❖
Stefan
“You sure you want to go?”
She shrugged. “I’ve never been to a bonfire before.”
“It’s a pile of wood that we set on fire, Eve. If you want, I can make us our own without half of Caelum being there,” Nestor grumbled, and I had to hide a laugh. Mr. Introvert hated these things on a good day, after all.
Eve pouted. “If you don’t want to go, you can stay here, grumpy.”
Nestor winced. “You know how many steps I’m going to have to go down to get to the beach?”
Her face fell. “There are steps?”
“Lots of them, and don’t let him guilt trip you. It will be good for him to exercise,” Eren interjected cheerfully, slinging his arm around Eve’s shoulder and hooking her close.
He’d been cheerful ever since they’d both bounced into Nestor’s room with the news he’d received his mark, and I couldn’t be anything other than overjoyed for him, if I was being honest. All of my Pack was now tied to Eve, and my happiness was twofold.
I wanted them to feel the way I did now that I had her. It was like I was no longer adrift and she anchored me, even if she hadn’t completed the union. There was, after all, a difference between being Chosen and being Claimed. And Christ, I couldn’t wait for that to happen.
But also, there would never be any fears of the Pack splintering over her. They were as tied to her as I was, and with Dre, that had been a major concern. That she wore his mark was a testament to the fact he’d never screw her over now.
He couldn’t.
And I was relieved as fuck.
Life with Eve and her oddities was going to be challenging, and if anyone would have thrown us under the table, I knew it would have been Dre. Now? Not so much. He was as fucked as we were.
At Eren’s words, Nestor pulled a face. “Next time you’re injured, I’m going to make you suffer afterward.”
Though Eren laughed, Eve gasped. “If it’s that bad then we can’t make him go.”
Her words had Nestor tugging at the blankets that covered him. With a huff, he admitted, “I can make it, Eve.” The ‘for you’ went unspoken, but she heard it because her eyes softened.
“If you’re sure?”
“I’m sure.” He didn’t even play on her sympathy now that he had it, and I knew my brother was as lost as I was because before, he totally would have.
We’d all been shits with women, and I could admit now we’d all been users. Considering how protective we were where Eve was concerned, it made me feel like a real bastard. It wasn’t like I could apologize to every girl I’d fucked over in my year, though, was it?
Eve padded over to the bed and I wasn’t the only one who checked out her ass as she did so. Dre, despite being a grumpy motherfucker, stopped reading something on his tablet and watched the ripest butt this side of the Atlantic as she bent over and began rearranging Nestor’s covers like he was a real invalid.
After the sheets were tucked in, she turned around, and I watched Eren almost choke on his tongue when her yoga pants did that glorious thing only they seemed capable of—splitting her pussy lips in half with the fabric, revealing a camel toe that had my tongue cleaving to the roof of my mouth.
I swore Eve did shit that I’d never have even noticed before. The amount of girls in my class who bopped around in workout gear? This shit was pretty standard, and yeah, I’d checked it out because I had a dick, but I hadn’t started panting. Eve? Yeah. I could feel the sweat start to dot my brow in response to her unconscious sensuality.
Nestor had told us what had gone down last night, or more like super early morning, and I’d shared the way we’d kissed and that I’d made her come the night we’d returned from Aboh.
I was surprised because I’d thought she’d be more tentative about that side of things, what with her past and everything, but the souls would go a long way to doing away with any and all modesty.
They had urges, and they felt no shame.
Thank fuck for that.
Nestor mumbled, “Want me to play for you tonight?”
That had me cocking a brow, but Eve clapped her hands. “You would? I only heard you play that one time before you left for Aboh.”
That was because he only played when he was nervous.
He cleared his throat. “I can twang out ‘Happy Birthday’ for you on it.”
Her cheeks burned. “You don’t have to do that. I don’t want anyone else to know.”
“Why not?” I inquired.
She just shrugged and said, “It’s not that big of a deal to me.”
Women often said shit while meaning and wanting something else, but I truly believed her. Obtusely, it made me even more regretful about forgetting what today was.
