Lost silver falls univer.., p.23
Lost: Silver Falls University, page 23
“Dakota?” Effie’s voice had me looking down on her as I realized we had walked in pretty much silence towards the dorms. Well, silence except for the thoughts and bloodlust howling in my ears, demanding vengeance.
Effie looked concerned, and her words explained why, reminding me that I needed to tone back my naturally intense nature. At least for now. “You were growling.”
Unsurprising.
“Sorry, little wolf,” I murmured as we neared our dorm building. I could feel eyes on us as people left the building and crossed our path, their fear saturating the air. Something I would normally love. I still did, as long as it didn’t include Effie’s fear. I kept my gaze on her, wanting to make it clear that she was the only person that would ever matter here. I couldn’t help but slip out why I had been so worked up, though.
“I was thinking about that fucking asshole Mars.”
She blinked and then nodded, leaning into me slightly. “Yesterday seems so long ago. In fact, it’s hard to believe that it’s only been a little over a day since meeting all of you.”
She wasn’t wrong—it felt like I had known her my entire life, and I knew it was largely because of our bond but also because of the warmth that radiated off Effie.
“It’s because we’re mates, in part.” I brought up her gloved hand and kissed it gently. It felt good to be able to say that part out loud. It had been little more than a day, and the urge to say the title out loud had grown nearly impossible. I had no idea how someone could keep something like that a secret longer than necessary. Then again, as mentioned, I wasn’t one for patience.
Her cheeks flushed, but she was suddenly distracted by the thin, dark door that was on the side of the building. Each Eclipse building had a small, closet-like door on the back right side of the dorm. It was somewhat of a locker room, and as I opened up the warm space, she looked around with interest and a bit of confusion. My chest relaxed as her face flushed and she removed her gloves, clearly warm once again.
“Here, throw your jacket in here.” I opened up one of the lockers for our floor as she easily shimmied off her coat and I hung her backpack inside. My eyes ran over her frame, specifically her clothes, as I wondered if she needed to strip like some wolves did when they shifted. My cock jumped at that concept, and I tried to shake that notion, not wanting to make her uncomfortable. As a totemic alpha, I not only had far more control over my wolf form, but maintained my mental connection to my humanity while shifted. I wasn’t positive how it worked for bitten wolves exactly, Julian being a different case considering he was an alpha as well. Something that was extremely rare as a bitten wolf. Then again, Julian’s entire backstory didn’t make a ton of sense to me, if we were being honest.
Hell, if he wasn’t going to question it, neither was I. After all, I didn’t really want to admit to everyone I had slaughtered in my past, so why would I get in his business about his shit? I was just being a polite bastard, in my mind.
I pulled off my shirt, smirking as her eyes ran over my chest, a bright flush taking over her face and neck before she hesitantly toed off her shoes. Fuck. I loved that blush way, way too much. I also wanted to peel that turtleneck and jeans from her delectable little frame. Fuck. No one should be allowed to have that many curves yet be that delicate and easy to toss around. I could put her over my shoulder and take her away, and there would be nothing she could do about it. It called to a part of me that I had long assumed didn’t exist. Let me assure you, it very much did.
“Do you want me to turn around?” she asked, her eyes flaring with heat as her breathing went fast.
“I will never complain about you staring at me,” I admitted, kicking off my shoes and putting them with hers inside of the locker. I stepped into her space as she shivered, my fingers sliding under her turtleneck to rest on her curved waist. “What about you, little wolf? Do you want me to look away?”
I wasn’t positive I would, anyway.
Nibbling her lip, she cast me a small, flirty smile. “I can shift with clothes on or off, actually.”
I groaned, imagining her naked as I nipped her nose.
“That’s a shame,” I openly expressed.
A small surprised laugh broke from her lips as her fingers ran over my bare chest and her breathing caught, my body pressing into hers, feeling how hard I was. I dipped my lips, pressing her fully into the locker as I brushed my mouth against hers, causing her entire frame to shudder. Almost immediately, she was responding back to me and curling against my chest like she fit there perfectly.
