Fall Semester (Omega Wolf Academy Book 2) Read online

  I watched him, understanding what he was doing, and lowered myself to the pile of fabric he laid out to make a blanket. When he lowered himself down onto his knees and crawled up the length of me, trailing fingers over my boots as his lips found and claimed my breasts, I nearly dissolved.

  His teeth grazed my nipple, sending shock waves of heat through my body, making my already fuzzy brain go white with pleasure. His hands, so big they covered my entire hip with one stroke, roamed over my skin, setting fires as they went. He took his time, making me moan, making me shudder and cry out, and grinned with his own power over me.

  I arched my back, thrusting my breasts higher to give him access, baring my throat to his teeth, giving myself to him completely. He moved down my body, tasting every inch of me, until his mouth closed over the bundle of nerves at my core and I went blind.

  Words, demands, pleas, spilled from my lips, incoherent and needy but he understood. He lifted his damp mouth from between my legs and slid back up my body to claim my mouth.

  The taste of me on his lips just spiraled me higher.

  His hips rocked against mine, pushing the tip of him against my heat, and set off alarms that shrieked with need in my brain. I dug my nails into his shoulders and stared up at him with barely contained love. “Now,” I whispered, uttering the single word I could remember.

  He filled me, inch by delicious inch, until the ache that had sprung to life so acutely eased. I moaned into the curve of his shoulder and grazed my teeth over his flesh.

  He moved, just a bit, and the ache was reborn, multiplied and demanding. A sigh slipped from my lips, and my body lifted of its own accord to meet his thrust.

  It was like exquisite torture, his slow, controlled movements, and the feel of his tongue tracing the long line of my throat. Sensations rolled through me, building slowly, gradually, adding one divine layer to another as my mind faded into dreams. My head lolled back, too heavy to hold up.

  Lucian chuckled and nipped at the sensitive skin at the base of my neck, then moved his hand down my stomach and shifted my hips higher. My gaze lifted lazily to meet his and saw the challenge shimmering in those dark depths. I swallowed and bit my lip.

  He climbed to his knees, pulling my hips up and into him, yanking me forward with enough momentum to bury himself deep inside me. I gasped and blinked at the sudden change in pace, then cried out when he began to move.

  Gone was the lazy lovemaking. Lucian stared down at me, his gaze locked on mine, keeping that intimate connection between us, but everything else changed. His body moved faster, harder, finding places inside me that felt as if they’d never been explored. I dug my fingers into the clothes beneath me and tried to hold on to my sanity and his intense gaze as he pounded into me, destroying my control. The waves that had so lovingly lapped at my body earlier crashed over me now with a violence that made my heart soar. I gasped and let my eyes roll back in my head. Colors and bright bursts of light met me there.

  “Open your eyes,” Lucian breathed roughly.

  I forced my eyelids to flutter open and found myself caught in the beauty of my mate’s gold rimmed irises. Staring into his eyes, the world dimmed and faded away, until there were only us, the roar of my pounding heartbeat in my ears, and the glide of him inside me.

  “Ma chou,” he murmured softly, then, still gazing into my eyes and moving, so deep it felt as if there were no part of me he hadn’t touched, he reached down and circled my clit with his thumb.

  And my world exploded.

  My body arched up, shuddering as pleasure rocked me to the core, leaving me breathless. Lucian never stopped, he held on and moved, plunging into me, over and over, driving the pleasure on until it was too much to bear. With one last thrust, he followed me to the edge of pleasure and over into the abyss.

  Tears spilled from my eyes as we lay together under the full moon. We curled together and regained control as our breathing evened out.

  When the fragments of my mind had pieced themselves back together, I lifted my head to smile lazily down at Lucian. “What was that you said?”

  “Hmmm?” He murmured, not opening his eyes.

  “Right at the end, you said something in French.” I tried to remember what, but my memory held only a vague recollection of sensations.

  Lucian’s eyes opened and his brows pulled down into a slight frown, then his lips twitched. Beneath my arm, his chest began to shake, and laughter replaced the orgasm induced exhaustion in his eyes.

