Second Chance Soul: a paranormal reverse harem steamy slow burn academy adventure (Second Chance Academy Book 2)

by Ella J. Smyth

  I drifted off to the feeling of his fingers scratching my scalp.

  Not long after, I woke up because my body was shaking. Shivers ran up and down my legs and arms, and my teeth were chattering. I was alone in the room except for Slug. Wrapping myself tightly into my bed cover, I stared at my pet. If only he were an actual familiar, he might be able to fetch help. But he was just a stupid, big alley cat.

  Well, maybe not stupid. Above average for a cat, actually. I squeezed my eyes shut to stop my thoughts racing into all different directions. What was wrong with me? My mind was unfocused, my body cold and shivery, and I felt so weak, I couldn’t even think about getting up.

  Slug sat in front of my bed and watched me with his unusual blue eyes. His whiskers twitched, and he canted his head to the left as if he were thinking. Then he jumped up, right on top of me. I couldn't do anything other than moan pitifully. I knew from experience if I tried to wrestle him off the bed, I'd lose that battle. All I could do was surrender.

  Slug carefully pushed himself against my chin, turning until he was under the cover, pressed against my front. He was so warm and fluffy, I didn't even mind that he smelled like he was due for another bath. My fingers stroked his back, and his purring vibrated through my body. His presence made me feel better by the minute.

  Soon after, my stomach growled viciously. Slug lifted his head and gave me the evil eye for disturbing his nap. I nudged him apologetically and slipped out from under my blanket. I felt a little better, but the vertigo started again the moment I was upright.

  Doesn't Sharon have chocolate hidden behind the spell books on her shelf above the bed? I stumbled to the hiding place my roommate thought I didn't know about and fished out a candy bar with peanuts and caramel. Just what I need.

  With a relieved groan, I ripped open the wrapper and gulped down the damn thing in two bites. Then I ate another. And another. The sugar rushed to my head, and I laughed in pure euphoria. The shivers and cold were gone, and my body felt infused with power. It was the oddest feeling. As if I’d lost all my energy and got it back with the help of three sugary snacks.

  I was so high, I sang to myself and danced through the room while Slug meowed in confusion. Waving my arms in the air, I watched as tiny flashes of lightning crept over my skin. They made a noise as if I'd hung one of those electric bug zapper lamps. I was in the middle of a flamenco step I'd just invented, when the door opened and Beth entered.

  I whirled in a tight circle before facing her and taking her hands. She pulled them back sharply before I made contact. Laughing, I said, "Come on, dance with me."

  Beth shook her head, and that’s when I noticed the tears. It stopped me cold. She sat heavily on her mattress and covered her face with both hands like a child. Then she began to sob, desperately and heart-wrenchingly.

  I rushed to her side and sat next to her. "Jesus, Beth, what happened?"

  She keened harder, and I put my arm around her, offering whatever comfort I could. Eventually, her crying stopped, and she turned to hide her face against my shoulder. I stroked her hair gently, not knowing what else to do. "Beth. Honey. What happened?"

  She lifted her gaze and looked at me with such devastation, I recoiled. "My father... he... he's dead."

  I stared at her, dumb founded. "What?"

  "He's dead. They just told me. He was murdered."

  My mouth fell open. Like an idiot, I repeated, "What?"

  My head was whirring with shock and grief for my friend and the man I'd never met in person. "What do you mean, murdered? When? Do they know who did it?"

  Beth covered her face again, trying to make herself smaller against me. "No," came the muffled answer. "But Ms. Farkas said he was killed by a supernatural creature."

  A what? Did I hear her correctly? "A supernatural creature? Like what?"

  Beth wiped her eyes. "She said it was a succubus."

  "What the hell is a succubus?" I might have phrased this a little better, but Beth didn't mind. She probably had reacted the same way when Ms. Farkas had given her the news.

  "According to the head witch, a succubus is a female demon that feeds off the life energy of its victims. It drains them dry while having"—Beth inhaled deeply before continuing—"sex with them."

  "A sex demon that kills people? That’s a thing?" My voice sounded a little hysterical, but sue me. It's not every day you find out that demons are real.

  My friend nodded, her face pale and drawn. "Remember how I told you my dad wanted me to stay a virgin? That's the real reason, not because he is”—she corrected herself, swallowing hard—"was religious."

