“Does it bother you when they watch?” His voice was low, husky, and she shivered at the way her stomach tightened in need.
“No, not really.” But she was terrified they would pull away from her. “Look, I just don’t know how you’re all fine about seeing me with the others. My impulse control sucks. If I saw anyone hitting on any of you, I wouldn’t take it kindly.”
An understatement.
She would break every bone in the bitch’s body.
Twice.
She dropped her gaze, not proud of her admission.
“Then you’re in luck.” Kincade gave her a crooked smile, then stepped back to give her room now that she’d admitted what he wanted to hear. “None of us have any interest in anyone else, not like that. We grew up knowing what to expect when we mated.”
“And no jealousy?” She crossed her arms and asked doubtfully. She didn’t believe it.
“None of us expected someone like you.” Ryder corrected before anyone could answer her question.
She scowled, not sure if she should be offended. “What does that mean?”
“You don’t play games.” Draven answered first. “You say and do exactly what you mean.”
“You spend time with us because you want to.” Atlas added.
“We consider ourselves lucky not only to have found you, but that we’re able to remain a team.” Ryder’s eyes shone with pleasure. “We’re family now. Nothing can change that.”
“When you’re with us, you focus on us so completely, there’s no room for jealousy,” Ascher admitted, and she could have fallen over when Kincade nodded in agreement.
“If you feel uncomfortable with us at any time, all you need to do is tell us. Otherwise, let us worry about ourselves.” Kincade’s smile turned devilish. “Men and women are turned on by different things.”
“Kissing a pretty lady is hot.” Draven’s storm-swept blue eyes were intense. “We can imagine what it will be like when it’s our turn. It’s our job to take care of you—in whatever way you need.”
Figured he would be a voyeur, but she couldn’t seem to bring herself to care.
“When you kiss one of us, you are only with us. The world drops away and you only see the one in your arms.” Ascher snagged her hand again. “You don’t taunt us. You don’t tease or play us against each other. We know where we stand with you.”
“Yeah, and when you’re mad, you smack us.” Draven smirked.
“When you’re happy, you reach out for us to share your joy.” Ryder crossed his arms, as if struggling to keep his hands to himself. “You spend time with us because you enjoy it. It’s not a chore or duty.”
“We have your undivided attention.” Atlas didn’t duck his head when she looked at him. “You make us feel like we matter, even if we’re stubborn asses at times.”
“So kiss us.” Ascher prompted.
“Hold our hands whenever you want.” Ryder offered.
“You can do whatever you want.” Draven didn’t smile…he was dead serious.
“Just don’t pull away or hide what you feel for us. Don’t be ashamed or shy to show us that you care.” Kincade finished. “We’re a team…and, as Ryder said, a family. Selecting only one of us would hurt more than sharing you. We’ve shared a room for decades, fought side by side together, patched each other up—”
“—and beat the shit out of each other. Often.” Draven snarked. “But I know one of them is always there to back me up.”
“We’re never alone…even if we want to be,” Atlas muttered.
“We share everything,” Kincade finished.
“Even women?” Morgan’s brain hiccupped, and she blurted out the question, then wished she could take it back.
The guys shared a look, then gazed back at her, and her curiosity was piqued further.
Now she was dying to know the answer.
“Not often,” Kincade admitted.
She should be horrified.
Why wasn’t she horrified?
Despite herself, she was fascinated, and her imagination took flight, picturing herself as that girl.
One of them groaned, and Morgan blushed, knowing that they could probably read her expression. They were offering her everything. She just needed to be brave enough to take a chance.
“Time to go.” Ascher tugged her toward the portal. “Now is not the time to finish this conversation.”
Kincade scooped Loki up and went through first.
They passed under the arch. Instead of stepping into the alcove, they simply disappeared. Morgan quickly followed. She wasn’t sure what to expect, but finding the soldiers who turned back after the first trap waiting for them wasn’t even close.
They scrambled to attention when she emerged, then did something that terrified her down to her soul…they knelt.
“They know.” Atlas was grim. “And word will only continue to spread.”
“Don’t do that.” Morgan awkwardly urged the soldiers to stand, trying to haul them to their feet, ignoring Atlas’s ominous prediction.
The soldiers grew uneasy at her touch, and Draven grabbed her arm, stashing her securely behind the others. “Stay here.”
She watched him walk away, feeling like a pariah. If the soldiers weren’t in awe of her, they quailed in fear. It made her itch to get away and hide. She watched him guide the captain of the guard toward her, and she grew more uncomfortable by the second.
“I’m glad you and most of your men made it out alive, Captain.” She shifted her feet awkwardly at the knowledge in his eyes.
“Only thanks to you.” He stood to rigid attention in front of her, glancing at her quickly, before avoiding further eye contact by studying the ground. “The door appeared about an hour ago. I thought we would be lost down there forever.”
“The fog should be gone,” she offered in apology. “While no one else will become infected, unfortunately, the mutations are permanent.” She still cursed herself for not being able to help them. “Katar won’t be returning. You and your men are free.”
He gave a start, meeting her eyes boldly, his sharp eyes shrewd. “Free?”
