by Erin M. Leaf
Emma wrinkled her brow, wondering why the woman was so worked up. She knows something, Jake thought. Emma sensed him getting in the car with Duncan.
Like what? She sent back to him. She felt him shrug.
“I’m not sure what you mean,” Emma said to the woman, confused. She wasn’t going to tell Ms. Brown about giving out her phone number to the students. She didn’t think she would approve. Emma had a hard time convincing her about bonding when the students first came down with symptoms. Ms. Brown had argued that Jonathan and Samantha should be separated at all times, citing morality issues. Emma knew the vice principal was extremely conservative, but she never expected the Ms. Brown’s beliefs to translate into cruelty. Emma could still remember the look of anguish on the kids’ faces as the woman spoke.
“Don’t play dumb with me,” Ms. Brown hissed. Emma’s eyes widened as the woman stepped closer. “You’re the teacher that encouraged their bond. I haven’t forgotten your part in allowing it to happen.”
Emma stopped temporizing. There was no way she was going to let this woman walk all over her. Not about this. “Ms. Brown, Samantha and Jonathan were bonded. Are bonded. Separating them would only have caused them more pain. I don’t know what you’re insinuating, but the truth is that those students needed to be near each other. If we hadn’t convinced their parents to let them stay together, both of them would have gone into shock that first night. Haven’t you seen the reports about bonding?” Emma straightened her shoulders. “It’s permanent. The scientists don’t know why this is happening or how, but that doesn’t change the reality.” Emma felt Duncan and Jake in the back of her thoughts, sending her strength and she inhaled, trying to calm herself down. She wasn’t going to let Ms. Brown intimidate her.
“It’s immoral! The violation of the mind, the sanctity of thought, it goes against everything human,” Ms. Brown stated as though Emma hadn’t spoken. “Just because we had to allow it doesn’t mean it was right. Someone needs to put a stop to such things.”
“What were you going to do?” Emma asked, eyeing the vice principal nervously. She didn’t like the look in her eye. “They would have run away together if we’d kept them apart.” Ms. Brown crowded closer and Emma stepped back, not sure if standing up to her was worth getting into a physical altercation. What the hell was the woman doing? She reached up to rub her forehead again, and quick as a viper the vice principal grabbed her arm and shoved up the sleeve of Emma’s sweater.
“What’s this?” the woman asked venomously. Emma yanked her arm away, but her sleeve didn’t fall down. She looked at her skin where the woman’s tight grip had pressed in, marking the bonding tattoo with red. It hurt and she could feel Duncan and Jake’s outrage through their link. She opened her mouth to explain, but before she could speak, the door burst open again.
“What are you doing in here, Cynthia?” Mr. Williams asked. The principal looked angry and Emma shut her mouth. She didn’t pull her sleeve back down. Screw it, I’m done hiding this, she thought. She could feel Jake cheering her.
“She’s one of them!” Ms. Brown pointed at Emma. “She has one of the bonding tattoos!” She grabbed Emma’s arm again, her grip tight. Emma wanted to pull away, then she saw the students from her class looking in through the door and she let the woman pull her over to Mr. Williams. She didn’t want them to see her getting violent with one of the school’s administrators.
“Let go of my arm.” Emma glared at the vice principal. The woman ignored her and dragged her over to the door. Great, Emma thought. Let’s just do this where everyone can see. The students were no longer paying attention to Portia because the aide was watching to see what was happening too. She looks shocked, Emma thought, looking at her longtime aide. Portia glanced down at Emma’s arm, then grimaced as if disgusted. Figures, Emma thought. She’d hoped the older woman would be supportive, but she wasn’t surprised by her response. The town she lived in was very conservative. She wished Julia hadn’t called in sick today, then reconsidered. She wouldn’t want her friend getting in trouble and she knew Julia would be right here, standing up for Emma.
“I’m bonded.” Emma yanked her arm back. No point in hiding it anymore. She pushed up her other sleeve so that everyone could see both tattoos. “I’m bonded to two people. That’s how I know how painful it can be if you try to separate someone in the initial stages. That’s why I encouraged Samantha and Jonathan’s parents to let them stay together.” Emma looked defiantly into the library. “I’m bonded, and I’m grateful for it.”
