Immortal Academy- The Complete Series

by S. L. Morgan

  I made use of an electric toothbrush—enjoying that experience for the first time—and the rapid-drying hair dryer, but I gave up trying to tame my hair into some fashionable hairdo for a dinner that I was pretty sure was going to be a fancy one. It was an assumption, but it was pretty apparent in our short time with Mark Rossi that this family rolled like that. Unfortunately, I didn’t, and if this family was going to meet Dom’s future mate, I might as well be as authentic as I could be while still being presentable.

  I had a fluffy white towel wrapped around me when I heard a knock at the door. My wolf, who had been napping while I was enjoying my shower time, perked right up, sensing her alpha outside the door.

  “Hey.” I opened the door to see Dom dressed in a white, button-down shirt with khaki pants.

  Dom’s smile reminded me that I was in nothing but this towel. “I think that’s a perfect outfit for dinner,” he teased, running his hand along the hem of the towel that was folded across my chest. “A quick tug and my eyes will be blessed with a view that beats the hell out of the views of this house.” He chuckled.

  I shook my head. “Very funny. Now,” I eyed his semi-casual outfit, “help me pick something out, because this ponytail isn’t going to cut it for trying to look nicely dressed for dinner.”

  “That’s my mom’s department. She sent me up to take her place since she’s downstairs, whipping up that apple pie of yours.”

  My eyes widened, “Dom, I’m all about keeping it real for your family, but your mom didn’t have to cook me a pie.”

  “She insisted. She also insisted that the staff take the night off. She wants it to be family only.” He walked over to the double, knotty-pine closet doors and opened them. “Now, let’s see what mom has picked out for you.”

  I glanced into the closet, learning quickly that this was where Dom got his immaculate closet style. Everything was lined by style and color.

  “You up for a dress, skirt, or some pants?”

  “I’ll let you pick,” I said, glancing back at his clothes. “I think it’s best if I sort of match the fashion you’re wearing.”

  “Thanks to my dad trying to raise me up as his mini-me, this is as casual as my closet gets,” he said dryly. “It’s annoying, but thank God my mom comes to the rescue with more casual outfits outside of this stuff.”

  “You look dashing, Dominic Rossi.”

  Dom turned while thumbing through some dresses and smiled. “Why, thank you, Jenna Silvers.” He laughed. “Here, how about this?” He plucked off a strapless, yellow dress with a long, flowy skirt.

  “Okay,” I pulled the soft material of the skirt up. “I’m definitely going to trip on this, and I don’t think my first impression should be me, falling down the stairs and slamming into their front door.”

  “Something shorter, then.” He pulled out a short, black skirt and handed it to me, “How about this?” He turned and reached for a lightweight, white lace shirt, “And this? That will work perfectly.”

  I arched a brow at him, “Way to set me up to wear the short skirt.”

  “Hey, I know fashion and women. Show them what they don’t want and then give them a more enticing alternative, and,” he handed me the clothes, “well, look at you. You’re not arguing, and so I can safely say that it works every time.”

  “First of all,” I stepped past him to some drawers, looking for the bras and underwear I could only assume would be inside. I was right, and all of them were my size. “I’ll be the judge of what you can safely say regarding my attire. Secondly, you think you have women figured out, and that’s your first mistake.”

  “No lacy underwear in there, eh?”

  “Calm down,” I eyed him. “Let me throw this on, and I’m picking it only because we’re probably already late for dinner.”

  “Dinner waits for its guests at the Rossi home.”

  “Either way.” I escorted him out of my closet so I could get dressed. “I’ll be out in a sec.”

  “The tall, black boots would knock that outfit out of the park,” Dom said as he waltzed casually from the closet.

  “How do you know all this stuff?”

  “My sister and mom are vampires,” he said, sitting in a chair by the wall made of windows. “So, I’m used to seeing women dressed up in whatever, whenever. I’m up on fashion trends by default.”

  I laughed. “Well, then I guess you really are my go-to guy for fitting in with the fashion trends in this family.”

