“We’ll be working with you in small groups for the next few weeks,” Professor Halifax said. “You’ve all been assigned specific times and places to meet based on your strengths. Group training will never be more than six students at a time and will focus on pushing you to improve in your weaker areas.”
“Which means you’re going to hate us for the next few months,” Coach Miller said with a grin.
I really, really hoped I wasn’t in a group with him. Though, I wasn’t sure what they’d consider my weaknesses so it was hard to tell.
Professor Halifax held up a folder. “Each of you has a folder with your unique training schedule. Traditionally, there are six meetings, including this one. This year, we’ve added a few additional meetings for some of you to help you prepare. Pay attention to your individual schedule and don’t worry about what other people are doing. Got it?”
Affirmative murmurs sounded throughout the room as Professor Halifax and Coach Miller started passing out the folders.
I glanced around the room, looking at the familiar faces of the students I’d spent the last year and a half with. Some of them were more prepared than others. And there were one or two I was surprised to see in this room. They must have gotten very lucky during their practice test to be here today.
I caught sight of Ben and he gave me a quick nod before turning back to look at the front of the room. He’d probably been checking in on Raven.
Since our talk a few weeks back, we hadn’t spoken much. We interacted on occasion at lunch or in the halls, but Raven was our buffer. With her around, we never had to have an actual conversation. Which was totally fine by me.
I tightened my grip on Raven’s thigh, suddenly feeling protective of her. It was one thing to share your lover in the bedroom while you got to participate, it was another thing to let her go and enjoy someone without you. Honestly, there were times I was jealous of her and there were times I wanted her all to myself.
Having a mating bond with one person was odd. I’d always been so fluid in my attraction to others and only interested in sex as a form of entertainment and a means to an end to recharge my magic. With Raven, it was something else. It was about connection, intimacy, and love. I never knew sex could be that way.
Professor Halifax dropped a folder in front of me, and handed Raven’s to her. She took it and opened it. I grabbed the folder on the desk and opened mine.
I scoffed, hardly believing the group I’d been assigned to. This wasn’t an accident.
“Well then,” Raven said. “This isn’t going to be awkward. Not at all.”
I understood the sarcasm in her tone as I stared at the names. Raven and I were in the same group. With three others.
Ben, Matt, and Zach.
They’d paired her with her mates. Including the one mate I knew she still hadn’t completed the bond with.
I wasn’t blind to her attraction to Zach and whenever the two crossed paths, the sexual energy between them was enough to give my magic a buzz. It was only a matter of time.
Part of me wanted to encourage her to get it over with. But it wasn’t my place. Unless of course, she wanted to invite me, which I was all for. Zach and his brother were two of the most handsome males I’d ever seen. I’d have no problem joining anything with either of them. Or maybe both?
“Luka?” Raven interrupted my thoughts and I turned to look at her.
“It’ll be fine,” I said.
“They have us scheduled to meet weekly,” she said.
I glanced down at the paper again. That was unusual. “Is this during your independent study class time?”
She nodded. “I guess it’s not so independent anymore.”
“I guess not,” I said. What was Professor Halifax getting at by doing this? I knew it was unusual for someone to have multiple mates, but it wasn’t that unusual. It happened often enough that we weren’t even a subject of gossip aside from the fact that we were dating.
“Alright, everyone. You’ve all been giving your official warning. You might die during the trials, this is your last chance to drop out, and all that,” Coach Miller said. “You begin your small group meetings based on the schedule in your folder. And some of you will be lucky enough to be working with me.”
“Your group meetings count as class sessions and you’re all expected to be on time and in proper uniforms,” Professor Halifax added. “You’re dismissed.”
“Well, this will be fun,” I said as I stood.
Raven gave me a weak smile. “Yeah, can’t wait.”
Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed movement. I turned to see Ben and both of the Obscura boys heading toward us. No surprise there. I was guessing they were even less thrilled about this set up than I was.
“Did you ask to be in a group with all of us?” Ben asked Raven.
“No,” she said.
“It’s probably because she’s more powerful after each of the bonds with us,” Matt said.
“Is that true?” I asked. That was news to me.
“Professor Halifax said something about that,” she said.
“They why haven’t you hooked up with Zach yet?” I asked.
Nobody said a word.
“Seriously, if it helps you to get stronger, you should,” I said. “Especially after the time bubble. Why not try everything you can?”
“I can tell you it’s not from lack of trying on my end,” Zach said.
“Seriously?” Raven said.
“What? I’ve never kept it a secret,” Zach said.
“Maybe I didn’t want you to feel like I was having sex with you for my own selfish reasons,” she said.
“She’s fine the way she is,” Ben said.
“She could be stronger,” I added.
“We’re not having this conversation,” Raven said. “I’m going to my room. Alone. I will see you all tomorrow in Professor Halifax’s room.”
22
Raven
I felt bad walking away from them when I knew all four of them mostly had my best interest in mind.
