day, I realized I hadn’t eaten anything. With the stress of being so far behind the other shifters and the Amethysts tormenting me, I hadn’t thought to eat. But looking down at his offerings of shrimp ceviche, Spanish rice, and cheesy enchiladas, I could think of nothing but devouring every bit of it.
He fixed me a plate before fixing his own and I was barely able to let him finish before I was digging into the enchiladas. The green chili sauce held enough spice to burn my tongue but I chewed past the sensation. Spicy or not, the food was delicious and I wouldn’t stop until my stomach was perfectly satisfied.
He picked up a piece of shrimp, holding it to his mouth. “I take it you like the food, Nena?”
Gawd I loved when he called me that with a Spanish lilt that set me aflame. It was sultry and sensual, the way his mouth moved to form the word and the affection b
eneath it warmed me. He placed the shrimp in his mouth, chewing it, and I couldn’t help but stare at his full lips when they moved. Perhaps sensing my thoughts, he swallowed down the morsel and leaned toward me, his mouth only inches from my own. I could feel his hesitation, something he’d done often enough I was sure he’d back down from the kiss. But as he lingered there, I knew the truth behind it. He was asking permission instead of taking what he wanted and that thought warmed me more than anything else he’d done so far.
I pushed forward, claiming his lips with mine in a gentle kiss that sent chills raking down my back. His lips were perfect, full and soft against mine as he allowed me to take the reigns. I deepened the kiss, parting my lips and allowing his tongue to intertwine with mine in a dance that had me aching for him. Wrapping my arms around his neck, I pulled him closer, leaning back until I laid flat on my back with him above me. His hand reached up to cup my breast above the fabric of my shirt and bra and I whimpered against his lips.
The contact wasn’t enough to quell the ache that slid through me, the desperate need to feel his skin against mine. To urge him forward, I pulled at the hem of his shirt. He straightened, tugging the shirt over his head before dipping his head and planting a series of light kisses along my jaw. My hands roamed over the smooth planes of his chest, loving the way his muscles bunched and tensed beneath my fingertips.
He let out a ragged breath and tore his lips away from me long enough to yank my shirt over my head. He unclasped my bra, tossing it to the side before his golden eyes raked over me. His gaze darkened as his hand coursed a fiery path from my belly to my breast. His fingertips grazed over my nipple and I bit back a groan at the feel of it, suddenly worried we’d bring unneeded attention.
He looked up at me, his golden eyes smoldering, “There’s no one here but us,” he said, returning his attention to my breast. His fingers teased around the curve of my breast until I felt a sensation that had a pang of desire coursing through me to settle in my core. His tongue grazed the tip of my nipple bringing about a wave of pleasure and I don’t know what happened to me. It was as if something within me broke and I wanted…no, I needed more of him. I needed him inside me.
Canis Falls Academy- Year One Page 5