Succubus Soul Page 13

  Did that mean I’d found one prince—albeit not a literal one—willing to go all the way, virginal or not? Or perhaps he suspected I was no virgin after my royal dates.

  Maybe it was because I knew him better.

  But now, here, my mind still abuzz—I’d skirt the definition of the v-word again.

  “I have a better idea,” I said, gripping the hem of his pants and pulling down, shimmying backward to allow his entire member to spring free.

  It was thick, practically straining at the skin, a long, bulging vein wrapped up and around the stalk. I wasn’t sure I could fit that in my mouth, but my thighs grew wet with sleekness that craved his cock in one way or another—and I needed it now.

  I took the tip between my lips, massaging it with my tongue, and his breath hitched, a low growl escaping between his teeth. Then I slowly took the head in, sucking, the salty sweat like nectar.

  “Bry,” he said softly.

  My tongue worked around the stalk as I relaxed my throat and grasped more and more inside me. His cock pulsated inside me, responding to my tongue and the way my lips wrapped around, sucking, quivering, taking almost the entire thing in until I swore I could fit no more. My hands dug into his thick thighs as I inhaled the scent of him, sweat mixed with old books and a touch of an animalistic-like musk. Or maybe that was just what I associated with him, what I consumed of him as my throat grew hoarse, his member shuddering.

  And then with a deep, throaty growl, he lunged forward into my mouth, his cock erupting until the back of my throat was coated with his sleek, salty semen.

  We stayed there together, as one, as long as we could both manage, and then finally, my need for air overcame the pins and needles between my legs and I let his member slide out from between my lips.

  Wiping my mouth with the back of my hand, I swallowed and stared up at him, his heaving chest moving in time with my own.

  “Bry,” he said softly, his hand moving down between my legs, teasing at my slit.

  I collapsed on the bed beside him, the long but thin cushions meant only for one patient at a time. But we managed, spooning into one another, my bare breasts against his warm skin, my cheek against his clavicle as his hand went to work, sliding beneath the elastic of my pajama shorts. It moved slowly, teasing at the clit, then traveling down between my labia, the moist sleekness of my folds making his fingers glide without resistance.

  My breaths grew shallower as I moaned, burying my lips against his skin to keep from crying out and waking up the whole school.

  And then there it was, his fingers dipping just inside me, the pressure against my apex so intense that I had to scream—at least a little. I buried my face harder against his skin, nipping at it as I orgasmed.

  Chuckling, he pulled his fingers out, sliding his digits softly up my abdomen. He shifted to get more comfortable and wrapped his arm around my back.

  “Thank you,” he whispered, kissing the top of my head.

  “It couldn’t have been that great.” I didn’t want to admit I hadn’t really known what I was doing. He certainly seemed to have. My body still shuddered at the echo of his touch.

  “Oh, it was,” he said, his voice sultry. “But more than that… Thank you. For forgiving me. For accepting me, even if just for one night.”

  I opened my mouth to tell him he was wrong, that I hadn’t meant for this to be some strange, hazy infirmary-based one-night stand.

  But I wasn’t ready to decide. Derek was home, but he was also someone with dreams—dreams that would take him away from me.

  And Princes Rio and Zeke, as new to me as they were, as mysterious as they still might be, had opened themselves up to me in the short amount of time I’d known them—more than I’d ever dreamed possible.

  And there was still one more date, the matter of Prince Trey.

  I could make my decision later. For now, I trailed a finger through the soft curls on Derek’s chest, focusing on the man in my arms right now, until I finally drifted off to sleep.

  Chapter Fourteen

  When I woke up, my pajama top was lying on top of my chest along with an infirmary blanket and Derek was nowhere to be found.

  There was some shuffling off in another room and I blinked my bleary eyes until I saw Professor Wade tinkering at his computer, sunlight streaming in through the window across from me. I slipped on my pajama top and got up, finding my sneakers next to the table beside my bed.

  “Professor Wade?” I asked. “Am I good to go?”

  “Oh. Bryony.” Professor Wade pushed his glasses up and looked up from his computer monitor. “How are you feeling, kiddo?”

