by Jarica James
This should be an interesting learning curve.
March 19
Midnight
Lennox
A soft knock on the adjoining bathroom door woke me from my dreamless sleep. I listened for a moment, wanting to see if there was another. A moment later, the light rapping continued. With a quick stretch and a yawn, I padded across the cool wooden floors and unlocked the door. If I said I was surprised to find Calev on the other side, it would have been an understatement. Faint snores could be heard from the other room, so I doubted anything was wrong.
"What's going on?" I whispered quietly as my eyes studied his, looking for any clue as to why he was standing there. His stoic face morphed into a grin that had my jaw dropping in shock.
"Just come on," he said, closing the door quietly as he stepped into my room. "Grab shoes and a jacket or hoodie, and let's go." Too intrigued to argue with him, I did as he asked, grabbing a zip up hoodie and slipping on my sandals before following him to the door. "Shadow to hide us," he said simply, pulling the shadows around us so we were covered in the same black smoke as yesterday. I couldn't see, but he reached for my hand and led me out of my room. Everything on campus was indoors, so I wasn't too worried about being in my sleep shorts and tank top. He lead me down from the second floor and through the academic halls. I could tell where we were generally heading from the bits and pieces of our surroundings that filtered through the dense fog, but not much else. Eventually, the smell of chlorine and the echoing of footsteps were all the clues I needed to know where he had taken me. Once we were against the wall, he dropped the shadows surrounding us.
"Hang on," he murmured, sending a puff of black fog to the corner of the room where the security camera was. The shadows clung to the camera lens, shrouding the entire feed in darkness. He did the same for the windows and doors until we were in a room of shadows, safe from humans finding our secrets. He finally dropped his hands and turned to me. "Well... jump in."
"Gladly!" I squealed, feeling elated for the first time in days. I stripped off my hoodie and sandals before diving into the pool without hesitation. I came up for air and let my body get used to it, hoping the gills wouldn’t try and kill me this time. "Time me?" I joked as I dove to the deep end and let myself sink to the bottom. The chlorine felt gross to me now, the chemicals permeating my lungs as they filled with water again. It was painful still, but much less than last time. It was likely something my body would have to adjust to. I sat at the bottom until my body was filtering the water in and out properly, before I dared to move. The pool lights gave enough light to see the scales covering the tops of my arms from shoulder to wrist, and my legs from ankle to thigh. I felt a dusting of them on my forehead and throat, but that was all the physical changes I noticed... other than the breathing water part. I pushed off the bottom of the pool with my feet, sliding easily through the water. I made several laps before shooting out of the water and diving back in with ease. I'd never felt more exhilarated in my life.
Deciding I had made Calev wait long enough, I swam to the edge of the pool where he waited, but I couldn't bring myself to get out. The memory of throwing up water until I passed out wasn't forgotten, and I wasn't eager to repeat it.
"You're a siren, manipulate the water out of your lungs," Calev called, understanding what my issue was without words, yet still laughing at my plight. Narrowing my eyes at him through the water, I pushed off the bottom and sailed right into him. He caught me easily, cradling me in his arms and looking exasperated. Not sure how to ‘manipulate water’, but willing to try, I visualized the water moving out of my lungs, as I spit it out like a fountain. Once it was out, I took a slow, deep breath and let my body acclimate.
"Good advice, Cal," I joked, which only made him let go of my legs and drop me to the floor. I caught my balance and giggled, the sound melodic and carefree. That moment under the water was the best I had felt in way too long... if ever.
"Thank you," I whispered, turning and kissing him on the cheek. His cheeks tinted pink at the gesture, but he quickly offered me a towel instead of meeting my eyes. It was a sweet gesture, all of this was. Watch him shock me and be the closet romantic. Another thought struck me, and I turned to him with my eyes narrowed.
"What?" he asked, looking around him for the cause of my glare.
"What are you? You guys just skimmed over it last time!" I accused, laughing at his surprise.
