Zodiac Academy 3: The Reckoning: An Academy Bully Romance (Supernatural Bullies and Beasts)

by Caroline Peckham

  “I'll go see him.” I walked away, taking the short stairway up to the door and stepping outside. The wooden rope bridge stretched out ahead of me to the opposite tree where Faeflies hovered and sparkled, weaving through the branches. I headed across it, the wind picking up and making the bridge rock beneath my feet. An owl hooted somewhere close by followed by the distant call of wolves.

  My heart clenched as I froze, listening to the familiar call of my own pack running without me. It was as painful as if the moon itself had turned its back on me.

  I forced myself to keep moving, finding Caleb in his favourite spot. The treehouse on this side had a veranda built around it and a swing bench hung from the roof. Fairy lights glittered along the railing and all the way up around the edge of the roof. Caleb was sitting on the bench, his Atlas in his hand and his face sketched with irritation.

  “Hey man, what's up?” I sat beside him, pushing away all thoughts of my pack running without me – who was heading it right now? Fucking Maurice? Better not have been.

  “Tory Vega just shut me down. I asked her to come to my room tonight but she just messaged me saying she's not coming and that I should use this time to 'work on my personality'.” He sighed, furiously thumbing through FaeBook posts absentmindedly, kicking out against the railing and making us swing backwards.

  “The Vegas are hard work.” I leaned my head back with a grunt.

  Caleb threw me a curious look. “You're not judging me then? Because every time I mention her name in front of Darius he looks like he's about to burst into flames.”

  “Well I've got a little Vega issue of my own. Can't exactly judge you right now.”

  “You do?”

  I hadn’t told them about Darcy being in my pack. I always told them everything, but this seemed like a betrayal somehow, even though I hadn't intended to do it.

  “I accidentally made Darcy an Omega.”

  “You what?” Caleb blurted and I nodded, frowning at him. My eyes lingered on his mouth a moment too long and I cleared my throat. Grr. Damn wolf needs.

  “I know, it's so fucked up. And now I can't stop thinking about her. She has to officially challenge me or please me so I can initiate her. So how well do you reckon that's going? Oh and not to mention my entire pack have shunned me because I now have to initiate someone who isn't even of our Order.”

  “Shiiit,” Caleb breathed.

  “Yeah.”

  My gaze snagged on a FaeBook post on his Atlas and I snatched it out of his grip, my gut wrenching as I spotted a topless selfie of Maurice accompanying it.

  Maurice Galaxi: Heading out for a run with my new pack. Are Alpha fights really necessary when you have abs like these?

  #topdog #sethwho? #newalphaintown

  Comments:

  Alice Telesto: Watch out sugar I might fight for the position myself ;)

  Maurice Galaxi: Well maybe we should challenge him soon but I want a proper taste of the pack first to make sure it’s worth it...

  Lisa Canis: What’s happened to Mr Capella?

  Maurice Galaxi: He betrayed us, Professor :( #traitor #somewolvesarebetteroffalone

  Lisa Canis: Oh no! #frownyface

  I snarled furiously, tapping out a reply to Maurice’s comment about challenging me in shout caps.

  Seth Capella: I AM YOUR ALPHA. IF YOU CHALLENGE ME I WILL DESTROY YOU!!!!!!!!

  Caleb wrestled the Atlas from me before I could hit post, my finger still jamming down on exclamation marks as he finally got it from me.

  “Don’t rise to it,” he demanded. “You can’t be seen losing your cool. The press could get access to this.”

  “Cal.” I pawed at him. “He has to know I’m his Alpha. I’ve been giving them time to deal with Ashanti’s death but-”

  “He’s trying to anger you,” Caleb pressed, holding the Atlas out of reach. I glanced at the screen and realised the newsfeed had scrolled down to a professional photograph of Caleb which had been printed in The Rising Moon Magazine last year. His chest was bare and his body gleaming with seawater as he smirked at the camera. In his hand was an ice cream he was leaning in to lick but someone had cropped it out, replacing it with a glittering Pegasus dick.

  Caleb followed my gaze as I tried to reach for it before he could see.

