Encircle (Colosseum University: Thorwald Crest Book 3)

by Flynn Eire

  “Can you grab food for me? You know what I like,” Pierce asked a second before a wall of fire sprang up in front of us. “Hey, I think this is a school, not a paranormal zoo, so let me teach you something even if it’s manners. You’d think the top one percent had them, but apparently not.” He didn’t make the fire hot until a few people were jerks, then he probably only singed them. It made me smile how he corralled them away from me. My steps were lighter as I grabbed a tray and went through the line, loading up on food… Until it was almost too heavy for me to balance.

  “I hope that’s not for you, Mr. Taher,” Professor—and Prince—Aeneas mumbled as he suddenly appeared next to me. “I would never rat you out given I hate this banshee custom, but a man of honor wouldn’t cheat simply because he’s hungry at lunch.”

  I glanced at the tray then at him before nodding to myself, as if to say in what universe could I eat all of this? It worked because he smiled.

  “Right, your knight in shining armor over there defending your honor needs to eat. Well done. A way to a man’s heart is through his stomach and all of that.” He gave me a wink and veered towards the salad bar before I could counter what he’d said. Not that I could speak right then, or knew what I would have said anyways.

  I sighed. The day needed to end. It couldn’t end fast enough in my book.

  After Pierce’s outburst and threats, no one messed with me, and lunch flew by. So did the rest of my classes, and the next thing I knew, all that was left was to wait for sunset. Again, I couldn’t just hide myself away in my room, as that would defeat the purpose of the shaming. I debated a bit and decided I could be out and not have to be at the center of everything.

  I hurried back to my room, dropped off my books and whatnot, grabbed my camera bag, and after a moment’s thought, picked up Pierce’s notebook on my way back out the door, handing it to him in the hallway. I couldn’t meet his eyes and quickly turned away to lock my room. He didn’t say anything, and I thought I was in the clear.

  Silly me.

  “Did you read it?” I didn’t meet his eyes, but I gave a slight nod. “Did you like it?”

  That one I didn’t even have to nod at; I knew the heating of my cheeks would tell him everything he needed to know.

  “I’m glad. Hopefully there’s something you can use in here.” I jumped as something tapped my arm. I turned to yell at him but saw it was only the notebook, not his hand or person touching me. “You can keep it. I did it for you, thinking of you because I missed you so much. Happy birthday, Foster.”

  I took it, my cheeks heating even more. As soon as the elevators opened, I made a break for it. Pierce followed, but he didn’t hover, which gave me hope that maybe he’d grown up too and now could read situations better.

  Of course he can. He can’t go into security to protect people if he’s unable to read situations. Then again, is something like that taught or even a learned ability? Isn’t it more common sense?

  My mind went round and round as I headed to the edge of campus I had found that I wanted to test lighting at. The grounds might have actually been the high school the college bordered, but then again, it could totally have been right on the line for all I knew. It wasn’t as if the school map gave coordinates… Or that I would know how to check such a thing.

  Glancing around, I found the perfect spot and set down my camera bag. Then I pulled out the lighter tripod I kept in the bag, set it up, and selected the lens I thought would work best before getting everything into place. I clicked the timer and hurried about ten feet away so I could test my idea.

  “Um, not that I mind, but you know that we’re basically in the middle of the woods—alone, right?” Pierce muttered. I hadn’t. I looked at him so fast I almost slid in the stupid slippers that went with my gown. They really weren’t made for outside adventures.

  Click.

  I glanced back at the camera, rolling my eyes. Now I’d blown the shot. I moved to set it again, but Pierce waved me to stay where I was.

  “You taught me enough that I know how to push the button. Just nod when you want me to do it.” I stared at him as he walked to my camera. How had I let my guard down and jumped right back into trusting him? Was Pierce that different? Did I simply miss my friend that much?

  Or did it have something to do with the dirty dream I had last night that replayed what happened years ago, but aspects of it changing so it would have been my wish instead of a nightmare.

