by Jen L. Grey
Luckily, it was early enough so no one was out and about yet. As we entered the girl’s dorm, the hallway was eerily quiet as if the walls knew what we had witnessed.
We rode the elevator up to the seventh floor and turned right, heading to our door. I grabbed the key out and unlocked the door, trying to be quiet and not wake Jess.
When we both were safely inside, I shut the door, and we tiptoed down my hallway on the left. At this point, we were in sync with one another and headed into my room.
“I need a shower.” I felt dirty, and every time I closed my eyes, an image of the poor, defenseless hybrid haunted me. I grabbed my pajamas and headed for the bathroom.
“Mind if I join you?” He grabbed clothes for himself out of the drawer that I had given him.
Some of my anxiety dissipated since he was acting like normal. I’d been afraid that he’d be upset with me for a while. “Not at all.”
We made our way into the bathroom, and I turned on the water needing it hot. I quickly undressed and stepped in the water, allowing it to run down my head and body. After everything that happened in the last twenty-four hours, I needed the water to wash away the stress and grime.
The shower door opened, and Rage stepped in. Moments ago, I had felt tired and stressed, but staring at him like this made another part of me spring to life.
His eyes slowly scanned me from top to bottom. “You’re so damn beautiful.” He wrapped his arms around my waist and brushed his lips against mine.
Not able to resist him, I opened my mouth, allowing him access. Soon his tongue slipped past my lips, and my hands tangled in his hair.
He kissed down my neck as my legs wrapped around his muscular body. He took a step into the water and gently placed my back against the cold tile. Somehow, the cold mixed with heat aroused me even further.
Soon, his mouth covered my breast and teased me mercilessly. He moved so one arm was supporting me while his free hand slipped in between my legs. He slowly inserted two fingers, plunging deep inside me.
Between his mouth and fingers, my body began to build up tension. I began to ride his fingers when his mouth came back to mine.
I reached down and stroked his hardness with my hand. Soon, he was panting as much as I was. The pressure was too much, so I let go and pulled his hand away. “Now.”
That’s all I needed to say. He knew exactly what I wanted. He plunged inside me, hitting my secret spot within. I moaned, and he placed his mouth back on mine.
My body moved in motion with him and increased the pace. Soon, he was slamming inside me, and my back was hitting the wall. This wasn’t like all the other times before. We were both wanting to connect and release our frustrations at the same time.
My arms wrapped around him, and my nails dug into his back. He groaned, and it was my undoing.
“Oh.” I cried, leaning into him, biting his neck as the orgasm ripped through me.
He moaned, and his body began shivering against me. “Damn.” His body stilled, but he hadn’t moved out of me yet. “That was fucking hot.”
The spot where I bit was still bleeding a little bit, but it hadn’t punctured the skin all the way through. “I hope I didn’t hurt you.”
“Hell no.” He peppered my face with kisses. “That was hot.” He leaned back and slowly pulled out. “You better do it again.”
I grinned as I stepped back into the water and kissed his lips. “I love you.”
His hands cupped my ass. “I love you too.”
My heart was racing as Rage and I made our way back to the clearing. I wasn’t sure who or what we were meeting and how they’d react to me bringing Rage. They had said to come alone.
“It’ll be alright.” Rage squeezed my hand. “Nothing is going to happen to you.”
“I’m more worried about you and who we’re about to meet.” Isadora had insisted on me helping with the half-breed. I wondered if it was her that we would be meeting.
“Don’t you worry about me.” His eyes warmed, and he leaned over to kiss my cheek. “This is going to be just fine.”
At this point, there wasn’t anything I could do. I wanted to meet someone from The Elites to understand more, especially after that poor guy died, and Rage wouldn’t let me go alone. So we were in this together.
Normally, we ran or raced to the clearing, but tonight we were taking our time. A cold chill shivered down my back. “Do you sense someone watching us?”
