Upended Life (Artemis University Book 1)

by Erin R Flynn

  “Luckily for Vale, we monitor internet traffic, especially on social media, and have a delay so she thought it was live but it wasn’t,” he told us, glancing around the room. “You all signed magically binding confidentiality agreements when you accepted your invitation to attend Artemis. You cannot share information about your fellow students to the supe community.

  “It is dangerous. You cannot even fathom how dangerous and there are consequences for your actions so if any of you duffers blindly signed without reading it, read it now because certain offenses could land you in prison.” He focused back on Blake. “If she had been hurt because of what you did, you’d be in prison. Do you get that? We protect each other first.”

  “Always,” Nelson added firmly. “No matter or bull or issues, the one thing we always do is protect each other from possible harm. You want to have it out with her, do it, but do it here, privately, and don’t risk her life because you’re a damn elitist.”

  I focused on Blake. “You owe me a debt. You risked my life with your petty shit and I warned you that if you wanted to play with me, you better be ready for the consequences. Now you will pay the debt for thinking it was a bluff.” I caught a thought and smirked. “And you deserve what I’m about to do several times over.”

  “Don’t you dare,” she hissed, realizing I was listening to her, getting more from her when she was upset.

  I found her friend and gave her a sad look. “She fucked the guy you like.” I nodded when she thought of who she was into. “Yeah, sorry, that one, and when he came looking for you, she wanted him and lied.” I blinked at Blake, my eyes going wide. “Wow, I had—that’s not what I thought you’d be into.” I whistled. “Okay, you like it that way.”

  “Shut the fuck up, you trash.”

  “That’s debatable but I think sleeping with someone your friend is into is way trashier.” I smiled evilly at her. “Don’t ever fuck with me again, Blake, or I will read your mind every minute of every day and in your fucking sleep just because you’re a bitch and I can. I’ve not told one thought of what I’ve heard since I got here. It’s not my place unless it’s about me.

  “I don’t like to listen. I can’t control it but I can control what I say so don’t put this on me. You poked the bear. You started this shit because of your obsessive need to be an attention whore and constantly be at the front of conversations.

  “If I told people what you really thought of them half the time, no one would be able to look at you without being disgusted, so do not push me again or I will.” I grabbed my stuff and stormed over to Craftsman, giving Nelson a wince. “Sorry about the drama.”

  He waved it off. “We’re going to have all types of drama in the fiction we read. Your first assignment is on the syllabus. See you Thursday, Ms. Vale.”

  “Thanks.”

  “Cheers, mate,” Craftsman said to him as he held the door open for me. He led the way but then at the end of the hall, grabbed my arm and pulled me into a prep room, closing us in together. “Show me. Please, fuck, show me, love.”

  It only took me a second to realize what he was talking about. Oh yeah, I’d show him. After going to battle for me and making sure I was protected, I’d show him whatever he wanted.

  I set down my bag and instead of just showing him my panties, I pulled the dress off over my head and set it down. His eyes went wide and filled with heat as he licked his lips.

  I went even further and slowly turned for him, smirking when I faced him again. “You like?”

  “Yes, show me you’re damp.”

  I raised an eyebrow at the demand, swallowing a laugh when he growled and then begged. I moved over to the table and sat on it, spreading my legs slightly so he saw the wet spot. I touched it to make it more. “Want to know a secret?”

  “Yes.”

  “I masturbated last night thinking of you.”

  He groaned and moved closer. “Funny, I did the same thing.”

  “You jerk off thinking about yourself?” I teased.

  He took that last step so he was between my legs, his hands moving to the table next to my hips and we were only a breath apart. “No, I thought of you. I thought of you taking off that bloody dress from the ball and sitting on my face.” He chuckled when I shivered. “You want me to lick you, love?”

  “Clearly you do,” I taunted. I took his hand and lifted it, guiding one finger to touch my nipple through my bra, letting him see how hard it got instantly. “Be good and maybe I’ll let you eat me after class.”