  “So I’ve prayed for the chance to talk to you like this again, and since you can’t talk, this might actually be easier.”

  Click.

  I blinked at him, paying attention again. I changed poses and gave a slight nod.

  “I swear you’ve never looked more beautiful, even if that gown hurts my heart with its meaning,” he whispered, his gaze so intense I had to hold back a shiver. “How about for every nod I get, proving I’m not as oblivious and dense as you think after what I’ve done, I get to pick the pose?”

  I gave a slight nod, more curious as to what he’d ask than anything.

  “Were you happy that I confessed to you that day?”

  I thought about it, but I didn’t know how to answer. It wasn’t as simple as a yes or no answer.

  “Let me rephrase. If I hadn’t blurted it all out in a ramble, probably confusing the shit out of you—would you have been happy to receive a clear and calm confession from me that day?” That answer was easy. I nodded. He moved by me slowly and pulled his sweater off over his head, laying it down on the ground. “So your gown doesn’t get ruined. I know you need it after this, even if I want to burn it. Kneel down.”

  I did, blushing not just at his kindness but knowing he was going in a different direction and making me the spotlight when I had planned on being the lighting test. God, I hope he didn’t go too far. That was Pierce’s true fault… Not knowing when enough was enough or the line had been drawn.

  Click.

  “You kissed me back, right? I didn’t just make that up in my head? You were happy I kissed you.” I bobbed my head, feeling hot when I remembered how he’d pushed me down and kissed me. It had been sexy. What came after that had been scary and traumatized me. “Sit back on your feet and fold your hands on your lap.”

  Click.

  “If everything else hadn’t happened after I’d left and switched schools, if I hadn’t raced out and left you to be hurt, but instead helped you, talked to you the next day and apologized for how awful I’d been—would you have forgiven me? Let us date and been with me?”

  Again, I could only stare at him. Well, wasn’t that a loaded question with lots of moving parts, not something that was a simple yes or no at all.

  “Too many at once, I get it. Let me stick with something easier. If I had called you the next day and you could even have told me what they did to you, come and done what I should have, would there have been a way to move past everything I did wrong?”

  I slowly nodded after a few more moments of thought. Pierce was amazing at accepting responsibility for his actions and mistakes. He always went above and beyond to make things right. If he’d have done that, I could have gotten over anything with his support.

  “Sit on your butt, move your hands behind you on the ground, and fold your legs to the side.”

  I blushed as I did it, knowing that I not only was showing a lot of leg, but it bunched the gown up so one side of my hip bones was showing, the thong even visible.

  Click.

  He stared at me a bit, not saying a word but his eyes just raking over me and making me feel uncomfortable. “Did you want us to be together? Before it all happened, I mean. Did you want to be mine?” I swallowed loudly, wondering if he could hear it from over there, and gave one quick nod. “Good. Stay in that seated position but turn around and look at me over your shoulder.”

  I flushed so hot that I felt woozy, but I did as he wanted, worried how much I was showing him this time. Why was I even doing this? It seemed as if I teased him by each additi
onal shot.

  Was this flirting?

  Click.

  “How far will you let me go with this, Foster?” Pierce asked in his husky voice, and I met his gaze, worrying when I saw the heat in them. “You’re testing me, right? To see if I’ve learned control and how to keep my head especially after how I acted when I came rushing to your room from the infirmary? I mean, if I touch you today, you’d never forgive me when having to suffer this is my fault and if you don’t do it, you can never attend fairy functions.”

  Am I testing him? Why else would I risk such an important event? But I didn’t worry he’d misbehave, did I? I still wasn’t sure, but for one, I couldn’t answer “I don’t know,” and secondly, it seemed weak and made me feel like a doormat that I couldn’t answer what I felt.

  So I nodded. Sure, we could say this was all a test.

  “I won’t fail you again,” he whispered, adjusting his neck. “You could get naked and pleasure yourself right in front of me, and I won’t do a thing until you give me your permission. Verbal permission.”

