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

by Ella J. Smyth

  There was really only one explanation. He must have been with her in our room, even though he'd promised not to. I didn’t know who I was more angry with. The cheater or the bitch who'd gotten to him again.

  Beth had noticed my agitation and climbed out of her bed to look at the jacket in my hand. "That's Lance's coat."

  "No kidding," I replied bitterly. "He can pick it up himself, the bastard. I don't want to see his stupid, cheating face again."

  Beth looked pensive. Her gaze flitted from Sharon's bed to my face to the garment in my hand. "Do you think he's got something to do with Sharon looking like a million times better than she did earlier?"

  That would explain it. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath before I exploded. When I felt calmer, I opened them and looked at Sharon. She was so fast asleep, it was as if she were drugged. We were talking right next to her, and I wasn't exactly keeping my voice down.

  Well, only one way to find out. Without a hint of remorse, I shook her shoulder. Hard.

  No response.

  I tried again, even harder. This time Sharon moaned, then opened her eyes as if surfacing from a deep, deep sleep.

  "Hmmm?" she murmured, before her eyes dropped shut again.

  "Leave her. You wouldn't get a decent answer out of her now. Wait until the morning to quiz her," Beth said.

  It was sage advice. But I found it hard to fall asleep. After the first adrenaline rush of anger had subsided, questions raced through my mind. Where had Sharon gone? Why did she never talk about what was going on? What had happened to her this time, to leave her in such a state? Because honestly, she had looked like somebody suffering cancer with her hair falling out.

  There were so many weird things happening at the school. It was government-run, so the students weren’t told much at the best of times. New kids arrived all the time, and rumor was that some students went back to their old schools, or just… left. Matt definitely wasn’t coming back. We’d heard nothing about Lillian, even though Kiernan had asked Mrs. Palmer. And now Kenzy.

  I shivered under my cover. There was something bad happening. But what could I do? If I kept running to the head witch, wouldn’t I draw attention to myself? Maybe best to keep my head down. Eventually I drifted off.

  In the morning, I opened my eyes and gasped at the horrible sight confronting me.

  31

  I had no idea who’d let Slug out last night, or even worse, allowed him back in. But here he was, sitting on my chest. The self-satisfied monster held a tiny, mauled body between his teeth. The dead mouse’s limp foot dangled pathetically just in front of my nose.

  “No, don’t you dare,” I sputtered. Slug tilted his head and spat the rodent in my face. I couldn’t remember ever moving that fast. Wiping my mouth frantically, I fell out of bed, flailing like a lunatic. “What the hell! Are you trying to kill me, you orange menace?”

  Slug jumped off the bed and stalked to Beth, who sat on her already made bed. “Come to me, little darling,” she said. Traitors, the both of them.

  “Little, my ass. If he got any fatter, we could use him as a football,” I said nastily. Slug glared at me. Somehow, he managed to convey a hurt expression on his furry face. I groaned and rubbed my head where it’d connected with the floor.

  “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean it.” Great. Now I’m apologizing to the sadistic cat monster. “But could you at least move your victim from my pillow?”

  Of course, he didn’t react. I had no choice but to grab some tissue paper and pick up the cadaver myself. Slug stood next to me while I flushed his catch down the toilet.

  He watched the swirling water in the bowl until the flush was done. Then he looked up with a baleful look. I rolled my eyes and kneeled down. Pulling him into my arms, I whispered, making sure Beth couldn’t hear, “I’m sorry, Slug. Just… next time you bring me a present, get me, I don’t know, one of Sharon’s candy bars?”

  Slug molded himself against me, purring loudly. I stroked him for a while until I remembered I needed to have it out with my cheating bitch of a roommate. Releasing Slug, I got up and stalked back into the bedroom, ready for the confrontation.

  Sharon’s bed was unmade, but empty. Maybe Beth knew where I’d find her. “Did she say where she went?”

  Beth didn’t need to ask who I was talking about. “She said something about meeting up with friends.”

  “What friends?”