“Keep your eyes in front of you. Don’t show any fear.” Rage tightened his grip on my hand and tugged me closer.
Taking a deep breath, I forced myself to keep the same pace as when we had started out. It made sense that someone would be watching us, ensuring I came alone and unarmed.
The clearing came into view, and there were shuffling sounds in the woods behind us. It took every ounce of my self-control not to turn.
“We’re almost there.” Rage glanced at me and forced a small grin.
How I wished that I could come off that confident. Now more than ever, I was happy that Rage was here with me. I nodded my head, afraid my voice may come off shaky.
It was strange, each new obstacle I faced was right here in this area. The moon shone bright, and there were a few clouds in the sky casting an eerie feel to the forest.
More rustling occurred all around us, but we tried to maintain a united front.
The closer we got to the clearing, the more uncertain I became. What if we were walking into a trap? Maybe they were just luring me in to take my life. Sweat dotted my hairline, and I wanted to turn back to safety. However, there was no telling how many people were here. We probably wouldn’t make it that far. We were already in too deep, and freaking out wasn’t going to accomplish anything.
My mind replayed the memory of when I first began at the Academy. My wolf and I truly had turned on one another. At that time, I was having issues with my wolf overpowering me. Damien would tell me not to shift, but each time his bear charged, I couldn’t hold it back. The day Rage joined us, he had told me that my fear brought the shift. That what I needed to do was not freak out but have a plan ready.
We strolled silently across the clearing, heading toward the tree line.
Rage scanned the area and stepped closer to me. “If anything seems off, you run to safety.”
Yeah, that wasn’t going to happen, but I nodded to appease his urge to protect me.
Apparently, I was convincing enough because his shoulders relaxed ever so slightly.
It was an odd night; no critters were out, and the wind wasn’t even blowing. It was as if time stood still with us heading toward our fate.
As we stepped into the tree line, it only took a few steps before a silhouette appeared. The shadow was hard to make out, but it confirmed someone was waiting for us.
Taking a deep breath, I stepped into view of the person. Rage growled, not liking the fact that I took control.
The person had a hood over their head, and at first, their face was hidden by a shadow that not even my wolf eyes could see. When they stepped into the moonlight, I lost my breath.
Golden eyes stared right at me and their jet-black hair blended with the hood. Sharp vampire features stared back at me.
“Jordan?” I couldn’t help the question that filtered through.
“Believe me, I’m not thrilled about this either.” Jordan rolled her eyes when they landed on Rage. “Of course, you couldn’t leave him out of this. Now I have to deal with two dogs instead of one.”
“Whatever it is, we’re not interested.” Rage scoffed and glanced at me. “Let’s head back. She isn’t worth our time.”
“No, you stay here.” She commanded us with her high-pitched voice.
She’d been a bitch to me ever since I came to the school. The very night Cole showed me to my dorm room, she put a target on my head. Apparently, she wanted Cole, but he wouldn’t have anything to do with her. I’d been her punching bag ever since, and after killing Ashley in self-defense, I wasn’t okay w
ith it anymore. “Let’s see how well we listen to you.”
Turning, Rage and I began moving back out of the clearing.
“We know you killed Ashley.”
Did she think she could hold it over my head? “It was in self-defense, so if you saw, you’ll know it’s the truth.” I took a few more steps with no intention of turning around.
“Some of us think you are the vision in one of our leader’s dreams.” Her voice cracked, as if she was desperate.
“And I dreamed that I killed you by ripping out your throat.” Rage tensed and turned around. “So does that mean I get to kill you now?”
Her golden eyes darkened, and she laughed. “I’d like to see you try, but unfortunately, we are here to be civil.”
“Speak for yourself, bloodsucker.” Rage bared his teeth at her. “If you don’t want to fight me, then we’re heading back so we can wash off your stench.”
“In the dream, he saw your moon necklace.”
I stopped in my tracks and turned around. “So what?”
