InkBorn (InkHaven Academy Book 2) Read online

  Well, he really just hated most people most of the time. But at least he was consistent, right?

  The next three hours passed by in a whirlwind of clothes, shoes and accessories, all of which Lottie thrust at me and demanded I try on. Emerson made sure to help me deter her to the best of his ability, telling her I needed practical clothes more than pretty ones.

  Of course, she still managed to foist a lot of pretty, impractical ones on me.

  “I’m done,” I protested finally, my feet and hands aching with all the bags I ended up carrying. Emerson hadn’t even had a chance to shop, because Ronan had ordered him not to leave my side, which made for some very awkward dressing room experiences.

  “Oh alright,” Lottie said, a little breathless, even her energy diminishing by that point.

  “Thank Zeevar,” Emerson groaned, taking my hand and hurrying me to the men’s section of the massive shopping center.

  He darted around the racks quickly, clearly ready to be done with shopping. I watched with Lottie, chuckling at the variety of colors he piled in his arms. Altogether in a pile like that, they were quite painful to look at.

  “He’s like a bright light,” I whispered to Lottie when he went into the fitting room. Her giggle sounded in my ear, and I turned to look at her.

  “That’s fitting.”

  “Lot,” a voice I vaguely recognized said from behind us. I wasn’t too surprised when I saw the president of Lottie’s own personal fanclub.

  “Hi, Otto,” Lottie said with a flirty smile. I turned, giving him a tight grin. I had a feeling I wasn’t his favorite person.

  Queen cock block over here, after all.

  “Hi Kaia.” He surprised me by giving me a warm look. “Nearly die recently? Have any personal crises? Wardrobe malfunctions?”

  My mouth dropped open in shock. I couldn’t say I’d spent any lengthy amount of time around Otto, but for the most part he had seemed quiet and introverted. All I knew was that he was an Ink, and he adored Lottie, which raised him up in my estimation.

  Lottie barked out a laugh next to me, stepping forward to give Otto a kiss on the cheek. I gave her the side-eye, feeling quite suspicious at the way she was acting - Lottie was rarely ever affectionate and never quite so publicly.

  “What are you doing?” I narrowed my eyes on her.

  “What’s it look like I’m doing?” She wrapped her arms around Otto.

  “You’re snuggling him,” I accused, and Otto’s body shook with laughter. His friends slid amused eyes my way.

  Lottie snuggled even closer into Otto and ran a hand over his hair. “He’s my favorite friend, and I haven’t seen him in months. What are you grousing about? I hugged you too.”

  “I thought I was your favorite?” I pretended to pout at her.

  “Kaia, darling, much as I love you, you don’t have a dick.”

  Well, d’uh, Lottie.

  Otto’s face turned red and he shuffled his feet - it was quite adorable.

  I pinched the bridge of my nose, understanding why Gale did it often. “Lot. Whatever happened to hoes before bros?”

  She scoffed and waved a casual hand at me. “Please, not all of us have our own personal dick collection on tap.”

  “On that note,” one of the others interjected even though his body still shook with laughter. His broad smile occupied half his face, an angular dark-skinned one with midnight eyes that projected amusement. His hair was spiked stylishly and didn’t move when he shook his head. “Since Otto is clearly not going to introduce us, I’m Levi. That’s Xander and Jace.” He pointed at the two others with his thumb.

  “It’s good to meet you,” I sighed out though I did attempt to smile at Otto’s friend.

  “What do you mean by ‘on that note’?” Lottie glared at the guy. “Lev, are you looking to join her dick collection? I don’t think they’re accepting applicants.”

  “What is wrong with you today?” I resisted the urge to smile as I glared at my best friend. “Not everyone wants to join my, ahem, dick collection.” Zeevar, saying it out loud made me seem obnoxious.

  She raised her perfectly sculpted brows at me, looking at Levi pointedly. She still snuggled into Otto who was playing with the tips of her curly, blonde hair.

  He shrugged at me, grinning unashamedly. “I’m fond of Emerson.”

  “How flattering,” I giggled at him. “Every girl wants to hear how someone wants to screw their boyfriend while they’re an afterthought.”