  As one of my parents’ friends and a founding member of Veras, Professor Wade sometimes seemed to forget I was an adult. “Fine,” I said. My stomach rumbled and I put a hand to it, my cheeks flushing. “Hungry.”

  “Head on down to the dining hall.” He picked up the comm bracelet he’d left beside his computer keyboard. “I’ll let your parents know you’re up.”

  “Are they still on their mission?”

  Professor Wade grimaced. “We’re not having much luck. Your mom and Nash swapped with Roulette and Darien.” The latter two were Derek’s parents and their return perhaps explained his absence from my bed this morning. Unless it had just been a matter of keeping our rather intimate night a secret from Professor Wade. “Jayden’s still here, consulting with Alarik and Zander.”

  “It’s fine,” I said. “Don’t bother them. They need to find that fugitive.” Mom and Dads hadn’t told me a lot about their conflicts with Xerxes, but if he was the only Nelian in Earth custody after the invasion, I knew it couldn’t be great.

  Professor Wade put his comm down warily. “I’ll let them know as soon as they check in.”

  “Thanks.” Padding out into the hallway, the buzz of kids from the nearby elementary school division pierced through the relative quiet I’d experienced in the infirmary. Heading toward the dining hall, twice I had to flatten myself against the wall to let some giggling, running children pass.

  “Slow down!” I shouted, standing in for the teachers who’d lost track of them. “No running inside!”

  The second time, a familiar blond head stopped in his tracks and turned around, a giant grin appearing on his little face as he looked up at me.

  It was the kid who’d had a power meltdown on the playground the other day. His friend hovered behind him, leaning halfway in the direction of the dining hall, bouncing. But the little boy shuffled awkwardly, his hands behind his back.

  “Thank you,” he said softly. He gestured for me to come closer so he could whisper something to me. I did, leaning over. Instead, he kissed me on the cheek.

  Giggling, he ran off with his friend, and I stood, rubbing my cheek, sort of shell-shocked.

  “I hear you’re a charmer,” said a baritone voice with a London lilt. “But I didn’t realize my competition extended to the second grade.”

  A rush of adrenaline flooded my body as I turned on my heel, a prickling sensation on the back of my neck.

  Prince Trey stood there, all charm and grace, thrusting his chest out as he made unwavering eye contact. He looked good even in “casual wear,” though there was a stiffness, a complete lack of wrinkles, in his clothes that still made him seem “more than” everyone around him. His green plaid shirt was open, revealing a skin-tight gray T-shirt that practically popped at every angle of his muscles. His jeans were dark, and though not too tight, they clung to his thighs and calves in unmistakable dips and curves. As he ran a hand through his wavy blond hair, I caught a whiff of lemongrass.

  “Prince Trey,” I said when I realized more than enough time had passed since he’d addressed me to make this astonishingly awkward. Though children still meandered in the halls around us, there was no sign of any of his guards or the other princes or anyone we knew at all. I felt strangely vulnerable, though that might have had to do with the fact that he was incredibly handsome and he knew it.

  That was the k
ind of attitude that was infuriating and sexy all at once.

  “I was on my way to get news of your condition.” His gaze trailed down to my stomach, and I realized with a start that I was wearing a wrinkly, sloppy pajama top and pajama shorts with my feet in still-dirty sneakers.

  My casual clothes were definitely not in any way, shape, or form indicative of my royal status.

  “I’m fine, thank you.” My stomach rumbled. “I was on my way back to the dorm to shower and”—my head grew fuzzy at the fact that I’d just spoken about showering to this prince, and his eyebrow arched perceptively—“change,” I finished lamely.

  “Well, do not let me detain you.” His head tipped back slightly. “I’m glad to see you recovered. Yesterday must have been exhausting.” His smirk gave extra meaning to the word.

  Stupid princes and their stupid tell-all friendship.

  I tossed back a lock of hair over my shoulder. “Riding a giant boar of Nelia and swimming in a waterfall can do that to a lady,” I said, not rising to the bait.