Ms. Brown’s face whitened and Portia gasped. Emma looked at the principal and while he didn’t seem disgusted, he did look disappointed. Emma knew the exact moment that Ms. Brown realized what being bonded to two people meant. That’s right, Emma thought spitefully. All three of us go to bed together.
“Two people? That’s disgusting!” Ms. Brown spit at Emma, her horror taking over. Emma jumped back, shocked.
Bitch, she heard Jake say in her head, then the outer doors to the library opened and he was there, Duncan right behind him. Emma stared at the men in surprise. She knew they were close but in all the commotion she didn’t realize they were in the school. A few students turned to see who had come in and as soon as the girls set eyes on Duncan, they freaked. Emma winced at the noise, then stepped around Ms. Brown and into the library, hoping to keep the students calm.
“Duncan, Jake, what are you doing here?” Emma walked toward them, hoping the girls in the class would stay put at their desks. No such luck. She had to wade through kids to get to her men.
“We could tell you needed us.” Jake reached out to take her hand.
“So here we are,” Duncan said, cupping her neck and rubbing the tension away. Emma relaxed, savoring their touch even in the midst of this insanity, then she turned back to the students. Some of the girls in the class were clustered around the three of them, whispering to each other and trying to get closer.
“Girls, you’re supposed to be in your seats,” Emma admonished them, gesturing to the desks.
“But, Ms. Bell! It’s Duncan Green,” one of them said, her voice high and excited.
Emma smiled. “I know.” She really couldn’t blame them. It wasn’t every day that a world-famous superstar appeared out of nowhere to visit their class. Duncan smiled at them fondly.
I like my fans, he thought at Emma.
“Are those bonding marks?” another girl asked, pointing to Emma’s arms. Emma looked at Jake and he shrugged.
“Yes. I’m bonded to Jake and Duncan.” Emma pushed her sleeves up so that everyone could see the tattoos. The girls gathered closer and Emma held out her arms. Duncan released her neck and held his arm out so that they could touch him. Several of the girls squealed again, to Emma’s dismay, but Duncan just laughed.
“I’m really lucky. I bonded to Emma and Jake.” Duncan traced a finger over one of his tattoos.
“Oh my gosh, I can’t believe it!” one of the girls shrieked. “That means that you and Jake—” she broke off, looking from one man to the other. There was a buzz of excitement as the students realized exactly what that meant. Emma willed herself not to blush as an entire class of high school students suddenly learned all about her sex life. Shit.
Jake nodded and slung an arm around Duncan. “Yup.” He smiled and the girls went crazy again.
Good lord, Emma thought faintly as the noise level increased. I’m going to go deaf. More students got up to see the tattoos, crowding close, then Emma spied Ms. Brown moving toward them, a thunderous expression on her face.
“That’s enough!” the vice principal stated, her voice sharp. “Sit down, all of you!” The girls looked at her, then back at Duncan.
Duncan smiled and waved them to their desks. “We’ll be doing an interview about it soon, don’t worry. Go sit down.” They looked at him uncertainly, then Ms. Brown clapped her hands. Everyone flinched.
“You will leave the school immediately, Emma.” Ms. Brown pointed at her, hand shaking with ang
er. Close behind, Emma could see the disapproving expression on Mr. Williams’ face.
I guess it was too much to hope that they’d be understanding, Emma thought. Jake sighed, catching her thought. He let go of Duncan and pulled her into a hug. Duncan stood there, expression closed, glaring at the administrators. She didn’t even have the courtesy to use my last name, Emma thought, pissed.
Duncan turned to look at her and smiled briefly. It’s a sign of disrespect. She knows exactly what she’s doing.
Emma nodded at him, then pulled away from Jake. The students were quiet now, watching the confrontation. “What happened to Jonathan and Samantha?” Emma wanted to see what Ms. Brown would say.
“They’re missing, which doesn’t surprise me a bit,” Ms. Brown answered, forgetting about the kids who could hear every word. “Bonding is unnatural.”
“I saw them yesterday. How could they be missing?” Emma asked, ignoring the woman’s nasty words.