  He groaned, leaning his head on my shoulder as his finger kept teasing me. “I’ve gotta get you to the headmaster before I get caught fucking you good like I’m dying to.” He growled but didn’t pull away. “I even think the bloody garters holding knives are fucking sexy. What have you done to me?”

  I cleared my throat. “You into doing your students?”

  “No,” he growled. He leaned back and pulled his hand away, taking my face in his hands so I looked at him. “No, never, Tamsin, I swear it. It’s you. Shit, it’s something about you that I cannot let go no matter if I should or how crazy it is. We’re five years apart but I cannot—it’s you. Only you.” He kissed my forehead and stepped away. “We have to go.”

  I nodded but spread my legs wider, showing him that I was soaking now. “Glad it’s only me.”

  He adjusted himself in his pants. “I’m glad I’m the only professor you’re into.”

  “So we agree that’s the way it’ll be?”

  “Oh yeah, we agree,” he purred, licking his lips.

  “What do you want to see on Thursday?” I laughed when he groaned deeply. I hopped off the table, quickly pulling on my dress, grabbing my stuff, and rushing out the door before he could answer.

  It was so fun to push his buttons.

  We arrived at the headmaster’s office a bit later and Craftsman had to get right back as he had a class at the moment. Oh boy. That would be something talked about.

  The headmaster was busy so I waited, learning from his assistant’s mind that most of what he was dealing with was regarding what Blake did.

  He was smart in the way he handled it, as he sent a notice to the parents that one of the students had tried to post information about another student on supe social media. He wanted the uproar and parents demanding action to protect their kids after checking it wasn’t them this time.

  Smart man.

  If he had just said Blake had come after me, most wouldn’t care about some orphan unknown, but framing it this way took away Blake’s power of being a Ward, as others had big names too.

  The vampire from the meeting when I was brought to the school showed up and I filled in the blanks he was the dean of the vampires.

  Steam about came out of my ears at catching what he’d done.

  “I never lived in a trailer so again, be accurate, but I would suggest not starting anything with me again. I’m getting tired of your judgments and bullshit.”

  “Watch your mouth,” he snapped. “I’m a dean of this school.”

  “Good for you but you’re not my dean,” I seethed, pushing to my feet. “You threw gas on the fire I put out by standing up to her but you coddled her and poor, poor her that the trailer trash embarrassed her. Hey, that’s played out wonderfully. Good move.”

  “I agree,” the headmaster said from his doorway. “And I didn’t know that last part.”

  The vampire sighed heavily. “I thought a sympathetic ear and comment she shouldn’t listen to probable trailer trash would make her ignore you as far beneath her. It seemed the fastest solution so it didn’t blow up.”

  I snorted. “You need several lessons on petty women. The lower you demoted me the more insulted she would be at what I did and seek a larger revenge.”

  “She’s right,” the headmaster agreed. “You will change your attitude as well, as you should have made it clear that you didn’t have time for pettiness and that Ms. Ward throwing a fit was unacceptable, as children do not attend this school. Th
e vampires have higher standards.”

  He nodded. “I understand. I’ll handle it.” He pointed his finger at me when I opened my mouth. “No, enough with the debt shit. I went about it the wrong way but I was actually trying to help and not have more light shined on you. It backfired. I’m sorry you got burned. I will handle that.”

  He stormed off and I sighed.

  “Well, at least he apologized, right?” I smiled when the assistant snorted. I tilted my head and studied the headmaster. “How’s your day, dear?”

  He tried to swallow a chuckle but failed miserably. “Get in here, troublemaker.”

  I trailed after him, closing the door behind me. “How is this one my fault? And I didn’t pound in her face when I found out. I deserve a damn medal!”

  “How did that happen?”