  He shook his head just slightly, his eyes sparkling as he held back a laugh. “I’m sorry to have missed it. If you’re feeling well enough, I thought we might have our date today.”

  Chewing my lip, I nodded slightly. I supposed it couldn’t be helped that the princes had things to do and places to be—that they wanted to get their formal dates with me over with and then…

  Then, I really had no idea what would happen. But perhaps some time apart, to think it all over, to let me feel their absence before I committed to anything life-long, would be best. Did they really need to be “exchange students,” lingering in the hallways? They were all slightly older than I was.

  Besides, I didn’t have to worry about Prince Trey. It was clear he was capable of charming the socks off a lady if he wanted to, but that just meant he was less likely to get attached.

  I felt lighter for a moment. We could have some fun.

  “Sure,” I said. “What did you have in mind?”

  “There’s an amusement park outside of town.”

  I cocked my head. Amusement park? Jollity Land? It was a no-frills, ride-focused place, but it was the biggest park of its kind for hundreds of miles in any direction. Well, there wouldn’t be time for any playing around with him. But it was just as well. Three men in my headspace was two men too many as it was. “I didn’t take you for the amusement park type.”

  He leaned in closer, one forearm resting on the wall behind me, practically forcing me to flatten my back up against it. “You will find I’m full of surprises.”

  My throat went dry as my beating heart nearly caught in my chest. “What time?” I asked through the frog in my throat.

  “Perhaps the afternoon is best. Say 2:00?” He leaned back.

  “Sure.” I moved to head down the hallway when an announcement blasted out over the intercom. “Grades nine through university,” came Dad Jayden’s direct, no-nonsense voice, “report to the dining hall in twenty minutes. No exceptions. Lower school students report to the backyard. Repeat, grades nine through university…”

  “That sounds ominous,” said Trey from behind me.

  “You should check in with your security detail,” I said, my Veras Academy instincts kicking in as I turned to head toward the dorm. I’d need to take the world’s fastest shower, but I’d get it done.

  Separating the kids from the older Natches usually meant an important message had to be conveyed in two very different ways: Be aware and report to a teacher versus get ready to fight.

  We’d never actually had to fight before.

  If we did, I’d be ready.

  “Here,” said Rajani as she came back to the table with a croissant and a banana in hand. She practically bounced as she moved. “I rustled this up from the kitchen since you missed breakfast.”

  Derek looked up sheepishly at that from the projected book screen in his lap but didn’t say anything.

  “Thanks,” I said, practically ripping off the banana peel to quell the rumbling of my stomach. I shared a smile with Derek, glad to have him back at my side, and squeezed his knee as three of my dads walked to the back of the room, where there was a large wall on which an image could be projected. Roulette and Ice-Blast, Derek’s parents, joined their huddle, and the five of them whispered as the room grew more and more crowded and everyone else trickled in.

  I stuffed the croissant in my mouth, chewing as fast as I could as I observed the rest of the room. All three princes were present, congregated toward one wall, their guards spread out around them.

  My brother was nowhere to be found, but if the kids were outside, Lacey was likely with them—which meant Sage probably headed outside for the kid-friendly lecture.

  Hazel and her cohorts got up from the table at which they’d seated themselves and managed to bully their way into making some space at a table full of young teenagers that was nearest the visiting royalty.

  Prince Rio raised a questioning eyebrow and Zeke shifted in place, looking over their heads, but Prince Trey put on a dazzling smile and made eye contact with each in turn, practically causing them to melt into their benches.

  No wonder they thought they had a shot.

  “Listen up!” said Papa Zander, and all the flutter of conversations went quiet. None of us had grown up with Zander being a known and wanted outlaw, but his demeanor still carried some of righteousness and confidence of someone who demanded to be paid attention to. “I’m sure you’re aware, but there’s a security threat to this institution.”

  An image of a Nelian appeared on the wall, the same mugshot I’d seen on the news, his cropped green hair clashing with the top of his orange jumpsuit. Daddy Alarik looked at the image and his posture stooped, his chin trembling slightly as he looked away.

