Moon Kissed (Corvin Academy #1)

Chapter Two 3

Paxton caught me looking. Flicking to the other guys, he made sure they weren’t looking, then nodded to me. Thanks , he mouthed, then fixed back on Hall like nothing happened.

Hmm. Seems my omega boy toy doesn’t feel the same all-consuming hatred for me that my other fates do. It isn’t just that his wolf wants me, he himself seems to be neutral about me.

I didn’t know the guy, but I had a feeling I was right. No fear or disgust shone in his eyes when he looked at me. He answered my question that morning without mocking, and he thanked me even though he didn’t have to and no one would’ve expected him to. He may not be a friend, an ally, a lover, or a mate, but it would be nice to have one less enemy.

Taking out my notebook, I dashed a quick note on a piece of paper, stuck my hand under his desk, and tapped his boot.

I heard him shift, scoot back, and duck his head under the table—seeing my waving hand and the note clutched between my fingertips. At first I didn’t think he would take it and then—

Pluck.

Me: Ugh. Sorry they’re such assholes.

My wolf ears listened to the paper crinkle and the scritch-scritch-scritch of his reply. Paxton softly tapped the desk and I reached back, snagging the note.

Paxton: It’s cool. I’m used to it.

I was quick writing back.

Me: But you don’t take it lying down. Can’t imagine how hard you fought to get into the alpha track.

More crinkling. More scritching.

Paxton: Wish I could take the credit, but it was the guys. It was a condition of their acceptance. They wouldn’t do the alpha track unless we all did.

I read that over a few times, taking that in. Apparently my fates and I read from the same playbook. They also held the academy to ransom—making demands of their own.

No wonder the goddess believed we were soulmates.

This also means Paxton isn’t the weak link. Edric, Nyx, Badr, and Orion lost everything, and then risked even more to see their friend treated fairly. Loyalty like that doesn’t break easily.

But still. Paxton wasn’t so loyal that he was taking on their hatred of me. He thought for himself. And what were those thoughts?

Me: That was cool of them. You guys must be really good friends.

Paxton came back quick.

Paxton: That’s what happens when you’re stuck in a two-bedroom shithole for a year.

I hid a smirk. Thank you, Paxton, for opening that door all on your own.

Me: You must hate me.

Paxton didn’t crinkle, scritch, or move for so long, I thought he wasn’t going to answer.

I jumped when the tap came. Reaching behind, I took the note and read.

Paxton: I don’t hate you, Volana. I don’t know you.

I carefully considered my reply.

Me: Most people would say you already know all you need to know to hate me.

Paxton: Those people don’t know why you killed Castor.

I went very still—reading that once, twice, twelve times.

Me: And you do?

The scritch-scratch-scritch-scratch sounded up a storm behind me. Paxton was writing a whole novel in reply, and I held my breath—waiting for every word.

Paxton: I know you went your whole life without hurting a single soul. More than that, the people who knew you from before say you were the nicest, sweetest person they ever met. Kind to omegas, alphas, and everyone in between.

I accepted a long time ago that something must’ve happened between you and Castor. Something horrible. Something that you still can’t talk about.

Of course you snapped when Luame named the person who hurt you as your soulmate. If someone did something like that to me, and then suddenly all my rage and pain became lust and wanting for a monster. I couldn’t stand that either.

I’d snap too.

I hesitated. It wasn’t hard to read between those lines. Paxton couldn’t conceive of me attacking an innocent man unprovoked, so he decided Castor wasn’t innocent, and I was very provoked.

A shocking pang of conscience struck my heart. I did have a reason for what I did—a good fucking one—but it was not that. It wasn’t right to let people believe Castor was a rapist or the like, even if they came to that conclusion on their own. Castor did do something, but it wasn’t that.

I put pencil to paper.

Me: You need to know that Castor

A hand snatched the note from my grip. “Hey!”

“Hey yourself,” Nyx said, grinning. “You two look to be having quite the intense conversation. Didn’t even notice me staring at you for the last minute.”

“Give it back!”

I lunged and he snapped back, whipping the paper high above my head, and looking pretty proud of his six-foot-tall self while doing it.