  Beth put her book down. “I don’t know. She said she’d be back later on today, though. Should I tell her you’re looking for her?”

  “Don’t bother. I’ll go talk to Lance first. I’m more pissed at him, to be honest. He said he wouldn’t meet her here by himself.”

  “Want me to come?”

  She was a good friend to offer, knowing I was on the warpath. “No, it’s okay. I’ll kick his ass myself.”

  Beth watched me for a few moments while I pulled on my pants. I was just about to leave the room when she said, “Remember the last time you were pissed at him because of Sharon? What if this is the same thing? Maybe she has some way to mind-control him?”

  I stopped dead with my hand on the door. “Do you believe that?”

  Beth shrugged. “I don’t know. I suppose it could be possible. I’ve known Lance for a while, and he never struck me as a cheater. Maybe hold off screaming at him until you have the full story.”

  On my way to the boys’ dorm building, I pondered her words. Lance had said he couldn’t remember making out with Sharon that night I’d seen them. And he showed all the hallmarks of being drained by something or somebody.

  Thing was, Denholm had warned me I was being drained. Except I knew how it had happened. Nobody had forced me to have sex with the boys. I’d wanted to make out with them, and so I had. And I’d do it again if I could figure out how to stop the energy imbalance.

  The librarian’s book was still sitting on my desk back in my room. After I’d had it out with Lance, I’d come back and take more notes. Somehow I knew the answers would be inside the old tome.

  “Come on, Lance, open up.” I hammered on the door for the third time. Goddammit. Just my luck, he’s out as well. Probably with Sharon. I was sure there was steam coming out of my ears as I turned to leave.

  Just then, Lance opened the door. My anger evaporated like smoke in the wind. He was a shadow of himself. Purple bruises under his eyes looked like he’d been punched. His hair lay flat against his skull, and the skin was stretched so tightly over his cheekbones, the bones seemed to press against it from the inside.

  When he saw me, his eyes widened in alarm, and he tried to shut the door in my face. Sticking my foot into the gap, I pushed hard enough to be able to slip into his room.

  When he raised his hands and backed away, I stopped, my eyebrows pulling together into a frown. “Calm down. What the hell do you think I’m going to do to you?”

  Lance fell onto his bed without any of his usual attitude. “I don’t know. I woke up last night, and I don’t remember anything.”

  I huffed. “Yeah, right. I told you not to come see Sharon without somebody else there.”

  Lance rubbed his face. “No, I remember that. You probably won’t believe me—”

  I interrupted him sharply, “Try me. Maybe I will if you tell me how your jacket ended up in Sharon’s bed.”

  The alarm in Lance’s face was genuine. Nobody was that good an actor. “I don’t know.”

  His voice rose on the last word. His eyes were glazing over, as if he were fighting back tears. It was hurting me, seeing him that distraught. Sitting next to him, said, “Come on, man. Tell me what’s going on.”

  He swallowed hard. “I wanted to see you, to tell you I couldn’t make the games night.”

  “Why didn’t you wait until I got there to tell me?”

  “Because I thought we’d have a little time to ourselves.”

  I stared at him, trying to catch him in a lie, but his gaze was steady. “Okay, so then what happened?”

  “Sharon o
pened the door. I was going to leave a message for you, but then I woke up here, in my room. It was pitch-dark, and when I went to see Julian and Kiernan, they were fast asleep. So I went back to bed. This morning, when I woke up, I thought I’d caught the flu. Every bone in my body ached, and I was so hungry, I could have eaten a horse.”

  His hands were fluttering as if he didn’t know what to do with them. I took one hand and held it tightly. His skin was so cold, it felt like touching a corpse. I swallowed, suspicion rearing its ugly head.

  “What did you eat?”

  He shrugged. “I only had some jerky in the room. I ate all of it, but didn’t feel any better.”

  “What about candy bars? Have you got any of those around?”

  His eyes grew round. “I don’t. Do you think… Did she…”

  As I watched him, his confusion morphed into anger. “Did she drain me? Is that why I’m feeling like death warmed over?”

