Dark Fae (Ruthless Boys of the Zodiac Book 1)

by Caroline Peckham

  Dante frowned at me in surprise and I rolled my eyes at him, unable to believe he really fell for that sweet-as-pie act she was trying to pull off.

  I shot away from them with my Vampire speed to the front of the room, hoping Cindy Lou would get the hint that I wasn’t to be messed with.

  Professor Titan assessed me for a moment as I stood before him and I fiddled with the collar of my shirt beneath his scrutiny.

  “You haven't aligned yourself with the Oscuras already, have you?” he asked mildly, like we were discussing the weather rather than the kind of decision which would brand me for life as a gang member.

  “No, sir,” I replied. “I’m just trying to get to know everyone.”

  I tried to get a read on him, but the pace of his heart gave away nothing. His eyes were like two blue pools which echoed on endlessly and I couldn’t see any reason to trust or mistrust him.

  “Principal Greyshine sends his apologies for not finding the time to welcome you to the school personally yet, but he asked me to tell you that I’ve been assigned as your Liaison. That means we will be having weekly sessions to check on your progress and make sure you’re fitting in okay. Once you’ve had a few weeks to adjust, I’ll assign you a leaderboard ranking based on where I think you fit within the class.”

  “Okay, thanks,” I said, not really having anything to add.

  “Try not to worry about the other students ribbing on you. Just prove to them that you deserve your place here and they’ll back off. You’ve also been assigned sessions with the school guidance counsellor, Miss Nightshade. She’ll see you every other week to make sure you’re coping well. The mental health of our students is paramount here at Aurora Academy.”

  “Great,” I said though my gut plummeted. I didn't want to see a counsellor and have them try to pick me apart. The less attention that was paid to my mental health the better. I was grieving, raging, mentally unhinged, prone to violent outbursts... None of which screamed well adjusted to me. But I’d just have to hope that I could fool Miss Nightshade like I was planning on fooling everyone else.

  “Do you have any other questions for me?” Professor Titan asked. “Have you settled into your dorm?”

  “I’m doing fine, thanks,” I said quickly. “Everyone seems really...welcoming...so…”

  Titan smiled knowingly and I shrugged. Okay so maybe the welcoming part had been a bit of an exaggeration, but no one had been outright violent yet so I was taking that as a win.

  “I want to give you the best chance to catch up, so I’ve decided to partner you with the best performing student in the class. I’m aware that Redford High wouldn’t have had such a thorough syllabus and I want you to have every opportunity for greatness here.”

  “Oh,” I said, surprised by the gesture. “That’s...I mean you didn’t have to but...thank you, sir.”

  “No problem at all. And don’t hesitate to come to me if you need any further assistance. I’ll assess you in class over the next few weeks and if I feel you need it, I’ll offer private sessions to help you catch up too.” He smiled and I couldn’t help but return it. Not many people in my life had gone out on a limb for me, let alone offered me additional help. “Please take your seat beside Mr Draconis then.”

  And just like that my stomach plummeted. My lips parted and I turned to look toward the empty seat Professor Titan was pointing out.

  Ryder was eyeing me across the room as if he'd heard the whole exchange and a lump formed in my throat.

  Shit on a snowflake.

  I tipped my chin high, pushing aside my concerns as I began to cut a path towards him. My heart was pounding with fear and trepidation, but I couldn’t let it show. This was what I’d wanted anyway. A chance to get close to all the Kings. I needed to figure out which of them had been responsible for my brother’s death. And I’d just been gifted the opportunity to spend time in Ryder’s company several times a week. It shouldn’t have terrified me, it should have pleased me.

  Just keep telling yourself that and you may manage not to piss yourself.

  No promises though.

  New girl strode toward me, her eyes on the chair my arm was currently slung over. But if Titan thought I was gonna let her sit there, he was fucking deluded.

  She slowed to a halt and my upper lip curled back. The viper in me was poised, ready to inject venom.

  “Speak,” I commanded and her brows jumped up toward her sugary lilac hairline. Hair like that would look good wrapped around my fist and pulled until she screamed.

