Chapter 6 #2
I snatch a glance at where Professor Lankin is busy discussing something with another student across the room, but my gaze flicks back to Galen when something colorful catches my eye.
His grin grows when my gaze lands on the object he’s holding, and my jaw drops.
“What is that?” I practically squeak.
He casually lifts the hardcover that was resting on his lap.
Its spine is thick, and it has a black and red cover that glitters in the candlelight.
Smiling, he turns the book so the pages are facing me, and I gasp at the incredible artwork that’s painted on the edges.
A tree with tiny red leaves drifts across the edge of the pages, and in the distance is a stone castle with towers that reach high into a starry midnight sky.
“You like it?” Galen asks.
“Like it?” I stare at him incredulously. “It’s stunning.”
Appreciation twinkles in his gaze, and he stares at the book proudly. “It took a bit to get my technique right when painting the edges, but yes, I do think it turned out rather wonderfully.”
My brows shoot high. “Hold on, you painted that?”
“Rebound and painted,” he corrects. Lifting from the chair, he moves until he’s standing in front of me. Now that he’s closer, I can read the sparkling title of the book, and there’s something familiar about the poetic words. My gaze lifts to meet his eyes. “I’ve seen this before.”
“Possibly,” he murmurs. “It’s one of my favorites, and you may have seen it in my office.”
“One of your favorites?”
“Yes, and I had intended to gift it to you.”
I think of the books in his office, and I narrow my eyes suspiciously. “Wait. Is this a history book? Because if it’s one of your favorites, that could mean anything.”
He smirks. “Rest assured, this is one of my favorites that I believe would also suit your tastes.”
I arch a brow, still not convinced. I mean, of course I want the book anyway, it’s gorgeous, but if it’s non-fiction, my level of desperation for it can be adjusted.
He chuckles like he can understand my train of thought. “Think enemies-to-lovers, forced proximity, and all the monster smut you could want.”
I groan, then quickly stop myself. A student close by is staring at me strangely, and I give him a thumbs up. “I just love cloaking,” I lie. “It gives you a rush, doesn’t it?” Thankfully, the guy gives me a weird look and turns away, working on cloaking himself again.
“Okay, you need to stop talking dirty to me or both of us are going to get caught,” I say to Galen.
He laughs, and the sound warms me from the inside. I’m still smiling when I finally process the other part of what he’s said, and my happiness dims a little. “Wait, what do you mean you had intended to gift it to me?”
My mate drums his long fingers on the cover of the book. “Well, now I’m wondering if perhaps you should earn it. That this may be just the motivation you need.”
I purse my lips. “I’ve been trying to use my magic this whole time.”
“So it seems,” he replies. “But I’m merely suggesting some positive reinforcement may help things along. Something is clearly blocking your magic, and perhaps some extra motivation wouldn’t hurt.”
“You don’t think death and surviving the games are enough to motivate me?”
He waves the book in his hand. “Let’s find out, shall we?”
His smile turns mischievous, and before I can grab the gorgeous book, he adds another layer to his cloak, turning himself invisible even to me and taking the book with him.
“I thought you said it was a gift,” I grumble.
“Cloak yourself and the book is yours,” he replies, even though I can’t see him.
“This is ridiculous.”
“So, you don’t want to read about the moment the seven-foot monster guard says ‘fuck it’ and has his way with the captive princess?”
Ho-ly book gods. “You know I hate you right now, don’t you?”
Galen laughs again. “Find me, treasure,” he purrs.
Letting out a frustrated huff, I close my eyes.
All right, cloaking. Come on shadow magic, I could really use a smutty book to escape into tonight.
Especially a glittery, colorful, entirely too pretty book.
Magic seeps from my ring, making my body tingle.
That’s right, I say, coaxing my power. Play nice so I can get my hands on that beauty.
Despite the temptation, I’m still doubtful about Galen’s methods.
“You know this is stupid, right?” I tell him. “There’s no way this will work.”
“Humor me,” he purrs.
A part of me wishes I could get the book just so I could throw it at his head, but let’s be real, there’s no way I’d damage the special edition. No matter how much he’s teasing me.
Moments pass, and predictably, nothing happens. “I told you this wouldn’t work,” I grumble.
“Painted edges,” Galen simply replies, saying it in a ghostly voice. He’s being ridiculous, but I can’t help the smile that crawls onto my face.
“Colored illustrations,” he goes on in that haunting voice. “Focus and it could be yours.”
I want to punch him so bad right now, but instead I keep working on my magic. Come on, powers. Mama needs a hand-painted one of a kind— My words cut off as the flow of magic suddenly intensifies, and a surge of power goes through me.
Oh, shit. Startled, I snap my eyes open to find the world is a strange hue of a darker gray, and I can see all of the students around me. Some of them have a slight blur touching the edges of their forms, but they’re all there. None of them look my way.
Standing directly before me, Galen smiles, his form crystal clear as he holds out the book. When I reach out and attempt to take it from him, the hardcover vanishes completely. What the hell?
“It was an illusion,” Galen explains.