She grinned, knowing she had caught my attention. “It was the way of marking the wolf that could help the supernatural world balance out.”
“My mom gave me that necklace, so there must have been a hiccup in that dream.” My gut told me she was telling the truth, which made my skin crawl.
“Maybe, but think about it.” Her red lips resembled blood as she smirked. “If you really are her, are you sure you want more deaths like the one you just covered up?”
“Stop playing games.” Rage's jaw twitched, and his eyes glowed. “What is in this for you?”
“Look, I’m not thrilled about this either.” Jordan huffed and crossed her arms. “Do you think I’d be here if I didn’t have to be? I wish it was anyone but her.” Her eyes were filled with hate as she stared at me. “But the cause is worth more than my hatred for her.”
“Wow, I’m not sure what to think.” She had made it clear how much she despised me. Granted, I wasn’t sure why, but at that point, it was my relationship with the guys that appeared to piss everyone off.
“This is bullshit.” He took a menacing step toward her and scowled. “You invite her here and then treat her with such disrespect. Why the hell should we believe anything you say?”
Jordan closed her eyes and took a deep breath. “The death earlier was due to him being a half-breed.”
“If that was the case, how did he survive so long? He looked as if he was a teenager.” It was known that when a human woman gave birth to a half-wolf, both died during birth. So this didn’t make any sense.
“Since both parents were supernaturals, the mother and child were able to survive the labor.” Jordan dropped her hands, and for once, her face wasn’t full of hatred or disgust. She stared off in the distance. “He lived most of his life as a fae from what we can tell. Apparently, he turned sixteen a few weeks ago, and then this happened.”
“That makes sense. That’s when we come into our wolf.” Rage rubbed a hand down his face and sighed. “So, the wolf and the fae inside became unbalanced.”
“Yes.” She bit her bottom lip and leaned back against the tree. “This is a growing epidemic that has severe consequences for all of our supernatural races.”
“So what do you all do?” If people were losing their lives or something like that, the message did need to get out.
A small smirk crossed her face. “We search for the half-breeds to help them maintain their balance and take them to a place they can all live without the threat of combustion.”
“Why should we believe you?” Rage turned around, scanning the area.
“You don’t have to believe me.” Jordan crossed her arms and tilted her head. “But how else would I know what’s going on. Do you think I’d go out of my way to talk to Raven?”
Whether we liked it or not, she had a point. “Fine, I’m interested.” If I could save lives, then, of course, I would do it. Besides, how could I live with myself otherwise?
“If she’s in, I am too.” Rage reached for my hand.
“Great, we could use you both.” Jordan smiled, and my blood ran cold.
I hoped we hadn’t just signed up for more than we bargained for.
Chapter Six
The next few weeks were uneventful. I didn’t know what I was expecting, but it wasn’t this. The Elites hadn’t reached out again, and Jordan wasn’t targeting me with her hateful gazes when I walked by like before. Granted, she wasn’t going out of her way to be nice either. It was more like not acknowledging me.
Both Rage and I were on edge because of the quiet. It didn’t seem right for life to turn to normal now that we knew what had been going on around us.
“And I said, back off bitches, I’m too hot to handle.” Cole had his normal tumbler filled with warm blood while we sat around eating breakfast. He took a sip and waved his hand in front of his chest. “I mean, look at me.”
“Has anyone else noticed that a lot of Cole’s stories deal with how hot he is?” Jess piled some eggs on her fork and popped it into her mouth. “I mean, does it seem like someone is overcompensating?”
“Hey, hey.” Cole lifted both hands in the air. “Don’t shade. I’m just spilling the tea.”
These two have been going at each other a lot lately. I wasn’t sure what that was all about.
“The only thing you’re going to be spilling is blood if you don’t keep your mouth shut.” She arched an eyebrow and swiped at his cup.
“I can’t help it that people find me hot.” He pointed at me. “Tell her how good looking I am.”
