His words seemed to invade my soul, shocking me like an electric current. My grip on him loosened slightly—and the second it did, he flipped his arms, breaking the hold I had on him. He shoved me off roughly, using his magic to settle me on my feet as he stood quickly. Instinctively, I put my hands up as he took several steps toward me. Waiting for him to strike. If he wanted a fight, I was ready for it.
Instead, he grabbed me by both arms and yanked me toward him, pressing his lips hard against mine. At first, I fought against it, moving right and left with my shoulders, but the familiar scent and taste of Merrick’s lips was too much to resist.
The tension between us began to boil higher and higher, and I finally broke my arms free, grabbing his face with my hands. I sank deeper into the kiss and pushed him up against the wall next to my door. We kissed desperately, and his hands pulled at my shirt, yanking it up so his fingertips could run across my skin. As I kissed him, I grabbed the key out of my back pocket and began to grope for the keyhole in the door. After stabbing the key into the wood several times, I finally managed to find the lock, and the door sprang open.
We tumbled backward into my room, a flurry of lips and hands and teeth.
Residual anger toward each other seemed to spur both of us on, not to mention the adrenaline still coursing through us from the preliminary competition. My body felt like a frayed wire, sparking with electric energy and needing just the smallest push to explode.
When Merrick shoved his hand down the front of my pants, his fingers landing directly on my clit, that was all the push I needed.
I bucked in his arms, crying out into his mouth as pleasure rocketed through me.
He didn’t take any mercy on me, pinching my clit between two fingers and making a new wave of sensation slam into me. It was ecstasy tinged with a bite of pain, and it rolled my first orgasm into a second, pleasure spiraling in on itself until I was panting for breath.
When the world finally came back into focus, all I could concentrate on was the bright amber of Merrick’s eyes as he watched me. There was a look of satisfaction on his face that made annoyance and arousal rise inside me in equal measure.
He was so fucking cocky.
But then again, he had every damn right to be.
Still, I couldn’t let him think he was in charge here, so even though my heart was still racing and my body quivering from the two mind-blowing orgasms, I gave him a taunting smirk as my hand found the bulge straining the front of his pants. I squeezed his thick length, running my palm up and down the steely heat, and a little of the cockiness faded from his face as his jaw clenched, his neck muscles tensing as he fought for control.
That’s right, buddy. Two can play this game.
Moving lightning-fast, I swept his legs, bringing him down to the floor. He grunted in surprise, and I held back a laugh as I followed him down, pinning his body with mine before slowly sliding down the length of him. I let my breasts rub against his chest, and even through the layers of our clothes, I knew he could feel my peaked nipples, feel how hard they were for him.
When I reached the waistband of his pants, I glanced up, holding eye contact with him as I very deliberately flicked open the button.
Pulled down the zipper.
Tugged the fabric down over his hips.
His cock sprang free as I pulled his boxer briefs out of the way, and I licked my lips, trying to hide the fact that I was practically drooling at the sight. Merrick had a fucking gorgeous cock. Thick and long, with a velvety smooth head and veins the pulsed angrily when I teased him with my mouth.
Darting my tongue out, I flicked just the tip of it over his slit, lapping up the small bead of precum that gathered there. The salty taste made my pussy throb as a fierce hunger built deep inside me.
My gaze darted up to meet Merrick’s as he watched me with hooded eyes.
“You pissed me off today,” I murmured roughly, licking him again. “You got me all worked up. And now I’m gonna have to take out all that aggression on someone.”
His laugh turned into a tortured groan as I wrapped my lips around him, taking him as deep in my mouth as I could. I chuckled, letting him feel the vibrations in my throat.
He had pissed me off. And even though I was no longer angry, I planned on making him pay for it.
Again.
And again.
And again.
Chapter Eleven
My attention was so focused on the task in front of me that I didn’t even hear the bell go off.
I stared at the magical apparition in front of me, energy swirling from my fingertips. I had learned how to separate the stream of magic that came from my palms, moving the separate threads in all directions.
Focusing hard on the wavering shadow in front of me, I sent a spiral of energy outward. As it moved toward the apparition, it split off in several directions, wrapping itself around the ghostly creature’s body, then piercing it through the top of the what seemed like a head. A loud, echoing scream reverberated through the classroom, and the apparition disappeared.
As I let the magic curl back into my hands, I twisted my neck from side to side, dispelling the tension that had gathered in my shoulders.
Professor Howes walked up next to me and clapped her hands. “You’ve come a long way. I like to see that you’re able to separate the threads of your magic. That will help you a lot in the Gods’ Challenge.”
As she said the word “challenge,” her voice trailed off. I looked around the room as the other students in my Combat class began to trickle out of the large room. I cleared my throat, flicking my fingers as pricks of magic made them tingle. Then I turned to face my professor. “Anything that will help, I guess.”
She nodded, her large eyes seeming to grow even wider as she regarded me. “Just a few days left before the challenge.”
I shook my head, looking at the spot where the apparition had once stood. “I’ve been preparing the best that I can. Though, I have to admit, it’s hard to prepare for the unknown. They don’t really give you any kind of clue as to what you’ll be facing. It doesn’t even go along with your training.”
I didn’t expect anything from my teachers; none of them had even spoken to me about the challenge. But Professor Howes seemed almost sympathetic. Maybe even… worried.
She let out a long sigh and nodded. “It always seems that the best students are selected for the Gods’ Challenge. It’s a shame that they don’t all come back.”
Her words took me by surprise. No teacher had ever said that to me before. I tilted my head to the side and stepped toward her. “Do you know what happens to the students? Why so many people don’t make it back?”
I could see a tightness suddenly appear in her shoulders. I pushed onward though, hoping for something, anything that would help me when I reached the godly plane.
“I…” She winced slightly, her voice growing quieter. Then she shook her head. “I really can’t speak to you about this. But I do wish you all the luck. They send students to the godly realm every semester, and they will continue for as long as necessary.”
I stepped forward again, closing the space between us. “And how many years have they happened? Why does the Gods’ Challenge even exist? What’s the purpose of it?”
She fidgeted nervously, and I got the sense she was afraid of something; as if all the teachers were afraid of something. They refused to speak to me about it, or about anything having to do with the gods, and this was the closest I had gotten to getting any answers. It was obvious that my questions were making her incredibly nervous, and I couldn’t help but wonder why. What was it about the Gods’ Challenge that made the teachers here so absolutely terrified?