Sticks & Stones Spell Werewolf Bones: A Why Choose Academy Romance

by Rae Stapleton

  I did as he yanked first one leg then the other down and off. He stood and opened his jeans. I could see the tip peeking out of his jockeys. I didn’t wait. I laid my hands on his abs, gliding them down, pushing both jeans and jockeys out of my way. I knelt before I grabbed hold of my prize. I licked him on the underside and opened wide, swirling my tongue over and around, bobbing my head, sucking all the while. He tasted so good. I started to slide my hand up and down in time with my mouth, moaning. I was so turned on. I looked up.

  “Stop, Evie! That’s enough, I’m too close,” Zephyr groaned.

  I ignored him, but he pulled away. I stood and he immediately ripped my tee over my head, picking me up and placing me on his t-shirt.

  “Are you ready for me?” he asked while pushing the scrap of panties out of his way.

  I moaned as he slid a finger through my folds. Slick and hot, I was ready. He pulled my legs around him again, brushing against my entrance. I tried to scoot closer. Hungry. He gave a shallow thrust and another before leaning forward and gripping my hips. Slam. All the way home.

  Zephyr could be hard and fast., but the thing about vampires is they ooze pheromones so it’s pretty easy to get turned on. With his hands holding me in place, he bent to lick through the sheer lace of my bra. He nipped one and I screamed his name as pleasure flooded through me. He bent farther forward and kissed me, his tongue matching the pace of his thrusts. I could feel his fangs descend. Every impact made me bounce and I nicked my lip on his teeth. His tongue shot out to lick the blood like it was a homing beacon. He pulled back to check my reaction. I nodded. He wrapped his hands around my throat, just enough to hold me in place to take his pounding thrusts. I released the front of my bra, letting it fall to either side of my breasts in invitation, which he accepted. Licking and sucking, pulling and nipping. I could feel another orgasm building. Zephyr kept pounding me. We made eye contact just before he impaled my breast with his fangs, sending us both over the edge.

  “Oh my God, Zephyr,” I said, breathing hard.

  “Ditto, Evie.”

  He had collapsed on me but managed to lick the bite closed. Based on the weight on my body, his legs weren’t working.

  “Evie, I know I’m smashing you, but I can’t get up yet.”

  “I would laugh, but I can’t breathe.”

  “Shit. Okay.”

  He pushed up and took hold of my hands. Stepping back, he drew me up. The sex had restored my energy. Perfect timing, since I didn’t know when I would return home. I jumped down. Zephyr watched my breasts bounce with interest.

  “Don’t even think about it,” I said, reclasping my bra. “We need to get to work. Besides, I’m sure we’ll have more opportunities, being away at school together and everything!” I winked at him.

  I picked up my discarded clothing and dressed quickly. I still hadn’t thought of an excuse to get away from Zephyr without him worrying, but I wanted to hear what was on that recorder. He just zipped up his pants, leaving the top button undone, all sexy, and moved to the desktop in the corner of the room, grabbing an extra chair for me.

  “Like I said, I looked last night, but I haven’t even figured out where the data is stored.”

  “Did you take it apart to see if there are any clues?”

  Zephyr nodded as he typed lightning fast on the keyboard. “I did, right before I stopped last night. So, I’ve got some ideas on what to check next.”

  “There wasn’t a sticker with cloud account info inside?” I smirked.

  “Funny.”

  Zephyr was staring at two screens at once and muttered to himself as his eyes scanned back and forth. He was in the zone. I rolled my chair back a little at a time, assessing his awareness. No reaction. I stood and walked to my backpack. Still no reaction, so I grabbed it and went through the door quietly. Luckily, he hadn’t relocked it since we were here. I ran back to the house and straight to the portal. I’d have to be careful when I arrived at the school.