  I gripped his hand tighter. “I don’t know. Let’s get you some sugar first, though. Stay here. I’ll see if the boys have a stack.”

  Kiernan was about to go out when I knocked, and Julian had already left. I quickly explained my suspicion. Kiernan picked up a selection of candy bars, and we rushed back to Lance’s room.

  Lance swallowed the first bar in two bites. The second one was gone equally fast. By the third bar, he slowed down and took some time to chew. The color was returning to his face, and the awful purple shadows under his eyes disappeared.

  When he was done, he looked from me to Kiernan before his gaze dropped to the floor. As I watched, he wiped the back of his hand over his eyes. Was he crying? My heart ached for him.

  Without saying a word, Kiernan placed his hand on his friend’s shoulder. Lance reached up and covered it with his own. I held his other hand, sitting next to him on the mattress. Kiernan and I exchanged glances over Lance’s bowed head.

  When he spoke, Kiernan’s voice sounded rough, as if he were fighting with his own emotions. “Come on, you look knackered. Let’s get you back under the cover, and I’ll check in on you in an hour. What do you say?”

  Lance nodded and allowed us to maneuver him in the bed as if he were a doll. His passivity was frightening. He could be such a shit sometimes. Sarcastic, cynical, always in control. I wanted that guy back. Tired, depressed Lance scared me.

  We stuck around until Lance had fallen asleep. Kiernan picked up Lance’s key from his desk, and we tiptoed out of the room. Kiernan carefully pulled the door shut, then leaned against the wall, staring at the ceiling.

  I bit my tongue, refusing to break into tears like a little girl.

  “Is he going to be alright?” I asked.

  Kiernan turned his head and regarded me steadily. “I bloody well hope so. Do you know who did this?”

  I nodded. “I think it was Sharon.”

  I hadn’t told him about the book yet. Now might be the time. “Kiernan, Mr. Denholm—”

  “The librarian?”

  “Yes. He gave me a book on power drains a while back. It’s—”

  He interrupted me, sounding irritated. “Why didn’t you tell us sooner?”

  I glared at him. “Because it’s been taking me a long time to read it.”

  “So why didn’t you ask Julian or me for help?”

  He had a point, but I wasn’t going to admit it. Besides, I didn’t like his attitude. “Can you stop interrupting me?”

  He waved his hand for me to carry on.

  “Anyway, I got to a chapter about how to prevent power drains. If Sharon put some mind-whammy on Lance, there might be something in the book to stop her from doing it.”

  Kiernan pushed his shoulder against mine. His voice dropped lower as he asked, “Might it also protect us when we play?”

  For a moment, I didn’t know what he meant. Then I blushed. ”It might?”

  God, yes. Let there be something in the book to allow us to have sex without draining each other. Of course, I didn’t say that out loud. But Kiernan must have read it on my face, anyway.

  He turned his body until his chest pushed against mine. My back collided with the wall, and before I could protest, his mouth covered mine. I opened to inhale in surprise, and he took advantage of it to kiss me deeply.

  He surrounded me, just the way I liked it. His hand caressed the front of my body, running from my neck to my belly. When he passed by my breast, he made sure to flick my nipple with his thumb. It was as if he’d hit an electric switch. A current ran into my groin, and I pressed my thighs together to savor the feeling.

  Kiernan chuckled against my lips and did it again. And again. Every time he rubbed against my nipple, the sexual energy between us grew until I groaned and pushed my lower body against his.

  Well, two can play at that. I let go of his shoulders and slipped my hand under his shirt. He gasped in surprise when I pinched his nipple gently. Then he shivered all over.

  “This is fun,” I whispered.

  “It is. Do it again.”

  This time I brought my hand to his crotch. Yep, no doubt. The boy was turned on. I wrapped my fingers around his cock and squeezed. His reaction was gratifying. He grabbed my hips and pulled me tightly against him.

  “Oh, fuck,” he said, his voice rough. “Do that again.”

  I slipped my hand lower and cupped his balls through the fabric. His breathing sped up against my face, and his moan shot straight to my pussy. He kissed me again, his tongue pushing against mine, twirling and rubbing, until my knees felt like buckling.

