Page 33 of Bound By Earth (The Nature Hunters Academy 1)

Concealing himself was becoming a habit for Elias lately. He’d done the same thing the night before when he’d gone to Tara’s house. After meeting Tucker a day ago, Elias knew he couldn’t let the water acolyte roam unchecked. Jax agreed and allowed Elias to follow the boy. Just as suspected, Tucker had ended up at Tara’s house. The boy had prowled around outside for a while then left. Elias had refused to leave Tara after that. He’d stayed and watched over her because the idea of Tara in any type of danger enraged him. Was that disturbing? Perhaps. Did it change the fact that he’d be at her house again tonight? Not achance.

He knew she was most likely not in any more danger here than at her school. But he wanted to see her one more time before she was tucked away and beyond his reach within the walls of the building. He’d been waiting for at least thirty minutes when he felt his eyes being pulled to the right where the student parking lot was located. He found her immediately. She was like a siren’s call to him, and he was unable to drag his attention away. Elias had to force himself to remain where he was instead of going to her and asking her how she slept, if she’d had anything to eat, or if she needed anything. He wanted to make sure she was taken care of, and he needed to be the one doing thecaretaking.

She looked beautiful. Her long wavy hair swayed slightly as she walked. Her eyes were sparkling with amusement as she talked with her friend, Shelly. Snug jeans showcased her legs and backside, and what a glorious backside it was. Her shirt hung off one shoulder, revealing the tantalizing flesh. Tara had no idea how attractive she was. She was oblivious to the eyes that followed her. But Elias wasn’t, and it made him jealous to see high school guys drooling over her. But to his pleasure, she ignored them all and just focused on Shelly, who was talking animatedly. When they disappeared into the school, he sighed and leaned against the tree. The brief glimpse wasn’t enough. After being at her house last night—being near her even though he hadn’t been with her—he felt addicted. Everything about her called to everything inside of him. His magic was going haywire and pulling him toward her. He didn’t understand it, and if he was honest, he was a little horrified by his obsession with a girl he’d met twenty-four hours prior.And even twenty-four hours ago when he’d first met her, his magic had reached out for hers. It had wanted to connect with her. For the first time since realizing what he had become, he got the feeling his magic—the magic given to him by Mother Earth and the elementals—was a separate entity from him. It lived inside of him, and it allowed him to wield it and use it, but his magic wasn’t beholden to him. And for some reason, the magic living inside of him wanted to be joined with the magic inside of Tara. There was a possessive nature to it and a longing to be near her. The other thing Elias had realized was that his own feelings, separate from his magic, felt the same way. What did thatmean?

He’d been attracted to females in the past but had never wanted them, never felt as if he belonged with them. And despite any attraction he might have felt, he’d never had the desire to date anyone. He hadn’t mentioned this to Jax. His teacher and mentor thought Elias was so focused on learning how to use the magic and help deal with the dark elementals and their acolytes that he didn’t have time for dating. Elias hadn’t correctedhim.

The subject was entirely too personal to discuss with Jax. Elias would have to do the research on his own to find out if what he was feeling was something that all Nat Vent’s went through, or if it was unique to him for somereason.

Stepping behind the tree, Elias released the spell and was once again visible. Most of the students had gone inside. There were only a few stragglers left. As he headed for his car, his cell phone vibrated in his pocket. He pulled it out, glanced at the screen, and then answered thecall.

“Alrightthen?”

“Why do you always answer the phone like that?” Jaxasked.

“How should I answerit?”

“With a ‘hello.’”

“That is how I answered it,” Eliassaid.

“’Alright then’ is hello?” Jax soundedskeptical.

“I’m not a yank, mate. You can’t expect me to talk like one. Why are you calling? Maybe I should answer it likethat.”

“Tara and Shelly turned in their personality tests to the front office. The office just called me. Can you run in and getthem?”

Elias sighed. “How did you know where Iwas?”

“You don’t seriously think we let our students, no matter their age, just run around unchecked, do you?” Jax asked, sounding amused, but alsoserious.

“Trackers? You put trackers on us?” He really shouldn’t be surprised. The school and the instructors were responsible for the well-being and safety of the students. Not to mention, if one of them got into trouble with a dark elemental, someone would know where to findthem.

“Something like that. Get the papers and come back to thehouse.”

Jax hung up without a goodbye. That was his thing. Never said goodbye or see you later, just ended thecall.

Elias turned back toward the school. His long strides made quick work of the distance, and a couple minutes later he was in the school’soffice.

He smiled at the receptionist and watched the blush rush across her face. It wasn’t his fault he’d been born with a face that apparently drew women in. Usually, it was annoying to be stared at, but he liked it when Tara stared at him. OnlyTara.

“How can I help you?” the womanasked.

“I’m with TGTE. We were at the job fair yesterday. I was told a couple of students dropped off some paperwork forus.”

She blinked several times as if her brain was catching up to what he’d justsaid.

“Ma’am?”

Her face reddened even more. “Right. Of course. They’re right here.” She picked up two stapled packets and handed them to him. Elias thanked her and then headed out, pretending not to hear the sigh the womanmade.

He forced himself not to look at Tara’s sheets and instead set them in the passenger seat and headed to the rental house where he and Jax were staying. Driving away from the school, putting distance between himself and Tara, bothered him. It was like a tag on his shirt, rubbing his neck every time he moved. Elias ignored it, but by the time he got to the house, he was as agitated as a troll caught in an irontrap.

When he got inside, he didn’t even bother to look at the tests. He whipped them at Jax and sharply turned away. Elias’s jaw clenched tightly, and the magic inside of him heated hisblood.

“Everything alright?” Jaxasked.

“Fine,” Elias snapped. He ran his fingers through his hair and then pinched the bridge of his nose. He was restless and irritable, and it had begun as soon as he moved in the opposite direction of Tara Thompson. He felt something similar when she’d left for school and they’d been briefly separated, but he had been able to ignoreit.

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