“What’s going on over there?” Hall demanded.

We had the attention of everyone in the room now—all of my fates included. Edric, Badr, Orion, and Paxton jumped to their feet, narrowing on us.

“What were you two talking about?” The smile Nyx gave Paxton would’ve been charming, if I didn’t know a predator when I saw one. “Something we should all know, Pax?”

Paxton stiffened. “Nyx, it’s not a big deal. We were just talking.”

“Talking about what?” Badr hissed. “What the fuck do you have to say to her that can’t be summed up by fuck off and die?”

“Give it back!” I shouted, lunging again.

Nyx bent back and I splayed across his chest—scrabbling and climbing the mountain of a man like a baby koala. Nyx snapped his arm around my back and held me fast.

“No, thanks. I think we’d all rather know what the most famous omega in a century has to say to the most infamous psychopath ever born.”

“Second-most infamous!” I jumped and flailed against him, straining for the note. “Your hairy-ass, buck-tooth mama still has me beat out!”

Nyx laughed out loud, not fazed in the least. Our audience was hooting and clamoring for him to read the letter out loud. All except for Hall who busied himself sorting papers on his desk.

He wasn’t coming to my rescue.

Shaking open the note, Nyx read, “ Ugh, sorry they’re such assholes. And Paxton says, it’s cool. I’m used to it .” Nyx turned the confusing, predatory grin on his friend. “Assholes? Who the fuck are you talking about?”

“You!” I screeched.

“No, not you,” Paxton rushed, jumping for the note himself. Of course he was. The last thing he wanted was for Nyx to read to the end... and let Badr find out what he thought of his late brother. “It’s not like that! We were talking about something else.”

“Why are you talking to her at all?” Badr bellowed. “Nyx, give me the fucking note now!”

“Psychopath says, but you don’t take it lying down. I’m the one who takes it lying down. And on my knees, and in the ass, and in three holes at once. Twice. ”

“Damn, girl,” the guy crowed. “If only you weren’t so crazy, I’d give it to you in every hole you—”

Growls split the air—so ferociously they made my skin pebble. Edric, Badr, Orion, Nyx, and Paxton sounded off at the disgusting jerk, their fangs ripping from their maws.

“Watch your fucking mouth!”

“I’ll send you back to your mama in pieces!”

“No one told you to speak to her!”

“Fuck off!”

“Losing that big mouth would be an improvement on that fugly face,” Paxton roared. “Test me, alpha!” His eyes changed as his wolf—as all of my fates’ wolves—fought to the surface. “Give me a fucking reason!”

The catcalling moron backed down quick, though his claws were out and he was rocking back and forth on his arches like he was waiting for an attack. But he wasn’t stupid. He didn’t even think of making the first move.

Most knew better than to even think about having sex with someone’s fated mate while the bonds were still raw. They had to be suicidal to come right out and say it—even as a nasty catcall.

As much as my fates hated me, they weren’t in control right now. Their wolves were running on pure instinct—

—which was a great distraction.

I broke free, seized Nyx’s shoulders, and jumped. Smacking him in the face with my boobs, my fingertips closed on the note, and it whipped right out of my hand.

Edric held out his hand, letting his winds deliver his prize like a dog offering up her Frisbee to her human.

I was done playing around.

My wolf ripped through my clothes. I launched off Nyx’s back, sending him flying with a shout, and snapped Edric’s hand.

“Hey!”

Tearing the note from his grip, I swallowed it whole—disappearing the entire thing down my cavernous maw. I changed back just as quickly, tumbling naked across the floor and slamming against the bookshelf.

Books rained on me as the class stared at me wide-eyed and jaws hanging. I glared right back, crouching on the floor, covering my naked body, and swallowing that note down my gullet.

Nyx shoved off the desk he landed on. Straining his neck around, his lips peeled back from his teeth seeing the deep, bleeding gashes my hindclaws left on his back. Growling, he stalked toward me, hands flying up to strangle the air... like he was going to do to my neck.

My eyes widened. He’s going to try and kill me right in the middle of class? I flicked to Hall but he was still ignoring us all entirely.

Nyx’s angry shadow fell on me, and I quickly phased.