Well, for her anyway.
It was creepy as fuck that they’d all shared the one birthday at her home. What the fuck was that about? At least I had an identity, for Eve, it felt like the lines were blurred, and I hated that for her. Made me want to have her pick out another birthdate, one of her choosing and not some creepy cult leader’s.
The second I thought of it, the second it fit.
Striding over to her, I grabbed her hand and shuddered as the connection flared to life once more. Shoving my response to the side, I murmured, “Eve?”
Coppery-brown eyes blinked up at me. “Yes, Stefan?”
“How do you feel about picking your own birthday? One that wasn’t chosen for you?”
“No one chooses their birthday,” she pointed out.
“Yeah, but it’s fate that decides, not Father fucking Bryan.”
She stared at me for a second, obviously pondering my words. In some ways, she was as sharp as a tack and it showed. “Why does it bother you?”
“Because Stefan hates the Man,” Dre chimed in from behind his tablet.
I shot him a glower, but Eve just frowned. First at me, then at him.
“The Man? Who’s the Man? Father Bryan?”
I had to snicker. “Sure, I hate him, but the Man is different. It just means… authority.”
Another frown, but she shrugged. “Oh. Well, I’ll think about it.” She squeezed my fingers. “But we should get going. If there are stairs, it’s going to get dark soon. I don’t want Nestor falling down them.”
Dre snorted and Nestor flipped him the bird—it went ignored.
Watching her fuss over Nestor was both amusing and heartwarming. It made me feel good how she tended to him, showed me the kind of woman she was—as if I hadn’t known that already.
For a set of guys who’d never had an ounce of softness over the age of eleven, I knew we basked in her warmth and affection like a flower did in the sun’s rays.
It was addictive.
Being her Chosen was truly the worst kind of drug.
It was why I could turn my back on Caelum, a place that had saved me, that I’d have given my life for, before her. But in the face of something that was born of duty, what she inspired in me overtook it like nothing else could.
She made me feel, and I realized how closed up I’d been before her. Focused on winning, on fighting, on the Pack, and on becoming a soldier.
To her, I was just a boy and she was just a girl.
I hadn’t known how badly I’d needed that until her.
Watching Eve tend to Nestor didn’t get boring, even after we headed outside. The evening was warm, and the sun was low with bright pink shards of color piercing the sky, giving everything a gentle glow.
As we crossed the secondary gate and began the walk to the beach where the bonfire was being held, I appreciated the surroundings more than I ever had before.
This could be my last bonfire at Caelum.
It hit home, resonated deeply, but I had a different purpose now. Nothing was as cut and dry as it had been before.
Heading out here tonight meant us missing out on my working with her Succubus, and though that sucked, a part of me wanted to attend the party more. It was something I’d li
ke her to experience before we left Caelum, a rite of passage we’d never be able to replicate for her once we were away from the island.
Plus, she’d had a full day’s study, had been beaten up by fourteen-year-olds, got into a fight with Samuel, then Chosen Eren… she’d been busy for a birthday girl.
Sucking in a breath that was loaded with the sweet scent of amaryllis, the path we traversed was graveled, and on either side, low palm trees acted as markers toward the different bays that were popular with students. We headed down to Cruckshanks, which was the nearest beach, but also the one with the biggest climb.
I’d stumbled my way drunk up the stairs here one time too many, and that was why most of us brought sleeping gear with us when there was a bonfire, because it was easier to pass out on the shore than it was to head back up that steep cliff face when you were fucked out of your skull.
Eren and I carried two sleeping bags each, and I’d grabbed one of the sun tents for Eve so she’d have some privacy. Sure, she’d been sleeping on Nestor’s couch the past few nights, but there was a big difference between that and passing out amid a crowd. She was safe with us, but I’d like her to have her own space.
And if she invited me inside it? Even better.
As we headed down the stairs that were cut into the cliff, I kept an eye on Nestor. Each step made pain flash across his features, but he dealt with it just like we’d been trained to. It was probably too soon, but that was something we were used to—pushing our limits.
