Fall Semester (Omega Wolf Academy Book 2) Read online

  The Headmaster’s eyebrow rose incrementally higher. “And what did you do to retaliate against those hateful words, Mr. Parker? You know.” He tapped a finger against the top of his desk. “It’s funny that you should mention Daylight Lake. I heard a rumor just last night about an altercation between students up that way. Apparently, bones were broken but, unfortunately, no one has come forward with a complaint. You don't happen to know anything about that, do you?” He included me in the sweep of his heavy gaze.

  Chase and I both shook our heads.

  “Yes, well,” the Headmaster said stiffly, moving on from interrogating us. “This is not the first incident on file concerning you four.” He looked at each of us in turn, stopping when he reached Dimitri. His eyes darkened and narrowed.

  My back stiffened instantly.

  “Dimitri had nothing to do with any of this,” I exclaimed passionately. My voice echoed off the office walls and made everyone stare at me in surprise.

  I cleared my throat, suddenly boiling under the thin layers of my clothes, and took a deep calming breath. I knew Headmaster Gabriel wasn’t completely unaware of my connections, however loose they were, to the LaFlamme Alpha family. But connections or not, that relationship only protected me. My skin went cold at the thought that my actions could endanger my mate’s attendance in some way.

  My stomach churned painfully at the thought of being apart from them. I loved it here and wanted to stay, but if one of them were expelled, I’d walk away.

  We weren’t there yet, though, I reasoned. This was just a warning and, maybe I could use my tenuous connections to strengthen our position in the Headmaster’s eyes. For now, though, I swallowed my pride and instinct to fight back. “Excuse me,” I said, lowering my voice considerably. “That came out a little too passionately. What I meant to say was, I’m very sorry, Headmaster Gabriel, for disrupting the first full moon run. It won’t happen again.”

  I felt Lucian’s body sag with relief and glanced at him in surprise, then hid the reaction with a cough. What did he have to be worried about, I wondered? The Headmaster had spoken only to Chase, Dimitri, and me.

  A long moment passed before Headmaster Gabriel nodded and rested his hands, palm down on the desk. “Since there was no actual violence and the rumors are unsubstantiated, I have no choice but to let you all off with a warning. But hear me now, I’ll be keeping an eye on you, all of you, from now on. Step out of line again, and your time at Omega Wolf Academy will be limited.” He lifted a chin and gestured towards the door. “You are dismissed.”

  I rose from my seat, keeping my gaze respectful but unafraid, and followed Dimitri and Lucian out of the office with Chase following behind me. None of us spoke until we were outside the administration building and out of earshot of roaming students.

  “What an asshole,” Chase grumbled, kicking at a rock that had found its way onto the path. “How the hell do you think he heard about the shit up at the lake? I bet one of those pricks started the rumor.”

  “I don’t see why. They didn’t exactly come out on the winning side,” Dimitri muttered. He shrugged when Chase groaned in frustration. “Just saying.” He leaned against a brick wall and looked away, uncharacteristically stoic for my usually passionate Russian. I frowned at him then turned to Lucian, who was also quietly letting Chase complain.

  “What’s going on with you two?” I asked, gesturing to my two guys.

  Chase stopped mumbling to glance back and forth between them. His golden eyes narrowed sharply as he took in his friends’ silent moodiness, then glanced at me with a sharply raised eyebrow.

  Dimitri shrugged, dismissing my question and his current attitude. “Nothing. I gotta go, though. See you guys later.”

  I opened my mouth to stop him but paused when I saw Chase subtly shake his head. He waved a hand then took off after Dimitri.

  I turned, completely confused, to Lucian, who shook his head and offered a smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes. “I just remembered a paper I need to finish before tonight. What time do you want me to pick you up?”

  I stared at him blankly, trying to connect the dots, then laughed and shook my head. “The mixer! I completely forgot. Shit.” I chewed my lip and pulled out my cell phone, checking the time and location Cam had texted to meet them. “7:30 p.m. is good. The dress code is, of course, casual elegance because, you know, fancy literary types.” I cracked a smile to let him know I was joking.

