26. Raven

TWENTY-SIX

RAVEN

We tried to sneak into Lyra’s office on the way back last night, but there was no answer and the door was locked. It was worth a shot, even if it was a miss, and we will get to try again this morning before classes start.

“Are you sure we can’t all go?” Eldon grumbles, swiping his hair back off his face as he pants. The weights are long forgotten, placed at his feet as he gives me those puppy dog eyes.

“Hey, this wasn’t my idea, remember?” I retorted.

“No, it was mine. Eldon will get over it. He’s just being a pussy,” Brax grunts, continuing to lift his weights without breaking a sweat.

“No, he’s not. I’ve seen the most exquisite pussy in all of my life, and it definitely doesn’t look like this doofus,” Zane states with a grin as he throws his arm around my shoulders.

“Of course you’re all smiles; you’re the one going with her while the rest of us stay here,” Creed adds, planting his hands on his hips.

“Again, blame Brax. This was his idea, and as much as you might not like it, he’s right,” Zane blasts back quickly, pulling me tighter to his side.

When it was clear we would have to try again this morning, Brax felt it was better for the two of us to go so we didn’t draw as much attention to ourselves as the five of us together would do. For Mr. Protective himself to say it only confirms it’s the right choice, whether we like it or not.

“Fine, but Brax can sleep on the end of the bed tonight for coming up with such bullshit,” Eldon concedes, and I bite back a smile.

These fucking men.

“Quick, let’s go, Dove, before he changes his mind,” Zane whispers, his lips pressed against my cheek, and I shiver, nodding in agreement.

“We’ll meet you outside Lyra’s office in an hour. Behave,” Brax orders, giving me a pointed look before capturing my chin in his grasp and crashing his lips to mine. He rips away from me far too quickly, his eyes darker than they were a moment ago, and I’m left breathless.

“Yeah, what the big, bad gargoyle said,” Eldon adds, cupping my cheek as he kisses me more delicately, but he still steps back more quickly than I would like.

Creed is quick to fill the space he leaves behind, grabbing my tie as he pulls me closer, and Zane’s hold on me loosens. “Seriously, keep your wits about you. I want you safe, Raven. Always.”

His words shouldn’t make me hot, yet here I am. He kisses the corner of my mouth, moving before I can even remotely kiss him back. Acting fast, I grab the front of his t-shirt, pulling him to me this time as I mold our lips together.

Heat tingles over my cheeks and down my spine and I have the pleasure of releasing him far too soon this time. His onyx eyes are wide, his jaw tight as he juts his chin toward the door. “Go, before I change my fucking mind.” The snap to his tone only makes me hotter and I nibble on my bottom lip as Zane steers me through the patio doors, across the living room, and out of the front door as quickly as possible.

Zane laces his fingers with mine as we head up the winding pathway, which is a lot quieter than usual due to how early it is. The sound of the breeze rustling the leaves on the trees is all we can hear as we get closer to the main building and it’s almost serene.

If I was to close my eyes, I could be anywhere. No enemies, no skinwalkers, nothing. Unfortunately for me, my eyes are open and having to face reality. A reality I hope is over soon. We need to update Rhys on everything we learned last night and pray they’re close.

“How are you feeling after last night, Dove?” I look up at him with my eyebrows raised, and he smirks. “I know you’ve said you’re okay one thousand times already, but I don’t want you to brush over how you’re feeling,” he adds, knowing me far too well.

I sigh, focusing on the path ahead as I think. “Honestly, I feel numb to it. My heart hurt when I saw Sebastian and heard what they were saying. The thought of him being under some kind of magic changes things. No matter how much I don’t want it to, it does. Is that silly of me?”

“Of course not. The reality of the situation is twisted. You didn’t have the best memories of him before you got here, but then he’s been nothing but a motherfucker since you stepped foot on campus. That can’t be erased, believe me; my desire to put him six feet under hasn’t changed in the slightest, but knowing that something else is at play makes me pause. Only time will tell how that will pan out,” Zane explains, and I nod in agreement.

