Wolf Bitten: Lunar Academy, Year One
Page 12
I took a risk and shifted to face him. The hint of a smile curved at the corners of his mouth. I stared at his lips longer than I should. My breathing grew shallow, and my entire body tingled to life at the sight of his tongue snaking out to moisten his lips as I continued to stare. Unable to control myself any longer, I let my camera dangle from the strap around my neck and lifted to the tips of my toes to crush my mouth against his. His hands gripped my hips, his fingers digging into my skin, and I knew this was what he’d been waiting for. I arched my body toward him at the feel of his tongue sliding against my bottom lip, teasing my mouth for entrance.
My wolf panted with her need for him. Heck, I panted with need for him. Right then, I was so damn thankful I’d shaved my legs because Summer had been right about how the night would unfold.
Tingles spread through my lower extremities as I bit down on Holt’s bottom lip, nibbling with that fiery need burning through my core. Holt didn’t seem to mind. Instead, he hoisted me into the air, forcing my legs to wrap around his waist. He walked us to the center of the room where he gently lay me on the floor of the tower and then positioned himself above me. Our lips only parted so he could remove my camera from around my neck and lay it beside us.
I lifted his shirt to place my hands against the heated skin of his back, needing to feel him. His muscles were flexed as he held himself above me with his arms, and as I trailed my nails down the length of his back, goose bumps prickled across his skin. A moan escaped him, and I swore it was the best sound I’d ever heard. When he tugged the collar of his shirt and slipped out of it, I gave into the sticky heat of passion swirling around us and lifted so I could peel out of my shirt as well. Holt unhooked my bra and tossed it to the side. His mouth dipped to my pebbled nipples, causing spasms of pleasure to rock through me from the sensation. I unbuttoned his jeans, fueled by my desire to feel him—all of him. At the sound of his zipper releasing he paused what he was doing, and we locked eyes.
“Are you sure you’re okay with this? We can stop if you’re not,” he said. The look on his face made it clear he didn’t want to stop any more than I did, but that he would if I said I wanted to. He was a gentleman, and for whatever reason, this turned me on even more.
“I don’t want to stop. I’m good.” I reached into his pants and stroked him to further prove my point. Holt moaned, and then crushed his lips against mine in our most fiery kiss yet.
Holt
I was floating on cloud nine. So much so, that I couldn’t wipe the smile off my face no matter how hard I tried. Sex with Tori had been mind-blowing. Amazing. Fantastic. Perfect. It was everything I’d thought it would be and more. The best part was, she seemed to have enjoyed herself as much as I had. The smile that refused to leave my face was mirrored on hers, and I felt like a damn king because of it.
“Well, that was unexpected,” I said as I buttoned my jeans and then zipped my fly.
She narrowed her eyes, but her smile never fell away. “Was it? You can’t tell me you didn’t have intentions of getting me up here with you just so we could do that.”
“I didn’t,” I said. She arched a single brow. “Well, maybe a little. I mean, I hoped. A guy can hope, right?”
“Of course. And don’t worry, I’m only teasing you. Sex was on my mind when I came up here too,” she admitted.
While I couldn’t see if her cheeks had turned pink with embarrassment due to the green glow of my glow stick, I didn’t need to. I could sense it. I erased the minimal amount of distance between us and pulled her close, gripping her hips. When she refused to lock eyes with me, I hooked my finger beneath her chin and lifted her stare to mine.
“There’s nothing wrong with that,” I said before brushing my lips across hers. “In fact, I think it’s sexy when a woman knows what she wants.”
“You do?”
“Absolutely.”
“In that case, I want a repeat of that sometime soon.” A wicked smile that had me wanting to strip her naked and pleasure her all over again twisted her lips.
“That can be arranged.” I moved to kiss her again, but the sound of movement coming from the other side of the tower door caught my attention. “Shit. We must’ve been louder than I thought.”
The door swung open before I could think of what we should do, and Teddy, Bryant, Rich, and the TA, Fletcher, stepped into the room. I positioned myself in front of Tori, blocking her from everyone’s view even though she was already fully dressed. It was a protective gesture that came to me on instinct thanks to my wolf. He didn’t like the aggressive way these four had barged in.
Frankly, neither did I.
It was clear from the look on Fletcher’s face that they weren’t surprised to see us. This put my wolf on edge even more. He snapped and scratched at the surface of my mind, wanting to take over because he felt threatened by their presence.
“I think it’s time we talked,” Fletcher said. He clasped his hands behind his back and stepped farther into the room. I took a step back, forcing Tori backward with me. I didn’t know him well, and therefore that meant I didn’t know what he was capable of. “You seem to be incredibly curious. And you know what they say about curiosity.”
“What do you want with us?” I asked, not willing to play games.
“The same could be asked of you,” Fletcher insisted. Bryant closed the door behind them as they all stepped farther into the room, and my heart stalled inside my chest. Shit. This wasn’t good. “You seem to want something from us. Teddy specifically. Answers maybe?”
