by Elin Peer
Table of Contents
Welcome gift!
DEDICATION
CHAPTER 1
Roommate
CHAPTER 2
Archer
CHAPTER 3
Sharing Responsibility
CHAPTER 4
Suffocating
CHAPTER 5
Marco and the Women
CHAPTER 6
Rowdy Boys
CHAPTER 7
First Meeting
CHAPTER 8
Telling the Twins
CHAPTER 9
Status Meeting
CHAPTER 10
Sky’s Punishment
CHAPTER 11
Conflict
CHAPTER 12
Comfort and Fear
CHAPTER 13
Motherhood
CHAPTER 14
Ten Against One
CHAPTER 15
Second Protector
CHAPTER 16
Just Tell him
CHAPTER 17
Going to the Motherlands
CHAPTER 18
Butterflies
CHAPTER 19
The Factory
CHAPTER 20
Beach Life
CHAPTER 21
Live a Little
CHAPTER 22
Awakening
CHAPTER 23
Restrained
CHAPTER 24
Big Choices
Welcome gift!
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DEDICATION
To my brother
Not because you finally read one of my books.
(Because let’s be honest, it took you long enough)
I’m dedicating this book to you because a book about a teacher couldn’t be dedicated to anyone but you. You are a natural when it comes to teaching – I know because you taught me so much.
Elin
PLEASE NOTE
This book is intended for mature readers only, as it contains a few graphic scenes and some inappropriate language.
All characters are fictional and any likeness to a living person or organization is coincidental.
CHAPTER 1
Roommate
A skittish cat with a flea problem.
That’s what the woman in front of me reminded me of. It was because of the way she rubbed her nose with the back of her hand, squirmed in her seat, and made me nervous with all the scratching she did. Maybe it’s not fleas, but lice? I thought when she reached a hand up to scratch her neck for the third time before she leaned back in my sofa.
I almost winced when her hair touched the fabric, regretting that I had asked her to sit down in the first place. Now I would have to spray the whole sofa to avoid getting whatever unpleasant thing she had going on.
With my large curly mane, getting lice was on my top ten list of nightmares.
“Is that going to be a problem?” she asked, but since I hadn’t been listening, I asked her to repeat it, while breathing through my mouth to avoid the unpleasant odor of old sweat that came from her.
The middle-aged woman flashed another nervous smile. “Nuts, fish, broccoli, all types of corn, sugar, and berries,” she said while counting on her fingers. “There are more things that I’m allergic to, but those are the main ones.” Making a dismissive swing with her hand, she added, “It’s not too bad, and as long as you don’t eat it around the house I should be fine.”
I frowned and missed Christina, my old roommate, even more. Not only had she been my best friend, but she also hadn’t suffered from food allergies, insomnia, or any of the other “quirks” that the roommate candidates I’d interviewed were telling me about. Christina had been the perfect roommate.
Or at least she used to be, until she came back from the Northlands and cried for months. I had done everything I could to cheer her up, but all she could think about was how much she missed Alexander Boulder: the Nman she had lost her heart to while doing her job as an archeologist.
And now she was gone again. Whisked away by two large Nmen who had shown up here out of the blue, one of them Alexander Boulder and the other some mystery blond guy.
My chest lifted in a deep intake of air and I suppressed my worries for Christina. I had to trust that she was safe in the Northlands and that she was smiling again.
Focus! I told myself. And don’t expect to find a new best friend. It’s a roommate and nothing more.
“I make a wonderful seaweed pie,” the candidate assured me, but the image her words inspired in my mind’s eye prompted me to get up and clasp my hands together.
“Great! Thank you for coming. As soon as I’ve spoken to all the candidates, I‘ll let you know what I decide.”
Two minutes later I closed the door and let my head sink down. If only I could live here by myself, but the townhouse was a two-person unit and if I didn’t find a roommate within the next week, one would be assigned to me.
After opening a window to get in some fresh air, I indulged in an old movie that Christina had secured from the historical archives. It was silly and romantic. Nothing more than a guilty pleasure that she and I had made fun of all the time. And yet, I had seen this movie at least four times after she left, looking for answers to the question that puzzled me the most: Why would a modern and highly intelligent woman like my best friend want to give up on everything she knew to live in the Northlands?
How could a mere man mean that much to her?
I watched the people in the movie declare their love for each other and a curiosity stirred inside me. Could kissing really be that powerful?
My thoughts were interrupted when an unknown caller made my wristband light up.
“May peace surround you,” I said in a standard greeting.
“Kya?”
I would have recognized that voice anywhere and gave a small shriek. “Ina? Is that really you?”
“Yes!”
Her sweet laughter made me get up on my knees on the comfy chair. “What? But how? I thought you were in the Northlands?”
“I am, but the council allowed me to contact you. I’m calling from Lord Khan’s office.”