  “Assholes!” He crushed the Atlas so hard in his hand I could have sworn he was going to break it.

  “Chill,” I sighed. “Take your own advice.”

  “Fine. Fuck them.” He tossed the Atlas into a chair with a scowl.

  A howl sounded off in the woods again and a whine escaped me as rejection dug into my heart.

  Caleb patted my arm and the contact made me ache. I needed more. I needed someone to just...

  I moved into his touch, invading his personal space and nuzzling against his chin. He knew I couldn't help myself and though his Order was almost the exact opposite of mine in terms of our tactile behaviour, he let me do it because he knew I had to or I'd go mad. But tonight, it felt like more than that. My senses came alive with the musk of his flesh and the heat of his body.

  “Seth,” Caleb warned as I moved my mouth to his ear.

  “Remember that time in The Shimmering Springs last year?” I burrowed my hands into his hair and he released a deep growl in his throat.

  “That was one time. And there was a girl there too,” he pointed out.

  “Not the whole time,” I said with a smirk, brushing my mouth across the line of his jaw. He still didn't push me away so I planted a hand on his chest and ran it down the hardened lines of his abs. “Are you tempted?”

  He growled, catching my hand at the edge of his waistband and pushing me back. A whine left my throat but I didn't force the issue. If he didn't wanna go there then that was up to him. I just needed to get some attention right now. Any attention.

  “You have a girlfriend, remember?” Caleb said. “If you need a blowjob, go find her.”

  Oh yeah, I do have a girlfriend. In the last couple of days I'd been all alone and so messed up over Ashanti's death, but I'd not once thought about going to Kylie for comfort. I seriously had to break that off.

  She'd grown up next door to me and had gotten crazy hot the summer before she was due to start Zodiac. I'd been home from the Academy and a series of sweaty nights with her had kept me thoroughly satisfied while I wasn't with my pack. We'd both had fun and I'd maybe once or twice told her she was my girlfriend because well, it had felt that way at the time. But now...the only girl I craved was Darcy Vega. Which was an impossible dream. She'd never touch me after what I did to her. Unless I made things up to her somehow...

  I looked to Caleb, readying to voice something deeply traitorous. But he was screwing Tory, so I knew he'd understand. “Do you think Darcy would ever forgi-”

  “Hey are you talking about the Vegas?” Max called and we both turned to find him doing a pull up on a low hanging branch above the bridge. My eyes lingered on his muscles and I let my gaze wander appreciatively. I didn’t normally perv on my friends. But tonight felt anything but normal.

  “Sort of.” I shrugged one shoulder.

  “We all need to talk about them. Come inside.” Max dropped onto the bridge and it shuddered from the impact of his weight before he headed away.

  I stood up, sensing Caleb following but before I made it two paces he caught my arm, wheeling me around and dragging me into a tight embrace.

  “Your pack will come back to you.” He clapped me firmly on the shoulder.

  I wrapped myself around him, needing that hug more than anything in the world right then.

  “Ashanti,” I choked out and he held me tighter.

  “I know,” he sighed. “Fuck the Nymphs. We'll destroy them all one day.”

  I nodded against his shoulder and he released me. We headed across the bridge and I felt miles better by the time I reached the other side. With my brothers around me, I'd get through this. We could pull through anything so long as we stuck together.

  “And to th
ink I almost got desperate enough to try and kiss you,” I muttered as we walked up to the door.

  “Only in your dreams,” Caleb whispered.

  “And memories.” I cocked a brow and he pursed his lips.

  “I have no recollection of that,” he lied.

  “Keep telling yourself that.” I punched him on the shoulder as we headed into the den.

  Darius was standing up, his hands resting against the mantelpiece as he stared at the fire. I'd been so caught up in my own worries I'd totally missed how fucking stressed he clearly was.

  I walked straight up to him, wrapping my arms around him from behind and nuzzling his shoulder.

  “Dude,” he growled, his body tensing beneath me.

  “You're upset,” I insisted and he sighed, letting me remain there.

