by Cali Mann
Cali Mann
Destroy
First published by Thornfire Publishing Co. 2020
Copyright © 2020 by Cali Mann
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, scanning, or otherwise without written permission from the publisher. It is illegal to copy this book, post it to a website, or distribute it by any other means without permission.
This novel is entirely a work of fiction. The names, characters and incidents portrayed in it are the work of the author's imagination. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events or localities is entirely coincidental.
First edition
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Editing by SB Editing
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Contents
1. Sasha
2. Sasha
3. Sasha
4. Drew
5. Lucan
6. Sasha
7. Lucan
8. Sasha
9. Sasha
10. Sasha
11. Sasha
12. Sasha
13. Sasha
14. Lucan
15. Sasha
16. Lucan
17. Sasha
18. Sasha
19. Lucan
20. Sasha
21. Drew
22. Lucan
23. Sasha
24. Lucan
25. Sasha
26. Cal
27. Sasha
28. Lucan
29. Sasha
30. Sasha
31. Cal
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
ALSO BY CALI MANN
1
Sasha
I closed the door to my room and leaned against it. The princess bed was messed up but unslept in. Ever since my brother had gotten hurt, I spent every moment in the infirmary. But the nurses had begun to hint that a shower might be a good idea, and I couldn’t say I disagreed. I yanked off my clothes then grabbed a robe and my shower caddy. My fingers had just closed on the doorknob when my cell phone rang. The mechanical tones echoed in the silent suite. My roommates were all in their classes at this time of the afternoon.
I stared at where I’d tossed it on the bed. I hadn’t bothered to put the damn thing on silent because no one rang me. Molly and Drew were the only ones who even had that number, and both would text before they’d call. At least Molly would have if she wasn’t locked up and under guard. Shit. It was probably her. I dived toward the bed and grabbed it, clicking accept and holding it to my ear.
“Sasha,” growled a cruel masculine voice in my ear.
Not Molly. “Asshole,” I snapped. My whole body tensed, heat flushing through it. Chuck had hurt my brother. He needed to die. If he’d been in the room with me, I couldn’t have held myself back from attacking. Instead, the phone was a barrier and I was forced to listen to his words.
“Good, you remember me.”
His voice was oily and slick. It seeped into my ears, paralyzing me. Sweat broke out on my neck, anger and fear fighting inside me, like boxers in a ring. My whole life was based on my promise to keep Alex safe, and this guy had shattered it. But he’d done it in such a way that no one believed him to be the real culprit. I wanted to hurt him, break him the way he’d broken my brother, but I knew he could do worse. His cruelty was limitless.
Now he was calling. He wanted something more.
“Come to the window,” Chuck said.
My eyes darted to the window that looked out over the back lawn. The sun shone outside, bright and cheery. It couldn’t be that bad, could it? Bloody images of people I loved splayed across the grass ran through my mind. My breath hitched. Too many horror movies, Sasha. I’d left Alex safe and sound in the infirmary. Asshole was just checking in. I yanked my robe closer and dragged myself to the window.
I ran my gaze over the bright blue sky. No clouds marred its surface. In the distance, perfect V’s of birds flew to their summer homes. Beyond was the forest full of trees, mostly green pine and spruce, sprinkled with maples and oaks, the latter changing colors as autumn came to the mountain. The lush green grass stretched between the ancient stone buildings and the deep forest. A perfect day in which the storm of my emotions had no place.
Until I spotted him. A shadow near the tree line, tall and broad, head tilted toward my window. He mimicked his pose from the day I first saw him outside the apartment. He breathed threat. Even the trees seemed to recoil from the cold darkness that surrounded him. No birds lingered in those branches. The whole yard seemed quiet as if it held its breath.
A cold chill slid down my already sweaty back, and I squeezed the edge of my robe in my fingers. What else could he want? Would I be able to do it? Anything to keep Alex safe. Forcing the words past my dry throat, I asked, “What do you want?”
“You’ve not been following my instructions.”
“What fucking instructions?” I hissed, watching as he casually pulled a cigarette from his pocket. “You haven’t given me any.”
He flicked his hand and flame burst forth, lighting his cigarette. The glow illuminated his sharp features momentarily. “I’ve made myself perfectly clear,” he growled.
I snorted, pretending confidence. Squash your anger. Think rationally. Chuck could still kill Alex. He’d nearly done so in his last attack. I took a breath and forced my escalating heartbeat to slow. My brother was my lifeline; I couldn’t lose him.
“You think you can mate powerful shifters and save yourself, Sasha.” His voice twisted with hate when he said my name.
“No,” I said, shaking my head even though he couldn’t see me. “It just happened—”
“Nothing just happens, you little twit.”
My stomach dropped at the warped violence in his tone. I’d known mating would piss him off, but apparently not how much. It wasn’t fair to blame me. I hadn’t wanted to mate. It had just happened. Although now, I couldn’t imagine my life without Drew. I pressed my lips together. Adding to the people I cared about was only going to give Asshole more targets.
“I should kill your brother for that,” he snarled.
“No, please,” I said, wincing at the pleading note in my voice. Just like that, he turned me from cool and confident to a blubbering mess. But Alex had to live.
