Immortal Academy- Year Two

by S. L. Morgan

  It was absolutely mesmerizing to see them glittering and sparkling against their black background. It was surreal to suddenly feel so small under this brilliant, starry sky.

  “Gorgeous, aren’t they? I could get lost just lying out under the stars,” he said.

  “Make that two of us.”

  I pressed my lips against the stubble on Dom’s cheek, then I listened as he started talking about the constellations he’d studied the summer before Immortal Academy. It was the perfect ending to a fascinating night together on our virtual vacation.

  7

  I woke up fully restored, refreshed, and more in love with Dominic Rossi than ever. We’d spent what felt like the entire night under the stars, and our lesson about the constellations was continuously interrupted by me silencing Dom’s perfectly shaped, full lips with a kiss, which we both allowed to go on for a while.

  After keeping it cool all night with him, I was able to fully enjoy learning more about him beyond these lustful thoughts I knew my wolf was forcing into my mind. Learning more about his love for the constellations and the water, all while feeling the loyalty for me radiating inside him made me feel so much closer to him in a healthier way.

  I did awesomely and felt in control again, but I had my moments, like right now. Here I was, staring at his butt as he walked ahead of us girls with the master shifters to the location where we’d be mingling with humans all day.

  When I needed to be centered on why we were heading to a more populated human area for Ethan and me, I was thinking about grabbing Dom’s butt instead. God help us all. It was almost like my wolf was laughing at me for acting like this.

  “Jen,” Dom looked back and smiled. “Get up here, babe.”

  I left Vannah, Lusa, and Kat and her lame friends to catch up with Dom.

  “What’s up?” I asked, resting an arm behind his lower back as he covered my shoulders with his strong arm.

  “Does my butt look that good from back there?” He looked at me through his dark shades, but I knew his eyes were lit with humor behind his sunglasses. “Maybe if you grab it my sister’s obnoxious friends will decide to ditch out now instead of later.”

  “God,” I said, leaning into his side, embarrassed. “I can’t keep thinking like this when I’m around you. This is almost an invasion of privacy.”

  “Like I said last night, I love the element of surprise with you. Having your thoughts enter my mind randomly sort of spoils that.” He chuckled. “This is a first, though. You were thinking pretty confidently back there, and so I’m not sure why I heard those thoughts.”

  “My wolf,” I said, feeling my tricky inner beast as she trotted around like she’d achieved something on her own to help bring Dom and me together.

  “Remember what we talked about last night before I left you with that kiss that most likely gave you an amazing dream about me?”

  “Shifters don’t dream,” Ethan said, eavesdropping on us.

  “True, but Jenna is a special shifter, wouldn’t you say?” Dom looked at his cousin, who stood to his right.

  “A very special and strong shifter,” Ethan answered. “She’s fine, Dominic. Leave her be.”

  “She needs to put her wolf in its place. That’s all, E.” Dom smiled down at me.

  “Yeah, the wolf is running her own show these days, Ethan,” I added.

  “The wolf is strong. You must control your beast, Jenna,” Ethan said.

  “We all can agree on that.” Dom nudged his cousin, “You’ll be controlling your owl shift around the populated resort we’re heading to, and Jenna will be controlling her rebellious—and madly in love with your cousin—wolf at the same time.”

  “Jenna.” Ethan looked around Dominic to me. “I want to hit the ball like those humans. Do you want to play too?”

  “Um, is that volleyball?” I asked, unsure of the activities that humans liked to play.

  “Yes,” Dom answered. “Beach Volleyball to be exact. Those people are playing doubles, so it looks like they’re out for blood.”

  “Jenna and I will win,” Ethan said with excitement.

  “Dang, E,” I said hesitantly. “I’m always down for kicking someone’s butt, but I hardly know the usual way of volleyball much less the beach version. Dark Water introduced us to some of the human sports, and I sucked at this one.”

  Dom chuckled while Ethan remained totally serious about the fact that he and I would somehow go down and beat these kids who acted like they’d been playing this sport all their lives.

