The Roses Academy- the Entire Collection

by Tara Brown

  “Okay.” I panicked, not sure what I was getting myself into. I bit down on my lip as hard as I could but it didn’t bleed, only stung. “Ow.” I cringed in pain and took a deep breath.

  “Let me.” He leaned in, took my lip in his, kissing me softly and then biting down sharply.

  “Shit!” I winced as blood streamed into my mouth.

  He did the same to himself without even flinching. He smiled wickedly and bent his beautiful face down to mine once more. A trace of dark liquid seeped through the crease of his closed lips. It reminded me of molasses and made me want to throw up. Instead, I let him kiss me again.

  It was intense. His lips moved quickly and hungrily into mine, his tongue flicking into my mouth at first and then driving in farther. He grabbed the back of my head and pulled me into the kiss.

  I wanted to be repulsed but something about him was drawing me in. I let myself be taken by the kiss. Our mouths moved like wild animals. It was as if we couldn’t get enough of each other. He grabbed the hair at the back of my head and pulled my face from his. His lips were covered in a mixture of his black blood and my red. His mouth had tasted of the rust from me and a sweet musk from him.

  I exhaled as he held my face back from his. He was still pulling my hair, and oddly enough I didn’t mind.

  He raised an eyebrow at me. “I wish we had more time to explore just how you’re going to be a problem for me. Unfortunately, your dad will be here in about twenty-eight minutes.”

  Fighting the urge to arch my back and slither farther into his embrace, I asked, “Would I have died by the time my dad got here? Is that why you rushed this?”

  “Yes. You would have, but my blood will heal everything, just as it will take everything. You’ll be better in a few hours. But you’ll change over the course of the next couple of days. It’s enough time to get you out of here before then.”

  As he finished the sentence I felt it. I did feel better, stronger. I stared down at my hand where the IV was and frowned. It was annoying me, like my skin was trying to heal over it.

  “When you see Aleks tell him he owes me, a lot. He owes the Roses.” His emphasis on lot scared me, as did the dark, sinister glower on his face.

  Things were different inside me. A hot wave of healing rushed through my body. I wasn’t sick.

  “Dorian—” I started but he groaned and cut me off.

  “I do love it when you say my name.”

  “Creepy. Can I ask you something?”

  “Anything.”

  “I don’t understand Aleks. He has powers, he kind of flies, he can be invisible, and he will live forever, but he won’t tell me how he became this way. He said a werewolf or shape shifter killed him before it was his time. What does that mean?”

  Dorian wiped his mouth and then mine. He was extra careful with my lips as he wiped them. “It means just that.” He exhaled loudly and continued, “Exactly that. A shape shifter killed him.”

  “It makes no sense. Is my mom off doing that job now because a shifter killed her?”

  His eyes sparkled like the stars in the night sky as his lip twitched into a smile. “Well, surely you know the part about his dad? Whenever his father kills someone, Aleks is responsible for the family. Like punishment for his father’s sins, he must heal the family. It’s a way to ensure he suffers all his life, blah, blah, blah.”

  “What?” I was frozen. “His dad killed my mom?”

  “Of course he did.” He wrinkled his nose. “I guess Aleks left that little chestnut out. Awkward. Well, I’m sure you’ll want to ask him about it when you see him next.” He was obviously pleased with what he had caused inside me and clapped his hands together. “On that lovely note, your dad is early, therefore I will leave you for a while. I’ll be back so don’t fret, I won’t let you change alone.” He left quickly, before I could ask what he meant by the statement.

  My dad came rushing in seconds later. “Aimee, oh thank God. You’re still awake.”

  I frowned at him. “Yeah, why?” My dad’s face made me sad. Had my mom had an affair with Aleks’ dad? How had he been involved in her death? Maybe I didn’t want to know this story.

  He shrugged. “Oh, uhm, no reason. We just thought you’d be sleeping.”

  I glanced to Shane who came into the room directly after my father, looking relieved as well. “Did the doctors tell you I would be in a coma before you made it here?”