Even this high up, the wind buffeted us, making it a little harder as we made our descent but shit, it felt good. The breeze was cold in comparison to the hot night and the tang of the sea lit me up inside. It also meant that Eve’s shirt whipped against her body, revealing way more than she was used to.
In her yoga pants and one of Nestor’s shirts, she shouldn’t have looked as cute as she did, but fuck, my cock reacted as though she was wearing hooker heels and a mini skirt.
Most of the girls at the party would be wearing prime scoring material, but not Eve, and hell, not us. We were all in shorts and sweats, comfortable shit, because I knew tonight wasn’t about the party, but a kind of farewell.
This could be our last bonfire.
Our last night out here on Cruckshanks, and though none of us were major surfers like Reed was, the beach was a second home for most of Caelum’s student body. It was where we could chill, hangout, and act our age without having to deal with the responsibilities of our future.
By the time we made it to the sand, Nestor was looking pale. I was glad the bonfire was nearby, and knew he’d be staggering by the time we made it. He was leaning harder on Eve now that we were on flat land, and I pitied him the climb up tonight—or tomorrow if we slept here.
Dre carried two coolers as well as Nestor’s guitar under his arm, meaning that only Eve and Nestor weren’t loaded down like mules. He didn’t even know it yet, but Dre was as whipped as the rest of us.
The bonfire was built, probably by Genny, one of my many exes, who took it on herself to be the party organizer. She and her cluster of friends took this shit far too seriously, but who was I to argue when I reaped the benefits of her need to throw parties?
We settled away from the bonfire, knowing it would get hot, but also because that was where the heavy-duty dancing and fucking would go down. It might interest Eve, or it might frighten the shit out of her, and I didn’t feel like talking her down from a scare. I really just wanted to let my hair down, and I wanted all of us to relax and chill. A night of ‘calm before the storm’ kind of thing.
As we crossed over the sand, I saw the looks shot our way, sensed some nasty glances that were aimed at Eve. Ever since the crap with Lewis had gone down, Eve had been persona non grata among our year, and to be honest, I wasn’t upset about that. I didn’t need her to be Miss. Popularity. If anything, their ignoring her came to our aid. The more she was around them, the more they tried to antagonize her, the more likely it was that her souls would respond, and her control would rupture.
That was a fate no one needed to tempt.
When I dumped the sleeping bags on the sand, Eve grabbed one and unrolled it, then helped Nestor down. He was shaky as shit at this point, and I wasn’t surprised when Eve rushed over to Dre to grab a soda from the cooler.
Technically, we weren’t supposed to drink that shit, but contraband always tasted that much sweeter, didn’t it?
The sugar brought some color back into his cheeks, and Eve carried on fussing around him as we set up our station for the night.
Was I stunned that Nestor let her flit around him?
Not really.
He was like the rest of us. Abandoned by his parents, by choice or by life’s shitty hand. None of us were used to this kind of affection, and though I thought Dre would be the least appreciative, I had a feeling even he’d soak it up like a sponge.
“Mind if we set up close?”
Frazer’s question had me blinking before I turned and looked over my shoulder at him. “Sure,” I replied, cutting a glance at the rest of the crowd.
I hadn’t imagined his Pack would be anywhere other than near Eve, and it was a testament to how much things had changed in such a short space of time that I wasn’t even bristling.
Over three dozen in our year had gathered at the bonfire now, and I knew they were flicking surprised glances our way. Usually, we’d be on one side of the fire, and Frazer and his guys would be on the other. To be so close? Normally it spoke of a fight, and though I knew it would be wise to perpetuate the notion that we were still hating on one another, it would be a bittersweet way to spend the night.
An hour later, we were all digging into the sandwiches Eren and Eve had made us, drinking beer, or water for Eve, and the scent of the sea was swirling around with the sweet smell of toasted nuts that wafted from the baklava Eren had made as Eve’s birthday gift.
