A Demonic Year Two: A Reverse Harem Paranormal Bully Romance (Academy of the Devil Book 2)

by Eva Brandt

  Samuel wasted no time in pointing it out. “He’s trapped between forms,” I heard him say one day, when we were all leaving Demonology together. “I don’t know what’s dumber, his inability to shift or the fact that the school still allows him to stay here.”

  “Well, that whole business with familiars receiving such privileges was always very sketchy,” Gemma answered. “Maybe Professor Faust was right at the beginning of the year and we’re finally headed in the right direction.”

  Or maybe I was the one who’d put my fist through her stupid face, rip out her fangs and stab her in the heart with them. Yeah, that sounded like a great idea. If nothing else, it would exorcise some of the tension I felt because I hadn’t dared to visit my ex-lovers.

  I opened my mouth to give them a piece of my mind, but Gemma spoke first. “What do you think, Alyssa?” she asked. “Do we have a chance?”

  I shot her a look of disbelief. “Excuse me? What makes you think I want something like that?”

  “Well, you did break your familiar bond with Mikael Lost, right? Not that I blame you. I mean, after everything that happened, no one can expect you to stick around and make nice with the son of an archangel. I have to congratulate you for your decision.”

  “Did you plan it this way all along?” Samuel inquired. “It was a good strategy. Now that they’re out of your way, you can occupy your rightful position at the school.”

  Rightful position? What the fuck was he talking about? Since I’d arrived at the academy, I’d only felt right when I was spreading my legs for my lovers and inviting them to fuck me. Everything else had been so confusing and strange. But even assuming Samuel didn’t know that, he couldn’t have forgotten about my epilepsy. That alone made me unqualified to become Satan.

  “I didn’t plan anything,” I explained. “We just had a minor fight. It’s temporary.”

  Gemma snickered at me. “Really? I don’t think so. No one breaks a familiar bond because of temporary anger. What did they do to piss you off so badly?”

  She knew very well what they’d done because I’d stupidly told her. This was just her way to point out how idiotic I’d been. But I refused to let her get to me. “My reasons are my business. And a relationship between a human and a demon isn’t like one between two demons. We can always start over.”

  “I hate to tell you this, Alyssa, but that’ll be a little hard,” Samuel replied. “This isn’t a place meant for new beginnings. Second chances don’t exist at The Academy of the Devil.”

  “I guess we’ll just have to see about that.”

  I had Familiar Bonding next, so I skipped it and went back to the infirmary. My former lovers would be gone by now, but surely, I’d be able to find someone who could give me some information on their condition.

  Much to my surprise, when I arrived, I found Mikael there, still abed and more handsome than ever. He lay on the hospital cot, absently scribbling something in a notebook. He looked up upon sensing my gaze on him and his eyes widened. “Alyssa. What are you doing here?”

  “I came to ask about you, of course,” I replied, hesitantly lingering in the doorway. “Well, you and Stefan. How do you feel?”

  “Fine,” he offered, snapping the notebook shut. “I’ve been… adjusting. In the past, the wings were corporeal, but inside of me, so I feel a little strange now, but on the whole, it’s not so bad.”

  “Now, I know that’s not true,” I replied. “I really am sorry about this. If I’d known—”

  “Please don’t. That’s exactly why we didn’t tell you about the possibility.” The words came out snappish and rough, cutting off my protests and making my heart leap in my chest. Mikael immediately backtracked. “Sorry, that was a little harsh. Here’s the thing. When we spoke that time, after you woke up, it became obvious to us that our relationship wouldn’t go anywhere. And realistically, we couldn’t expect it to. The last thing we want is for you to stay with us out of pity, regret, or compassion. I know you have a good heart, but we can’t really… It’s just…”

  He seemed to be having trouble finishing the phrase, but in the end, he didn’t have to. Callum emerged from the bathroom and did it in his stead. “He means that for a little while, we had the real thing,” he said. “Maybe we lied and hurt you to accomplish that, but still, it felt real to us. If you were to pretend now, just because we’re in trouble, it would be meaningless and it would just hurt us more.”