I glare at him. “Now who has a death wish? That’s meannnn.” I’m tempted to give him the water works to make him feel bad, but he quickly holds his hands up in a placating gesture.
“I promise the real book will be waiting for you tonight,” he says. “For now, you’re cloaked,” he points out, smiling smugly.
I still scowl at him, because teasing me like that was just rude, but I can’t argue with the result. “This doesn’t make sense. It’s not like I wasn’t trying before. Are you saying I managed to cloak because of a book?”
He chuckles. “Not exactly. I’d say it’s more that you needed a simpler goal to focus on. The book was merely a tool to get you to stop overthinking the process.”
I nod slowly, though I’m still not quite sure I understand. I peer at the students. None of them are looking at me. “Can they see us?”
“They’re all on different levels of cloaking,” Galen answers, “but no, they can’t see us.”
Surprise filters through me.
“And now,” Galen murmurs. “Let’s see how long you can hold it.” One moment Galen is standing there smirking, and the next he’s behind me, shadows filling the air around us. He moves in close, and I feel the curve of his smile as he places a soft kiss to my neck.
“What are you doing?” I rasp.
“Continuing to motivate you, treasure.” He kisses my neck again, this time just beneath my jaw. “Hold the cloak, and your classmates won’t see the pretty little faces you make when I pleasure you.”
Well, holy son of a demon.
He runs his hand along my arm and slides it down, grabbing my waist while his other hand lowers to my pants.
“Nope. No. It’s too much. You know I can’t do this,” I hiss at him. “It’s a miracle I even managed to cloak myself.”
He merely laughs and with one yank, he pulls my pants down exposing me to the cool air. I yelp, scrambling to focus my mind and hold on to the cloak.
“Galen, I can’t,” I whisper. I want to remind him that I struggle with the simpler shadow tasks like conjuring food and changing my outfits. Holding onto a cloak that I’ve only just managed to create? Yeah, that’s asking a bit much.
He presses up behind me, and I feel his hardness through his pants. Oh sweet baby book gods. Sweat beads on my brow as I struggle to keep my grasp on the magic.
“You can,” Galen drawls into my ear before clamping onto my earlobe with his teeth.
Moving his hand, he slides his fingers between my legs and through my wetness, stroking up and down my center.
“Wielding shadow magic isn’t simply about focus.
It’s also about willpower. And right now, the question is if you want your classmates witnessing me filling you with my fingers or not? ”
I know he’s bluffing, because the last thing my guys want is the queen finding out just how obsessed with me they are, and her piecing together that I’m their mate. But that doesn’t stop my heart from racing as I take note of the students around us. I suck in a sharp breath, my throat suddenly dry.
My thighs tremble. “You’re an asshole, you know that, right?” I whisper back to him.
“Mmm so you’ve told me, treasure,” he purrs.
I gasp as he lazily pushes his finger inside me before pulling it out slowly.
Lifting his hand, his gaze heats as he stares at his slick finger, and he licks it clean.
His eyes darken as he tastes me, and my core clenches at the predatory glint in his eyes.
He grips my hip tighter, positioning himself like he’s imagining freeing his cock and driving it into me.
“Yes,” I moan, desperate for more.
Reaching back, I move a fraction so I can rub the front of his pants. When he groans, I smile in satisfaction.
In response, he thrusts two fingers into me, and I whimper at the pleasure. He pumps them in and out of me, and I scrunch my face, trying to hold onto my magic as he fucks me with his fingers.
“More,” I rasp, as my release builds. I should be asking him to stop, because I’m pretty sure I can’t hold the cloak much longer, but all I want is him.
“Galen,” I whisper.
He nips at my ear again. “You know I want nothing more than to bury myself inside you, mate,” he croaks, his voice tortured.
“Then do it,” I pant.
For a moment, I think he’s going to. That he’s finally going to give in and fuck me like I want him to. But then an icy shadow moves against my clit as he pushes his fingers deeper and faster, and the sensation becomes too much.
My release rushes up, hard and fast, and I cry out as I tip over the edge. My magic splutters. “I can’t hold on to the cloak,” I squeak as the waves of pleasure continue to crash into me. “Galen.”
Just as I’m sure I’ll become visible to the entire class, Galen’s shadows envelope me, and he uses his magic to cloak me instead. I shudder as he holds me, and when I can finally breathe evenly again, he presses a kiss to my temple.
“I’ve got you,” he murmurs. “Well done, my mate.” His eyes are still hooded with desire, but his movements are gentle as he redresses me and presses soft kisses to the side of my face. “How—” he mutters to himself as he holds me. “How can you be so perfect?”
My heart stutters, but before I can respond he moves, his shadows gently depositing me onto the chair behind us. “The book will be waiting for you tonight,” he tells me, and with a last sensual smile, he disappears.
The moment he’s gone, the cloak around me is removed, and there are whispers as my classmates spot me again.
Kenzie drops into the chair beside me. “Whoa, girl you did it!”
I smile and clear my throat. “Yeah, I guess I did.”