  As soon as I appeared, I dropped down into a crouch and pulled my hood up. It’s always dark and creepy in the back stacks of the academy library, but I didn’t want to run into anyone that would have questions, especially the boys. My plan was to search Maggie’s room again, top to bottom, to make sure we didn’t miss anything. Our search was thorough, but quick and since we didn’t know if we could trust forensics yet, I wasn’t taking any chances. I snuck down the back aisle against the wall and made my way around the large room. The bookshop was on the opposite side of the library, which is where everyone usually congregated, making this part of my journey simple. Before creeping around the communal room to get to my hallway, I sent a message to Zephyr telling him Demas texted and asked me to meet him at the school. That way, when he noticed I was missing, he wouldn’t worry as long as he didn’t call Demas.

  Between the situation with Maggie’s death and it being a Saturday, the communal area was empty and only half the lights were on, creating deep shadows for me to travel through. I could hear Demas’ voice off in the distance and he did not sound pleased. Best to keep moving. I climbed the stairs and headed for my hallway. The coast was clear. I dug the key out of my backpack as well as a pen. It was time to try my newest sigil. I’d taken a class on symbols and mandalas, hoping to learn ancient symbols that I could incorporate into my growing arsenal. I’d recently come up with a new one I believed would let me move through a ward with ease and not set off the alarms that most wards contained and, knowing Eleutian, his would have the mother of all alarms. This was my maiden voyage.

  Drawing it on my arm in pen, I’d have one shot. The good news was wards were one directional, so all I had to do was get in. I peeked around the corner; the doors were all closed with no one in sight. With key in hand, I dashed down the hall and shoved it in the keyhole. I could feel the magic flowing around my hand; it felt like petting a furry animal the way hair wraps over and around your fingers but doesn’t impede you. I tried to turn the key. It didn’t move. Dammit.

  What the hell? Did they plant the wrong key on purpose? I’d show them. I took the few steps to my door and entered, locking it behind me. I couldn’t believe what I was thinking, but in for a penny, as they say. I jammed my phone in my back pocket, and took the pen out of my pack to draw another sigil. The first one was still there, but I wasn’t taking any chances and traced back over it. It might have still worked, since it was for the same room, but I couldn’t be sure.

  I slipped my arms through both straps of my backpack to make sure it was secure and took a deep breath. The Academy was straight up out of a gothic horror novel: pointed black turrets, leering gargoyles, leaded windows, evil-looking spires—the whole nine-yards. I raised my window sash and peered over the edge, not thrilled to see only a three-inch concrete ledge that circled the building. I was about thirty feet up, survivable—most likely. I climbed over the sill, stretching with one leg until I caught the ledge with my toe, and ducked under the raised sash, twisting to pull my other leg through until that foot was secure. Looking up, I saw there was another ledge above my head. I stretched up, gripping with my fingers and sliding my toes across until I made my way to Maggie’s window. The real trick now would be getting the window open.

  Standing on the ledge directly in front of her window, I half-squatted, leaning forward to keep my balance. The windows were inset a few inches, thank goodness. Pulling the pen from my pocket, I attempted to jimmy it under the window sash, hoping it would be enough to get the window started. I just needed to move it a couple of inches. Success. I gripped the window frame, and wiggled my boot under the edge of the sash. Slowly I raised my leg until the window was about half-way open. Fingers crossed that my sigil worked, I climbed inside Maggie’s room.

  “How’d you get inside without tripping Eleutian’s wards, Midnight?”

  I turned and saw my tall, ginger-haired boyfriend wearing a faded Black Sabbath T-shirt and grungy jeans. He clapped his hands as a wide grin spread across his smug face.

  “What t
he fuck, Colten!” My heart pounded. “Are you trying to give me a heart attack?” I had so many things to worry about, breaking into Maggie’s room, but one of the boys standing there was not one of them. “What are you doing in here?”

  “Nice to see you too, sweet pea,” Colten said.

  “I . . . wasn’t expecting anyone.” I closed the window and threw down my bag, trying to cover my annoyance at being caught. “Were you following me?”

  “Now, how could I be following you if I was in here first?” His voice was smoky, his eyes heavy-lidded and seductive. A gentleness showed through his gruff exterior. It always surprised me how different he was with me versus the cold exterior he gave everyone else.

  “Well, then, tell me. What were you doing in here?”

  “I was waiting for you, Midnight. I just won fifty bucks. I told them you would figure a way in here.”

