by Bailey Dark
His declaration sent tingles down my spine and raised every hair on my body. I wanted to cry at the sincerity I saw. There was no ounce of lies in what he said. I knew it may have been foolish, and I may have fallen victim to lies in the past, but every part of my being knew what he said, he meant.
“I trust you,” I said in a broken whisper.
He smiled, pulling me into an embrace. “Then come back with me.” I was released from his grip and he held out his hand. I placed mine in his without a second thought.
“Think about the ballroom we just came from. Close your eyes and picture in your mind both of us back there.”
I did as he instructed. When I opened my eyes, Evie was staring at us with a brilliant smile on her face, clapping her hands. “Great job, Gwen,” she praised. “I’m so proud of you.”
“I am too,” Tristan said, smiling down at me, still holding my hand. I smiled back at him before letting go of his palm and stepping away.
“Well,” I said, brushing my hands together in a nervous gesture. “What’s next?”
Evie’s eyes went back and forth between us, appearing to riddle something out. If she was wondering if anything happened on our journey to bring us back together, she was in for a huge disappointment. Friendship was all I was prepared to offer, and I had done that.
“The likelihood that the guards patrolling the hall are a combination of students and council members means you need to be prepared for typical human weapons. Guns, knives, and hand-to-hand combat is what you’ll mostly be up against. With the ghosts haunting inside, it’s unlikely that they have people stationed anywhere but surrounding the parameter. It will be getting in and upon exit that they’ll pose a problem.”
“More conditioning?”
“I have something else in mind, and I think you need these,” she said going over to a black box and opening it to reveal two wands.
“I thought you said all we needed were our thoughts to make our magic happen?”
“That is true, but just like Latin words can help move things faster, wands can make it happen even faster. You need to be able to expel the energy from yourself into the wand and hurl it at whatever it is you’re trying to target. If a bullet is coming at you, you don’t have time to pause and wish it to stop. You need to expel it immediately.”
Makes sense. I’m all for additional shields.
“We’re going to do some practicing.”
“What?” I screeched. “You’re going to shoot bullets at me?”
“Not bullets…paintballs,” Evie corrected.
I groaned. “It sounds just as awful.”
“Paintballs are going to hurt far less than the real thing.” I couldn’t disagree with her there. “However, it’s not just going to be enough to have bullets flying at you,” she went on. “Chances are, others will be in pursuit. So…we’re going to play a game of Capture the Flag. You versus Tristan. I’ll be the one shooting at the two of you.”
I’m not loving this exercise. Not one bit.
“We’re going to go out to the woods. The flag has already been hidden. I’ll put you both at various starting points, and you each have to try to prevent the other from reaching the flag first,” she relayed the rules. “Now Gwen, it should come as no surprise that Tristan will be faster than you. So, trying to take him on in a foot race is not going to be to your best interest. You need to think. You need to strategize,” she enunciated each word as though it was a foreign language to me…and it just might’ve been. “I’ll give you each fifteen minutes to come up with your plan once you’re in your starting positions, and when you hear the horn blow, you should begin.”
“Grrreeeaat,” I said, sarcastically. “This is gonna be so much fun.”
Tristan chuckled. “I’m coming for you D’Morte,” he said with a grin, and my insides pooled with molten heat. He looked so carefree, so boyish, so utterly…fucking…hot. I had a feeling that this challenge was going to test me in more ways than one.
Chapter Seventeen
It had been at least twenty minutes since the horn blew, signaling our start to Capture the Flag. I’d covered a large portion of the woods, with little luck in finding the hidden thing, but more concerning is that I had yet to stumble upon Tristan.
The woods couldn’t be that big. What was he up to? My plan had been to sneak around, hiding behind shrubs and trees to stay hidden from plain view while searching for the flag. If Tristan were to come around, I’d attack from behind, by sending a gust of wind into him and using the surrounding flora to tie him down. It seemed like a good plan, but at that point, I wasn’t so sure. I had a sneaking suspicion that he had the upper hand all along.
A branch snapped behind me and I whirled around. Nothing seemed out of place. There wasn’t so much as a squirrel to be seen. I did a quick sweep of the area before deciding to continue my search for the freaking flag. Damn Evie and her stupid games. I was out there in the middle of the fucking wilderness with no protection. She had better hope that nothing dangerous lived out there.
“Gwen,” Tristan called from somewhere out of sight.
I slowly turned in a circle, trying to figure out where he was hidden. “Come out, Tristan,” I called, feeling my adrenaline spike.
Another branch broke, but on the opposite side from where the last one had. I spun around, quickly, crouching in preparation for an attack, but none came. The jackass was playing games with me.
“Over here,” he yelled, drawing my attention to the left. Once again, there was nothing there. At least nothing I could see. “Here,” he called on the opposite side as before.
My head was spinning as I tried to figure out his location. “You know, I’m really reconsidering that whole friendship thing,” I called out.
A shot rang out and it became clear that our banter had given our positions away to Evie.
“Run,” Tristan yelled out, and I didn’t think twice.