It’s far less black and white and a whole lot more gray than it was. It’s hurting my head.

Zane suddenly stops beside me and I freeze beside him, confused by what’s going on, until he nods in the distance.

Sebastian.

He’s alone, trudging along the path that cuts across ours, but he’s already farther along than us, so he shouldn’t see us unless he turns around. I notice the slight hunch to his back, the tension in his arms, and the way his head is drooped.

Clearly, there’s more to the asshole than what sits on the surface, it seems. The question is, do I want to understand it? Good or bad, is it too late?

“Let’s hurry,” Zane mutters, likely sensing how torn I am.

We do just that, slipping through the double doors and heading inside without a backward glance. Approaching Lyra’s door, I take a deep breath before I rap my knuckles on the wood. Tension coils in my veins, but it doesn’t last long before the door opens, revealing Lyra on the other side.

“Oh, good. I was going to come looking for you today. Monarch Denver has been trying to reach out,” she explains, taking a step back as she waves us into the room. Once the door is closed behind us, she ushers us to the small room hidden in the wall, and I watch with wonder as she makes it appear before our eyes.

She leads the way into the room, which looks the exact same as it did a few days ago. The sofa sits center on the wall straight ahead and she nods for us to take a seat. Once we’re comfortable, she smiles. “There’s a lockdown on this kind of stuff overnight, so I can’t get it working until the ward has lifted, which gives you about twenty minutes, but I had already agreed for him to make contact at that time anyway. Make yourselves comfortable while you wait and I’ll seal you in, just to be safe,” she adds, and I murmur my thanks before she slips from the room. The door disappears a moment later, just as she explained.

“What are we going to do for twenty minutes?” I ask. My body is pent up with adrenaline from getting across campus and having her stow us away in here so quickly, and now we’re going to be sitting for twenty minutes twiddling our thumbs.

“I can easily fill twenty minutes, Dove,” Zane says with a wiggle of his eyebrows, and I roll my eyes at him. “Hey, I’m not joking,” he insists, his hand landing on my thigh beside him.

“Of course you’re not,” I mumble, my body tense with desire from such a simple touch.

He doesn’t respond with words. Instead, he grabs my waist and pulls me into his lap with a light squeal.

“Are you telling me you don’t want me to nudge your panties to the side and slip deep into your pussy right here, right now, Dove?” He quirks a brow at me in question as he flexes his hips up so I can feel his hardening cock beneath his academy-issued pants.

“Fuck,” I say with a gasp, and he grins.

“See? I know you too well,” he remarks, and I shake my head at him.

“I’m supposed to be working on my focus and not being distracted by you guys.”

“Maybe you should work on that later,” he murmurs, brushing his lips over my neck.

“Maybe,” I rasp as he pinches my already budding nipple through my shirt and lace bra, making my back arch and a groan fall from my lips.

“It definitely doesn’t help that you’re so responsive, Dove.”

I grind my hips down as I look at him through hooded eyes. “I can’t help it.”

“Good. Don’t ever even bother to try,” he states, holding my waist with one hand as he reaches for the fastener on his pants to reveal his thick length.

Hot damn.

“You don’t even know when your father is going to appear on the communication,” I ramble, clutching on to his shoulders, but he simply shrugs with a smirk running from ear to ear.

“Then we better take fifteen instead of twenty minutes then.”

“But—”

“No ‘but’. You’re going to let me fill you, just like you’ve let Creed and Eldon. Then I want my cum dripping down your thighs all fucking day.” His voice darkens, desire lacing every word.

“Even when we speak with your father?” I rebuke, hoping to throw him off, but his smirk only spreads wider.

“Especially then.”

Fuck.

He tucks my panties to the side under my skirt and lines his cock up with my entrance, filling me with one thrust. I can’t moan or groan. My throat is tight with desire as he consumes me, inch by inch. I’m at his mercy.

My nails dig into his blazer as I adjust to his size. My whole body is hot as my pussy clenches around him.

