“Enough.” Auston whacks Preston on the back of his head. “You three need to get to class. We need to maintain appearances.” Karston and Braxton stop their playful scuffle and blink up at the domineering Angel. The quad has an unspoken conversation before Preston, Karston, and Braxton nod, scrambling to their feet and pulling clothes on at random.
My eyes latch on the impressive display of chests and cocks. Sometime during the night, they must’ve stripped down to their underwear. And men in skin tight boxer briefs?
Sweet, Baby Jesus. This image will fuel my fantasies for years to come.
As I watch Brax pull on his jeans, his impressive ass wiggling, I whisper to Auston, “You're hiding me away, aren’t you?”
Auston doesn’t bother to deny it. “It’s not safe for you yet. The teachers currently think you’re dead. Well, even more dead. If they discover the truth about you…”
Icy dread steals the remaining warmth from my body.
“They’ll kill me if they discover I can house the Darkness,” I surmise evenly. “Or, kill me again. Steal my essence.”
“We believe that’s what Jake was trying to do,” Auston admits. His white hair has fallen out of its customary bun during the night. Now, pure white tendrils curl around his face. “He was obsessed with stopping the Darkness. We believe he was killing souls—destroying their essences—in search of you.”
“The Darkness’s vessel,” I breathe as understanding fills me. Out of my peripheral, I see Auston nod sadly.
“At least, that’s our theory at the moment.”
It makes sense. Fucking Jake was a murderous asshole, but he always talked about a greater purpose. Maybe in his warped mind, he believed stopping the Darkness was his.
“That’s fucked up,” I say, finally pulling my gaze off of Braxton’s sculpted ass to meet Auston’s eyes. “But at the same time, maybe he should’ve. Killed me, I mean. All of these souls would still be—” Before I can even finish my thought, Auston grips my chin harshly and peers into my eyes. It’s a battle of wills, the air around us practically crackling with electricity. I refuse to be cowed by the intimidating man, lifting my chin mutinously.
“Don’t talk like that,” he seethes, red splotches erupting on his cheeks. “It is not your fault, and Jake was a fucking psychopath. This Afterlife would not be better off without you in it.”
“He’s right,” Brax agrees darkly, stalking forward. He looks ready to throttle me. “I know you feel a lot of guilt over everything that’s happened, but we need you to know it wasn’t your fault.” He kisses me quickly, possessively, before gripping my chin. “Be a good girl for Auston, okay? And maybe you’ll get rewarded.”
Heat flares to life in my stomach as his eyes swirl with lust. Before either of us can act on our desires, he strides away.
“Be safe.” Karston kisses my forehead, my cheek, and then finally my lips. “And think of me. But not too much, or Auston will get jealous.” He winks flirtatiously, and a laugh escapes unbidden.
“Asshole,” Auston huffs, glaring at his brother as he glides straight through the wall.
Preston remains for a moment longer, shuffling from foot to foot before kissing me daintily on the cheek. The warmth from his kiss suffuses me, and heat rises to my cheeks. With a small wave, he backward-walks out the door—nearly running into a tangible Ghost hurrying down the hall.
Only when the door closes do I turn towards Auston.
My fierce Angel.
My protector.
His shirt is still off, the broad expanse of his chest on display, and I run the tip of my finger across his silky smooth skin. I want to map out every tight muscle and the grooves of his scars. I want to know his story—both before he died and after. I want to know him.
Before I arrived at Afterworld Academy, I would’ve found it inconceivable to have feelings for a guy—or guys—I barely knew. However, the heart doesn’t lie, and mine beats for Auston in a way that doesn’t seem possible. It’s as if my soul knows he was made for me, made to be mine.
Him and his brothers.
Auston’s silent, barely even breathing, as I look my fill. My hand touches one of his feathered wings, tiny bones visible throughout like gossamer cobwebs.
“You’re beautiful,” I tell him honestly. As if my words pull him out of a spell, he leans forward until his lips are on my shoulder. After my shower, Karston had given me one of his shirts to wear, but it had fallen down my arms during the night, baring my shoulders.
“I missed you so fucking much,” he whispers against my skin, kissing and nibbling up my neck. My heart pitter-patters as he reaches the corner of my lips.
“I’m back now.” I tangle my fingers in his long hair. “I won’t leave you again.”
It’s a promise I’m determined to keep, come heaven or hell.
Literally.
In a burst of bravery, I pull away from Auston and shrug out of the too-large shirt. This isn’t the first time he has seen me naked—and definitely not the first time he has seen a female naked—but his eyes devour me like I’m a goddess incarnate. As if he’s never seen anyone so beautiful.
“You’re perfect,” Auston praises reverently as he leans in and takes one of my nipples into his mouth, his tongue flicking over the sensitive nub.
My eyes slide shut as sensations overwhelm me. I desperately grab at his arms, my fingernails digging into his soft skin.
Auston releases a moan of his own, his hands going to my thighs and prying them apart. His mouth moves to my other nipple as his eyes question me.
Can I touch you?
I hear the unspoken words like he’s screaming them. All I can do is nod eagerly, already wet and ready for his touch.
His fingers slide over my folds, immediately finding my clit and rubbing.
I whimper, my lust amping up a thousand degrees at his teasing ministrations.
“I need more,” I plead, bucking my hips to chase his fingers. Grabbing his hair, I pull him away from my breasts and kiss his lips. I drop my hands from his silky strands to push down his boxer briefs, freeing his erection.
“Fuck, Had,” he curses as I slide my hand up and down his length, using his pre-cum as lubrication. With a devilish smirk belying his angelic appearance, he gently lays me down in the bed, then grabs both of my hands and holds them over my head. He kicks his boxers the rest of the way off and lines himself up with my entrance. “Are you sure?”
“I want you, Auston.” I pull free of his grip and rub at his shoulders, attempting to dispel the tension currently present there. “I need to remember who I am. Please.”
I can see the fight in his eyes—his internal battle to do what he believes is best for me versus what he wants—and I kiss his lips desperately.
“I’m yours, Auston. Always yours.”
His control snaps as he sheathes himself fully inside of me. He pauses, allowing me to adjust to his girth, and I squeeze his biceps.
“Oh, fuck,” I groan.
“You’re so tight, Hadley baby. You feel so good.” His tongue tangles with my own as he begins to move. Slowly, at first, as if he’s afraid I’m going to break.
But I don’t want slow and cautious.