by Eve, Jaymin
The wall was near the Princeps’s office. I’d never worried about this wall before—it was strictly for those graduating.
I was finally understanding the stress of it all.
The list was long, the writing small, so everyone crowded close to see better. Up top was the list of academic excellence, and I wasn’t at all surprised to see Axl was top of the graduating class. He’d worked hard for that honor, and no one could take it away from him.
He’d been there long before he was a god.
There were so many students around us, and for once none of them were paying us any attention. Today they only cared about graduating and moving forward to the next part of their lives.
Scanning along the list, I saw Asher’s name. He was in the top ten of all graduates and had the highest marks in water magic and combat. Continuing on, the rest of my family were all there too. Every single one of them graduated, and they had fantastic grades despite everything we’d been through over the past year.
That left just me.
“You did it!” Axl shouted, wrapping his arms around me and hauling me up.
I saw my name at the same time he reached me. Maddison James. Passed.
Relief crushed me. There had been a few tricky final exams, and I’d messed up more than once. None of my classes had spectacular grades, but that didn’t matter. I’d passed. I’d achieved what I needed to, and now we could move forward.
“Woohoo!!” Larissa screamed, barreling into me. “Party time…”
Before she could say another word, Rone wrapped his huge hands around her biceps. I saw a moment of shock on her face before he pulled her toward him and lifted her high enough that he could crush his lips to hers.
All of us blinked at them, and when my brain caught up to my eyes, I couldn’t stop my heartfelt smile. Yes. Finally. Finally they were going to give it a shot.
Before a single suggestive remark could even leave Calen’s mouth, Rone was gone, chest rumbling, fangs out as he kissed the hell out of Larissa.
“I’m guessing we won’t see those two for a while,” Ilia said with a snort, striding over. She fist-bumped me. “Great work, dude. You’re officially an Academy graduate.”
It was surreal.
Calen scooped her into his arms, disappointment over his lost opportunity to heckle Rone gone. “What about me, sexy? I graduated too. Where’s my present?”
Her voice was husky. “Hmmm, let me think. It might be back in my room. Should we go and see?”
He was running. Literally running away from us, Ilia in his arms.
“Don’t forget about the party later,” she screamed over his shoulder, her laughter ringing down the hallway.
A huge graduation party was going down, location to be revealed soon. We still had a few hours before the big event though, and I really wanted to swim.
The last month had been a touch stressful, and … everything before that too.
Let’s do it, water baby.
Asher in my head. Hot. Damn.
“See you all tonight,” Jesse said with a knowing grin. Things were so much better between all of us—he was even seeing a shifter from Stratford. In truth, I think the skeleton thing kind of freaked him out. He hadn’t looked at me the same way since.
Asher snorted. “Your bones are fucking sexy. What are you talking about?”
With a burst of laughter, I smacked him. “You’re an idiot. Now take me swimming.”
Chapter 41
The ocean room was my sanctuary here. I’d had plenty of late night “swimming” sessions to wind down from all the studying. My poor animals were probably scarred, but Asher and I just couldn’t help ourselves.
Our desires only increased with our bond. Now that we were metaphysically tied in every way possible … I wanted him more than ever. Standing on the beach, staring out across the water, he sent his power out, dimming the sky above, turning it from daylight into a starlit night.
“So fucking proud of you, Mads,” he murmured, stripping my clothes off. Sometimes he liked to do it the old-fashioned way, hands scraping across my nipples, fingers sending bumps over my skin.
Sexy bones or not, there were definitely benefits to having skin.
When I was naked, he dropped to his knees, face buried in my pussy, tongue stoking across the sensitive flesh there. It took him about fifteen seconds to have me moaning and rocking against him, and ten more seconds before my knees went weak as the first orgasm slammed into me.
How they hit with so much force was beyond me, but I was straight up addicted.
Asher continued to suck and lick across my clit, sending me into a second … or continuous orgasm. “Fuck,” I groaned, my fingers threading through his thick hair. He didn’t stop until I was a weak-legged, completely satisfied mess. Needing to return the favor, I ran my hand across the thick shaft jutting out from his body.
Asher dropped his head back. “Love that fucking firm grip,” he grunted, and I tightened even further, dragging a groan from him.
