by G. Bailey
“I see playing nice didn’t last all too long, Nick,” I say.
“I can be nice,” he purrs, his hand still gripping my arm tight enough that I can’t let go. “When I get what I want.”
“You’ll never get what you want from me while you are playing games and being an utter dickhead,” I say, pulling my hand from his and walking out the classroom, hearing his laugh following me out.
“Why are you carrying me away from the apartment full of food?” Amethyst asks as I walk through the corridor, passing dozens of people who do their best to stare at Amethyst and me. It’s like they’ve never seen a girl holding a cat tightly to her chest so she doesn’t escape as she walks to class or something. Sera looks back at me, a slightly amused smile flickering at me as Amethyst continues to struggle to escape my grip. Even though it’s her day off, Sera explained the clouds are too thick here to see the full moon, and the teachers came around to suggest all wolves go back to work. We go outside and around the side of the academy before we get to a field where a man is standing with three other students around him.
“Good luck,” Sera whispers to me before going to stand with the other three wolves by the wall.
“I’m going to get wet. Cats do not like water; do you remember that fact?” she protests as I walk over the field. “You are torturing me. Torture, I say!”
“It’s a little rain, get over it,” I hiss at her, and she just tries to escape me again, digging her claws into my arm.
“Miss Cameron?” the man who looks in his late thirties asks, smiling at me through his large-framed glasses. “My name is Mr. Zeta. Welcome to Familiar Studies. As you can see, this is a small class as most choose to study familiars in their rooms rather than actively look for them. Now, who is this?”
“Amethyst, and she is my familiar. At least I think she is,” I explain as she tries to escape once again. I just hold her tighter and awkwardly smile at Mr. Zeta.
“Familiars are animals who never leave your side and would happily die for their owners,” he explains to me, focusing on Amethyst.
“I’d choose myself in a life or death situation. Clearly, you have the wrong cat. You should let me go now!” Amethyst hisses.
“Wow, she is a talker, isn’t she? So much meowing,” he remarks with a laugh.
“She never shuts up, to be honest,” I say, and he laughs like I’m joking. If only he knew I wasn’t.
“I would say this class isn’t needed for you. I’m going to send you back to your room and send over some books for you to read on owning a familiar. I will ask you back to my classroom every four weeks to see what you have learnt,” he tells me.
“Sounds good,” I reply, struggling to hold onto Amethyst.
“Goodbye, Miss Cameron—and Amethyst, of course,” he says, and walks away from me to the other students just as the heavens open, dropping heavy, cold rain down on us. Amethyst jumps out of my arms, hissing like crazy as she soon looks terribly soaked through. I can’t help but laugh at her kitty eyes as she looks like she wants to murder me.
“I will never forget this betrayal,” she hisses at me, but it only makes me laugh more as she runs away and into the academy.
Who said having a talking cat wasn’t fun?
Chapter 16
One towel. One possessive demon
“How was it?” Sera asks as I slam the door shut behind us both, feeling very bloody annoyed. I storm to the couch and sit down before sinking my head into my hands. I’m sure she heard from outside the gym how well this lesson went, just like all the other lessons in this past month. I’ve been at this school a month, and everyone else just seems to be doing better than I am. I can’t hex because even looking at humans makes me want to be sick. I can’t make my voodoo doll do more than stand on its own when other people have theirs dancing. It doesn’t help that the voodoo and necromancy teachers are still in hell, so I can’t ask for their advice or guidance. Claus and Nikoli have offered to give me private lessons, but only if I’m naked in their room as they “teach” me. Assholes.
“It was embarrassing. So embarrassing,” I explain to her. “He beats me every morning to catch that damn orb in private training, and then for the last three weeks, he has taken pleasure at pinning me down until I give up at every survival basics lesson.”
“Oh Lexi,” she says, somewhat amused as much as she is feeling sorry for me. “Would a cup of tea help? Or hot chocolate?”
