Supernatural Academy: Year Two

by Jaymin Eve

  He gave me his infamous grunt, but he was smiling, and I relaxed into the next shot. After some time, the music changed, and a section of the floor was cleared for dancing. There was a heady feeling in the air, all the alcohol and supe hormones turning the room into one hot mess of desire and sensuality.

  I loved to dance. I always had, and with over a bottle of alcohol flooding through my veins, I was ready to work off the rest of the tension inside of me. Asher was still on my mind, no amount of alcohol could drown him out, and I needed to not think about him. Not fucking crave him.

  “Wanna dance?” I asked, shooting to my feet.

  Rayge just lifted one eyebrow in my direction before shaking his head. “Keep my seat for me,” I said as I took a step back.

  Weirdly, he met my gaze full-on for what I thought was the first time. His eyes were an intense, blazing green. “No one takes the seats next to me, Maddi,” he said softly. That was when I noticed the one on the other side of him—despite the absolutely packed bar—remained empty. I’d made a huge fuckup by sitting right at his side, but he hadn’t seemed to mind.

  I looked at my seat. “Uh, sorry,” I said with a shrug. “I’m new in town, I didn’t know the etiquette.”

  Those green eyes regarded me, and a darkness slithered across them. Not a darkness that I needed to fear, but one that was part of this shifter’s aura … his soul. “You’re always welcome to get shitfaced with me, Atlantean.”

  One last look, and he turned back to his drink.

  38

  Pushing my way out onto the dance floor, I relished the heavy feeling in my limbs and numbness of my brain. This was what I had been searching for all night, and finally, finally, whatever swill I was drinking had given it to me.

  The music was unfamiliar, and most of it not in English, but it didn’t matter. It had a danceable beat, and that was all I needed. Closing my eyes, I swayed my hips, hands sliding down my shirt and across my jeans as I lost myself. The soft touch reminded me of Asher running his hands across me … his face buried between my legs, and I was … fuck. I was horny.

  Bad news in a room filled with shifters and vamps. They could smell arousal, and I really didn’t need to deal with that. A hand landed on my ass, followed by another on my stomach, pushing the shirt up. My eyes flew open, my power knocking him to the ground before I could even catch sight of who had touched me. Supes scattered, and I looked around the dark room. A vampire on the ground bared his fangs at me.

  “Don’t touch me again,” I told him, voice low, but he heard me.

  He was up in a heartbeat, reaching for me, only this time in anger. My power slapped him down again with no visible movement from me. I didn’t say a word. Or twitch a finger. Or even fucking blink an eye. It used to scare me when my power acted independently of me like this, but tonight … I loved it.

  The vampire tried to scramble away, but I held on to him with my energy, letting it wind around him, pressing him harder to the dirty floor. His face was drawn, eyes wide, and I was just wondering if I really wanted to hurt him when a large shadow caught my attention.

  Rayge, watching me with far too much interest and the slightest of smiles on his face. “Who’s the scary one now?” he asked, that smoky scent filling the bar and causing all the nearby supes to scatter.

  I didn’t respond, because in that moment the front door slammed open and I felt Asher before I saw him, his power leading through the room to tangle with mine. Like it had been searching for me.

  The crowd that had been standing between us parted, and he strode through looking like the motherfucking god he was. His golden skin glowed. His green eyes were filled with fire. He was scaring everyone in this place. Even Rayge looked … cautious. I, on the other hand, didn’t know what to do. I released my hold on the half-dead-looking vamp and he scurried away on his hands and feet, crab walking.

  Ignoring him, I waited for Asher to reach me. Only there was a giant shifter suddenly standing in front of me, his rage palpable as he prepared to defend me. Peering around him, I placed a hand on his arm, almost jerking it back at how boiling hot his skin was. It felt like it was actually burning me.

  Asher paused, his eyes locked on the hand that was touching Rayge, and suddenly there were two raging males in the place. I had a decent idea that this was entirely my fault.

  I didn’t know how to defuse the situation, but I knew removing my hand from Rayge was a great start. “It’s okay,” I told him softly as I pulled away. “That’s Asher.”