Except for Zach. I wasn’t sure about him. He was harder to figure out than the others. He was such a flirt and was so upfront about sex. Plus, there was the whole thing about hooking up with his identical brother when he wasn’t around.
I guess I never knew how to approach him or my feelings for him. While the attraction was there, and had been from the start, I’d held off. It was complicated enough and I’d been able to avoid him and avoid the feelings I had for him.
But that wasn’t going to work once we started having weekly meetings. Just the five of us and Professor Halifax.
What was she thinking?
I turned over in my bed and tossed the covers aside. Sleep wasn’t happening tonight. I knew exactly why Professor Halifax was doing this and it was all about me. Matt was right, she all but told me to have sex with Zach to help strengthen my magic. And now she was putting the five of us together to go over things before the trials.
How was that going to work? I knew I had a mating bond with all of them. Including Zach. Being around all of them and their sexual energy was going to drive me crazy. Especially if I was still holding out for Zach.
That couldn’t happen. I couldn’t do that to myself or to Zach. The two of us would probably end up tearing each other’s clothes off in the middle of the classroom.
I sat up, trying to tell myself that the only rational thing to do was to fuck him now. I had to. If I didn’t, there was no telling what our libidos would make us do.
Plus, I’d been laying here thinking about him doing things with his tongue. And no matter what else I tried to picture in my head, he kept coming back to mind.
Determined to seduce Zach, I hopped out of bed. I wondered if I should put on something sexy. He probably didn’t care what I was wearing, but I did. The tee shirt and shorts I was wearing were cute but they weren’t exactly screaming take me, I’m yours.
Quickly, I threw on a black lace bra and matching undie
s. Then I pulled on a long black jacket. It was the closest thing I had to a robe. It would have to work.
Slipping my key card into the pocket, I quietly left my room.
It was after midnight and as I crept down the hall I could hear the sounds of quiet music and muffled conversation from the night owls in my dorm. Thankfully, the common room was empty.
Taking the stairs two at a time, I bolted out of the dorm before Ben or anyone else could catch me. I absolutely looked like I was on a mission to get a booty call.
Probably because I was.
Keeping my head down, I walked through the halls, ignoring the occasional student I passed. Finally, I made it to the Mage dorm and started up the stairs toward the Obscura suite.
When I stopped at their floor, I discovered I wasn’t alone. Standing in front of the door in a little black dress was Delores.
“Well, well, well,” she said. “Someone’s here for a nightcap.”
“Yeah, I just had a question about something,” I said, recalling the feeling of her fist in my face. I didn’t want to experience that again.
She turned toward me, her hands on her hips. “I thought I told you to leave him alone.”
“I’m visiting Matt if you must know,” I lied.
“Matt is out for the night.” She stood there silently, her head cocked to the side.
I knew she was waiting for me to leave but I’d come here for Zach, which I was pretty sure she’d figured out. Plus, when she’d punched me, I wasn’t prepared so I didn’t know to defend myself or fight back. I wasn’t about to make that mistake again.
I’d never thrown a punch, unless you counted my desperate clawing and scratching to get away from the men who attacked me before I came here.
“I wonder how far I have to push you to get you to use your time magic,” she said, taking a step closer to me. “I was hoping you’d do something after I pulled you down the stairs but that wasn’t enough. Hitting you didn’t work, that just knocked you out.”
“You wanted to get me to use my time magic?” I knew she wanted to hurt me but I didn’t consider that she could be trying to set me up. And while I’d been officially released of my sentence, I knew they’d throw me back into meetings with Officer M at the least if I used my magic.
She shrugged. “I want you gone. Lots of us want you gone. You’re causing a disruption in the way things work around here.”
“I’ve never done anything to you,” I said. “Maybe your ego is getting in the way of reality.”
“You don’t belong here,” she said. “This school isn’t just about learning your magic. It’s also about alliances and networking. It’s about finding partners in business and in love. And you went and snapped up a prince of hell, the gangster prince, and now you’ve got your sights on the crown jewel of this school. Getting in good with the Obscura family can make you set for life. Marrying one of them will keep your children and their children set for life. Get it?”
“I get it,” I said. “You’re a gold digger.”
The door opened and I turned to see Zach. “Hey, ladies.”
“Zach, tell this slut that we already have plans,” she said.
“Um, I’m not sure why you’re talking about my girlfriend like that,” he said.
“You said you two weren’t a thing,” she said.
My brow furrowed. Zach and I weren’t a couple. We’d never discussed it and we’d never been intimate. But something told me to keep my mouth shut here.
“Yeah, Zach’s out,” he said.
Delores’s face turned crimson and her eyes widened. “Matt?”
I bit down on my lip to keep from saying anything. I was certain the man speaking to us was Zach.
“I thought you were out tonight?” she said.
“Maybe he’s with some other girl?” Zach said.
Delores looked pissed and without a word, she turned and stomped away from us.
I held back the giggles until she was out of sight. “What did you do that for, Zach?”
Zach shrugged. “It’s been a while since I pretended to be my brother.”
“For a girl who says she’s got a thing for you, she really can’t tell you from Matt,” I said.
