3. Reverie
Chapter 3
Reverie
I woke to a light tapping at the door. It took me a minute to remember where I was.
“Hey, roomie. I’ve got donuts out here from Java and Jam. Wakey, wakey. We’ve got some bonding to do.” A cheerful, feminine voice yelled.
“I’ll be right out!” I yelled back. Well, that sounded promising. Maybe I lucked out in the roommate department. The donuts at Java and Jam were to die for. I’d tried them when my mom decided to get donuts to surprise Grumpy on his birthday. Getting out of my comfy bed, I threw my long hair up in a messy bun, grabbed my pink fluffy robe, and headed into the living room.
“Hey Hawthorne Hottie! I’ve been so excited to meet you!” The cutest redhead ever squealed as she bounced on the sofa.
“Hello to you too.” I grinned. “Even though I sincerely appreciate the hottie title, my name is Reverie.”
“Duh! Everyone knows who you are. Your Mom is Adelaide!!” The redhead screeched.
“Yes. Yes, she is.” I laughed, she was too precious. “Can you tell me your name? I can’t keep calling you 'the redhead' in my head.” I ran that sentence back through my head, I guess it made sense because she answered.
“Oh crap! My name is Chloe Moon. I should have begun with that. I tend to get excited when meeting the daughter of my hero!” She screeched once again.
“The important part of that was daughter. My mom is awesome, but I’m just Reverie. No big deal.”
“No just, about it! You are now the roommate of Chloe Moon. We’re destined to be best friends. We’ll be right up there with the Dynamic Duo, the Wonder Twins, and Brennan and Dale. Do you play the drums? Never mind, that’s not important. Are you ready for initiation?!” She patted the couch for me to sit down beside her.
This girl did not just reference the Stepbrothers movie! I think I just met my soulmate. Goodbye, my sweet Psycho, you’ve been replaced. Side note: do not say that out loud in front of Nathan. Chloe would disappear.
“I’m as ready as possible, considering we don’t know when or what,” I sat down and was swallowed immediately by the soft cushions.
“My brothers have been training me like crazy! They’re in their third year, so they went through initiation a couple of years ago. Since the Academy itself decides on the initiation, no one knows what it’ll be. The size of their class went from two hundred and fifty to one hundred ninety-four.” Chloe grimaced.
“My parents put me through insane scenarios. Some were things they went through, and others were just things they heard from other years. No one knows what Emberhold will design. I questioned them about why we’re put through such harsh and deadly trials, especially when our numbers aren’t great,” I frowned. “They told me it was necessary to weed out the weak or mediocre.”
“That seems like a shitty thing to say, but it’s basically what my parents told me when I asked them the same question,” Chloe said.
“I thought so, too. But when I said that to Grumpy, he got a haunted look in his eyes and replied, ‘You can’t imagine the horror war brings. You only want the strongest guarding your back, and even then, sometimes, it’s not enough.’” I gave Chloe a solemn look.
“Well, damn! That just gave me cold chills. And think, if we survive initiation, we get to start training with our Faction if we’re lucky enough to find one. That’s when the S.H.T.F.!” Chloe shivered.
“What the hell is S.H.T.F.?" I asked.
“Shit hits the fan, of course!” Chloe laughed, “Girl, you’re going to have to get with the program!” We both started cackling. “Who’s this Grumpy character?” Chloe asked still laughing.
I wiped the tears from my eyes, “It’s what I call one of my fathers, and believe me he fits the name.” I smiled, missing my parents already. “We better dig into these donuts before they get cold and, more importantly, the coffee. I can tell I’ll need to be caffeinated to deal with you.”
“You have no idea,” Chloe grinned mischievously.
“So, do your brothers have a Faction?” I bit into my donut. “Yum! That is amazing!!!” I groaned out loud as the flavors hit my tongue.
“Right? Stick with me, kid, and I’ll keep you hooked up!” Chloe winked at me. “No, they don’t have a Faction yet. Last year, against my advice, they let the queen bitch of their year talk them into doing the ritual. I knew they didn’t mesh, and so did they, but the boys were so tired of waiting they went for it.”
“Do they expect to be Faction or Nexus?” I took a sip of my coffee.
“Everyone always wants to be Nexus, but they’re identical twins and would prefer to be Faction so they can stay together. Of course, little miss, my-shit-doesn’t-stink, Kristine thinks she’s Nexus.” Chloe sneered.
“Well, she did make it through initiation. There must be a little badass inside her.” I leaned back and took a long sip of my coffee.
“Maybe a little, but she probably passed by stepping on the bodies of her dead classmates,” Chloe scowled.
“I’m sensing you don’t like this girl.” I smirked.
