Dark Fae (Ruthless Boys of the Zodiac Book 1)

by Caroline Peckham

  “Is that true?” She narrowed her gaze.

  I shrugged. “Everyone says it is.”

  “That doesn’t make it true.”

  “Fair point.” I dropped down from the wall, sliding an arm over her shoulders and drawing her forward to look into the depths with me. She stiffened as if she expected me to throw her in and I chuckled. “They say if you listen real carefully, you can hear his moans, begging to bring justice on the bullies who killed him. And every now and then you can hear-” As if on cue a faint clack clack clack sounded from below and Elise lurched away from the edge. I turned to her with a devilish grin. “They say its him banging a rock against the wall, desperate to be heard.”

  Elise wrapped her arms around herself. “Alright, you’re officially creeping me out.”

  “Na, come on, it’s probably not true anyway.”

  “Probably,” she deadpanned and I snorted.

  “Maybe I shouldn’t have led with the creepy ass story. Come back over here and make a wish with me.”

  “No way in hell am I making a wish in some murder hole.”

  “They call it The Weeping Well actually, but I think I like murder hole better.” I gave her a slanted smile, beckoning her nearer.

  Elise lifted her coin to look at it then frowned. “Maybe I don’t want to throw it away.”

  “Well you can’t have a wish if you don’t,” I pointed out.

  She stepped closer with a hollow look in her eyes.

  “Maybe I don’t have any wishes to ask for anymore,” she said and a frown pulled at my brow.

  “That’s pretty sad, little monster. Even the dead kid in that well has wishes.”

  She broke a smile which sent heat directly to my dick. Damn.

  She took her sweet time closing the distance between us, but when she did, she brushed her fingers across my jaw and the sensation was a slice of heaven.

  “I have a better idea for the coins.” She reached into my jacket pocket, taking out my coin and placing her one back in its place. “Now we have a piece of each other to carry around.”

  She pushed the Leo coin into her cleavage and I could not stop staring as it disappeared. Fuuuuck.

  “Do you want a few more pieces of me, Elise?” I growled as she pressed her body into mine, her curves moulding to my muscles.

  “Actually, Leo, I think I do.”

  Her breath met my skin, her lips parted and her hooded eyes burned a line of fire right through to my soul. Her mouth met mine and her tongue swept across my lips, making me groan with wanting. I yanked her against me so she could feel what she did to me with only the faintest of touches, wishing I could have more of her.

  More more more.

  She twisted her fingers between mine then ground herself into my hard on with so much intention I just knew she was trying to drive me to insanity.

  I kissed her with nothing of the laziness I gave other women. My hand was wrapped in her hair, I was fully fucking engaged, dominating her mouth with my tongue and wondering how it might feel to please her instead of myself. “I want to do more for you,” I groaned against her mouth. “Let’s go somewhere private. Or fuck it, I’ll make you come right here on the murder hole.”

  Elise laughed, deepening our kiss and scraping her nails down the back of my neck. “Maybe I want to do something for you, Leo.” She kissed me harder so I couldn’t answer and I realised I’d been about to refuse that offer in favour of pleasuring her. What the fuck is happening to me?

  She drew away long before I was ready for her go, sucking on her lips which were raw from our kiss like she was savouring the taste of me.

  “Let’s go back to the hall,” she said, grinning darkly then promptly turning away and heading off down the path.

  I looked up at the stars before I followed, shaking my head at them. How long are my blue balls on the cards for, assholes? That wasn’t in my daily horoscope this morning.

  With a long breath and a good effort at picturing Professor Mars’s bare ass to sink my boner, I followed Elise along the path.

  When we arrived back at the hall, I followed her into the entranceway, but she caught my hand and dragged me toward the locker rooms instead of heading back to the party.

  “Elise?” I questioned in confusion and her laughter rang back to me. She released my hand, darting into the girl’s locker room using her Vampire speed.

  I frowned, jogging after her and pushing through the door.

  The lights were off and I hunted the wall, searching for the switch, knowing she could see me with her freaking Vampire eyes.

