Academy of the Elites: Fated Magic Read online

  Matt broke away from the kiss and climbed off the couch. I whimpered, annoyed that he’d stopped now that I’d finally succumbed to him.

  He smirked and I knew he wasn’t walking away from me. Instead, he took off his pants, tossing them to the side.

  I started working on my own buttons, slowly taking off the shirt I was wearing while he watched me. I smiled at him, knowing I was driving him crazy with each button I removed.

  Finally, my shirt was open and I followed his example, throwing it to the ground. Then I stood and tugged off my skirt.

  I was standing there in my underwear, waiting for him to make the next move.

  He lunged for me, throwing me to the couch. I squealed as his lips found my neck. He kissed then nibbled my neck and then up to my ears. His hips settled in between my thighs and I grinned against him, feeling his hard cock pressing against the lace of my soaked panties.

  Grabbing his back, I pulled him closer to me, repositioning so I could kiss him again. Stubble rubbed against my skin and his lips continued to explore my mouth and my neck.

  I moaned again, still thrusting my hips into his cock. I was so ready. Why had I waited so long for this? Everything about it felt right. Suddenly, I knew that everything I felt for him was real. It wasn’t about the magic meld. He was mine and I was his. Magic or no, the connection was there. I could feel his magic rising as if reaching for mine.

  I reached for his boxers, trying to get my fingers under the waistband to pull them free. He shifted his position so it was easier for me to gain access and as he did, we both tumbled to the ground.

  I landed on top of him, and for a moment I was concerned that I’d hurt him, but after a brief pause, his hands found the back of my bra and unhooked it. I shrugged off the straps and tossed the bra aside. His hands covered my breasts and he groaned as he teased my nipples with his thumb.

  I adjusted so I was straddling him, then I leaned forward and set my palms of the floor on either side of his head. He moved his hands from my breasts, sliding them around to my back. With gentle pressure, he pulled me closer to him so my chest was pressed against his.

  His mouth found mine again and as we kissed, my hips took on a mind of their own, grinding against his rock-hard cock. Tingles shot through my body as I felt our magic connecting, mingling and intertwining in a way I’d never felt before. It was as if the magic inside us was urging us forward. Every nerve in my body was firing on overdrive.

  Finally, Matt’s fingers hooked under the waistband of my panties and I lifted my hips to help him pull them off. I was soaked between my thighs. I was ready to feel his cock inside me. I needed him and I knew he needed me.

  As soon as I was free of the restriction of the underwear, I lowered my hips onto his cock. I gasped as he stretched me. I lowered slowly on to him until I had his full length inside of me. A rush of pleasure coursed through me, making me gasp, then hold my breath. Tiny bursts of magic sent a shiver down my spine. It was as if our magic was working together to push me closer to climax.

  His hands were on my hips now, guiding me up and down. I started slowly, pushing my hips forward and back as I rode his cock. The pressure of orgasm built quickly and I picked up the pace, learning the angles that made the tip of his penis hit my g spot. Each thrust inside me was like hitting a pleasure button, sending little shocks of sensation through me. I moaned with each thrust, getting closer and closer to climax.

  Matt pulled me down to him, then sat up so was in his lap. He helped with the motion, lifting and lowering his hips. He groaned, digging his fingers into my back as he increased the speed.

  Every touch, every movement, every breath was inching me closer to losing control. It was as if all sensations were magnified. The intensity was driving me insane. My breathing grew rapid and it was impossible to concentrate. All I wanted was more of his cock inside me. More. So much more.

  I felt Matt’s warm breath on me, the two of us breathing heavy in unison. All at once, climax took me and I cried out as wetness dripped down my thighs. Matt cried out, finishing right behind me. He pulled me tight against him and his whole body shook as he came.

  We sat there, his arms wrapped around me, catching our breath for a good minute before either of us moved.

  Matt cupped the side of my face with his hand. Our eyes met and I felt something snap into place. The bond, the connection that had always been there. Only, now it wasn’t in the background. He was part of me and I was part of him.