  Oh, okay, that made sense. It was unreasonable to think that I could ‘throw them a bone’ and they’d accept the scraps of my lingering affection for them. But knowing that didn’t make it any easier to accept reality or my part of the responsibility.

  “Don’t feel guilty,” Mikael said, as if he could read my mind. “This isn’t your fault. We walked into this with our eyes wide open, I promise you. And if we’d prepared for it better, we might not have suffered so badly.

  “It’s too late now and I wish things had been different, but at the same time, I’m glad it happened. To tell you the truth, it sucked to hide that kind of thing from you and pretend everything was all right when it really wasn’t. It’s a bit of a relief to not have to do that again.”

  Was it? I wasn’t so sure. A part of me wanted to return to that pretense. As much as I valued my relationship with Mephistopheles, I still missed them and I hated what had happened because of my choices.

  I didn’t get the chance to dwell too much on my regrets. “Do you want to see Stefan?” Callum offered. “I think he’d like seeing you. He’s had a bad day today.”

  “Yes. I’d like that. If it’s safe, of course. ”

  I would’ve never come if I’d known they’d be here, since I didn’t want to endanger them. Apparently, I needn’t have worried. “The energy from the ritual has stabilized,” Callum explained. “It’s fine for you to approach.”

  Without touching me, he guided me toward a side room I’d never been in. Mikael followed us, and he must’ve been well enough to do so, since Callum didn’t chastise him for getting out of bed.

  Stefan wasn’t so lucky. When we found him, he was curled in the corner of the room, once again in his lupine form. “He’s not in any pain anymore, but there’s no way to undo the damage he did to himself,” Callum whispered.

  “What exactly happened?” I asked, shaken. “How is this possible?”

  Mikael sighed. “He… How should I put this? Intellectually, he knew breaking the familiar bond was the right thing to do. But his instincts were against it, so the magic rebelled and went awry. Basically, he didn’t go into it at peace with letting you go. It’s similar to what happened to me, only his condition is worse because we couldn’t amputate his wolf side.

  “As far as we can tell, he can still shift into his middle form, but he hasn’t done so in two days. He’s pretty angry with us and he hasn’t been eating. Maybe you can get through to him.”

  I nodded. It was the least I could do, and I certainly didn’t want Stefan to suffer more than he already had. I wasn’t one hundred percent sure there was no way to turn him back, but in the meantime, until I figured out an alternative, I couldn’t let him wither away out of self-loathing or fury.

  Decision made, I approached my hell hound lover and knelt next to him. “Hi, Stefan,” I greeted him softly, careful not to spook him. “How are you doing?”

  Stefan didn’t answer. He hadn’t missed my arrival—I could tell that much from the tension in his stance—but he wasn’t very willing to speak to me.

  “Callum and Stefan said you haven’t been eating,” I insisted. “That’s no good. You need to eat.”

  Still nothing.

  “Stefan, please.” My voice cracked as I spoke again. “You’re better than this. You’re a fighter. I know this is horrible, but you can’t give up.”

  That finally drew a reaction out of him. His body rippled and he shifted back into his in-between form, the same one I’d seen a few days back. “What’s the point?” he rumbled. “There’s nothing left for me.”r />
  I was gratified to see that he was no longer in any pain and the strange ripples of magic forcing him through shifts had disappeared. That made me even more determined to help him through this. “Of course there is. You’re a demon, Stefan. So you’ve sprouted fur and don’t look humanoid anymore. That’s not unusual here, is it?”

  “Yes, but I’m not a regular demon. I’m a hell hound. If I don’t have my body, I’ll just be an animal.”

  I couldn’t hope to understand what he truly felt and dismissing his concerns would be cruel and rude. But even so, I needed to make him see things from a different perspective. “There are other, more important things than physical looks. Holding onto your friendships, your connections to the people you care about. Kindness, warmth. Affection. In the end, who cares about the labels people place on you? What matters is for you to be happy with who you are, and I know you can do it.”

