Academy of the Elites: Untamed Magic Read online

  The only way to turn the tables on her was to take control the only way I knew how. I had to fuck her. It wasn’t personal that way. It was my nature.

  Breaking away from the kiss, I meant to grab her and carry her to the pile of pillows or bend her over. Either would suit me. But her eyes…

  I locked in on her gaze, her green eyes staring at me with something different from the usual desire I saw in a woman’s eyes. She wasn’t hazy or unfocused. She wasn’t thinking with her libido. She was seeing me. Really seeing me.

  Women didn’t see me like this. They saw a way to get off as I did with them. But this was Raven. I hardly knew her but when I stared at her, it was as if we’d simply been apart a while.

  Suddenly, it was like I knew exactly what she needed from me. Raven didn’t need me to coddle her. She didn’t need me to sweep her off her feet in a romantic gesture. She was hurting, and she needed distraction.

  I wasn’t sure how I knew that or why, but I could sense it. And I was ready to deliver.

  Raven broke eye contact first, and I made my move. With a wicked grin, I swept in, lifting her over my shoulder. She squealed, then laughed. Her bare tits pressed against my back and I growled at the sensation of her soft flesh against me.

  I threw her down on the pile of pillows and she landed on her back, her red hair framing her face like a halo. She told me she was a mage but right now, she was sending a pulse my way that vibrated through me like a beacon. It wasn’t normal for a mage. It was the way it felt when I connected with another creature of the underworld. When two demons fucked, it was euphoric, but also dangerous. The pleasure could be too much and it could ignite magic in unexpected ways.

  For a moment, I considered stopping. But the pull to her was too strong. Quickly, I imagined the clothing gone from both of us, altering the dream to my will.

  Raven gasped as the air made contact with her bare flesh. Then she smirked. A delicious, inviting, mischievous smirk that had my balls aching for release.

  I kneeled down and spread her legs apart roughly, making room for myself. I could smell her arousal and her pussy glinted with wetness. The pulse between us intensified, linking us. Whatever she was, she wasn’t a normal mage. It didn’t matter, though. Risk or not, she would be worth it.

  Settling between her thighs, I heard her hold her breath, and I plowed in without giving her time to adjust.

  She cried out, a sound that was pain mixed with pleasure. It was a sound I knew well, and I lived for it.

  “Oh my god,” she breathed.

  Leaning down, I silenced her with a kiss. Raven wrapped her arms around me, her nails digging into my back as I thrusted inside her. Her hips lifted and fell in rhythm, matching my movements, our bodies coming together as both of us began to pant.

  Her tits pressed against my chest, sending shivers down my spine. I kissed her again, then bit down on her lower lip almost hard enough to draw blood. She moaned, then arched her back, lifting her hips just right. My cock tightened, nearly ready for release.

  Startled at how quickly she’d brought me to this point, I pulled out. For the first time in my life, I wondered what it would be like to be with Raven alone. I moved away from her, taking deep breaths. People like me didn’t settle down with one woman. People like me lived in the shadows. We didn’t get happily ever afters.

  “Don’t stop,” she begged.

  Her words were breathy, and her gaze hooded. She was nearly panting. This time, there was no pulse. No soul piercing stare. Just lust.

  Growling, I grabbed her and threw her over so she was on her stomach. Pulling her hips to me, I entered her from behind. My fingers dug into her ass, keeping her in place as I thrust hard. Each thrust was like a test. How long could I go until I lost control?

  She moaned, her skin hot under my touch. I leaned in until my lips touched her neck, kissing her while she squirmed under me. Her moans grew to cries and just when I thought I couldn’t hold out anymore, she let out a scream of pleasure.

  I gave in as her body pulsed under me, taking me deeper inside her as I released.

  Raven rested her head on my arm as we collapsed in the pile of pillows. The salty scent of the sea hung in the air, a taste of memories long gone. I brushed the sweat-slicked hair away from her forehead and kissed her gently. She was perfect. Everything about her made me never want to leave this moment. I wanted to hold her and breathe her in. I wanted to protect her. I wanted to be with only her.