“Is something wrong?” My voice was frantic, as if I could make her talk faster and get me updated on everything that had happened since she left our home.
“Everything is fine but I need to talk to you.”
“And are they being nice to you?”
“Yes, don’t worry about me. I have something to ask you.”
“What is it?” I took a soothing breath to make my heartbeat slow down.
“How would you like to be part of a historic project that will change the world?”
“What kind of project? Are you asking me to help you with an archeological job?” I asked, but Christina was already explaining with eagerness.
“No, it’s nothing like that. Our council and Lord Khan – you know, the ruler of the Northlands…”
“I know who he is.”
“Good, so anyway, they’re creating an experimental school to see if it’s possible to integrate children from the Motherlands and Northlands.”
“What?” I furrowed my brow. “They’re letting Nboys into the Motherlands?”
“No, they’re placing the school here where I live and bringing ten children from each side of the border together. The place is secluded so it’ll be safe but we need the best teacher in the world to make it a success. And that’s where you come in.” Her last sentence rose in volume.
I couldn’t help chuckling over Christina’s rapid speech and excitement. “Mother Nature, I missed you, Ina,” I exclaimed. “It’s just not the same here without you.”
“Did you find a new roommate?” she asked.
My eyes fel
l to the couch where the last candidate had sat. “Not unless you count fleas and lice.”
I told her about the hopeless candidates that I’d interviewed, and our shared laughter communicated much more than words ever could. The love, the bond, and the joy of being connected again.
“So what do you think about the experiment? Did you hear the part about you being the best teacher in the world?” Christina repeated.
“Thank you for your vote of confidence. It sounds intriguing, but I can’t move to the Northlands.”
“Why not? You’re the perfect person for the job. I told them that you specialize in children with behavioral disorders and that I’m sure you can handle ten rowdy Nboys.”
“Really? And have you met those Nboys?”
“No, not yet.”
“So, you basically guaranteed that I could handle a group of children you haven’t met yet?”
“Absolutely; in fact I didn’t even hesitate.”
Christina had always been my biggest supporter, and I was grateful for it. “But it’s in the Northlands,” I said slowly. “Is it even safe?”
“Do you think I would ask you if I didn’t think you’d be safe? Don’t worry, you’ll love it here. The school is being built just a few miles from where I live on Victoria’s Island. As I said, it’s isolated, tranquil, and beautiful. Do you realize what that means?”
“That I’ll be a long way from civilization?” I teased.
“It means that we’ll be close again. I miss you!” Her last words were pleading.
“And I miss you, but…”
“Then come,” she interjected.
It was tempting to just say yes and go, because just hearing my friend’s voice made me happier than I had been since she had left. “Okay, but how long are we talking about?”
“Three years.”
“Three years!” I shrieked. “But what about…” My questions were queuing up and I didn’t know where to start.
Christina waited.
“There are so many things I would miss here.”
“But it’s a once in a lifetime chance,” Christina argued.
“I know, and I’m definitely interested if it means seeing you again, but to go three years without everything I take for granted here, that’s a long time. What about shopping, going to the theater, or just going to the pleasure parlor? Not to mention all the people that I care about.”
“I’m here and you’ll make more friends,” Christina assured me. “I’m not saying it won’t be different, but at least come and see the school and the island for yourself. And about the pleasure parlors…” Christina’s voice sank to a confidential whisper. “…You won’t need sex-bots when there are some really cute men living here. I’m sure they won’t mind stepping up and taking one for the team if that’s what it takes to make you accept the job.” She laughed.
I had always loved Christina’s humor, and I could picture that funny wrinkle on the bridge of her nose that always appeared when she was teasing.
“I’m not a naturephile,” I retorted in the same playful tone. The concept of being physical with a man would have been completely uninteresting to me if it weren’t for that gnawing curiosity that Christina’s unexplainable love for Boulder had left me with. My eyes fell to the wall where the movie was paused in a kiss. “You know what?” I said with a flutter in my belly. “I’ll come and see the place for myself. If nothing else, it’ll give me the chance to hug you again.”
The happy outburst from Christina had me grinning widely.
CHAPTER 2
Archer
Kya
Everything went so fast between my first visit to the Northlands to my moving up there less than a week later.
The hardest part was letting go of some of my favorite students whom I’d worked with for years. Before I agreed to taking the job, I had made it a condition that I could bring Raven with me. Luckily Councilwoman Pearl had accepted.
Raven was a cheeky, fun-loving girl soon to be twelve years old, whose mother suffered from all sorts of crazy diseases that could probably be boiled down to hypochondria, if I were any judge.