  “What just happened?” I asked.

  “I think our magic bonded,” he said.

  “Not just our magic,” I said. “You were right. It was never about the magic meld. It’s always been about us.”

  “The magic meld might have solidified it, but you and me would have a bond no matter what,” he said.

  I pressed my lips to his again. Now that we’d found our connection, I knew I’d never let it go.

  3

  Raven

  A maid - an honest to god maid dressed in a little black dress with an apron - set trays of food on the table in front of us. I wanted to believe that when the twins had mentioned maid service that they were joking.

  Yet here we were, sitting down to lunch with a maid delivering the food. I wasn’t sure where the food was coming from or where the maid stayed during the week but I wasn’t sure I was ready to know those kinds of things

  The Obscura suite was huge and I’d only seen the living room area and now the large dining room that was down the hall from the living room.

  I wondered what their bedrooms looked like. I took a sip from the ice water in front of me to quench the instant heat that shot through me at the thought.

  I was still recovering from my tumble with Matt and hadn’t been able to make eye contact with him while his mom engaged us in small talk about our schedules and which classes we liked best. I wasn’t sure I could trust myself if I looked into his eyes. Just being this close to him was making my libido beg for more.

  So far, we’d been here nearly ten minutes and the fact that I’d gotten her kid his very own one on one time with Officer M hadn’t been mentioned.

  It was like waiting for an explosion you knew was coming.

  “Raven, dear,” Ms. Obscura turned her gaze on me, “tell me, do you find Officer M just as insufferable as Matthew does?”

  I nearly choked on the water in my mouth. Quickly, I swallowed it and coughed as quietly as I could to clear the water. “He’s not my favorite person.”

  “That’s a diplomatic answer,” she said. “Matthew was telling me how much he seems to enjoy his tiny slice of power. I wonder if I should make some calls. Send him back to the cesspool he crawled out of.”

  “Mom, you do realize they could send someone worse,” Matt said. “I mean, he’s terrible, but he’s also terrible at his job. So he’s all empty threats.”

  “Fair point,” she said.

  “So what’s with this independent study the two of you have together?” Zach asked.

  I looked from Matt to Zach. “What do you mean?”

  “Both of you have an independent study scheduled,” he said. “During the same period. I assume that means it’s together. Not much of an independent study when it’s done that way.”

  I’d been so focused on not thinking about my interlude with Matt while he was talking about his new class schedule that I didn’t even pay attention to which classes he had. “You’re with Professor Halifax too?”

  “Yes,” he said. “I’m guessing it has something to do with our parole.”

  “I should have stepped up and taken the fall,” Zach said, shaking his head.

  “No,” I said. “I’m glad you didn’t. I’m still not happy that your brother did.”

  “But it kept us from having to go through so much red tape to get you out of prison,” Ms. Obscura said. “I’m glad he thought of it so quickly.” She smiled proudly at her son.

  “Wait, you’re okay with all of this?”

  “Of course
, dear. Like I said, we’re family.” She lifted a small bowl and held it up. “Sugar?”

  I blinked at her and managed to shake my head. That word was getting thrown around a lot lately. For a girl who was raised with basically no family to suddenly be welcomed into multiple families, it was a lot.

  Ms. Obscura set down the sugar bowl.

  “Mom, can you ease off of her, please?” Zach asked. “She’s kind of seeing two males right now and neither of them are your sons.”

  She narrowed her eyes and I could almost feel her judgement boring into me. She totally knows. Matt and I hadn’t discussed our tumble on the couch. We’d barely had time to get dressed before his mom and Zach had arrived. I knew I had to have him in my life, but I wasn’t sure how he felt about being with me.

  “Regardless, we took her in when we started paying her tuition,” she said, taking a sip of her tea.

  “You said you knew my mom, right?” I was ready for a change of subject. I wanted to stop alluding to my sex life in front of my - well, I wasn’t sure what Matt was - but I didn’t want to discuss my relationship with her son - or her other son.

