Chapter Eight
A firestorm of need surged through Castiel the moment her lips touched his.
The killing rage that had been burning through him a heartbeat ago didn’t vanish so much as it was completely consumed by his desire for her. There simply was no way for him to focus on anything else but Ava while she was in his arms.
What he felt for her was dark, fiercely possessive, and utterly consuming.
It was a hunger that would never be sated.
An overwhelming force that couldn’t be denied.
A raw ache that would never go away. It didn’t ease just because he finally had her in his arms. If anything, it only intensified his feelings for her.
His magic flared, reaching out to her like it had been waiting its entire existence for this exact moment.
It shot out of his chest and flowed directly into hers, marking her as his mate.
He hadn’t meant to share his magic with her and claim her so quickly, but it was completely out of his control.
The bond between them snapped into place.
The connection hummed between them, strong and certain, filling him with a ruthless satisfaction.
Ava was his mate.
It wasn’t a dream. What they had was more than just a distant connection through a screen with miles separating them. She was warm and real in his arms. And now, nothing or no one would ever come between them.
A rush of pleasure surged through him as he was finally able to claim her.
For a second, he couldn’t move. Couldn’t do anything except relish the feeling of her trembling against him.
He just kept kissing her as if his life depended on it, because it did.
She was his lifeline, his only tether connecting him to a world he no longer cared about.
She was his everything, and would remain so until the universe ran out of time.
And even then, he wouldn’t let her go.
Castiel had endured trailing behind her through the maze in secret, careful to mask his presence so she wouldn’t sense him and get distracted.
He’d wanted to go to her, to announce that he was there with her, but he knew it was important for her to get through the testing to prove that she could master her magic on her own.
It had been difficult for him to watch her struggle, particularly after she had fallen. Unable to help himself, he had stepped in and slowed her descent, giving her time to save herself. And when she had, he had been damn proud of her. It had been the same with the other obstacles she faced.
The only time he had directly interfered was to heal her since he couldn’t bear to see her in pain.
Well, that and he had made some of the light orbs a little easier to find.
He didn’t count that as cheating, though.
Craig Blevins had buried the lights too deep in the sand for any of the students to find.
That was helping her without detracting from her efforts or making it seem like he didn’t have faith that she could finish the maze on her own.
But everything had changed the moment that asshole had touched her.
He had to show himself, had to protect her, especially after hearing what that bracelet was doing to her.
The vile words the wolf shifter had spewed at her had driven him close to madness.
Castiel had wanted to rip his head off, but that would have been far too merciful.
He didn’t deserve a quick death. He deserved to suffer, slowly, painfully, until he finally reached a gloriously excruciating end.
Worried about how she would react, Castiel braced himself for her anger. What he hadn’t expected was for her to throw herself into his arms, but he was damn glad she had. Her kiss branded him like a sacred vow, and he answered her passionate plea with equal fervor.
Taking control, he took the kiss deeper. When she opened her mouth for him, he stroked his tongue against hers in hot, urgent demand. Pulling her closer, he slid one hand up to the back of her neck to steady her, while the other tightened around her waist.
He wanted to take her, to fully complete their mating bond, but not here. Not right now. She deserved better. He pulled back, just enough to breathe her in. Resting his forehead against hers, he whispered, “Not yet, mate. This place is monitored and filled with traps. I will not risk you.”
“So, it’s true. We are mates.”
He lowered her feet back to the ground, but refused to release her completely. “We are.”
Castiel blinked when she thumped her fist against his chest. It didn’t hurt, but the move surprised him. “What was that for?”
“Sweet Jesus, you are solid rock. You could at least pretend that you felt that.”
She shook her hand as if it hurt. Grabbing her hand, he inspected it himself. He didn’t sense any injuries, but he blew on it and sent a stream of healing magic into her anyway.
“What would be the point?”
She rolled her eyes. “How long have you known we are mates?”
“Since the day we first spoke.”
Her brows furrowed. “So, you’ve known for days, but you waited until now to show up?”
He had planned to go to her immediately, but the reapers staying with him had caused several disturbances that had required his attention.
She knew that, since he had told her everything that had occurred.
When he had informed the reapers that he would be temporarily moving to Mystic to be with his mate, he’d been shocked when a few of them had wanted to go with him.
Over the last few days, he’d been taking careful, deliberate steps to slide himself into her world without causing too much disruption.
That hadn’t been easy for him. His instincts screamed to claim, safeguard, to remove every threat within miles of her heartbeat.
He didn’t like how crowded the campus was.
Hellfire, if he truly had his way, he wouldn’t let anyone near her.
But Ava wasn’t some fragile female to be caged.
He couldn’t start their life together by ripping her routines apart and isolating her.
So, he’d done what he did best…and planned.
He’d reached out to Damien Carver and called in an old favor, wanting to secure a place close to campus where they could live together.
The arrangement had been simplified when Damien admitted he already owned the small house Ava was renting and offered to transfer it to him.
Castiel hadn’t argued. He’d accepted, because it meant she would have continuity.
She could remain in the familiar, while he quietly built something safer around her.
Killian helped him create a portal that directly connected the house with his villa in Italy.
Even though they could have teleported, the portal made it possible for them to live in two places at once.
She didn’t know about that new feature yet since it had been completed while she was in class, but he was confident she wouldn’t be too upset about the upgrade.
He had also begun maneuvering into place as the magical academy’s next Magical Combat professor.
Although he had a well-respected reputation, he hadn’t expected the process to be so effortless.
In fact, he’d been taken aback by how quickly both the headmaster and the Supernatural Council had granted their approval.