  Rayge let out a low growl that had the hairs on my arms rising. “I know. Why do you think I’m standing the fuck here?”

  He thought he had to protect me from Asher. If only he knew the truth … no matter how badass he was—even if he was a dragon shifter—Asher was an Atlantean demigod, his “grandmother” the mother of all. If anyone needed protecting, it was Rayge.

  The mounting fury in Asher’s eyes was enough for me to understand that I needed to get away from the shifter. Now. Stepping around Rayge, I shook my head to stop him from following me. I’d never seen Asher like this. He was in a stance so strong he actually looked unbreakable.

  “Ash,” I said, slurring just a little as the alcohol settled in further. “Asher! Look at me.”

  His head snapped from where he’d been glaring at the shifter, and I forced myself not to flinch or step back. His eyes were glowing, the gold covering the green completely. The energy coming from him was scary, because he reminded me of Galindra. Of the darkness in her. Of the power she exuded.

  “Asher,” I said, emotions clouding my voice as I feared he was gone from me again. “Are you still my Asher?”

  His expression softened slightly, and I couldn’t stop from reaching out and touching his face. His skin was almost as hot as Rayge’s, and I had to close my eyes at the feel of our powers mingling together.

  “Maddison,” he rumbled, the first word he’d spoken since entering the bar.

  A sigh left me, and I just nodded.

  His hand lifted slowly, fingers caressing across my cheek before he cupped my face. He was so tall, almost as tall as Rayge, and I had to go up on my tiptoes to reach his face, and even then he had to bend to meet me.

  As our lips touched, the energy Asher had been pouring out in waves collided with my own, causing a mini explosion across the room. With a gasp, I pulled away, staring at all the supes who had been knocked to the ground. The only one still standing was Rayge, staring at the both of us like he was equal parts wary and curious.

  “Uh, sorry,” I said, wrinkling my nose. “I feel partly to blame for this.”

  Trollie started cursing from the bar, and I shrugged before turning my back on him. Supes started pulling themselves up from the ground, the music started again, and suddenly everything was back to business as usual. Maybe it was that Asher’s eyes were green again and the energy that had been oppressively knocking into everyone was fading. Or maybe supes were just fucking insane and this sort of shit was an everyday occurrence.

  “What are you doing here, Ash?” I asked, staring up at him.

  His jaw tightened. “Looking for you. I’ve been looking for you for a while, but your energy was hard to detect until a few minutes ago. You lit this place up.” When I’d blasted the vamp, no doubt. But why was my energy hard to detect before that…?

  Was it the alcohol, or…? My eyes locked on Rayge, who is still standing nearby, watching us with his arms crossed. Maybe his power was enough to cloud my own.

  Either way. “Do you want to dance?” I asked Asher, not ready to lose my buzz. At least this way I knew I wouldn’t be groped.

  I thought he was going to reject me again. But he caught my eyes, a slow darkening of his gaze the only indication that a storm was brewing inside of him.

  “You’re drunk,” he said softly.

  I nodded. “Shit-faced, actually.” Credit where credit was due. It wasn’t that easy for someone with my power to get drunk. I’d been working hard all night on it.

/>   Asher’s teeth appeared,; his expression part predatory and part amused. “Guess I need to catch up.”

  The crowd parted as we made our way back to the bar, me taking my old seat and Asher almost sitting in Rayge’s until I shook my head slightly. Looking pissed off, he arched an eyebrow at me, and I shrugged as if to say Men, what can you do about them. With a snort, Asher finally took the stool on the other side of me, leaving Rayge’s chair untouched, as I knew it would remain for the rest of the night.

  The shifter had more than a few demons, but he’d grown on me. I wanted to say we were kind of friends now. I would never forget the way he’d defended me.

  “I should kick you the fuck out of me bar, girlie,” the troll said as he slammed another bottle down in front of me. “But I’m not prepared to tangle with that one.” He jerked a head at Asher. “Or that one,” he added when Rayge took his seat beside me.