“Their parents called this morning. Apparently the two of them ran away together,” Ms. Brown said. Emma turned away, a dull horror working its way into her heart. She could tell the woman didn’t care about the kids. It was enough that the two students were gone and no longer a problem. She moved toward her office, but Ms. Brown blocked the way.
“I need to get my stuff.” Emma stared at the vice principal. The other woman didn’t budge.
“Ms. Brown, let Ms. Bell gather her things,” Mr. Williams said. Emma snorted when the woman moved just enough to let Emma pass her if she squeezed against the circulation desk. Jake went with her into the office while Duncan stood just outside, keeping the two administrators from following.
“Wow, that woman is nasty,” Jake said, walking to Emma’s desk. She smiled as he opened her drawer and pulled out her bag, knowing exactly where she kept everything because of the bond. Then she glanced back into the library and saw the students sitting dejectedly at the desks, Ms. Brown looming over them. Duncan stood in the doorway with his arms crossed. His anger whipped at the edges of her mind.
“Yeah. She’s always been unpleasant, but this was the worst I’ve ever seen her.”
The prejudices people carry around with them can make them crazy, Duncan thought.
Jake shrugged. “He’s right.”
“I’m worried about Jonathan and Samantha.” Emma tugged her sleeves down and shouldered the bag Jake held out to her. “I can believe they ran. I talked to their parents and they were awful about the bonding,” Emma sighed, feeling uneasy. “But where would they go? It doesn’t seem right.”
Duncan turned. “What do you mean, it doesn’t seem right?”
“I don’t know. It just feels wrong. I don’t think they ran.” Emma rubbed her arms. “It’s just a feeling I have.” She looked at her two men, watching the way their auras flared and smoothed out again, the colors soothing.
“I’m not going to discount a gut feeling,” Jake stated, crossing to Emma and threading her fingers with his. She admired the way her aura seamlessly blended with his. “You helped Dave and Lisa. I wouldn’t be surprised if you could sense those kids somehow.” Duncan nodded agreement.
Emma wrinkled her nose. “I don’t know. It seems awfully silly when you say it out loud.”
“Just because it’s weird doesn’t make it impossible,” Duncan said.
Emma sighed and walked to the door. “I don’t know what I’m going to do about it anyway. I have no idea where they could be.”
“Let’s just go home. Maybe something will come up.” Jake slung his arm over her shoulders and the three of them walked into the library together. Emma ignored the virulent looks the vice principal threw her way and waved to her students on the way out.
* * * *
Walking down the halls of the school felt strange. Emma knew the students in the classrooms were watching as they passed and she wondered what they thought of the rock star in their midst. It was disorienting, having so many people stare at her. Duncan squeezed her hand and sent her a wave of affection. She drew on his strength as they neared the outer doors.
“It took me a long time to get used to the fans.” Duncan stroked her hand with his thumb. “And I wanted it. I wanted to be a famous musician. It was harder for Jake to get used to.” He looked at her and smiled. “You know I’m right here. I won’t abandon you to their mercy.” Duncan gestured to the doors that led outside.
Emma closed her eyes, sinking into his mind, trying to learn in a minute what took him years. He was so comfortable with his fame and she needed to understand how to think like that. She knew there was no going back. She didn’t want to even if there were. You know there’s a way, a tiny part of her brain whispered to her, but she squashed the thought even before it fully formed, concentrating on Duncan’s hand, the warm affection of Jake ghosting through the link as well. She shivered, sensing their semi-arousal. The confrontation in the library roused protective instincts in the men. She opened her eyes, surprised.
“Is it any wonder I want to kiss you right now?” Jake murmured, pressing closer until she could feel his half-hard cock against her hip. She gasped.
“I can’t help myself. When people threaten you, I want to steal you away.” Jake slipped a hand into her hair and tilted her head. “I want to kiss you and make love to you and erase even the memory of this unpleasantness.”
Emma shuddered, clutching Duncan’s hand harder. She swallowed. We’re still in school, she told herself. Can’t do this here.
“I don’t know if I care.” Duncan growled and leaned down, nipping her lips. Jake slid his thumb into her mouth and Duncan sucked on it, then kissed Emma until she couldn’t remember anything except the feel of his mouth, the press of Jake against her body.