  “What?” I asked, slapping him lightly on the chest. I smiled at him, amused by his adorable laughter.

  Lucian shook his head. “It doesn’t translate well,” he explained with another chuckle. His shoulders lifted and fell. “Ma chou.”

  “Ma chou,” I repeated, sounding out the words. “It’s pretty. What does it mean?” My stomach fluttered at the possibilities.

  A blush rose onto his cheeks. “My cabbage.”

  I pulled back to stare down at him, my confusion plain in the baffled look I gave him.

  Lucian’s laughter echoed across the rooftop. “I told you it didn’t translate well. It’s an endearment, kind of like sweetheart.” His smile faltered. “It's something my dad always said to my mom. I guess it kind of slipped out.”

  My heart and any bafflement I’d felt simply melted away. Everything in me went soft with sorrow and sweet adoration of this man who could be strong and gentle, unbreakable and fragile, all at once. Of all my guys, he was the one that touched my heart the deepest, I thought. There was a sense of shared pain in our pasts that felt like a bond the others could never quite touch.

  I laid my hand over his heart and pressed my lips to the still-salty dampness of his skin. When the ball of emotion that was blocking my throat eased, I asked, “What did your mom call your dad?” I breathed in the scent of him and waited for his answer.

  “Ma moitié,” Lucian answered, so quietly I heard the effort it took to say the words.

  “What does it mean?” I closed my eyes and listened to the pulse of his heartbeat.

  “My other half,” he murmured.

  I blew out a slow breath, not wanting to hurt him any more than he’d already been hurt in life. These words were part of his past, and he’d shared one with me. I gathered my courage and asked, “Could I...?” I lifted my head from his chest and gazed down at him with hope filling my heart.

  He stared at me, into me, and nodded slowly, then swallowed as I murmured, “Ma moitié,” and leaned down to kiss him softly. Our breath mingling felt like a promise.

  I settled back into the curve of his arm and watched as a shooting star moved across the sky. Silently, I made a wish and tucked it away in my heart so it would come true.

  We watched the stars in silence for a while before thoughts began bubbling into my mind. “You were pretty quiet in the Headmaster’s office this morning,” I mused, remembering how uncomfortable he’d been and how he’d played it down afterwards.

  Lucian stared up at the stars and was silent for a long moment. I knew he wasn’t ignoring my question, he wasn’t the type. He liked to gather his thoughts before speaking, something my hot-headed Russian almost never did. I loved getting to know them.

  “Before you came along, Dimitri didn’t care if he stayed or was sent back to Russia,” Lucian began, speaking quietly as if he was afraid his words would carry on the night wind, which was so calm, it barely ruffled my hair. “There was nothing keeping him here other than Chase and me. He doesn’t talk about it much, but I know that he still has family there, and that he misses them. Chase has family, too, but he never pushes the rules like Dimitri does, so there was no threat he’d ever be expelled.”

  I frowned. “Is that what you’re afraid of? Being expelled?” I studied the outline of his face, the patrician cut of his nose and curve of his full lips. “If they haven’t kicked Dimitri out yet, I doubt they’d think twice about you. You’re the perfect student.”

  Lucian swallowed. “I have to be.” His voice came o
ut adamant, surprising me. There was an insistence in his tone I’d never heard before.

  Dimitri had a family he missed. Chase had family to return to. Those were his words. I closed my eyes, realizing part of what bothered my mate. He didn’t have a family to return to if he were ever kicked out.

  “We’re your family now,” I whispered, knowing it wasn’t the same, but knowing it was also everything.

  He nodded and sniffed. “I know.” He shifted onto his side to look into my eyes. “When I met Chase and Dimitri, something clicked, and not just for me. I was still grieving my parents’ death and didn’t know if I’d find anything to smile about ever again, then there they were. Idiots,” he muttered with affection.

  They’d been connected through me even before they knew me. It was crazy to think about. Fate was a funny wolf sometimes.