"I'm shocked it took you this long. Guess you aren't as quick as I thought, Little Psycho," he teased, his eyes glinting with mischief. Seeing how far I could take my powers, and feeling far more confident than I ever had, I envisioned a stream of water spraying him in the face I laughed when my magic complied. "Oh, it's on," he promised, wiping water off of his cheeks.
I laughed and took off running, circling the pool easily before turning to see where he was. He hadn't moved; instead, he removed his jacket to reveal a tank top. The entire thing threw me off, since I was expecting him to run after me, not strip. Though I was hardly complaining. The way his black tank clung to his abs left little to the imagination. He may have been lithe, but he was built as well.
Without warning, he ran toward the pool, taking a leap off the edge. Instead of plunging into the water, a pair of dark wings sprouted from his back, letting him glide across the pool easily. I was too shocked to move; in fact, I didn't even flinch as he crashed into me, creating a cage with his arms as we fell to the ground. He was breathtaking. The wings jutted out on either side, sleek feathers in dark blue, black, and deep purple lining each one. I reached out to run my fingers delicately over them, itching to touch them. They were velvety soft as my fingers ruffled them in their wake. He let out a slight shiver, bringing my eyes back to his face. My heart thumped in my chest as I stared into his deep gray eyes, a slight swirl of blue in them that I never noticed before. His hair hung gently down, making him look a little less put together.
Before I could stop myself, I leaned up and pressed my lips to his, not even processing what I was doing, just letting the impulse take over. When he didn't kiss back, I pulled away, studying his face. He wore a look of shock before his eyes turned dark and he crushed his lips to mine, wiping away any doubts that started to surface. My hands moved behind his neck before I moved my fingers back to his wings. Something about a powerful man over me with his wings extended, was too hot to pass up. He let out another shiver, along with a low groan that had my body coming alive under him, and pressing my hips to his as the bulge in his pants grew harder. Holy shit what is happening to me? Is this new confidence part of being a siren? Whatever it is, I definitely like it!
He deepened the kiss, his hand moving to my cheek to hold me in place, the other still holding me tight against his chest. My lips parted on a moan, and his tongue swept into my mouth, teasing and tasting. My hand seemed to have a will of its own, as I skimmed down his hard chest before moving under his shirt and exploring his abs.
The sound of a cell phone blaring the Fresh Prince theme song had us both breaking away from the kiss, breathless and flushed. Well, that was unexpected and fucking hot. He finally moved his arm from around me and pushed off the ground. Once he was standing, he reached down to me, pulling me up to my feet. His eyes dipped low at my wet tank top sticking to my chest, where he could clearly see I wasn’t wearing a bra. If it wasn't for his damn cell phone ringing, I might have taken advantage.
He reached into his back pocket with a defeated sigh as the song started up again, before unlocking it and answering with a frustrated tone. "Yes, she's with me. We're on our way back up," he promised, shifting his crotch while walking back to the other side and gathering my stuff. I shrugged on my jacket and slipped on sandals, then followed him to the wall. He hung up before calling the shadows back to him, pulling them around us like a shroud, as his free hand intertwined with mine.
The walk back to our rooms was quiet, neither of us mentioning what had happened. He dropped me at my room first, stopping and looking into my eyes for a
moment, before gliding his hand slowly down my cheek.
"Get some rest, Little Psycho." I just blinked back stupidly, unable to create words in the moment. He walked away, locking the door behind him and leaving me to my thoughts.
Did that seriously just happen?!
March 19
Late Morning
Lennox
I was nervous when the guys invited me to breakfast. I felt my stomach drop when I saw Calev, and made a conscious effort not to think about what happened. I didn’t want Tristan reading my thoughts. Especially if Calev hadn’t said anything, and judging by the normal looks on their faces, he hadn’t. I felt conflicted at that realization. On one hand it was nobody’s business, but on the other was he embarrassed? It doesn’t matter. All we did was kiss, it’s no big deal. Still, I could have sworn that there was something building between us, but this is Calev after all, he was the king of the resting dick face. So why did it bother me that Calev didn’t act differently towards me this morning, especially after our incident at the pool? Not that I expected flowers and sunshine from the broody, winged Adonis, but this was torture.