“I really don’t. Kristine got on my bad side when she acted like she wanted to be friends. I’m used to girls trying to hang out with me because of my brothers, but she laid it on thick. Then, I overheard her talking to one of her followers saying how annoying it was to hang out with Zeke and Zane’s little sister, just to have the twins in her Faction. Truly, I’m mad at myself for falling for her crap!”
“Well, I’m here now, and I think you’re amazing.” I grinned at her. “And I haven’t even met your brothers.”
“Maybe you’ll be Nexus, and the boys will be in your Faction. Then we can be family.” Chloe grinned. “That would almost make Adelaide my mom!”
“Slow your roll, I haven’t even met them yet!” I laughed. Damn, this girl was something else!
We finished breakfast and then went our separate ways. This was the last day before classes started, and we both had things to prepare. After I showered, I threw on some shorts and an old Creed concert tee of my mom’s. Then, I went into my room to get things organized for class and memorize my schedule. I sat cross-legged on my bed, opened my packet, and started reading when Nathan suddenly popped onto the bed beside me. I jumped sideways and almost spilled my coffee.
“What the hell, Nathan?” I hissed. “You scared me to death.”
Nathan kneeled before me, wrapped his hands in my hair, and tilted my face up to his. When I looked into his eyes, I knew playtime was over, and psycho Nathan was in charge.
“How long has it been since I’ve touched you?” Nathan whispered in his deep, hypnotic voice.
“Too long.” I whispered back. I needed him like the air I breathed.
“Right answer.” Nathan growled. “Take your clothes off and lay back.” I loved how his eyes darkened with desire, and I couldn’t help but shiver under his intense gaze.
“Now, Reverie!” Nathan demanded.
I jumped at his sharp tone but immediately slipped my shorts down my legs and started to pull my shirt over my head. Nathan stopped me before I took it completely off, trapping my arms above me.
“Do you have any idea how beautiful you are? Every time I look at you, I can’t believe I’m yours.” He leaned in and lightly kissed my mouth, then slowly moved down my body, giving little nips and licks as he went.
Being Nexus to your Faction was a fantastic thing. If you genuinely belonged together, the connection was beyond imagining. I couldn’t understand wanting power so much that you would relinquish a connection like I had with Nathan. I could feel his desire for me, and Nathan could feel my desire for him. It made every touch that much more intense, almost unbearable. When he got to the juncture of my thighs, he leaned closer and inhaled my scent.
“Cookies and honeysuckle.” He muttered as he gave a long lick with the flat of his tongue along my wet slit. Using his fingers to spread my pussy he began sucking lightly on my clit. I let out a long moan and untangled my hands from my shirt. I grabbed his hair and arched up into his face pushing my clit further into his mouth.
“Please, Nathan!” I whimpered, not knowing what I was asking for, just completely drowning in pleasure.
“I know what you need, my Nexi.” He kissed the inside of my thigh. “I’ll always take care of you. But I think you know I had your hands restrained for a reason.” He flipped me over suddenly. “Get on your knees.”
Being apart even these few days was ridiculously hard. I had missed him so much. His scent surrounded me, and I knew neither of us would last long. I got to my hands and knees and shivered with anticipation. I could feel Nathan’s desire for me, warm in my body. He kneeled behind me, took his cock in his hand, and slowly began rubbing the head in a circular motion around my swollen clit. I felt his warm palm glide down my back, then rub my ass gently. The harsh slap would’ve surprised me if I didn’t know this man so well. We both let out a long moan, and I couldn’t help but arch closer, urging him to slide his perfect cock inside. Feeling both of our pleasure as Nathan pushed into my core was unreal. I could feel his hard flesh entering me but also feel how tight I was squeezing him.
“You’re so perfect and I need to feel you dripping with my cum right now, so be a good girl for me, yeah?” He growled.
“Yes, please, my psycho! Please!” I hissed through gritted teeth. He straightened back up but reached between my legs with one hand and rubbed slow circles on my clit. He eased his cock in and out of me at the same speed and his grip on my hip tightened. He leaned down kissing a path down my neck then suddenly bit down hard, the sensation was too much for us. I clenched around him in ecstasy, and he followed right behind in an orgasm that seemed to go on forever. We fell together, with Nathan the big spoon behind me. I shivered as he licked the blood from my neck and sighed in satisfaction.
Still nestled in my warmth, he put his mouth close to my ear and whispered, “I love you, sweet princess. You are the very breath in my lungs, and I’d kill to keep you.”
“I love you too, Nathan.” I fell into a deep sleep, wrapped safely in my psycho’s arms.
When I woke a few hours later, Nathen was gone, and a single pink tulip was on the pillow next to me. With the indent of his body still warm. I took a long inhale of the flower and rolled into Nathan’s spot basking in his scent.