“God,” Jake gasped, moving in for his turn to kiss her. Duncan kissed Jake quickly first, then slipped his mouth down her jaw and Emma swayed, clinging to them so she wouldn’t fall. She wondered if she could actually come just from kissing. She could feel them in her mind, their anger over her dismissal mutating into desire. Then Jake tore his mouth away. Emma heard something banging and licked her lips, wishing the noise would stop so they could get back to the kissing.
“Shit. They caught it all on film.” Jake ran his hands through his hair.
“What?” Emma blinked, trying to figure out what was happening.
Duncan sighed and stroked her cheek, then stepped back. He looked out the inner foyer doors at the crowd of photographers filming through the outside door. “I can’t imagine the quality will be that great through two layers of glass.”
“Doesn’t matter. They got enough.” Jake took a deep breath as Emma smoothed her hands over her hair. “It was bound to happen eventually.”
“It’s okay,” Emma said, smiling tremulously. “I don’t care.”
Duncan looked at her, face intent. “You realize there’s no going back now?”
Emma laughed, suddenly feeling a lot better. “There was no going back anyway, and I wouldn’t leave you and Jake even if I could.” Duncan smiled, his whole face lighting up, and Jake slid an arm around her waist. Emma felt their relief and knew she’d made right decision. The only decision.
“Damn, I love you,” Jake murmured into her hair.
“Ditto,” Duncan said. “You two ready? I think I see Dave and Charlie out there now.” He looked down at Emma, smoothing a stray hair behind her ear. “We’ll leave your car here for now and I’ll send someone to pick it up later. It would be best if we stay together.”
Emma nodded. Her energy flared around Duncan and Jake, the three auras meshing together in a visible manifestation of their bond. Despite the loss of her job and Duncan’s fame and the unexpected raw energy of their bonding, she wouldn’t give any of it up for the world. “I’m good,” she said, smiling at her men. “Let’s go.”
Duncan nodded and Jake opened the first set of doors. The photographers outside went into a frenzy, surging forward for a moment despite Charlie and Dave’s efforts to contain them. Then Duncan
opened the outer doors and the noise hit Emma like a wall.
“Jesus,” Jake breathed. Emma agreed. This is insane.
Duncan stepped out first and held up his hands. The noise subsided a bit. “Yes, it’s true, I’m bonded to Jake and Emma.” Duncan held up his arms so the paparazzi could see the tattoo. “Yes, I’ll be giving an interview soon. No, I’m not taking questions now.” He lowered his arms and moved forward, Emma directly behind him. She clung to the back of his shirt and Jake crowded up behind her, sandwiching her in between for protection. She tried to ignore the shouted questions, concentrating on following Duncan as he pushed through with Dave and Charlie’s help. Some of them were ridiculous, things she would never answer, about how exactly they had sex or if Duncan had coerced Jake into turning gay. Jake snorted at that one, then Emma stopped abruptly, tugging on Duncan. She turned to the journalist that had yelled the last question.
“What did you say?” Emma held her breath, feeling Duncan’s disapproval. He wanted to get to the car, now.
Just a moment, she thought at him and felt him sigh. Jake frowned but Emma ignored his impatience. They were all on edge.
“Do you know who trashed your car?” a female journalist asked her again, thrusting her video recorder closer.
“Someone trashed my car?” Emma asked, confused. She glanced over at the teacher’s parking lot, then flinched. Her car was destroyed. She couldn’t see the tires over the heads of the crowd but she was sure they were slashed, too. The roof was dented and all the windows were broken. Someone had spray-painted obscenities all over the outside. Emma felt the blood drain from her head. Who would do such a thing? She knew that bonding with Duncan and Jake was going to be controversial, but she didn’t expect this.
“Emma, let’s get to the car.” Duncan gently pulled on her arm.
Emma shook her head then looked straight into the journalist’s video cam. “I have no idea who did that to my car. Bonding isn’t evil or immoral. It’s a beautiful thing. And it’s not something you can keep secret or deny.” Then she turned on her heel and walked through the now-silent crowd. Dave unlocked the car and helped her into the back. Jake and Duncan followed, then Dave and Charlie got in the front. No one said anything until the car pulled away from the curb.
