“Caleb?”
I was afraid I already knew the answer, but I wanted to hear it out loud.
“Caleb Foster, our Environmental Magic teacher.”
I grunted and took another bite of pizza. That made more sense than him being a teacher, because the mage was no scholar. “I figured. So why recruit you and Zelphar?”
“We work as bounty hunters for the defenders on occasion.”
Watching him for a few moments, I thought about what he said. There were still gaps in his story that I wasn’t sure about. Why after nineteen years of my life would Boreas take an interest in me? As far as I knew he didn’t like that Mom cut off ties with him, cutting me out of his life. I also wasn’t sure Boreas wanted me alive because he cared for me. No he liked the fact that I was half ice phoenix. By fathering me, he was defying Zeus, who banished my father to Ice Mountain and killed all the ice phoenix clans. I wasn’t sure why the ice phoenixes were killed or what Boreas did to be banished. Nor did I care.
Karn reached over and covered my hand with his, bringing me from my musings of my past. When I met his blue depths, he said, “We could never harm you. Caleb’s interest in you was personal and that alone made Zel and I curious enough to take the job. Plus Zel, even though he wouldn’t admit it just yet, believes Caleb is our mate. So where he goes, we go.”
I searched his features for a lie and was unable to find any. In that moment, Karn was completely open to me. His emotions and his mind. A ting of jealousy fluttered in the center of my chest at the thought of Caleb being the twin’s mate.
“When we saw you in the flesh yesterday, we knew we were right about you being our mate.” Karn leaned forward until our faces were inches apart.
My pulse raced and desire flooded my senses. I was also confused because I too felt the pull to claim them. I ignored it because it was possible they were sent to kill me, to throw me off focus. Even though I sensed that Karn was telling the truth, I worried he could still be withholding something from me.
Besides, I wasn’t sure I wanted four mates.
I pushed passed him and stood while grabbing my blazer off the end of the chair in front of the other desk—Zel’s desk. “I have to go.”
Relief flowed through me when he didn’t try to stop me. Outside the dorms, I glanced to the sky, noting the sun was starting its descent. That told me I needed to get to the house before Cordea sent out a search party. I was sure it would involve cyclops. Shuddering at the thought, I made my way to the house of phoenix while sticking to the shadows so I wouldn’t be noticed.
A figure in the shadows at the back of the main building where most of our classes were, caught my attention. But it was gone in a flash. Great, someone was spying on me. I really needed to figure who sent the witches and the spy. The twins popped into my mind, but I no longer thought it was them.
I spotted Lucent as I approached the house. He snapped his head up as if sensing me and glared, while raking his gaze over me. When I reached him, he pulled me to him. “What the fuck happened?”
“I’ll explain later. Let’s just get through dinner and social time.”
9
Ember
I stretched out on Lucent’s bed in my black yoga pants and white t-shirt staring up at the vaulted ceilings. Lucent was in the shower with the door open while I told him about the females. “They were witches and not wearing their house crest. Not sure what to make of that. But Karn said dear ole dad is playing protector.”
The shower shut off and a few moments later Lucent walked into the bedroom in only a towel. My heart fluttered at the sight and my insides tingled with desire. “He has his reasons and I’m sure they’re not good.”
“I agree.” Raking my gaze over his toned, lean body, I nibbled on my lower lip. Heat flooded my system. When I met his amused stare, I rolled my eyes and went back to watching the ceiling. “It’s clear now that there is someone here that wants me to fail. If Boreas sent help to make sure I survive, I’ll take it for now. I will figure out what he wants after I get back home.”
Lucent moved to his dresser and pulled out his pajama pants. “You sound like Caleb. He said something similar.”
I returned my attention to Lucent just as he dropped the towel and put on his pants. I admired him as I asked, “What else did he say?”
In a flash, Lucent was on the bed hovering over me. His green depths darkened with desire, intensifying my own. “He seems to think you’re his mate.”
A sigh slipped from me. “That’s what Karn said too.” I almost laughed at the growl coming from Lucent. Framing his face, I kissed him, keeping it brief. “Getting jealous isn’t going to help things. Clan leaders have always taken more than one mate. My mom has three.” Four if you counted Boreas, which I wasn’t, so she only had the three I call the dads.
Lucent frowned and stretched out beside me on the bed while linked our hands together. “She’s not mated to them.”
“But they are hers and she is theirs.” I glanced to the bedroom door and waved a hand to seal it with magical soundproofing. “Mom is bonded to Boreas. If she completes the bond with her other mates, it will tie them to the bastard and give Boreas reason to come stake claim as her first. It’s easier to not go there.”
It saddened me that Mom couldn’t have a union with all her mates. I would not make the same mistake, which was why I wouldn’t bond with any of my potential mates until we were a hundred percent sure it was what each of us wanted. Plus, making them wait would weed out the bad eggs and ill intentions to mate to gain control of my clan and my powers.
“I never knew that.” Lucent turned on his side to face me.
Rolling to my side, I slipped one of my legs between his. I said I wouldn’t bond with them. That didn’t mean I couldn’t have a little fun. “No one knows but me and her guards and now you. And of course the dads. So if you tell anyone, I have to kill you.”
He chuckled and cupped my face, tracing his thumb over my bottom lip. “All of your secrets are safe with me. Although I think you might enjoy killing me as payback.”
“Of course. You killed me for no reason.” The playful light in his eyes dulled a little as he searched my face. “Are you okay?”
Rolling my eyes, I pushed his shoulder and flipped to my back. “I told you I am. I healed while I was out, thanks to Karn for removing my jacket.”
Lucent propped himself up on his elbow and stared down at me. “I hate Karn less than the other two, then.”
A laugh escaped from me. Before I thought about what I was doing, I cupped the back of his head and pulled him close until our lips brushed together. A growled ripped from Lucent and he deepened the kiss while nestling between my thighs. Sensual need and pinpricks nipped at my skin.
He licked the seam of my lips and I instantly opened, welcoming him to enter like I’d been waiting a lifetime to taste him. Desire fueled my fire, making the flames reach out to his. My pussy ached for his touch as well as every inch of my flesh.
Yelling from out in the hallway, broke us out of the raw passionate kiss. Sitting up, I waved my hand at the door, taking down the magical soundproofing. A female was yelling like a crazy person. Her high-pitched voice raked on my nerves and made my phoenix want to come out and see what the hell was going on.