The main issue I had, was that I didn’t know how to feel. Part of me kept holding back because I didn't want to be seen as a charity case to the guys… the lonely, bullied girl who nobody wants, so they feel bad and take me under their wings. Literally, in Calev’s case, I guess. Honestly, I knew they were here because of what I was. But I also wanted them to want me for who I was, to return my interest in them. It was a continuing conflict in my head, making me wonder if I liked them because they were nice to me, if I liked them for who they were, or if I even knew enough about them at this point to really decide. It would be a lie to pick just one answer. And it seemed to me that my siren had already made up her mind, if that little display in the pool was any indication. I liked them all for different reasons, and having multiple boyfriends wasn’t exactly the norm, but they all seemed to feel the same. I just needed to get over it and see where this life took us.
Not really up to being social, I grabbed my backpack and slipped out of my room, leaving my new shadows behind. Everyone was still getting ready for classes, so I had the halls to myself for the moment.
My footsteps echoed in the hall as I slowly walked toward the cafeteria. A slow trickle of students started to pop up as I got closer, but before I could turn the corner, I was grabbed from behind and yanked into a classroom, the door slamming closed behind me. I fought and thrashed against the strong hold behind me, cursing and trying to pull out of their grip.
"Fucking tie her up," Clara demanded from behind me. Icy fear ran through me at the sound, knowing that whatever they had planned wasn't going to be wholesome.
"Help!" I screamed as loudly as I could, before a piece of thick tape was slapped over my mouth. I continued to scream, but the tape muffled it, making it pointless. My arms were forced behind my back and tied together, then my legs, before I was forced to my feet. I was no match for Alistair’s strength.
"Oh look, now you can't yell for help. We could do absolutely anything to you, and you'd have no choice but to take it. Who knew I liked my women so submissive?" Alistair whispered in my ear, his hot breath making my stomach roll. A tear ran down my cheek, unable to stop it as I fought against the hands roaming over my curves, touching me in places he had no right to touch. I mentally screamed with all my might, hoping that Tristan would be listening in on my thoughts. I know he’d done it before, and I prayed that he was doing it again, or at least would be some time today.
"Ew, stop. You don't want any part of that whore," Clara said, looking uncomfortable. "This classroom was closed for renovation, so good luck being found any time soon. You can learn what it really means to be lonely." Alistair let out a sigh, before pulling me over to a chair and securing more rope over me. When he leaned in and sniffed my neck, Clara’s face contorted into a sneer, and she yanked him away from me towards the door. He blew me a kiss as he was dragged away, a promise for more in his eyes. Please don’t come back later! When the lights clicked off, and the door shut behind me, I let out a muffled sob. My arms and legs throbbed painfully under the tightly bound rope.
Just when I thought things were going well, this shit happens.
March 19
Afternoon
Lachlan
When I got to our literature class, Lennox's seat was still empty. She was missing from the last two classes as well. An uneasy feeling settled in the pit of my stomach as the teacher walked in. Not to mention, the guys were blowing up my phone and making it worse. When Clara walked in and shot me a smug smirk, I knew something had happened. Before I could think, I had her wrist in my hand and pulled her along behind me. When we reached the hall, I leaned closer to her, our noses touching. Fear was in her eyes as I let the bear come forward enough to scare her. He was restless now, wanting to break free and find our girl.
"Where is she?" I growled the words at her, and felt her trembling under my grip. I let go but didn't step back. I wasn't going to sink to her level and hurt her, but I wanted answers, and I wanted them now.
"Good luck finding her," she hissed back as the door was opened and the concerned teacher narrowed his eyes at me.
"Don't worry, I will. And you better hope she's unharmed," I hissed in her ear before walking away.
