I raise my silicone broadsword high over my head, drawing both sets of intruder eyes. While they’re distracted, I rear up and send a powerful kick toward Beau’s center of gravity.
Unfortunately, he catches my foot before I can make contact, squeezing it in his giant hand.
“Not again, kitten. Now I know how you fight, and this time I’m ready for it.” Beau doesn’t hold me for long.
“Stop calling me kitten,” I snarl. Swinging the dildo, I manage to smack him in the side.
“Why? It suits you. You’re small, feisty, and I bet you bite. Everything I like in a mate.” He grunts and twists out of my way again. The fucker is afraid to touch my toy. I can use that.
“You’re disgusting,” I grind out, even as I’m contemplating pushing him down onto that empty bed and satisfying my baser urges. Because he’s right. I do bite. I can already imagine the taste of him as I sink my teeth into one of his scent glands, marking him. At least then I might be able to stave off this rut I feel building deep inside me. There are other things much better suited to that particular job.
Beau waggles his eyebrows. “You like it. I can smell it from here. Want to find out just how disgusting I can be? I’m a very dirty boy. Consider it a welcome gift to the person I’m sure will be my favorite neighbor.”
What is up with this guy? He has a lot of nerve. And as for Gabe? He’s just as bad, standing in amusement without a word. “I’m not into role-playing, and I’m not into you. Get the hell out of my room or you will find out just how powerful a female alpha with a dildo is. It’s your ass, so it’s your choice.”
A laugh escapes him, the sound rumbling through me. Damn it. He liked it as much as I liked him mentioning it. His scent permeates in waves—cedar and thyme. Fuck, it makes me hungry, igniting warmth between my legs I’m sure he can smell. “Not until I get what I came for.”
I brace myself, holding my mighty dildo out at arm’s length, so that at least there is something forming a barrier between us.
Beau drops to his haunches and begins to rummage through the suitcase he nabbed upon first entering, shocking the hell out of me. A huge smile lights his face as he lands upon a pair of my white lace panties, and I hold my breath as he raises them to his face, buries his nose in the crotch, and sucks in a giant, lurid breath.
“What the fuck? Are you psycho, you perv?” I manage to compose myself and react, reaching to try to grab my panties back. “Why are you doing this?”
“Because I can. Consider this payment for keeping other bastards out of your room. You think you’re tough, but you’re going to need us. You’ll see. It’ll be fun.” Beau wags my panties at Gabe. “Maybe next time, she’ll be wearing them.”
I’m stunned into silence. I don’t even know how to deal, so I swing my dildo, clobbering Beau in the arm. And I don’t stop. Not until he dodges out of my way and bolts toward the door.
Beau laughs, his handsome smile lighting his expression even more.. “Settle down, kitten. Your life will be easier that way. You could use a friend with benefits, right? Think about it while I’m thinking of you tonight,” he says with one last lingering glance before he pushes past his friend and disappears into the hall.
This can’t be my life now, can it?
What’s worse is that he’s probably right.
GABE
I watch Beau return to our shared dorm room and slam the door behind him. A moment later, his hand reaches out and an old sock appears on the doorknob, telling me to keep my distance for at least the next five minutes—the nasty fuck.
“What? You’re not going to chase after him? He seems like the type to need an audience to get off.” The girl continues to hold her impressive sex toy in front of her as if it poses some kind of actual threat.
“Sorry about him. Mind if I come in?” I ask softly, trying to show that I’m about as scary as that dildo.
Amber rolls her shoulders, loosening up. She points to the empty bed. “As long as you promise to keep Beau out of my way.” Lowering the dildo, she exhales slowly. My low voice works to help settle her down. Where Beau loves to rile people up and get in their heads, I prefer more civility.
Unlike Beau and all the others, I don’t actually belong at Drakewood Academy, and I sense that she might not either.
But can I tell her this? No, not until I know I can trust her. I need to find out more.
Stepping forward, I click the door shut behind me. “He’s harmless really,” I say, even though that couldn’t be farther from the truth. I draw closer and take a seat on the bed she motioned to. “Likes to just fuck around. I’m Gabe, if you didn’t catch it earlier.”
We sit in uncomfortable silence for one beat, then two. My eyes fall to the pendant around her neck—a dark green stone that she keeps touching for comfort. I’m almost certain she’s not going to respond until finally she does.
“Amber.” Her tongue glides over her plump lips, leaving them glossy. She might be more relaxed now, but she’s still guarded.
And I’ve never seen someone look so unhappy to share a simple fact.
“Amber’s a pretty name.” I work hard to keep the alpha baritone from my voice, not wanting to scare her any more than she already is. Yes, I’m an alpha, but I’m not like the others. My strength is in my intellect, not my muscles. And I came to Drakewood for an education, not because I needed reform. I did commit a crime bad enough to land me here, but I made sure no one was hurt when I held up the liquor store down the street from my family’s apartment. We had nothing. No money. No prospects. But I knew that if I could mess up badly enough, my rich grandfather would pay anything to bury the dishonor I threatened to bring to his name.
And now here I am.