  My face went slack before outrage tightened my features. My mouth was moving but nothing came out.

  “Uh oh! It looks like Bodhi is going to make some money, too.”

  “This was a fucking test?” I cried. Tears burned behind my eyes, but I was determined not to let them fall. “You’re bastards.” He reached for me, so I stepped back. I was so proud of myself for finding a way in here. I thought I had covered all my bases, but this—I felt betrayed. They say pride will get you every time and boy, were they right. Although, I didn’t think being proud of my own accomplishments immediately afterward was such a terrible thing. I guess I was wrong.

  “Hey, Midnight, come here. I think we’ve got our wires crossed. This is an awesome triumph! We should be celebrating,” Colten said.

  He kept coming toward me as I retreated until my ass hit the window seat. He gathered me up, trapping my arms between us when I tried to stop his advance. He kissed the top of my head and murmured soothing nonsense. I wanted to relax into his embrace, but I was so damn mad. I stood rigid in his arms. He started rocking us.

  “We’re proud of you! You’ve come so far in just six months. I mean, think about it, back then you didn’t know anything about the supernatural world, about your witch lineage, that your parents were necromancers. You fought zombies, for God’s sake, Midnight. I mean, what human does that? Not just fought them, but helped supernatural beings fight better with sigils and tattoos that you create yourself. Now, you’ve entered a room warded by a mage!”

  “Yay me. I passed manufactured tests. I thought I snuck away from Zephyr and through the school and instead you were all watching me, knowing every step I took. What good is that? Were you laughing when you made your bets?” I asked, letting the tears roll down my face.

  “We weren’t laughing at you, Midnight! Why would you think that? First off, none of us doubted you, so we had to draw from a hat for different scenarios. I was lucky enough to pull the one where you made it all the way. We thought you would think it was funny, well, all except for Bodhi. He was worried you would take it the wrong way. I guess he was right. He refused to participate, so we made that his draw instead. And Zephyr didn’t know you left until just a couple minutes ago. You got past us on your own. I barely got here before you and I was in the building. You achieved everything all on your own. You were fucking fantastic!”

  “Really?” I mumbled into his chest.

  “Yes. I’m sorry, but you know we must evaluate your abilities. It’s the only way we can make you an official team member. Everything must be aboveboard, since Aurora is your aunt. We have to make sure it doesn’t look like favoritism. Demas was subjected to stringent guidelines before he was made director for the same reasons.”

  “I can’t breathe,” I said.

  Colten loosened his hold but didn’t let go and started to rub my back.

  “I’m upset because of Maggie and it’s getting old that I can’t just be happy when I achieve something without feeling like it’s just a checkmark on a list I know nothing about.”

  “The pool was an attempt to make it fun, but it backfired.” Colten grimaced.

  “Well, it might have been more fun if the pool was given to me, you know?”

  “Ah, good point. I’ll spend it all on you. So, what are we looking for?”

  He sounded like an eager puppy. Ready to jump in and help at a moment’s notice. I could never really stay mad at them, although they managed to push my buttons sometimes. Honestly, in my heart I knew they would never intentionally hurt me. I was just out of sorts, I guess. Being around so much death will do that. I stared into his ice blue eyes and saw the pleading in them to not be mad at him.

  I shook my head and blew out a breath. “Okay, I’m looking for the diary that I saw her with and…”

  “Midnight?”

  I shuddered.

  “Evie! What’s wrong?” Colten looked around the room with narrowed eyes preparing to take out the problem.

  “I just remembered the dream I had last night.” I proceeded to tell him about the zombie Maggie, diary and blood. “She told me she had a hiding place, that’s where the book has to be.” I added as I scanned the room. “I think it will be relatively small and we looked at all the obvious places already, so a secret cubby or hidden drawer somewhere.”

  “Do you have a preference on where to start?”

  I scowled as I pointed to the bed. “Will you look over there? I’d rather not since you’re here.”

  He grinned and nodded. I knew he was thinking it was a good thing he showed up. Maybe it was, but I wasn’t in the mood to admit it. Since I stood at the window seat, I decided to start there.