  “Then you showed up, and the universe tilted,” he murmured with a ghost of a smile. “Threw us all for a bit. We didn’t understand what it meant.” He trailed off and licked his lips. “It felt like we were going to tear our friendship apart over you, Lexi. I’m sorry if that hurts you, I don’t mean it to. But it felt like that for a while.”

  I took a deep breath before responding. It did hurt me to hear it, but it was the truth, and I’d known it anyway. “I felt it, too,” I confessed. “It was part of what made all of this so confusing. I saw the bond between you guys, and I was terrified I’d tear it apart. I didn’t want to be that girl. I didn’t want to hurt any of you.”

  Lucian chuckled. “How were we supposed to know? We’re fated freaks.”

  I grinned. “I like the sound of that, but don’t tell Dimitri. He seems pretty touchy about all this.” I chewed on my lip. “I can’t blame him. It’s a lot to swallow. Why are we so different? Why would fate set us apart like this?”

  His shoulder rose and fell. “Maybe we’re not as unique as we think.”

  I considered it. “Maybe. But it would have been awfully nice for others to come forward so we didn’t have to pioneer the path for reverse harem mates.”

  Lucian’s eyebrow arched up. “Reverse harem?”

  I blushed immediately. I’d gotten hooked on the romance sub-genre ever since I’d met my guys and had pored through endless series over the last few months. Some were sweet and innocent, filled with young love and confusion, while others were downright smut. I liked the smut best.

  “It’s this sub-genre of romance,” I explained, feeling like an idiot. Lucian liked literature and high fantasy, I knew, from the geeky chatter at the mixer, but he’d never mentioned genre fiction. “One girl and, at least, three guys.” I bit back a smile as his eyes widened.

  “At least?” he asked, schooling his face in mock seriousness. “What’s the max?”

  I thought of the harems I’d read and tried to count up guys, then shook my head and laughed. “I don’t know. I read one with twelve guys. It got a bit messy, and the author didn’t have time to devote to each character. I prefer the ones with fewer guys. Three is a perfect amount.”

  He nodded. “Three sounds pretty perfect to me, too.” He leaned in to kiss me.

  A bright light exploded in my eyes. I cringed back and covered my face.

  “Who's out there?” a voice boomed. “Get down from there right now.”

  Lucian’s eyes went dark with instant anxiety.

  “Shit,” I muttered, scrambling to pull on my clothes. My foot got caught in my skirt and I fell in a heap on the roof where we’d just made love. I stopped myself from laughing, knowing my mate didn’t find this funny. “He doesn’t know who we are,” I whispered with barely a sound. “Maybe there’s another way down. A fire escape or something.”

  Lucian scanned the rooftop, eyes narrowed. “There!” He pointed.

  I followed the direction and saw the top of a metal ladder. I glanced around, looking for anything we might have missed, and grabbed my bra as the sound of the guard trying to climb out the window reached our ears. “Run!” I hissed.

  We ran. Lucian tested the ladder and muttered, “It’s sturdy,” then stuffed my bra in his pocket while I swung around and began to descend.

  Laughter bubbled in my throat, but I held it back. This was the most fun I’d ever had, but I knew Lucian didn’t see it the same way I did.

  The second his feet hit the grass next to me, Lucian reached for my hand and we took off. We darted around buildings, staying to the shadows, which made me feel like a spy in a movie. Lucian’s hand never left mine.

  Finally, we slipped behind a thick bush, safe from detection. My heart raced in my chest and a flush burned my cheeks. I felt alive, happy, and whole. I reached for Lucian and pulled him down for a heady kiss.

  “Maybe…” he murmured, pulling back for a second.

  “Shhh,” I whispered, shaking my head. “We’re safe.” Adrenaline rushed through my veins. I didn’t want the night to end, so I lifted onto my toes and licked my tongue down the length of his neck. When his eyes met mine, I grinned, and jumped him.

  Chapter 9

  The next few days flew by in a flash.

  I woke every morning, thinking about Lucian, and fell asleep every night dreaming of what our life would be like together. It was weird, focusing on him so much. I still wanted Chase and Dimitri as much as always, but Lucian stirred something inside my soul and mind that pulled me towards him. He was like a light in the darkness, a like soul to recognize mine.