  I was about to get pissy, because I was as fucking powerful as both these dudes. Nothing I hated more than being underestimated because I was a woman. Then trollie met my gaze full-on. “And I especially do not want to get on your bad side. That bottle is on me.”

  Thank you very much. “I’m a badass,” I said out loud.

  Asher and Rayge both laughed, their deep husky tones blending together for a moment until they realized they were almost coexisting. That shut them both up. “Asher,” I said quickly, “this is Rayge. He’s been keeping me company.”

  Asher sighed. “We’ve met before, Maddison. Rayge and I actually have some history.”

  The shifter made a derisive noise into his fresh drink, which appeared like fucking magic as usual. “History. That’s one way to look at it.”

  Asher shrugged, and then just like that, the male testosterone dropped a few points and I was able to breathe and relax again.

  Asher leaned over and grabbed two clean glasses, and I poured shots for us both. My buzz was still going strong, but I was definitely in need of a top-up. When I picked up my glass, Asher did the same.

  “You ready, baby?” he said, meeting my eyes over the rim of his glass. My chest clenched, and I tried to swallow down all the emotions that made me feel. Fucking Asher. Always destroying me one perfect word at a time.

  “Ready,” I said, deciding not to call him out on his use of baby when we were not in the place for shit like that.

  I threw my drink back, and he did the same, his face screwing up. “Demon brew. I should have guessed.”

  I stared at the bottle for a beat. “Did you just say demon brew? That sounds … bad…”

  Rayge chuckled again, softer this time, as he lifted his eyes to meet mine. “It’s the mean asshole version of fey wine. You’re going to really wish you’d stopped at one bottle in the morning, even with your metabolism.”

  Well, fuck.

  I shrugged. “Too late to worry about it now. Might as well enjoy my buzz.”

  39

  The morning light cracked me over the head like the bitch face asshat it was and I groaned, lifting a hand to my aching face. What the hell happened last night? Did I get into a fight?

  I tried to squint an eye open. I had the vaguest sense that I wasn’t in my normal room. The light was coming from a different direction or something, but the moment a sliver of the world came into view, I knew I was going to vomit.

  “Ugh.” I tried to wrench myself up, but something hot, hard, and fucking heavy was holding me down.

  “Gods,” I groaned, before I covered my mouth with my free hand.

  Somehow Asher knew I was about to barf and he had me up and in his arms in a heartbeat. We reached the toilet in time; I sprawled across the floor, hugging the white bowl. Asher didn’t leave my side, staying close, holding my hair and stroking my back softly as I vomited and vomited until there was nothing left but dry heaving.

  Resting my head on the seat—yeah, disgusting, I know—I fought through the pain and nausea. I almost cried when Asher left me, but it was only briefly, then he was back with a bottle of water and some green disgusting-looking concoction.

  “Demon brew does not mix well with fey,” he said softly, like he knew words were painful today. “And even worse with demigods, apparently.”

  “Ugh.” I groaned again, but I did manage to lift my head and swallow down a cool sip of water. I waited a second to see if it was going to reappear, but thankfully it stayed down.

  “This will help,” Asher said, and I gagged as he held the sludge out.

  Shaking my head, I tried to move away from him and his hippie bullshit. “Give me Tylenol or fucking morphine. Anything but that shit.”

  Asher chuckled, and I debated if I could punch him and not vomit. Or if I should punch him and try to vomit on him. Both were viable options.

  “Those human pharmaceuticals will not work on you now that your power is unlocked, now that … your mortal shell has been destroyed. Your natural healing will take care of you in a few hours.” He waved that shit at me again. “This is just to take the edge off now.”

  Gritting my teeth, I attempted to stand, only to lose my balance and crash into the wall. Asher caught me before I could do any permanent damage, and I shook him off. His hands on me felt so good and right, but now that I wasn’t drunk I remembered what he’d done. With startling clarity, I remembered how I’d felt. How he’d all but destroyed me.

  I couldn’t go back there. Not now. Maybe not ever.

