by S. L. Morgan
“It’s Dom,” I whispered to her.
She nodded. “Good God. I’m on edge about everything now, and I don’t know why.”
I stood up, nodding in understanding. “We all are.”
Poor thing had her memories about our lives at Dark Water Academy wiped from her mind too. Apparently, she was my bestie there, not Vannah. Dom shocked me when he hit me with that info dump. I was still trying to process being best friends with a vamp, but we had been, and I looked forward to one day having the friendship that was wiped from my memories come back to me.
Memory loss or not, Lusa’s vamp instincts had to be picking up on something that happened with mine and Dom’s instant love connection, especially with his memories resurfacing from out of nowhere and remembering our history at Dark Water.
Dom and I hadn’t told Lusa what had gone down after everything had reset at IA. We needed it quiet until we graduated and safely got out of here. I felt terrible for not filling her in, but Dom knew she wasn’t ready for it all, and it was safer for his sister to go along with things as they unfolded for now.
Currently, all Lusa knew was that Dom and I had been an item since the night of the Ageless Ball. Our story was that Dom and I were together alone when something in us connected, we kissed, and that’s the story we stuck to when the entire school picked up on our relationship. Crazily enough, everyone was going with it, and the dean was ecstatic about it. Anything to fuel that creep’s ego and keep him from snooping around too much.
“Jen,” Dom whispered, stepping into our room after I opened the door for him. He looked at his sister and smirked. “Calm down, Lus. It’s all good.”
“You’re going to get your butt thrown in the dungeons if you keep showing up at Jenna’s dorm room like this,” she warned.
“Last I checked, it’s my sister’s dorm room too,” he shrugged. “Like I said, it’s all good.”
Dom turned to me, took my cheeks in his two strong hands, and then his lips were on mine. I wanted to open my wolf up to him and absorb his intense energy, but that was off the table in our relationship. Man, this sucked. All I felt was a yearning to claim him as my mate every time we were close like this.
“I feel the same, and trust me when I say that I want it more,” Dom said after pulling his lips from mine and resting his chin on top of my head. “I can still hear your—”
“Heartbeat?” I said, looking up into his stunning brown irises. Lusa didn’t know Dom could read my thoughts in circumstances where I was either wanting something or uncertain about things. It was all part of the stronger than normal bond we were keeping hidden from everyone and especially this school.
“Yes,” he kissed my forehead. “It’s nice to know my presence still makes it beat as fast as a hummingbird’s.”
“Really?” Lusa’s voice was harsh in her whisper. “Dominic Rossi,” she stood, “I’m right here, I am your sister, and you know the rules. What the heck? You’re here at two in the morning, and now you’re obviously having thoughts about your girlfriend, which,” she glared at her brother’s smile, “if you plan to act on them, this school will punish you harshly. Grow up.”
I smiled at Lusa. “He’s not the only one having thoughts,” I teased, trying to get Dom’s back and make a joke out of our relationship.
“You two need to slow it down,” she warned again. “Why are you here, Dom? Goodnight kisses could have come before lights out. Where have you been all night, anyway?”
“Planning the summer vacation.” He looked back at me, “All is cool with the whole seniors not graduating thing. The Elite Council has instructed the school to add another year for pre-grad classes. Apparently, things have gotten out of control with the supes, even the ones graduating from IA.”
“What?” Lusa questioned. “They added another year on top of our three years at this school? So, we aren’t graduating next year? Whose idea was this?”
“Samson and Edgewater met with the council a week ago. It was a unanimous vote after some dude brought up that his peeps were sick of stepping in when our Supernatural Elite Forces aren’t able to handle those idiot supernaturals who are screwing with humans.”
“Nice. Wait,” I said, “There are others out there who watch us in the human world? I thought it was only the Supernatural Elite Forces?”
Dom nodded. “I don’t know who they are, but they sit in on our pre-grad council, and they work to protect humans from any threat out there.”
“Are they supernaturals like us?” Lusa asked.