To be fair, all three boys at this table were damn hot, but I wasn’t stupid enough to admit that, especially with Rage sitting close to me. “You’re cute.”
“Cute?” Somehow that made him even angrier at me than Jess. “Cute?”
“Yeah, dickhead.” Rage chuckled and wrapped his arm around my shoulder. “Cute.”
“A dog is cute.” Cole pointed at Rage. “A teddy bear is cute.” He then pointed at Damien. “A vampire is fucking hot.”
“No, a vampire is a bat.” Jess took her straw wrapper and tossed it into Cole’s face. “Which is kind of gross. They carry diseases.”
“So, Raven, I was thinking about you fighting other supernaturals now.” Damien grabbed his orange juice and chugged it down.
“Like who?” I figured he’d be bringing it up soon. I’d learned his weak spots, and he’d learned mine.
“I’m not sure yet, but I’m thinking of a few.” Damien glanced over at Cole. “Maybe a bat would like a chance to prove himself?”
“You want me to fight her?” Cole frowned and sat back. “I don’t want to.”
“Are you afraid my mate could kick your ass?” Rage smiled as he leaned back in his chair, folding his arms over his chest.
“It’s not that, but she’s one of my besties.” Cole took another sip and slurped. “It would be unfair because I wouldn’t want to hurt her.”
Just when there were times I thought Cole was a complete narcissist, he’d do something like that. He was a really good friend.
“Fine, what about Madison?” Damien asked and looked at Rage.
Ugh, Madison was good friends with Jordan. So she wasn’t my favorite, and I was fairly certain it was mutual.
“That is a good idea.” Rage tapped his fingers on the table. “But I want to be there. She likes to fight dirty.”
“Fair point.” Damien nodded.
“Why her?” Out of everyone here, they wanted to bring in Jordan’s best friend.
“Because she’s a strong vampire, but not overly strong like Cole or Jordan.” Rage grabbed an orange and began to peel it.
“But why a vampire?” They were focused on that particular race.
“You’ve fought a wolf and a bear already.” Damien counted them off on his fingers. “The next step is a vampire. They are strong and fast but fairly predictable, ability-wise.”
“So fae like me are harder to fight.” Jess smirked at Co
le before turning her attention back to me. “There’s no telling what you might get. You could get an elemental, telepathic, healer, or one with photokinesis. Sometimes, if they are strong enough, they can even have more than one power, too.”
“Photokinesis?” I followed along until then.
“It’s the ability to project and control light and nature.” A proud smile crossed her face. "It's super rare and the most powerful. It means they can control the elements along with light and nature."
“And if you’re wondering why she’s smiling,” Cole said as he chuckled, “that’s because she’s one of them.”
That made so much sense. I’d been wondering why she was admitted here since her family wasn’t alumni, but I’d assumed it was an instance similar to mine. “See, I always knew you were a badass.”
“Right?” Her cheeks flushed. “So that’s why vampires are safer.”
“I’d like to think we are more unpredictable than that.” Cole huffed and pointed at himself. “I’m unique too, dammit.”
“You’re damn right there,” Damien mumbled even though it was crystal clear.
“I mean who does naked gymnastics around the house?” Rage flinched as if the memory was traumatic.
“Hey, I was cheering you both up.” Cole lifted his chin and rubbed his fingernails along his shirt.
“How was us seeing you naked going to accomplish that exactly?” Rage leaned back in his chair with his nose wrinkled. “I’m pretty sure that caused nightmares instead.”
“One, it confirmed you both weren’t gay. Because how else could you deny this delectable morsel?”
Rage scooted his chair closer to me and took my hand. “First off, that was not even a concern or question that either of us had.”
“Very true.” Damien gave him a thumbs up.
“But I was able to confirm it for myself.” Cole took another sip of his drink.
“Were you doing cartwheels or something more challenging like a back walkover or handspring?” Jess tapped her fingers on the table and stared upward like she was imagining it.