High Fae Academy - Year One: Fae Paranormal Romance

by Kaylin Peyerk

  My cheeks flush scarlet when he makes direct eye contact, and then chuckles? Ugh, is he just messing with me? Lucian settles onto the couch, turning on the TV. I grab a few slices of pizza for myself before plopping down onto the couch next to him. Our thighs are resting against one another and my inner woman swoons for the hundredth time. Damn, she's so pathetic. Get it together girl! We eat in comfortable silence, focusing on the television.

  When I'm done I curl up more comfortably on the couch, leaning against him. Maybe I'm being too bold, or maybe I just can't help myself, but I have to touch him. I hate to admit that out of everyone here he draws me in the most. His pull on me exceeds the physical, I can feel our spirits chasing one another, swirling together, yet never touching. And I can't help but think we'd both have to consent to them doing so. It seems like a supremely intimate act between two spirit fae.

  Lucian doesn't seem to mind my head lying against his shoulder. He's leaning back comfortably, one arm on the end of the couch and the other on his thigh. My eyes fixate on his thighs. They're both lean and strong at the same time. And from the sight he gave me this morning, I know that his washboard stomach matches. The thought of him shirtless leads to the thought of him naked, and what his. . . Gah! What the hell am I doing? The lust that surges through me makes me clench my thighs together. Lucian glances down at me and tilts his head to one side, making his beautiful black hair fall into his face.

  Maybe he'll let me kiss him? If I can kiss him this goes away. I'll know what it feels like and our relationship can go back to us bantering with one another rather than me pining for him. Despite my inner battle I look away from him. He doesn't want this connection, it's obvious to me, so why can't I let it go?

  There are plenty of other men here that are sweet and way more interested in me. Even with that thought, I can't help but wonder why Lucian is resistant to our connection. He is quite old so perhaps he already has a soul mate? Gods, I hope not. I'd look like a huge fool if that's the case. I glanced sidelong at him, it would make sense though.

  "Can I ask you something personal?"

  He nods without looking at me, his eyes solely focused on the TV show we've been watching reruns of this past week. I fidget nervously, not sure if I should go through with it. Will he even want to talk about his past relationships? Is it going to make me look even clingier? We're already forced to sleep together every night and I curl into him like a sunflower curls toward sunlight.

  He finally glances at me, "What do you want to ask? Come on, spit it out."

  "You're old," he raises one eyebrow, so I rush on, "Have you been in love before? Have you ever had. . . a soulmate?" He sighs, turns off the TV, and turns, so he's fully facing me. The look on his face is a mixture of longing and sadness. It makes my breath catch in my throat. Was I right?

  He closes his eyes and says, "When I was young, well, young for a fae I had met a woman named Amira. She was a soft-spoken water fae with beautiful long chocolate brown hair and blue eyes. I was on campus training a spirit fae who had just arrived. Amira was a fourth year when we met and I introduced myself immediately, feeling the connection snap into place. And that started a whirlwind romance that ended abruptly and horribly," He pauses, clenching his fists, "Amira believed in the war. She thought it was a valiant cause and insisted on joining the fight despite not having to. As the mate of a royal she had no obligation to fight. She went anyway and was slaughtered. All I got back after her death was the necklace I had given her at the beginning of our courtship. We were together for less than two years. It's been four hundred years since then but I can still feel her when I walk past the water quad. I can still hear her laughter."

  The room is deathly silent after his heart wrenching explanation. My chest aches for him and I can almost see the sadness clinging to his spirit over her death. From the description I've heard of soul mates, losing one would be destructive and devastating.

  No wonder he doesn't want anything to do with our connection. Having one, and experiencing the loss of it, must have been awful. And didn't he say that fae mate for eternity? Does that still apply if one of them dies? My cheeks burn with shame, why would I even think that? Of course it does!

  "I'm so sorry that happened to you Lucian, it must have been terrible." He shrugs, looking both uncomfortable and in need of comfort. So I move forward and wrap my arms around his middle. He buries his face in my hair, and we sit there clutching each other for a long while after.

  ***

  I blink my eyes open slowly, feeling groggy. We must have fallen asleep on the couch during the reruns. Lucian is beneath me with his arms resting loosely across my lower back. I lean on my forearms above him and a surge of tenderness rushes through my chest. I should know better than to feel this way after he poured his heart out earlier, but my hand glides up to stroke his hair anyway.

  If I only get one soulmate my spirit element would like it to be Lucian that much is clear. Even my other elements perk up when he's near me. What I feel for him is different from anything else I've ever experienced. And the fact that he may not be capable or willing to claim another soul breaks my heart.

  He shifts, squinting up at me, "Ugh, why did we fall asleep? Now I feel like crap." I chuckle and continue to smooth back his hair. An appreciative hum comes from his throat and his eyes flutter closed again. "Can we just stay like this forever?" He murmurs. My inner woman sighs, fanning her face.