There were no drawn-out deliberations, no probing questions, just an immediate acceptance.
It left him with the uneasy sense that they either trusted him far more than he deserved, or that they had their own reasons for wanting him in that position.
The only stipulation they asked for was a simple one.
The transition had to remain under wraps until after midterms. No announcements, no hints, nothing that might disrupt the students’ focus during exams. He had agreed without hesitation, but the secrecy only added to the strange nature of the entire arrangement.
“Not exactly. I arrived a few days ago.”
That made her eyes widen. “So, you were already here when we were texting and talking on the phone?”
He nodded. “I bought us a home close to campus—”
“You bought us a house? You’re planning to live here in Mystic with me?”
“At least, until you graduate. Then, we can decide where you want to go. I actually bought the house you were renting, but it is now connected to the villa in Amalfi, so we can actually live in Italy most of the time.”
“I…is that even possible?”
“It is. I will also be taking over as the Magical Combat professor next week.”
Her breath wheezed out in a laugh. “Oh, man. How did they convince you to do that?”
Reaching out, he cupped her cheek. “I would do anything to remain by your side.”
“Oh, wow. I’m, umm, not really mad about you waiting to contact me,” she said on a rush, suddenly nervous.
“All of this is just really surprising. I didn’t expect you to just show up here.
I mean, I’m grateful you did. Especially since that asshole pulled me in here, and I’m guessing this storage area is not visible on the viewing screens in the training area. ”
They both glanced over as the wolf shifter let out a pain-filled groan.
“He’s not dead?” Ava sounded a little disappointed by that fact.
“Not yet.” But he would be soon.
“I don’t really care if you do kill him. He deserves it. I just don’t want you to get in trouble.”
“Don’t worry. He will be dealt with.”
Using his magic, he knocked the shifter out again and sent him directly to the dungeon he kept in his villa.
He didn’t use that room often, but it did come in handy when needed.
Lifting her hand again, he studied the bracelet on her wrist. He destroyed it, and the metal pieces fell into his waiting palm with a soft sparkle of magic as the spell inside it was broken.
“That bastard.”
“Brody said the bracelet not only prevented us from shifting, but it was also draining our strength,” she told him.
“Not draining it. Stealing it,” he corrected, his voice harsh with anger. “The bastard was syphoning magic from the shifters using these bracelets. This is made of strong magic. Stronger than that mage would be capable of. So, he must be working with someone else.”
“What?” she gasped. “They were stealing magic from us?”
“Yes. Just a little, so it would barely be noticeable. But if someone was collecting magic from all of the bracelets, it would accumulate to a substantial amount. Are these bracelets being used at the other schools?”
“I have no idea. This is the first time we’ve ever worn them.”
Taking her hand in his, he said, “Come on, let’s get out of here.”
“I still have to finish this stupid test, don’t I?”
His jaw tightened as he clenched his teeth. “Testing is done.”
He teleported them directly to the main training area in the greenhouse. There were several people observing the testing there, and they all stood up at their arrival. He knew his appearance must have alarmed them. Wearing black armor, he looked like the intimidating warrior he was.
“Who are you?” Professor Blevins sputtered. Turning toward Ava, he shook his finger in her direction. “You can’t just leave the maze. That’s cheating!”
Without hesitation, Castiel grabbed the finger and snapped it. The mage let out a cry of pain as he dropped to the ground, cradling his hand against his chest.
“You cheated all of the shifters by making them wear bracelets that weakened them.”
“He did what?” Remy growled.
Castiel immediately recognized Ava’s brother. Holding out the pieces of the broken bracelet for him to see, he said, “The bracelets the shifters are wearing syphon magic.”
Remy let out a furious growl and kicked the mage on the ground hard enough to send his body skidding across the room.
Approving the move, Castiel nodded. Glancing around the room, he noted that none of the students had made it out of the mazes yet.
He focused on using his magic to bring all of the students back to the training area.
The room was immediately filled with a barrage of confused voices, and he noticed that many of the students had visible injuries. The healers who had been waiting and observing their progress rushed to aid the injured students, while a few of the students took care of their own wounds.
“Let me go talk to them,” Ava said, squeezing his hand.
He hadn’t realized he was still holding it, and reluctantly let go.
Even though he wanted to grab hold of Ava and teleport them far away, the issue of the bracelets was too important to leave for the school to deal with.
Watching as Ava moved a few feet away to speak to her friends, he kept his eyes on her as he pulled out his phone to place a call to Lucifer.
“I can’t fucking believe you actually used the phone.”
Castiel sighed. “Then, why did you give it to me? Never mind. Don’t answer that.
I have a situation here at Trifecta University that should be brought to the attention of the new rulers of the Shifter Realm…
and the Supernatural Council. I forgot I don’t have anyone’s contact info in this phone since the only number you programmed in was your own. ”
“What situation?”
Castiel turned to frown at Lucifer. Rather than answering the question over the phone, the King of Hell had decided to appear in person. Ignoring the frantic whispers he heard coming from the students, he explained the situation. Lucifer’s expression darkened as he listened.
“The bracelets seem to be made using a syphoning spell. It’s well hidden and subtle, but it’s there. Could this be similar magic to whatever syphoned the shifter’s magic away all those years ago?”
“I don’t think it’s the same. I think this is something new. Hold on one sec.” Lucifer pulled his phone out and dialed a number. When the call was answered, he said, “You need to come to the training center in the Trifecta University greenhouse right now. It’s an emergency.”
He hung up before the other person could respond.