  Shane nodded behind my lying dad’s shaking head. “No, kiddo. How are you feeling?”

  “Really good.” Hope built up in my dad’s eyes and then extinguished. “Well, you’ve had that before. It might be the dialysis. Has a doctor been by to see you?”

  “No. Not recently.” I remembered the attack I had had before.

  “You look better.” Shane came and sat on my bed, holding my hand. I licked my lips, smelling him—he smelled delicious. Something about him made me hungry for something I couldn’t explain.

  I was disgusted with myself. I was becoming a super slut. Something about all the guys in my life was making my hormones go crazy. I chalked it up to inactive sexuality for too many years. Mine had been released late and was desperate to catch up.

  “Where’s Alise? She didn’t come?” I asked, trying to divert my thoughts from kissing Shane and thinking about Aleks or worse, Dorian.

  “No.” My dad slumped. “She isn’t taking the news well.”

  Shane shot my dad a look. My dad’s face flushed as he stumbled over his words, “You know, of you being sick.”

  They were speaking of Jaime’s death. “It’s okay, Dad, I know. I know she passed. She came and said goodbye.” I had said it before I thought about it.

  My dad frowned. “You saw her?”

  “Yeah. In a dream. I had an episode a few hours ago and dreamed of her. She said goodbye. I just knew.”

  “A dream?”

  “Yup.” I smiled as my eyes wandered out into the hall. I hoped to see Aleks, but he never came back. I wanted answers more than I wanted anything. Well, except to touch Shane and pull our clothes off, possibly rubbing our naked skin against each other. I blushed, trying hard to focus on the anger and worry and the other things I was facing.

  Chapter 22

  Never trust anyone with obsidian eyes, just saying

  I wanted to go back to sleep, but for some reason I wasn’t tired anymore. The doctor came in and took my vitals. “Wow, you really are taking to the dialysis. I have to be honest, your prognosis was fairly dismal.”

  My dad had fallen asleep in the chair next to my bed and Shane was passed out on the bed for parents.

  “That’s great news. How’s Giselle?”

  “Good.” The doctor continued, “The donor liver will be here in about five hours and then she too will be on the road to recovery. What a horrific experience you young ladies have had. I heard they caught him. Your science teacher?”

  “Yeah.” My eyes dragged to the doctor’s lips. I contemplated them on mine for half a second before I stopped myself.

  What the heck was I thinking?

  The blood I’d swapped with Dorian must have had some side effect from his being a dirty pervert who kissed just like an angel. I didn’t know him but it made sense for his blood to be an aphrodisiac. No one kissed like that.

  “Well, I’m running your blood again and then we will do another ultrasound and an X-ray. Then if things are improving, we will consider doing another biopsy.” He wrote on his clipboard and walked out of the room.

  Another biopsy? I hadn’t realized they had done one already.

  I was starting to believe I was completely better, when Dorian quietly walked back into the room. He looked menacing as he stood in my doorway. “Ready?”

  “Maybe. Do I have to leave now?”

  “Of course.”

  “Like leave them?” I turned my gaze to my dad.

  “Unless you want them dead.”

  “What?” I frowned and wondered why he would threaten them. “Are you going to h
urt them?”

  “That’s not my gig, love. It might have been but rules are rules. What I’m saying is I’m sure you don’t want to hurt them.”

  “I would hurt them?”

  “Yes. You would kill them and love every second of it.”

  “Oh.” I gulped. “How do I leave without them becoming suspicious?”

  “Easy.” He grinned ominously. “Leave that little detail to me.”

  “I don’t want them to think I’m dead—my dad can’t take any more death.”

  “They’ll think you’re safe. Now we need to be on our way, so let me handle this.” He strolled over, running his fingers up my arm to my IV. He flashed a dirty smile as he slid it out and turned the machines off. He pulled the monitors off me. His warm fingers brushed along my neckline and skin, touching more than necessary to remove the pads. He eyed me as if I were a snack and raised one side of his mouth. “You’re sexy, Aimee. Do you know that?”

  “No.” I was mesmerized by his beautiful obsidian eyes.