Darkness had fallen, the music was on high, people were dancing, and me? Even though I’d usually be in the thick of it, Dre too, we were just chilling.
All of us.
Reed was giving Eve shit about not being able to swim, Nestor was bitching at Eren for not telling us sooner that it was Eve’s birthday, and Frazer, Samuel, and I were arguing about the Red Sox’s chances this year.
It was normal.
It was… fuck. Pack.
In a few weeks’ time, on Dre’s birthday, he was supposed to officially declare the four of us Pack, but man, I didn’t know if we were going to be here by then. I hoped so, but the revelations kept on coming. Eve had marks to hide now, and I had no idea if we could maintain this level of secrecy from a faculty that would have given George Orwell nightmares.
Privacy was impossible in Caelum, and that we’d managed to hide our connection to Eve thus far was a testament to the fact that Nicholas and the rest of the faculty were focused on the shit show in Aboh. Now that the battle was done? I didn’t know how long we’d have here even if something had happened that required Merinda and Damon, two top recruiters, to head out at the same time on a mission.
Was I sad about leaving? Sure. But mostly, I was wary. Concerned about Eve and the randomness of her behavior. I hated shit I couldn’t control, and controlling what Eve could do wasn’t anything I had a handle on. How could I? She was a total anomaly. A nightmare for a man like me.
“Fuck, this tastes good,” Samuel mumbled, jolting me from my thoughts.
I cut him a look, saw that Eren had delved into the Tupperware housing his gift to Eve. She was munching on it too, and her face had me hiding my smile behind my beer.
Orgasm by food was a thing, and Eve had just experienced it.
Burying the bottle in the sand, I held out my hand. Eren placed a sticky piece on my fingers and I chomped on it also. Shit was good. Wasn’t the first time I’d had it though. He’d made it a few years before after he’d watched a foodie show one night with no sleep.
He had too many of those.
I remembered that year in p
articular. After the baklava, he’d taken to cooking at night. Good stuff that had padded out my food hoard quite nicely. Wasn’t sure why he’d stopped, to be honest, and it was why his admission he’d been watching cooking shows had come as a surprise because, one morning that year, just another random day, there’d been no Turkish food for breakfast. It had sucked but, while we were Pack, we didn’t really talk about shit.
Not until Eve.
She was changing things for a lot of us, and I was about to find out how much.
7
Eve
The night wasn’t anything like I’d anticipated. I’d been to a party at Caelum over a week ago, and I thought I knew what was what, but out here on the beach? It was wilder. I wasn’t sure if it was because of the lack of supervision—not that I’d seen any of the faculty hovering around at the other party—or just the wildness in the air that came from being so close to the sea, but it was like something from a movie the guys had made me watch.
I just couldn’t settle on whether it was like The Hangover or Bridesmaids.
A lot of the girls were hopped up on beer and weed, or so I’d heard Reed mumble. A while ago, I’d have wondered why anyone would eat weeds, but now I knew what that meant. Cannabis. Where did they even get that stuff here?
Soda and candy were considered contraband, but weed wasn’t?
Boggled my mind.
The girls were dancing like it was their last night on earth, and the guys? They were slinking around them like rattlesnakes, just waiting to bite. I wasn’t as naïve as I’d once been. I knew some of the score now. Amazing how a lifetime’s innocence could be jarred within a handful of months in a place where very little was taboo.
Sex?
Nope. You could do that when your souls deemed you were ready.
Alcohol?
Nope. The souls were also in charge on that score, and apparently, the faculty bought beer for the older students.
Candy?
Ha. That was the no-no.
The guys were hovering around where we’d set up, and I wasn’t sure if that was because they didn’t want to dance or because they didn’t need to. Seeing the girls moving their bodies the way they were made me uncomfortable. It was overtly sexual, yet they were proud of their figures, comfortable in their skin. The discomfort was addled with a hint of jealousy and a dash of concern. While I wished I felt that way with my body, I also had to wonder if the guys wished I’d dance like that.
Eight Souls: The Caelum Academy Trilogy: Part TWO Page 19