“You’re like a gift, Raven. Every morning, I get to wake up to you. It’s a blessing. I just want to wrap you in me and stamp you with my name so everyone knows you’re mine, but I’ll settle for branding you with my cum instead.” Fuck. I rock in his lap, gasping at the combination of his cock and his words. “I know you feel it too, Raven. We all do.”

He’s not wrong, but I can’t find the fucking words.

He moves like lightning in the next breath, lifting me in the air before quickly dropping me back to the sofa, but I’m not on top of him now.

No.

He’s above me. His cock still filling me.

Or he was. He disappears suddenly, making me frown, but the firmness of his cock still remains.

“Zane?” I call out, hearing a chuckle in response. “What are you doing?” I rasp, adrenaline zipping through my body.

“Claiming you as mine in every fucking dimension, Dove.”

“If we’re invisible, why can’t I see you?” I ask. Every other time he’s used his magic on me, I’ve still been able to see him. The chuckle that rumbles from him this time makes me still, and I know what he’s going to say before he even opens his mouth.

“You’re not invisible, Raven. Just me. You get the pleasure of being fucked by thin air,” he murmurs, flexing his hips and making me moan. My legs are spread wide and I can feel his waist and thighs, but there’s nothing there to see.

“Fuck, Zane.”

Fuck he does. I sink my hands into the arm of the sofa behind my head as he pounds into me, again and again, all while I can’t see his body or expressions, but I can hear the pleasure in every moan he gives me.

It’s like all the times I’ve needed to get off but been alone, yet his presence is clear. It’s too much and not enough all at once. My spiral comes immediately when I feel the press of something against my clit, likely his thumb, drawing circles in time with his thrusts, and my orgasm rips through me.

Slam after slam, I come apart, sure I’m ripping holes in the sofa as I cling on for dear life.

“Fill me, Zane. I need to feel you too,” I plead as he drags out every drop of my climax before taking me over the edge once more when his jagged movements heat up with force and he fills my pussy with his own release.

“Fuck, yes, Raven. Fuuuck,” he groans hoarsely as he reappears and collapses down on me. We’re a tangle of sweaty limbs, attempting to catch our breaths as he remains inside of me.

I’m ready to nap, far from prepared for a call with his father, but the stark reminder has me pushing at his chest. “Zane, quickly, in case your father arrives,” I whisper like I wasn’t just screaming at the top of my lungs.

“Fine. Anything for you, Dove,” he breathes, kissing me sweetly on the lips before standing.

I fix my panties back into place, straighten my skirt, and attempt to adjust my blouse and blazer. I’m raking my fingers through my hair as I retie my hair back when Rhys appears before us.

Holy shit, that was close.

“Pops,” Zane calls out as he casually drops down on the sofa beside me, throwing his arm out behind me, and I’m certain my cheeks are red.

“I have good news,” Rhys declares when he sees us, a huge grin on his face.

“I’m glad someone does,” Zane retorts with a huff, making his father frown.

“What happened?” he asks, instantly going into protective mode, and we don’t waste a second catching him up to speed. My embarrassment is quickly forgotten as we explain everything we learned last night, not leaving out a single piece of information.

Once we’re done, we fall back against the sofas after talking so animatedly, and I’m left panting for breath.

“Fuck. That’s a lot. I’m going to make as many inconspicuous calls as possible. I was going to bring your mother in and let her speak to you, but I don’t want her to have wind of this right now. Do you agree?” His attention turns to me, making me pause, but I nod.

“I agree.” I would love to see Mama right now. It’s instinct for me in these moments to want the figure she’s supposed to represent, someone to show me guidance, but the reality is, I don’t know if I can trust her, not like I can Rhys. I haven’t heard a word from her since she left the night Erikel took over. I know it hasn’t been easy for anyone to make contact, but leading up to that point was filled with odd information and what feels like a lot of omissions.

“What’s the good news then, Pops?” Zane asks, redirecting the conversation, and I’m thankful. Especially when Rhys’s smile returns.

“We’re close. Two days and we’re going to have you out of there.”