  Of course, because my life wasn't complete without stress of some sort, I felt guilty for being so happy.

  There was still so much we had to talk about and figure out. I loved being with all three of them at the same time, that feeling of completion and oneness, but it was overwhelming, too. I'd been raised with family all around, yes, but we'd been watched, and tortured, and held captive. I'd never been surrounded by so much emotion. It would take some time, I supposed, to get used to it.

  It still amazed me, the situation fate and the Old Ones had put us in. How I could be so intrinsically connected to three mates, each so different from the others, was mind blowing. When I was with them, the physical and emotional connection pushed all worries away, but when I was alone…

  Being with Lucian was so easy and right. He didn't piss me off like Dimitri or send half my brain cells to the moon like Chase. We walked, and ran, and talked about books, and movies, and all the things that sparked joy in our lives. We steered clear of the darkness, both knowing it was there, shadowing us, but not wanting to color our budding relationship with its gloom. We had our entire lives to share those parts of us.

  I glanced at my cell phone, checking the time, and was glad to see I'd made it to the coffee cart two minutes earlier than Alyssa and I had agreed to meet. She added another thin layer of guilt to my subconscious. I'd seen another side of her before the run and had promised myself and her time and patience to get to know one another, but I'd been wrapped up, sometimes literally, in Lucian since then, and was only now coming up for air.

  "Hey!" Alyssa called out as she crossed the quad. "Sorry I'm late."

  I shook my head. "You're not late. Class got out a little early, so I headed over. I didn't eat much for lunch and my stomach's been angry for the last hour." I nodded my head towards the various kiosks. "I'm thinking cheesy fries and a hamburger."

  Alyssa's eyebrows rose. "I'll see your cheesy fries and hamburger and raise you a strawberry milkshake."

  I laughed. "Someone's been playing poker. What are you guys playing for?" We stepped into line to order food.

  "Chocolate bars," Alyssa replied, with an expression so hard she could have been a gangster. "I lost big last night, so if you need a fix, I'm not your girl." She maintained the grim look for a few seconds, then broke into a grin.

  My heart squeezed at the joy in her eyes. She’d had precious little joy in life and seemed to be finding her place at Omega Wolf Academy.

  “You’ve made some friends then?” I asked while eyeing the menu posted to the kiosk wall behind the two servers. Al
yssa’s strawberry milkshake idea had piqued my interest.

  “No one in particular.” Alyssa tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and shrugged. “I’m just trying to find a place, I guess. Classes are good, though. My profs are nice enough.” She glanced down at her shoes and chewed her lip.

  I narrowed my eyes, seeing all the signs of bubbling questions, and decided to give her a break. “What?”

  She looked up innocently. “What what?”

  I chuckled. “You suck at minding your own business. What are you trying so hard not to ask me?”

  Alyssa’s cheeks bloomed with color and a rush of air exited her lungs. “Maybe that’s why I keep losing at poker. My face shows everything.” She ran a hand through her hair. “I was just wondering about the guys you’re…” She blushed harder. “About Lucian, Dimitri, and Chase.”

  My stomach flip-flopped and, for a long moment, all I wanted was to spill exactly what was going on between the four of us. She held the same secrets I did, most of them anyway, and would keep my newest secret safe, I was sure of it. But it wasn’t just my secret to keep. I had to consider my guys’ feelings on this, too, and I knew at least Dimitri wasn’t comfortable with us coming out of the closet, so to speak. So, I went for the next best thing.

  My lips automatically turned up the moment I thought about Lucian. Alyssa caught my goofy look, and her eyes went wide. “Well then…” she prompted, nudging my arm.

  “I may or may not have been spending some quality time with Lucian,” I offered with an innocent shrug that turned into a knowing grin a moment later.

  Alyssa made a sound of deep feminine approval. “I like him. He’s so…” she gazed off and sighed.

  “I know.” I echoed her sigh. I still couldn’t wrap my head around the fact that he was my mate. I angled my head towards her. “Are you sure there’s no one on campus that’s caught your eye? Even for fun.”