“Most people can’t tell us apart,” he said.
“I don’t get that. I used to have to look for the freckle on your hand but now I just know. You’re not the same.”
“No, we’re not,” he said.
“Is it really just you here tonight?” I asked, my mind going back to my original intentions.
“Yeah,” he said. “Matt had to do something for our mom. He’ll be back before classes start tomorrow if you want to come back then.”
“I didn’t come here for him,” I said.
He cocked an eyebrow. “Really?”
I unbuttoned the jacket, letting it open enough that he could see that I was only wearing underwear and a bra underneath.
“You really did come for me, didn’t you?” He grinned, then stepped back so I could enter the room.
As soon as I heard the door close behind me, I slid off the jacket and let it fall to the ground. Slowly, I turned to face him, a smile on my face.
“You are even more stunning without your clothes than I remember,” he said.
“At least I didn’t burn them off this time,” I said.
“It’s still early,” he said, crossing the distance between us. “Give me some time to get you going. I have a feeling we’ll make our own fire.”
He grabbed me by the waist and a thrill of anticipation rushed through me. A second later, his lips pressed into mine and my core instantly heated. Everything about this was right. The feel of his hands against my bare skin, the taste of his mouth on mine, the pressure building inside me, begging for release. It was as if my body had been waiting for this.
23
Raven
Everything felt right with the world as Zach scooped me up and carried me through the room. I devoured him, my lips and his working hungrily in unison. We’d waited too long for this and neither of us was willing to let go.
We bumped into walls a few times, but I didn’t break the kiss and Zach didn’t let go of me. I wrapped my legs around his waist and leaned into him more, sliding my tongue into his mouth.
He moaned against my mouth and I nearly lost control just from knowing that he was enjoying this as much as I was.
Finally, he pushed through a door and the two of us fell onto a bed in a heap of intertwined limbs. Bursts of magic trailed up my back and down my arms, sending shockwaves of tingles through me. Every touch was electric and I couldn’t get enough of him.
Suddenly, I realized my panties and bra were gone. I didn’t even notice Zach removing them.
My mind felt fuzzy with desire and I knew I wasn’t thinking straight anymore. I’d do anything to feel him inside me.
Forcing myself to remove my lips from his, I leaned back and took a few breaths. My whole body felt like it was on fire. Everything about this was intense and holy shit I was turned on. “You’re still dressed.”
Zach grinned and then he climbed off of the bed and stripped faster than I thought possible. We were both beyond the point of wanting foreplay and I knew it. We needed each other.
He hopped back on the bed and knocked me over while climbing on top of me. Then, he grabbed my thighs and pulled my hips to his. My ass came right up against his knees.
Leaning in, he held my legs up while positioning his hips between my thighs.
I wanted him so bad.
He didn’t make me beg. In a single thrust, he was inside me fully and I cried out as the pressure of his size gave way to pleasure.
He held on to my thighs as he thrust hard and fast. I gripped the sheets with my hands, hanging on while he pounded away. Each thrust was so intense in the best possible way.
Zach lowered my legs and leaned in close so our bodies were pressed together. Slowing his rhythm, he moved his lips to mine. This kiss was slow and sensual but
just as powerful.
I grabbed hold of him, keeping his chest pressed against mine as he continued to thrust. My hips joined his, moving in unison. Even though the pace had slowed, there was no easing of pleasure. On the edge of orgasm, I dug my fingers into his back, urging him to continue.
My magic was building alongside my climax. I could feel it surging through my veins, bursts of power mingling with pleasure. It was too much.
Tossing my head back, I cried out as an orgasm rippled through me in intense waves. He thickened inside me, groaning as he reached his climax. I held on to him as he stared into my eyes, the two of us panting and sweaty. Magic still thrummed in my veins, as if begging for escape. The sensation made it difficult to breathe, as if I needed another release.
Zach pulled me closer, groaning as he reached his climax. As soon as he did, my magic seemed to respond, exploding from me in a surge of power I had no control over.
Decorations fell from the walls, lightbulbs exploded, pillows burst, sending stuffing flying into the room. Then, just as quickly as the destruction began, it all froze, suspended in the air as if someone hit a pause button.
Zach climbed off of me and the two of us looked around the frozen destruction, dumbstruck.
“What’s happening?” I asked.
“Did you do this?” he asked.
“I think so,” I said.
My magic had built during sex and this was the result. It was destructive, everything around us was in ruins. But there was a peace to it in its frozen state. “I stopped time.”
I felt trapped, like everything inside me was locked away. This wasn’t happening. This couldn’t be happening. I had worked so hard to contain my magic and keep it from going beyond my control.
I was too powerful to contain it. I should never have completed the mating bond with Zach.
A warm, steady hand pressed against my upper arm. “Deep breaths.” Zach turned my chin toward him and locked his gaze on mine. “Deep breaths. This is okay. You gained more magic and you lost control. It doesn’t mean we can’t fix it.”
Academy of the Elites: Fated Magic Page 11