  “That’s-” he paused with a grimace. “Not what I meant.”

  “See? Other things,” Lot whispered to me, which given she was Lottie, wasn’t really a whisper at all. The others stared at her in confusion, but I put my hand to her face and pushed her away.

  She gasped, bumping into a rack of jeans behind her as she was extricated from Otto’s hold.

  “Bitch,” she hissed out on a laugh.

  “You need to get laid,” I teased. “Anyone interested?” I wasn’t surprised in the least when Otto, Xander, and Jace all raised their hands - Lottie was a pretty popular girl. Not to mention gorgeous.

  “What about you, handsome?” Lottie purred at Levi.

  “Down, girl. Apparently, Emerson’s more his speed,” I joked, watching as the man in question poked his head out of the fitting room. When his eyes met mine, he made his way to us quickly, frowning at the group I’d found myself surrounded by.

  “He likes girls too. I’ve seen him with Wella Smith,” Lottie said dryly, and he winced visibly at her tone. Apparently it was very public information that I didn’t get along with that one.

  “Ohh, that’s a strike,” I teased as I wagged a finger at him.

  Emerson passed the guys without pausing, coming in to wrap his arms around me from behind. He nuzzled my neck in that way I’d grown to love from my guys. Ronan had started it, I think, but they’d all picked up on the habit over the past months.

  “Levi,” Emerson’s voice was warm as he spoke to the other man, and I saw it - Emerson had been attracted to him at some point. The way he tightened his arms around me showed me how much more felt for me. But, still, it caused me a moment.

  It shouldn’t have mattered. I shared Emerson with the other guys daily, but something about him even having a whiff of desire for someone outside our group was like a knife in my gut.

  Was that how they felt about Vali?

  “Emers,” Levi whispered, a grin playing about his lips as he looked at where Emerson’s arms wrapped around me. One went between my breasts, the other around my waist so that I was plastered to his body.

  “What are we talking about?” Emerson’s voice tickled my ear.

  “I was trying to explain to Kaia that while I’m fond of you, I’d enjoy the opportunity to become fond of her too.” I shifted my eyes away awkwardly, finding Lottie’s wide eyes even while she pretended to be involved in a separate conversation with the three other guys.

  “Sorry, Levi. We make decisions as a group,” Emerson’s voice vibrated against my neck. I shivered as his lips trailed over the skin there. “We pretty much all agreed that there would be no additions for now. We’re happy where we’re at.”

  “But you’ll be back at InkHaven. You’re planning on continuing a commitment as is?” The disbelief in his voice made it obvious he didn’t understand how that could be possible.

  “Mhmm,” I agreed. “Disciples get visitations so we’ll cope.”

  Levi jerked his head and turned to his friends a bit awkwardly, and it wasn’t long before they were saying their goodbyes and going on their way. Otto hung back a bit, flirting with Lottie who seemed content to just whisper along with him.

  I frowned after the others as they walked off though. “Is it that unheard of for us to stay committed to the other guys when we’ll be apart?”

  “Commitments like ours aren’t common at all, Precious Kai, even with the fact you’ll have visitation privileges this year,” Emerson answered. “Our wanting to stay together despite the distance
makes that even more rare.”

  Otto walked off to follow his friends, but not before Lottie gave him another kiss and she turned to us, head tilted. She eyed me curiously but said nothing about what just happened. “Should we go? Are you done shopping?”

  I nodded and held Emerson’s hand as we paid for his purchases and left. On the way back to our housing building, I knew Lottie sensed my confliction. I didn’t want to hold the guys back. I didn’t want them to have to be committed to me even though they wouldn’t see me, if that wasn’t what they wanted. But I couldn’t stand the thought of any of us with someone else either.

  She gave me a small smile as a goodbye, murmuring a soft, “See you soon, bitch.”

  “Can’t wait, Lottie,” I lied. Even through the excitement of being back at school with my best friend, I knew that the next time I was with Lottie would be the day I separated from my Alec Gaius and Ronan.

  That, I could wait for.

  Two

  Kaia

  Three months.