  Lucian nodded sagely. “So, cravats and waistcoats?”

  I stared off into the distance picturing him in a cravat and waistcoat, and little else, then let the dirty thought show plainly in my eyes.

  Lucian chuckled and shook his head. He reached out and snagged me around the waist, and pulled me in and up for a long, knee destroying kiss that left my head spinning. “See you then,” he murmured, a sexy rumble in my ear, then took off in the opposite direction Dimitri and Chase had gone.

  I blinked, slowly coming back to awareness. “How does he do that?” I whispered, as much to the universe as to myself, then blushed furiously when my question was answered with feminine giggles.

  I looked at the girls, both of whom were watching Lucian walk away, all long strides and tight ass. I didn’t care if they looked, I thought as a devious plan chased away all the fog his kiss had stirred in my brain.

  They could look all they wanted. I was the one who would touch.

  ♀♀♀

  I took a step back from the full-length mirror and turned to get a better angle, then nodded in approval.

  I hadn’t wanted to buy the thigh-high suede boots that had been so proudly displayed in the window of one of Dublin’s most chic shops, but Rose had bullied me into accepting them. She’d claimed my legs were too long and hot to be denied those particular boots.

  Now that I was standing in them, with the shortest, flirtiest skirt I owned floating above, I had to admit she was right. My legs did look pretty fucking spectacular.

  I tugged the light gray sweater over my shoulder and shot my reflection a grin, knowing Lucian would appreciate all the work that had gone into our date tonight. Then again, I thought with a chuckle, did guys ever know what girls went through?

  A knock at the door set my heart racing. I fluttered a hand over my chest and smiled, amused and delighted at my reaction. I wondered if I’d ever stop feeling so breathless around them.

  I hoped not.

  I pressed my lips together to spread the gloss I’d slicked on and opened the door to my date for the evening, letting my lips curve in a suggestive smile.

  My smile faltered at the sight of him.

  Lucian leaned against the door post, his large frame taking up most of the space, and smiled slowly, seductively. He wore fitted dark blue jeans that were cut low on his hips, a white button-down shirt that set off the depth of his gorgeous skin and showed off well-defined forearms, and a fitted black vest that made his shoulders look even wider than they were.

  “I couldn’t find my waistcoat,” he rumbled. “Will this do?”

  Blood rushed to my head, my cheeks, my core, heating them and leaving me feeling shaky. I stared in utter fascination at my mate as a single thought ran through my mind on repeat.

  Mine.

  I lifted a hand and let it hover in the air for a moment, relishing the in between, the moment before an embrace, a touch, a kiss. Lucian’s gaze traveled the length of me, taking in every detail, before coming back to mine. His eyes blazed with hunger, a sentiment I wholeheartedly understood.

  We reached for each other, grasping and yanking until we were inside, and I was being pushed up against the closed door to my room with Lucian’s mouth on mine.

  He swept me away immediately, throwing me off balance with a depth of passion I wasn’t used to from him. He was the still water that ran deep, the calm to my otherwise chaotic life.

  But apparently, he’d only shown me the calm before the storm.

  His hand moved to the back of my neck, angling me for a kiss t
hat destroyed all thought. My hands moved to his shoulders, digging deep into the muscle there. He was so big, so strong, and so fucking hot!

  I barely registered the ding of my phone the first time it sounded, I was far too busy losing myself in Lucian’s lips and tongue. His hands ran up and down my body, exciting my nerves until they screamed for more.

  “I think someone is texting you,” Lucian growled, burying his face in the curve of my shoulder. His gasps matched mine, but his words made no sense.

  “What?” I sounded drugged, I thought absently, running a hand over my blazing face.

  “Your phone.” Lucian blew out a deep breath as if steadying himself, then turned and took several steps away. “Water,” he simply said, then followed my pointed finger towards my mini fridge.