“Don’t think so,” Dom said in response to mine and Lusa’s interest in this mysterious group of people who evidently decided that Immortal Academy needed to add a fourth year to the school’s program. “Anyway, they’re called Guardians or something like that. Apparently, we’ll learn more about these people in our fourth year here. More importantly, everything is on track for the vacation. The fairies have tweaked the virtual reality program so that we literally are at the location I chose.”
“How was it before?” I asked, having never been a part of a virtual reality program.
“We were placed in a unit, and the reality that was programmed for us was transporting our minds into the program as if we were there,” Lusa said. “How does it work now?”
“Well, we step into it. It’s pretty awesome. It’s like stepping into another realm. Edgewater let me and the gang try it out tonight. We stepped through a veil and were in Key West, Florida.” He smiled at me, “We were with humans who were programmed into that virtual reality. They were programmed to act like they would if we were in the human population.”
“Why are we only finding out about this now, and why is the dean wasting fairy magic on stuff like this?” Lusa asked, annoyed.
“Something about enjoying a summer vacation while testing us to see how we do in the human population. If any supe acts out and a human sees their supernatural ways, they’ll be plucked out of their summer vacation and placed into a summer learning program run by Edgewater himself.”
“That’s definitely not going to happen. I’m not going to be stuck with that dean all summer.” I studied Dominic, “How strict is this virtual reality? Can we shift?”
“Yes, but not in front of any humans. That shouldn’t be a problem, though,” he said as he crossed his arms. “We’re going to a cool private island. Humans aren’t overpopulating the place. I put in all my requests of what I wanted, and they’ll send us there in two days when it’s finalized. My main request was for minimal human interaction—for E—and I also emphasized that I wanted summer toys to mess around with.”
“If this new reality vacation is meant to test us with the humans, then how’d you manage minimal human interaction?” I asked. “I want to see what these humans are like, how they act.”
Dom sat next to me on my bed. “It’s for E,” he said with a warm smile. “I’ve got to let him be himself. He’ll go crazy if we keep locking down his owl to only shifting once a day here. He needs to be his owl and be able to be free from the lockdown of this school.”
“But how did you manage a minimal human population?” Lusa reverted back to the original question.
“Between getting my Head Master training status back and Edgewater being obsessed with mine and Jenna’s bond, I got it.”
Lusa exhaled. “Dom, you’re not helping E. He won’t be able to survive out there with humans if you let him do whatever his owl wants. You know that. His parents were killed because they were living exclusively as their owls.”
“That’s not going to happen with E,” Dom growled. “Listen, Lus, I’m sorry you don’t agree, but I will protect Ethan with my life, I promise you that. He won’t screw up. He and I have an agreement, and he’s willing to work with Vannah and me to discover how to overcome the owl that wants to always be present in him. There will be humans, but we will have minimal interaction with them unless we want more.”
“You’re having him work with a witch?” Lusa said a little too loud. “How d
are you, Dom? Why would you go behind my back and get a witch involved with helping Ethan?”
“Because she’s a Woodson witch, Jenna’s best friend, and I trust her. She and E have gotten closer in friendship if you hadn’t noticed,” Dom sent the same annoyed tone back to his sister. “E is my responsibility before yours. If you can’t trust me, then I don’t know what else I have to do to prove I won’t hold him back, but I also won’t set him up to fail.”
Lusa conceded reluctantly. “I know. I just don’t understand why you do what you sometimes do.”
“Sis, you know I have our cousin’s back. You, Ethan, and Jen mean more to me than anything else in our crazy world.”
Lusa smiled widely at me. “He’s never talked like this about any of his girlfriends, you know. I’m not sure I’ll ever understand how your wolves saw each other’s true mates in a kiss.”
“It’s a fascinating subject for everyone,” Dom said, standing up. “I’m heading to bed.”
I stood with him and was swallowed up in my man’s arms. “I can’t wait for this vacation,” I said.