  A strange almost phantom-like sensation washed over me, seeing him in pain.

  This threat meant more to him than I’d realized. His connection with his subject gone rogue…

  “This is Xerxes,” said Papa Zander. “He’s a Nelian who’s been imprisoned on Earth for the past twenty-two years.” He rubbed his chin thoughtfully as he stared at the picture. “He escaped two days ago and is thought to be working with Natches, whose identities and abilities are largely unknown.”

  He threw up a shot of what looked like security camera footage of a brick wall. A man covered head-to-toe in black, his face obscured by a ski mask, approached the wall and with a flash of light, it melted, turning into goo. Xerxes walked slowly out of the hole shortly thereafter, clearly having waited for him.

  “There’s this Natch, suspected to be a man around six-feet, two hundred pounds, who can melt rock. Perhaps more.” Dad Jayden pointed to the figure in the mask. He clicked a button on a remote and two more figures in all black appeared on the screen. “Another man and a woman, their powers unknown if they’re Natches, drove an armored vehicle through the fences to pick him up. We’ve found evidence that they were contracted to help, not supporters of Xerxes in any way, but as to whether or not they’re still with him, we can’t be sure. Xerxes himself cannot create a portal or summon vines. His ability is one-of-a-kind among his people. He forces people to tell the truth.”

  Hazel snorted so loudly, everyone in the room turned to her. She shrugged, her friends all devolving into giggles.

  “Do not make light of this ability,” said Daddy Alarik, stepping forward. “It may not be dangerous on its surface, but we suspect it has been used to blackmail powerful people, who arranged for this secret Natch strike team to stage his escape.”

  Rajani raised a hand in the air and spoke once Dad Jayden had nodded at her. “But how was he given access to these people in order to get whatever information he’s blackmailing them with?”

  Papa Zander grimaced. “We’re working on uncovering that, too, to find leads as to who might know where they went next.”

  Roulette spoke up, her bright-red dyed hair one of the inspirations for my own look. “Xerxes has been spotted in several states s
ince the breakout,” she said, clicking a few buttons on a remote and showing more security footage as well as some photos clearly shot on phones. Xerxes, now dressed in khakis and a black T-shirt, his muscles practically bulging out of every inch of the fabric, came out of a store, his arms loaded with food he no doubt hadn’t paid for. In another, he was simply walking down the street, rushing with some purpose. He was always alone, no sign of his Natch companions.

  “Every time he’s spotted,” said Ice-Blast, a slight trace of a Puerto Rican accent in his words, “we send a team, but he’s no longer there. He appears to be alone, but there’s something… purposeful about the way he’s caught on camera.” He scratched his salt-and-pepper beard as he studied the images, clearly lost in thought.

  “We don’t know what his end goal is,” said Daddy Alarik. He nodded toward the kitchen, where some of his guards had gathered, including Connak. Rajani grinned broadly and I suddenly realized why she’d been so giddy when she’d brought me my breakfast. “We’re monitoring the situation on Nelia, keeping a close eye on past accomplices of the Nelian traitor, but we’re certain no one has used a portal to move the man to his home planet.” He went quiet at that, his Adam’s apple bobbing visibly. Was he actually certain? He didn’t seem to be.

  “Which means,” said Papa Zander, crossing his arms tightly, “he needs to stay on Earth. But whether he hopes to eke out some kind of life here or he has something more nefarious in mind, we can’t yet say.” His eyes darted pointedly to me, and though he didn’t speak in my mind, he sent some kind of sensation that made the fine hairs all over my body stand on end. “We just need you all to be aware that there’s a chance he’ll show his face here or anywhere in town. He’d be an idiot to come to the place that’s most prepared and able to deal with a threat like him—especially if he’s working alone after the breakout—but there’s still a chance.”

  “Princess Alanna has been sequestered to her home,” said Dad Jayden. “She has a personal connection to him that might make her a target, and we don’t want the sudden loss of anyone’s powers to occur during an inopportune time. Her husbands are keeping her well under guard, along with a few more from Nelia.”