“It’s a hot chocolate kind of day, Sera. I’d really love one,” I reply.
“Does it help that the angel is super sexy, so being pinned under him should be a little fun?” she asks as she fills the kettle up.
“No, it doesn’t help,” I mutter. “I’m pretty sure all the girls in the class love to have him pin them down, but I don’t. I need to beat him; I need to see that smug smile disappear.”
“He is only smug about you,” she reminds me. “You really get under his skin.”
“You need to get under him, period,” Amethyst interjects, though she looks like she is sleeping on the sofa. The little eavesdropping madam.
“It’s not sexual tension, it’s just tension,” I remind her. I’ve told her this a million times, but she is adamant that it is more than just friendly competition. I’m adamant it is nothing more than him being an annoying pain in my ass.
“Okay, the next time you have a lesson with him, try to remember how everyone thinks it’s sexual tension. I’m sure you will notice something,” she suggests as she mixes milk and hot chocolate powder together while the kettle boils.
“It’s not—”
“I’m a wolf, and I can scent a change in pheromones. Like when someone is sexually attracted to someone else,” she says and chuckles as I sit in silence, not having an answer for that one. Thankfully someone knocks on the door a few times, and before either Sera or I can answer it, it opens and Claus followed by Nikoli and a guy I don’t know, walk in.
“Usually when you knock, you wait for someone to answer the door,” I point out as Sera freezes in what she is doing and comes to my side, bowing her head. I hate how she feels like she has to do that. The other guy with the Lucifer twins is clearly their wolf slave, judging by his clothes and how he keeps his head bowed, his thick brown curly hair hiding his face. I’ve seen him around the academy with the twins but never this close.
“Oh shit, we should do introductions before we go to the party,” Claus says, smoothly jumping over the sofa and landing in front of Sera, surprising me when he holds his hand out for her to shake.
“Wait, what party?” I ask, walking around them as I hear the kettle finish. I pour the hot water into my cup as I keep an eye on Claus.
“I’m Claus, and that dickhead over there is my brother, Nikoli. The silent wolf is Santino Franco. The only time he likes to talk is in his sleep. You are?” Claus ignores my question completely, and Sera looks to me, her wide eyes terrified. I stir my hot chocolate as I carefully watch Claus and try to think of what to say.
“What do you do to the girl, beat her silent?” Nikoli asks. “I didn’t know you had a violent side, Lexi.”
“What?” I splutter. “I don’t—”
“I’m Serafin,” Sera finally speaks, just to stick up for me, I suspect.
“Last name?” Claus asks.
“That’s not important,” she is quick to reply, and it was defensive in a way I haven’t heard Sera speak before.
“It is to us. See, Lexi is our mate, and we want to be sure her slave is from a good line,” Nikoli speaks for the first time, and Sera looks to me, and I can only nod. I doubt they will cause trouble for Sera if they want me on their side. I would only hate them more if they did, so I can’t see the harm in them knowing who she is. They might find out anyway.
“Serafin Lupas,” she answers.
“Holy shit, you’re the alpha’s daughter. No fucking way,” Claus says, looking damn shocked. “Though you do look like the ugly bastard. Kind of. You are prettier.”
�
�And a friend of mine. Be nice or get the fuck out,” I warn them both.
“Are you going to make us leave, Alexandria?” Nikoli teases.
“If you are threatening her, then yes,” I firmly reply, ignoring his teasing.
“Chill. We don’t believe in the wolf slave laws any more than most the decent people here, but it is what it is. Dad won’t change his mind,” Claus says, breaking the tension. I sip my hot chocolate, flinching a little from the hot water.
“You asked him to change things?” I eventually ask as Sera comes over and stands close to me. Claus jumps on the counter, resting back like he owns the building.
“Claus is always asking to change things,” Nick drones in a bored tone. “I prefer everything as it is. Less chance of a war that could destroy everything that way.”
“Even if hundreds suffer?” I ask.