  I had three beautiful months with my guys where I didn’t have to worry about the stress of Trials, the tedium of classes and bitchy jealous girls.

  There was just one problem.

  I’d missed Lottie, sure, but even worse, I missed Vali. Knowing he wasn’t going to be in Inkhaven when I went back was something I didn’t really want to think about. I’d been living, in essence, in the same neck of the woods he was, but I hadn’t even seen him. Not once. So, I was only more angry with him for the fact that he’d made me miss him again.

  The ass.

  I missed Alec Gaius, Gale, and Ronan during the days, but had Emerson to keep me company. Emerson and I spent our days studying and training. Sure, I might have passed my first three years crammed into one, but there was still plenty I needed to learn and practice.

  Alec Gaius happily settled into his path as an Assassin and had turned that focus he’d had at InkHaven to being the best of the best - out of the entire Order. The ridiculous man.

  Ronan was content in Security, and though I’d never seen him in action, I couldn’t help but picture him in his sunglasses brooding with his arms crossed over his chest and glowering at anyone who had the misfortune of getting near him.

  I didn’t want to leave them, and I swallowed back the tears that clogged my throat. At least I knew they were happy with their lives, aside from the separation we would have to deal with for the next year.

  Ronan’s jaw was clenched as he stared at Emerson and I where we stood by the door with our bags at our feet. Alec Gaius looked pale, like he might be sick, and I mirrored that feeling with enthusiasm.

  Ronan went to Emerson first, grabbing him around the back of his neck and putting his forehead against the smaller man’s. “You and Gale keep her safe, you hear me?” he demanded.

  Emerson nodded with a swallow, and I knew he’d had enough of them drilling the importance of protecting me. It was getting absurd especially as I wasn’t a stupid weakling.

  Narrowing my eyes at Ronan, I hissed, “I’m not entirely useless, you know?”

  “Woman, you could break your neck getting out of bed in the morning.”

  “I could not!” I turned to Alec Gaius for support, but he just bobbed his head with his lips pursed in a noncommittal gesture.

  “Traitor.”

  He chuckled at me, that polished voice coating my skin. Zeevar, I’d miss that perfect voice. “Just be safe, baby,” he murmured, stepping forward and wrapping me in his arms.

  “I’ll be fine, AG,” I insisted for the millionth time. He winced at the shortening of his name but otherwise didn’t comment.

  “You better be. Ronan will skin Gale alive if you aren’t and then Emerson won’t fare any better,” he teased, taking my lips in a smiling kiss.

  I did not share his amusement.

  Before I could respond, Ronan tugged me out of Alec’s grip and plastered me to him. “You contact us if you need anything. Gale will know how.”

  “I knowwwww,” I whined. “Can we not spend the last few minutes together talking about this again? Be careful, keep your head down, avoid being noticed by the Headmaster. Blah, blah, blah. I got it, Ronana Banana.”

  He glared down at me. “What did I tell you about calling me that when I can’t spank your ass?”

  I gave him a grin, feigning innocence. He grunted at me, giving me a tap on the butt even though my clothes protected my skin. He hefted me up, and I wrapped my legs around his waist as he kissed me.

  I could feel his desperation as his tongue met mine, and I knew I softened. Zeevar knew he was annoying, but I forgave a lot of it because it came from a place of love.

  “I’ll be okay, caveman,” I whispered when he pulled his lips from mine. He looked up at me with a nod and sigh, setting me to the floor once again. Emerson blew them a kiss and left the apartment to wait in the hall.

  “Love you,” I said to the both of them, choking back tears as I snatched my bags up off the floor.

  “You too, baby,” Alec Gaius said with a sad smile.

  Ronan hummed at me.

  I took that as Ronan for “I worship you, my darling angel.”

  It was the little things.

  ✽✽✽

  My second year at InkHaven started differently from the first. To start, I was not left unceremoniously just inside the gates without any idea what was going to happen. There was no grand ceremony to welcome the returning students so no potential humiliation to face with putting, or in my case not putting, a hand over a jar and letting it decide your fate.

  Emerson and I walked in through the front doors of the Academy and went to the room I shared with Lottie.

  That was it.

