Page 79 of Shattered Illusion

“Nope. I’m going to run you a bubble bath, clean your body thoroughly with my tongue, and then spend the rest of the night dirtying you up again.” My sore pussy flutters around his still-hard cock, making him groan. “Mmmm, such a dirty girl.”

“And what if Luka shows up here?” I just have to ask.

“He can either watch, join, or get the fuck out.”

Much to Axel’s absolute delight, Luka, in fact, does not show up at his house the rest of the night, leaving him ample time to explore every inch of my body well into the early morning hoursand proving how much he really does want this bond between us, clearing any lingering doubts I may have had.

The past twoweeks have been a whirlwind of sweetness that comes in the form of two men. My mates. The men I am lucky enough to spend the rest of my life with. No matter how long that is.

Given what I am, it may not be long if anyone finds out, but we’ll make every minute count. That’s all we can really do.

A buzz seems to be spreading through the academy, every student exuding excitement over something. I just wish I was in the know so I could be excited, too. Or, you know, scared. Because it could go either way when it comes to me.

The chatter in the dining hall is louder than I’ve ever heard it before, and people are mingling at tables they don’t usually sit at. And all it does is confirm the thought that something big is going down. Someone is going to need to spill the tea soon before I combust.

There’s one person who will, and she’s currently sitting at our table, waving big arms around to garner my attention. An infectious smile lights up her face with whatever she has toshare, and as much as I want to rush over there and let her tell me, I need food.

Barely anyone is waiting in line to hit the buffet, and I make it through quickly, my tray piled to the max with grub. Marion is practically bouncing in her seat by the time I get there, her need to tell me what’s going on overpowering her need to eat. Her tray is still full, and I think it’s the first time she hasn’t been through at least half of it by the time I’ve sat down.

I can see in her eyes that she’s begging me to ask what has her so excited, so I ignore her, slowly putting bites of food in my mouth and chewing slowly. Small moans slip from my lips, an exaggeration on my part just to piss my bestie off.

And damn, does it work.

“Dammit, Bails.” She smacks her hands to the tabletop. “Stop being a bitch and ask already.”

I snort mid-bite, the food catching in my throat. Coughs rack my body, tears leaking from my eyes before a hard hand smacks my back a few times, and the food clears.

“Thanks.” I peer up, thanking whoever saved me, only to come face to face with Professor Asshole himself.

“You’re welcome, mate,” he mutters, but before he can leave, I hiss, “You don’t have the right to call me that.”

“I know,” he murmurs sadly before taking his leave, heading back to his side of the dining hall.

A shiver that I wish was more disgust than excitement nips down my spine, but before I can analyze why, I turn back to Marion, forgetting he was even here.

“Alright, fine, Mare-bear,” I rasp, my throat dry and scratchy. “What has you so excited?”

She squeals, bouncing in her seat once more. The nearby tables turn toward us, causing me to duck my head so they’ll ignore us. When they return to their own breakfast, Marion lurches across the table, grabbing my hands.

“The annual gala is coming up!” A few people cheer at her words, and the dining hall chatter ramps up once more.

The what? This is the first I’ve heard of it.

“Bails, please tell me those yummy men of yours have mentioned the annual veil-shattering gala.” I shake my head, wisps of hair falling from my high ponytail. She gapes at me before mumbling, “I’m going to beat their asses.” Then, louder for me, she says, “It’s a big party at the council building we hold every year to celebrate the day we came out of the shadows. Everyone attends, and the party lasts well into the next day.”

“So then, why don’t they just call it a party? Gala sounds too… formal.” I shrug, not all that interested in attending something where there will be so many people.

“Because it is formal, silly. The men wear suits and tuxedos. The women wear fancy gowns. It’s the one time of year when all the big designers showcase their work while we celebrate.”

I grimace. “Is it mandatory? Cause that really doesn’t sound like a good time to me. I’m not into all that stuffy shit. Plus, you’ll have your date, or you know, dates…” I trail off, nodding toward the table with the shifters listening intently to every word we’re saying even though we’re talking quieter than most. “And I don’t want to feel like a sixth wheel.”

“Those assholes?” Growls from the next table over punctuate her words, only confirming my suspicion. “Nope. I’m done with them. They need to learn how to treat a lady.” She fluffs her hair. “And I don’t mean like a damn weak princess. I’m stronger than all of them, yet they treat me like I’m fragile and can’t handle my own shit. Jokes on them, though.”

“Okay.” I lean closer, and so does she. “So if you’re not going with them, who are you going with?”

“Hudson.” I rear back, not expecting that to be her answer.

“Your brother?”

---