Chapter 4 #2
“Nicely done, Ms. O’Donnell.” Professor Vesely said, somehow managing not to notice or simply ignoring my newly acquired snake accessories. “All right, class, homework.”
Everyone groaned.
“Come prepared on Wednesday to discuss what went wrong here today, how it might be avoided in future, and ideas for what to do in these types of situations. Obviously, Ms. O’Donnell made use of her siren gifts.
What else might we have done to keep everyone safe?
Class dismissed.” He turned and walked back toward the dragons, where the stable hands had already begun coaxing them to their feet and leading them back to the stables.
“Uh, Jasmine,” Mikaela said nervously as she backed away from me. “You appear to be wearing a number of snakes.”
I rolled my eyes. “I know and I have no idea why.”
“You don’t know why?” Vorzak exclaimed somewhere behind me.
I couldn’t see his expression because I was wrapped so tightly in his snakes that movement was practically impossible. I couldn’t even turn my head.
I should probably hate the experience, but instead I was loving it. It was like being hugged by all of them at once.
Not that I’d ever admit that to Vorzak.
“No, I don’t. Can you please call your serpents back?” I demanded, even as I surreptitiously pet the ones I could reach with my fingers.
They were just so affectionate and sweet and incredibly cute, even at their current size.
They were also kind of kinky.
The one that had reached my feet was busy sucking my big toe while the ones who’d managed to infiltrate my shirt were nuzzling my nipples, all of them making my breath catch in my throat.
And we won’t speak of what the ones at my waist and hips were up to.
Dear goddess, what was wrong with me that I found this incredibly sexy?
I couldn’t decide which was turning me on more.
The heat of Vorzak at my back, his hands gripping my hips, or his many snakes caressing me in ways I’d never imagined.
Vorzak let out a rumble of annoyance. His snakes all hissed in response, but then one-by-one, they began to slowly retract.
I yelped when the ones at my breast and the one sucking my toe gave me tiny nips on their way out.
The pain was sharp, but then it morphed into a delicious heat that settled deep and I whimpered a little.
The snake twining around my thighs had been casting for scents with his tongue and thus, was all up in my business. He seemed the most reluctant to leave, though he finally gave one last flick of his tongue and slowly shrank back until he joined the others.
The moment I was free of the snakes, I pulled away from Vorzak and whirled to face him.
I wanted to yell at him for unleashing his snakes on me, but I didn’t want to hurt their feelings.
Damnit.
Before I could decide what to say or do, he was yelling at me.
“What were you thinking?” he shouted.
I reared back. “About what?”
“I can’t believe you got close to a raging dragon. Are you insane? She could have fried you in an instant!”
“Me? I’m not the one who was challenging her. Or did you not notice how your snakes were hissing and riling her up? Oh, forget it!” I turned and stalked off, pausing only long enough to hook arms with Mikaela, who looked a bit shell-shocked, and with Kasi, who looked utterly amused.
“I have no idea what his problem is,” I snapped as I stormed off.
“Hey!” Vorzak yelled. “Where do you think you’re going?”
“Away from you!” I shouted over my shoulder and kept on walking. I felt bad for his serpents, of course, but not bad enough to put up with the man.
“Uh, do you think we can slow down a bit?” Mikaela huffed as she raced to keep up with my long strides.
“Oh, sorry.” I let go of her and Kasi, but kept walking, though at a slower pace this time. I glanced over my shoulder to make sure he hadn’t followed us and saw that he was still standing where we’d left him, hands on hips, glaring after me.
His snakes, on the other hand, were high in the air, much like they’d been when facing off with Nika, but this time, they were facing Vorzak, and if body language was anything to go by, they were telling him off.
Good for them.
“He spent two years ignoring me and now he’s all up in my business? I diffused the entire situation between his snakes and the dragon, didn’t I?”
“You did,” Mikaela said.
“Yep,” Kasi agreed.
“Exactly. And that was the thanks I get? Him yelling at me? Well, fuck him.”
“Uh, I think that’s what he’s going for,” Kasi said.
Mikaela snickered. “I have to agree.”
“You’re both delusional. He’s got no interest in me and I’m over him. I’m so glad he’s not my mate after all. Can you imagine being mated to someone who ignores you ninety-nine percent of the time, but then for that one percent, they want to tell you what to do? Well, I don’t think so.”
I waited for Kasi or Mikaela to respond, but they didn’t say a word.
I glanced to my right, then my left, but neither one was looking at me. They were just staring straight ahead, not saying anything.
“What?”
“Nothing,” Mikaela said.
Kasi just shook her head.
“What?” I asked again.
“This is the same guy you’ve been mooning over ever since our first month at the Academy, right?” Mikaela demanded.
I rolled her eyes. “I told you. I’m over him.”
“Right,” Mikaela drawled.
“Yeah, but it doesn’t look like he’s over you yet,” Kasi said.
“What are you talking about?”
“Are you serious?” she asked.
“What?”
“That whole scene back there? His serpents posturing in front of a dragon? Him yelling at you for taking a risk?”
“Not to mention how his snakes grew like six feet and covered you from head to toe in their effort to proclaim to everyone around them that you belong to them,” Mikaela said.
“Yeah,” Kasi drawled. “Classic mating behaviors.”
“Oh, don’t be ridiculous!” I exclaimed. “His snakes just like me, that’s all, and they were probably freaked out because of the dragons. But Vorzak? He ignored me every day for two and a half years! There’s no way he’s my fated mate.”
“Well, it’s not like we’re guaranteed intelligent mates,” Mikaela said. “I mean, someone has to take the stupid ones, right?”
Kasi snickered. “And look on the bright side. At least he’s got a smokin’ hot body.”