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

by Caroline Peckham

  I slid my hand around the back of his neck, drawing him down to meet my lips. I gave him my answer with my kiss. I needed this like the grass needed rain. Without it, I’d wither and die.

  He deepened our kiss, his tongue hesitantly stroking mine and the barriers suddenly came crashing down between us. Our magic merged at every point of contact and his tongue sank deeper into my mouth, a desperate groan escaping him. My legs trembled as he hoisted me up to sit on the back of the couch and he stepped between my thighs, his fingertips skating up to the edges of my shorts. His touch was as possessive as his magic swimming in my blood. He was claiming me and I claimed him right back.

  “If you want me to stop, tell me to stop,” he said breathlessly and I wrapped my legs around his waist.

  “Okay, don't stop,” I exhaled and a heady laugh fell from my lungs as he drew me flush against him, feeding on my desire.

  “I want you to the point of pain, Blue.”

  His old nickname for me made a smile pull at my lips. I slid my hands over his shoulders, digging my nails in as that frustrated ache spilled into every corner of my body.

  “Then have me,” I commanded.

  He scooped me into his arms, his hands on the backs of my thighs as he carried me into his bedroom and kicked the door shut, the sudden loudness making my heart jolt. He turned and pressed me against it, his mouth meeting mine so fast it took my brain a second to catch up.

  The forceful magnet in my chest finally reunited with its other half and sent a rocket of pure pleasure down my spine.

  I need him this close. I can't get enough of it.

  His hands grew even hotter against the backs of my legs and desire blossomed at the base of my spine, growing roots and spreading deep into my bones. I knew we were picking up right where we left off in that pool. Like this all-consuming yearning had been ready and waiting to devour us as soon as we got close enough to fall prey to it again.

  He pinned me more firmly with his hips and the hard press of his arousal made me moan, my hips automatically flexing to grind myself against him.

  “Shit, Blue,” he growled before kissing me harder.

  I wanted to shed every layer I wore and every rule that kept us apart all at once. We were breaking the rules together, tearing them to pieces with our bare hands, every touch rebellious, every kiss defiant.

  He drew back and planted me on my feet, making me ache for him all over again. He pushed his hand into my hair, admiring the way it glittered under the low light of his bedside lamp. When he released it, he moved his hand in a gesture I was coming to recognise as the silencing spell so no one could hear us.

  My heart was firmly stuffed in my throat as he stepped back just enough for me to look at him and my gaze dropped to his sculpted chest then the bronzed ovals of his abs. I felt his eyes sliding over me too and he reached forward to toy with the drawstring on my shorts, tugging me closer by it with a hungry noise.

  “You can still say no,” he reminded me and I grinned, shaking my head at him.

  He gave me a boyish smile which undid me and I planted my hand on his chest, pushing him back toward the bed, barely casting a glance around the rest of his room. There was only one thing in it that mattered right then.

  He dropped onto the edge of the mattress and I pressed down on his shoulders as I knelt over him. He drew me down more firmly and I gasped as I felt every inch of him between my legs.

  He clutched the back of my neck, drawing me into another slow kiss that resounded through the shell of my flesh.

  “I hope you brought your peach,” Lance said and a laugh tumbled from my throat as I leaned away.

  “You're such an asshole,” I thumped his shoulder and he chuckled, his hands sliding beneath the waistband at the back of my shorts.

  “I know.” He smirked and I moved to kiss him again but he leaned back to escape me, his eyes igniting with some thought.

  He stood up suddenly, dropping me onto the bed. “Lie that way.” He pointed and I frowned at him as I shifted diagonally across the bed.

  “Why?” I asked with an amused laugh.

  He grinned in answer and my eyes drifted down to trace his huge shoulders, the firmness of his chest and stomach, the red Leo tattoo on the crook of his right arm. My toes curled against the sheets and I squirmed beneath him as he surveyed me with a carnal look that suggested he was about to devour me.

  He reached down, taking hold of my right foot and wrapping his large hand around my ankle. I wriggled like mad as he caressed the sensitive skin there, laughter rising in my throat.

