Page 54 of Dead Wolf Falling (Bad Moon Academy 2)

Chapter 12

RAVEN

Lunch is uneventful. Everyone made it back to the cafeteria unharmed and there have been no Jinx sightings. Adler, Brayden, and Draco have been gathering fresh meat and using the limited supplies in the pantry to figure out what to make for the next few days. It’s nice to see them all working together, knowing that we can be a team is important to me, especially if we’re sealing the deal tonight.

I’d like to breathe easy, but I know as soon as I start to relax, she’ll pop up to cause trouble. Jinx won’t let us off without a little bit of psychological torture. She enjoys it too much. Everett drones on about controlling the wolf inside, but I’m so tired from my early morning guard shift I end up propping my head up with my hand and nodding off. I’m in the middle of chasing bunnies, a dream courtesy of Joan, when he whispers in my ear.

“Wakey, wakey.”

“Five more minutes,” I mumble, slowly opening my eyes to find it’s just me, him, and Bea. The little shifter giggles when I wipe my palm over my chin, only to find a small trail of drool. “Ugh, you should have told me, Bea!”

“You were snoring so peacefully,” she says, laughing even harder when I make a noise in mock frustration.

“You let me snore? Traitor,” I whisper the last word, and she tilts her head to the side.

“Come on, Raven, you know I’m on your side.” Bea slips out of her desk and walks over. “What are we doing tonight?”

“I know you are.” I reach out and pat her arm then flick my gaze to Everett who turns his head and whistles, not helping me one bit. With narrowed eyes on him, I say, “Uh, the guys and I have something to take care of.”

“Oh my god, you’re going to have sex, aren’t you?”

Her squeaked question has both Everett and me turning to give her an appraising look. She’s fourteen, so I guess it’s not too unusual for her to know what sex is, but still, she’s so young and I’m not really comfortable talking to her about my gang bang.

“Um, it’s the luna ritual,” is all I can muster.

She nods. “I’ve read all about it. Five men for one luna.” She continues to rattle off random facts about lunas and their harems, making me feel a little uneducated. I haven’t even studied anything about my shifter status.

You don’t need a book. You have me.

True, but I feel like I should have at least tried to figure out as much as I could before agreeing to this.

Joan sighs.I’ve given you all you really need to know. The men complete us, and in turn, our power will grow as a unit. A luna with a harem is a formidable force. Great sex, built-in cooks, and unlimited snuggles. . . any other questions?

As if it’s that simple. Joan doesn’t understand why the idea is so bizarre to me. I’ve grown up learning that marriage is between two people. Sure, I’ve heard of polyamorous relationships but this is a little different. They’re all mine, no sharing, no other women. Just wholly and completelymine. Them being excited about it and not bickering about things has made it a lot easier, but the whole idea is still weird to me.

But blood? What sort of ritual includes blood?

It won’t hurt,Joan says.It’s only a short part of the ritual and all the peens will seriously make up for that bit.

Oh god. There are five of them, Joan. This is a horrible idea. How will it even work? There are only so many places they can go!

Suck it up, buttercup. You’re about to be deep in harem love, and you’re going to be so annoyed with yourself for waiting this long to get all that deliciously thick—

Joan!

What? You were thinking about it.

Ugh. Wolves. I put a thin wall between her and me in my mind, politely asking for space but giving her the ability to push through if she really wanted to. Knowing how nervous I am, she doesn’t come in and continue her lecture about how much I’ll love my harem. It seems we’re learning more about when to back off so the other doesn’t get overwhelmed, and it’s nice knowing she understands when I need a moment.

Or maybe she’s trying to be good so I actually go through with the ritual tonight. One thing I know for sure is that I need a long, hot shower to feel even close to ready for what is in store for me.

EVERETT

The guys head to the locker rooms to shower, leaving the women behind. I’m a little uneasy about separating, but Raven is strong and the other women, while not lunas, are also capable of taking care of themselves for an hour. There are only six showers, so we rotate showering, getting dressed, and watching out for any sign of Jinx.

Adler leans against the wall next to where I stand, tipping his head back to rest against the brick. I try to think of something to say that doesn’t sound douchey or like a lie.

“Can you believe it’s only Monday?” I run my hand over my face. “Fucking Mondays, am I right?”

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