  "I would like that," I replied softly while resting my head on his chest. He smells like fresh laundry and spicy citrus, and I inhale not so slyly. He runs his hands up my back, leaving a trail of electricity in his wake. My thighs clench together involuntarily when desire pools low in my stomach. Being pressed against his hard body while my fingers are in his hair is doing something devilish to me. My conscious scolds me for doing this while my inner woman cheers. It's a very confusing sense of desire, that's for sure.

  "Don't you have a party to go to?"

  "Hmmm?" is all I can respond at this point. My body is in such a state of bliss that no one can pull me out. He chuckles and sits up with me curled in his lap. I let my hand run up his chest and along the length of his neck. He gasps softly at the movement and I feel his manhood twitch in response.

  That snapped me out of it and I jerked away from him, breaking the spell. His cheeks are flushed, and it makes me feel horrible. His body can't help but respond to mine because of the prospect of a bond between our elements. But that doesn't mean he wants it. And according to his explanation earlier, he had loved once and may not be interested in it again.

  "God, I'm sorry," He just stares at me, breathing hard, "So, uh, yeah I do have a party to go to. I'm going to go change for that." And I flee to the safety of my bedroom, shutting the door behind me. I want to kick myself for how careless I'm being. If one more thing happens to make me sexually frustrated I'm going to jump onto the next guy in the vicinity. Well, not really, but it feels like it. I don't think I've been this frustrated in my entire life.

  After putting on a red sundress and black heels, I grab my phone before leaving the room again. I send a quick text Cyrena, I'll be over soon. Are you there yet? Since its nine forty-five I can only hope that she's there already. If she's not there I'm definitely not going.

  Her response comes through, Yeah, can't wait to see you!

  Well, there goes my plan of skipping out on the party and hiding in my room like a twelve-year-old girl. Lucian clears his throat and I look up from my phone. He's standing there in a pair of black dress slacks and a blue button down long sleeved shirt. To say that he looks hot would be an understatement. He looks like a GQ model that just walked off the page of a magazine. The sight makes my mouth water. I suppose that means it's time to jump on the next guy in the vicinity. Too bad it can't be him.

  "Why are you all dressed up? You're not coming with me, are you?"

  He shrugs, grinning, "I have nothing better to do. And I have to keep you from lunging at any poor unsuspecting males in your way.
"

  I throw up my mental shield all the while scowling at him. My face flames as I stalk out the door, hearing his laughter following behind me.

  Chapter 9

  The party is much larger than I thought it would be. The entire air quad is full of all types of fae and supernaturals from the other buildings. When we walk in all eyes are on me until I realize that they're actually on Lucian. People point and whisper at him as we walk through the crowd towards the refreshment table.

  I didn't know that he's such a legend around here. Probably because I wasn't raised as a fae and know next to nothing about the history. He most likely has an entire history book dedicated to him. I mean, he is over seven hundred years old.

  The drink table is full of stuff that I'm not familiar with. I was just looking to get a bit tipsy on Jack and Coke, but they don't seem to have human booze. Using eeny meeny miny moe method I end up choosing a bottle of fae wine that's a deep red color. Shrugging I take a swing and am surprised by the explosion of flavor on my tongue. It tastes like flowers and honey.

  Lucian leans down to whisper, "Did you really just use eeny meeny miny moe to choose booze?"

  His voice is filled with humor, and he straightens before I can respond. He picks out some type of strong liquor and pours himself a half glass. He clinks his glass against my bottle, and we both take a deep drink. My head already feels a bit woozy and I look to see that I've only drank half the bottle.

  I shout at Lucian over the music, "Is fae liquor stronger than its human counterpart?" He nods before pouring himself another glass. I set down the wine and take his glass from him, tipping it back into my mouth. He winks before tipping it back and chugging out of the bottle. When he comes up for air a giddy laugh spills out of my mouth. We trade drinks like that for a while, leaning against the wall near the table. I start to sway to the beat of the music and sashay around Lucian. His eyes follow my movements, desire making them shine like fallen stars.

  When I trip and fall into his chest, I murmur to myself, "Gods, what am I doing?" He looked down at me, a burning lust in his gaze. And I'm not sure if it's because he wants to feel that way or if it's because of the booze. Or maybe a mixture of both. Our spirits tease one another, the purple glow of magic radiating off our skin.

  I run my hands up his chest until their twined around his neck. He doesn't pull away from me, in fact, his arms locked around me and pulled me in closer. My head is fuzzy, and I have a strange and incoherent muddled sensation rippling through me. It's probably lowering my inhibitions, making me ignore any restrictions I put on our relationship. My lips are swollen with want, making me take one between my teeth.

  Lucian follows the movement and it leaves me feeling bold. Releasing my lip, I teasingly drag it up his throat, coming to rest my mouth at the corner of his. I can't be sure, but over the noise of the music I thought I heard a groan come from his mouth. My skin is on fire, and our bodies are glowing like moonlight.

  Can I do this? Will I kiss him? The urge is so strong that I moan softly and move my hands into his hair, pulling him closer. He drags one hand down my side, pulling my leg up around his waist so my entire body is pressed against him. We're so close that our foreheads are pressed together, leaving us within our own bubble of desire.

  I whisper to him. "Am I taking advantage of our bond? Do you want this?"

