Bloodwood Academy Shifter: Semester One (Bloodwood Year One Book 1)

by Rae Foxx

  He pulled forward as though on a string, his golden eyes still staring into mine as he stopped just shy of me, close enough I could grab his waistband and pull me into him if I wanted.

  "I'm not sure I'm okay with this, Ivy," he whispered, those yellow eyes sad. And hungry. I didn't miss when his gaze flicked down to my nipples, the flesh perking as the steam of the shower hit them.

  "I think you can be," I whispered, thankful that my legs didn't shake. "I know you want me."

  I stepped toward him slowly, his hands flicking toward my hips before he forced them back down to his sides.

  "I do. But you are my mate," the words were more of a growl, his eyes flashing dangerously, his hand lifting again, although this time his fingers made contact with the bite on my hip. "I don't share well."

  Fury was brewing in him, the ownership sparking a memory of something I had read in that book, something that Saxon was relaying to Finn, the vampire having moved to the other side of the room.

  ‘When engaging in a group mating ritual with more than one shifter, the shifter’s mate instinct should be considered to avoid disputes. The alpha male shall take the mate in any way he desires before the other males join in their bonding.'

  I swallowed.

  "I am your mate. Why don't you show them that? Take me, Howl. Stake your claim." Wet lust was pooling between my legs as I stepped closer. He could smell it, his wolf wanted it as much as he did. I could hear the beast growl in my mind, hear it pant as I stepped closer still, the bulge of his pants pressing against me.

  "Let them watch as you mate with me." I gasped, part of me sure that if he didn't jump on me right away, I would take him down and have my way with him.

  Maybe I still would.

  My fingers pecked at the hem of his pants, the bulge in the front twitching as my index finger dipped around the band. I bit my lip as he took a shuddering breath, the sound a growl in my head as his wolf forced him forward.

  "Be one with me, Howl," I whispered, pulling up to my tiptoes as I kissed him, my bare breasts pressing against his chest.

  That's all it took.

  His hands wrapped around me, holding me against him as he kissed me, his hands running down my back, skin damp from the steam, until he cupped my ass and pressed me against him, against the hard knot of his cock still restrained in his pants.

  I fidgeted with the button, popping it open and slowly dropping his pants until he sprang free. I could have sworn I heard a gasp from the two guys that were intently watching us. Ignoring them, I dropped to my knees and grabbed his penis, my fingers barely able to wrap around the shaft as I held it. I kissed the head of his huge shaft, licking the tiny drop of cum that had formed on the surface.

  Howl shuddered, our wolves growling and panting and whining as I took him into my mouth, the tip of my tongue running along the bottom of his erection as he slipped into my hungry mouth. The head of his cock pressed against the back of my throat. My stomach tightened at the foreign sensation, my throat tickling, but ignored it the hot lust that was running through my veins pulling me forward, pulling him deeper into my mouth. Howl’s hands ran through my hair, gasping as my lips closed around him, my tongue still running around the warm flesh that was filling my mouth.

  Then he was gone, gone with a groan as he pulled away, and lifted me to my feet.

  "Now is not the time, Ivy," he said, asshole Howl making a grand return before he stomped out, leaving me naked in the steam.

  "That was a valiant attempt," Finn whispered in my ear. "Do not worry. It will take him time."

  I could only nod, staring at the door he had slammed behind him.

  "Come, my rose, let's get you clean."

  Chapter 23

  I didn't sleep well.

  Partially because I was being hunted by Gorillas.

  Partially because I was supposed to break into Nicky's office tomorrow.

  Mostly because of the surly wolf that had found a couch-bed thing on the other side of the fireplace to sleep on.

  I could hear him tossing and turning all night, huffing and puffing, at one point, crying.

  I might have joined him if I wasn't on the other side of the room, tucked into another couch-bed, a Vampire and a Fae sleeping soundly on either side of me. Well, Finn was sleeping. Saxon lay still, breathing steadily as I curled between them, listening to Howl. Unable to sleep.