“Two days.” He kissed the top of my head and stepped toward the door, “Oh, Lusa?” He stopped as he grabbed the doorknob. “Make sure it’s bikinis, tightfitting dresses, and short shorts for Jenna,” he said with a laugh.
“Get out of here, you sicko!” Lusa rolled her eyes.
After Dom left, Lusa laughed. “You two are too cute, and the fact that my brother doesn’t mind breaking school rules and putting us all at risk to come see you after hours says a lot. Ah, you know what?” she bit her bottom lip. “I am going to hook you up with some clothes that will torture my brother. You’ll look so hot he’ll get busted on the first day and sent to that hardcore summer study program.” She chuckled.
“I’m not a pawn in the Rossi twins’ games, okay?” I said with a laugh. “Seriously, though, I only need comfortable clothes for whatever we do on this island.”
“I’ve got you taken care of,” she said with a daring smile.
Two days and we’re out of here, I thought with relief, ready to be away from this school and excited to experience our virtual vacation.
Chapter Three
This was it, the day that would send us off to an island vacation. I’d never seen an ocean before in my life, so I had no idea what to expect. This island getaway that Dom had planned for us seemed like it was exactly what we all needed. Time to relax and not think about anything but that.
“You ready?” Lusa asked. “There are huts on the island, and my friend Eileen left earlier this morning to bring in all our outfits. So, throw on your gym shorts and a tank, and we’re out of here.”
“Eileen?” I questioned.
“Yeah, she’s one of the fairies who helps with the virtual realities.”
“Sweet. Hopefully, she didn’t let her fairy ways drive her to pull pranks on us on this vacation.
“Dang, you really don’t trust fairies, do you?”
“To put it mildly.” I grimaced. “I grew up being targeted by their hateful sides in the school system. I don’t know any other side to them.”
“Fairies can be like that. I’m really sorry that happened to you. In my personal experience, most of them are nice, but it makes a lot more sense to me why you talk about them the way you do,” Lusa answered.
“Yeah, it’s in the past, but it’s also hard to get over when they come after you hard because you’re a shifter and a female. In the end, I just don’t trust them.”
“I get it. Dom was seeing a fairy once. He led her on a little bit too much, and let me tell you that she was relentless in making him pay for it. He sort of deserved the embarrassment that he got from her funny games, though.”
I laughed. “She taught him his lesson, eh?”
“Oh, yes,” she beamed. “To be fair, he wasn’t ever the type to play around with girls’ emotions.” I saw her eyes drift, making me think she might have had a revelation, “Dom was never really a flirt. It was more like he was searching for something in relationships, and he never found it until you.”
No thanks to our memory wipes by that fairy godmother lady. Poor Dominic, we both were seeing how these memory wipes may have been put in to help, but they definitely screwed with both of us in different ways.
“Wow,” I responded. “I’m glad this is for the better for him.”
“Me too,” she said. “Now,” she looped her arm through mine, “let’s catch up with everyone and get on our vacation. Dom and his crew are already there. Dom’s a bit of a control freak when he plans things. That’s another good reason not to worry about the fairies messing with any of us while we’re there,” she said as we left our dorm.
We met a group of people who usually followed Dom and Co. around the school. Unfortunately, red nails, Kat, and her crowd were standing in front of the metal door, squealing and stomping their feet to get this vacation started.
“As you all know,” a yellow-haired sprite started, “working with the staff and the dean, you all must remember you are still at Immortal Academy. The updated virtual realities that you’re privileged to embark upon are also testing your ability to be amongst the humans. This is key to remaining on your vacation.” The sprite eyed everyone with her amber-colored, glittery orbs. “Now, the dean expects you all to follow the rules given at the academy, but he wants you to have fun as well. The one rule the dean is easing up on is for the shifters. You may shift into your animal forms as you please, but be warned that if you shift in front of any human we’ve created in your reality, you will be pulled immediately from your virtual vacation and sent to the summer programs. Are there any questions before you go?”
“What about the others?” I asked.
“The others?”
“Vamps, fairies, and witches?”
