But Frazer and Reed? They’d been some of the few people here to speak with me. That they’d tried at all made me want to go easier on them.
Pathetic, perhaps, but friends weren’t easy to come by here. As yesterday had proven with that boy from the common room and the way everyone in there had tittered and laughed their heads off as I planted facefirst in the ground.
Still, Dre appeared to be watching out for me. The reason why had yet to be determined, so I worked my hand loose of Frazer’s grip. “Whatever you need to tell me, Frazer, you can say in front of Dre. He may act like a jerk but…”
But what?
When Dre glowered at me, I just shrugged. “You’ve yet to show me a kinder side, but I know the others trust you.”
Frazer snorted, and my words seemed to have calmed his temper some. He cut us both a look, then said softly, “This has to be private.”
I could tell Dre was surprised, but he shrugged, his eyes narrowing on Frazer’s hand, which had clasped mine again, as he tugged me down the corridor.
“There’s a bathroom at the end of the hall,” he stated quietly, and though I shot Dre a look, he returned it with a grunt.
Irritated, I untangled my hand from Frazer’s and folded my arms across my chest the second the three of us were tucked into the small bathroom.
When Frazer locked the door, Dre cocked a brow and demanded, “This had better be good.”
Frazer ignored him. “The rest of the Academy can’t know about this, Eve. Do you understand me?”
“Know about what?”
“What I’m about to show you. It’s best that they think we hate each other. That’s why I blanked you last night.”
I scowled, and my hands fluttered down so I could stack them on my hips. “What on earth are you talking about?”
Freezing when he reached behind him and grabbed the back of his neckline, I watched as he tugged his shirt over his head.
I’d never seen a chest like it. I mean, I had, but Frazer was huge. I’d seen Stefan’s that first day but hadn’t since, and though Eren and Nestor were just as muscled, just as beautiful if I were being honest, it was in a different way than Frazer. Frazer was just huge. He was thick with muscle. Heavy with it.
For a second, I just gaped at him, then when he began to turn, I saw the scrawl on his back.
“You have a tattoo?” I asked in surprise. Damon had a lot of tattoos as well, and when he was teaching me, I often found myself studying them, wondering what they represented and what they meant to him.
Dre hissed out a breath. “Fuck. Is that a mating mark?”
I shot him a look. “What is it?”
His nostrils flared as he glared at me, then, he whistled under his breath. “Houston, we have a problem.”
TO BE CONTINUED IN EIGHT SOULS
NOW AVAILABLE ON AMAZON!
Afterword
These past few weeks have been a whirlwind. This story came to me in a blast of inspiration, and while there are those of you who may be wondering why I’ve written it as a trilogy and not a super long standalone, the answer is…
Time.
Oh, and organization.
Those who’ve joined me in my Diva reader group will know that I’m not the most organized of people, and with this trilogy? I’ve had to be. Book one has been with the editor while book two was being written, and while book three was being written? Book one was with the proofreader and book two with the editor. LOL.
It’s been manic.
Even as I upload book one (sneakily,) book three is still being proofread.
So, why didn’t I do it as one standalone?
Because to undertaken this mammoth mission of having all books in the trilogy out, all 260,000 words of it, ready to release all three links to the public on the same day, I needed time, and doing it this way enabled me to do that.
Yes, it’s been stressful, but do you know what? It’s been worth it. This story is so kickass, and Eve was just demanding for her tale to be told, so who was I to get in the way of that? :D
And though this is what dedications are usually for, I wanted this one to be for my dad. :) Still, I have to thank Jessica Rousseau and Bri Bressman from Elemental Editing and Proofreading for their patience, dedication, and hard work. I know I’ve been a nightmare. LOL. And I apologize profusely, and thank you for being my sisters from other misters, accepting I’m crazy, and loving my work as much as you do.
I can’t forget Adina, either. The Write Wrapping is my go to cover design company, and these covers are just banging!! She’s made the ‘write wrapping’ for these badass books, and I’m grateful because, as with Jess and Bri, she was working to an immense deadline.
To Julia for the endless support, D for putting up with my mood swings, and, as always, to my mum and Trev.
Where would I be without any of you?
Serena
<3
Also by Serena Akeroyd
I’d love to see you in my Diva reader’s group where you can find out all the gossip on new releases as and when they happen. You can join here: www.facebook.com/groups/SerenaAkeroydsDivas. Or, you can always PM or email me. I love to hear from you guys: [email protected].
Until I see you there or you write me an email or PM, here are more of my books for you to read…
Naughty Nookie
Sinfully Theirs
Sinfully Mastered
The Gods Are Back In Town
Hotter than Hades
The Sun Revolves Around Apollo
Five Points, Hell’s Kitchen
A Screwed Duet
Screw You
Screw Me
Filthy Feckers
Filthy Hot (COMING SOON)
FourWinds
Queen of the Vamps
Kingdom of Veronia
Perry & Her Princes
Her Highness, Princess Perry
Long Live Queen Perry
QUINTESSENCE
Charmed by Them
Healed by Them
Worshipped by Them
Protected by Them
Loved by Them
QUINTESSENCE: The Sequels
Sawyer
Andrei
Kurt
Sean
Anchor Pride Series
Claimed by Caden
McKinnon’s Mate
The Corsakis
Three’s Never A Crowd
Old Enough to Know Better
The Federation
A Menage Made on Madison
La Belle sans La Bete Series
Menage Material
A Thoroughly Modern Menage
Forever Theirs
Secrets & Lies
The TriAlpha Chronicles
Origin
Trinity
Triskele
Triad
Triumph
Trierna
TriAlpha
Los Lobos
The Raw Touch
The Salsang Chronicles (written with Helen Scott)
Stained Egos
Stained Hearts
Stained Minds
Stained Bonds
Seven Wishes: The Caelum Academy Trilogy: Part ONE Page 26