  I nodded, knowing he was trying to prove himself as much as he thought I tested him. Then I almost laughed. In some ways not being able to communicate verbally made this easier. I couldn’t dodge questions or ramble. I didn’t run or hide from everything because it was easier to simply nod.

  “You didn’t ever once think of revenge, did you? Having Diego or that giant guy track me down and end me?”

  I flinched, the idea of Pierce being killed cutting me deep. I scrambled to turn around and get a better view of him, maybe to catch some sort of insight as to what brought that up, but I tangled with the gown and it twisted around my waist as one shoulder slid down.

  “I have my yes, and don’t move.” I froze, shaking when I realized what parts of my body felt air against them. The whole right side of my hip and ass cheek were visible given the way the slit turned. And with the gown hanging off that shoulder as well, I could only imagine how trampy I looked.

  How had this ended up like porn promo shots?

  Click.

  “Do you want to ask me questions now?” he murmured, his eyes so intense I felt them like a caress. I raised an eyebrow though… How was I going to ask questions? “I know, I know, but I’ll pick questions for you, and if I’m right, you can let more of that gown slip off you because I know you can’t remove it fully until night fall, but there’s no rule that says you can’t have it hanging off of you.”

  I debated it for a moment. He proposed a dangerous game. Part of me wanted to cover up and shake my head, take back control of my own camera and finish my assignment.

  The part with the devil on my shoulder won though, and I found myself nodding. Maybe I really did want to test him and see what would happen now that he understood clearly what I did and didn’t want. It was comforting to know that maybe, just maybe what happened between us years ago had been the result of his over-exuberance and my inability to keep up when a situation changed directions.

  “Do you… Want to know if I’ve been with anyone else since you?” he tried, twitching his lips as if unsure that was the direction to go.

  Apparently it was okay because I felt my heart flutter and pulled my arm out of the gown’s shoulder that had fallen down. His eyes went wide, and he took a picture. I turned to fully face him—covering up my ass now that the game was for me to show more to get more—so I was better seated and legs hidden again. He frowned at the gesture but then seemed to shake it off.

  “It’s only been you. You’re the only person who can make my heart race. From the moment I kissed you, I knew that it would be you or no one. I’ve loved you since we became friends, Foster.”

  I felt my whole body heat up as I glanced down at my lap. How could he speak to someone so bluntly like that without getting embarrassed or worried his desires would get thrown back in his face? Pierce’s boldness was admirable.

  It made me realize that I still loved him and I couldn’t let him go even if I ended up burned again by the fire demon who had always had my heart.

  “We need a reward system,” I muttered, glancing from my phone to my email… Both filled with angry messages of missed deadlines and blown off projects. Joost had been impossible to handle after his father had visited and I’d fainted under his bullying.

  Granted, I wouldn’t even discuss it, so that didn’t help.

  “Fuck you. I don’t want a cookie if I do what you think I should,” Joost snapped and turned up the show he was watching. At first, I let the comment go, but when I got further into my emails and saw the one from Micah saying the only chapters he’d gotten on the new book were crap, I lost it.

  “This ends,” I snarled, storming over to where Joost was sitting on his inflatable chair. Snatching the remote out of his hand, I clicked the TV off and plopped on his lap like I used to when he was a kid and pouted. “We can’t go on like this. What do you want me to say?”

  Joost’s jaw dropped open, and then he cleared his throat as he moved me around a bit so we didn’t topple the chair. “Fine, I want you to talk to me, not talk at me. You won’t talk to me about what’s going on and what’s with you but only lecture me.”

  “Well, I’m going to become your manager, right?” I sneered and then snapped my mouth shut. His eyes went wide, and I tried to hop off his lap to escape, but Joost was too fast and pushed me back onto the rug, pinning me under him.

  “Why does that upset you? I thought that was always the plan?” I blinked up at the idiot and once again couldn’t talk. I wasn’t good at talking about my feelings or anything remotely conflicting against Joost.