  “I did,” she said with a smile. “We were very close. In fact, I have something for you.”

  I straightened, feeling hopeful and curious. This was a conversation I wanted to have with her.

  “Jenny, can you please bring the box that’s on the guest bed?” Ms. Obscura called in the direction of what I assumed was the kitchen.

  This place has a guest bed? I wondered if she spent overnights here with her sons. Or if it was for the maid. A brief flicker of jealousy flared through me. I didn’t like the idea of the attractive maid spending the night so close to either of the twins.

  What the hell? I knew they’d been with other girls while I’d been here and it never really bothered me. Okay, maybe it bothered me a little, but not like this. I sort of wanted to knock the maid’s teeth in.

  Jenny, the way too attractive maid, walked into the room and set a box down in front of Ms. Obscura.

  “What is that?” Zach asked.

  “Some things I saved from when I was in school,” she said.

  For a moment, I saw a sweet, nostalgic gaze from Ms. Obscura. It faded quickly and she cleared her throat. “I thought Raven might be interested.”

  “Yes, of course,” I said.

  Zach reached across the table and grabbed a basket of rolls. He set one on his plate then passed the basket to me. Feeling obligated, I took one and set it on my plate. Then I took the basket and passed it to Matt. Our fingers brushed for an instant and a burst of electricity shot through my hand and up my arm. I gasped, caught off guard. It wasn’t painful. In fact, it was pleasurable. And terrifying.

  Quickly, I adjusted my grip and set the basket on the table next to him. Note to self, don’t touch Matt again in public.

  I turned my attention back to Ms. Obscura. She’d opened the box and pulled out a small stack of photographs. She flipped through them, a smile on her face. Then she looked up at me. “These are mostly from our last semester. I’m not sure why there aren’t more from earlier.”

  She passed the photos to me and I took them from her. The top photo was a young Ms. Obscura and a red-haired woman in jean jackets leaning against a brick wall. I’d never seen a photo of my mom from before I was born. All I had seen were her wedding photos and a couple of photos of her holding me at the hospital. After my aunt passed, they were the only thing I went to look for in the apartment we’d shared.

  But I hadn’t been the first to arrive and her place was trashed. The landlord had told me it was debt collectors looking for valuables. I told him to sell anything that was left to cover the cost of disposing of the junk. He’d assured me he’d keep an eye out for photos. I never heard back.

  My eyes blurred as I flipped through the photos. My mom and Ms. Obscura were in photos at the pool in their bikinis, at an amusement park, and in their school uniforms. In another photo, my mom was surrounded by cats in what looked like ancient ruins.

  “Is that why you take in all the strays?” Matt asked, pointing to the picture. “Raven’s mom seemed to love cats.”

  Ms. Obscura chuckled. “That was in Rome. Cats everywhere. And yes, Raven’s mother was an animal lover. And they loved her back. She always said she was going to raise all the neighborhood strays like a crazy cat lady in her old age.”

  I looked up at Ms. Obscura. She looked sad and far away. As if caught in her own memories. Then, she turned her gaze to me and smiled. “But I get to honor her even more now by helping you, Raven.”

  “Does that mean you’ll stop taking in strays?” Zach asked.

  “Of course not.” Ms. Obscura said. “But now you know why I do it.”

  I smiled. It was nice to know that my mother’s memory had been carried by someone besides just me.

  I turned to the next one and tears rolled down my cheeks. There were four people in this photo. My mom and Ms. Obscura with their dates. I recognized the face of my mom’s date right away. I knew they’d dated in college, I just never realized that when my aunt had referred to my mom and dad’s college days, she was talking about them being here. At the Academy of the Elites.

  I looked up at Ms. Obscura as something occurred to me. If they’d met here, they’d had powerful parents to get them in. And if that was the case, why was my aunt practically destitute?

  “Oh yes, the Yule ball. Your mother almost didn’t go with him, you know. He asked her every day for a month and she finally caved,” Ms. Obscura said.