“Wars kill thousands, if not millions. A few hundred bastards are no price at all to avoid that,” Nick says, and I shake my head.
“Wow, you really are an asshole not only in your behaviour but your beliefs too,” I mutter, and Nick glares at me.
“Okay, we are going very much off topic here and killing the vibe,” Claus says, jumping off the counter, smoothly stepping in front of me and blocking my view of his brother. “There is a party tonight, and we want you to come. It would be good for us to spend time together.”
“I don’t want to party, so thanks, but no thanks,” I say. “You can both leave now.”
“I told you she has a stick stuck up her ass like Morgan,” Nick tells Claus. “No wonder they spend so much time together.”
“Come on, you aren’t old before your time like Mr. Morganach, are you?” Claus turns and asks me. I get the feeling they aren’t going to drop this, no matter how much I tell them I don’t want to go.
“Fine,” I mutter. “I need time to shower and get dressed.”
“We will be fine waiting,” Claus says. “Where is this cat familiar I’ve heard of?”
“She ran off when you got here,” Sera explains as I walk away.
“Shame, I wanted to see her,” I hear Claus say as I shut the door to my bedroom. I quickly shower and blow-dry my hair before straightening it and coming out into my bedroom with just a small towel wrapped around me. I nearly drop the towel as I jump out of my skin when I see Nikoli going through my wardrobe.
“You have no sense of personal space, do you?” I ask, holding the towel tighter and feeling my body flush.
“No,” he plainly replies, and he picks out a small black dress from the wardrobe and walks to the bed, laying it down. “You will wear this,” he commands, never once looking at me as he goes to the door. As he opens it, words escape my lips without me wanting to say them. I just can’t help myself.
“I’m not wearing that. You can’t command me to do what you want. Wear what you want me to. I’m not your possession, and I will never be,” I tell him, and he shuts the door he just opened, turning around and taking three large steps until he is right in front of me. His hands snake around my waist, pulling me against his chest as I grip my towel tightly, not wanting to risk letting go to push him away.
“The second I saw you in that fucking gym, I knew in my soul that you were mine. Wear the dress, Alexandria,” he tells me. A romantic statement mixed in with a threat. Why do I like it so much?
“No,” I reply.
“Why are you testing me on everything?” he asks, a slight growl leaving his lips. For just a second, his eyes glow bright green, but in the next second, it is gone.
“Because, Mr. Lucifer, I won’t be controlled by anyone. I know you are used to getting your own way, but so am I,” I warn him.
“You are going to get yourself killed with that attitude,” he warns me. “And I have a vested interest in keeping you alive, which is proving difficult.”
“At least I know you won’t kill me then. One person off my checklist of suspects,” I try to joke, but Nick doesn’t even crack a little bit of a smile.
“It’s not me you should fear, Lex. If you play the owned by no one card in front of my father, I won’t be able to save you. No one will,” he warns me. “He will make sure you suffer worse than you’ve ever suffered before.”
“I need to get dressed,” I say, gulping down the fear that is building in my throat at the idea of meeting their father.
The flipping devil.
“Of course,” he replies, letting me go, and I try to make my breathing calm as he heads to the door and pulls it open once again. “Although the sexy towel look suits you.” Somehow he makes me smile with that comment as he closes the door, and I look back at the plain black dress on the bed.
“I don’t belong to anyone,” I whisper the words I keep telling myself, what my dad told me. I have to believe in him, and I do because a deeper part of me knows it’s what feels right.
The only person I belong to is me.
Chapter 17
One beautiful mate
Claus
The door of Lexi’s bedroom opens, and we all turn to look as she walks out in a tight, pure white dress that showcases her amazing figure, hugging her curves to perfection.
“You chose that for her to wear? Good fucking job, everyone is going to be eating her up tonight,” I harshly whisper to Nikoli as I walk past him and stop in front of Lexi. She looks up at me with those innocent, pale crystal-blue doe eyes, and she parts her lips to talk. “Are you ready to leave?” I ask her before she can say anything to try and get out of it.