  I couldn’t help but feel a little like a fraud while saying this, because I wasn’t happy with who I was either. Maybe Stefan sensed that, because he didn’t look too convinced. “No, I can’t. My pack is falling apart without you. Another Alpha has stolen you. I’m a terrible mate. I can’t even challenge him for the right to court you, because I know he’s a better male than I am.”

  “We’re still here, Stefan,” Callum said, walking up to us. “You haven’t lost your pack.”

  “Maybe we’re not perfect, but we’re not going anywhere,” Mikael added.

  Their words seemed to touch Stefan on some level. I took advantage of the opportunity to try again as well. “Look, I won’t claim I’m over what happened, because I’m not sure I am, not completely. But maybe we can start over. No more lies. No more tricks. A second chance, for all of us.”

  “You’d do that, Lyssa?” Stefan gaped at me. “When I’m… like this?”

  “It doesn’t matter to me,” I replied. It was true. It didn’t. In fact, I found the look appealing, in a rugged, weird sort of way.

  I had my doubts, yes, but they had nothing to do with Stefan’s physique. If I pursued this, there was no way I could ever return home to my parents, like I’d planned. But maybe this was a sign.

  “Mephistopheles once told me something important. There’s nothing worse than having regrets. I believe that. And I find myself regretting what could’ve been.

  “Maybe it’s stupid, but I want to try again. So…” I extended my hand toward him and smiled. “I’m Alyssa Michaelis and I’m a new student at this school. I’m the proud owner of a familiar named Shiro, who I’ve recently learned is a hell hound. And I want to get to know you better.”

  Stefan cautiously reached back and squeezed my small palm with his own massive one. “I’d like that too. I’m Stefan Schwarz and these are my friends and pack mates, Mikael Lost and Callum Adamson.”

  I exchanged greetings with them as well, feeling buoyant as I touched them again, after what seemed like forever.

  We ended up sitting on the floor together, strangely comfortable, and chatting about nonsense. It was only ten minutes later that Mikael dared to address the gigantic white-furred elephant in the room. “So your Shiro is a hell hound? How did that happen?”

  “It’s a long story,” I replied. After a few moments of contemplation, I decided to throw all caution to the wind. Since I’d asked for honesty, I’d be honest with them too. “You see, it all started in an alley way, when I was in high school…”

  * * *

  My ex-lovers, now tentative acquaintances, didn’t take the news of my contract with Lucifer well. All of a sudden, Stefan’s apprehension over his new form vanished. Mikael packed what few belongings he’d brought with him. Callum let his magic flow over me, a little more hesitant than before, but still clearly worried that Lucifer had done something to me.

  “You need someone to watch your back,” he said, later that day, as we returned to The House of Envy dorms. “We can take turns.”

  “I’m not comfortable with the idea of him showing so much interest in you,” Stefan added, his eyes flashing dangerously.

  “Mephistopheles has already said he’s keeping an eye out,” I tried to reassure them. “Nothing is going to happen to me.”

  “The dean is well-intentioned, but his power is limited when compared to Lucifer’s,” Mikael answered, shaking his head. “He’s also a High Lord of Hell, and because of that, he’s in a very awkward position. I realize you have no reason to trust us on this, but let us at least keep an eye on you from time to time.”

  Shiro snorted, sounding disgruntled, but reluctantly approving. “The stupid males are right, Lyssa. It might be safer if you have someone by your side.”

  TB emerged from Mikael’s jacket and hissed something. Shiro rumbled a reply, and that, I understood. “Yes, I agree. But let it be known that if they try something, I will bite them.”

  “Please don’t bite anyone, Shiro,” I told him with an affectionate smile. “We’ve just reached an agreement here.”

  Shiro just wagged his tail and looked angelic. I didn’t believe his innocent look for a moment.

  I wasn’t too worried, though. I really did want to give this my best shot. Maybe it was doomed to fail, but I knew myself very well. If I didn’t at least try, I would never stop thinking about it.

  Weirdly, after we made that decision, it was very simple for us to fall back into a pattern similar to the one we’d had before. Mikael joined me for my classes once again, but this time, he rotated with Callum and Stefan. People stared at us, especially when Stefan was the one there, still in his middle, werewolf-like form. But no one had the courage to say anything.