  “Ticklish, Blue?” he taunted, brushing his fingers over my heel and I yelped, my back arching as I tried to pull free of him.

  He laughed, trailing his hand up the back of my calf and I sighed in relief as he left my foot alone. His hand sailed higher and he crawled up the bed, hovering above me and making my laughter die away as I met the intensity of his eyes. His knees pressed against the insides of my thighs and I could see that question in his gaze again.

  “Don't stop,” I answered it firmly, my heart hammering so loud he could certainly hear it. “I want this.”

  His eyes glittered at my words and he wet his mouth. “Show me how much,” he growled and electricity coursed up my spine.

  I steeled myself, taking his hand and drawing it to my lips, pressing a kiss to his knuckles. With heat invading my cheeks, I guided his palm down to my throat, over the swell of my breasts and stomach, inhaling deeply as I led him beneath my waistband right to where I wanted him most.

  He swore as he felt me and I tugged my own hand free, reaching out to curl it around his neck. His mouth crashed against mine as his thumb circled against the most sensitive place between my thighs and pure pleasure radiated through me.

  “Stay still,” he commanded thickly as he continued his delicious torture.

  I nodded then a tingling warmth spread out beneath the hot press of his hand, driving through me in a blaze. I gasped as the magic swept into me and his eyes locked with mine as I realised he must have done the spell he'd been teaching us in class.

  Yes.

  I couldn't wait any longer so I dragged him down against me and he gave in to my demand, laying his weight on me and pulling his hand free from my shorts. I tugged my top over my head and he groaned in delight, palming my breast and rolling his tongue over my hardened nipple.

  His thumb skated over my other breast and I absorbed his touch like a stone dropped in a heated pool, the ripples of ecstasy chasing each other through to my core.

  I lifted my legs either side of him, my hand riding the flex of his shoulder blades as his mouth descended to my bare stomach. His kisses were roaring hot, each one igniting a flame on my skin and leaving it there to burn forever as he moved lower and lower. His fingers hooked into my shorts and dragged them down my legs, his hesitation entirely gone as he fully committed to this decision.

  We're actually going to do this.

  The heated pad of his tongue slid over me and I cried out, bucking up to receive every ounce of pleasure he had to give. He wrapped his tongue around me like he'd done it a thousand times before, knowing exactly how to push me forward and draw me back. He had total control and it was driving me to madness as he continually held me right on the knife's edge of ecstasy while I craved to be sliced apart.

  “Lance,” I begged, unable to get any more words out than that.

  He moved away and I shut my eyes, rolling my neck as he left me in complete despair. I was gifted something even better than his mouth as he shifted between my legs and possessed me with one powerful thrust of his hips.

  I reared up, my nails clawing into his back as I adjusted to the fullness of him inside me. My teeth grazed his shoulder and he fisted his hand in my hair, tugging to make me look at him.

  God if he doesn't move I'm gonna go mad.

  His eyes blazed with the might of a supernova and I wrapped my legs around him, my nails still digging into his back.

  “For god's sak
e,” I gasped. “Move.”

  He laughed, his nose brushing mine. “Just checking.”

  “Stop checking,” I panted, rocking my hips and he finally gave me what I wanted, drawing his hips back before taking me once more. I writhed beneath him, urging him on with hungry kisses. He drove into me again and I clung to his powerful shoulders, his mouth meeting mine as he rolled his hips.

  Pressure quickly began to build inside me like it had been waiting for this moment for a long time, the type only his body could release.

  I was thankful for the sound bubble protecting as I cried out louder and louder.

  He hooked his hand around the back of my left thigh, slowing his pace and luring me closer to climax with the teasing movements of his hips. He shuddered as he struggled to hold himself back and the sight of this man falling to ruin because of me made my head spin.

  “I'm gonna lose my mind over you,” he gasped, burying himself inside me and everything became too hot. I was panting then falling, lost to nothing in the sweetest oblivion I'd ever known. I felt him follow me into it, his hands clawing the sheets either side of me, his body weighing me down and his hips firmly locked against mine.