The sprite eyed me. “Oh, yes. The others may only use their supernatural talents if it is allowed in the human world. For example, if a vampire wishes to use the energy from a human and compel them to sleep at night—for the human’s good, not the vampire’s selfish needs—then the vampire may do so. The witches may not use magic on humans unless it helps the human out of a situation, and the human must have no understanding that magic was used. Same goes for the fairies. The most important part to remember is the rules of supernaturals living amongst humans. We will not tolerate upsetting human culture. The humans have not looked to harm us, so why would we do something to upset their natural lives?”
“You have four shifter masters on this virtual reality,” I heard Dean Edgewater’s voice chime in. “So, I expect you’ll all behave while in their company. I’m quite shocked any of you would choose to vacation with anyone directly under our professors, but that’s your decision. They, as per academy rules, may have you removed from this virtual vacation at any time.”
I glanced over at Edgewater whose teeth literally seemed to sparkle in an almost unnatural glittery white color. “Now, get on with your vacation. Enjoy yourselves. We have new students arriving for the new year soon enough, and the lot of you will be helping to introduce them to our fine school. If you follow the basic rule of not disturbing humans, you’ll all have a fantastic time. I have to say I’m thoroughly impressed with this particular vacation Master Dominic has worked on for the last month. I’m tempted to go on it with all of you.”
Oh, God, no!
Dean Edgewater laughed. Damn it, he read my thoughts. “But,” he winked at me, “I know you kids need some time away from direct supervision, and truth be told, I’d be dying to get away if I was a young supe myself.” He looked at the fairy, “I’m sure Rossi is waiting for everyone who signed up for his vacation to join him. Let’s get these kids some R&R!”
Suddenly, the door became what looked like clear plastic. On the other side was a bright sun that was high over a massive body of water. The water drew me in like a fairy bug to a light. I watched diamond sparkles glinting off the sea, rolling and moving, and it went on forever. It wasn’t the annoying glitter e
ffect of a fairy either, it felt real, and it looked tantalizing.
“You going, Silvers?” Edgewater’s voice interrupted the trance I fell under. “I think Rossi might be a bit upset if he thought you were afraid to view an ocean for the first time.”
“I’m not afraid, I’m amazed.” I shook my head and looked up at the dean. I cleared my thoughts of everything but Dominic’s perfect face that I was more than ready to see. “It’s hard to not get caught up with how it all looks.”
“The fairies did a fantastic job replicating this island and ocean,” he said as his mysterious stare sent an unwanted shiver up my spine.
My wolf laid low, which was good. I didn’t need her picking up on anything that would get me yanked into the summer school program here. If something had been dangerous about us going on the vacation, she would have been the first to bare her teeth at the man and get my butt excluded from the reality.
“Of course, you’ll be safe, why would you think it’s dangerous?” Edgewater answered my flipping thoughts again.
“I’m a shifter, sort of afraid of the water,” I lied.
“Well, nothing to worry about there. It’s like the quests you shifters go on. If you die in the reality, you’re pulled out of it and teleported back here with the rest of the staff.”
“That’s almost worse than dying,” I answered. “Summer school as opposed to being in this?”
Edgewater laughed, “Get out of here and go on the vacation, Miss Silvers.”
“Yeah.” I let out a breath. “Okay, I’m going in. Hope I won’t be seeing you until after summer.”
He nodded. “You’re in great control, and you and Dominic are sure to use those wolves to stay strong, Silvers. Now, go and enjoy being with him.”
I forced a smile to his final parting words and got the hell out of his presence right then. That was the end of me being left alone with Edgewater and forced to interact with the last person at this school I wanted to be around.
Now, what? Everyone took off like they were given their freedom, and here I was, staring at my toes and squishing them in this white, velvety sand. It was warm, and the texture was soothing. The sounds of birds, waves rolling into the shore, and the smell of salt and sand—my gosh, this was heaven. I could stand right here for however long we would be in this place and let the cool breeze and sounds soothe me to my core. I’m sure someone would find me soon enough.