  “Dammit, at least give me a clue, little monster, I’m blind in here.”

  “Here’s a clue.” Her hand pressed to my crotch and holy mother of the stars, it was on. She unzipped my pants and I reached out for her, finding nothing but air in front of me. What?

  She tugged my boxers down and wrapped her mouth around my dick, making me swear in a hundred fucking languages I hadn’t realised I could speak. I fisted my hand in her hair while searching for the light switch with the other.

  Fuck, I wanna see her.

  She made a torturous journey down my shaft, taking me all the way in and making every muscle in my body tighten. It was the best blow job I’d ever had and she’d barely started yet. She drew me in and out, her tongue flicking and her lips tightening at all the right moments. It. Was. Life.

  I groaned louder, growling her name and yanking her hair. Her mouth was so hot and perfect and the soft moans she made drove me crazy. She sounded like she was enjoying this as much as I was but there was no way in Solaria that was true.

  She moved faster, taking me in and out, pleasure chasing her skilful tongue. I was so surprised about this actually happening that I wasn’t remotely fucking prepared for it ending.

  “Shit shit shit.” I tried to hold back but she was too damn good and I was so high on this girl I was surprised my dick hadn’t detonated the second she’d touched it.

  I slammed my hand onto the wall for the millionth time, needing that damn light switch while Elise laughed, the sound shooting a vibration down my length and making me explode.

  I leaned back against the wall as ecstasy ripped me apart. Or maybe it was her doing it. Either way I was in shreds, fucking ruined by this girl. I rode out the wave and she released me from her mouth with a light laugh. She tucked me away, zipped up my pants and pressed a kiss to my mouth as I breathed heavily. Though she’d given me something fucking mind-blowing, she’d done it all in total control of me. And somehow, it still felt like she’d won.

  “Let’s go back to the party.” She flicked on the light switch which was right by my damn head and I winced from the change.

  Her beautiful eyes met mine, light skipping through them like a fucking rainbow.

  “Yeah. Sure. Anything you want,” I panted and she giggled, catching my hand and pulling me toward the door.

  I headed after her, dazed and maybe a bit fucking whipped. But hell if I cared. She was the most mouth-watering prey I’d ever encountered and if I had to hunt her to the ends of the world to catch her, I would. I’d chase her tail until she gave me all of her. Every last, delicious bite. And by the end of tonight, I was going to have consumed her.

  “Elise!” Leon called as he gave chase and I laughed, hurrying away from him down the corridor. “Wait!”

  “Didn’t you get what you wanted from me?” I teased as I kept going, turning around so that I could walk backwards and grin at him as I went.

  “I’m not sure I’ll ever be done with you,” he joked. At least I assumed it was a joke, but my cheeks flared at the same time. “I’d like to return the favour now.”

  I laughed again as I kept backing up, heading into the sports hall where the party was still well underway.

  I opened my mouth to respond to him but before I could, a wave of strong smelling drink was dumped over my head. I gasped in shock as I wheeled around to find Cindy Lou standing way too fucking close to me with an empty cup in her h
and.

  “Whoops,” she said, her eyes fixed in a hard scowl which was the clearest challenge I’d ever seen.

  The red drink coated me, the sticky feel of it seeping right through my hair and sliding down my back, soaking me through.

  For a long, long moment I could only stare at her, feeling a hundred sets of eyes on me as I stood there, dripping all over the floor.

  My lips twitched. My jaw clenched. My fingers snapped into a fist.

  My patience with Cindy Lou and her mean girl crap had come to a spectacular end. And I lost my shit.

  I shot towards her with my Vampire speed before she even had a chance to realise what was happening.

  My fist collided with her face and I barrelled straight into her chest as I knocked her clean off of her feet and her pale pink dress flew up over her head revealing her orange thong to the room at large.

  “Fight!” Leon yelled excitedly behind me and the students all around us backed up to watch.

  “You stupid whore!” Cindy Lou screamed and she lurched forward, snaring my legs in her grip as she tried to take me down too. But what kind of idiot doesn’t realise that if you catch a Vampire it’s because they fucking let you?