"Are you okay?" the teacher asked, his voice accusing like he knew exactly how bad of a guy I was.
"I'm fine, just a lover's quarrel," she said lightly, following the teacher back into the classroom. Lover...ha. I wouldn't touch her if she paid me.
Pulling out my phone, I clicked over to a group text and sent out an SOS to meet me in the hall. Not even five minutes later, all four of them were in front of me. When I explained the situation, their faces morphed into looks of horror and disgust.
"So we split up and look?" Aeson asked, his eyes already darting around the hallway and his hand reaching for Tristan's.
"Lach's a fucking bear. We don't need to split. We can tear this academy apart if we need to," Van grumbled.
“Can we just use compulsion on her?” I asked angrily, knowing the answer already.
“No, if I went in there and did that, we’d have too many people out here. We will if you don’t have any luck, though. They can’t have taken her far,” he answered in frustration, hands running through his hair as his fangs dug into his bottom lip.
“I can’t get a read on her thoughts. She must be too far away” Tristan bit out.
"I'm shrouding us, transform now," Calev said, his voice full of fear and anger. He lifted his hands and shot out a huge cloud of shadow to surround us. I let my bear come forward, my clothes ripping to shreds in the hallway as my muscles and bones stretched to accommodate my bear's mass. Instinct immediately took over. The bear was pissed, and he wanted to see her safe. It took a long thirty minutes before we even caught a hint of her scent near the cafeteria. We circled the place three times, but the smell of food and other students was throwing us off.
By the time we finally found a full trail, I was about to start destroying the building itself. Nose to the floor, I followed it to a nearby classroom. A ‘Closed for maintenance’ sign was taped to the door. Evander rushed forward and threw it open, turning on the lights and frantically searching around. A muffled sob sounded from the back of the room, and the sight of my girl tied to a chair with her mouth taped shut broke me. Her hollow eyes and broken expression hurt me more than anything ever had. Rushing forward, I shifted mid-stride. I used my bear's claws to slice easily through the ropes, freeing her. Her arms and legs were red and puffy, the lines indented into her creamy skin. Without a second thought, I scooped her into my arms, not caring that I was stark naked. My bear and I just needed to know she was safe now. She shook violently, the sobs uncontrollable as they wracked through her petite frame.
'Something else is wrong, she'd just be pissed if this was all it was,' I called out to Tristan. When I didn't get a response right away, I knew he was looking in
her mind to see if she would tell him anything. His low growl set me on edge; he was the level headed one of us. When he sent the images of Alistair groping her and her feelings of shame and disgust, my growl joined his.
"Go get the fucking headmaster, now," I ordered loudly, making her jump.
"You're naked, he's gonna see you in all of your pasty white glory," she teased as Tristan bolted from the room, the lightness in her voice sounding off. I chuckled anyway, reaching for the backpack Aeson was holding and handing her over to Evander. I slipped out the extra pair of clothes I kept in there before pulling them on. The door opened just as I buttoned my pants and slid on a pair of sandals, Tristan and the headmaster barging in.
"What is the meaning of this?" he bellowed, his face sweating already. I glared at him and stepped forward, my bear making my arms quake.
"The meaning of this, is you did a shit job of disciplining Clara. She and Alistair are both guilty of kidnapping and binding Lennox. Alistair is also guilty of sexual assault. Get the police here, now," I bit out, my fists clenching in outrage.
"You...uh....wait a second...uh," he sputtered out, looking at the visible signs of abuse still on Lennox's arms and legs. Aeson was taking a picture of the wounds and recording while she recounted the details for him.
"No police. I want them expelled," she said, her anger boiling to the surface now. "Those are your choices, choose wisely." Her voice had taken on the melodic tones of her song again, as her siren nature started to push forward. Calev turned to her and put his hands on either side of her face.
“Stop it, Lennox, This isn’t the way. You’re stronger than this.” he whispered as he held her gaze. Her body relaxed as she reigned her siren back in.
