Elemental Fae Academy: Book Two: A Reverse Harem Paranormal Romance

by Lexi C. Foss

  And Exos.

  My heart panged at the thought, our connection hanging on by a bare thread. What happened when it severed?

  Once broken, it cannot be reengaged, Exos’s voice was fluid in my mind and underlined in sadness. You have to find me, Claire. Before it’s too late.

  But where are you? I wondered, terrified at the thought of losing him. You cut me off. I can’t feel you anymore. It hurt so much to say, to know that this was just another dream. I hate this.

  I’m here, baby. I’ve been here all week.

  I frowned. What? All week? When? How? Where?

  And why did I smell like Cyrus?

  I looked around the familiar room, searching for something, a hint, anything to explain the last few days and why I felt so weak.

  Use our connection, Claire, Exos demanded, his royal tones causing my lips to twitch with the familiarity. I’m not far. I feel you. Which means you can feel me. Follow the link. Find me.

  I pinched my side, needing to ensure that I was actually awake. Because everything seemed foggy, as if I’d been living underwater for days or weeks.

  So strange.

  Claire. Exos’s voice sounded strained. Please. I need you to find me.

  I will, I vowed, sliding from the bed. I just need to tell the others that I can hear you again. And to confirm that this was real, not a dream.

  Cyrus can help, he replied. I can sense his bond, which means he can sense mine.

  Bond? I froze with my hand on the doorknob, the memories crashing over me in a wave that left me shaking. Oh, fuck…

  I hadn’t just bonded to Cyrus, we’d mated.

  And then we fu—

  I shook my head, clearing it.

  Except that didn’t help at all. Vivid images of how he took my body assaulted my conscious all at once and had my thighs clenching with need despite the orgasm that had awoken me.

  I have a serious problem, I decided. I’m addicted to sex.

  I’m very much okay with this problem, Exos returned, sounding amused.

  That wasn’t meant for you, I said, my cheeks flushing red.

  But I heard it anyway. And he didn’t sound at all apologetic about it.

  Who else had heard it? Cyrus? Titus? And what else was happening? Is that Sol and Vox? I asked, a tiny shriek in my head. Don’t answer that.

  Because I didn’t need him to.

  I felt all five of them inside me, their elements soothing mine and replenishing my energy reserves. Something had happened that caused me to establish connections to all of them. I just couldn’t remember what brought me to that point.

  I definitely recalled the outcome, though. All the nights and mornings and days in bed with Cyrus. The petting. The kissing. The pleasure.

  It made no sense. I hated him.

  And yet, deep down, I cared for him.

  Talk about a conundrum. My emotions were all over the place, yet my elements had never felt more stable. For once, I actually felt a semblance of control. Like my powers were finally grounded and just awaiting my command.

  Claire, baby, I love that you’re finally embracing your fae half, but I need you to find me, Exos urged. Please.

  Right. I could play with these sensations later.

  For now, I needed to focus on Exos and how to locate him. Which required a better understanding of how to track the link.

  I closed my eyes to envision my connections—all five of them.

  Insanity, I marveled while prodding each one tentatively. Four were in a cluster, suggesting them to be nearby. The fifth was close, but not with the others.

  You’re not far, I whispered to him. But I don’t recognize the land you’re in.

  Show Cyrus. He’ll help.

  Okay. I never thought I’d want Cyrus’s help with anything, considering our tumultuous relationship, but I sensed his adoration now through the bond.

  Totally unreal.

  Never in my wildest dreams could I have imagined this.

  And yet, here I was, bonded to five men.

  I had no choice but to embrace it. Primarily because it gave me a sense of completion I hadn’t realized was missing before. Now I didn’t want to go back. I liked this semblance of control, this power, this flourishing energy surrounding my soul.

  You were destined to be a queen, Exos agreed, his voice soft. Now go find Cyrus.

  I twisted the handle on the door and went into the living area, searching for the four elements I felt nearby. Outside, my mind prompted. A strange place for them all to be while I rested inside, but maybe they were having a meeting of sorts.