The mother’s chronic fatigue, and her constant moving in and out of places of reflection to clear her mind had left a hole in Raven’s life. It was no wonder that the girl had bonded to me. Not only was I her favorite teacher but we looked alike. She had mocha skin, big curly hair, and dark expressive eyes like me. As I had predicted, Raven’s mother had been more than willing to let her daughter go with me. In fact, she had been ready to let me adopt her, which was something I hadn’t shared with Raven. I was still a bit shocked about it and definitely needed time to think it through.
The school turned out to be a charming old stone building that had been a ruin of a church before Christina’s husband, Boulder, transformed it into a boarding school with sleeping quarters, showers, and a large dining room. My favorite part was the old church room itself, with a high vaulted ceiling, that now served as a magnificent schoolroom.
When I first arrived for my interview about the job, I’d met three of the Nmen: Boulder, Khan, and Magni.
Lord Khan was the ruler of the Northlands and I found him a strange mix of charm and standoffishness. He would smile politely and converse with humor, but he refused to take my hands when I wanted to greet him, and there was an air of mystery about him. He definitely wasn’t an open book and neither was his brother Magni, who was the man I’d met once before when he and Boulder came to the Motherlands to find Christina.
Magni reminded me of my most troubled students: brooding, impatient, and without a filter. With his giant frame and permanent scowl, he would have been intimidating if not for the fact that the first time I saw him, he had been cleanly shaved and dressed up with ribbons in his hair to mix in with the gentle and pretty men of the Motherlands.
Now, Magni had a short beard and his blond hair was shaved short on the sides with the rest gathered in a messy French braid. His raw looks, with his battle scars and strongly muscled body, made him look like a prehistoric Viking in my eyes.
And then there was Archer, whom I met after accepting the job and moving up here. He was a mentor, which was their word for teacher, and he was here to help me finalize the curriculum and give me input on how schools were run in the Northlands. Christina had described Archer as cute, and when he walked into the school on my second day here, I thought she’d lost her mind. Cute to me was like one of our pretty movie stars or a celebrity with perfect skin, symmetrical features, and beautiful soft hair.
Archer was nothing like that!
He had dark stubble, visible scars, and large muscles with a colorful tattoo showing on his right arm.
But compared to the other Nmen he looked less like a barbarian, and I was instantly intrigued by his gorgeous sapphire-colored eyes.
“Archer, meet Kya, and Kya, meet Archer,” Boulder said with an awkward wave of his hands. Clearly, he wasn’t very skilled in the art of introductions, but with Christina taking care of Raven up at their house, this would have to do.
“May peace surround you,” I said politely and reached out my hands to him. Archer flashed his white teeth in a large smile revealing that one of his canines was slightly crooked.
“Thank you and the same to you,” he said.
With the bright daylight his black pupils were small, and that only made the astonishing patterns of white specks in his irises more visible. I’d never seen blue eyes with a color as rich as his; the way the rim was darker and offered a beautiful contrast to the iris made his eyes look like something that was slightly photo enhanced.
“I understand that you’re a teacher too?” I said and lowered my hands when we had been touching far beyond the normal ten seconds a formal greeting required.
“Yes.”
“Great, I’m curious to learn more about your ways and get your input on the curriculum.”
“Likewise,” he replied and looked back at Boulder. “Is it okay if we do a walk and talk in t
he area?”
Boulder squared his shoulders. “How stupid do you think I am? You’re not taking Kya into the woods.”
I stiffened.
“But I prefer to walk instead of sitting still,” Archer argued, his thick lashes framing those intense eyes that I was completely fascinated with.
“I said no,” Boulder repeated.
To me the situation was bizarre. I was an adult and not used to anyone telling me what to do. I’d never worried about my safety in the Motherlands and I didn’t feel threatened by Archer in any way. “Are you suggesting he’s a danger to me?” I challenged Boulder.
Boulder shrugged. “Only your protector can be alone with you, and until Magni gets here tomorrow, I’m making sure Archer doesn’t get any funny ideas.”
I had already been told that Magni would be my protector and I had no problem with that, but I considered myself an excellent judge of character and Archer didn’t strike me as dangerous.
“I find that insulting to Archer,” I objected. “I don’t believe he would harm me.” Looking from Boulder to Archer, I asked: “Would you?”
“No, of course not,” he said with sincerity in his eyes.
“Then let’s do that walk and talk you suggested.”
Archer and Boulder exchanged a long glance.
“You can walk around the house and that’s it.” Boulder dictated in a nonnegotiable way.
“Do you mind me asking how you became a teacher?” I asked Archer as we started walking.
“The short version is that I love kids.”
“And the long version,” I asked with a sideways smile.
Placing his hands behind his back he kept looking straight ahead as he spoke: “It’s complicated and I’m not even sure I can explain it myself, except that when I grew up I didn’t have the best mentors, and then one person came along with a passion for teaching that lit a fire in me and my friends. Maybe it was seeing how big a difference he made in our lives that made me want to do the same for the next generation.”
“That’s nice.”