  It was far too late when I finally fell asleep, and then only because Saxon had begun to hum some unfamiliar song, his chilled fingers running through my hair.

  By the time I woke from a parade of kidnap dreams, Saxon was the only one left in the room, my head in his lap as he played with my hair. He sat against the overstuffed lounge, reading a book that appeared to be as old as the school. Smelled like it too.

  "Where is everyone?" I asked, groggily, shifting my weight, although not quite ready to sit up yet.

  "They will be back shortly," He said, still reading the book, his fingers still running through my hair. "Scarlet went to retrieve the twins. Howl and Finn went for something called "a run" and will meet us back here shortly."

  Okay, well that was all in order. I snuggled into Saxon, listening to the crackling of the fire, him murmuring in some weird language as he read. It was all calm, quiet, and filled with absolute dread.

  "Do not fret, my rose," Saxon said, turning from his book to smile at me. He must have heard my heart rate increase. "Everything will be well. With your heritage. With your wolf. I can promise you."

  "That's an awful big promise I grumbled, but he only smiled, his fingers moving from my hair to my neck as he leaned down and kissed me.

  It was in that moment that the door to the Keep bust open and five bodies came charging in looking like a god damned cavalry.

  Scarlet led Evan and Owen in like she was a boy scout leader, the two looking terrified by their new surroundings. Owen looked about ready to piss himself, they were both clutching the backpacks they wore like they were parachutes. Finn and Howl looked utterly at ease considering they were walking through the vampire den, Howl was even smiling.

  Smiling.

  I was up in no time flat.

  "Howl," I said, walking halfway to him, terrified of if he was going to push me away again. Thankfully the yellow glow in his eyes seemed calmer. He swept me up, his arms wide against my back as he crushed me against him.

  "My Ivy," he whispered into my hair, shifting to pepper a dozen kisses against my neck and collar bone. I froze underneath him. I hadn't expected this.

  "I am so sorry," He whispered in my ear, setting me on my feet. "I know it will take some time, but Finn helped me to understand. It won't be easy, but I'm along for the ride. For you."

  I had no idea how to respond or even if I had heard him correctly. I blinked once and stared at Finn who smiled and sunk into one of the many chairs.

  "What did you do?" I asked him, but that Fae bastard kept smiling.

  Okay, answers later.

  Besides, I didn't want to get into it with the twins now stalking through the keep. Picking up chains and mumbling to themselves, well until they caught sight of Saxon and beelined for the Vampire who was now sitting cross-legged with his book, looking like a gentleman from a Jane Austen movie.

  "Something you'd like to say, boys?" Saxon asked with a snarl tinging his tone.

  "You're a vampire." They said in unison. I don't think I had ever heard that before.

  Freaky.

  "Good observation. Would you like a demonstration," Saxon smiled, displaying his fangs. They both shook their heads.

  "Don't tease them, Saxon," I purred at him earning myself a smirk from where I was still tangled and kissing Howl.

  Scarlet cleared her throat, " Okay, before you four get lost in that mess again. We have a plan."

  "Does it involve stringing Pater and Nicky up by their toes? Because I would be all over that." I sighed and stepped away from Howl, pre-show bliss shattered.

  Owen shrugged off his backpack. "Not q
uite. Although if those two didn't scare me so much we might be up for that."

  "Owen and I saw some very large boxes of pasteurized cheese products being delivered to the cafeteria this morning and we think that Nicky probably likes grilled cheese. We're betting our asses on it."

  "You're going to distract the headmaster that we are breaking into her office with some grilled cheese?" I still had no idea what they were talking about, but I had a feeling Nicky had never had a grilled cheese in her life. "I can promise you that no grilled cheese is good enough to distract her from five immortals breaking into her office."

  "If I knew you planned to make the headmaster a bunch of sandwiches, I wouldn't have gone to get you," Scarlet snapped, punching both boys in the arm. "Fuck--do you have a plan or not?"

  "Trust me," Owen said, placing a hand on Scarlet's arm with a wink. "When we are finished, she'll be wanting to stick herself in the eye with one of those clicky shoes she wears."