  Mephistopheles’s support proved invaluable in this. I’d expected him to be angry with me for making this decision, but he wasn’t.

  I didn’t see him until three days after the episode in the infirmary, when I had another private lesson with him. Mikael, Stefan, and Callum all wanted to come with me, and I couldn’t deny them, even if a part of me felt I needed to handle this alone.

  This confrontation needed to happen. I’d been the one to create the situation, even if unwillingly and through circumstances beyond my control. I didn’t know where we were headed, but I had no choice but to make the best of it.

  When we entered the classroom, Mephistopheles didn’t bother pretending this meeting was about a lesson. “So you really have made up then?” he asked.

  “Sort of? We’ve decided to start over. But that doesn’t change anything between you and me, Sir.” I shot a look through the corner of my eye at the tense trio. “I mean, I appreciate what we have.”

  Mephistopheles arched a disbelieving brow at me. “That might be the case, but you hardly need me if you’ve returned by their side.”

  It was true that I’d largely gone to him because I’d been broken-hearted over losing my former lovers. But I’d wanted him even before we’d had sex in his office, as that embarrassing detention had proven. “I don’t really know what I need anymore, Sir,” I admitted. “I’m just trying to make the best of this crazy situation, to fix things.”

  Mephistopheles hummed thoughtfully. “In the human world, they say there’s no way to mend an abusive relationship. Trying again will just set you up for further heartache and pain. Are you sure you’re ready for that? Are you ready to be betrayed for a second time?”

  “We’d never hurt her again, and you know that, Sir,” Mikael snapped. “This game you’re playing doesn’t suit you.”

  “Oh, I disagree. It suits me, because I say so. And I made Alyssa a promise to protect her. I will do that, even if Lucifer isn’t the one I have to face.”

  This conversation was heading in an unfortunate direction, so I hastily intervened. “Sir, please, don’t fight. You’re not wrong in saying this might not be very healthy. And if this were the human world, I might not be doing it at all. But I’m trying to understand. I’m trying to see if… If I can love like a demon.”

  Callum gaped at me. “You do realize loving like a demon isn’t a good thing, rig
ht?”

  “Good and bad are just labels.” I clenched my jaw stubbornly. “There’s no way to know for sure, until I make an attempt. That’s why we agreed to do this, remember?”

  “You’re too kind for your own good, Lyssa,” Stefan answered, shaking his head.

  That was what they kept telling me, but I didn’t believe it. I was just a person, with good things and bad things. My generosity had its limits and if anyone else had done what they had, I’d have never forgiven them. But I was also very biased and I hadn’t forgotten their sacrifice, the fact that they’d saved Shiro. My heart told me we could build something real if we tried.

  “Well, for what it’s worth, I support your little project,” Mephistopheles piped up. “But that doesn’t mean I’m willing to give up on you. I’m not that selfless. I’ll share you, but I won’t hand you over.”

  I felt my face heat at the way they were all looking at me. They wanted me just as much as I wanted them, if not more. But I didn’t think it was a good idea to jump into sex now, when we were trying to find a new, healthier, more honest dynamic.

  “I’m not… I don’t think I’m ready for that yet. I mean, it’s not that I’m not open to it. I still need some time to process, to put my thoughts in order.”

  “That’s fair enough. I think we’ve allowed our private affairs to intervene in your schooling too much already. Exams are just around the corner and you need to start your revisions.”

  I flinched at the reminder. I’d sort of stopped thinking about that little tidbit because focusing on fixing my romantic blunders had seemed more important. It was hard to direct my attention to schoolwork after finding out life-changing things about your lovers and while trying to make important decisions about your future.

  “I’m sure she’ll do fine,” Mikael said. “She’s very clever, and we did promise to help.”

  “Last winter, the exams didn’t go so well,” I mumbled. That was the understatement of the freaking century right there.

  “Last winter, we were still being dicks to you,” Callum pointed out. “Don’t worry about it, princess. You’re not alone. We’ve got this in the bag.”