  He bent down close to my face. I could almost taste the musk on his breath. “You’re a lucky girl that I need to get going or I would lock you away and savor a hundred years of alone time.” His words made me weak as I got lost in the dark pools of obsidian staring back at me. His eyes held my reflection like perfect mirrors.

  Taking one last look, he turned away and walked to my dad. He touched his arm and woke him gently. “Mr. James, I need to speak to you.”

  Nerves built in me as my dad stirred slowly, finally waking up. He stared up at Dorian and frowned. “Who are you?”

  “I’m your daughter’s specialist. We are transferring her to another hospital. She’ll be fine, but she needs to go and heal alone in this hospital. You must go home and tell everyone she is on the mend. She just needs some rest. The hospital is in California. It’s a secret celebrity hospital.” I sneered at Dorian and waited for my dad to laugh in his face.

  My dad nodded like a zombie. “Oh, okay. That’s great news. Thank you, Doctor.”

  My chin hit the floor as Dorian closed my dad’s eyes. “Go back to sleep.” My dad fell back into a deep sleep in his chair. Dorian’s powers were scary, there was no doubt about it.

  He turned around and held his arms out. “See, that’s how it’s done. So easy to mess with their tiny brains.”

  “He doesn’t have a tiny brain.” I frowned. “My dad’s a genius.”

  “Fascinating. Even with his brainpower, he doesn’t stand a chance against me. Watch this one with the doctor.” He smiled like a kid showing off his new toy. He stepped out of the room and into the hall, tapping my doctor on the shoulder as he walked past. “Doctor, I am a specialist from California. I am taking the lovely Miss James to my hospital where she will recover. Tell everyone it’s fine that she left with me. She is going somewhere to heal and be okay. Get rid of any records and fill in the blanks you need to so that no questions are asked. If anyone ever calls and asks about her, tell them you have received word she is doing better every day.”

  The doctor nodded as my dad had. “That’s fantastic. I will tell everyone.”

  “And lastly”—Dorian laughed—“go wank off in the supply cupboard, thinking about me.”

  “Of course.” The doctor walked away smiling a weird smile.

  “You’re the devil, aren’t you?” I swallowed hard.

  “Why do you say devil with such a negative connotation?” He gave me a hurt look. “Does it really matter at this point? I’m your only salvation, devil or not.”

  “Can you just be serious?”

  “I’m always serious, Aimee.”

  “Whatever.” I climbed off the bed and went to Shane. I bent down and inhaled the sea air on his skin and kissed his cheek. “I love you, Shane.” It was true. With the option of being with him removed from the table, I was devastated. He had never lied to me, he had never wanted anything but to be with me, and he had never done anything but love me. I didn’t know what to do except leave him a note. Goodbye would be impossible. He loved me; he actually loved me enough to not let me go.

  Shane,

  I’ve been taken to a special hospital that is offering me the best treatment. It’s exactly what I need to heal. I am excited for you to join the police force and become a police officer. You’re an amazing person and I will love you forever. No matter how this ends, know that I too have loved you since grade two.

  I loved you when you started to bring an extra huge lunch every day to share with Nathan Anders. You knew he was poor and never had food and you conned your mom into bigger lunches so you could feed him. You pretended she just packed big lunches and you couldn’t eat it all.

  I loved you in grade eight when you were riding your bike past my mom and she had a flat tire and you changed it. She had no clue how to do it. She told me you did it. You never told anyone about it.

  I loved you in eleventh grade, when the Smith girl got sick with cancer and you started that change jar at your parents’ store to raise money. It was to help pay for the medical bills. You acted like it was your parents’ idea, but your mom told my mom it was yours. I know you raised twenty-five thousand dollars for them over the course of that summer and never even asked for recognition.

  You’re the most amazing man in the world and you will be the most amazing police officer. I can’t wait to see it.

  I’ll call you when I’m strong enough.

  Love always, and by that I mean—I love you, Shane Bagley,

  Aimee xoxo

  It broke my heart to write the letter. I folded it and put it in his pocket. He needed to know how I felt.