“My men and I are going to rescue the rest of my classmates, then head back to Earth.” Morgan was actually looking forward to being alone with the guys and spending more time with them. She backed away, eager to be gone.
“What about the village?” The captain’s voice was harsh.
Morgan hesitated, not sure what he was asking. “The fog is gone. I’m sure between you and the others, you can figure out a solution, right?”
He studied her for a long second before nodding, his dark expression clearing. “We’ll get it cleared up.”
But he continued to stare at her, leaving her a little unnerved. “Was there anything else?”
“You’re welcome to come back with us.” He studied her face intently. “You could lead us.”
Morgan glanced at the men behind him, heard the whispers that floated on the air, and shook her head. “I don’t think that would be a good idea. You need to rebuild. You don’t need me meddling in things or attracting the wrong kind of attention, not when the village is so vulnerable.”
“You will call on us if you need us.” He snapped a sharp salute, performed a crisp turn and returned to his men.
“You’ve just earned his undying loyalty,” Atlas commented idly, cleaning his fingernails with his knife.
“What?” Morgan glanced back at the captain. “You’re wrong. He doesn’t even like me.”
“Maybe, but he respects you, which is infinitely more important to a man like him.” Atlas glanced at her from the corners of his eyes. “They’re going to talk. People are going to discover the truth. We can slow down the rumors, but you’re not going to like it.”
“Tell me.” Morgan braced herself for his reply, not ready to go from being the assassin to the one hunted.
“Kill them.”
“What?” Morgan blanched, already shaking her head. “No way.”
&
nbsp; The rest of the guys gathered around her protectively. Kincade rested his hand on the knife at his side. Following his lead, Loki bared his teeth, his snout scrunched up in a ferocious little snarl. “He’s right. Letting them leave will only cause you more trouble.”
They would do it.
Slaughter innocent people to protect her.
What did it say about her that she thought it was sweet that they would kill for her?
“I—”
“If it was to protect one of us, you would do it in a heartbeat.” Draven was in full assassin mode, his eyes completely devoid of any emotion but death.
As to his accusation…
Maybe.
Probably.
She’d gone through too much to lose them.
She would do whatever it took to keep them…even kill if she was left with no other choice.
Morgan sighed. “I can’t. We just risked our lives to save them. I won’t be the one to kill them to gain a few more weeks of freedom. People are going to investigate why the fog suddenly disappeared and discover the truth. I fear it’s much too late to stop it from getting out.”
Atlas pocketed his blade, then grabbed her elbow. “Come. I think we’ve overstayed our welcome.”
Morgan nearly sagged in relief and beat a hasty retreat in case the guys decided to change their minds.
Chapter Twenty-eight
It took three days to travel back to the castle to reunite with MacGregor and the rest of the students. The landscape was only slightly less dangerous without the fog, the carnivorous plants nearly as deadly as the animals, but they managed to elude most of them without incident. Loki seemed intent on being king of the jungle and destroying anything within reach, so each of the guys took time to carry him to keep him out of trouble.
The guys catered to her every need. She was used to fending for herself, so it was terribly sweet…in a weird sort of way.
They cautiously crept up to the castle. Despite the absence of fog, the fortress remained in lockdown.
Not a good sign.
“Do you think they’re still alive?”
Draven snorted. “You haven’t been at the school long, but I can guarantee you this place would be destroyed if it came down to a fight.”
They kept to the tree line while they surveyed the castle, the hair on the back of her neck lifting at the ominous stillness. Trusting her instincts, Morgan whirled, catching a staff right below the spear, stopping the sharp tip dead.
“So you didn’t forget everything I taught you.” MacGregor harrumphed, but a smile cracked his craggy face. He yanked her into a bear hug and pounded her on the back. “It’s good to have you back.”
“It’s good to see you, too.” Morgan hugged him tight, absurdly pleased to see him alive and well. After the vicious attack on his coven, she didn’t think she would ever see him pick up another weapon. She pulled back and smiled. “So, how long was it before you took control of the castle?”
He barked a laugh, nodding to the guys as they stood. “A day or so after you left.”
“We picked them off one at a time.” One of the three underclassman with MacGregor spoke excitedly, obviously on one of his first missions. “They didn’t even know what hit them.”
“Enough.” MacGregor raised his hand. “Let’s take this discussion inside. I don’t like being out here longer than necessary.”
When they entered the castle, the organized chaos was run with a ruthlessness she recognized from the Academy. The bailey and hall were full of students practicing both weapons and magic.
“I assume you were successful in stopping the plague from spreading further?” MacGregor limped to a side room where the activity was better managed. Three elves were seated to the side, shackled with their own magic-stealing cuffs, watching everything with disdain.
Their anger smelled like burnt spices strong enough to make her want to sneeze, each of them clearly pissed at being beaten by a bunch of kids.
“Don’t be ridiculous.” A curl of disgust twisted one elf’s mouth as he scanned her from head to toe, disdain dripping from every syllable. “If we hadn’t been betrayed by the very people we offered our protection, we would’ve had the situation under control much sooner.”