  “Yeah he is, but he won't let me syphon off his anger,” Max said, dropping down onto the couch as Caleb joined him.

  “I don't want to let go of it,” Darius snarled and I released him so he could turn around. He clapped my arm and I gave him a nod, moving to sit between Max and Caleb, pushing them aside to make room.

  Max leaned his shoulder against mine and I felt him drawing some of my grief over Ashanti away. I gave him a look of thanks and he nodded, a silent understanding passing between us.

  Darius folded his arms, looking across us all. “My father just called. He believes our claim is officially under threat. Before Sunday, the Vega Twins were easy prey. It was a joke to think they'd ever be considered for the Solarian throne, but now...”

  “That fire they cast was fucking powerful,” Max said in agreement, sitting forward and resting his elbows on his knees.

  “They still don't actually want the throne though,” Caleb pointed out.

  “That's not what they said after the Pitball match,” I reminded him, a rumbling growl leaving my throat and Caleb nodded seriously.

  “Even so, that article in The Celestial Times did a good job of downplaying what they did. They won’t ever get the backing we have,” Caleb said.

  “That’s one newspaper, Cal,” Darius said, shaking his head. “It will get out elsewhere. There’s footage online already.”

  “Let's address the elephant in the room here,” Max said in a dark tone as he gazed at Darius unblinkingly. “It looks like they're gonna emerge as Dragons.”

  A line of smoke left Darius's nostrils as he exhaled. His shoulders trembled and I had the feeling he was holding back the urge to explode into his Order form and take his fiery rage out on the sky.

  “Deep breath,” Caleb encouraged and Darius nodded slowly.

  “Well look at the bright side,” I said. “You could marry one of them and avoid marrying your buck-toothed cousin?”

  Darius's eyes whipped to me, his anger seeming to dissolve for a second. “That's not a terrible idea. Tory Vega has dry humped me on more than one occasion so I could probably win her round.”

  “I do hope you're fucking joking right now,” Caleb said in a deadly low voice and I turned to him with a smirk.

  “Someone's jealous,” I taunted, shoving his thigh with mine and he pressed his lips together into a tight line.

  A smirk pulled at Darius's features as he played up to Caleb's reaction. “That would be one way to keep her in line, huh Caleb? Surely you don't mind if I claim your play-thing. You're only passing time with her anyway, right?”

  “Right,” Caleb ground out, his shoulders becoming rigid and I glanced at him, knowing that wasn't true. Caleb didn't do exclusive very often, but it seemed like he was trying to do it with Tory. Which meant he actually gave a shit about her. And with my emotions all knotted up over Darcy, I sensed we were both about to cause a real issue when it came to keeping them both under heel.

  “That was the least convincing act I've ever seen,” Max jibed. “And I can feel your jealousy from here, mate, so you're not fooling anyone.”

  “She's my Source, it's natural for me to be possessive. That doesn't mean I care about her,” Caleb insisted, glaring at Max to try and make him back down.

  Their fighting made me uncomfortable and I snarled at Max to try and make him back off too. He raised his hands in innocence and I relaxed, getting to my feet and moving to stand next to Darius instead.

  Darius's playful expression fell away. “If the Vegas are revealing their strength, we're all gonna have to remind everyone that we're stronger.”

  “But we're not stronger. Not once they're trained,” Caleb said.

  Max leaned back in his seat with a dark smile. “But we are trained. We've got four years on them. No strength beats that and you all know it.” Even though we were only sophomores at Zodiac, we'd had private tutors since our early Awakening at fifteen years old. There was no way they could catch up on us.

  “So what are you suggesting?” I asked.

  “We remind this school who the real monarchs are,” Max said keenly. “It's time we put the Vegas back in their box.”

  I shared a brief look with Caleb, our secrets radiating between us.

  How am I going to put Darcy in her place when my body is telling me to protect her? And how is Caleb going to beat down Tory when he's clearly catching feelings for her?

  I sighed, knowing I had to say it as I looked to Max. “Sorry bro, I can’t do shit right now. Darcy’s my Omega.”

  “What?” Max snapped and a low growl sounded from Darius.