  “Kaia!” Lottie screamed, throwing her arms around me. “Zeevar, how I’ve missed you!”

  I laughed. “I missed you too, Lot.” Even if it had only been a week since we had gone shopping together, it was true.

  For a fleeting moment, I wondered where in Zeevarna she had spent her summer vacation - it was the one thing she was tight-lipped about. Really, it was her fault we didn’t see much of each other during the summer.

  “Hey, Emerson,” she said with a grin in his direction. He smiled back at her wordlessly. “Glad to see you made it. Let me guess? The guys didn’t want you to go? They nearly made you late. Blah blah. Let’s go.”

  “Where are we going?” I asked as she tugged me out the door by the hand. Emerson trailed close behind with a snicker.

  She turned to Emerson with a glare. “By the gods, you all really didn’t tell her?”

  “Wanted it to be a surprise.” He shrugged.

  I glared at him and felt every muscle in my body tense up. “What kind of torture do I have to survive now?”

  Lottie giggled as she shook her head, long blond curls flying everywhere. The word wheezed out, “Torture. Zeevar, we really made an impression on you didn’t we? Anyway, it’s pretty common Order knowledge but you just didn’t have any of that foundation. So, the reason we were asked to come back today, a day before class officially starts, is because all returning students go to the Temple to welcome the new school year. After that, we have a school-sanctioned party before actually starting classes! Plus, we get more allowance money. It’s an exciting day, one of the best in the school year, which hasn’t even technically started.”

  I shook my head. Zeevar, it surprised me how Lottie could talk a mile a minute. I processed the information she told me, and I was torn. Having a mother who was a Matron of the Temple, she’d been devoted to it. All the times she’d talked of sacrifice and Zeevar, she had nothing but good to say. But, she’d been strict. I’d begged her to take me as a child, but children weren’t permitted within the Temple she had served in. She’d volunteered to take me elsewhere, but I’d wanted to see where she had worked. By adulthood, I’d been bitter over being Inked for such a young age I hadn’t wanted anything to do with the Temple so never went, never thought to do so. Even when I had become accepting of my fa
te, my interest had waned.

  Now, as a member of an Order, a new person in a new place? I hoped it would reconnect me to Zeevar and make me feel more of a connection to my mom. So, I was thrilled about that. But a party? I groaned, “Lottie, I hate parties. They usually have a shit ton of people. I hate people!”

  “Zeevar! Did you or did you not kiss Alec Gaius the first time at a party? Good memories, right? You don’t hate them. They’re fun!”

  Another groan. “Ok, hate might not be the best word to describe it. But, if we go, Ronan will kill us.”

  Emerson’s lips touched my cheek and I turned towards him to see him looking away distractedly. “I’ll be right back, Precious.”

  I gave him a smile and nod, watching the way his bubble butt swayed with that adorable little bounce to his walk that only Emerson could make attractive.

  Lottie snapped her fingers at me with a grin to draw my attention back to her. I bit my lip at her, surprising myself with feeling no shame at blatantly checking out my man’s ass in public. “Daniels is not at InkHaven, darling. And I know you love your men, and there’s nothing wrong with that. But really, it’s not like you’re gonna kiss anyone in the party or find someone new to have sex with. Having fun isn’t a crime, it’s a way for us to unwind. With how much work we’re set to do for the rest of this year, we deserve to let loose a little. You and I are Disciples now and that’s a big deal!” She chuckled and nudged me in the ribs.

  “Ugh. Don’t no. I’ve only been here a year. I can’t wrap my head around the fact that I’m technically considered a Fourth Year.”

  “You had a different sort of year, can’t deny that. Hey, party to relax before the year starts?”

  I just laughed at her and shook my head as we got into line. My eyes drifted back to Emerson, standing off to the side and chatting animatedly with one of the guys I’d recognized from Vali’s crew. That alone was enough to draw my attention, considering Emerson didn’t like Vali any more than Alec Gaius or Ronan did. He was taller than Emerson, leaning into him with a seductive smile on his lips and his arms crossed over ridiculously broad shoulders. Though Emerson kept his distance, there was still something unnerving in the way he stared up at the bigger man.