  His voice is gruff and deep, "I . . ." He stops and runs both hands up and into my hair, making me shudder with pleasure, "I don't know. I just know that your fae side needs release from someone and I don't want it to be anyone but me." His words shatter the illusion, and I stagger backwards. Despite my body's obvious arousal, my spirit recoils from his.

  "What? So this is an "if I can't have you, no one else will" situation?" My voice comes out slurred. It doesn't convey my feelings correctly. I curse myself for drinking too much too fast. The room spins now that I'm not leaning against him.

  He runs a frustrated hand through his hair, "No, of course not. I'm just. . ."

  I lean one hand against the table, hoping to look both casual and to make the room stop spinning, "Just what?"

  "I'm not sure I want another connection. This one is different. It's making me question everything else, including Amira, which in turn makes me hate myself."

  My heart squeezes painfully in my chest, "So your feelings for me make you hate yourself? That's just great." I turn away from him and hug my stomach. Gods, sober Tiana would have never come onto him like that and none of this would have ever happened. Why did he even come with me if he's this upset about us? His words ring in my head, I just know that your fae side needs release from someone and I don't want it to be anyone but me.

  "Just go Lucian, I don't think I can deal with your indecision right now. Go back to the dorm."

  Suddenly feeling the urge to dance it all away, I stagger into the crowd, leaving Lucian behind. The music is something carnal and so unmistakably fae that I smile and spin in circles while looking at the ceiling. I let some of my magic go, and the show of power sparkles in the surrounding air. The release makes my chest feel a little less tight. Someone pulls me into their arms and I let my own settle around their neck.

  When I look up my eyes lock with Orin. He's smiling warmly, so I let him spin me around and around the dance floor, all the while letting little bits of magic go. Minutes, hours, possibly days later my body is depleted of magic and a hazy colorful aura shines in the air. The surrounding students sway and wrap around one another, seemingly drunk off magic.

  Oops, I giggle to myself and move closer to the male holding me. He leans in for a kiss and I let him do so, feeling the soft brush of his lips. It stirs nothing but normal desire within me, making my elements cry out in distaste. What happened to us? Where did our connection go? I pout against his lips before pulling back from him. He smiles sadly, running soft fingers down the side of my face.

  "Your elements have rejected our connection. I understand, and it's okay."

  My chest feels tight again at the prospect of losing my options. Hopefully this didn't happen with all the other masters. Because if I'm stuck loving and being rejected by Lucian for the rest of my existence. . . Gods, does it make me a sorry individual to say that I'll take what I can get? With that thought a sudden exhaustion takes over and I pull away from him.

  "I'm so sorry Orin. You're wonderful, and I don't even know how to reject a connection. It's in my elements control right now. Perhaps we grew apart, but I still value you as a friend." He smiles and grasps my hand, leading me to the door.

  "Let me walk you back to your dorm. I noticed Lucian leaving when you came to dance with me."

  I flinch at the sound of his name which is ridiculous. It's not like I'm in love with the guy or anything. I've only known these men for less than a week. There shouldn't be so much drama connected to our relationships. It's honestly exhausting.

  "Ugh, I didn't think my personal life would be more complicated than learning my powers. And I'm practically forgetting the real reason I'm here anyhow," I giggle again, the booze still having a hold on me, "How dumb am I?"

  Orin shakes his head, still leading me along the dark silent path toward the spirit dorm, "You are anything but dumb Tiana. Having multiple possible mates is confusing, and probably overwhelming to say the least. And as for the real reason your here, the prophecy is running smoothly. Everything is falling into place."

  "What do you mean by that?"

  “I know you’re not in the best frame of mind right now, but I think you should hear this. You aren’t just a fae with the ability to use all five elements. You’re the person sent time and time again to make a difference in our world and I’m convinced that each time someone like you comes back you’re meant to complete something, and the cycle won’t be broken until you do.”

  “Complete what? The war?”

  He cups my cheek, “No, I believe that you are destined to end it. Once and for all.”

  I stumble back, “What? Orin, it’s very flatteri
ng that you think that, but I just don’t agree. I’m not special, I’m not a savior to anyone.”

  He smiles, “I think you’ll surprise even yourself. Goodnight Tiana.”

  Feeling freaked out by his prediction, I wave goodbye and go inside. The common room is dark and full of shadows which make my vision spin again. I stagger forward, stripping off my heels and dress on my way to my room. Gripping to door frame, I see that my bed is empty. It makes me glance over my shoulder at Lucian's cracked door.

  In my heart I know that he deserves to feel confused too. That I'm not the only one trying to navigate my feelings. It's just the constant close calls that are making me crazy. That moment in the air quad is still lingering on my skin and despite me letting out the majority of my magic within the room, I had subconsciously held in my spirit energy. As if it belongs to Lucian and Lucian alone.

  Making up my mind, I move across the room and push open the door to see his sleeping form on the mattress. He's tossing and turning in his sleep and muttering incoherently. Shutting the door gently behind me, I grip the wall on my stumbling walk to his bed. Once I'm there I fall in, landing against his side.