I eventually made myself get up and put my clothes back on. Smelling pizza, I realized how hungry I was. I hurried to fix my hair in two long French braids and then headed into the living room. Chloe was sitting on the floor, eating from a pizza box on the coffee table. Two identical redheaded guys were sitting on the couch across from her. They looked up as I entered the room, and both ran their eyes up my body from my toes to my head. Well OK then. Immediately, I could see why girls flocked to them: dark red hair, long enough to grab ahold of, sapphire blue eyes identical to their sisters, and a smile that could kill.
“Hello, roomie! Pop a squat and eat. These two clowns finally did something right and brought their sweet sister sustenance. Although I think it was a ploy to meet my roommate.” Chloe winked at me slyly.
“Can you blame us?” The twin on the left asked gruffly. “I’m Zeke, by the way.”
“It was my idea.” The guy on the right hit Zeke on the arm, I assumed he was Zane. (Brilliant deduction, I know.) “We were dying to meet the girl everyone was talking about. My sister can’t shut up about Adelaide this blah blah. I’m Reverie’s roommate, and we’ll be best friends, yada, yada.” Zane said in a high-pitched voice, mocking his sister. Chloe threw a pepperoni at him, which he caught with his mouth.
“Impressive,” I laughed clapping my hands.
“Yes, I am,” Zane winked.
“You’re awful!” Chloe yelled. “I sound nothing like that!” Zeke, Zane, and I died out laughing. “Anyways,” Chloe continued, rolling her eyes, “let’s dig in.” After demolishing the pizza, we all got comfortable and began discussing the initiation.
“Do you know when we can expect to be called up?” I asked the guys.
“It could be at any time.” Zeke took a sip of his drink. “We can tell you about ours, but yours will be different.”
“It does happen unexpectedly. The lesson they want us to learn is always to be prepared,” Zane moved his foot, so it was touching my leg under the coffee table. “Some that were lost in our year didn’t take it seriously. They thought the tales of past initiations had to be exaggerated.” He raised one eyebrow daring me to move.
Feeling chills spread across my body, I decided to call his bluff. Could I possibly have met more of my Faction already? It just seemed a little too easy, but what did I know. Chloe looked at me and cleared her throat. Oh crap, she must have asked me a question.
“Would you mind repeating that? I didn’t hear what you asked.” I felt my face get hot and shot Zane a scowl. She gave me a weird look but repeated herself.
“I was just saying how lucky we were to have a family that prepared us. I don’t understand why every Aurathion wouldn’t do the same for their children?”
“You have to remember that some of these students are from families that were latent for so many generations they didn’t even know they were Aurathion. I’ve heard of students that went in for different medical reasons, and due to blood work, Aurathions in the medical profession were able to bring them into the fold.” I explained, thinking of how we explained finding Nathan.
“There is a first year, a guy, Nathan Strauss, that literally fits that scenario,” Zane said in surprise.
“Ya’ll seem to be extremely well informed,” I smiled and casually moved my leg over. Sure enough, Zane’s foot soon followed. The confidence in this one ran strong.
“It’s crazy what a little flirting in the admin office will get you,” Zane smirked, having the cojones to rub his foot up and down my leg.
“I bet,” I frowned at the thought of him flirting with another woman. Chloe rolled her eyes and shoulder-bumped me.
“These two manwhores are ridiculous. But they do get all the best gossip!”
“I’m not a manwhore.” Zeke hurried to say. “I used to be a man whore, but I’m not anymore.” He looked at me pointedly. Chloe stared at them in suspicion, and then looked over at me.
Before she could comment Zane asked, “So, Reverie, do you think you’re Nexus or Faction?”
“Hey, moron, you don’t just ask that as soon as you meet someone!” Chloe scowled at him.
“I’d like to agree with you, but I think I asked you about them this morning,” I smiled letting her know I didn’t mind the question.
Zane bumped knuckles with Zeke.
“She’s already asking about us, brother. The Moon twins for the win!”
“More like the I-want-to-moon-them twins,” Chloe smirked. I started laughing, and she joined in.
“So, back to the original question, please,” Zeke raised his eyebrows. I was surprised at his persistence. He seemed like the more reserved twin.
“I’m not sure yet. I have no preference either way. I can see advantages to both.” I obviously couldn’t admit to being Nexus, but it felt wrong keeping it from them.
“Well, maybe we can get dinner one night this week and discuss the pros and cons,” Zane suggested with a wink.
“Sounds like a p-”
Suddenly I found myself sitting in Precious.
“What the hell?!” I screeched. Oh no!!! The power Nathan acquired on completing the bond must have manifested in me. This wasn’t supposed to happen until my Faction was complete. Of course, I would be the exception to the rule. I hoped the Moon siblings were as trustworthy as I thought they were. When they found out Emberhold hadn’t taken me to initiation they would know something was up. It seems like mine and Nathan’s bond wasn’t through throwing out surprises. I guess I should have expected that after the way it had all begun.