“Sure,” she says, and I offer my arm out for her to hook hers through. To my surprise, she hooks her arm with mine, and Nikoli storms to the door, pulling it open and storming out. What pissed him off?
“Was that your doing?” I ask, waving a hand in the direction of the open doorway.
“Might have been. I didn’t wear the dress he wanted me to,” she explains to me. Ah, now it makes sense.
“Why didn’t you?” I ask her, though I suspect the answer is simple. She didn’t want to. I like how she resists being told what to do. I like how wild she is, how untameable she can come across as.
“Because I don’t like to do as I’m told,” she honestly replies. She is too honest for a demon, and I have no fucking idea why I like it so much. Well, I have an idea, being that she is my mate. The perfect person for me, one who will test me and make me want to jump in front of a bullet for her all at the same time. She is certainly doing the “test me” part of that explanation. “Where is the party then?” she asks, though she glances back to see her wolf slave, Sera, close the door behind us. We follow a moody Nick to the statue of our father, where he stops in front of it and crosses his arms as he waits for us to get to him. His eyes flicker to where Lexi and I are touching with our arms before he hides the look altogether. Big brother is a little bit jelly by the looks of it. We’ve always shared everything, but this time, it is a little different than sharing a toy.
Especially because this girl doesn’t seem to want us at all.
“Watch and see, darling,” I tell her and nod at Nick. He places his hand on the head of the statue, closing his eyes and muttering the words needed to open the portal. Red light blasts out of the statue, and the next second, we are standing on the sand on a sunny beach as the sun sets in the distance. It casts pink and orange hues of light over Lexi’s hair and face, making her seem so perfect that it is hard to even look at her. She is beautiful—a real kind of beauty that you don’t find much in this world of fakes anymore.
Everything about her is real. From her feelings to her friendships, to every smile on her lips. She isn’t trying to impress anyone, least of all me and my brother. It reminds me of my foster parents and everyone back in our childhood. It reminds me of home.
“Where are we?”
“Somewhere in California, I think. Maggie chose the place this time,” I tell her, and her eyes widen in shock. Such innocence, it’s addictive. I remember when I first saw her in the courtroom, though she didn’t s
ee me. She stood tall in front of all the demon leaders, even though her world had been rocked to its core and her parents were locked up. She was brave and fearless. Possibly even reckless in the way she stood up to the leaders and asked to see her parents.
When I heard she knocked out a Heller by simply surprising him, I was damn half in love with her. I had to talk to her, even if it cost me risking my cover by telling her my name. Nothing mattered but meeting her.
I should have known she was my mate right then. I’d never risk a mission from my father to talk to a girl.
But she isn’t any girl.
“I’m getting a drink. Don’t lose her,” Nick tells me before stomping off across the beach. I look around us, seeing a group of students dancing to some music on the sand.
“Take your shoes off and come dance with me,” I tell her, and she shakes her head.
“No, even though you didn’t ask and demanded something.”
“Fine. Please, will you dance with me, Alexandria Cameron? My heart can’t take the idea of dancing without you.”
She tries not to smile, but she fails, and I find I really fucking like how she smiles. It lights up her whole face, makes her even prettier than before. I kick my shoes off and pull my socks off, shoving them in my shoes as she slides her shoes off in a more graceful way. I grab her hand, linking our fingers, which I expect her to pull away from, but she doesn’t. I tug her into the dancers, wrapping my arms around her waist and pull her into me, enjoying the sharp intake of breath I hear her make.
I do affect her, even if she wants to deny it. I rest my head next to hers as I take control of the dance, swaying us to the music and breathing in how she smells of vanilla and peaches. I fucking love peaches. I pull back to look at her, finding her eyes so wide as she stares up at me, her small hands resting on the back of my neck, occasionally touching my hair.