  "Whoa, hold on," I said. "Let me make sure I got this straight. Your father warned you not to have sex because a succubus might come and steal your life energy?"

  Beth nodded, her eyes welling up again. "Yes, but since I'm bi, it might also be an incubus. Same thing, only male. I think my dad knew that something was hunting us. And now he's gone, and I'm all alone."

  Her voice broke at her last words. I didn’t blame her. It had to have been horrible to get the news. Then another thought occurred to me. "So are you saying that some kind of monster is after you?

  Again, Beth nodded. "I’ve got to assume that's what my dad warned me about."

  "Does Ms. Farkas know?"

  "She knows what killed my father, but I don’t think she knows I might be in danger."

  I stared at her. "Well, shouldn’t you tell her? Maybe she can help."

  Beth's head dropped lower. She suddenly looked very young. "I’m not sure who to trust anymore. Not many people know this, but my dad was an FBMA agent."

  The FBMA. The same organization that had me arrested and sent to the academy. The same organization that financed this entire institution and paid the teachers' salaries.

  "He knew something was coming, yet he never told anybody he worked with. Don't you think that's odd?"

  I nodded. It was very strange. The Federal Bureau for Magical Activities had resources to protect one of their employees. So what did it mean that Beth's father had kept the threat a secret? It sounded like he hadn’t trusted them. If I were Beth, I'd be suspicious of anybody connected with the FBMA, too. Especially after Mrs. Palmer's warning the other night.

  There was nothing I could do but pull my friend into a tight hug. Beth fell asleep in my arms, having cried herself out. And I had yet another thing to worry about. Because if a deadly sex demon was coming after my friend, Sharon and I might also be in the firing line.

  21

  School picked up speed on the day following Beth's horrible news. She attended all the classes, but the shadows under her eyes were so dark, she looked like she might collapse. Luke and Kenzy called to our room with treats, trying to distract her. I made sure to leave to give them space. But every night, Beth cried herself to sleep, and hours later, she woke up screaming from nightmares.

  Sharon got earplugs and kept them in all night. I was tempted to let her oversleep in in the morning but decided against it. I couldn't handle any more negativity. Sometimes, the atmosphere in the room was so heavy, I found it hard to breathe. It wasn't Beth's fault, but after three days, I couldn't bear it anymore.

  On Sunday, I was at a loss what to do. Beth refused to get up, so I’d left. her cuddling Slug. I knew from experience how soothing the alley cat’s deep, rumbling purr was. But I needed to go stretch my legs. Besides, I wondered what the children were up to.

  Crossing the campus, I soon entered their dormitory. My stomach fluttered with anticipation as I walked along the hallway. I’d never been inside their bedroom, so wasn’t sure how to find the right door. It turned out to be easier than I’d thought. The strains of a Nick Cave song led me down the corridor. Bingo.

  I knocked, and when Julian opened, his face split into the biggest grin. Quickly checking left and right, he pulled me into the room. “You know you’re not supposed to be here, right?”

  “Yeah,” I replied. “I needed to get out, though.”

  Julian
grimaced. “That bad, huh?”

  Kiernan sat on one of the beds, reading his book of Magical History. I was really curious about the subject and quizzed Kiernan every chance I got.

  “What are you studying?”

  He held up the book to show me. They’d already covered the more obvious topics like the Salem trials and the witch hunts in Europe. What interested me most was modern history. I'd been shocked to learn some of the most recent presidents had had the support of the magical community.

  In fact, part of the reason why the reactor had blown up with such devastating consequences had been a loosening of regulations, lobbied for by the owners of the plant. Kiernan had explained there'd been an investigation into sabotage, but the FMBA had been unable to confirm those rumors.

  Julian sat down next to Kiernan. "Sit down with us," he said, holding out his hand to pull me onto the mattress between them. "How is Beth?"

  The story of Beth's loss had spread across campus, and there’d been a never-ending stream of condolences. Every kid in the academy had been able to empathize with how devastated Beth had to be after losing her dad like that.

