Academy Obscura - The Scorched Summer: A Reverse Harem Paranormal Romance

by Cassia Briar

  “That’s wonderful news!” I made a move to hug her then stopped myself. That would be awkward. Destiny and I didn’t have that kind of relationship. I narrowed my gaze at her. “Does this mean you’re leaving my service?”

  She glanced down. “With your permission, yes. Though honestly, you’ve learned everything I have to teach you. I’d suggest working with a vampire next.” Destiny glanced toward Regina who stood nearby. “They’re all kinds of cunning.”

  Once again, I wondered what had happened between them when they’d shared an RV for several days as we’d traveled across the country.

  I voiced the question aloud, “When you and Regina were in that RV—” I cut myself off as Destiny’s tan skin turned a deep red.

  Liam cleared his throat and gave me a pointed look.

  I turned back to my former nemesis. “Thank you for the suggestion. I’ll take your resignation under advisement. Now go celebrate.” I shoved at her. She disappeared into the crowd. Facing Liam, I asked, “What was that all about?”

  “I believe they had a steamy tryst.” Liam took my elbow. “I see our table. Over there.”

  Oh. Oh. Regina and Destiny, huh, I would have thought they’d be at each other’s throats. Maybe they had been. At least someone had been having fun in those RVs.

  I let Liam lead me away, but we didn’t make it far before yet another familiar voice captured our attention.

  “Council Queen.”

  “Councilor Aimes.” Yes, Kyle had been revoted back onto the official Supernatural Council after the coup. The people really loved him. “What can I do for you this evening?”

  “It’s never what you can do for me, Caprice, but what I can do for you.” He held my gaze with those pale green eyes.

  I lifted a brow. “Which is?”

  “Deliver this parchment.” With a flourish, he produced a scroll.

  I took it, turning it over in my hands. My gaze landed on the seal—a dragon—and my heart beat faster. I was from my family in Cyprus. “Where did you get this?”

  “It arrived today at Council HQ. I thought you would want it as soon as possible.”

  He was right about that. “Thank you.” My words came out more hesitant than I’d intended. I cleared my throat. “That was very thoughtful of you.”

  “Always at your service, Dragon Queen.” Kyle bowed.

  Angel stepped between us. “Move on, Aimes, before I decide you’re flirting with my mate. I wouldn’t mind breaking a few more of your bones.”

  “I’m not flirting, sir.” Kyle held eye contact with the alpha wolf, not backing down. Angel growled a warning. I coughed to hide a laugh. Kyle Aimes, defiant to the last. He’d never learn. I tugged on Angel’s sleeve to move us along. Montrell helped.

  Finally, we made it to our table next to the bride and groom’s and the rest of the bridal party.

  “Congratulations, you two!” I said, as May squished the air from my lungs. She pulled away, beaming back at me, then turned to her brother.

  Next, I caught both Lana and Brody in a hug. “You two look fantastic.”

  Lana smoothed her dress. “I feel like a fairytale princess.”

  “You’re my princess,” Brody said, looping an arm around her waist. She nipped at his neck.

  I was so happy to see them be head over heels in love.

  “Excuse us.” Brody lifted Lana in his arms and she let out a squeak. With a mischievous grin he strode purposefully toward the main staircase. I doubted we would see either of them again tonight.

  Elena sidled up to me. “Those two are impossible. And they’re going to miss Heller’s speech.”

  I followed her gaze to where the big alpha hovered near the stage staring down at a piece of paper in his hands. Even in a tuxedo he managed to appear rugged.

  Tyler stepped up behind Elena. “We should find our seats,” he said and ushered her away.

  My mates and I retreated to our own table. Heller looked like he might be a while, so I broke the seal, and discreetly unrolling the parchment under the table.

  It was from Iria. She assured me they were all doing well. The main reason she was writing was to invite me and my mates for the holidays. New Year’s was especially important to dragon kind, and she wanted us there for it.