  Between him and my sleeping father I spent a second leaving a soft kiss on both their cheeks and taking one last inhale of them.

  Before I walked out of the hospital room, I looked at my dad one last time. I didn’t know what kind of danger I could become to my family, but Dorian was right; I wouldn’t risk them. I left my heart in the room as I followed Dorian’s darkness down the hall.

  We stopped only to check in on Giselle. She was asleep and completely yellow with jaundice. I glanced over at Dorian for a moment and waited for him to answer the question burning in my eyes.

  He frowned. “Yeah, she’ll be fine.” He watched her sleep, no doubt thinking all sorts of unsavory things.

  He didn’t linger. He turned away from Giselle’s room and walked down the hall to the big elevator doors. I trailed behind him in my gown.

  “Uhh, am I going to change?”

  “I thought we covered this. Yes.”

  “No.” I frowned at him. “Clothes, idiot.”

  He laughed. “You’re sort of awful, aren’t you? Not fun and flirty as I imagined when Aleks told me about you. Yes, my dear, I have this all worked out, so please stop worrying.”

  We entered the elevator and I wondered about Aleks. “Where did Aleks go?” I asked after a few moments.

  Dorian shrugged, completely disinterested. “To cool off, I imagine. He’s free now so he will want to figure out the next step.”

  I gasped. “You freed him? From his curse? How?”

  “You freed him, love. Not me. I enslaved him.”

  I stepped right into his face—well, chest. He was a stone-cold killer. I knew it the second I looked into his eyes. But I didn’t flinch as I thought I would. “Enslaved him how? If you—”

  He pushed me roughly up against the wall of the elevator. “You’ll what, little girl? Kill me?”

  He burst into laughter and bent down to my face, his gaze dropping to my cleavage.

  I snapped my fingers in front of his face. “Hey, stop that. Does your brain function on any setting beyond sex?”

  He eyed me as if I were a bug he could squash and leaned in very close. “No, this is my only setting.” He kissed my neck, dragging his coarse whiskers across my sensitive skin.

  “Stop.” I tried to push him away, but I had nowhere near the strength to make an attempt at him. He ran his hands up my sides and pressed hard on
my right side, making me wince.

  “You’ll do exactly as I ask. I have gone out on a huge limb for you, Aimee. Be grateful.” His cold gaze lifted to mine as his hands moved from my sides and into my hair. He pulled forcefully on the back of my head. “This is our floor,” he spoke, hovering above my face and then releasing me. He stepped off the elevator calmly as I stood shaking. I was scared of him in every way possible.

  Why had Aleks left me to suffer at his hand?

  I started to walk off the elevator when an idea hit me. The elevator dinged and I stepped back on as the doors began to close.

  Dorian looked back in a panic as the gap in the doors lessened. I pressed every button after three floors and decided to get off at the first stop, three floors above us. I needed clothes. I felt stronger than I had in a while, but he could poof around the hospital and find me. So I had to be smarter than he was.

  I hoped there were at least a few limitations to his abilities.

  Panic filled me as I stepped off the elevator and peered around. I was on some kind of surgery floor. I crept along silently, checking behind me and in front of me in an alarmed state.

  While I didn’t know where I was going, I figured he would go back to my previous floor. I assumed that was the fifth floor which Giselle was on previously.

  Worriedly, I walked like I was sick, limping in case I ran into someone. My heart raced as I scanned the floor, hoping to come up with a plan to solve my situation. I didn’t know where to go, but I needed to stay away from my family. I didn’t even know why.

  My only guess was that I would turn into Dorian. I would soon be a destructive force to be reckoned with. Something with no heart or care.

  It scared me, not knowing what to expect. In the back of my mind I also assumed Aleks would find me. Whether I wanted to see him again or not.

  A door was ajar in the hallway up ahead. Nervous of Dorian jumping out from behind the small slit in the open door and killing me, I pushed it open carefully.

  The room was a supply closet full of things I desperately needed. I stepped in and turned on the light as I closed the door. I peeked through the crack as I closed it.