  The thought was alarming, but it was worse to think of a life without her in it. Nothing made sense. But then again, this was all a dream.

  8

  Raven

  Thud.Thud.Thud.

  I groaned as I rolled over in the bed. “Go away! I’ll pay you tomorrow.”

  “Raven, get up or you’ll be late to class,” a woman’s voice called.

  I opened my eyes and sat up so fast it made my head spin. Everything rushed in at once. I was at the Academy of the Elites. I was trying to avoid magic prison. Though right now, I was wondering if they got to sleep more in magic prison.

  I had a very sexy dream last night.

  My skin tingled at the memory of Luka’s hands on my skin. I touched my lips, recalling the pressure of his kiss. They felt swollen. Had it been a dream? It all seemed so real.

  “Get your ass up, princess. The alpha will have my skin if you’re late to class.”

  Brow furrowed, I tossed aside the blankets and shuffled to the door. When I opened it, I was face to face with the woman who tried to help me last night. She was built like a gymnast. Small but fierce. Her dark hair was cut in a pixie cut and bright gold eyes stared back at me. She was deceivingly adorable. I knew girls like her and you only underestimated them once. “Makenzie? What are you doing here?”

  “It’s Makayla,” she said. “And I told you, Ben is going to be pissed if you’re late.”

  “Why is it your job? And why does Ben care if I’m late?” I asked as I walked back into the room.

  “Hell if I know. He just said I had to make sure you were on time.” She glanced at her watch. “And there’s only thirty minutes left of breakfast so you better change fast.”

  I noticed that Makayla was already in a school uniform. She wore a short-sleeved white button-up shirt with a red tie loosely tied around her neck. Black shorts and black combat boots completed her chosen outfit.

  Makayla put her hands on her hips. “Do you need help getting dressed or what?”

  I glared at her. “What time is it, anyway?”

  “Seven thirty.”

  “I don’t even have class till nine, why are you here?” I glanced back to my bed longingly. It was so soft and warm, and the mountain of pillows had been like sleeping in a cloud.

  “I already told you, breakfast ends at eight. Let’s go, princess.”

  “Quit calling me that,” I said. “You know, if you let me skip breakfast, I’d be able to sleep for another hour.”

  “No way, you gotta eat. You need your strength,” she said.

  My eyebrows lifted. “Your words or Ben’s?”

  “Just hurry, okay.”

  Last night I had decided to make the best of this, but mornings were not my thing. Realizing it would be easier to just go with her, I let out a heavy sigh as I padded toward the bathroom.

  After a quick use of the facilities, face wash, and teeth brushing, I headed to the giant closet. Part of me expected it to be gone as if I’d dreamed the whole thing. But it was still there, packed to the brim with clothes I could never afford.

  Quickly, I tugged on a pair of black shorts and a sleeveless, white button-down shirt. I grabbed a tie and threw it over my neck untied. Finally, I grabbed a sweater and headed back to where Makayla was waiting for me.

  She cocked an eyebrow. “That’s how you’re going to the first day of class?”

  I looked down at my outfit, then back up at her. “What’s wrong with it?”

  She sighed then took a few steps closer to me, shaking her head.
“Now I see why Ben sent me. You’re useless.”

  “Hey,” I said. “I’ve been dressing myself for nearly two decades, okay?”

  She grabbed the tie around my neck, and I stepped back. She tugged on it, pulling me closer. “Hold still so I can tie this for you.”

  I had no idea how to tie a tie. It wasn’t exactly a skill a chronically single girl working in a bar needed to learn. I’d untied my fair share from men’s necks, but I’d never bothered to pay attention to the knots.

  Makayla tightened it. “There.” She took a step back. “You going to do anything about that hair?”

  I frowned. I hadn’t bothered with my hair - it definitely had that just-woke-up look. “Why do you care what I look like?”

  “Because it’s important to make a good impression. You must look like you belong here or the other students are going to single you out as the weakest link.”