  Like he was following this jumble of thoughts, he said, “We need to talk, Maddi.” He brushed his hand through his hair, and it was such a familiar gesture that I almost reached out to do the same.

  “Yeah, I know,” I said, swallowing, my mouth tasting like a dirty-ass desert floor. “Not today though. I’m not mentally prepared for that.”

  Asher nodded, a small smile playing across his face. “How much do you remember?” he asked me.

  I shrugged. “Uh, bits and pieces. I went to a bar, drank a shit-ton of death disguised as alcohol, and met a surly shifter.”

  Asher’s playfulness faded in an instant. “Stay away from Rayge, Maddison. He’s not like other shifters. He’s old, dangerous, and damaged beyond repair. He’s not a good friend for you to have.”

  I smirked, groaning at the pain in my temples. “Thanks for the warning, Asher, but since you don’t get to choose my friends, let’s just agree to disagree here.”

  He really looked like he wanted to argue, but thankfully Asher knew how to pick his fights, and since we were leaving today and I’d probably never see Rayge again, he let it go.

  “I better go pack,” I said softly, pushing away and leaving his bathroom. “I just need some space.” Asher didn’t follow me, for which I was eternally grateful. I was cracking around the edges and nobody needed to see that, especially not Asher. The truth was, I remembered everything about last night.

  We’d drank, and laughed, and danced. Asher and Rayge had even had a few civil conversations. For a few hours, I’d been the old Maddison and Asher had been my Asher. But those hours were over, reality was intruding once more, and we were heading back to school.

  The plane ride felt like an eternity. I spent most of it texting Ilia and Larissa. I filled them in on the trial and what happened last night, all the while fuming because Asher had chosen to sit away from me during the flight. I’d waited for him to need me during takeoff again, but he hadn’t looked in my direction. I mean, I couldn’t really be mad—I was the one who’d asked for space—and yet I was pissed as hell.

  Sure, I knew I was confusing as fuck these days, but … if Asher wanted to win my trust back he needed to fight for me. He needed to show me that I wasn’t as easily replaced and dismissed as he’d made out. Even worse, after our few days together, I was missing him in the worst kind of way.

  My phone chimed in my hand. What game is Asher playing? Ilia texted, after I’d told her everything. I know he’s up to something, but I’m still not sure what it is.

  Another text. Don’t you dare forgive him until he offers so
me sort of explanation. Larissa was pissed. Rone had been sniffing around her again; she’d all but kicked him in the balls in reply. My bestie was not giving in without a fight.

  Shooting off texts to them both, I squared my shoulders. They were right. I needed to know everything before I was even remotely in a place to trust Asher again. My heart was ready, my body burned for him, but my brain, the part that actually thought it through, knew that Asher and I were a long way from okay.

  My phone chimed again, and I squinted at the unknown number. I want to touch you.

  My head jerked up and I looked at where Asher was sitting, right near the front. I couldn’t see if he had a phone in his hands, but who else would send me something like that?

  I read the message again. And again. And again until I was a fucking mess.

  Another message chimed. Trace my tongue across your skin, so smooth and perfect. Taste every dip and crevice.

  My legs clenched. I was both aroused and angry. He kept bringing it back to sex. Sex was never our problem and it wasn’t going to fix us now.

  Angry, my fingers raced across the keys. Asher, enough. We need to talk. End of story, no more fucking sexting.

  The reply was so fast that I wasn’t sure anyone or any supe could type that quickly. Who is Asher?

  My blood went cold and I shot up from my seat, crossing around to where Asher sat…

  No phone in hand. He was staring forward, his eyes shuttered and his jaw clenched.

  No phone.

  He turned as I hovered, because somehow he always knew when I was upset. “What is it?” he said, on his feet.

  My eyes flicked to the phone still clenched in my hand. “Uh, nothing,” I said softly. “Was just feeling a little cramped.”

  He knew I was lying, that much was obvious, but he didn’t call me out on it. He grabbed my free hand and tugged me down into the seat next to his. “Ready to talk?” he asked as he sat, still staring ahead.