  I glanced up at my men. My mates. The link between the five of us sizzled with love and adoration.

  “You guys up for a trip to Cyprus?”

  Epilogue

  Mid-December at the Oregon coast was cold and windy. My mates and I strolled out of reach of the crashing waves as the tide receded. Bundled in raincoats and boots, we were on our daily beach walk. We were finally on our first vacation together—five months after the coup ended.

  Liam, Angel, and Jaxon stopped to check out a foaming pool of seaweed. Montrell and I continued leisurely onward, hand in hand. Something was on his mind, on all their minds, but they weren’t admitting to it yet. However, the mate bond didn’t lie.

  A gleam of purple in the greyish-brown sand caught my eye. I crouched down and uncovered a small snail shell of vivid purple and blue. I smoothed my thumb over the circular ridges. My dragon took notice. Mine. Yep, this one would be added to my hoard. I retrieved the black fae cloth pouch from my coat pocket and dropped the violet shell inside.

  Montrell helped me back to my feet and we continued on, walking several yards in front of the others. His intense hazel gaze studied my face.

  “What’s on your mind?” I asked.

  He heaved a long sigh and hmmed. He was stalling. “You know I’m not always good with words. I-I have yet to tell you how much I care about you.” Our link ignited with love, true and deep.

  “You don’t have to say anything, Montrell. I know how you feel. It comes through clear as day.” I squeezed his fingers.

  “It’s not enough.” He rubbed his palm across his mouth, then dropped his hand. We halted and he cupped my face. “I love you, Caprice.”

  “I know you do. I love you too.”

  He teased his lips over mine. “From now on, I’m going to say those three words to you every single day.”

  My heart fluttered at the intensity of his tone—like a vow. I closed the distance and fully kissed him. He made a hungry sound in the back of his throat as his tongue entered my mouth.

  “Come on, lovebirds, let’s get back to the nest,” Jaxon said, walking past us.

  We followed them, fingers entwined. We’d rented a beach house for the week. It was more like a beach mansion with eight bedrooms and its own private cove. At night, Montrell and I had taken to shifting and flying over the ocean. The open space gave me a sense of freedom and calm I’d never experienced before.

  My cell chimed as we climbed the steps to the beach-side door. I fished it out of my pocket and woke the screen. It was a reply from my foster father, Antonio. Glad to hear life is treating you well. Not much has changed around here, except we have a new foster daughter who’s taken your old room. She’s kind of the goth type. Max loves her. Remember, if you ever need anything, Vanessa and I are here for you.

  I’d managed a quick visit back east in late August to tell them Isabella had passed and left me everything. It had been good to see them. At the same time, being there had shown me how much I’d changed. How much my world had changed and there was no going back. Perhaps one day the time would be right to introduce them to the world of supernaturals. Perhaps.

  I shoved off my wet boots and coat and shivered. “I’m going to warm up in the hot tub.” Without waiting for a response, I stripped naked and headed for the second story deck. Four pairs of bare feet stalked after me.

  Easing into the silky, warm water, I gazed out over the Pacific ocean as sunset darkened the storm clouds. The fresh scent of rain, salt, and brine tickled my nose. Four large bodies joined me and the water level overflowed onto the deck. I unabashedly devoured their naked forms with my gaze. Hot damn.

  Liam and Montrell settled on either side of me, while Angel and Jaxon sat across from us.
I licked my lips, taking in their handsome faces.

  “You know,” Liam whispered in my ear, “this has always been a fantasy of mine.”

  “Oh? What’s that?” I asked.

  “Actually, it’s two fantasies in one.” His long fingers skimmed down my side, pebbling my flesh. “One, I’ve always wanted to have sex in a hot tub. Two, I want to watch you take all four of us at once.” His warm breath made me shiver. His fingers slipped between my folds and my back arched.

  Three moans pierced the air around us.