  "Not the worst outcome," Saxon mumbled. "Won't someone see this ridiculous pile of cheese? Not much of a diversion if you get caught first."

  "I can create an illusion around them while they work," Finn chimed in, leaning forward. His golden hair wisped around his heart-shaped face like he was caught in some ethereal wind. Probably was. Damn god-like Fae. "No one will know until we want them to."

  I beamed, sighing sarcastically. "I love having all these talented men at my beck and call."

  Scarlet rolled her eyes. "How do we get into Nicky's office?"

  "We keep it simple," Howl piped up, finally stepping away from me, though his hand remained on my lower back for a second longer. "Stay right outside of her office until the grilled cheese twins do their thing. How long will it take?"

  Evan and Owen shared a look. "Thirty minutes. We'll be quick."

  I almost cracked a sex joke but decided to stop myself, I didn't need the twins getting any ideas. They were not welcome to this Harem.

  "The hallways are clear so if we are going to do this, now is the time," Howl said as Saxon tucked his book into one of the many bookcases that lined the walls and came over to join us.

  "Howl and I will stay with the girls," Saxon said, winding his arm around my waist. Thankfully Howl didn't pull away. "Finn with the boys, once you have cheesed the woman, come to her office and stand guard."

  Everyone gave a nod, sounded like a simple enough plan. What could go wrong?

  Damn it. I needed to knock on wood or something, but too late, the words were already out.

  After a sweet and lingering kiss from my Fae mate, he took off with the twins. All three of them laughing as they bust back into the icy hallways of the Vampire’s underground dorms. I had a bad feeling about that combo.

  "Come on. Let's do this the right way," Scarlet said, putting on a black zippered hoodie. I couldn't help it, a loud obnoxious laugh burst out of me.

  First, I didn't realize Scarlet owned a robber's uniform or part of it. Two, she looked like a high-class hacker with an affinity for red hair dye.

  "Is that necessary?" I asked, still trying to stifle the laugh.

  "Yes." She snapped, throwing me my own. "It's cold as balls out there, let's go."

  As much as we were trying to not garner attention in general, I'd forgotten who I was and who flanked me while we walked the halls.

  Down with the vamps we walked by mostly unnoticed, but above ground, every head turned as trailer trash, her shifter mate, her vamp mate, and a ninety-nineties hacker stalked through the halls.

  Nope--not attention-grabbing at all.

  "This better go fucking perfect," I murmured, stepping closer to Howl. "Because I'm pretty sure everyone can guess what we are up to at this point."

  Saxon cringed as head after head turned to face us and whispers began. "True. I'll meet you there, my rose." He vanished in seconds, leaving me with Howl and hacker girl who was no crouch-walking through the halls.

  I almost kicked her in the ass. She was being an idiot.

  I'd come to this place to escape my life--to try to have some kind of future that didn't involve Tommy and the trailer park.

  Yet, here I was, walking into the very thing that could send me back there.

  ‘That's not going to happen, Ivy,' Howl said, reading my mind. The return of our internal monologue was comforting and I leaned into him.

  ‘I want to believe that, but--'

  ‘You are my mate now, little wolf.' He flicked the still tender flesh of my bite. ‘Your life is with me, and the others, as much as I am still working to accept that. We won't let anything happen to you.'

  He clasped my hand tighter as we turned the last corner to the administration part of the school. I barely saw it, Howl had included all of us in that. I don't know what Finn had said to him, but it had worked miracles.

  Howl chuckled as we made it to the last corner, the heavy door to Nicky's office just ahead.

  "Come here," Saxon's whisper echoed over the stone, his cool hand wrapping around my arm as he pulled me and Howl into a tiny dark room, ninja Scarlet shuffled in a second later.

  The door snapped shut, leaving us in the dark with the smell of dust and ammonia. A broom closet.

  Well, it was as good a hiding place as any.

  We had only been huddled in there for a minute when quick steps blasted through the empty hall, followed by a loud booming that could only be that of a fist on a door.

  "Here we go," Scarlet whispered into the dark. Fool me once, but she sounded excited.