  Or maybe they were trying to kill each other.

  I gaped at the scene before me—Cyrus with a wall of water protecting him from the fire and air Titus and Vox were throwing at him, and a stream beneath his feet to keep him elevated above the hole in the ground.

  “What in the world are you all doing?” I asked, my voice far raspier than I intended. I cleared my throat and tried again, but my words were mere whispers despite my alarm.

  I sent a note of panic through the links—an instinctual response that had four pairs of eyes swinging my way, all of them rounding at the sight of me standing outside.

  And the elemental battle ceased.

  “What the hell was that?” I demanded on a hoarse whisper of sound.

  A fountain of water appeared before my lips, Cyrus offering me the drink I hadn’t realized I needed. I sipped from the cool spring and sighed, content, and tried again. “What’s gotten into you guys?”

  “Uh, Claire…” Chagrin painted Titus’s features, his voice trailing off.

  Vox and Sol appeared too speechless to explain.

  And Cyrus just seemed to be amused.

  Whatever these fae had been up to, no one wanted to speak. Okay, fine. I’d focus on the more important task at hand, then. “Exos is awake and talking to me, and I have a hint of his location. He’s close, but not on Academy grounds.”

  All traces of enjoyment left Cyrus’s features. “What did he say?”

  “That if I don’t find him soon, the link will be broken.” I cringed with the words. “We need to find him today.” And given the location of the moon overhead, I estimated we had about twelve hours. How I created that timetable, I didn’t know. I just knew it was right.

  “Has he mentioned Mortus?” Cyrus asked, seeming to be the only one capable of speaking.

  “No.” I thought the question at Exos and heard a snort travel through the line.

  Yeah, I sense his presence down here, but something’s not right. Tell Cyrus I think Mortus is being influenced.

  I conveyed the message.

  Cyrus scratched his jaw. “Interesting. I imagine Exos doesn’t know by who, or he would have said.” He glanced at the trio of gaping fae. “Seriously. It’s like the three of you have never seen a naked woman before. Pull yourselves together. We have work to do.”

  I frowned at his statement. It seemed to come out of—

  Wait…

  I glanced down, a gasp leaving my throat. “Oh, shit.” I’d wandered out here without clothes on. Heat climbed up my neck, a squeak leaving my lips. “Oops.”

  “Not complaining,” Cyrus said, lifting a shoulder. “And these guys aren’t, either. Or they wouldn’t be if they had enough brains to fucking talk.”

  Vox and Sol spluttered.

  Titus merely smirked. “You look healthy, Claire.”

  “Doesn’t she?” Cyrus mused, his icy gaze roaming over me knowingly and stirring a warmth deep inside.

  Oh God. I’d practically mauled him this week in my need. Who knew sex could be so healing? Even now, I craved more.

  With all of them.

  This is bad.

  “I’m going to, uh, yeah.” I ran back inside, the desire to roll myself up in a sleeping bag and never come out overwhelming my thoughts.

  Five traces of arousal mingled with enjoyment inside of me.

  Even Exos knew.

  You men are going to be
trouble, I growled.

  And you’ll love every minute of it, Exos returned.

  We’ll see, I grumbled, finding one of Titus’s robes that hit me well below my knees.

  Can you be naked when you find me? Exos wondered, a teasing note in his voice. Because I could use a little relief, Claire.

  My face went up in flames. Exos.

  Claire.

  I puffed out a breath. You’re incorrigible.

  No, princess. I’m bored and I miss you.

  I miss you, too, I said, my shoulders falling. I’m coming for you, Exos. I promise.

  Oh, I know, baby. And soon you’ll use those words beneath me in bed.

  One-track mind, I accused.

  Says the woman who ran naked into an elemental battle between four males. But hey, at least you captured their attention.

  I’m going to start ignoring you now, I lied, my lips twitching despite my mortification.

  Then I’ll just speak louder, he vowed. I’m not going to stop until this link dies or you find me.

  I flinched. It won’t die. It can’t.

  Then start searching. Because we’re running out of time.