  “Yeah, you’re not going to be fitting in with anything. If anything,” he crossed a leg over the other and leaned farther into the large chair, “you’ll be standing out and making a statement as to why I fell in love with you.”

  “The L word again?”

  “I speak the truth, Silvers.” He clasped his hands behind his head, “Now, I can sit here all night in hopes that towel loosens up and falls off you, or you can get dressed and feed my safer appetite.”

  I closed the closet door and pulled on the outfit. I finished it off with the boots Dom had recommended and was shocked that I could actually move around comfortably in them. Never in my life had I worn anything but school uniforms and gym clothes until now. It was an exciting experience to see a slight transformation from plain Jenna to this tad bit more sophisticated one.

  Damn, I clean up pretty good! I thought while I ran my hands over the soft material of the skirt.

  “I’ll be the judge of that.” Dom’s voice came from the other side of the door that held the mirror where I was vainly studying my appearance.

  I opened the door and was in the middle of an overdramatic twirl when I was caught by Dom’s hands, and he was pulling my back into his chest. His lips captured my neck while his hands daringly went up my bare thighs.

  “God,” he let out a breath and then chills spiked all over my body when his lips pressed into the back of my neck. “This outfit choice just backfired on my dumb ass,” he said, before turning me to face him. “You look so damn sexy that I might totally screw up our plans for waiting until—”

  I held his lips from coming in for the kiss that I knew was going to put me in the same desperate position that Dom was in.

  “You need to keep it in check. Let’s let this be your first lesson in trying to calm yourself and your wolf down from that severed bond curse.”

  “It’s definitely a curse.” He pressed his lips against the finger I held against his lips. “Let’s go get dinner.”

  “Probably a better idea.”

  We both walked into a dining area that held a large wooden table in the center of it. The room was encased by the walls of windows on two sides. Where Dom’s dad sat at the head of the table, the view was of the snowy valley below, and the view from the other side was the entrance of the house where the snow-covered pines stood.

  Through a door on the other side of the room, I witnessed the embodiment of elegance and beauty float into the room. Dom’s mother was more than a typical vampire, I could sense it immediately. I sensed compassion, love, and overwhelming authority, coupled with kindness I had only detected in Dominic, coming off of the woman.

  Her ruby-red lips were a beautiful complement to her brilliant blue eyes, her striking features, and the long, red gown she wore. Her onyx hair was shoulder-length, and it shimmered under the recessed lighting of the room. This woman was more than an elegant vampire, she was the epitome of magnificence and beauty.

  “Jenna?” she cocked her head to the side, setting down the pie I hadn’t even noticed until she said my name. “I’m Kate. It’s a pleasure to welcome you into our home. I hope you like the pie. It was quite the staple item growing up in my home. It’s my step-father’s recipe, and I hear the fairies have bragged to anyone they’ve met about it.”

  “I can smell it from here,” I greeted her with a smile. “I have to say, I don’t think I’ve met a pie I hated, but the aroma from that is making me want to skip the healthier food and dig right in.”

  Dom laughed while his mom smiled a
nd looked at him. “Dominic says you’re quite the pie enthusiast, I can’t wait for the feedback.” She sat in a chair to Mark’s right. “Dominic, quit being rude, and come sit down and join us for dinner.” She laughed—Lusa got that laugh from her. “I was told you both haven’t eaten anything all day.”

  “Yes, you’re right,” Dom let out a laugh. “I was enjoying watching Jenna taking it all in, that’s all.”

  “You need to put your selfish needs behind you, son,” she said as she placed a napkin in her lap. “Jenna,” she nodded toward me after I looked at Dominic in confusion when he held a chair out for me and then gracefully slid it back in after I sat. Quite the gentleman! Dom’s smile confirmed my curiosity to this new side of him. “Hopefully you’re not too shaken up by the change of your summer vacation. Mark insisted you both join us in Aspen after hearing from the president of IA that our son was quite smitten with a shifter.”

