10. Bram

10

brAM

T he cafeteria buzzed with chatter and gossip from demons, and I could hear every word without the usual drunken haze clouding my mind.

Sobriety grated on my last fucking nerve.

Dex, Skel, and I sat in the farthest corner away from the masses like we always had.

It amused me how we attended a reform academy, but we were treated as second-class to even the second-class here—not just the few nobles being forced to attend with us. They were afraid of us, and they had a shit way of showing it. Demons respected power, but when the powerful came from lower-class families—it didn’t seem to matter.

They treated us like we were imps—not that there was anything wrong with imps. My only problem was with the nobles. I hated nobles and their structured lives, but mostly, the way they tried to control everything around them. Most nobles looked down on the lesser demons—but not her.

I’d never been proven more wrong about someone. I’d thought she was like them, but she wasn’t. She was my fated mate.

My leg bounced with restless energy, the spicy scent of bourbon clinging to me despite my recent abstinence from the shit. I used to smell like just a spicy musk, but ever since I’d started drinking, bourbon became a literal part of me. Bourbon was my first drink, and now, it was permanently embedded in me.

I hadn’t touched alcohol since finding out she was my mate—but it was fucking hard to breathe without it…especially when she still wouldn’t look at us.

Not that I blamed her for that.

My gaze flicked around, scanning the room for anything that might spark the chaos I so desperately craved. I traced the wolves and hawks etched into my skin absentmindedly before the scent of caramel filled my nostrils.

An uncontrolled growl ripped from my throat at the same time as Dex and Skel.

We’d scented her.

Gravesend… Pandora, a name I would probably never get the chance to call her … sat down at a table across the room, her long black hair cascading over her shoulders like a dark waterfall. My fingers itched to run through it, but I had no right. I knew that, but it didn’t take away the instinctual desire to claim my mate.

Gravesend was sitting with a woman I recognized from high school. My mate’s red eyes glowed with an ease I hadn’t seen before. She was beautiful, and while she always had a magnetic pull on me, this feeling thrumming through my veins was soul-deep.

And I wasn’t the only one watching her. Skel and Dex were, too.

Their eyes were fixated on her, a mix of longing and regret etched on their faces.

I scowled, recognizing the look. It was the look that mirrored my own; we were fully aware that we’d screwed up.

“Didn’t we go to school with that demon she’s sitting with?” I asked, trying to place which crowd she’d run with. I didn’t pay much attention to anyone but these two assholes back then.

“Inferno,” Dex muttered, his gray eyes narrowing. “She was chill. Stayed away from everyone, really.”

“You mean after dating Nightwind,” Skel added with a snort. “They turned on her like fucking sirens after that didn’t work out.”

“She’s a noble?” My brow raised, and my gut sank.

Of course she was.

Skel shook his head. “Nah. I think she was like a scholarship student, actually.”

“I’ll look into her,” Dex vowed, tapping his tongue ring against his top teeth. “I don’t know much about the Infernos, but something is bugging me about their name. I’ve seen or heard it with something important.”

“If something’s bugging you, figure it out,” Skel growled, clutching his hand into a fist so tight, his knuckles turned white.

Dex nodded, his eyes glued to our mate. “I’ll find out who the family is. And if she’s not safe for Pandora to be around, I’ll deal with it.”

“Deal with it how?” Skel shoved his hand in his bag and pulled out the pipe to take a long hit. The rainbow smoke swirled as he blew out. “Surely you’re not suggesting getting rid of our mate’s first friend who has made her smile?”

Dex’s jaw ticked. “She did smile with her.”

“She did.” Skel smoked the pipe again, and it made a clinking sound as the mouthpiece hit his lip ring. “I’ve rarely seen her smile.”

“Same,” Dex growled.

“That was the first genuine smile I’ve ever seen on her lips,” I grumbled, raking my hand through my hair. “How come you two have seen her smile?”

“When I smoked with her, I heard her laugh—giggle, really. It was fucking amazing,” Skel whispered, his green eyes filled with torment. “Fuck.”

“I’ve been watching her for a while.” Dex shrugged. “Sometimes when she’s not completely aware.”

“Not aware at all,” Skel drawled as he pierced Dex with a scolding gaze.

Chaos rumbled through my chest, fighting me for control. But I focused on keeping my magic in check for once. “Oh.”

Inferno asked her about having mates, and her answer fucking gutted me.

“Actually, I have five, but three are... complicated ," she admitted, her shoulders tense.

She had to know we were here, and it fucking killed me not to be able to talk to her.

“Three are complicated?” Inferno scowled. “What did they do?”

She lifted her hand up. “This is enchanted. Daryl gave it to me before I came to the academy. It’s white when I’m around someone who is safe, but it turns black when someone wants to cause me harm. All three of those mates turned my ring black after meeting me.”