The door burst open and something flew inside, surrounding me in seconds. I screamed my ass off—swatting and smacking wildly.

“Calm the hell down, woman, and stay still!”

Blinking, I stopped and looked down. “Leaves?”

Leaves. I was covered in large, thick, pliable green leaves—wrapping up me and my nakedness from shoulder to knee.

I glanced up as Nyx dropped his hands but not his snarl—so shocked I could only stare at him.

As a rule, wolves weren’t that precious about nudity. Shifting forced us to rip through our clothes on a daily basis. A few hanging bits in the wind was something we got over quickly.

Still, that didn’t mean I enjoyed being buck naked in front of a hostile audience. Of all the things for Nyx to do after I wounded him, protecting my modesty should’ve been low on the list.

“Nyx!” A girl broke through the watchers and plastered herself against him. “Oh my goodness, are you okay? That psycho could’ve killed you. It’s rule number one not to shift indoors. You damn sure don’t shift on top of someone else!”

Nyx didn’t seem to have heard her. He locked on to me as the bell rang—signaling the end of homeroom. “You don’t play nicely,” he hissed, swiping the blood off his back like it was nothing. “I’ll remember that.”

Nyx turned his back on me, leading everyone out except for Badr, Paxton, Mr. Hall, and me. I made to go around Badr but he moved into my path, staring me down.

“Don’t bother using your power on me,” I said when his lips parted. “You know I’ll shake it right off.”

Inexplicably, he smiled. “I don’t need to use my power on you. I know what the note said. It was more lies, bullshit, and manipulation to get into Paxton’s head, but it’s not going to work,” he whispered, circling me. “Because even though my boy can take care of himself, he doesn’t have to. I’ve got his back. I’ll make sure today is the last fucking time you sink your claws into either one of us.”

“You didn’t hear me the first time, sun wolf.” I met his eyes steadily. “There’s nothing you can do to stop me.”

His grin widened. “No, there’s nothing you can do to stop the many and daily accidents that are going to fall on your head until you give up that girl on the other end of the phone, and then yourself. When I’m done with you, you’re going to kneel at my feet—begging me to bite your fucking head off.”

Hall could hear every single word from Badr’s lips, but still he said nothing. Did nothing .

Badr’s lips brushed my ear. “Thank you so much for forcing your way onto the alpha track,” he whispered.

My stupid, traitorous wolf purred like a housecat.

“You’ve made killing you so much easier.”

Badr blew out the door. Paxton followed behind without a spare glance or word to me.

Out in the hall, I heard the rumors and gossip already spreading about what happened in Mr. Hall’s classroom. Psycho and freak were ringing loud and clear.

I crossed to get my stuff.

“That’s detention, Miss Daciana,” Hall said calmly. “And another demerit.”

“What?” I cried. Two demerits in the first half an hour?! “Why? I didn’t do anything.”

“Incorrect. You did three things. You shifted indoors—an act that is expressly forbidden as it says in the rulebook. You injured a student. And you were passing notes in my class like a twelve-year-old instead of paying attention like the adult you’re supposed to be. Inattention and causing a disruption are both against the rules, and again, that’s in the rulebook you were supposed to read.

“So don’t go around claiming I’m abusing my power.” The douchebag smiled right in my face. “You are being held to the same standards as everyone else, mother wolf. Likely for the first time in your pampered princess life.”

Crying out, I doubled over—clutching my shoulder.

“Cease your dramatics,” Hall barked, “and get out of my classroom.”

I didn’t argue. Gritting my teeth, I grabbed my stuff and ran out into the hall. I ignored the flow of students rushing about, and yelling at me for getting in their way, and strained my neck to see.

There were three, bloodless gashes raked across my shoulder blade.

“What the hell—?” Suddenly, it came back to me. “ I swear on Luame that I will not kill, maim, or harm my chosen fates. ”

I bit off a curse. This! This was why people didn’t go around making promises in the goddess’s name! I didn’t even mean to hurt Nyx. He was the asshole playing keep-away with my note.

I stormed off, ignoring the sniggering at my new, unfashionable forest dress. I wasn’t mad at Nyx. I wasn’t even mad at Badr or that douchebag Hall. What was really pissing me off was that my play didn’t work.