  “So what?” I wasn’t any stranger to bullying. I was the weird kid who lived with her alcoholic aunt growing up. When I said I’d been dressing myself for nearly two decades, I wasn’t exaggerating. I’d also been cooking my own meals, doing my own laundry, and cleaning up after my aunt when she went on a bender. It wasn’t a pretty way to live, and it had made me grow up fast.

  “Look, I get that you’re an unusual case. That’s obvious. You were stuck down here with the riffraff instead of housed with the favored mages. That’s already a strike against you. But if you want to survive, you’ll have to fake it.”

  “It’s school,” I said. “I can handle it.”

  “It’s not school like you’re used to. Students graduate or they die here. There’s no in between,” she said, her expression deadly serious.

  I stared at her for a moment, waiting for her to crack. Was this some kind of hazing?

  “Just trust me. You’re in no position to be turning down a friend.”

  “Oh, we’re friends now?” I asked.

  “Until Ben gives me the order to let you figure this shit out on your own, yeah, you’re stuck with me. So you might as well make the best of it. And hurry. I’m starting to get hangry.”

  “Starting to?” I grumbled as I walked back to the bathroom. There were a million unanswered questions. Did students really die here? Why the hell did they care what I wore to class? I’d gotten away with wearing pajamas half the time my last year of high school cause I’d stopped giving any fucks. Now, I was in a preppy shirt with a fucking tie and that wasn’t good enough?

  I pulled open the drawers until I found a hairbrush and quickly ran it through my red hair. I looked tired. Dark circles were painted below my green eyes and my skin looked more pale than usual. I wasn’t even sure if make up would have made me look rested. Brushed hair and a clean uniform would have to do. Maybe I could actually get some sleep tonight. I held my breath as my memory drifted back to my dream. Maybe sleeping wasn’t the best way to get some rest around here.

  “Hurry up,” Makayla called.

  I set down the hairbrush and left the bathroom. “Let’s go.”

  She led me down the hall, past the empty common room, and back up the damp stairs. It was so creepy down here. Her comment about the shifters getting treated less than the mages came back to me.

  “How come shifters are down here in the dark?” I asked.

  She glanced over her shoulder but kept walking up the stairs. “Used to be for vampires.”

  “What happened to the vampires?” I asked.

  “They formed their own academy and most of them left. The few who attend here are legacies and they have the nicer basement dorms.”

  “So now shifters are stuck in the dungeon while mages are in a tower?” I asked.

  “Yep,” she said. “And demons and fallen angels have the old dorms next door to the main building.”

  “Demons and fallen….” I said the words quietly, more to myself than to her. It was still hard to wrap my head around all of this.

  “Fallen angels.” She stopped to open the door to the main floor of the school. “There’s other academies with other creatures, but they limit it here.”

  “Why did you say shifters were not treated as well?” I asked.

  “Because they aren’t,” she said. “There’s a hierarchy in the supernatural world. Old alliances and ancient grudges. Shifters used to be the protectors, the workers. Some of the community isn’t happy that we want to be more than that.”

  I had a lot to learn. “It doesn’t sound much different from the human world. Assholes who think they’re better than other people for superficial reasons.”

  Makayla stopped outside the door as I walked through. She closed it behind me then turned to look at me. “You know, I was pissed when Ben charged me with watching after a mage. But I think you and I might get along just fine.”

  9

  Raven

  The cafeteria was a hum of conversation and seemed to vibrate with an energy unlike anything I’d ever felt in a human school. Though, sadly, the round tables with attached plastic chairs were just like the tables we had in my high school.

  I hoped that didn’t mean I was in for the same bullying and jabs at my self-esteem that high school brought me.

  “Welcome to the jungle,” Makayla said with a grin. “Otherwise known as the cafeteria.”

  I glanced from table to table, taking in the other students in uniforms. There was a good variety of clothing choices. Some students in shorts, some in pants, a few in skirts. They all had white shirts and a red tie. Some wore blazers or jackets or sweaters. But they were all a well matched group in red, white, and black. It was like walking into a cheesy nineties teen movie.