  “That’s why we’ll win,” Ethan said with certainty.

  “Okay,” I said, feeling the sparks of electricity brewing when Dom pulled his shirt off. “I can use the distraction.”

  “I’ll be cheering you both on,” Dom said as we arrived at this massive resort. Umbrellas were everywhere, as were beautiful young, human women, wearing skimpier swimsuits than I was our first day here, and guys who looked like they oiled up their chests for a muscle competition. “If you want to tap out, Lus will take your place. She’s pretty awesome at the game,” Dom smirked at me.

  We arrived at some beach lounge chairs that were surprisingly not taken yet. Scott and Ian had already taken off and joined some chicks over at another volleyball court.

  “Is this the only thing they do here?” I asked Dominic.

  “Seems like the resort set up a day for their guests to screw off. Go have fun with E.” He smiled at me, then caught my hand before I headed down with Ethan to find some group that would let us play with them. “Hey,” he said as he pulled off the glasses that he enjoyed hiding his eyes from the world with. “I only brought up playing with Lus because this will be a little lesson for me.”

  “What?” I turned back to him with confusion. “You of all people seem to have this whole human interaction thing figured out.”

  He looked past me to where all the beach volleyball players were. “They may be virtual humans, but I already feel my alpha genetics coming to surface. I’m going to have a hard time if someone flirts with you.” He glanced down at my outfit that covered my one-piece swimsuit. “Those short shorts,” he smiled. “Damn, you’re hot in anything you wear.” He chuckled. “Go have fun with E.”

  “Well, I’m most likely going to embarrass poor Ethan. I’m not lying when I say I suck at the sport. Short shorts or not, I’m going to look like an idiot out there.”

  Dom pulled me in, and he dipped his head to surprise me with a quick yet possessive kiss.

  “For good luck.” He winked.

  “Yeah, right.” I turned to where Ethan waited patiently. He was the only one out here who wouldn’t pull off his plain white t-shirt. I pulled my arm through his. “Let’s go get this, bud. I need you to get my back, though.”

  Ethan glanced at my back in confusion. “What’s wrong with your back? There’s nothing I need to get.”

  I smiled at how the owl shifter processed everything so factually. “I only mean that you’re going to need to help me. I’m seriously no good at this sport.”

  “You will be great,” he said, smiling while we walked down to a net that needed extra players.

  E and I were a funny pair. If the ball wasn’t being hit off into a group of people relaxing under the sun, E was catching it and throwing it over the net for a point. He was so adorable that even the beach models we played against enjoyed his cute mannerisms and the way he played capture the ball instead of hitting the ball over the net for a point.

  “You both were fun,” the blonde-haired human said. “My name is Susie. This is Allie, my best friend.”

  “You two are pretty good. Thanks for putting up with us,” I laughed. “I know I suck, but it was fun.”

  “Definitely. Enjoy the rest of your day. We’re going to go kick our boyfriends’ butts now.”

  I looked at E when two humans who looked like they’d fallen out of a gym walked onto our court with devilish grins on their faces. “I’m kind of done tripping over my own feet in this sand. Are you cool
if Lusa plays with you?”

  Ethan nodded with a smile. “I’m going to win!”

  I laughed. “Let me wave down Lus unless you want Dom’s help to kick their butts.”

  “Are we going to play or not?” the tall, brunette dude asked.

  “Chill out,” I snapped, annoyed at the way this human was crouched and acting like he was ready for us to serve the ball to him.

  “Lusa is good. Dom won’t play,” Ethan answered.

  “How awesome of him.” I glanced back at Dom, who seemed overly amused at the show Ethan and I had put on for the entire beach party.

  I waved Lusa down. She wore her bikini top and shorter shorts than I wore, revealing her long, muscular legs, and I couldn’t help but laugh. These guys were screwed by the appearance of the vampire’s supermodel looks alone.

  Once I got back, Dom pulled me next to him on the lounge chair, and I laughed at his alpha behavior. This was his outward show of me being his girl, even if we did look lame, trying to share a lounge chair that was built for one person.

