Wintertide Read online

  I knew I had a connection with my druid, and that wasn’t what brought me shame. It was the same level of attraction to the son of Lucifer that left me confused and feeling guilty. The amazing kiss we shared had left me wanting so much more with him. Now that I knew what more there was, I wanted to do the same with him as I had with Sebastian.

  I didn’t know if it was a part of his nature that caused me to be drawn to him, that caused me to want him the way I did, or if it were something more. I tried to dig deep in my soul to find what caused me to not just feel attracted to him but have a burning need for his presence. No matter what, I kept coming back to the same answer. I simply wanted him for no other reason than I wanted him.

  I rounded the corner to my hall and suddenly a hand reached out and gripped my arm, dragging me against him before spinning me and pinning me against the wall. I let out a squeak in both surprise and fear as his nails dug into the skin at my wrist as he pinned them above my head.

  He buried his nose in the curve of my neck and drew in a breath, I let out my breath in a shudder, not sure how I would escape this. His rich scent of sand and heat enveloped me, reminding me of the rays of the sun on a hot day and inexplicably made my fear recede as well, even though I remained pinned against the wall.

  Above me he shifted his hand, so my wrists were held with one hand and he reached down and brushed my hair gently from my neck before inhaling again. My mind raced as I tried to figure out who this silent predator was and what he wanted. I knew at the same time even if I could control my magic, I was too drained to do anything other than pass out again. Then I really would be fucking helpless. At least like this I could give him a swift kick to the dick if needed.

  My heart thudded in my chest as I tried to think of a way out of his grip. The strength of it made me know I was at this predator’s mercy. At last he pulled back and as his golden eyes met mine. I didn’t know whether I should feel relieved or terrified.

  “The scent of your arousal is intoxicating,” Blade’s deep voice washed over me, filled with irritation and something else that I was sure was desire. I pushed the thought away, there was no way he wanted me, I was projecting from my earlier activities. “It’s all over this fucking hallway,” he snapped, his hand pressing my wrists against the wall harder. “Get cleaned up before someone with less control comes across your path,” he ordered, the hint of threat in his voice clear.

  “I-I’m sorry?” I stammered, my reply had come out as more of a question than a statement. I couldn’t think of anything else to say though as I felt vulnerable in this position and didn’t want to say anything to make the situation worse. I had no clue what Blade was, and I really didn’t want to push to find out.

  “You damn well better be sorry, Evangeline. Next time, take your activities elsewhere,” he growled as his grip loosened slightly, the stone wall no longer pinching against my skin. He pushed his nose to my neck once more, and again I felt his chest puff out as he inhaled deeply. My reaction should have been one of disgust, but instead my thighs dampened and my pussy began to tingle again.

  His chest rumbled against my breast before he moved lower, and I felt like he was devouring every part of me without even touching me. I held as still as I could as his hot breath came out against my bare skin just above my cleavage. Blade’s free hand gripped my hip and pressed me against the wall as he hovered in limbo, not able to release my hands above me or move lower from what I could tell.

  He looked at me, his amber eyes glowing bright, “Don’t move Evangeline, if you do, I might not be able to control myself.” I let out a small squeak at his order as he slowly released my arms. I did as he told and kept them above me as his hand traced the outside of my breast and over my hip. I held my breath, afraid to move as he shifted lower, his face right at my center before he pressed his nose into my skirt at the apex of my thighs, taking one last deep breath.

  As suddenly as he had grabbed me, he released my hips and stumbled back, a look of shock on his face. “Go get showered,” he commanded before turning and prowling hastily down the hall. The stealthy way he moved reminded me of a cat and I wondered if he was a feline shifter of some sort. I really wanted to know, yet at the same time I knew it wasn’t wise to ask after what just happened.