Her taste exploded on my tongue, and her soft stomach tightened as her hands fisted my hair, a flare of heat seeming to set both of us on fire all at once. When I finally pulled back, she nipped my bottom lip, hard enough that it drew more blood than last time. My wolf let out a savage snarl, realizing that it wasn’t a mistake, even if she seemed surprised by her own action.
No, Effie was very much trying to mark me, even if she didn’t fully realize it.
“You marked me,” I murmured, my tongue darting out. She watched the action with a flushed face, and her breath caught, as if surprised by herself.
“I didn’t mean to make you bleed,” she promised, but once again, pressed forward and seared our lips, my blood pressing between us and making her entire body tremble.
I snapped just slightly, my frame slamming further against her as my hands slid down her waist to grip her fantastic ass as she rubbed against me, almost as if seeking relief. My little mate was needy, and I had no idea if she even realized it. Realized that I could fix it for her.
“Dakota,” she moaned as I easily lifted her up, fitting her between the metal lockers and myself, her hot center pressed right against my cock, separated by annoying layers of denim. Still, as I kissed down her neck and she fisted my hair harder, her body moved against mine, naturally seeking relief as her breathing turned into a rough pant. I used my body weight to pin her as I slid a hand up her turtleneck and ran my hand over her breast, causing her to shake with need.
She whimpered. “Dakota, I—”
I rolled my hips against hers, loving the breathy quality of her voice when she said my name, as my cock pressed hard enough against my jeans that it would probably leave a zipper indent. Her breast was tight under my hand while I teased her nipple, resisting the urge to pull her sweater up all the way so I could snap her bra off and taste her skin. Bite her skin. Mark her skin. I could feel her entire body tensing, knowing that she was close to climaxing. I needed that. I needed to know I could make her come against my cock, even if I didn’t get to touch her exquisite body fully.
“Come for me, little wolf,” I demanded, a growl coming through my throat as her head fell back. I gently grazed her neck, not marking her, but causing a surge of pleasure to jolt through her.
She gasped out my name as her entire body shuddered, and the scent of her desire exploded through the room, making me nearly come myself, my cock leaking precum against my jeans. Holy fuck. Watching Effie come was goddamn exquisite. Her entire face was flushed, her eyes heavy with lust as she shivered at the remaining touches I left on her body. I couldn’t believe this was my mate. I had to be the luckiest bastard in the world.
Effie’s body slumped forward as she clung to me, and I pressed my forehead against hers, fixing her bra and covering her firm, perfect breast once again. She let out a soft, happy hum. Her wolf and magic felt more centered around her, any faltering in her health from before completely erased.
“I… I didn’t realize it could be like that,” she whispered. “I didn’t know that was what people were talking about when they mentioned coming.”
My smile pressed up as I offered her a wicked look, realizing that she had just admitted I was the first person to make her come. Possibly for the first time ever. Her face was flushed as she added, “And you’re a great kisser.”
A soft rumble broke from my throat. “Little wolf, how many men have you kissed?” This would essentially answer the coming question as well.
“Why?” A panicked look filled her gaze. “Am I bad?”
“Fuck no,” I snarled and then brushed her lips. “I’m just a possessive bastard. I want to know just how much you are experiencing for the first time with your mates.”
“Oh.” Her nose dipped to run against my cheek before admitting words that made me even harder. “Besides a small kiss from Julian yesterday… just you. Ever. At all.”
Shit, that turned me on way too goddamn much. Then again, I don’t think anything Effie could do would not turn me on. Even if she had been with other people, the most I would feel besides this ridiculous need to be inside of her was the equal need to find the fucker that touched her before us. Mostly so I could tie him up and make him watch me fuck and claim my mate before removing his eyes and possibly killing him.
You know, reasonable things that mates did.