  Montrell, with his extra sensitive hearing, quirked a brow. “What do you say? Want to climb on this?” His hand disappeared under the bubbling water.

  Liam’s fingers worked inside me, his lips trailing heat up my neck. “Will you take us all?”

  Oh, yes please. I rocked my hips against his palm. “Yes. Just show me how.”

  Liam chuckled low and dangerous. “As you wish.” He pulled away from me and I opened my mouth to protest.

  Montrell lifted me to straddle his lap. I traced my fingers over the dragon tattoo across his chest, where he held a part of my soul.

  He palmed my breasts, tweaking my nipples and my spine bowed. I reached for his huge cock, then slowly sank down with a contented sigh. One down, three to go.

  Liam kissed the back of my neck as he teased a finger up my ass. I stilled, doing my best to relax. After a few strokes he replaced his finger with his dick. A pure shudder of pleasure rattled my body.

  Angel appeared next to us. He claimed me in a scorching kiss. Montrell and Liam started to move in sync and I whimpered from the intensity. I felt so full. I didn’t know if I could take anymore, but I wanted to try. I wanted our link bursting with lust.

  My wolf released my mouth and stood. His fingers tangled in my hair as his velvety tip pushed past my lips. I greedily took in every inch of him.

  Jaxon, at my other side, wrapped my free hand around his shaft. I stroked him and he let out a groan. His hand encased mine, squeezing, and he pumped his hips.

  Pleasure raced through my ever nerve. Each of my mates took what they wanted from me and I soaked up the sexual energy. Physically, I was burning with passion. The desire pulsing through our link pushed me higher and higher. As I was sure it did the same to them.

  My low belly coiled tight. I cried out around Angel’s cock as the first wave of release crashed through me. It turned into the most intense orgasm of my life. We all came at once, muscles straining, then collapsed in a heap.

  I floated for a while in the most delicious out of body experience. When my eyes opened, I found my cheek was resting on Montrell’s wide chest, his arms trapping me. Liam and Jaxon leaned back beside us. Angel sat out of the water on the edge, steam rising from his tan skin.

  “There’s something we need to talk about,” Jaxon said.

  “Sure.” At that point, I was agreeable to just about anything. I had a suspicion that was what they were betting on.

  “You want to do what?” I almost dropped the mug of hot chocolate. We lounged in the living room in front of a roaring fireplace. “How—?”

  Angel said, “Supreme Alpha comes with extreme responsibilities. I thought I wanted those, but I’m never here with you. I’m always taking care of pack business.”

  “The same goes with the fae territory,” Liam said softly. “I spend most of my time all the way across the country. That’s not likely to ever change.”

  Montrell nodded. “We can’t ask you to continually travel from district to district, you don’t have time for that.”

  “We’ve talked about it, weighed all the options, and decided this was best.” Jaxon’s grey gaze pinned me to the couch.

  “So… You’re just going to step down as royals? I’m the queen, when was I going to get a say in this decision?”

  “We want to be by your side,” Angel said, “as your mates. Others can take over as royals and run the individual territories.”

  I gaped at them. They were talking about sacrificing everything. For me. For us. So we could be together.

  “Who would take your places?” I would have to work with whoever did.

  Montrell glanced at Liam. “We don’t have heirs. Our territories would hold a Choosing.”

  “My brother Bruno is perfect for Supreme Alpha. And he wants the position.”

  “Judith. My cousin wants the job,” Jaxon said. “Henry agreed to support her and be her right hand as they’d like to rule together.”

  “Politically,” Montrell set his mug on the coffee table, “this is a wise move. It’s only a matter of time before people begin to question whether our loyalty lies with you or our royal titles. If four out of the five royals’ vote always favor the queen’s, well… The government is stacked toward you, Caprice.”

  He was right. They were all right. “What would you become then, if no longer royals?”

  The corners of Liam’s mouth lifted. “We’d each be a prince consort. Husbands of the queen. Fathers of the future queen or king.”