  I watched him grab the last bottle and drink half in one long swallow, then he passed it to me and tipped up his chin. “Drink.”

  I drank, still feeling half drugged. The cold water helped clear my brain enough to hear the annoying, incessant dings from my phone. I looked around my room, confused, wondering where I’d put it.

  Another ding sounded from inside my purse, reminding me that I’d been ready to leave when Lucian had knocked. I’d slipped my phone inside to make sure I didn’t forget it. I hadn’t expected his kiss to nearly make me forget my own name.

  I slid the release across the screen and blinked at the sixteen messages. “It’s Cam,” I muttered, clicking on our chat. “He’s very enthusiastically awaiting our arrival.” I sighed, finally able to think clearly enough to remember how intrigued Cam was at my various relationships.

  Lucian puffed out his cheeks and held it for a long moment, then exhaled and nodded. “We should probably go, then, because if we don’t leave now, we might not leave this room for the next week.”

  My stomach fluttered deliciously at the promise.

  My raging pulse returned to normal rate as we left my dorm room and walked, hand in hand, across campus to the English building.

  The sun moved slowly, receding into the horizon and spreading its gorgeous light, so that everything glowed. The long suppressed romantic in me noticed every color, every fragrance, every brush of Lucian's thumb over the back of my hand and locked the memories away.

  By the time we slipped into the elevator and headed up to the graduates’ lounge on the fifth floor, I was settled, excited, and ready to have an amazing date.

  Cam, Dina, Greg, and a few students I recognized from class greeted me with smiles and waves as we walked into the spacious room, which was decorated like an old English library. My book loving heart leaped as I took in the cognac colored chairs, set near an almost realistic looking roaring fire; the long, polished, dark wooden tables that were covered, now, in an assortment of hors d'oeuvres and more substantial options. I caught the eye of Dr. West, whose pint of beer was nearing the bottom of her glass and nodded respectfully. She grinned and raised her glass in salute.

  It was nice, being recognized and greeted by people other than family, people whose knowledge of my life didn't include my tragic past. I felt free here, with them, with Lucian.

  "Well, aren't you just the finest looking man in this room?" Cam approached, looking Lucian up and down with sparkling eyes that took in every detail.

  Lucian cocked an eyebrow and extended his hand. "I don't know." He looked up and down the long line of cam's body. "That is, by far, the fiercest outfit I've ever seen."

  Cam flushed, preened, and did a twirl, that made his light grey kilt lift to reveal tightly toned thighs. Combat boots, and a tight, fitted, black sweater, covered in a gorgeous leather jacket that completed the ensemble.

  I blinked in surprise at the extreme shift in fashion from what he'd been wearing all week and let out a low whistle. "Sweet Old Ones," I mumbled, moving around my friend to see the back of the kilt. "That is stunning. Where did you get it?"

  Cam shrugged. "Some small shop in New York, I think." He laughed. "I thought I'd let loose the Scottish in me tonight."

  I grinned. "Well, if you let the Scottish out, I'll release the Irish." We nodded at one another in agreement as he, in turn, appraised my outfit. He reached out almost reverently to touch the suede of my boots. "Girl, where did you get these? I might die if I don't get a pair myself."

  I made a sound of regret, lifting my shoulders, and told him, "Dublin, but I think the brand has a website." I pulled the top of my boot out to examine the tag and waited while he snapped a picture of the branding.

  “Okay,” Cam said, slipping his phone into one of the kilt’s utility pockets. “Time to get drunk.” He turned and strode across the room to order a drink.

  "Do you want to get a drink?" I asked, steering Lucian towards the gorgeous old pub style bar, where a bartender, dressed in street urchin period clothes poured pint after pint and mixed fancy cocktails for those who requested them. I watched him pour a concoction into a tall glass and decided to broaden my alcoholic horizons. "What is that?" I pointed towards the glass, which was already being lifted to smiling lips.

  "Long Island Iced Tea," the bartender replied with a grin. "Want one?"