  Dizziness washed through me as the tide of pleasure pushed deeper then withdrew from me entirely, leaving me exhausted and happy, so damn happy.

  His thumb brushed my lower lip and my eyes fluttered open. I fell into the deep well of darkness awaiting me in his gaze. I'd never noticed before but his eyes weren't quite black after all, they were deepest admiral blue, holding a galaxy of light in them.

  Orion lifted a hand to my mouth, releasing a gentle flutter of air against my lips. I felt it moving all the way deep into my lungs and suddenly I wasn't breathless anymore. He rolled off of me and I stared up at the ceiling, resting a hand on my burning hot stomach. The longer I lay there, the more a knot of worry formed right beneath where my hand lay.

  I've not even been here a term and I just screwed a teacher.

  The silence grew thicker and I couldn't make myself look over at him, afraid of what I'd see when I did.

  Panic?

  Shame?

  Regret?

  What if he just got me out of his system and I have to spend the rest of my time at Zodiac trying to forget this ever happened?

  Don't freak out. You're totally overthinking this.

  His hand suddenly wound around mine and he reeled me toward him, making my fears flutter away on the wind.

  “Talk to me, Blue,” he urged and I leaned my weight on his chest as he curled his arm around me and held me close.

  “Was this a mistake?” I whispered, hating the way he winced when I said it.

  “Not to me,” he said in an anxious tone. “Was it for you?”

  “No,” I said quickly, sliding my hand onto his cheek and grazing my fingers through his perfectly trimmed beard.

  His hand trailed down to rest on my lower back and the tension in his body melted away. He slowly circled his fingers, raising goosebumps beneath them.

  “If we're going to continue this, we have to be careful,” he warned.

  “I know.” I kissed him gently and his hand slid into my hair to hold me there a moment longer.

  “You can't tell anyone.”

  I nodded.

  “Not even your sister,” he impressed.

  I sighed as I nodded again. I knew she would have taken this secret to the grave but I had no idea what this crazy thing between Orion and I even was yet. And if it stayed between just the two of us, I knew there was absolutely no chance of it getting out. So long as we didn't make any stupid decisions. Like coming to the teacher's quarters with bright blue hair late at night.

  I groaned, hiding my face in his shoulder and soaking in the musk of his skin and the scent of cinnamon which was now branded on me too.

  “If we ever get caught, I'll do everything in my power to ensure you don't get expelled,” he said seriously, a deep crease forming on his brow.

  I brushed my fingers across it as my heart beat a little quicker. “Let's plan never to get caught.”

  “Plans are the best way to make the stars laugh,” Orion pointed out with a playful grin.

  “Well let them laugh.” I giggled and his eyes dropped to my mouth with a heady lust falling over his expression again.

  “Stay,” he breathed, tracking his finger down my arm.

  “You know I can't,” I sighed. “It's too risky.”

  He sighed, lifting his hips to tug out the duvet beneath us and drawing it around us like a cocoon. His Numerology book tumbled out from somewhere within it and I laughed.

  He released a feral noise in his throat. “Five more minutes then I’ll take you back,” he offered and I gave in, unable to resist spending a little longer with him like this.

  “You drive a hard bargain, Mr Orion.” I dropped the 'professor' knowing he didn't like it when we were this close. Not that we'd been this close before.

  He grinned darkly. “I can drive an even harder one if you want?”

  “Very tempting, but I'm not sure five minutes is long enough for your hard bargain.”

  He laughed as I curled up against him, resting my head on his shoulder and drinking in the perfect peace between us.

  The storm rattled the windows like it was threatening to get in. But nothing could touch us here. Not the rules which bound us, or the lines drawn in the sand between us where he stood with the Heirs and I stood with my sister. Here, we were nothing but two Fae who craved each other with a force that rivalled mother nature. And I could no longer resist the call of its power.

  Darius:

  I’ll come to your room in half an hour. Be ready to ride.