My gaze drifted to Teddy. Sympathy festered in his eyes. It was clear he wasn’t going to be any help to us with whatever was about to go down. I looked to Bryant next. During fight club, he seemed like a decent guy, but now I wasn’t so sure about his character. Maybe I wasn’t as good at reading people as I’d thought. Neither was my wolf. Both of us felt dumbfounded at his presence in this situation.
“Rich, do your thing,” Fletcher said without looking back at him.
Rich stood beside Teddy, his arms folded over his chest. Irritation was reflected in his eyes. I licked my lips, waiting for what would happen next.
Was he about to charge at me? Use magic against me?
When he lifted his hands in front of him, palms facing up, and the sharp scent of magic filtered to my nose, I reached for my wolf. If Rich was going to use magic against me, the only way I had a chance of going against him would be if I shifted. I hoped Tori took advantage of the distraction and got herself out of here.
“Run.” I tossed the word over my shoulder to her seconds before I morphed into my wolf.
She listened, but didn’t make it far. Bryant grabbed her, jolting her to a standstill. My wolf growled and snapped at him, letting him know that he needed to let her go.
He did, surprising me.
“Calm down.” Bryant grinned. “I’m not going to hurt her, but she needs to hear this, just like you.”
“You were right about him,” Fletcher said, nodding to me before shifting his attention to Bryant. “He is a time bomb. He thinks with his wolf and not his head.”
Rich muttered something and made a movement with his hands. Lights came on in the room, illuminating it in a soft glow.
“He’s hostile, yes,” Bryant said. “But, I think if he was filled in on things, that would dissipate enough for him to become an asset. He needs a purpose. A cause. Something to focus on besides how fucked up his life is now that he’s been bitten.”
My wolf cocked his head. If I’d been in human form still, I would have done the same. How did Bryant know my inner workings so well? Everything he’d said seemed to strike a chord in me.
“I don’t know. We’re not trying to start a war, and I think that’s exactly what he would provoke. He’s not what we’re looking for,” Fletcher said before he shifted his attention to Tori. “Her, on the other hand, how did she manage to slip through our fingers? You’re perfect for what we aim to achieve.” His eyes flashed as he stepped closer to her.
My wolf growled, and Fletcher paused.
“And, what is it exactly you’re trying to achieve?” Tori asked. Her voice was steady and clear when she spoke. Her stance was wide, and she was prepared to fight should the need arise.
She wouldn’t reach her wolf; I knew this after everything she admitted to me previously about being afraid, but I knew she wouldn’t go down without a fight either. Neither of us would. Come hell or high water, we were getting out of here.
Alive and together.
My gaze bounced between Bryant and Rich. I wasn’t sure who presented a bigger threat, but knew they were the two who needed to be taken out first if we were to survive this. Whatever this was.
“Where to start, where to start,” Fletcher said as he paced the length of the tower. My wolf focused on him. “Hidden among the students, faculty, and staff of this fine establishment are members of an ancient organization. We are called the Elite, and we are made up of individuals from the first of our kind all the way down to those of your generation. It’s quite impressive, actually.”
“What do you want?” Tori asked, surprising me. She clearly was on the same level as me and didn’t give a shit about a history lesson on ancient organizations.
“I think you already know what we want thanks to Rich.” Fletcher glanced over his shoulder at him. Rich gave a shrug.
“I let my anger get the best of me. It happens. Look at Holt.” He motioned to me.
My wolf growled at him. This wasn’t me letting my anger get the best of me, shifting happened to be the only way I felt I had a chance to protect Tori and myself from the four of them.
“To reveal yourselves? That’s what you want?” Tori insisted.
“Smart girl,” Fletcher said with a smug smirk.
Tori folded her arms over her chest and shifted on her feet. I remained at her side, watching each of them and looking for the right moment to attack. “Why do you think I would help you achieve this?”
“Because of your past, of course. Your upbringing,” Fletcher insisted. His eyes were intense as he stared at her. “You were raised by one from Bitten and one from Born. You chose this life; you chose to be bitten. You’re the perfect example of humans being accepting of our kind.”
While that might be true, I’d be damned if I let them force her to do something she didn’t want. My wolf tensed, ready to pounce should anyone try to touch her.
“Is that why you’re trying to come out? Why you’re revealing yourselves? You want the humans to accept us?” Tori asked. Her tone drew me to look at her. Her expression was soft and hope glimmered in her eyes. “Is there a chance they would? Humans typically fear what they don’t understand.”
“Typically.” Fletcher began pacing again. “However, you were accepting.”
Tori’s hands flew up. The movement startled my wolf. She glanced at me before shifting her attention back to Fletcher. “I was also a child. They were my parents. They adopted me. Children are often more accepting than adults.”
“This is true, but in today’s society, adults have opened their minds more so than they have in the past. They are accepting of a multitude of things, as they should be, and we believe they will be accepting of us. However, there is a group forming who doesn’t share our beliefs. Not entirely.”