  Lucian settled onto the stool beside me. “Make that two, kind sir.” He grinned and slipped twenty dollars onto the bar-top to cover the bill and tip.

  I took a sip of the sweet and slightly sour drink and smiled. “This is delicious, but I don’t see how it’s going to get me drunk.”

  Lucian laughed and took a sip of his.

  The night slipped by in a blur of laugher, dancing, and more Long Island iced teas. My body hummed delightfully and my brain slurred, making the dim lights of the lounge glow like little fairies while Lucian spun me in time to a song from the nineteen twenties that someone had decided would delight and amuse. That person had been right as the dance floor was packed full of laughing, dancing students and professors.

  Sometime after midnight, the bartender had yelled “Last call!” and we’d regretfully filed out of the mixer after getting one last drink. Then Cam had pulled out his society room keys and casually mentioned that there were a few bottles of tequila locked away in the cabinet for a rainy day. It wasn’t raining, but we’d all agreed the timing was perfect.

  Lucian nibbled on my neck, making brilliant lights explode behind my eyelids as, finally, at about 4:00 a.m., the revelers gave up and decided to go home.

  “I want to go back to your room,” he murmured, in that deep rumbling voice that resonated directly between my thighs and straight up into my core.

  A devilish grin lifted my lips as memories bubbled to the surface of my mind. “I’ve got some place even better,” I whispered, taking his hand and leading him down the hallway and through a door marked, “Men.”

  Lucian’s eyebrows pulled down in question, but I just pressed a kiss against his lips and pointed to a window high on the far wall. “Give me a boost, will you?” I lifted a leg and waited.

  “What are you up to?” Lucian chuckled but offered his hand, then waited while I unlatched the window I’d been told about in stories by my English friends, and pulled myself out, onto the roof. I stuck my head back inside and nodded towards a stool near the door. “Thanks for the leg up, soldier.” I cocked an eyebrow and let every dirty thought I’d had all night shine in my eyes. “And you might want to get up here, quick.” I pulled my sweater over my head and watched his eyes go wide with understanding.

  “A girl might get lonely,” I murmured as I left the sweater next to the window and reached for the zipper on my skirt.

  Chapter 8

  The night air, still warm with a hint of the crispness to come, felt exquisite on my bare skin. I tossed my bra onto the rooftop and shimmied out of my panties just as Lucian pulled himself through the window and made a strangled sound at the sight of me.

  In a matter of seconds, I’d divested myself of my sweater, skirt, and lingerie. The only thing remaining on my aching body was made of suede.

  “Old Ones,” Lucian muttered, letting his head tip bac
k for a moment as if in prayer. “You might actually kill me, Lexi.” He took a deep breath, lifted his head, and exhaled slowly as the flecks of gold that ringed his dark eyes glinted beneath the moonlight.

  Feminine power, as old as time, coursed through me, lifting my lips in challenge. Slowly, I tipped my head to the side and trailed a finger down the length of my neck and over my breast. “Would that be so bad?” I asked, keeping my gaze locked on his.

  Lucian shook his head and took a step towards me, moving like the predator we both were. “I’d die a very happy man.” He reached me in five strides, dropping clothes along the way, and stared down at me through a haze of desire. “You’re so beautiful,” he murmured, brushing his lips over the line of my jaw. “Inside and out.”

  I reached for the back of his neck and was lifted by hands that fit around my waist possessively. He shifted me higher, so my legs wrapped around him, fitting me just above his impressive and very excited length. I moved my fingers around to his face and traced the line of his jaw, the curve of his mouth, memorizing every inch of him. The words that had been growing inside me for weeks, surged to my lips, almost escaped, but were held back by some invisible wall I’d erected and didn’t quite understand. I wanted to whisper them to him, to send them out into the universe and hear them echoed back, but something stopped me. I wasn’t ready, so I pushed the words back down and whispered, “Make love to me.”

  Slowly, he lowered me to the rooftop, letting my body slide over every delicious inch of him even though it made his eyes blur. “Give me a second,” he murmured, stepping back to gather our clothes.