A pathetic whimper escaped all three of us.

None of us wanted to like her at first, and our nature called for destroying those who made us uneasy…but we didn’t know she was our fated mate.

“Even though you were mates?” Inferno gasped.

She shook her head, letting her hand fall back to the bottle “We didn’t know we were mates until last week when the bond snapped in place. My magic reserves have been starved since I was a kid, so Hunter thinks they formed because I’ve finally figured out how to keep my magic reserves filled somewhat.”

“Hunter?”

“Darkmore,” Gravesend smiled—another genuine, beautiful smile that would never be directed at me. “He’s my other mate—not complicated in the slightest. He’s the one who got me my water bottle.”

“Oh, Darkmore’s my counselor! He’s also got quite a vengeful reputation. He must be great to have on your side. And the other uncomplicated mate?”

“Reed Nyx. He’s genuinely the kindest soul I’ve encountered…apart from yours, actually.” Pink blush bloomed down her neck and across her cheeks.

Fuck, she was beautiful.

“I’m flattered, and I freaking love that for you. Now, Tell me everything about the three complications.”

“Bram Hemlock, Dexter Shadowheart, and Skel Grimshaw were my enemies, but now…they’re my fated mates. They hurt me with their words more than anything.” She took a shaky breath that made me feel like my heart would fucking shred to pieces in my chest cavity.

“Dex hurt me with his shadows.”

Dex let out a pained exhale.

“Skel terrorized me with his fear magic.”

Skel sucked his pipe, but a glossy sheen covered his eyes.

“Hemlock hates me because I’m a noble, and he doesn’t let me forget that.”

A tormented cry left my throat, and I jerked my head down in shame.

“They don’t deserve you, Pandora. Fated mates aren’t supposed to hurt you,” Inferno told our mate.

“She’s right,” I rasped.

“I know,” Gravesend said at the same time. “But…they are my fated mates just like Hunter and Reed. I’m not sure what I want to do yet, but I’m not ready to figure it out either.”

“What does that mean?” Skel whispered hoarsely.

“You don’t have to figure it out right now. You have two mates who have their heads on straight.” Inferno just added another dagger in my heart as I tuned them out.

“It means we fucked up royally,” Dex croaked, running his fingers across the scar around his neck. “But she’s not thinking of rejecting us.

“At least not yet.” I glanced up, and my gaze connected with Gravesend’s.

She froze for a moment, and a flood of hurt filled her eyes before tearing them from mine and continuing her conversation with Inferno.

The three of us let out a collective whine, our regret palpable in our fucking souls. I wondered if she could feel it being a soul eater?

Fates, I desperately wanted to feel what she felt. I knew she’d probably never complete the bond with us—especially not with me. Not that I blamed her.

“She’s so pretty,” Skel murmured. “We really fucked everything up.”

“She’s sweet, too,” Dex added. “Far sweeter than any demon I’ve ever fucking met. We usually fuck things up, but what we did with her was the worst.”

“And we caused her to hate us,” I finished. “At least, I did.”

The only bottle of fae whiskey I had kept tucked away in my room called to me with promises of numbness and oblivion. I wanted it, badly, but I wanted Gravesend more. She’d called me a drunken bastard, and she was right.

I couldn’t change being a bastard, but I could change being a drunk—I had to remember that.

“When the bond snapped, and I was around her, my magic calmed.” Skel ran both hands through his hair. “Maybe it’s because she’s my fated, but her presence makes me feel like I don’t have to smoke to keep my magic from freaking out.”

“That’s crazy.” I shook my head. “But it makes sense.”

“It’s so fucking weird having you actually talk to us again,” Dex chuckled, but the sound was void of any amusement. “By the way, what did you mean when you mentioned a village that night?”

Skel’s gaze darted around. “What night?”

“The night the bond snapped with Pandora,” Dex said plainly. “What were you talking about? Does it have anything to do with why you and my little sister Kat are having issues?”

“She’s not your fucking sister,” Skel hissed, hatred burning in his gaze. “She’s mine, and you need to mind your fucking business.”

Dex held his hands up in surrender. “Dude, what the fuck? I’ve always called her that. We were a lot fucking closer in high school.”

Skel huffed, fae smoke blowing and swirling in front of us. “If you needed to know, I’d tell you.”

“Whatever.” Dex glowered at him, and his shadows circled around his biceps. “Don’t fucking mention shit to me if you’re not going to elaborate. Pretty fucking pointless.”

“I didn’t mention it to you,” Skel snapped.

We fell into silence, and all of us ended up sitting there for over an hour, listening to Gravesend and Inferno talk. My tablet kept going off, but I ignored it every time.