  “I’m paired with you so…could you remove the meatloaf resting on the back of my chair?” she asked, her voice honeyed and smooth. I wondered how husky I could make it after a night with my hand locked around her slender throat. But I wasn’t willing to get Oscura STIs off this bitch.

  “I don’t pair with Oscura filth,” I growled.

  “I’m not in their gang,” she said earnestly.

  I shrugged one shoulder. “You reek of Oscura blood. I smell it on your breath and it’s worse than shit.” I inhaled deeply, setting off the deep rattle in my chest as the serpent part of me took over. That noise was a warning and no fucker in their right mind ignored it.

  New girl frowned like she’d never heard a snake rattle before. Guess that made sense. My Order was rare as hell.

  She glanced over at Dante then back to me. “I’m a Vampire, what do you expect? I’ll drink from any powerful shitbag. You included.”

  My brows lowered and she didn’t recoil from the dark glare I was giving her. I hated to admit it, but she had just made a decent point. And if new girl was power hungry, I had a lot of power between my legs she could take the benefit of.

  I scrutinised her from head to toe, deciding if she made the cut. Though one look at her when she’d walked into the classroom was all I’d really needed. That was why I’d sent her the vision. She looked fragile, but her eyes said warrior. And that was my kind of female.

  I gestured for her to sit, not removing my arm and she pursed her lips before dropping into the seat, falling right into the cage my body made. I leaned in closer and she didn’t squirm, flinch or wince. Which was a fucking miracle when it came to me. “If you make an alliance with the Oscuras, I’ll break your pretty legs and wear you around my neck for a week.”

  She gave me a sideways glance which told me she was one percent unsettled by that comment. But then her eyes roamed up my body, taking in the nearly two hundred pounds of muscle that was me and a smile quirked her mouth up at the corner. “I don’t make alliances. But I am on the lookout for a permanent blood Source, so I’ll be sampling the menu around school until I figure out who suits me best.”

  I licked my lips seductively, trying to catch her in my gaze again. She was making an effort to avoid my eyes since I’d hypnotised her into a literal mindfuck. I finally snagged her gaze, pushing my power over her and her lips parted into a perfect O.

  I sent her a vision of me fucking the life out of her, sprawled across this very desk while she drank deeply from my neck. Maybe a Vampire was just what I needed right now. Biting was one of my favourite forms of pain after all.

  I released her from the vision and she pressed her thighs together, heat emanating from her like a furnace.

  “Stop fucking doing that,” she hissed, turning away sharply as Titan started passing out ingredients to everyone around the room.

  “Why? Because you have an audience or because you want the real deal?” I smirked and she shot me a glare which made my dick twitch. The angrier the better, baby.

  “Those are my only two options?” she snorted and it disarmed me for a second, drawing one rumbling note of laughter from my lips. The students in front of us turned around, completely surprised that that noise had come from me. I was fucking astonished myself.

  I leaned in close to her ear, rolling the ball of my tongue piercing between my teeth. “I don’t believe you didn’t enjoy it. You’re quivering, new girl.” She tilted her head away but didn’t altogether
move and the action gave me a view of the goosebumps peppering her flesh.

  “My name is Elise. Not new girl. If you insist on calling me that, I’ll call you snake boy.”

  “Nothing about me is a boy.”

  “Snake man then. But that sounds like a pretty shit superhero name so it’s up to you.”

  “You’re witty. I like that. Have you ever been hate-fucked against a tree?”

  “What?” she gasped and I grinned as I finally shook the foundations of that cocky façade.

  “I’m asking for a friend. He’s a tall guy, gets even taller when he’s happy and he has a piercing you can’t miss.”

  “Please tell me you’re not describing your dick right now.” She started laying out the ingredients before her, tugging the ceramic bowl closer to make the potion as she read the instructions on her Atlas.

  “Bing bong!” the cheery voice of Principle Greyshine sounded over the tannoy and it set my rattle off in irritation. Titan looked exhausted already. “Ahoy team, I hope you’re having a dope morning. I’m just swinging by with a few morning announcements...firstly, I’d like you all to be real welcoming to our new homegirl, Elise Callisto, who started at Aurora just yesterday. Make sure to show her how totally fresh our school is.”