“Should we be telling them so much?” Bryant asked.
Fletcher’s eyes shifted between Tori and me, lingering on her longer. “I’m confident these two will join our regime. As you said before, that one needs a cause, a purpose, something to strive for. Joining us would give him exactly that. He would be part of a new age. The dawn of a new era. And this one, she will be the glimmer of hope we need. She’s proof that what we’re striving for can be achieved,” he insisted. “Two nights from now, the Elite meet. I would like the two of you to attend that meeting. You will be introduced to our leader and some members of the group and can decide then whether you want to join us.”
“And, if we don’t?” Tori asked. It was exactly what I’d been thinking.
“No harm, no foul.” Fletcher waved his hand as a devious smirk twisted his lips.
I didn’t trust him, and I damn sure didn’t believe him.
Without another word, he turned and left the tower with the others following him. Tori and I were left alone with our thoughts, and the room was so quiet you could hear a pin drop.
Tori
The next two days passed slowly. I’d been on pins and needles, waiting for members from the Elite to abduct me for their meeting. It was possible I’d seen one too many thriller movies, and my overactive imagination had been running wild because of it.
Out of the two of us, I was the only one who seemed nervous about the situation. Holt seemed fine.
“You okay?” he asked. His thumb made lazy circles along the back of my hand. “You look like you drifted away for a minute on me.”
I gave his hand a gentle squeeze and flashed him a smile. I had drifted away. My mind hadn’t been my own the last two days. It tended to wander and daydream more frequently than ever before.
“I’m fine. Just trying to think of how tonight is going to go,” I insisted.
Holt leaned against the pillows on my bed. It was a little after eight, and we were sitting in my dorm, waiting for the sun to go down. Summer left us almost an hour ago, claiming we were making her feel like a third wheel even though we hadn’t been doing anything besides listening to music and talking. However, I was glad she’d left. It had been hard the last couple of days keeping this secret from her, and I was too nervous now that the time was approaching to keep up my act.
My walls were crumbling.
“Have you decided yet?” Holt asked. The song on the app we were streaming music from changed to something haunting, sending an ominous vibe through my room.
I tucked a few stray hairs behind my ear and met his stare. “Actually, I think I have.”
It had taken me both days, but last night I had a dream that pointed me in the right direction with my answer. It was the sign I’d been praying for. At least, that was what I was taking it as. I’d always believed dreams held deep meanings we should listen to.
In my dream, our kind stepped from the shadows and revealed ourselves in the most peaceful and calm way to the humans—to the world—and everything was beautiful. Everyone was accepting and loving, and it wasn’t long before the other breeds of the supernatural races decided to step forward from the shadows too. We were the first, but we weren’t the only ones, and there was beauty in that.
I took it as a sign that this was something I was supposed to be part of, something I was supposed to do. And while I still woke up with nervous butterflies fluttering through my stomach and anxiety stealing my breath at times, I felt fairly confident I was making the right decision for myself.
“I’m joining,” I said.
“You are?” There was no judgment in his eyes or hostility. His question came from a place of shock. Apparently, joining the Elite wasn’t something he thought I would do.
I licked my lips, my eyes never leaving his. “Yeah, I think it’s the right decision for me. I liked what Fletcher said about me being the perfect example of humans and wolves coexisting. I think it’s something everyone should experience the same as I think it’s something everyone should have the choice of. I know it wouldn’t stop others from being bitten in horrible ways, but I do think situations like those would dwindle if people were given the opportunity to become bitten on their own. I also think everyone would be happier if we came out. Life would be better. There wouldn’t be any hiding or fear of being found out. I feel good about this. And I have to just go with my gut on it.”
As I spoke, my anxiety and nervousness melted away. There was a strength inside me that pushed through that I hadn’t known was hiding. It came from believing what I was saying wholeheartedly. It also helped that the dream played through my mind while I spoke as well, reassuring me and bringing with it all the emotions I’d felt from it.
My cell alarm went off, ending our conversation as we both stared at my phone.
“I guess it’s time to go meet the members of the Elite and let them know we’re joining,” Holt said.
I tapped my phone, turning off the alarm I’d set so we wouldn’t be late. “Yeah, let’s go.” My voice was steady, and surprisingly my nerves didn’t come back like I’d thought they would.
Maybe it had something to do with the fact that Holt and I were on the same page. I could do anything with him at my side. He gave me strength. I liked to think that I did the same for him too.
“We’ve got this,” he said. “I think we’re making the right decision.”
I nodded and then stood. “I think so, too.”
Holt unplugged his phone from my charging station and disconnected it from my tiny speaker before stepping to the door. I jotted down a note for Summer, letting her know not to wait up for me, and placed it on her pillow.
“Ready?” Holt asked with excitement glimmering in his eyes.
“Ready as I’ll ever be,” I said.