  “You seem to have thought this through.” I nibbled on my bottom lip.

  “Thoroughly,” Jaxon said. “Now, all we need is your approval. The Council will deal with the rest of the specifics.”

  They wanted this, and I wanted to be with them. Plus, as Montrell pointed out, this was good for the people.

  “Okay. You have it.”

  Four faces smiled back at me.

  “Now that each of you have given up your royal estates, where are you going to live?” I asked. Technically Jaxon owned his father’s house, as his cousins lived on the main McIver estate. But the others? Their properties belonged to the royal in charge, not to them.

  Angel leaned back on the couch and winked. “Here.”

  “What?” I glanced around at the beach rental.

  “We pulled together and bought this place, cupcake,” Jaxon said. “As a surprise for you. As a home for us all. We know how much you love the ocean, and let’s face it, Isabella’s house will never be home.”

  “You’re kidding!” I grinned wide. This place was ours?

  “It’s not a joke,” Liam said.

  Montrell lifted his cup. “Welcome home.”

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  Author’s Note

  Hey there! Yeah, I know I haven’t included an author’s note before, but this is a special occasion. For the first time, I didn’t type to be continued, because this is the end!

  I really want to thank you for reading the entire Academy Obscura series. You’re awesome! I so appreciate you hanging in there, for over a year as I wrote and published these books.

  In case you don’t know, this is my first series. This last book was the most challenging to write, in part because I didn’t want to say farewell to these characters. I know Caprice and her guys and their friends so well, we’ve been through a lot together—almost all of 2020—and it’s sad to see them go.

  Looking back over the ups and downs of 2020, I pride myself on managing to finish these books. I guess hiding in my office all day was a great coping mechanism to deal with the 2020 shit show. I wrote and published three books this year: The prequel: Ignite, book three: The Searing Trials, and book four: The Scorched Summer. Not too bad for a crazy year.

  What’s next? Harem of Redemption. Set twenty-five years after Academy Obscura and in the same world. Caprice and her guys do make an appearance in the third book of the trilogy. The Harem of Redemption series will not be an academy book. You’ll meet three tortured bad boys and the woman who is brave enough to want their beastly hearts, and not back down. Yeah, it’s going to be great!

  I’m also working on a MF, or male/female, first in series that will hopefully be included in multi-author anthology box set in 2021. Either way, I have great plans for that one.

  Thank you again, so much, for reading my debut se
ries.

  ~Cassia

  Harem of Redemption

  Available for pre-order!

  Estimated release date: March 30th, 2021

  I scarified myself to three monsters in order to save my brother.

  I’m an ordinary witch—there’s nothing special about me. After nearly a decade of raising my younger brother, he’s finally turned eighteen and I’m free. Free to pick up my own life where it left off.

  When he falls in with bad people and is caught, I’m afraid I’ve lost him forever. My only choice is to give my life in exchange for his. Now I’m theirs. I belong to three monstrous, beastly men.

  Cyril is a scar-faced fae who terrifies me. The wolf, Lucas, is a giant brute who guards me like I’m his mate. Vayne, their leader, is a manipulative and seductive vampire.

  I might be trapped in this eerie mansion, with a dark mystery of its own, but the day will come when I’ll escape and be reunited with my brother. Because I could never lose my heart to such beastly men. Could I?

  Author’s Note: This is a steamy, whychoose/reverse harem, darkish paranormal romance. You’ll find some light Beauty and the Beast themes, enemies-to-lovers, and a bit of a gothic vibe. It contains potentially triggering situations and is recommended for mature readers.

  The Harem of Redemption series is part of the Academy Obscura world. This book takes place twenty-five years after the Academy Obscura series.

  Click here to pre-order now!

  Ignite: An Academy Obscura Prequel

  Do you like to wait until the end to go back and read the prequel? Sign up for my email list and get this prequel for free: Cassia Briar’s Newsletter.

  Or purchase it on the Amazon store, here.