I took off in a full out sprint, headed toward the thickest part of the forest. My hope was that I could find a hollowed-out tree or heavy bushes to hide inside until the fire ceased. I blocked out everything behind me and pumped my arms. I looked over my shoulder to see if anyone was in pursuit, when my foot caught on something and I began to fall forward.
A pair of hands shot out, grabbing me before I hit the dirt floor. Slowly, I was turned, coming face-to-face with a grinning Tristan.
“How did you—”
“I’m good,” he said grinning ear-to-ear.
“Smug bastard,” I growled, drawing a throaty chuckle from Tristan.
He was bent over me, holding my back and our lips were inches apart. I could feel the heat from his minty breath caress my face and it took everything within me to stay still and not move toward him.
I stared straight ahead, unwilling to look directly at him for fear I’d react. Tristan gulped and the small action made me shiver. Why? No clue. It’s just the effect that Tristan has on me. He could simply sit, and I’d find it attractive. Here in his arms, I was good and fucked. My eyes trailed up his corded neck to his strong jaw before finally landing on his smoldering blue eyes.
My legs went a bit limp and Tristan’s arms tightened to keep me in place. “I promised I wouldn’t let you fall,” he whispered, and I whimpered.
Everything about this moment made me want to give in. I was eager to pull him to me and crush my lips to his. From the sensual smell of him—sandalwood and mint— filling my nose, to the way my legs clenched together, desperate to quench the ache that was building, I was desperate for him.
“Gwen…I—”
His words were cut off by a cacophony of gunshots. It sounded like they were being hot off all around us. Had Evie gotten the others to play in her little game? I was just about to move out of Tristan’s grasp when over his shoulder I saw Evie getting ready to fire a shot directly at Tristan.
What happened next, I can hardly explain. I can only surmise that some innate ability within me kicked its ass into gear out of mi
sguided fear for Tristan—these were only paintballs, after all. My back lowered almost to the ground, hovering in the air—matrix-style—moving Tristan to hover over top of me. The bullet skimmed the top of his shirt, nicking a single hair from his head, but otherwise it missed us.
Tristan beamed down at me. “Look at you, showing off,” he grinned.
The corner of my lip tipped up in a smirk and without thinking too much about it, I flipped positions with him, so now I was on top. “I’m just beginning,” I said before I dropped the hold on him and he fell the one inch to the ground, groaning.
I brought myself up vertically and lowered my feet to the ground, chuckling at his bemused expression. “I have a flag to capture,” I blew him a kiss and took off in a sprint before he could even make it to his feet.
Willing myself to focus, I asked my abilities to show me the flag and as simple as that, they did. My eyes lasered in on a thick area to my left. High above at the tip of a pine tree, the flag blew in the breeze. My legs carried me as fast as they could, but it wasn’t good enough.
I could hear Tristan gaining on me, and there was no way I was going to let him win.
The flag was in sight. All I needed to do was channel my inner abilities. So that’s what I did. Reaching out my right hand, I stretched it up towards the top of the tree and closed my eyes. Concentrating, I willed my feet to leave the ground, and they did. I opened my eyes in time to grasp the reg flag in my palm, claiming victory.
“Holy shit!” somebody cried from below.
I lowered myself back to the ground, finding I had an audience. Mallory’s mouth was agape, and Evie looked beyond proud. But it was Tristan who gave me pause. He was staring at me as if I hung the stars.
Stepping toward me he whispered for my ears only, “you’re incredible.”
My cheeks heated at his compliment. “Thank you,” I said, barely breathing.
“Seriously, that was awesome,” Mallory joined in, practically bouncing on her toes.
“We’re going to kick some council ass.”
“Settle down,” Clara instructed. Coming out of the hedge. “What she did was incredible, but you have a long day ahead of you. I suggest you all go get some rest.”
No matter how exciting that moment had been, we all agreed with Clara. Tomorrow would be here soon, and we needed rest. I walked away, chest puffed out, swelling with pride, and reflecting on everything I had accomplished today.
It was a start, but I knew Clara’s words were true. It was one thing to be in fake battle, with no real danger, but it was an entirely different situation when real bullets and real threats were coming at you. I reminded myself of this and checked my ego at the door. There was no room for that come tomorrow.
I fell asleep that night with Lance’s arms wrapped around me, but my dreams weren’t of him. No, it was Tristan running a trail of hot kisses down my chest, hands tracing a path down my waist, searing the skin as he went. My body was on fire with need. I groaned at the pleasure being inflicted. Clearly, I had turned into a lustful hooch because I could not get enough. I craved release and Tristan’s skilled hands were working magic, doing their best to oblige.
It was shameful that I didn’t even care about my agreement with Lance or the fact that it was him currently holding me, while my lustful dreams were surrounding someone else. Someone with whom I shared a history.
Someone I was in love with.
“Does Lance know you dream about this?” Tristan’s voice had me sitting up quickly, knocking the dream Tristan out of the way. “Please, don’t let me stop you. At least one Tristan gets to live out his fantasy.”
With my hands covering my face I whimpered in utter embarrassment. “I can’t help what I dream.”
Lies.
Tristan smirked, “It didn’t look like you hated it.”