  The heavy knocking continued until it was replaced a metallic click, a whine, and an explosion of sound.

  "What is it," A snap that was Nicky's bellowed through the silence.

  "Headmaster, I've been asked to tell you that your car---well, I don't even know what to say. You should come see."

  "What is it, Mr. Lamb?" Nicky said with something that was more like a snarl. "Spit it out."

  "Your car…" I couldn't decide if the guy was stalling in laughter or fear. "Your car is covered in cheese, Headmaster."

  Laughter. He was trying not to laugh. So was everyone else I was surrounded by. Oh god, what had those boys done?

  "I'm sorry, did you say cheese?" Her voice cracked on the last syllable.

  "Yes, ma'am."

  Pounding footsteps followed as the two ran after Headmaster Ampste's brand new car.

  "Well, that worked better than expected," Howl said after a minute, the door to the closet opening slowly and releasing Ninja-Scarlet to the world.

  The four of us shuffled as quickly as we could to the door, Howl already playing with some weird wire in preparation to pick the lock. Except that Scarlet had barely laid her hand on the knob when the huge thing swung open with the tiniest of creaks.

  "Well, that seems convenient." She stared at the door, making no move to enter.

  "Yeah," God, my heart had fallen straight down to my toes. I could feel it pulsing there like it was trying to force my feet alive and get me the hell out of there.

  "Well, let's be quick then. Who knows how much time we have," Howl was the first in, everyone filing after like a conga line to our doom.

  "I'll take the file cabinets," Saxon said, already sweeping to the towering cases that hopefully he could get through with whatever vampire powers he possessed. "You and Howl can tackle the desk. Scarlet the bookcases. It could be anywhere. I would say we have five minutes."

  No one questioned. We got to work, opening files and flicking through papers on her desk while Saxon opened and closed filing drawers at lightning speed, Scarlet pulling and tapping at books as though she was looking for a secret passage.

  "There's a joke here," Howl whispered as we shuffled papers. "Three shifters and a vamp walk into the school…"

  I snorted. "Yeah, but there's no fucking punchline. Get back to looking."

  After a minute of tapping and shuffling, a low groan echoed through the room, the sound of stone grinding against stone freezing through all of us, Scarlet's hand still on the book
she had been about to pull off the shelf.

  "Guess that worked," she mumbled, pulling the book a bit more and filling the room with more deep grinding.

  "I smell blood," Saxon whispered, nostrils flared as he walked toward where Scarlet stood, hand still on the book. "There's something beyond this…"

  Scarlet swallowed, pulling the book the rest of the way out. One of the panels in the office turned, a dark canker opening up in the wall. The stairs and the uneven tunnel were coated in spider webs, so many that I would have thought the whole thing abandoned, if not for the voices that were coming from somewhere far below.

  "What in the world?" Howl gasped, his hand tight around mine as we hesitantly approached the uneven opening.

  Pounding footsteps and mumbling echoed from somewhere behind.

  "Shit!" I half-whispered, everyone turning toward the quickly approaching Nicky, Scarlet dropping the book in her shock. The panel slowly replaced itself, stone grinding over stone. We did the only logical thing one does in the situation; run into the scary unknown hole to escape the terrifying shifter that was about to find you ransacking her office.

  Logic.

  We tiptoed down the dark passage, the voices growing louder and louder. Just like the light at the end of the tunnel.

  "It's not too late. This is our chance, but there's only one way to get him to come forward. We've been too patient--too complacent." An ancient voice echoed up to us as we made our way down the steps, Howl's hand still tight around mine.

  Another voice growled with a sound that sent the hackles on my neck up, my wolf snarling. Shit, didn't need that right now.

  "What do you suggest?"

  "Use her as bait as she has suggested. He will come for her." The first voice said again, the light flooding over the stairs as the room below opened up, the high ceilings and stalagmites all circled what looked like an altar and a pentagram, and four hooded figures.

  "She is one of his last pure-blood descendants and from what we've heard, just as powerful if not more powerful than him. He will come after her. He said he would stay away, but that was before we had her."