  Everyone in class looked to Elise and she dipped her head so her hair curtained her view of them. I smirked, mildly interested about what she thought of Greyshine’s way of talking. The guy was like a fucking throw-back to the 90s.

  He went on, “The cafaeteria will now be hosting the Faetography Club after an incident near the Lunar Pit in The Iron Wood resulted in a camera being forcefully inserted into Eugene Dipper’s nether regions. FYI, the camera was removed and is still in working order if you would like to come forward and claim it, Mr Dipper.”

  Eugene shrank into his seat at the front of the class, his neck turning almost as pale as his white hair. You shouldn’t have wandered onto our turf uninvited then, should you, you little asshole?

  I glanced across the room at my gang brother and second in command, Bryce Corvus, who’d done the deed and he grinned at me. He was the image of his prison-bound father with his choppy black hair, almond eyes and skinny frame. He always had a cigarette tucked behind his ear and was known to light up around weaker professors. Titan played nice with his students, but he’d enforce detention on us too, so it wasn’t worth his time.

  Principle Greyshine’s announcement finally ended, “That’s all for now. Have a banging day. Catch you on the flip!”

  Titan sighed heavily then motioned the class back into action. “Continue.”

  Elise started reading through the instructions again and I caught that Dragon asshole glaring over at us.

  “Have you fucked Inferno yet?” I jerked my chin at Dante. We called him Inferno amongst the Brotherhood, mostly because he hated it. He was a Storm Dragon, not fire. That was something he was proud of apparently. Fuck knew why.

  She followed my gaze to Dante then rolled her eyes at me like that question was outrageous. Good to know.

  I snatched a jar of lavender from her hand, stopping her from ruining the potion before she even started. “Crush the lavender first, don’t just pour in full sprigs or you’ll fuck it up.” I took one out of the jar, clasping it between my finger and thumb and crushing it to dust, sprinkling it into the bowl.

  She watched attentively then repeated the process to meet the required amount. I pocketed what we didn’t use for my own use, not caring if Titan saw me or not. He wouldn’t dare call me out on it. Elise turned to me when she’d finished stirring in four drops of Faefly elixir.

  “You don’t exactly strike me as a master of potions,” she commented, arching a brow.

  “I have plenty of need for potions,” I said darkly. Mostly poisons. A little Basilisk venom mixed with nightshade left in the light of the moon was so deadly, you only had to inhale the fumes to bust a lung. Probably best to distract from that particular hobby though. “I know a great one for lube, wanna try it out sometime?”

  “That’s gonna be a hard no.”

  “I’ll let you suck on my power,” I offered with a smirk.

  “I’m guessing that’s what you call your dick, so no thanks.” Her flushed cheeks told me otherwise. Every girl I’d met was curious about what a night with me was like. The danger drew them in. But the fantasy wasn’t like the reality. It took a special kind of girl to enjoy what I enjoyed. So I always sent them a few visions first to ensure they really knew what they were getting into. Elise would be no different.

  I’d catch her unawares the next time I hypnotised her with one of those visions. She’d need her heart restarted after she experienced that.

  ***

  I loved the sound of breaking bones. I adored the snap, snap, snap with every kick or punch or bite. Pain was everything. Their pain, my pain. At some point it melded in the middle until it was one and the same. I dished the blows so hard I received them too. My magic reserves swelled; inflicting pain on this rat restored them, making me feel invincible.

  “Oscura scum,” I spat on the bloodied Fae at my feet, stepping over him and cracking my neck. Pop. Not pain, but something.

  Every Oscura I made bleed was a victory for the Lunar Brotherhood. Another inch of turf claimed. Another enemy crushed. I circled my prey, flexing my arms, making a show for my brothers up on the bleachers.

  “This little Oscum trailed into our camp, brothers!” I thumped my fist against my sternum and blood sprayed from my knuckles, flecking my skin, coating me in my victory. A roar of fury went up from my gang, and the hollow thump of fists hitting chests resounded in my ears. “Do we let him live?”