  I fell in between the two boys and wiggled to make some space for myself. Kiernan took my hand, and Julian put his arm around me. It felt good, like home and comfort. We sat for a while, Kiernan reading and Julian playing with my hair. I sighed happily and leaned against his shoulder. I must have dozed off, because when Kiernan closed his book and said, "Alright, I'm done," I jumped a little.

  Kiernan laughed. “Are you tired?”

  I shrugged. “Not really. Just got comfortable.”

  We looked at each other, not quite sure what to do next. Before it got too awkward, Kiernan asked, "Have you spoken to Lance?"

  "Sure have," I confirmed.

  "And?"

  Julian's hand was on my leg, rubbing small circles on my upper thigh. It was distracting in a nice way. Kiernan did the same thing on the other leg.

  I sighed, enjoying the sensation. "He's definitely interested."

  "Good," Julian said. "The more, the merrier. Do you guys realize there’s now an earth, a water, and an air mage in our group? Plus you, Amber. All we need to complete the quint is a fire mage.

  I sat up straight. "Another one? Don't you think we should figure out how the four of us work before we add more to the relationship?"

  Julian shrugged. "I told you we tend to gravitate toward people with power. If it's meant to be, the fifth will find us."

  I rolled my eyes. "I can't believe we're not enough for you."

  Julian's voice dropped to a sultry murmur. "Oh, believe me, sweetheart. You're plenty for me."

  I was just about to comment on how cheesy that was when Kiernan slapped Julian lightly across the back of the head. "Stop doing that, you freak. You're gonna scare her off."

  When they both burst out laughing, I realized they were joking. Thank God. I'm so far out of my depth, I can't feel the ground under my toes.

  "Am I scaring you off, Amber?" Julian asked once we'd stopped giggling.

  I shook my head. "No. I'm glad I came over. Beth is upset all the time, not that I blame her," I hastened to add. "But it's depressing me. I was hoping you guys would cheer me up."

  "And did we?" Kiernan's face came closer, and he leaned his forehead against my temple. "Or should we try harder?"

  Before I knew it, he pressed his lips against the whirl of my ear and licked along the top of it. I shivered at the feeling of his wet tongue. Julian slid his mouth along the side of my neck. I stretched like a cat, completely comfortable sandwiched between the two.

  The only noises in the room were the little moans the boys coaxed from me and our combined breathing. Julian turned my head toward him and kissed me. I yielded immediately, opening up to him as if I were starving for him. While I was occupied, Kiernan pushed his hands under my top and scratched his fingernails along my back. I arched into his fingers, my skin sensitized by the light touch. As the two took turns kissing me, my legs dropped open in an unspoken invitation. Julian was the first to accept it. He opened the top of my jeans and pulled them down.

  "Lift," he whispered, and I did as I was told. I kicked my shoes off and helped him pull my pants down. Then I settled back and kissed Kiernan again. Julian ran both hands up the inside of my thighs until he reached my crotch. He pushed his fingertips under the edge of my underpants, moving closer to my core.

  I moaned and held onto Kiernan's head, turning him so I could explore his mouth easier. At the same time, I spread my legs wider. Julian laughed softly, and then it happened. His fingers slipped between my lips, and he stroked up and down, brushing past my clit a few times. The touch was so exquisite, so intimate and yet so foreign, I struggled with keeping still. I was so wet, there was no friction. Only the slide of Julian’s fingertips increasing my arousal with each brush through my folds.

  "Do you like that?" he wanted to know. Kiernan pulled his mouth away from mine and looked down to watch Julian's hands under my panties.

  "Wow," he murmured. "You are so fucking sexy. I can't believe you're here with us. I want Julian to make you come, and then I want to do the same thing with my tongue."

  Nobody had ever talked to me like that. Julian chose that moment to slip a finger inside of me. I groaned, overwhelmed by the sensation and Kiernan's words. Did he really want to lick me down there? This was all new to me, but right now I wanted to do everything, feel everything. My body was on fire, my nipples ached with the need to be touched, and what Julian did with his fingers drove me crazy.

  As I watched him with hooded eyes, he pulled his hand out of my pants and held it up. It was glistening with my wetness. Kiernan's voice had dropped into a lower register. "Let me taste her."