Atlas drew his weapon in a blur of speed and launched himself across the room. Morgan barely caught his arm in time to prevent him from slitting the elf’s throat.
The stupid idiot didn’t even have the brains to flinch.
When the elves caught sight of the changes in Atlas, they leaned away, revulsion twisting their faces. Morgan didn’t understand their extreme reaction until Draven whispered to her.
“Most elves believe they’re honor bound to take their own lives before they turn dark, thus sparing the family the humiliating shame.” His tone clearly said they were the ones who should’ve been drowned at birth.
She agreed wholeheartedly.
Loki gave a growl of agreement, stalking forward on stiff legs, and proceeded to pee on their feet. The elf plucked a thin blade hidden inside his sleeve and sent it shooting through the air with a snap of his wrists, his face a mask of outrage.
Morgan reacted without thinking, her blade hardening in her hand, flinging the knife a nanosecond later. Kincade moved only a second behind her, quickly snatching up the pup, and placed his body in the way of the blade.
Time seemed to slow down as she watched the no doubt poisonous blade narrow the distance to Kincade’s unprotected back. Even if he hardened to stone, the minuscule possibility the poison would infect him was too much of a chance.
He threw himself to the side, but she knew he wouldn’t be able to move out of the way in time.
Thankfully, her aim landed true.
The knives crashed together, the thin, narrow blade snapping in half and clinking to the ground with a hallow ping before spinning off in the distance.
Silence followed as everyone stared at the two blades on the floor.
Kincade rolled and came to a stop in a crouch, his eyes landing on the weapons. He lifted a cocky brow at her, stooped to retrieve her blade, then rose to his feet and causally sauntered over to her, as if he didn’t have a care in the world, before handing it back. “I believe you dropped this.”
He set the pup on his shoulder with a smirk, then scratched him under the chin. “Good dog.”
Morgan accepted the knife, letting it flow back down her arm, struggling to hold onto her temper…and completely failed.
Attempting to kill her dog was the last straw.
“I doubt any of these idiots would’ve made it to the gates of Tartarus, much less survived the gods and their pet dragons.” Morgan stalked forward, her rage at their snooty pretentions of superiority making her want to rip out their throats. She slammed her hands on the table in front of them and leaned forward, feeling her magic snapping around her for the first time since she re-sealed the gates. “Do you really think experimenting on those poor creatures downstairs would’ve stopped the plague the gods released to reclaim Mount Olympus?”
“You lie.” The leader of the three turned his head away from her, as if she were beneath notice, but the other two watched her speculatively.
“Come, girl.” MacGregor grabbed her arm, practically dragging her away from the table. “You’ve done the impossible. If anyone could’ve save this wretched place, it was you, but it’s dangerous to bring attention to yourself.”
He didn’t know the half of it.
“How long before we can go home?” Morgan was suddenly exhausted.
“We’ve only been waiting for your return.” His smile slipped away. “Be warned—the school was overrun when we left. It will take all of us to take it back. Are you sure you’re ready?”
“If it means getting out of this place, I’m all for it.” But first, she had one thing to do. “Give me five minutes?”
“Of course.” MacGregor nodded, his silver hair a little wild, his sharp, faded blue eyes cunning as he stared at her. “We’ll start
gathering the others in the bailey.”
She watched him limp away, the most active she’d seen him in ages. Despite their situation, it was good to see him coming back to life, even if it took a war to do it. When she turned, it was to find all five of her guys waiting for her with their arms crossed.
“Where do you think you’re going?” Kincade raised a brow at her, clearly exasperated.
“Trouble.” Draven sighed. “She’s going in search of more trouble. Didn’t you have enough excitement for the week?”
“We can’t leave those caged creatures downstairs to be slaughtered.”
“They’re wild animals. Dangerous.” Ascher shook his head. “There is nothing human left in them.”
“Then release them back into the forest,” Morgan protested. “The woods are not the same anymore. That’s their world out there.”
When they didn’t look convinced, Morgan batted her eyelashes up at them, and pouted. “Please.”
Ryder was the first to break, heaving a sigh. “I’ll go.”
Morgan bounced up on her toes. When she went to give him a peck on his jaw, he dipped his head and her mouth found his. Her first impulse was to jerk away, then she allowed herself the luxury of brushing her lips against his, loving the way a grumble worked up his chest. “Thank you.”
“I’ll go, too.” Draven strode forward and puckered up.
Morgan shoved him away with a laugh. “Maybe when you get back.”
In less time than she thought possible, the students were organized, armed, and ready to reclaim possession of the Academy. Mistress McKay and Harper stood side by side as they cast open a portal large enough for them to pass through.
Stanley, the winged cat, clung to Ryder’s shoulder, his patchy fur standing on end, excitement gleaming in his eyes. He was determined to fight with the rest for his new home.
“Mush!” His yelled, his tail whipping in excitement. “Into the mist we go. To victory!”
The rest of the students cheered and eagerly dashed through the void. Instead of bitter cold the others felt, a comforting warmth wrapped around her, soaking into her skin. The next instant, she was stepping onto the front lawn of the Academy.
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