  I nodded, hand on the doorknob yet again, this time with my body properly clothed. Don’t give up on me, Exos. I spoke the words with purpose, recalling the night he said the same thing to me. Now it was his turn to trust me, to have faith in me to locate him before it was too late.

  Never, he whispered. I’ll never give up on you, Claire.

  Titus

  Seeing Claire again had taken an entire week’s worth of frustration and rage right out of me, but seeing her like that…

  Fucking fires.

  Resisting the urge to burn down the door, I waited for Claire. In spite of what Cyrus believed, I wasn’t an idiot. I sensed the change in her—a big one—perhaps a change I would enjoy exploring, but she wasn’t just mine anymore.

  She belonged to all of us.

  Claire appeared and paused, taking me in with those bright blue eyes that now glittered with an overflow of Cyrus’s power.

  I wanted to fall to my knees and worship her.

  “You’re so beautiful,” I whispered, awed.

  She slipped into my arms, and every muscle in my body relaxed, knowing her as my mate. She tilted her head back and smiled.

  “Titus,” she said, my name having a new flow on her lips that made my core tighten.

  I wanted to give her space to adjust to the fae inside her overriding her human half, but I couldn’t resist as she tugged against my flame from somewhere deep in my soul.

  My lips found hers on instinct, the taste of her grounding me as her mouth parted for mine.

  Safe.

  Home.

  Mine.

  A wave of heat slammed into me, showering me in a deep-seated craving we shared—our fire yearning to complete what we’d begun.

  Soon, I vowed. Soon.

  Her teeth sank into my lip, and her nails ran down my back, leaving a trail of embers that deliciously burned and danced with my own magic.

  “While I appreciate that you’ve stopped throwing fireballs at my head, can we focus?” Cyrus rudely interrupted. “Claire’s vitality is what needs to be rejuvenated, not your own.”

  He was right. Claire’s hand already dipped to my pants, sensing the need in me for her touch. I grabbed her wrist before she could slip her fingers past the waistband.

  She pouted and narrowed her eyes at Cyrus. “It’s not all about me.”

  The amused smirk on Cyrus’s face said otherwise, not that I doubted he hadn’t enjoyed their past week together. The residual impact from full mating rituals was well known, and while I was envious, I also knew Claire would have been ravenous in her near-death condition. It was a tall order for any man to take on.

  Cyrus responded with his element instead of his typical smart-ass retorts. A glimmer of liquid swept across Claire’s lips like a kiss, a show of power that surprised me in both its precision and gentleness. Her tongue slipped out to taste it, and she fluttered her eyes closed with delight.

  Not to be outdone, I followed the trail of magic with my own, concentrating to sweep blue heat across her delicate skin. She gasped, her lashes lifting as the steam mixed with our breaths, her blue irises flashing with a knowing flame that absorbed my energy. My hand fisted in her hair, angling her to my desire to give her everything she wanted—everything she needed.

  “Yes,” Cyrus said, his tone approving as Claire stopped trying to give me what I yearned for and greedily drank in the elements swirling around her. “Just like that.”

  A blush crested Claire’s cheeks and she smiled.

  Energy danced in her gaze, and I realized I’d never seen her like this—balanced, like a new fae born into the world who understood her powers and how to control them.

  No hesitation.

  No emotions running her into the ground.

  Just knowledge and acceptance.

  Cyrus had done what none of us had yet to accomplish—he’d given her what her elements craved. And while she was sated with regard to water, she needed more.

  Challenge accepted.

  I poured my flames through the bond, adoring the way it lit up her features and the sigh that feathered from her beautiful mouth. But I wasn’t enough, and the flicker of her gaze to the hall told me as much.

  Claire craved her circle and the balance it provided.

  “Sol and Vox are in the kitchen,” I murmured, guiding her away from the bedroom before I yanked her inside and burned her clothes off.

  If we—her mates—did this right, it would prove far more satisfying in the long run.

  Claire glided beside me, her movements graceful as water mixed with fire along her footsteps.

  Elements, she has no idea how powerful she is. She’s intoxicating.