  My knee slammed into her chin and she screamed as blood poured from her mouth where she’d bitten her tongue but she didn’t let go.

  I fell on her, slamming my fists into her again and again as I took the same amount of blows from her in return.

  With a grunt of effort, she shoved me off of her and I tumbled beneath the legs of the crowd before I could right myself.

  People knocked into me, something spilled over my shoulder, someone else reached out and brushed a hand across my face. The sharp scent of almonds sailed under my nose and I jerked up quickly, forcing my way free of the crowd.

  The ground seemed to lurch beneath me for a moment and I shook my head as my vision swam. When everything came back into focus again, Cindy Lou was running at me with her fist drawn back and a scream spilling from her lips.

  I ducked her blow with my speed, wrapped my arms around her waist and slammed her back down onto the ground.

  Pink taffeta exploded everywhere as she lost control of her Order form and I found myself looking up at her in her Centaur form. The lower half of her body was a grey horse while the upper half remained an undeniably pissed off Fae in a push-up bra. She shrieked as she galloped straight for me and the crowd that had gathered to watch stumbled back.

  I leapt aside and strong hands steadied me before nudging me back into the ring. I looked around to find Dante watching with a smirk on his face. “Let’s see what you’ve got, bella.”

  I narrowed my eyes on him and whirled around just as Cindy Lou charged me down again.

  This time I held my ground, drawing air into my fist and coiling it into the shape of a football before tossing it at Cindy’s face as hard as I could.

  Her head snapped back as she took the hit, her body twisting awkwardly and horsey legs flailing as she was overbalanced.

  Someone whooped in the crowd and she retreated back into her Fae form as she hit the ground hard.

  I moved forward to finish this fight but the wooden floor bucked and shifted beneath my feet. Which couldn’t be right because I was pretty sure Cindy Lou had the Element of fire.

  She does, see, she’s casting a pretty flame right now.

  Cindy’s fireball hit me in the legs and my alcohol soaked skirt went up in flames like a pile of tinder.

  I looked down at the fire, a laugh bubbling in my throat as the pretty colours danced around my legs. I spun in a circle, doing a pirouette of flames as a few people nearby screamed. It was so pretty, so, so pretty and-

  “Motherfucker!” I shouted in alarm as the fire brushed against my skin and it burned.

  I stole the oxygen from the flames with a snap of my fingers and they disappeared, leaving me with fucking Cindy Poo again.

  “Did your mother name you after a turd on purpose, Cindy Poo?” I taunted as I strode towards her, more laughter bubbling from my lips.

  The ground was rocky, bumpy, bubbly and my feet trippy tripped a little as I went.

  I pointed at Cindy but she wasn’t Cindy, she was Gabriel who was frowning at me from the crowd like I’d gone fucking insane.

  “You’re the one who changes his mind every five seconds!” I shouted at him. “You give me whiplash. WHIP LASH!”

  People were muttering, murmuring, saying strange and silly things. I caught the word Blazer more than once and wondered who they meant.

  Cindy slammed into me from behind and I crashed to the ground hard. I twisted beneath her and she punched me in the face.

  Laughter bubbled from my lips.

  “You’re naked,” I pointed out like she wasn’t aware that her big horse ass had snapped her thong like a cheese string and popped her dress like a...a...

  Cindy Poo punched me again which was really fucking rude because I still hadn’t come up with an accurate description for what her big horse ass had done to her dress.

  The third time she hit me I stopped laughing and reared up to meet her, slamming my forehead into the bridge of her nose.

  She fell back and I was up like a flash of light.

  I was still laughing but then this was pretty fucking funny.

  With a twist of my fingers I stole the air from her lungs and stalked closer, only stumbling on the land bubbles twice.

  Cindy started panicking, clutching at her chest as she stared up at me in horror.

  “I want you to say something for me,” I whispered to her.