  A chorus of no! no! no! rang out like a death march. I continued circling my victim as he curled in on himself, protecting his head. They always did that. When I was down on my knees, I never cowered. Fear didn’t exist in me. I lived between two emotions. Pain and lust. Those two feelings were all I needed and both were printed across my knuckles to remind everyone else in the world of that.

  Pain across my right because it was the hand which did the most damage to my enemies. I didn’t have mercy on them. In fact, I couldn’t recall ever having mercy on anyone. If a doctor cut me open they’d find a knife in place of my heart, stashed there as a last resort.

  I wouldn’t actually kill the Oscura kid. There were some lines drawn at this school, though the teachers tended to stay out of the way of what went on between the gangs. That was our business and anyone messing with us messed with our families outside of this place who weren’t a slave to any rules. No, we were done here. My magic reserves were full and energy settled in my veins like rain.

  As a Basilisk, I was a rare Order form and hell if it gave people the shits around here. Since my Order had emerged, I’d been bound by the needs of my kind. Pain was no longer something to be avoided, it was as essential as breathing. I’d been dealt enough of it in my life to know what it was like to be the one cowering. Now I made the rules. And my Order ensured I’d become a master of pain. A fucking god. And what most people were too afraid to learn, was that pain often rode the boundary of pleasure. You only had to push hard enough to get there, expand your mind, overcome your instincts.

  As the adrenaline wore off from the high I’d ridden during the fight, my needs flipped like a switch. Pain gave way to lust. But fulfilling my sexual needs was a challenge in itself. I had to compromise. Hard. Half the girls in school were terrified of me, and the other half would fuck me any which way till Sunday. Except the way I needed. And the only way I craved.

  I dragged the kid up by the scruff of his neck, angling him to face the rest of the Brotherhood. “You won’t come back here.”

  He nodded frantically, dribbling blood.

  “You won’t run to Inferno either. He’s not gonna fight your battles. You want revenge? You come back when you’re strong enough to face me yourself.” I shoved him away and he stumbled off in the direction of his Clan as fast as he could manage with a broke
n ankle.

  I spat a wad of blood on the ground. He’d gotten a few good punches in at the start. Part of me had let him land the blows. It riled me up, got my blood pounding. I pressed my tongue against a loose tooth at the back of my mouth, the pain the sort of deep heat I liked.

  Some called me a masochist. Others a sadist. Frankly, I didn’t give two flying fucks what I was so long as I was me. Ryder Draconis. King of this academy.

  Despite the name of my gang, there were in fact girls in the Brotherhood. We didn’t discriminate for shit. There were only two requirements for joining. One: you were strong. Strong physically, strong of heart, strong of mind. Whatever it was, I didn’t care so long as you added some kind of strength to our ranks. Two: you had never been in Oscura Clan, never fucked anyone from Oscura Clan, never had so much as a fucking kind thought in the direction of Oscura Clan. When you entered the Lunar Brotherhood, they were your mortal enemies. Pure and simple.

  My gaze raked across the girls on the bleachers as they pushed up their tits or threw seductive looks my way, knowing what I wanted. I’d had my fair share of them already; some came closer to fulfilling my needs than others. But as I looked across them, searching, hunting, I realised who I was really looking for. New girl.

  It was lunchtime and I hadn't seen much of her since Potions Class. She wasn’t gonna be found here amongst my people, so where? My teeth stamped tightly together as I turned my full attention to the hunt.

  If she’s with Inferno I’ll destroy her.

  Why this particular girl worked me up was a mystery, but maybe it was the thought of Dante claiming her first. That conniving piece of shit already had an advantage by sharing a room with her. She didn’t seem like an easy nut to crack, but I knew Dante would be readying his nutcracker. So I had to piss on my territory fast if I was going to win her.

  “Good fight.” Bryce appeared at my side, his eyes following the kid as he limped back into Oscura Clan on the opposite side of no man’s land. They banded around him, the wolves drawing him in to heal his injuries. “Orders?”