My eyelashes fluttered a little as I looked up into his handsome face.
“It’s wrong, but I loved every second,” I admitted.
Tristan grabbed my wrists and pulled me up from the bed and into his arms. One arm wrapped around my body, as his large palm pushed my ass forward. His hard cock pressed into me and I whimpered in response. “Gwen…I can’t do this anymore.”
“Do what?” I said, breathlessly.
“Keep my hands off of you.” It was all he said before I crushed my lips to his.
We were all tongue and teeth, barely containing ourselves. This was savage desperation that neither one of us was prepared to end, but I did.
I stepped away from him panting. His eyes were wide and filled with lust. The feral look he was wearing, I was sure matched my own. Reaching down, I slowly lowered my panties. Never taking my eyes off of his. A growl ripped through his throat, but he didn’t move. He watched. There was no point in trying to stop this. It was a forgone conclusion that somehow, someway, Tristan and I would end up right here.
“Gwen. Are you sure?” Tristan asked, huskily.
“Yes.”
A smile curled at the corner of his mouth as he walked me backward to the bed.
“I won’t be able to stop if you let this go any further,” he warned.
“I’m not stopping this.”
As I fell back onto the bed, I watched in wonder as Tristan pulled his dark grey v-neck
over his shoulders and discarded it. His rippled abs and pecks making me drool and my body screaming for him to be inside of me.
“Tristan, I need you. Please,” I beg.
He lowers his jeans and crawls on top of me. “This is your last chance,” he offers me a way out.
“Now.”
He positions himself at my entrance, and I hold my breath for the welcome intrusion of him. Thrusting his hips, he sinks in and I cry out. He drives deeper and I stretch around him.
“Fuck,” he gasps, moving my bra to release a peaked nipple.
He lowers his body over me, pulling the budded tit into his mouth. Sucking and biting. I shudder at the sensation, arching my back off the bed. When he pulls his mouth away, I whimper, but then he picks up his tempo, thrusting in and out. The rhythm takes on a punishing quality and I mewl in response. I want it hard. I want him to make me forget everything and everyone else.
“Oh, God. Tristan. Yes.”
“Look at me,” Tristan demands, and I obey.
Our eyes lock and I grip his ass, pulling him even closer.
“Yes,” I cry, needing him to pump faster. Harder.
“Gwen…I can’t hold—”
He doesn’t even get the words out and the world around me explodes as my orgasm peaks.
“Tristan,” I shout as shudders rip through me.
Tristan drags it out longer with deep, hard thrusts until he follows me over the cliff with his own release. Bending down, Tristan nips at my neck and collarbone, groaning in contentment. He kisses me on the lips before collapsing next to me.
“Come here,” he commands. “We only have a few more minutes. We can’t stay here all night, as much as I’d like to.”
As my body came down from its high, the weight of what I had just done crashed into me. I’d slept with Tristan. It may have been a dream, but he was no figment. He had been dream walking and our lovemaking had been as real as if I’d been awake.
Shame reared its ugly head.
“Hey,” Tristan’s voice was filled with worry. “What’s the matter?”
“I-we…we shouldn’t have done this, Tristan. It was wrong.”
He frowned, scooting closer to me. “How could that have been wrong, Gwen? We both wanted it, did we not?”
“There are other people to consider, Tristan.”
He jumped from the bed, fury radiating from him. “Don’t you dare make this about Lance. You don’t love him, Gwen. He could never be right for you and you know it.”
I sat up, leveling him with a glare that could burn down this dream world. “Don’t you tell me who I love. Lance has always been there for me. Always,” I seethed. “I do love him.”
“Liar
,” he accused. “Don’t lie to yourself.”
There were so many things I wanted to scream at him. Hurtful words ready to spew from my mouth, but it wouldn’t be fair. My frustration wasn’t with him, but with myself. I had done this. I begged for it. Unable to face my epic fuck up, I squeezed my eyes shut and willed my sleeping body to wake on the other side.
With a jerk I leapt from my bed, waking Lance in the process.
“Gwen?” Lance’s voice full of sleep called out.
I couldn’t face him. I couldn’t let him see the guilt I wore. So I ran.
Chapter Eighteen
“What? Mallory said, animatedly. “Did you expect me to be surprised?”
I groaned. “Mal, this is serious. What should I do?”
She side-eyed me. “I don’t understand your question. You’ve already done it,” she said waggling her brows, suggestively.
I threw my head back in frustration. “Be serious,” I cried! “I need sage advice.”
Mallory snorted. “Bah. You won’t get that here I’m afraid,” she chortled. “Want my suggestion? Go back to sleep and fuck his brains out. That’s what I’d do,” she shrugged her shoulders, and I pursed my lips. “What?” she said, exasperated. “That man is sex-on-a-stick, and the fact that you’re even remotely sorry for taking advantage of that situation, just shows you’re not as smart as I thought you were.”
“This isn’t just about hormones, Mall. Other people are going to get hurt when this gets out.
She scoffed. “Like who? Your bestie guy pal, Lance?” She scrunched her nose in disgust. “Hate to break it to you, but he’s the only one who actually thought that was going to go anywhere.”