  “Craftsman blurted that it didn’t actually get out because you guys are smarter than her. I cannot say that will be my reaction next time even if it’s not devastating, and she really better not run across me somewhere dark and alone.”

  He sighed and sat in the chair in front of his desk, gesturing me for the other. “Okay, what else? Craftsman updated me on what you asked and discussed with Campbell.”

  I nodded, crossing my legs as I sat. “Do you have a better book about fairies? The author is a jealous, bitter guy who looks down on them and I’m not sure I would trust what they told him.” I shrugged when he gave me a confused look. “Assuming some of them were telepaths, they knew what he thought. I would totally tell him we sneezed confetti or something ridiculous.”

  “Of course you would.”

  “Most of it is one anonymous source or what he thought he was seeing.”

  “I think that might be a question to ask Claudia, as it removes a layer of me asking because why would I? Also, I would think the vast Townsend library would be more helpful.”

  “I thought so too but you did ask.”

  “I did. I also talked to Tanesha Jameston and she outlined where we should start. She was very insistent that this is not something you can just read and wrap your head around. She compared the training for this power like fight training. You need a coach so here I am.”

  “Makes sense.”

  “Good, then let’s begin.” He walked me through some breathing exercises to calm and find my center, impressed how fast I did it. Yeah, yoga. Mel was big on that and mental clarity. “Now, I want you to try and figure out what I’m thinking, on purpose, not just catching something.”

  I nodded. I knew how to do that.

  “My favorite color is blue.” He gave me a moment. “You heard?”

  “I like blue too,” I confirmed.

  “Good, now I want you to take that thought you focused on to take from me and pull it up like a scarf. Think like a scarf with that sentence on it. I want you to wrap it around you.”

  I frowned, picturing what he said but not getting it. “Okay, new thought. Too much time.”

  “I heard you knocked out Marshall good.”

  I held up a finger in case he was going to talk out loud. I wanted to focus on just that thought. I tried to feel the magic of my power like I was starting to feel more and more but it was fuzzy, slipping through my fingers like sand. “Again.”

  He was patient with me and we went through at least twenty thoughts before I needed a break.

  I jumped to my feet and paced. “I think I don’t have clarity yet. Every dose of pills is like peeling a layer of film off of me I didn’t know was there. I think I need the rest of the layers gone. It feels fuzzy, like something is in the way and the thoughts turn to sand and get lost in the breeze of time? Not sure on that last part but I sort of feel that.”

  “No, that actually makes sense,” he accepted. “If you let a spell drag on through the parts, the magic fizzles from the first.”

  I snapped my fingers at him. “Yes, exactly like that. It’s like I can feel peeling it from you but the moment it releases it dissolves like it can’t reach me.”

  His eyes flashed shock. “That is still a wonderful first step, Ms. Vale. You’re catching the concept remarkably well.”

  I shrugged. “You said a scarf. I’m just sort of imagining one of those scarfs that goes around the head.” I frowned. “Well, sort of, those have too much to unwind but that’s the concept.”

  “Would a longer scarf help so it can reach you before unwinding from me?” he tried.

  “Like we’re connected as I start wrapping it around me?”

  “Yes.”

  I shook my head. “I can’t get it to reach me. I think that would make me lose the first step.”

  “All right, then let’s work on the first step some more so you’re ready when you’re unblocked.”

  I bobbed my head and we got back to work. We went until I thought my head might explode from the headache I had.

  “Don’t push that far,” the headmaster chastised when I admitted that. “For now I want you to speak with your friends and have them think thoughts at you. Have them talk to you mentally when you’re around people until we can get you to block.”

  “Why the push?” I asked, rubbing my forehead. “I get people know now and are jerks but believe me, they’re jerks when they don’t know.”

  “Yes, but I believe you also know men your age aren’t the most mature and misbehave in a way that is upsetting. You cannot punch someone for their thoughts.”

  I snorted. “Believe me, I know.” I still was missing something but thanked him, noting the way he checked his watch.