  “You looked pretty sexy out there,” he said, pulling me closer. “How’d you like it?”

  “Eating sand?” I responded, taking a large drink of the ice-cold water he handed me. “Not my thing. It is amusing, watching Lusa give those boys a run for their money, though.”

  “She loves this sport. I’d be shocked if she even let Ethan play. You’re about to see the crazy competitive side of my sister you’ve never seen before.”

  We watched as Lusa helped Ethan kick this team’s butt, and that was even with the penalties Ethan gave them by his funny way of capturing the ball. More and more humans lined up in doubles to play Ethan and Lusa, and it was obvious that they were all about playing with the gorgeous vamp.

  I felt the heatwave of energy slamming into me every now and then from sitting next to Dom. His humored laugh brought out the softer side of my strong shifter. Ethan had us all laughing, and I couldn’t have loved the innocent and naïve owl shifter more than I did right now.

  When the next group of guys showed up, I was surprised. They were both shredded up like they were shifters who’d come from some intense workout.

  “Are they from the academy?” I whispered to Dom’s hardened expression.

  “No,” he said in his low, commanding voice. “They’re humans who take substances to look like that. I’m shocked the fairies would program that kind of crap into this reality.”

  “Is it normal?” I asked. “To take substances?”

  “For some humans, yes,” Dom answered curtly. “If they want to look like that, of course.”

  “Well, you said it yourself, this is as real as it gets.”

  Dom ignored me and leaned forward when, for the fourth time since starting the game two minutes ago, one of the guys returned the ball with a hard spike toward Ethan. That’s when I followed Dominic in watching the game that was starting to piss me off.

  “Come on, you dork,” the dark-haired human said like he was entertaining the crowd that had shown up since Lusa went down to play. “Hit the ball like a normal person.”

  Ethan started to pace in his place, prompting Lusa to run up to him and pat him on the back, most likely trying to calm him down.

  “Are you going to do something, or should I?” I asked Dominic. “I mean are you okay with this?”

  Dom didn’t answer. He pulled himself up and entirely away from me, focused on the scene down at the court. I felt myself fueling off of the rage I was sensing from Dom, and it had my wolf snarling inwardly at the humans who were messing with the owl shifter that my wolf would protect with her own life. She was pissed, and it hit me so hard and fast that I followed right into her angered state.

  “What a reject. You’re seriously with this clown, Barbie doll?” the sandy-haired, shorter human said.

  I thought I was tense with fury until I looked over at Dom’s flexed biceps, his veins popping and showing that he was holding back, yet my wolf was absorbing his energy like it was fuel for her. I reached for his shoulder, and he instantly shook my hand off.

  “What the hell, Dom?”

  “Later,” Dom said in a low growl.

  “You gonna do something?” Ian said from where he and Scott approached, watching Lusa and Ethan play.

  “I’m watching E,” Dom said mechanically. “He’s handling the bullying insults fine.”

  I had to settle down and follow Dom’s moves. I was seconds away from going down and handling those assholes myself, but Dom remained focused, and Lusa was working with Ethan to manage what was going on. My aggressive behavior was starting to spin out of control while I watched this, and I had to calm down, or I was out of here.

  Dom got up and stood next to our chair, crossing his arms. He looked like Master Dom from our training drills, studying his students right before he busted one of us for making some dumb move.

  “Dom,” Scott said. “Lus is handling it okay, but I’m about to go take care of those two idiots if they hit Ethan in the chest like that again.”

  “I’ve got this,” Dom said resolutely.

  That’s when I stood up. I was so frustrated that my mind was clouded with rage, and now, I was fighting my rabid wolf that was out for human blood.

  Focus, Jenna, I mentally ordered myself and my wolf.

  Lusa looked back with a grave expression. Shit! She was incensed, and that look was all it took for Dom to stalk down to the nets where Ethan took a shot to the face. The owl shifter looked like he was doing everything in his power to not shift into the owl.

  “Don’t. No. Don’t. No. Don’t. No,” Ethan chanted, pacing back and forth.