“We need to get out of here,” I groaned, closing the locker next to us.
“Why?” Her nails dug into my chest, making me want to fucking strip her down.
“Because if not, you are going to get a fuck ton of experience right here on the locker room floor,” I grumbled, a growl breaking from my throat as she melted against me, letting out a small giggle. It was a soft, almost bell-like sound that had me nearly groaning. Couldn’t she do something that wouldn’t serve to turn me on? Seriously.
I walked us towards the door and set her down right in the doorway, not wanting her to step into the snow before she was ready to shift. After a small brush of the lips, I stepped outside and turned to face her.
Without warning, my wolf surged forward, and I immediately shifted. A low growl broke from my throat as my bones cracked, and I let out a small internal grunt at the pain that hit my body every time. Once shifted, I stretched to full height and found my mate, who was staring at me with a lightness and excitement I hadn’t expected.
My dark fur was a direct contrast to the snowy world around us, and like a snow fairy, she surged forward, wrapping her arms around me despite my teeth and snout brushing against her neck. I probably looked like a goddamn monster compared to her, but she seemed to barely notice. I let out a low rumble of pleasure, my wolf in fucking heaven as I licked her soft skin, a tremble breaking through her entire frame.
Fucking hell.
“Little wolf.” It was a slight warning because I needed to keep my wolf calm, especially once she shifted. I trusted my control, but not that much. Mostly because once she was shifted, he could easily decide that it would be a fantastic idea to mate in that form, and it was far harder to control myself like this than in human form. My wolf offered me a dark look, offended, as if I didn’t know exactly how he fucking thought.
My voice in her head had her eyes flaring with a stunning sapphire shade as she stepped back from me and closed her eyes. I couldn’t help but feel a bit of amazement as a flash of pink surrounded her before she shifted all at once, her form seeming to shrink and then pop back into existence as a white fluff ball. I let out a huff of amusement, because holy shit, she was adorable.
Effie stretched in her shifted form, looking up at me, making it only to about half my size, possibly less. Her bright white, fluffy body was only accented by her tail and ears, their ends tinted in streaks of blue and purple. After a long stretch, she let out a small yelp of excitement before running up to me, her wolf fairly forward and present. Not enough that her other side was gone, but more in the background, for sure.
I dipped my large head and licked her nose as she nuzzled against my throat before rubbing against my front leg like a little kitten. I nipped her ear as she jumped and rounded, offering me what I could only call a scowl before fluffing up her tail and stalking into the forest. I barked out before following her. I honestly couldn’t remember a time that I had felt this at home within myself and at Silver Falls University.
I couldn’t express the lengths I would go to keep this and to keep her happy.
14
Effie Harlow
When had I moved beds? That was the first question that popped in my head as I sat up, leaning on my elbow while looking around my surroundings. Don’t get me wrong, I was thrilled to find myself in Caedmon’s bed, but this hadn’t been where I had started the night, for sure.
My comforter was wrapped around the two of us, and this time Caedmon hadn’t left before I woke up. His arms were wrapped around me, and my head had been resting against his chest. I couldn’t help but warm at the soft gesture as my fingers gently ran through his hair and I laid back down. His breathing was soft and even, so much so that I didn’t want to leave this moment or get up. Class was this afternoon, right?
I did seriously want to know how I went from sleeping in Dakota’s bedroom to in here, though. When we had returned from one of the only and best shifted runs I’d ever been on, I had been hungry and exhausted. Instead of asking where the others were at the time, I had eaten some frozen pizza and curled up in Dakota’s room, watching some movie as his hard, warm body unfroze me from the outside lakefront. I realized in that moment that it was worth getting cold if I had someone like him to warm me up. It was amazing to be wrapped up in his arms, his dark bedroom smelling like him and his soft blankets almost having a fur-like texture to them.