  “I think next week we’ll work on another exercise after you’re done with the pills.”

  Sounded like a plan. I couldn’t think of a better one as I left, checking the time to see I was supposed to be in debate. Hopefully someone let the professor know so I didn’t get into shit. It would be nice not to have any additional problems.

  Really nice.

  19

  I was considering not going to debate at all since I already had a headache and I’d have missed over half by the time I got there. Maybe a long lunch was what I needed.

  It wasn’t like I was ditching and I hadn’t started this. Yeah, an early lunch and duck people.

  I didn’t make it out of the administration building though, an arm circling around me and pulling me into a meeting room. I knew who it was seconds before they touched me, the energy dancing over my skin.

  “Are you okay?” he worried as he locked the door before setting me on my feet. He turned me to look at him, gently taking my bag and setting it on the table.

  I nodded, reaching to rub my temples but his large fingers beat me to it, giving me a full scalp massage that felt fantastic. “That helps.”

  “Good.” He pulled me against his chest and worked on my tension. “I’m sorry you were so hurt and Blake is such a fucking cunt. You don’t deserve any of this.”

  I slowly leaned away and blinked at him, wondering if the power was going wild. “That was you?”

  He nodded, giving me a soft smile. “It’s my aunt they’re getting guidance from. I grew up around her. She actually took care of me a lot when I was young and there were some problems that validly kept my parents busy. She kept me safe and away from it.”

  He was a damn chatterbox when in my head. He must have seen the confusion on my face.

  “I was born a prince. People judge everything I do and I mean every-fucking-thing. There was a lot of turmoil with the royals as they became Alpha and Alpha Mate. There’s still a lot of scrutiny constantly. I found it easier to not talk when I was younger. My aunt figured out this helped me express myself without fear. I never really got out of the habit.”

  “Is that why you like me?” I whispered without thinking.

  He frowned. “No. I just wanted to share this part of me with you when you’re feeling alone and persecuted. I know the feeling. You feel the energy between us.”

  “What is that?”

  He smirked at me. “Chemistry. Intense chemistry. I’m not really sure s
ince you’re not a dragon but it obviously picked right. Can I kiss you?”

  He said it so fast and it was so new for me to talk like this that I almost missed the last part, nodding when I caught it.

  He cupped my face and kissed me gently, taking it up several notches when I melted into him. He leaned down and picked me up under my ass, setting me on the table.

  “Don’t you dare rip my panties. I don’t have an unlimited supply.”

  He licked his lips and nodded. “Can I see? I so need to taste you, Princess.”

  I shivered and pushed him to step back. He did, frowning like I might reject him but I didn’t, taking off my dress again for a different man.

  Well, it was better than no sex life.

  His eyes filled with heat as he took in my body. “You are so fucking beautiful, Tamsin.” He finished his review and met my gaze. “You’re the most gorgeous woman I’ve ever seen.”

  Well, damn, that got the man the chance to see more. Before I could do anything or say something cheeky, he ran his finger over the garters, making it clear he wanted them gone. But not because he didn’t like them. No, he wanted my trust.

  “I’ve never had sex completely unarmed,” I admitted.

  “I would stand between you and any threat, always. I could never hurt you.”

  I believed him, which terrified me, but still, I gave in and took them off. “You promised to taste me, right?” I smiled when he nodded. I hooked my thumbs in my panties and pulled them down, grabbing them before they hit the carpeted floor in a random room. Then I unclasped my bra but didn’t take it off. “Shouldn’t you be begging or saying something nice?”

  He growled and leaned in. “Let me see your tits, Princess. I’ve been dreaming of them and I want to see them. Show them to me so I can touch them, please you.” He fisted his hands when I didn’t budge. “Please. Please let me see them. I need you, Tamsin. I need you. I’ve been jacking off since Friday nonstop, dying for you. I’m not even kidding. I thought I was going to break down your door to have you.”