  “God only knows what that man has told Dad.” Dom said in a harsh tone, completely opposite of the elegant and pleasing atmosphere his mom had so easily created. He looked at his dad who sat at Dom’s left, “In fact, I’m glad we’re both here, because you both need to be aware of my genuine feelings for Jenna. It’s not just me being smitten by a random shifter at school.”

  Dom’s dad reached for the steaks that were on a platter amongst other amazing foods. “And thank God for that,” he glanced at Dom’s mom, then me. “I think you know very well that your mother and I are finished with your days of being the rebellious young shifter who took advantage of girls who threw themselves at him.”

  “Those days are long gone, and you both know that,” Dominic growled while holding the platter of steaks for me to choose from. “Besides, I don’t think Jenna wants to lose her appetite over stories of me when I was in a bad place in my life.”

  “Ah,” Dom’s dad eyed me, “if she’s a true shifter, she’s not losing her appetite over your other thoughtless relationships.”

  “Mark,” Dom’s mom hit him with that vampire stare that made every supernatural either hate them or cower to them. “It’s Jenna’s first time meeting us. There’s no need to bring this into the conversation, and you know that.”

  “Forgive me, Jenna,” Mark Rossi nodded. “You’re right, Kate. Let’s enjoy this dinner before my behavior ruins it.”

  “Fantastic idea,” Dominic added while we all finished loading up our plates with every item that had been placed on the table.

  “So, tell me about this project you’re working on with Dr. Garrison’s daughter, Melanie,” Mark said, attentively watching Dominic cut into his steak.

  “Like I mentioned before, why don’t we keep the conversation to things that won’t force us to lose our appetite,” Dom responded.

  “It was a simple question, Dominic.”

  Dominic swallowed his steak, rested both arms on the table, and glared at his dad. “Then here’s a simple answer. No.”

  “No?” His dad challenged him with an alpha stare that I felt straight to my core.

  Dom locked gazes with his dad, and the alpha tension was building strong and fast between the two.

  “I refuse to talk about it at the table. So, my answer is no. Is there any other way to make that clear to you, Sir?” he nearly spat out the last word.

  I looked at Dom, his dark expression was enough to make me question if we were going to make it through this meal without him losing it on his dad. Then I peeked to where his mom held a look of confusion, and his dad threw his napkin on the table.

  This was that severed wolf bond screwing with him, and I felt it. Dom was never this short-tempered, and I wouldn’t imagine he would be this aggressive to his own dad.

  Shit! Dominic, settle the hell down. He’s just asking questions.

  Dom shook his head as if to shake me out of his thoughts.

  “Care to explain your discourteous and disrespectful behavior toward me, son?” His dad’s voice hit alpha tone, and I watched to see how Dominic would respond to a stronger alpha’s command.

  “I’m in no mood to explain myself to you or to anyone,” Dominic answered, his own alpha voice challenging his father’s.

  I felt the tension between the challenging alphas grow as thick as the enormous steak I was eating.

  “Jenna,” Kate’s voice diffused the bomb I could sense was about to explode over a few alpha words colliding in the air. “How are you managing at IA?”

  I bit my bottom lip, not failing to see Dom’s dad was still staring boldly at his son. “Well, if they didn’t serve up pie for my ideal therapy, I probably would have lost my mind by now.”

  She laughed, Dom’s dad fake laughed, and Dom remained intently focused on his food.

  “Speaking of pie,” Kate reached for her baked beauty, “you can have this whenever you want.” She looked over at Mark, “This will stop at once.” She looked at Dom. “Dominic Anthony,” she said in a harsher tone. “You will respect your father in his home. This alpha nonsense ends right here and right now.”

  Dom looked at me. “I am sorry, Jen,” his eyes were pleading with me, but I already understood why rage ignited in him at the mention of the president and his daughter.

  “I’m good.” I smiled. “Your mom’s pie smells delicious.”

  “I think you’ll love it,” Dom brought his focus to me, and I could see the stress in his face fading quickly. “Let me cut you a piece.”