  I raised my hands in innocence. “It was an accident.”

  “Well fix it,” Darius demanded.

  “I’m working on it,” I sighed, but was I really?

  “I’m enjoying my fun with Tory,” Caleb said with a casual shrug and Darius shot him a death glare. “I say we just hope for them to fail The Reckoning.”

  “And if they don’t?” Max snarled.

  “We’ll deal with it then,” I said and Caleb nodded in agreement. “It’s only a week.”

  “Fine,” Max huffed, sitting back in his seat. “But if they pass, we’ve gotta come up with a better plan than the last one.”

  “Sure,” I said offhandedly. I didn’t like to admit it even to myself but I knew I was holding off on forcing Darcy from my pack on purpose.

  Heat radiated from Darius and I could tell something was still bothering him.

  “What is it?” I nudged him and his scowl grew.

  “If they are Dragons, Father is going to have his own thoughts on the best way to deal with them.”

  “Do you think you might really end up married to one of them?” Caleb asked with a worried look.

  “No...that's the thing.” Darius shook his head, his brow heavily furrowed. “If he believes they’re about to emerge as Dragons, I don't think he'll take that lying down. In fact, I think he'd rather kill them before that ever happens.”

  Dragon Order Enhancement was held to the southwest of Fire Territory on an open plain close to the thermal pools which divided it from Water Territory.

  The scent of sulphur hung thickly in the air and steam rose from geysers and shallow pools which swept across the plain in coiling tendrils. I eyed The Shimmering Springs with interest, remembering Sofia suggesting we head to them for a swim some time. But I still felt a little trickle of fear at the idea of getting into deep water and I wasn’t convinced the experience would be very relaxing all the time I felt that way.

  Although as I thought about it, I imagined that the hot, thermal water could be a good place for me to work on facing my fear. At least it wouldn’t be cold, reminding me so viscerally of that river I’d crashed into or the pool the Heirs had frozen over. And if I wanted to make sure they couldn’t use that fear against me again in the future then I really needed to work on facing it. Not to mention the fact that if I went into my water Elemental Trial with a deep fear of cold water hanging over my head, I might be setting myself up to fail before I’d even begun.

  With that thought in mind, I decided to come back to the pools and see if I could do something to at least stifle the terror I felt when lookin
g at deep water. Perhaps I could desensitise myself enough to make it through the assessment. Although I had to wonder if a few days would be anywhere near enough for that.

  Darcy and I walked side by side as we approached the marker on my Atlas to show us where the lesson was going to be held and I wasn’t sure which of us was dragging our feet more. Spending an hour with Darius Acrux wasn’t either of our ideas of fun and I hadn’t even spoken to him about the Nymph attack where we’d fought alongside each other so ferociously. I’d gotten pretty damn up close and personal with his Dragon form then and I wasn’t really sure why Orion thought it was necessary to make us spend even more time with him in lizard form.

  There were only six students gathered together when we arrived and five of them were guys. I smiled widely as I spotted Geraldine’s friend, Angelica, who was surrounded by the other four guys while Darius stood separate to them. She extracted herself from the group, much to their disappointment, and moved over to greet us with a wide smile.

  “Hey! I didn’t know you were joining us today,” she said, throwing a look at Darius who shrugged dismissively.

  “I didn’t realise it mattered,” he said.

  “You could have just posted in the group chat,” she complained. “It’s not exactly hard.”

  “I keep leaving that group chat for a reason,” he replied irritably.

  “And I keep adding you again for a reason too,” Angelica protested. “It’s meant to be a way for the Dragons who attend this academy to bond and as you’re the biggest-”

  “It’s just a forum for these assholes to try and land you as a bride,” Darius said, pointing at the four guys who said nothing to correct him. “And I don’t need to read constant updates about the way your scales shimmer with the beauty of all the stars or how your fire is so fucking impressive that they all have wet dreams over it.”

  “You just have wet dreams about your own fire power then do you, Darius?” I asked casually.

  His gaze slid to me and he didn’t miss a beat in replying. “Well it is a lot more potent so it would be more likely,” he agreed.