  And then he stopped. He rested his forehead against mine, still breathing heavily.

  “What?” I asked.

  “There are people coming,” he said.

  He was right. Voices sounded through the hallway, coming our way. Kiernan stepped away from me, adjusting his massive erection.

  “Acushla, you’re giving me blue balls. Jesus Christ,” he grumbled.

  I grinned. “Not my fault.”

  My boyfriend chuckled. “Tell you what. Fancy meeting us tomorrow night?”

  “You and Julian?” I clarified.

  “And Lance, if he’s feeling better. We should really spend some quality time together, if you know what I mean,” he said, putting on a sleazy accent.

  “Shut up,” I said, slapping him lightly, but there was no force behind it. In fact, a warm feeling spread through my belly. Even if Lance still felt ill, being the target of Julian’s and Kiernan’s experimentation would be epic. And if Lance got involved, holy crap. I squeezed my legs together again, feeling a wave of excitement wash over me.

  By the time a group of guys passed us by, laughing and chatting, we stood a respectable distance apart. But Kiernan’s gaze was hot enough to give me goosebumps.

  “Can’t wait until tomorrow,” he murmured once the boys were gone. Just as I was about to walk away, he added, “I want to spear you on my tongue again.”

  And then he chuckled at my whimper, the bastard.

  32

  Half an hour later, I sat on my bed, my face buried in my hands. Crap, crap, crap. The urge to get physical with the boys had wormed its way into my stomach. I wanted them to run their hands over my body. I wanted to lick Kiernan’s spectacular abs. I want everything. But I can’t.

  Mrs. Palmer had warned us about power drains during sex. I’d experienced adverse effects every time I’d gotten together for more than a kiss. I knew, deep inside, it wasn’t safe. Especially with how fragile Lance was. I groaned in frustration, sliding my body deeper into the mattress.

  Slug had been watching me with his head tilted. Then he meowed loudly. I peeked through my fingers. I’d only just fed him, so what was he complaining about?

  Holding my gaze, he jumped gracefully onto the paper chaos on top of my desk. With several essays due next week, I’d allowed my homework and research to pile up on the small surface.

  The cat looked around the desk for a moment and then pushed a stack of papers onto the floor.

  “Hey, stop that,” I
said. Slug ignored me. There went the next heap. Swearing under my breath, I got up to lift him off the desk. As I stepped close, his back paws pushed against a large book until it crashed to the ground.

  “Slug. Seriously. Denholm’s going to kill me if you damaged his book.”

  The moment the words left my mouth, I face-palmed so hard, I winced in pain. The book. I’d forgotten about the damned book again with all the other work I’d had to hand in. So instead of picking up where I’d left off, I’d buried it under homework.

  Satisfied with his work, the little shit jumped off the desk and strolled to my bed, no doubt eager to recover from his monumental effort. After he’d settled on my pillow, one eye closed and the other blinked.

  I laughed. “Did you just wink at me?”

  I couldn’t be angry at him. “Fine. I’ll get you a pouch of tuna for reminding me. Happy?”

  Both eyes closed and his whiskers quivered, which I took as “Yes, very happy.”

  I picked up Mr. Denholm’s book and inspected the edges and binding. Relieved they were undamaged, I leaned against my bed and opened the chapter where I’d stopped nearly two weeks ago.

  “Magical Drainage and Protections Therefrom,” I read out loud.

  A key rattled in the door, and Beth entered the room. She joined me on the floor and looked at the page I had opened. “Ooh, that sounds exciting. Where did you get that book from?”

  When I explained, she wrinkled her nose. “Really? That guy isn’t very friendly at all.”

  I stared at her. “Huh. That’s weird. He’s been super-nice to me. Actually, he warned me about getting drained, and then he gave me this book.”

  Beth snickered. “So it’s going well with the boys?”

  I’d given away more than I’d wanted. My face heated up, and I turned the page to hide from her knowing grin.

  “Shut up,” I grumbled.