  I hoped nobody broke out into a synchronized dance.

  We walked a little farther into the room and as we passed the tables, the conversations died down. My cheeks heated as I felt the gaze of dozens of eyes on me. Fuck. Maybe this would be exactly like high school.

  A table on my right had four girls seated at it and all of them were staring at me. I stopped in my tracks and stared back at them, entranced. They were the most beautiful beings I had ever seen.

  Two had straight, dark hair down to their waist, while the other two had short natural curls that framed their faces like halos. All four of them had sea-green eyes. They were so soothing to stare into.

  “Hey,” Makayla grabbed my upper arm and tugged me away, “leave the new girl alone.”

  “We didn’t do anything,” one of the girls said.

  “She was raised in a mage community. Give her a week to warm up to being out in the wild,” Makayla said.

  The girls broke their gaze on me and I stumbled forward, Makayla’s hold keeping me upright.

  “She’s got a week, then she’s fair game, puppy,” the girl said.

  Makayla growled, then guided me away from the table.

  “What just happened?” I asked. “And why did you say I was raised in a mage community?”

  “Shhhh,” Makayla hissed. “You’re here five minutes and you’re already being charmed by the sirens.”

  “Sirens?” I asked. “I thought you said there were only four kinds of creatures here.”

  “Sirens are considered demons,” she said. “And much like the incubus, they can get in your head quickly.”

  It was a good thing she didn’t know just how much Luka had gotten inside my head.

  “You’re going to get eaten alive in here,” Makayla whispered. “You’re lucky Ben decided to make you honorary pack.”

  “What does that mean?” I asked.

  “Exactly as it sounds,” Makayla said. “Please tell me I don’t have to explain everything.”

  “No, I get it, but I guess I want to know why.”

  “I suppose he felt sorry for you. A mage thrown in with the shifters is bound to have a harder time fitting in. Plus, none of us want to have to carry you back to your room after you get your ass kicked,” she said.

  I ignored the rest of the students as we walked toward the line for food. I cou
ld still feel their stares on me but I didn’t want to risk another siren situation.

  Delicious smells greeted me as we approached the food line.

  Cheerful women with pink cheeks passed trays of food to each waiting student. My stomach rumbled in anticipation. It had been nearly a day since I last ate and even cafeteria food sounded good right now.

  Makayla went first, grabbing a tray and silverware. I followed her and moved along behind her in the line. They set a heaping plate of eggs and bacon on my tray. Then a bowl of fruit joined the other plate. My mouth watered at the sight of the food. It looked delicious.

  After stopping to grab what I hoped was a decent cup of coffee and a glass of orange juice, I joined Makayla at an empty table.

  Before I even got my first bite, someone sat down next to me. Startled, I dropped my fork.

  “Hey, new girl.” The newcomer was a tall guy with a buzz cut and a dark five o’clock shadow. He wasn’t bad looking, but the sleazy grin on his face made me shudder at his closeness. Something about him didn’t quite sit well with me.

  I scooted over to the next seat, dragging my tray with me. “Personal space.”

  He scooted over to the seat I just left. “We’re all family here, aren’t we? I heard you joined the shifters. That makes you pack.”

  “Not your pack, Remi. She’s under wolf protection.” Makayla bared her teeth.

  “I don’t see how you get to judge that,” he said. “Let the little mortal decide for herself.”

  “I’m a mage.” As much as I’d been internally fighting the idea of magic and joining this world, I’d picked up on the fact that I had to act the part.

  “You smell human, baby,” he said.

  “I’m not your baby,” I said.

  He leaned in closer to me, sniffing me. I leaned back and pushed myself away from him, knocking my tray to the ground in the process. Eggs and fruit landed all over my lap.

  Remi laughed, clutching his gut.

  I jumped up from my seat and brushed the food off of me while glaring at the obnoxious man who caused me to lose my breakfast.