The "Boy" Mated to Five

Chapter 9

I walked through the academy corridors in a daze, my mind reeling from the morning's revelations. The stone walls seemed to press in around me as students moved past, their conversations blurring around me.

I was supposed to be heading to the Medical Academy building for my first class: Introduction to Field Medicine.

Half of my mind tried to keep me walking in the right direction while the other half was grappling with what had happened with Commander Greyfall, with the fact that he was my mate and with the way my wolf had gone wild enough to overpower me in his presence.

Lost in my spiraling thoughts, I turned a corner too quickly and slammed directly into what felt like a solid wall.

The impact knocked the breath from my lungs and sent me stumbling backward. I steaded myself before I could hit the ground.

"Watch the f**k where you’re going," came a rough snarl.

I looked up and felt my world tilt on its axis.

He was tall and powerfully built, with broad shoulders and thick muscles that strained against his academy shirt. A red tie hung loosely from his neck. His brown hair was cropped short and emphasized the strong angles of his face, and he had a scar that cut through his left eyebrow.

A tattoo marked his neck, intricate symbols that reminded me of Blaze’s, which disappeared beneath the collar of his shirt.

But it was his scent that made me freeze completely.

Leather and steel and something wild and untamed. It was rough, dangerous, and intoxicating in a way that made my knees weak and my wolf howled.

No.

This couldn't be happening.

My wolf started going crazy once more, clawing at me. I bit the inside of my cheek as I tried to reign her in again.

I had three mates. Three.

No.

This had to be a joke.

This couldn’t be real.

But as I felt the pull between us, the scent enveloping me, there was no denying it.

He was my mate.

This was crazy…too much even.

My wolf began howling loudly within me, not happy with her restraints.

Not again.

I pushed her down so hard this time that stars exploded behind my eyes, pain shooting through me. I groaned internally at the feeling.

I was starting to think this wasn’t a gift, but a sort of punishment after all, and anger flared in me at the thought.

Anger at the Moon Goddess, at the impossible situation, at my own traitorous body that responded to every single one of my mates.

“Don’t get in my way again,” he snarled, pushing past me, and knocking me out of the way.

My fists clenched as I stared at his retreating back. "Hey asshole," I snarled.”You slammed into me.”

He halted, turning around slowly to face me, his dark eyes narrowing dangerously. "The f**k did you just say?"

The corridor around us seemed to quiet, other students slowing their pace to watch the confrontation brewing. I could feel their stares, but the anger burning through me drowned out any sense of self preservation.

My hands shook violently. Mate or not, I wasn’t backing down. “I said Go f**k yourself.”

Before I could even react, I felt my back slamming into the stone wall behind me. The wind was knocked out of my lungs and I coughed harshly as his hand grabbed me by the throat, lifting me off the ground.

"I don't know who the f**k you think you are," he growled, his face inches from mine."But say that s**t again and I will tear you apart."

I stared into his eyes, my lips curling."I'd like to see you try,” I heard myself say.

A collective gasp echoed around us, and I suddenly realized that a crowd had gathered.

He snarled, his grip on me tightening until I could no longer breathe properly. Black spots danced at the edges of my vision. The mate bond hummed between us, a twisted mockery of what should have been beautiful, and my wolf howled in distress at our mate's treatment of us.

"Caius, get the hell off him!"

The familiar voice cut through my growing panic like a lifeline. Blaze pushed through the crowd, his usually gentle face twisted with anger as he approached us.

"This doesn't concern you," Caius snarled without loosening his grip.

Without warning, Blaze shoved Caius hard, surprising him, and causing him to release me.

I fell to the ground, spluttering and coughing violently as air rushed back into my lungs. Black spots still danced across my vision, and my throat felt like it had been scraped raw.

Caius looked at Blaze, his face twisting into something feral. "You’re f*****g dead,” Caius growled as he shoved Blaze.

Blaze stumbled back hard but recovered quickly. But not before Caius lunged forward, tackling Blaze to the ground. They went down hard, rolling across the stone floor in a tangle of limbs and savage growls.

"Fight! Fight! Fight!" students chanted, the sound pounding through my skull like a hammer

It was a blur as the sounds of fists landing echoed throughout the courtyard.

I watched as Caius pinned Blaze down, blood streaming from Blaze's split lip and saw as Caius drew his fist back for another blow.

"Enough!" The roar of authority cut through the chaos.

Academy guards in their distinctive black uniforms pushed through the crowd, their hands already moving to subdue the fighters.

Caius growled as three guards pulled him back. "I’m going to f*****g kill you," he snarled, dragging the guards with him.

“You know where to find me," Blaze spat back, wiping blood from his mouth.

The world tilted sideways as the adrenaline finally left my system and darkness consumed me.

~0~

My eyes flew open, my sight adjusting to the familiar outline of my dorm room ceiling.

I was lying on my bed, still fully clothed, with a damp cloth pressed against my forehead. My head throbbed with each heartbeat, and when I tried to sit up, the room spun violently.

I groaned, one hand flying to my temple as nausea rolled through me.

"Eli," came Blaze's familiar voice, soft with relief.

He was sitting in the chair from my desk, and had pulled it close to my bedside. A glass of water and a small ceramic bowl sat on my nightstand. His light blue eyes were filled with concern as he looked me over.

His bottom lip was swollen and split, a purple bruise blooming along his jaw from where Caius had hit him.

"Easy," he murmured, slipping an arm behind my shoulders to help me sit up slowly. "You've been out for a couple hours. I brought you back here after you passed out."

He held the water glass to my lips, and I tried to swallow, but my throat was so swollen and raw that I could barely get any of the liquid down. Each attempt sent fresh pain shooting through my neck.

He picked up the ceramic bowl and dipped his fingers into what looked like a thick, greenish paste.

"This is a healing salve," he explained, his voice becoming clinical as he focused on treating my injuries. "It should help with the swelling and bruising."

His touch was infinitely gentle as he applied the cool salve to my throat, his fingers barely brushing my skin. But even that light contact sent warmth spreading through me, leaving my wolf feeling content despite the circumstances.

"I'm sorry this happened to you," he said. "I wish I had gotten there sooner.”

"It's," I tried to speak, but only a harsh croak emerged. I wanted to say that it wasn't his fault, that I was grateful he'd stepped in, that I wished he hadn’t gotten hurt because of me, but the words were stuck in my damaged throat.

Tears of pain and frustration welled in my eyes, but I blinked them away quickly. I had cried enough last night.

This was just great.

Barely one day here and I'd almost died. At the hands of my own mate.