  Julian lifted his index finger, and Kiernan sucked it into his mouth. My eyes widened as I watched Kiernan suckle my juices off Julian's finger. Julian's eyes dropped to half-mast, and he moaned. His tongue sneaked out of his mouth, and he licked his lips as he watched Kiernan nibble on his skin. They looked incredibly sexy together, but I began to feel a little neglected.

  I didn't want to break the spell with words, so I wiggled my butt to make sure they got the idea. Kiernan chuckled and released Julian's finger from his mouth. "Are you getting impatient, acushla? Don't worry, we'll take care of you."

  He pushed me until my back was against Julian's chest. Then he reached behind me and quickly undid my bra. Julian got with the program and pulled both my underwear and top over my breasts. Pinching my nipples gently, he held me against his lean, long body. His erection was digging into my lower back.

  I hadn't seen either of them naked. Maybe now wasn’t the time to mention that because Kiernan had pushed my panties aside and slipped a finger inside of me. I arched my back and bit back a loud moan. The boy knew what he was doing. His fingers were broader than Julian's and felt heavenly. Then he pulled it out and stroked up and down my pussy.

  What started first as a tingle in response to his touches quickly grew in intensity. My nipples became more and more sensitive, peaking to tight buds under Julian's pinches. The way those two were double-teaming me was incredible. A deep, intense ache bloomed between my legs, overwhelming me with the need to push my lower body against Kiernan's hands. My groans became louder and more desperate. I couldn't have stayed quiet if I'd wanted to. I pushed myself against Julian's chest as he sucked hard on my neck.

  "That's it. Come for us." Kiernan's voice sounded wrecked. His index finger circled my clit, circled and circled through the slick wetness, until I threw my head back, squeezed my eyes shut, and let go. My orgasm tore through me, ripping me away from time and space, leaving me in a whirl of sensation. Fire emanating from my core, lightning flashing through my body.

  22

  Staring at the ceiling, I tried to get my breathing under control. Julian stroked my hair, allowing me some time to recover. Soon, however, his hips hitched against mine in small, abortive thrusts.

  Kiernan sat on one leg, the other p
lanted on the floor. His eyes were sparkling with mirth. "I hope you liked that."

  "Yeah." My limbs were stretched away from me as if they didn't belong. Kiernan scooted closer, running his hand reverently from my neck over the bunched-up clothes to my nipple. I would have been embarrassed if I hadn't been so relaxed and was still enjoying the afterglow. He rubbed his palm over my belly, circling the belly-button, and moving closer to my lower stomach where my pubic hair started.

  "You're so beautiful," he murmured. His voice sounded hoarse as he continued rubbing, his fingertips scritching through the hair. I wanted to protest because, no, I wasn't beautiful. I was pretty ordinary, except Julian made an assenting noise next to my ear. "Shut up, sweetheart. You are."

  Great. They're ganging up on me. Then my mind went to other ways how they could do that, and bam, my face burned as hot as a light bulb. Kiernan grinned and moved closer to kiss me. My whole universe zoomed in to the way his lips felt, the way his tongue pressed and slid against mine, and how Julian mouthed at my ear. I couldn't believe I was getting turned on a second time.

  "I'd like to make you come again," Kiernan murmured against my lips. I groaned, completely overwhelmed by how much I wanted these boys. I barely recognized my voice, it was that raspy. "I'd love that, but what about you guys? Don't you need to..."

  I couldn't say it. Julian chuckled, both his hands sliding to my breasts and cupping them. "Don't worry. We'll enjoy ourselves."

  He tugged on my top and bra that were still rucked up around my neck, and I lifted my arms. Within a second, I was naked.

  "Damn," Kiernan said, breathing heavily.

  I didn’t like being so exposed in front of them. They were still fully dressed, although Kiernan's pants were tented, and Julians' erection had been pressing into my back for a while. "When do I get to see you with no clothes on?"

  Kiernan laughed. "I thought you'd never ask."

  He jumped up, pulled his shirt over his head, and dropped his pants. Then he stood up straight, without showing any self-consciousness, and allowed me to look my fill. Man, he was built. His pale skin, topped with a fine dusting of reddish hair, showed his Irish heritage. His hair thickened into a trail on his lower belly before culminating in a nest of tight, red curls. His cock was fully erect, and as I watched, he closed his fist around it and slid up and down.