I went over-the-top protecting the note because I didn’t want Badr seeing what Paxton wrote about his brother. That would get the lone omega thrown out of their little brotherhood, and then Paxton would resent me.

No, what I wanted was for Paxton to see me fight to protect their little fivesome. I wanted him to keep thinking I was justified in killing Castor. I wanted him to believe I was misunderstood, and he was the only one who saw the true, kind, sweet me. I wanted him to trust that I had a good reason for everything I do. A reason he didn’t need to know. He just had to trust.

I wanted this because it occurred to me that a water wolf would come in handy for anyone looking to poison an alpha, or more.

I blew into Leadership and Diplomacy, finding the classroom much the same as Hall’s except a tall woman with reddish-brown hair and thick glasses stood at the front.

There was also a desk between my fates—whole and waiting for me.

The instructor glanced up. “My goodness, girl. What on earth are you wearing?”

“Do you like it?” I spun on my heels, flashing Nyx a grin. “My sweet, precious fate made it for me. It seemed wrong to change.” I pulled out my chair to sit.

“I made this for you too.”

My butt hit the seat, and something snapped. Tipping sideways, the chair threw me flat on my face. Next to me, the wooden desk aged and rotted before my eyes. In a blink, it was a broken, crumbled mess.

I flailed and kicked righting myself and scrambling away from the mound of termite food that used to be my desk. All around me, the class laughed uproariously.

“Oh no,” Badr crowed, smug as shit. “Not another accident. Hope it doesn’t happen again.”

I shoved up, growls leaking through my teeth. I told myself before all this started that I wouldn’t let anything anyone said or did get to me. But I didn’t take into account that anyone who was meant to be my soulmate had to be as relentless as me.

“Just where you belong,” Nyx said, winking at me. “Flailing around on a pile of garbage like the cockroach you are.”

“I’ll shove this where this belongs,” I bellowed, snatching up a rotting chair leg. “Don’t think you’re tough now that you’ve finally crawled out of the hole you’ve been pissing and cowering in for the last year.”

Nyx’s grin didn’t go anywhere. “I’m feeling pretty good outside of my hole, because you’re not shoving that anywhere.” He clicked his tongue, jerking his chin. “Those are some interesting marks on your back. Should I guess how you got them?”

I stiffened. This guy was smart. Damn you, Luame! Would it have killed you to give me the empty-headed himbo that he looks like?

“Go ahead, Volana.” Nyx stood, turned, and shook his ass in my face. “What’s the hesitation? Get to shoving.”

The guy was dropping it like it was hot right there in the middle of class. Everyone was laughing so hard, one guy fell out of his chair.

“Can’t believe Mom expected me to drop out of school when she heard Daciana Volana came,” wheezed a girl next to me. “No way I was missing this.”

Frustration burst out of my pores. So desperately I wanted to scream the truth. Their small, limited minds had no idea of the noble purpose I had to achieve. They whined about losing their chance at being clan alpha or getting their ears cut, when there were real enemies out there. Enemies I would take out if it was the last thing I did.

Chest heaving, I dropped the leg, spun around, crossed my legs, and waited for class to begin.

The laughs and taunts died down as everyone got an eye full of me sitting blank-faced and serene, ignoring the shapely ass shaking in my face.

Nyx was saying something. No doubt it was insulting nonsense designed to get another rise out of me, so I’d be slapped another demerit or detention.

It wasn’t going to work. Nothing my fates said or did would distract me from my goal. If I couldn’t use any of them to achieve my purpose, then they had none. They had no point. They had no use. They had no function.

Edric, Badr, Orion, Paxton, and Nyx were nothing to me. Like nothing is how they would be treated.

Something caught my eye.

I flicked down to the space between my knees. Something—was it water?—collected on the floor. Water droplets spun, raced, broke apart, and reconnected before my eyes, forming a message.

Thanks for having my back. I’ll have yours too. Promise.

I held my breath, barely believing what I was seeing. It was a message from Paxton. It had to be.

A slow grin stretched my lips. Maybe the first day from hell wasn’t a waste.