I don’t think the man even realized what he had done yesterday. How much he had changed the day by just offering me an out. Offering some relief. Some fun. Some excitement. Stress relief. It probably helped that he had also absolutely wrecked my entire body with just his touch and kiss in the locker room. I had never climaxed before, and it had been absolutely mind blowing.
I wasn’t naive to all pleasure, but I had never touched myself before, mostly because I had never felt the urge. Never had been inspired to. So the feelings yesterday had been overwhelming and perfect at the same time. I was starting to wonder if that was the reason why so many women in my pack had stayed with their mates. Did all men make you feel that way? Somehow I didn’t think that was the case. Somehow I think what the two of us had was special.
Obviously, it actually was very special and unique… he had admitted we were mates. Unfortunately, I had fallen asleep long before the others had even gotten home, so I had yet to have that big discussion with them. Today after class we had all the time in the world, though, and mark my words, I would be figuring out what all of it meant for my future and their part in it. I looked at Caedmon, his arms tightening around me, as I smiled slightly, realizing that the pain from my body was essentially gone. Maybe shifting had aided in my healing? Was that possible? I had never shifted a lot at home, so I didn’t have enough experience to know if that was a quick fix. My wolf growled at the concept that maybe Gerald didn’t like us shifting because it did exactly that—healed us. Made us stronger.
Shaking myself from that negative thought pattern, I tried to remember if I had gotten up at some point to come in here. I don’t think I had. So had Caedmon come to get me? Had Dakota brought me in here?
You could just ask.
I snuggled closer to Caedmon, loving how silky his hair was under my fingers, and decided it could wait. Instead, I watched the thick snow falling outside. My wolf, unlike usual, didn’t bother picking up her head, looking exhausted and happy as she stretched out and went back to sleep. Meeting Dakota’s wolf had been an experience that had made her goddamn year, and mine as well.
Although it had been actually shocking how massive he was. I mean, I absolutely loved it, but I don’t think I’d ever seen a wolf that large. I found it attractive. Was that normal? Maybe it was more that my wolf found his natural dominance attractive? I nearly groaned, trying to not overthink that, because it would probably just get my wolf all worked up again, and for once, she was being quiet.
My wrist pulsed, making me remember that there were other things I had yet to handle that didn’t revolve just around the mating question. Ryder.
He had marked me. At first, my body had felt at odds with it, the power settling under my skin in orange and purple flames that had felt as though they were draining me. Now it felt like an ember growing under my skin as if waiting for something… what for, I had absolutely no idea.
Also, had he ever shown up last night? I was going to assume no. I shook my head, wondering how I would manage to get an answer from him. Crap. I had also walked out on Aanya, hadn’t I? She probably wouldn’t want to be my friend after that rude move. I squinted at the clock next to the bed and deflated into the mattress further. I needed to get up, but Caedmon was holding me so tight, I wasn’t positive that was going to happen.
“Caedmon,” I whispered softly, but loud enough that a low rumble broke from his throat in response before one eye opened. My gaze darted down to the button-down he was wearing, finding it mostly open, showing me his muscular chest and tattoos. Okay, I wouldn’t have expected the tattoos on him. My center tightened as I tried to sort through why the markings on his skin had me feeling a heated desire, besides the fact that I found him so attractive.
“What?” His voice was rough and sleepy as he eyed my gaze.
“I like your tattoos,” I admitted shyly, curling further against him. He seemed to relax at that. It made me wonder what he was afraid of me saying.
His lips hesitantly brushed my forehead as his eyes closed again, not saying anything but keeping me tucked against him. I considered asking him to come to class with me, but I could feel how tired he was, making me wonder how little he normally slept. I closed my eyes, only attempting to do so momentarily, but when I opened them again, the lightness of the room had a bit of panic streaming through me.
What time was it? I almost immediately wiggled out of his grip, realizing that I probably had a very short time until class now. I wasn’t positive how I did it, but I slipped from bed, and looking back at Caedmon, I tucked the blanket around his muscular frame before looking at his lips.