  Her eyes widened and I waited for her to reply but she didn’t which was really fucking rude. I waited. And waited. And someone was tittering in the crowd which was so fucking rude because Cindy still hadn’t said what I wanted her to and she was turning blue-

  “Oh!” I laughed and let her take a breath which she did, gasping like a fish. “I want you to say ‘I’m Cindy Poo and my big horse ass busted out of my dress like a...’”

  Her eyes flared with defiance but I stole her air again because I didn’t wanna hear it. Not one bit.

  I still didn’t have an end for that sentence and it was driving me goddamn insane but I gave up on it with a huff.

  “Fine,” I snapped. “Just say ‘I’m Cindy Poo’.”

  I waited and waited and she started nodding just as a bluebird landed on her head and did a dance. That was pretty fucking weird but she didn’t seem to mind it.

  I let her breathe again and gave her a psycho smile as I waited for her to say it.

  “I’m Cindy...poo,” she breathed and I couldn’t help but laugh again.

  “Damn fucking straight you are!” I turned and walked away from her naked ass, throwing my hands into the air as the dancing came for me.

  The crowd erupted into calls of laughter and people congratulated me, slapping me on the back and the ass. Which was a bit weird but then there was a cheetah playing the guitar in the corner of the room and no one minded him.

  Strong arms circled me and I twisted in them, finding Dante Oscura holding onto me.

  “Are you high, carina?” he asked me with a faint frown.

  I laughed, reaching up to touch his face because I’d always wanted to just touch his fucking face and there it was like he wanted it too so why the hell not?

  “I don’t take drugs, silly,” I replied.

  My fingers swept across the line of his jaw and I released a breathy moan as I brushed my thumb across his lips.

  Dante tilted his head as he inspected me then suddenly I was flying. Well, not flying so much as cuddle-walking as he carried me away, away, away...

  I leaned against his chest and the scent of him wrapped around me like a warm embrace. I breathed in deep, closing my eyes and just being with him for a long moment.

  The cold bit at me and I opened my eyes again to find us outside.

  Dante shifted his hand until his fingers were touching the burn on my leg and I hissed between my teeth before
his healing magic slid into me and took the pain away.

  “I’m sorry about Cindy,” he said with half a smile on his face. “That was kinda my fault.”

  “God you’re so conceited, I wasn’t fighting her for you,” I replied with a snort of disbelief.

  Dante chuckled and a shiver ran through me. I really liked that sound.

  “I mean, she attacked you because of something I said,” he explained.

  “What?” I asked suspiciously. Because I was a detective. So I’d detect this too.

  “Well, she was on her knees, about to show me a good time,” he explained and I wrinkled my nose in disgust at that but he hadn’t stopped trying to scar me mentally because he kept talking. “And I might have realised I really wanted someone else...and I might have told Cindy to stop because of her.”

  “Who?” I asked, wondering if I was going to have to punch that bitch too.

  Dante raised an eyebrow like I was the one being dumb and I folded my arms, waiting him out.

  “You,” he said eventually and I couldn’t help but smile a big fat smug smile at that. At least until I remembered what he’d been doing while he thought about me and then I was scowling again. And maybe going to puke.

  “Do you want to tell me what you took?” Dante asked as he sat me down on a low wall.

  “Nothing!” I protested, getting annoyed at him for asking again. “I don’t take drugs. Drugs kill people. They kill the best, best people...”

  I flinched as Dante swept a thumb across my cheek, catching a tear I never meant to let fall and dropping to his knees before me. His eyes found mine and for an endless moment I could only stare into the depths of them.

  “You’re so beautiful,” I breathed to him and he laughed, the sound waking me up a little.

  “Beautiful? Now I know you’re wasted,” Dante said.

  “I’m not,” I snapped. He was annoying me now. Why did he have to talk? I liked looking at his face when there wasn’t any noise coming out of it.

  “You can tell me. It looks like you’re on Killblaze if I was going to guess,” he added.

  My lips parted and I shook my head, shook it so damn hard that my thoughts fell out and everything looked black for a moment then red then a kind of pastel blue...