  Who the hell did he think he was to be sending me a message like that? I hadn’t even heard from him all evening and I’d presumed he’d been joking about the whole race thing and now, at gone ten, he sent me a fucking summons?

  I wrote out a rude as shit refusal then held my thumb suspended over the send button.

  I should do it. I should tell him where to stick his middle of the night nonsense, especially the night before my Air Trial.

  No doubt that wasn’t accidental either. He was hoping that by keeping me up late he’d throw me off for the assessment. Little did he know that late nights were standard for me. Early mornings weren’t my friend but with the trial at one o’clock, I’d have plenty of time to sleep in before it as lessons were cancelled. If I went with him. Which this message clearly said I wasn’t.

  I scowled at it then deleted it instead. He wasn’t going to scare me off that easily. But I wouldn’t play to his tune either. He wasn’t coming to my goddamn room; I’d be going to his.

  I got out of bed where I’d been listening to music while working on a Cardinal Magic assignment and headed for my closet, finding some ripped black jeans and a navy crop top. I threw them on then tossed my leather jacket over the top of it before lacing up the new boots I’d bought for the winter. They were strong and practical; the kind of thing I’d have worn on a job back in Chicago. And that was how I was seeing this little excursion. If I won this stupid race, I’d be claiming one of Darius’s precious bikes as my prize. And I fully intended to win. So this job would actually end up with me owning one of those beautiful beasts instead of having to sell it on. If he kept his word about me keeping it. Which I actually got the feeling he would.

  I decided to channel a little bit of ‘Joey’s bar Tory’ tonight and went heavier on the eyeliner, added dark lipstick and messed up my hair on purpose so that the waves were untamed but wouldn’t mind the addition of a motorcycle helmet.

  I assessed myself in the mirror critically, scowling for effect. I wouldn’t wanna mess with this bitch. I just hoped Darius would feel the same.

  I stuffed my Atlas into my pocket and didn’t bring anything else. That stupid dagger hummed with expectant energy as I brushed my fingers over it in my bedside locker but I forced away the desire to take it with me and headed out of the room.

>   I jogged up the stairs to the top floor and headed down the hallway towards Darius’s room.

  A door on my right opened before I got there and I cursed as Marguerite stepped out.

  “Are you lost?” she demanded.

  “I don’t think so. I was looking for the hall of basic bitches and average assholes and it looks like I’ve found it now that I see you here.” I smiled sweetly while quickly tossing up a wall of solid air around me and reenforcing my shields against Coercion.

  “Tell me why you’re here,” Marguerite demanded, her voice laced with Coercion as I’d expected.

  Her power crashed against my mental shield but I let the look of disdain slip from my face and widened my eyes so that she’d believe the next words from my lips were the truth she’d wanted.

  “I’m here because I spend all of my spare time watching you and wanting to be like you but you’re mean to me and won’t be my best friend forever like I sooo wish you would. So I decided to become you instead. I’m starting off by creeping up here to seduce your precious Darius and screw him senseless just to make you cry. Then I’m going to dye my hair the cheapest, shittiest shade of red I can find and finally I’ll become the head cheerleader because I fucking love being cheery. Mostly I’m going to do it because I’m obsessed with you but partly because I’m a psycho bitch who just wants to ruin your life.” I smiled at her sweetly and flames sprung to life in her hands.

  Marguerite shrieked as she launched them at me but they collided with the shield of air I was holding in place and ricocheted into the walls instead. “You cheap ass gutter whore!” she snarled at me, stalking forward with more fire in her hands. “You and your idiot sister think you can just stroll in here and act like you own the damn place when we all know that you grew up with nothing and no one. Two sets of parents died rather than be stuck with you and then you couldn’t even find a mortal family to love you enough to keep you so they just bounced you from place to place like the unwanted trash you are. So why don’t the two of you just realise that no one wants you here either?”

  I took a step towards her, my eyes narrowing as rage built in my gut. All the things she’d said about the way we’d grown up was true and the low blows stung but there was only one thing in amongst her tirade that had really gotten a reaction from me.