My leg bounced faster, but then, we overheard something that made all of us fucking bloodthirsty.

“Are you really okay after what happened in Demon Instincts with Shadeberry?” Inferno asked Gravesend. “I’m not pushing you to talk about it in the slightest, but if I can do anything, just let me know. Okay?”

Gravesend winced. “I’m…okay. A slash to the back is nothing compared to what I’ve been through, but thank you for your cardigan.”

“Don’t worry about it.” Inferno waved her hand back and forth. “But it was pretty fucking cool that you ate some of her soul.”

Dex’s chair scraped loudly against the floor as he stood. “I’m going to figure this shit out,” he growled. “I’ll make sure Pandora’s not in danger with Inferno, then Shadeberry’s going to pay.”

He disappeared into the shadows, leaving Skel and I behind.

Skel smoked his pipe more, glancing at me. “He’ll handle it, I’m sure. But who the fuck is messaging you that much?”

My tablet rang again, buzzing against the table. I hit the ignore button—again. It was the millionth fucking call since we’d been here. “My fucking father.”

It rang again, immediately after ignoring it.

“Sounds important.” Skel puffed. “Or he’s just calling to be a dick again.”

I cursed under my breath before getting up and storming out to an empty classroom—and I could feel her eyes on me as I left.

Once I shut the door to the empty classroom, I answered the call.

My father’s slurred voice filled the room. “Finally my good-for-nothing son answers. Why can’t you be more like Slater? He might not fucking talk to me, but at least he’s nobility and holds himself with higher… regard .”

“That’s why you called?” I clipped my tone, anger making my entire body vibrate. Chaos left from my tattoo, and he snarled. My magic whipped around the class, knocking over desks and books.

“You need to get ahold of him,” he chastised me, drunk as hell. “He’s…he can teach you to be like him.”

“What the fuck is wrong with you?” I seethed. “You’re drunk, aren’t you?”

“Where’d you think you learned it from?” He cackled. “You got all of my bad fucking habits, boy.” He paused. “Wait, are you fucking sober right now?”

I wondered if that was how I’d sounded for so long—drunk and fucking ridiculous.

“What’s it to you?” I chuckled humorlessly. “What do you actually care?”

A sob broke through the phone. “I need you to get on Slater’s good side. Don’t you care about the Hemlock name? We need to be nobility again, but more than that, I just want Melinda back. Melinda wasn’t a fucking whore like your mother!”

“You cheated on Melinda before they tossed you out of nobility,” I snapped, my voice tight with barely suppressed rage. “That’s hypocritical.”

“Your mother’s fucking one of your professors!” he choked out between sobs. “Melinda would never do that!”

“You literally cheated on my mother before you shipped me to this fucking academy,” I reminded him. “You’re a fucking hypocrite.”

Chaos snarled, and I reached my hand out to pet his ghostly form to try to quell the chaos inside of me.

My father’s response was a string of curses, but I hung up and powered off the tablet. The desire for that fae whiskey warred with my need to be better for Gravesend.

I slumped to the ground, and the tablet was clutched tight in my hand as I took a deep breath and called Chaos back to me. I didn’t need alcohol to numb physical beatings anymore since my father couldn’t hurt me here, but the emotional pain was fucking excruciating.

Powering back on the tablet, I went to my father’s contact and blocked it after declining another call from him. Then, I opened Slater’s messages.

Slater Havoc

Our piece of shit father keeps calling me. Mainly about you. Don’t stress about him. I already know he’s trying to use you to get to me.

It won’t happen.

I hate that man, but I have never hated you. Not since I learned about you. If I had known sooner…

You’re my brother.

I want some kind of relationship with you.

I know you resent me, but Bram, I didn’t know about you. Mom…she was hurt over our father. She shouldn’t have kept you a secret from me, and she knows that now. She’s sorry for it.

Just…reach out when you’re ready. I’ll stop bothering you now.

But I won’t give up on you.

I didn’t reply. Instead, I closed my eyes, wishing I could reach out for my mate’s bond, needing the reassurance that it was still there. But I couldn’t.

Because Gravesend and I didn’t complete the bond yet—and after the way I treated her, maybe we never would.

The door cracked open, and I opened my eyes.

Skel was there smoking his pipe. “You alright, man?”

I nodded. “Yeah. Just…needed a minute.”

He nodded, strolling over and offering a hand to help me up. “We’ll figure this shit out. Your father is the least of our worries. He can’t touch you here.”

“You’re right,” I agreed. “He can’t.”

Chaos simmered beneath my skin, begging to be unleashed. But for the first time in a long while, I found myself wanting to control it, to find a way to channel it into something other than destruction.