  I smiled. That wasn’t a story I’d heard. Of course it wasn’t. I didn’t know any stories. “Ms. Obscura, do you know who my grandparents were? My aunt just said they were dead and that was that.”

  “She didn’t talk about her parents,” Ms. Obscura said. “I always sort of thought maybe they were dead.”

  “Oh,” I said, feeling a bit defeated. That made more sense. If they were still alive, you’d think they would have come for me.

  I passed the pictures back to Ms. Obscura. “Thank you for showing these to me.”

  “Everything in the box is for you,” she said as she took the pictures and set them back in the box. “I imagine you’ll want to go through it all. It’s everything I could find that related to your mom.”

  “Thank you,” I said. Maybe I had things all wrong about her. She certainly had been close with my mom. Aside from the very outdated ideas about pure mage blood and all that, she seemed like she might be okay. I wondered if I could help her see how outdated her thoughts were. I could see us spending more time together if it meant getting more stories about my mom’s life.

  “I’ll be happy to meet with you to talk about your mom when you’re ready,” she said. “Besides, we’ll need to discuss your post-graduation plans and housing arrangements.”

  “Mom, please don’t finish that thought,” Matt said.

  “Why not,” Ms. Obscura said. “I understand that it’s a complicated relationship with so many mates, but it’s not unheard of. And just because she has other mates, that doesn’t mean she has to live with them. There’s nothing wrong with her living with one or both of you.”

  And just like that, she was back to the crazy matchmaker who wanted to be my mother in law. “I still have to pass the trials before I can decide anything.”

  “You’ll pass them,” Zach said. “I overheard Coach Miller talking about how he was going to have to make the course harder because you passed the practice trails faster than anyone ever had.”

  “Really?” That surprised me. I didn’t feel like I’d done anything all that spectacular.

  “Way to go, Raven. Making it harder for all of us,” Matt said teasingly. He bumped me with his elbow and that shock of pleasure shot through me again.

  This time, I managed not to moan at the table, but I did have to press my thighs together. What the hell was wrong with me?

  I glanced over at Matt, already imagining getting him alone again. We’d been rushed las
t time, but next time, I was going to take my time with him.

  4

  Matt

  Every time I brushed against Raven, it sent a surge of desire right through me to my cock. What had she done to me? I felt like a teenager discovering sex for the first time. It was all I could think about. Fucking Raven.

  Of course, I had a healthy sex drive. Who didn’t love sex? But this was so much more than that. I needed her. And that was fucking terrifying.

  The bond we’d formed seemed to click into place when we finally gave in. Okay, when she finally gave in. I’d wanted to fuck her since the first moment I saw her. That hair, those lips. Her curves were those of a goddess. And damn, she was just as good in the sack as I hoped. Actually, she was better.

  I could hardly focus on the conversation during lunch. But I suppose that wasn’t so new. I tried to zone out whatever my mother said when she was around. She was old fashioned and had zero filter. Half of what she said when I did listen didn’t affect me.

  Zach was the smarter one. We both knew it. He picked everything up first. From reading to magic. He was wicked smart. I was smart, too, but not the same kind of smart.

  I was pretty sure my mom’s will was only in his name. And that was fine with me. That meant I wouldn’t have to deal with the money hungry relatives or the lawyers after she passed. I’d go live in a hut somewhere and let Zach deal with the fallout.

  “Matthew,” my mother called my name and I looked at her, plugging myself back into the conversation.

  “Sorry, what was that?” I asked.

  She pursed her lips and gave me her signature disappointed look. It didn’t scare me the same way it had when I was a kid. “I asked you, when is your next meeting with your parole officer?”

  “Oh, tomorrow,” I said.

  “I get to skip that one,” Raven said. “Good behavior and all.”

  “Keep rubbing it in,” I said.

  “I’m still mad at you for taking the fall like that, but I guess when it comes with me only having to see Officer M once a month, I’m glad you did,” she said.