  I pushed the thick cushion up with one hand until it stood on its side and ran the other over the smooth varnished wood. I lifted the top and noted it was full of pillows and blankets, extras for the frigid winter ahead. There were no obvious gaps in the wood, but I knocked every six inches or so. It didn’t sound completely hollow, but not solid either. I closed the lid and let the cushion fall back in place and climbed up on my knees. My head still cleared the bookshelf except for the wooden scrollwork holding the books above. I felt around and knocked on the walls of the window seat with the same result. I stood and looked through the books with no luck.

  Feeling defeated, I moved to her desk. I’d already checked the drawers, so I pulled it a few inches away from the wall. The attached mirror wobbled precariously. I took a quick peek behind the unit, finding nothing at all.

  I moved it back in place gently, bracing the mirror, and glanced at the photos on the wall. They seemed to be of her pack. There were multiple people in each one, women and men, so there was no way to tell who her father was or if he was even in the photos.

  “Midnight, will you help me for a sec? I’m going to turn the bed on its side to check the frame. I just need you to block the mattress from falling off.”

  I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. “Sure.” I walked over to help Colten, noting sympathy in his gaze.

  “I’m sorry. Would you rather look under the frame than hold it?”

  I nodded and bent down. No secret hiding places.

  “You ever notice loose carpet?”

  “No, I’m not sure I would have noticed unless I tripped on it, with all these floor pillows laying around.”

  “I guess I’ll check them,” Colten said as he tipped the bed upright.

  “Okay.” I moved to the small kitchen area. Opening cabinets and drawers even though I knew this had been checked already. Surely not everyone on the forensics team was corrupt. A diary would have been a huge find. I moved to the coffee maker, tucked in the corner next to the wall of the closet and pulled it out. I was getting desperate. I stepped back with it in my hands and stumbled against the wall. It was much heavier than I’d expected. As I righted myself, my hoodie snagged on the chair rail that circled the room.

  “Colten, will you take this? My jacket sleeve is caught.”

  “Sure thing, I’m here to serve. Hoping to get out of the doghouse.”

  He pulled the power cord free, took the machine from my hands a
nd set it on the other side of the short counter. I grabbed hold of my sleeve near where it was caught and tried to work it loose from the large splinter. Colten wandered off to attack more floor pillows. I thought he was using them as an opportunity to work out his aggression. After twisting my arm this way and that, I finally worked my sleeve free. I was surprised to see a rough seam in the rail. I ran my finger lightly along it, looking closely when I noticed another seam just before the closet doorframe. Hmm. I dug in my backpack for my switchblade. It was small and still made me jump every time I opened it, thinking I was going to lose fingers as it sprang open.

  Whittling in the seam that splintered, I worked my blade in until I heard a click. Between the seams a short piece of the chair rail loosened from the wall. I slid my blade in the gap created at the top and pushed it toward the wall, trying to lever the little door open. It popped free.

  “Whatcha got there?”

  I jumped, dropping my knife. It landed blade first right next to Colten’s chucks. Close call. “Jesus Colten. You almost got stabbed.” I glared. He stared. Fine. “I know! I’m always supposed to be aware of my surroundings. I’m sorry.”

  “That’s better. Now, what did you find?”

  “I don’t know.” I grabbed hold of the piece with both hands and pulled. It was a small drawer in the wall hidden by the chair rail. Inside was a small book.

  “Holy shit, Midnight! I think you found it.”

  “Maybe. It doesn’t have a lock on it so it could just be a book from two hundred years ago. Do you smell fresh baked bread? And peanut butter? Oh, God, that sounds so good right now.”

  “Evie, the book.”

  “I think I’m afraid to look.” I shoved it into Colten’s roughened hands. It looked like a toy. “Well, open it.”

  “I can’t.” Colten tried to pull it open.

  “Maybe this is the diary. No wonder it didn’t need a lock. Do you think it’s spelled?” I asked.

  Colten shrugged his massive shoulders. “That’s a question for Grimm or Eleutian. I can’t feel that magic shit.”