  I leaned against the railing, shocked by the encounter. Not just from his actions, but from my own reaction to him. This world was so different from the isolated one I had come from. None of it made sense, nor did my own behavior. I needed to figure this the fuck out, before someone got hurt. I didn’t know if that someone would be me or the men that I seemed to be collecting. Either way, I was determined not to fuck this up.

  Sebastian was the only one I knew for sure I could trust, yet it wasn’t something that I would be able to talk to him about. That would be one hell of a conversation. Hey Sebastian, I know you’re feeling like I’m your one true love, but I really dig all these other guys too. Yeah, that would go over real well.

  “Una!” I exclaimed. Suddenly inspired. One person who had done nothing to make me not trust her. My instincts told me that she would be someone that wouldn’t sugar coat my situation and would tell me what I needed to hear, even if it wasn’t what I wanted. I would just have to be careful not to use Sebastian’s name because my trust could only go so far with that situation. I couldn’t do anything to endanger his job, which would endanger his ability to keep me safe as he promised. I moved to the stairs, excitement running through me that I actually had someone to talk to. If I had the energy, I would have skipped my way down the stairwell. As it was, I was happy to simply make it back to my room.

  Chapter Twelve

  I walked through the open door to our room and found Una laying on her stomach on the lower bunk sketching. I crossed the room and looked over her shoulder to see what she was working on. Briefly I caught a glimpse of what she was drawing before she sat up and jerked it behind her back.

  “Una, that’s amazing,” I told her in awe at the incredible artwork she had created. A scene of the ocean was started and already so realistic I could practically feel the salty breeze against my skin.

  She flushed slightly, “It’s nothing, just a hobby.”

  “You’re really good. Did you do all of these?” I asked, indicating the sketches hung on the walls.

  “Yeah, they just help to remind me of home. It’s no big deal,” she dismissed it with a shrug.

  “I can see why, they are stunning,” I studied the sketches taped near the foot of the bed. Underwater scenes and views of the beach were beautifully sketched and I could see her love for her home shining through her artwork. “So you live near the ocean?” I asked, hoping that I wasn’t prying too much.

  “Something like that,” she shrugged again. “So, where were you?” she asked as she shifted on the bed.

  I decided to not push, but it did make me more curious about my purple haired roommate. She was so complex. Tough on the outside, but she had such beauty come from within her. She would laugh if I said it, but there was a secret kindness to her that I had glimpses of and knew were in there. “I had to do some make-up classes, considering I’m so far behind,” I quipped. I was too embarrassed to tell her they were making me take extra classes because I couldn’t control my shit.

  “Ah,” she nodded her head as if that made perfect sense. “Don’t worry, you’ll get your free time back soon enough.”

  “Yeah, about that,” I started, seeing the perfect time to bring it up. “What do you do in your free time?”

  “You’re looking at it,” she looked at me flatly. “What do you think, we all sit around a campfire and get the warm fuzzies? This is not an actual academy,” she scoffed. “Shit, the biggest thing they teach us here is survival of the fittest.”

  “I just thought there was something a little more than,” I trailed off, unsure how to explain it. I knew this was not an actual reformatory, but I had thought there was a little something more to it than a prison. Though it seemed I was wrong.
r />   “A little more than flicking your bean and sitting on your ass?” she smirked.

  “I wasn’t going to be that crass, but yeah.”

  “Well self pleasure does make everything better,” she chuckled with a wink and I flushed at the idea of her being so blatant about it. Despite my embarrassment at the situation though I laughed with her.

  “So, you don’t, you know-” I awkwardly waved my hand, hoping that explained it.

  “No, I don’t know,” she replied, mocking me with a wave of her hand. The smirk on her face made it clear though that she did know, she was just going to make me say it out loud.

  “You know. Have sex,” I whispered the last part as my cheeks heated, though I had no clue why I whispered. We were alone and everyone else was lost in their own activities during free time.