  Sol’s arms were crossed, his large form leaning against a broken peach tree that had grown from what was left of the dining table, while Vox stood with both fists knuckled down onto the cracked wood.

  They both stopped midsentence and locked gazes on Claire the moment I brought her into the room. If it hurt me in my soul not to be fully mated with her, I couldn’t imagine what her call was doing to them.

  By the look of utter conflict on Vox’s face, he was fighting it hard. Sol, on the other hand, loosened his stance and gave Claire a warm smile.

  With a small nudge to her back, I sent her toward the Earth Fae. “Go on, sweetheart. Don’t be afraid.”

  She gave me a playful nip of fire that ran over my lips. Her fae side was powerful, dominating her in the best of ways, and she was rolling with it.

  Fucking finally.

  “Sol,” she said, marveling at the peach tree. “Did you do this?” If she felt embarrassed by her earlier display of nudity, she didn’t show it. Had perhaps forgotten it beneath the onslaught of elements cascading over her skin. Or maybe she was just embracing it, like everything else.

  “Uh.” He cleared his throat, then shuffled his feet. “Yeah. Actually, I made some more outside, but they kind of, well, didn’t do well this week.” He grimaced, causing Claire to frown.

  “Because of me?” she asked, so quiet, her steps retreating backward toward mine. “Did I hurt you all?” She glanced at me, then at Vox and Sol, and finally at Cyrus.

  “You required a lot of energy to heal, little queen,” Cyrus replied. “But we’re all fine and ready to give you more of what you need now.” He ran a rope of water over her neck for emphasis, one I trailed with fire.

  Sol glanced at Cyrus as if seeking permission to participate. The royal nodded, and the scent of peaches filled the air as earth energy rolled over her skin.

  Claire sighed, her eyes falling closed beneath the abundance of power. I wrapped my arms around her, holding her to me while pouring more fire through our bond. She absorbed it with ease, thriving on the balance we represented.

  Vox watched the exchange with guarded interest. His magic hummed at the ready, waiting to reel S
ol in at the slightest hint of danger. No matter his reservations, he wouldn’t allow Claire to be hurt.

  Hmm, perhaps we would convince the Air Fae to come around after all.

  The kitchen and dining area shifted around us, repairing itself as Sol drenched Claire in more power. He shuddered, whispering, “Claire, I feel you.”

  “Me, too,” she hummed, the element intensifying until she focused on Vox. He was the only one not adding his elements to the melody. It felt like an incomplete song without him and Exos to add the final notes to the balance.

  “Vox,” I said, irritated. “Stop being stubborn.”

  Claire shook her head. “No. Don’t force him, Titus.” Even though her words said that she permitted his insolence, I felt her tugging on his elements, making his mouth part ever so slightly. I would have missed it had I not sensed his desire twist in response through the bond that linked all of us.

  I grinned. That was my Claire. She wouldn’t be denied over a little bit of stubbornness, especially when she could feel that Vox wanted her.

  Cyrus added another flurry of water to the air, easing some of the tension. “This is exactly why we returned,” he said, regarding all of us with an air of authority.

  The royal seemed… different. Still pompous enough that I swore a stick was permanently lodged up his ass, but there was a softness to him that hadn’t been there before. Or perhaps it had been, and he’d just buried it so far that even he hadn’t known it existed.

  He shifted his focus to me, all of the authority of a king in his eyes, but which king? He didn’t seem to fit the cold hardness of the Spirit Kingdom anymore. “How do you feel, Claire?” he asked softly, still holding my gaze.

  She ignored him, her attention on Vox. Whatever she was doing seemed to have the Air Fae entranced. He took a step forward to graze his fingers across her cheek. She didn’t move a muscle, as if she would scare him off if she so much as breathed.

  The moment his magic brushed her skin, her eyes fluttered closed and she shivered. “More,” she whispered.

  He complied, stroking a breeze through her hair and then down along my robe.

  Silence fell.

  The four of us exchanged elements, with Claire at the center. She took it all, energy vibrating around her in a powerful wave that reminded me of an impending inferno.