He growled in my ear, low and vicious, “I want Thornbriar Academy fucking destroyed.”
“You got Molly locked up. They’re all running scared from spirit shifters. What more do you want?” The rock sank a little further in my stomach. I hadn’t done any of that, but somehow, I felt guilty anyway. I’d brought the monster to campus.
“That’s not enough,” he snarled. “Ruin Thornbriar Academy.”
“How?” My voice came out as a croak. In a world that hated spirit shifters for past atrocities, Thornbriar—really the headmaster—was giving us all a chance. It might be the only one people like me would ever have. I swallowed, but my throat felt like sandpaper.
“That’s up to you, little spirit shifter.” His voice deepened, and I could almost feel his fire crawling over my skin. I shivered.
“But—”
“Don’t fuck up what I’ve already put in motion,” he said, flicking his fingers and igniting a flame. “You remember what it was like to be touched by my flame?”
My eyes were glued to the flame as he swirled it around. The feel of it lashing me and stealing my breath ran through my mind, and my breath hitched.
“Well, little spirit shifter, do you?”
“Yes,” I choked out.
I could hear the ugly smile in his voice as he continued, “Your brother will die in agony.
”
“No.” I trembled. Not Alex. “I’ll do anything.”
“Of course you will.” He snickered in my ear, then he turned toward the forest. Glancing back over his shoulder, he said, “Crush Thornbriar. Make the parents pull their kids out. Shred the headmaster’s reputation. Do whatever you have to do.”
I nodded, wordless.
“And spirit shifter, don’t go getting cozy with that bitch, Larkin. She isn’t on your side.”
My breath evaporated. Did he know that I’d already told her I was being blackmailed? That he’d come for my brother and blamed Molly?
“If you tell anyone about me,” he said, heading into the woods. “Then I’m coming for your brother.”
The call stopped.
I stood frozen, listening to nothing. Fuck. How was I supposed to destroy the school? Burn it down? I was already bound to two of the more high-powered shifter families—not that doing that had made Chuck happy at all. But what more trouble could I cause? An ache in my chest grew as I tried to think.
The phone fell from my hands, and I closed my eyes.
* * *
As the days passed, I tried to push Chuck’s threats out of my mind and focus on Alex getting better. He had been, slowly, and he was soon the last of the victims still in the infirmary. The large windows around his bed had been shaded to protect his vampire skin. I put his sketchpad and pencils on the bedside table, knowing he’d want them.
I didn’t know what else to do. I sat around feeling useless and watching him sleep. I’d downloaded a few novels on my tablet. I needed a distraction. So I pretended to read. Mostly. I glanced down at the tablet on my lap, reading the same sentence over and over again.
The real fight couldn’t be fought. I couldn’t kill Chuck or make him go away. I’d failed at my one job: keeping Alex safe. My eyes ran over his injuries. Bandages covered the ones I could see, but the doctor had said the worst was inside. His organs had been pummeled. I swallowed. The doctors had done everything they could, and I couldn’t make him better with the power of my mind. He needed to heal on his own. All I could do was wait.
But one day, Alex stirred. He moved his long legs, kicking at the base of the bed. The saline bag that fed into his arm jerked, the squeak echoing in the quiet room.
I set my tablet on the side table and reached for his hand. For two weeks he’d been silent and still. Was my brother finally waking up?
“Sasha?” he said, his eyelids flickering.
“I’m here,” I said, relief washing through me. I hadn’t realized how much I’d been holding my breath for the last two weeks. But seeing his blue eyes open at last, I exhaled.
“Where am I?” he asked, trying to turn his head. Bandages covered the large cut on his head and dipped down over his left eye.
“The infirmary.”
He lifted his hand, gazing at the tubes. “I was attacked.” He blinked. “We were attacked.”
“Yes,” I said.
“Molly,” he said, closing his eyes.
I sighed.
His eyes snapped open again; their blue depths were stormy. “You know Molly didn’t do it, don’t ya Sash?”
“I know that, but we can’t prove it.” My heart felt full, I was so grateful to see his blue eyes open and looking at me.
“I can,” he insisted, trying to sit up and falling back with a wince. “I saw our attacker.”
That’s my brother, stubborn as I was. He’d just woken up and he wanted to leap up to save his friend. But he couldn’t. I frowned. “Don’t try to do too much.”
His voice dropped lower. “It was Mom’s guy, the fire dude.”
Nearly biting my tongue, I squeezed Alex’s arm. Chuck’s words echoed in my mind: tell anyone about me and your brother dies. I didn’t want to lie to Alex, but it was the only way to keep him safe. This was my fight, not his. “You must be mistaken.”
“No!” He shook his head, then stopped to rub his temple. “I know what I saw.”
I leaned closer, meeting my brother’s baby blue eyes. “You don’t know who you saw. It wasn’t Molly, but you’ve never seen him before.”
His eyebrows drew together as he stared at me. “Why?”
“He will kill us,” I hissed. My stomach swirled. I hated this. But I didn’t have any choice.
Alex’s eyes widened. “But they’re going to throw Molly out . . . or worse.”