  Her loud laugh made me flush even more, “Sex?” She tossed her head back and laughter rolled from her. “Oh, that’s too good. Yes people have sex. It’s probably one of the few things keeping people sane here. You just have to get creative about how you make it happen considering the rules and shit. Why? Did you just have sex?” Una wiggled her eyebrows at me. When my cheeks flushed even more, she gasped. “You did!”

  “No, not really,” I protested.

  “You either did, or you didn’t Eva. There is no, not really.”

  “Well, I had an orgasm, but he didn’t, you know,” again I left it hanging as embarrassment washed over me.

  “He didn’t get his dicky sticky?” She concluded.

  I rolled my eyes at her terminology, “No, he didn’t get his dicky sticky,” I shook my head sarcastically. “But it was really great, and I would want to do it again. More if possible,” I admitted.

  “So, do it,” she shrugged.

  “Just like that?” I asked.

  “Look, in here you have to do what you can to make yourself happy. If it’s that, then go for it.”

  “What if-?” I stopped, unsure what she would think of me if I asked my next question. She just watched me steadily and waited for me to continue. Her silence spurred me on, “What if you want to with more than one person?”

  “Wow, you move fast,” Una let out a short laugh.

  “I haven’t. Hell, I haven’t even had these sorts of thoughts toward anyone ever before in my life. Even after all of the shit I have read, I never felt this need. Like a need to find out more, feel more. Now being here, it’s like my lady bits have gone haywire and get all excited anytime one of these hot ass guys come near me.”

  “Someone was a bit sheltered, huh? Well, welcome to the real world, where your lady bits, as you called them, are going to find there is a whole new side of things outside of your books and you’re going to want more. Sometimes you won’t get it, but as I said, self pleasure. I promise I’ll ignore the moans coming from the top bunk.”

  I swallowed hard. I had already begun to find out that new side of things, and she was right, I wanted more. “So how do you know who is the right one? What if you want that something more with more than one person?”

  Her brow furrowed, “How sheltered have you been?”

  “Let’s just say, I practically traded one prison for another,” I said dryly. “So, assume I knew nothing about sex, what would your advice be?”

  “Nothing?” she asked, astonished. “You’re a virgin?”

  “Well, I just had my first orgasm,” I denied.

  “An orgasm does not your virginity take,” she shook her head.

  “Okay, point taken, don’t make a big deal about it. So, what do I do?”

  “So first you need to get that V-Card taken care of. You think the orgasm you had was amazing? Nothing like the D. Second, if you want to have sex with more than one guy, go for it. That’s the norm for our kind. And I don’t mean just in this hell hole. It’s the norm for people like us, those with abilities, whatever they may be.”

  I looked at her confused, “What do you mean the norm?”

  “I really have to break it down for you?” she shook her head. “In our community, those with abilities and stuff, it’s common to have several partners. Depending on what the person is, a sorcerer, a shifter, a fae, whatever, sometimes they just know.” She sighed and her voice grew almost dreamy, “It’s like for some, there is this invisible force that just pulls two people together, and they just can’t fight it. There is no breaking that tie once it is formed, and I heard it makes sex that much greater. If someone is lucky enough to have that with more than one person, then they should grab a hold of that and never let go.”

  I thought about what she said, how I felt that deep connection of my heart with Sebastian, but also there was something there with Calex that I couldn’t explain. Maybe I shouldn’t feel guilty about it, but rather just go with it and see what happened.

  “If you had an orgasm though, I would suggest you shower before dinner. You don’t want to be tossed into that pack of wild animals smelling like that,” she had returned to her normal straight to the point self.

  “I don’t smell,” I denied, though Blade’s words rang through my ears, the rough need in his voice as he spoke against my ear and had me tingling all over again.

  “You’re cute. Trust me, shower before dinner, you smell,” she stood and tucked her sketch under her pillow. “See you at dinner,” she said before she strolled from the room.

  I had no clue how they would smell me, but I wasn’t willing to take any chances. I grabbed a new uniform and headed to the community bathroom on our floor to shower quickly. Outside of the room a guard stood watch and his eyes roamed over me, making my skin crawl.