When he couldn’t take it any longer, he pressed me back into the sand, huge body covering mine completely. As he slid inside of me, I groaned, wrapping my legs around him.
He moved slow at first, loving me, pressing kisses along my chest and up my neck. Soon our rhythm changed as we both chased the edge of an orgasm, while still wanting to drag it out.
“Come for me, Maddison James.”
The command teamed with my full name was too much. A scream ripped from me as that slow build turned into a fucking tropical storm of pleasure. His dick swelled and my body reacted. Asher was coming; we were coming. That was just how it worked. Always together.
When he groaned, he slowed, drawing it out for both of us, the world around us made of twilight and smelling of sex and ocean. I’d never been more content in my life.
Asher dropped kisses on my lips as my body pulsed around his. He was still hard inside of me—once wasn’t going to be enough tonight. But he would take me swimming first. Our souls were craving it. We could feel it simmering in the bond between us.
“Plenty of time for me to love you later,” Asher said, lips brushing across the sensitive flesh on my neck. “Let’s do your second favorite thing now.”
With a snort, I smacked him on the chest. “How do you know you’re my favorite?”
His smile faded, a serious expression crossing his face. “Because I’m in here,” he said, brushing across my temple with a gentle stroke. His thumb moved down my face and to my chest. “And in here.”
Another toe-curling kiss later, I sighed. “You’re right, my love. You are my favorite thing.”
“And you’re mine, Maddison James. Now and always.”
Now and always.
Always was a long time for us, and I couldn’t wait.
Acknowledgments
This series. Guys. It has completely captured my heart. I find myself lingering extra long in this supernatural world—I love the characters so much.
Jacob’s story will be the conclusion of this particular set (Dragon Marked series) and then I have to make the decision if I’ll ever be back here again.
Something tells me I will. There is still too much to explore.
For now, though, this is goodbye, and I’m writing this with a heavy (but happy) heart.
Thank you for the love and enthusiasm you’ve shown for Maddison and her Atlanteans. Thank you for following her journey, for laughing and crying with her, and for never giving up.
I seriously have the best readers ever. I could not be more grateful that you found my books in the millions on Amazon.
Thank you. Seriously, I mean it. You rock.
Love, Jaymin xxx
Also by Jaymin Eve
Also by Jaymin Eve
The Titan’s Saga (UF/PNR Humor and action)
Book One: Releasing the Gods
Book Two: Wrath of the Gods (April 2020)
Royals of Arbon Academy (Dark College Romance)
Book One: Princess
Ballot
Book Two: Playboy Princes (May 2020)
Supernatural Academy (Complete Urban Fantasy/PNR)
Year One
Year Two
Year Three
Dark Legacy (Complete Dark contemporary high school romance)
Book One: Broken Wings
Book Two: Broken Trust
Book Three: Broken Legacy
Secret Keepers Series (Complete PNR/Urban Fantasy)
Book One: House of Darken
Book Two: House of Imperial
Book Three: House of Leights
Book Four: House of Royale
Storm Princess Saga (Complete High Fantasy)
Book One: The Princess Must Die
Book Two: The Princess Must Strike
Book Three: The Princess Must Reign
Curse of the Gods Series (Complete Reverse Harem Fantasy)
Book One: Trickery
Book Two: Persuasion
Book Three: Seduction
Book Four: Strength
Novella: Neutral
Book Five: Pain
NYC Mecca Series (Complete - UF series)
Book One: Queen Heir
Book Two: Queen Alpha
Book Three: Queen Fae
Book Four: Queen Mecca
A Walker Saga (Complete - YA Fantasy)
Book One: First World
Book Two: Spurn
Book Three: Crais
Book Four: Regali
Book Five: Nephilius
Book Six: Dronish
Book Seven: Earth
Supernatural Prison Trilogy (UF series)
Book One: Dragon Marked
Book Two: Dragon Mystics
Book Three: Dragon Mated
Book Four: Broken Compass
Book Five: Magical Compass
Book Six: Louis
Book Seven: Jacob’s story (tbd)
Hive Trilogy (Complete UF/PNR series)
Book One: Ash
Book Two: Anarchy
Book Three: Annihilate
Sinclair Stories (Standalone Contemporary Romance)
Songbird