“I know.” I sighed, twisting my hands in my lap. “And we’ll do everything we can to help her. But we can’t give them . . . him.”
His shoulders slumped, but he understood. Even if he’d disagreed, he was still confined to bed and the infirmary so there wasn’t much he could do about it. I loved Molly too, but I loved my brother more. He’d always been the one light in my life.
I saw a shadow in the aisle and tensed, on edge. Drew stepped out, and I sighed. “Hey, sexy.”
Drew smiled back and my heart warmed. Okay, maybe, my heart had room for one more.
2
Sasha
My eyes traveled down the length of him. His clothes were basic—tee-shirt, jeans, and his leather jacket—but they fit him perfectly. I wanted to unwrap him and feast on him. His fresh air scent drifted over me, and I wrapped it around me, pushing away the bleach smell of the infirmary. My worry couldn’t melt away, but it lessened in Drew’s presence. I licked my lips.
He saw my look, and he flashed me a fang. His dark eyes promised we’d have fun later. “Hey,” Drew said, leaning down and kissing me.
I curled my fingers in his hair, pulling him closer. Our kiss deepened and warmth flooded me. I held him too tight, but I needed his skin against mine. These days, my fears tried to drag me away into the dark but Drew anchored me like the string on a kite. I just hoped that, when the storm came, he didn’t get hit by the lightning. I hated myself for binding him to me. I was only going to hurt him. But I hoped the fact we hadn’t been mated that long meant he’d be able to pick up the pieces and move on after I was gone.
“Get a room,” Alex muttered, turning his face away.
Squeezing my arm, Drew laughed and said, “Glad to see you awake, Alex.”
“How long was I out for?”
“Two weeks,” I said, feeling that time in every muscle. I was bound up in all the anxiety. Would my brother survive this time? What would Chuck do next? The conversation from this morning didn’t make it any better. The clouds gathered again, and I held on to Drew’s hand.
Drew turned my hand over, kissing the palm.
I shivered, my nerves sparking, and I wished we were alone.
Drew studied me as if he knew my thoughts and approved. Then he sighed. “The headmaster wants to see you, Sasha.”
“What for?” I didn’t want to leave Alex so soon, but he was awake and doing better. I could take a breath. I grimaced, trying to imprint that on my brain: Alex was awake. He’d be okay. I stood.
Drew shrugged. “You want me to stay with the kid?”
“I’m fine,” Alex muttered.
But Drew’s eyes remained on me. I appreciated that. He knew what was at stake here, but that Chuck wanted me to cause more trouble. He wouldn’t hit Alex again so soon. I smiled and asked, “Wanna walk with me?”
With a nod, Drew took my hand.
“I brought your sketchbook and pencils,” I said to Alex, pointing to the bedside table. “And my tablet’s there if you want to watch or read something.”
“Okay,” he said.
As Drew and I headed for the exit, my eyes trailed over the empty beds. Lucan’s packmates had all recovered and returned to their normal lives. It was clear that the attack had been focused on my brother. Yet the headmaster still had Molly locked up. Larkin should at least know that Molly would never hurt Alex. I pressed my lips together.
The halls were bustling as students changed classes, everyone talking and stomping around. It’d been so quiet in the infirmary, my head ached at this sudden racket. I felt heated like I’d bend standing over a hot stove. Wer
e my cheeks red? Drew wrapped his arm around me, and I leaned into his vampiric coolness. I frowned. I hadn’t felt hot in the infirmary, but I did now.
Once we climbed the stairs to the second level, the students dispersed. No one wanted to linger in the teachers’ hall. Outside the headmaster’s office was silent, and our footsteps echoed on the stones. When we got to the door, Drew stepped back and gestured for me to go ahead.
“Why are you so quiet?” I asked, studying his expression. We’d spent as much time together as we could with me being at Alex’s bedside most of the day and night. But Drew was always there for me.
He shrugged. “Figured you’d better save your breath for the headmaster. She’s pretty pissed.”
He was so thoughtful and considerate. I appreciated him more every day. Especially since Lucan had disappeared. Still mad about getting his pack hurt, I expected, but my brother was hurt too. I tilted my head. “Wait for me?”
Drew leaned forward then kissed my temple. “Always.”
After kissing him on the cheek, I knocked on the headmaster’s door.
* * *
An hour later, I leaned back against Larkin’s couch while she continued to interrogate me. My feet rested on her precious coffee table and my arms were crossed over my chest. I uncrossed an arm to fan my face. Was it hot in here, or was it just me?
“Who attacked the students?” the headmaster demanded, and I shrunk back.
“I can’t tell you,” I repeated. I was exhausted and hot. I’d been in the infirmary almost round the clock since Alex had been admitted. I’d thought I’d be grateful to leave the stark walls and the smell of bleach behind for this jaunt to the headmaster’s office, but I was starting to regret it.
“Molly stands accused,” Larkin said. “The Council wants to kick her out at least. Some even want to execute her.”
“I know.” I ran my teeth over my lip. My gut twisted and turned but I had no idea what to do. How could I help Molly if I couldn’t even help myself? Chuck had told me to leave his work alone and that meant Molly. I hated abandoning her to the Council and their anger, but I could only do so much.