  “If you need help washing off, you just call,” he gave me a sickening wink.

  “I don’t think that will be necessary,” I said and moved past him.

  Quickly, I stripped down and piled my clothes onto the long bench that spanned the room, with open showers on either side of it. The water was lukewarm at best, but it would have to do. It was a good thing that the cold didn’t bother me. In fact, after my powers had been as drained as they were it was almost refreshing. I lathered my hair and started rinsing it out when footsteps near the bench had me opening my eyes.

  “You’ll learn to leave what’s mine alone, one way or another,” A dark haired girl said as she picked up my clothes.

  I didn’t know who she was, only that I had seen her in passing and she sneered at me for some unknown reason. I just figured it was how she was. Sebastian had warned me about the nasty people in here and I assumed she was one, so I kept my distance.

  “I have no clue what you’re talking about,” I denied as I pushed the soap away from my eyes. I tried to focus on my powers if needed as my old tutors had tried to show me, but there was nothing, I was too drained to do anything about it.

  She cackled, “Guess you aren’t so powerful after all. Maybe that’s why the warden has everyone working overtime to help you.” Rolling her eyes she continued, “I really had hoped for a good fight. How disappointing to learn you’re a magical dud that can’t even protect herself.”

  Her words stung, yet she was right. I had no control and it did make me unable to protect myself. Here I was completely drained and helpless because I couldn’t control my powers. “I don’t know why you have a problem with me. I don’t even know you or what I did to piss you off,” I said somewhat placatingly. I didn’t want to make this situation worse. Between not knowing what kind of abilities she had and being drained, I needed to play it carefully. I was at her mercy.

  “You’re lucky, I like it when my victims put up a fight. You’re way too easy for me to waste my time,” she gave me a thin, smug grin as she scooped up both sets of my clothes. “Guess this will give you plenty of time to think about who. Next time, I won’t be so nice,” she sneered as she bounced from the room.

  I rushed and rinsed the remaining soap from my hair and grabbed the towel that was hung on the hook next to my stall. I wrapped it around myself and glanced at the clock. Shit, I only had ten minutes
to be at dinner before check in. If I missed it who the hell knew what they would do to me.

  I rushed to the door and the guard stepped in front of me, blocking the way. “Sure you don’t need help?” he asked roughly.

  “Not from you,” I spat out, irritated. I needed to get back to my room. I tried to push past him but he stopped me, his hand coming a little too close to my breast, pointing to a sign on the wall.

  No towels out of the bathroom.

  Must be fully clothed to exit.

  “Oh, come on. You’re fucking kidding me. I know you saw that girl leave with my clothes.”

  “I didn’t see a thing,” he denied as he leered at me with hooded eyes.

  “This is bullshit,” panic began to rise in my throat. I needed to get downstairs.

  “I could always be persuaded to look the other way,” his smarmy voice washed over me as his hand slid down and he began to unbuckle his belt.

  “Not on your life, prick,” I turned and went back into the bathroom. I hoped someone had left something behind that would resemble clothes of some sort so I could get the fuck out of here.

  The bathroom was a large open room though, no lockers or anything, and it quickly became apparent that there was nothing remaining that would be of any use to me. I could feel my skin tingle as my level of anxiety grew. I was too drained to do anything about it though, other than fight the exhaustion that had once more begun to overcome me as my powers unsuccessfully tried to resurface.

  My vision began to blur at the edges and I sent up hope that someone would figure out what was going on in here before it was too late.

  Chapter Thirteen

  I kept looking for Eva in the cafeteria, but she hadn’t shown up yet. My worry and irritation turned to anger, and I slammed down my tray on the table. Una jumped and shot me a look that said what the fuck, with one of her eyebrows raised. Before I let it piss me off anymore than I already was, I asked gruffly, “Where’s Eva?”