  I never had been able to do that.

  “I see. You’re going to clam up again. Fine, you’re not the only one who’s had it. It’s been weeks, Carlitos.” I flinched at him using my real name and then again as his free hand moved up under my shirt. Then he pulled out all the stops. He went to DEFCON 1 from cranky in a flash…

  And started a war. As his fingers moved, I bit my lower lip, struggling against his hands.

  “Give in, Carli. You can’t resist me. This has always been your weakness.”

  “Stop, okay stop. It’s not fair this time, Joost, because you won’t like my answers,” I begged, gasping for air. Something darkened in his eyes, and his fingers danced across my skin, bringing out the laugh I had been suppressing.

  “You let me worry about that. Nothing upsets me more than you hiding things from me. Give in.”

  I lasted a whole two minutes maybe this time. Damn his tickle attacks. He didn’t use them often, but when he did, he always won. “I surrender. I surrender.” His hand stopped but stayed there as if reminding me what would happen if I didn’t obey. “You’re mad at me because I won’t talk to you, but the reason I don’t—I can’t is because you don’t talk to me, Joost.” Thick confusion filled his eyes, and I sighed. “You don’t act like your dad, all pompous and cruel, but you definitely don’t think of me as an equal.”

  “What? What? What are you saying, Carli?” he gasped, his grip on my wrists tightening in a way I doubted he realized he did it. “Of course you’re my equal. Everything we do, we do together and—”

  “You decide for us,” I whispered, glancing away. “Because I’m your monkey, right? Not your friend or trusted partner in crime. No, I’m your monkey. The one you saved, have to take care of like a little broth—”

  “You are not my brother. Don’t ever say that!” I rarely did because he had such a strong reaction to the word… Not that I ever knew why or he’d talk about it.

  “Yeah, yeah, I know. I’m not really a member of your family.” I looked back at him and let him see all the hurt I truly felt in my eyes. “I’m a pet. You might not call me servant or belittle me like your father does, but you also never let me forget I’m not good enough to be in your family for real. I’m just the pet you adopted.”

  “Oh, Carli, that’s so far from the truth,” he rasped, tears filling his eyes. “I don’t know what I did—where I
went so wrong that you could ever think that’s how I feel, but I swear I have not once looked down at you. I might not have understood when we were kids the difference between having a dog as a pet and a shifter who could turn into an animal, but that’s my own limitations. To me you bring either in to love, and that’s all I’ve ever done is love you.”

  “But not enough to be your brother.”

  “No, I love you too much to ever want you to have to deal with the pressures of being a Van Bedrieger. It’s not that I look down on you and think you couldn’t be a brother. I value you too much. We are family, I’ve always felt that, just not in the siblings kind of way. It’s deeper than that.”

  I blinked up at him, wondering if he realized how much his words sounded as if he meant we were like spouses instead of brothers. He could be so dense. Instead of focusing on that or letting my heart hope for something I could never have, I decided to take the win that he did have an explanation better than I’d thought. That didn’t mean all resolved itself by fixing that one sentiment.

  “You still don’t tell me things,” I muttered, pulling at his hand again. “I’m going to be your manager. You want kids with a surrogate. There’s a whole plan with Diego to counter your father. Anything else I missed? Or do you just not bother to tell me because I’m your attendant?”

  “No, because I know you’ll support me no matter what I do, and I knew what I had to do.” He tilted his neck one way and then the other, studying me in that confused way again. “If I didn’t or had needed someone to bounce ideas off of, then I would have, I swear. Once it was all in place, I would have sat you down and gone over the whole thing, but my father jumped the gun by bringing up the marriage talk before I’d even hit senior year.”

  I sighed and let my head thump to the floor. “You don’t get it. I’m here too, Joost. You say we’re equals and in this together, but you don’t talk to me about things first. You decided to go to Diego and plan all this out, which effects both of us, and you were going to tell me once it was all done. Don’t you get how off that is unless I’m only a servant following your whims in your mind?”