  “What the hell?” I said to the two jerks as I approached behind Dom, calmer than I expected I would be. “Why would you do that?”

  “Because he’s as dumb as a brick. Just using the ball to knock some sense into him.”

  While I felt my wolf’s strong desire to shift and take care of the jerks, I looked to Dom, who went directly to where Ethan stood, gripping his head and chanting. Dom was focused on taking care of the right thing, unlike me. I wanted to rain hell down on the two assholes who’d singled out Ethan for their own enjoyment.

  “E,” Dom stopped his pacing by gripping his shoulders. “That was a cheap shot. I’ll handle those two,” he said, looking at Lusa’s fearful expression. “Ethan, don’t do it, or they’ll pull you out of here. Go with Jenna, and get some water, bud. You played awesomely.”

  “I am not dumb,” Ethan said to Dominic. “I have sense in me.”

  “Yes,” Dom said, nodding to his cousin. “They’re jerks, man. They have no idea how much sense you have, do they?”

  “That’s right, E,” Lusa ran her hand over a trembling Ethan’s back. “Everyone loves how tremendously you play. These guys are jerks who hate losing.”

  “I am not dumb,” he repeated. “I have sense in me.” He started sounding like a robot that had a glitch in its programming.

  Dom looked at Lusa. “Get him out of here,” he ordered. “I’ll handle these two.”

  “To where?” she snapped, obviously as upset as Dominic.

  “Away from these people. He needs to shift,” he said.

  “Hey, are we gonna play or what? You two going to pamper your idiot friend or play ball?”

  “Get him out now,” Dom growled and ducked under the net to where the two drug-enhanced, muscular humans were. “You like to pick on people you think are easy targets, eh?”

  Dom taunted them with simple words, but I could sense and feel he was upset to the point of kicking all their asses.

  “Oh, you gonna save the nerd? Big brother, huh?”

  “That nerd doesn’t need saving, but you two douche bags want to finish the game, right?”

  The jerks laughed Dom off, even though I knew they had to be intimidated by his lethal stare and muscular frame that their drugs couldn’t give them.

  “Alright, then. Let’s do this,” the dark-haired one said with some challenge in
his voice.

  “Jen, step into the game,” Dom ordered.

  “If you assholes hit me with the ball like you did my friend, I will come through the net and kick your asses,” I snapped.

  “Knock it off, Jenna,” Dom ordered me, but it only pissed me off more.

  “Let’s go!” The other jerk clapped his hands together.

  The challenge was on, and thank goodness Dom was a total badass at this sport because I didn’t have to touch the ball even when it was hit to me. Dom returned every one of their hits with so much power, I was shocked it didn’t explode the poor ball.

  “Take it easy, man!” one of the jerks shouted when Dom delivered a ball right into his chest.

  “Hey,” Dom raised his hands like he was innocent, “I’m playing like you two play. Out for blood? Picking on the weaker player, right? Slam the ball into their chest if they suck?”

  “Hey, we were just having fun. That kid was a brainless dork.”

  “Serve the damn ball,” Dom said to the one who went after Ethan the most.

  The ball came hard over the net and right into my reflexes, where I tapped it, and it went up in the air. Out of nowhere, Dom jumped, and I have no idea how he worked it, but he nailed the hit and spiked the ball right into the jerk’s face.

  He dropped, blood gushing out of his nose, while Dom walked under the net, acting like he was there to be of support. I was again zeroed in on how badass my man was when Dom knelt down, gripped the jerk’s hair, and raised his face up to meet his own.

  “Listen, you cowardly son of a bitch,” he growled, and the human jerk’s eyes were as wide as saucers. “Picking on people you feel are beneath you is bullshit. I could have easily kicked your ass today for it, but you’re not worth my time or trouble.”

  “You broke my nose, asshole,” the human responded.

  “You tried to break my friend’s nose. Your nose is only broken because I was playing by your rules.”

  He tried to wiggle out of Dom’s grip to the top of his hair. “Let me go!” he screamed like a spoiled child.