  “Interesting that you’d actually serve that nonsense to your shifter mate…and that she would even eat it,” Mark said—trying to be funny, I guess—and now the guy was starting to piss me off. It’s like he was poking at Dom to get a rise out of him.

  “What’s so interesting about me doing something for my mate?” Dom’s voice dropped into that alpha level again, and I was seriously wondering if we were going to make it through dinner.

  “Listen,” Mark said, “I’ll just get straight to the point, then. You two have stirred up quite a lot of trouble at Immortal Academy, and I would like to know what’s going on. You will answer me, and you will tell me why you’ve upset the president and his daughter over this mess you’ve created, Dominic.”

  Mess? What the hell did that asshole president say to Dom’s dad about us?

  Kate sent an icy vamp glare to her husband. “Enough,” she snapped then looked at Dom and me, “Mark and I will be retiring early, and since my husband can’t think of a better way to treat his guests, I’m sure that tomorrow—after a long night of contemplating how this dinner was spoiled by rude behavior—we’ll have a lovely breakfast together.” She smiled at me, “Jenna, please accept my humblest apologies. I’m embarrassed for any discomfort this display may have caused you, and I promise it will not be awkward in my home again.” Kate rose to her feet and slid in her chair. “Enjoy the pie. Feel free to shift as you please, and explore the surroundings with Dominic. I’m blessed to have met you and look forward to tomorrow and hearing all about how you two found each other.”

  “Kate,” Dom’s dad rose up to meet her.

  She vamp-eyed him. “You’ve said enough and done enough, and you know it. You are no better than Darius Edgewater—the one I specifically ensured wouldn’t join us for our first meeting with Jenna. Let’s go.”

  Just like that, I saw that Dom’s mom ran this show. I stayed tightlipped, not knowing how to respond after she pretty much ordered her husband out of the room.

  I ran my hand over Dom’s stiffened arm and let out a breath of relief when his dark expression faded. “My dad has never acted like that before. Never.” Dom looked at me in confusion. “I need to know what the hell that leprechaun president told him about us. He’s not one to fall blindly into traps or skip to judgment so prematurely. You may or may not have sensed it, but that’s exactly what he was letting on. I felt it,” he said. “I don’t like where this is going.”

  “Well, thank goodness we have your mom to run interference, especially tonight.”

  “My mom can certainly shut him down, but in
the end, he is her husband, and he will eventually convince her to follow his instincts in questioning me about Melanie and whatever in the hell that Garrison asshole said to him about us.”

  “Why don’t we take your mom’s advice and shift? I’d love to have your wolf give mine a tour of this location.”

  Dom smiled and leaned over to kiss me. “No matter what happens here, you are my mate, and I’m not letting anything or anyone hurt you. I’m swiftly losing trust in my own father after this short-lived dinner.” He exhaled and took my hand. “Finish your pie, and tonight, we enjoy each other’s company—without me being interrogated by my dad. I have plans to stay in your room with you anyway if you’re cool with that.”

  “You don’t even have to ask me for a yes on that.” I happily agreed. “Though, after the way your dad was at dinner with you, you should probably make sure we both won’t get busted here like we would at the academy.”

  “We’ll be fine,” he assured me.

  “Then I’ll go with your instincts.”

  Dom nodded toward the pie. “Why don’t you give that a taste? I’m curious to know if that family recipe story is true or not.”

  Chapter Five

  After I single-handedly devoured Kate’s family pie, Dom and I shifted and went exploring in the snowy forest that surrounded their home.

  The brisk air that filled my lungs was invigorating. To be in this environment—this real environment with no fairy enchantments and no magical elements to enhance anything—it was one of the most profoundly moving experiences of my life. Being in nature this way, beyond the veils of all of the supernatural schools I’d been in my whole life, grounded me in a way I’d never known possible. Everything about being out in the wilderness felt right.

  I raced up behind Dom’s large black wolf, and instead of having the urge to race him as I always had at Immortal Academy, I was more fascinated by the powdery snow my paws dropped into with every lunge I made through the trees.