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4

Summer

I take another deep drink of tequila as we walk across campus, and I loosen up with every mouthful. We pass multiple parties on the path from the dorms to the separate houses for various student organizations, several of which are homes to students, but Alice insists that the one at the Morningstar House is the one to be at and that anyone who is anyone is going there . Whatever that means. Somehow, she already has some kind of insider knowledge about the campus. It must be whatever app keeps alerting on her phone, but I don’t recognize the symbol. It’s a rune in the shape of an N . Weird. It must be some special thing.

Students spill out of the ancient stone buildings. Some are snapping photos of each other, several on loud calls to their parents, and even more to their friends. The darker it gets, the more the giant dome that surrounds the campus becomes visible, but only in flashes of light. The university is ancient, and the knowledge it contains has the potential to create some of the most powerful beings across the realms and the most deadly of villains. At every graduation, a student contributes to the magical force field that protects the school, making up the arching shield.

It is one of the main reasons I accepted the offer to Avalon University. The protection it offers is the stuff of legends and too tempting to pass up.

By the time we make it across the campus, it becomes clear what Alice meant. The music from the Morningstar House can be heard from half a mile away. It’s not even late, but all signs point to this party lasting all night. The front garden is littered with people dancing and playing beer pong. The house is bathed in darkness, but bright lights flash through the windows in time to the steady beat of the music. Alice takes my hand and pulls me through the fray of people scattered on the front lawn and into the heart of the party. The house is warm, and the place is a mess of wandering hands and tongues, writhing, sticky bodies plastered to each other. Discarded cups and beer bottles cover every available surface, and several groups of people sit around smoking out of some strange ball-shaped pipe that releases a pink smoke on inhale. From their relaxed postures and smiles, I figure it must be some kind of drug.

Holy fuck. It looks like immortals party infinitely harder than mortals. I don’t catch all the arcane beings that are present, but thankfully, I can tell there are no fae. A little of the lingering tension slips from my shoulders.

“This is insane!” Alice shouts over the music, still pulling me through the crowd even as bodies slam and push into us. Alice doesn’t stop, and soon, people are jumping out of her way. We finally make it to the makeshift bar in the dining room, and Alice grabs two red cups full of unidentified liquid and clinks hers to mine. “Here’s to fucking shit up!”

“Let’s fucking do this.” I down the drink and slam the cup down.

Alice picks up an unlabeled bottle and sniffs it. “What is this?”

A blond man lounging against the wall smirks at Alice, even as the siren pressed against him nibbles at his ear. A stray flash of light catches on the gold band around his wrist, the halo marking him as an angel. I have never been this close to one of the Heavenly Host before, yet nothing about this guy seems angelic. From a quick glance around the party, it is easy to find the golden halos of his kind, and not a single one inspires any thought of purity. Almost all are drinking or doing drugs. Several are in intimate embraces, one entwined in a group of seven other bodies. I thought angels were the heralds of chastity and innocence.

“It’s Eden Mist. Careful, it’s strong,” the angel says, his voice carrying over the music. The siren darts her tongue into his ear, making him shiver and his eyelids flutter closed.

Alice takes a deep drink and coughs. “Holy fuck!” she gasps out from a throat that sounds scalded.

The angel chuckles and focuses back on the siren, leaving Alice and me to hand the bottle back and forth. The first few swallows are tough, but eventually, we get used to the unique burn as it slides down our throats. It warms my chest and makes me feel almost weightless.

“That guy is staring at you, Summer,” Alice says slyly into the lip of the bottle, using her eyes to direct me.

Following her gaze, I expect to see more of that morbid curiosity I’d experienced on campus as everyone tries to figure out what I am and what makes me different from other fae. Instead, my eyes collide with a pair of dark blue ones that sparkle with an entirely different kind of interest. Even if he wasn’t wearing his halo, this guy screams angelic . His masculine beauty appeals to everything female in me. He towers over everyone here, and his form is filled out with easy muscle. With his tawny skin and wavy blond hair, his entire body practically glows.

This man is almost too perfect to look at, and I am not the only one to notice. He is surrounded by a throng of admirers trying to get his attention, but his eyes are on me. He tilts his head, obviously trying to put a name to the face.

Good luck with that, angel boy.

“Go get him.” Alice nudges me, and I give her a wicked smile. Angel boy thinks all it will take is a single look, and I’ll hurry over to him and beg for his attention? Not a chance.

“Absolutely not. Let’s dance.”

Alice laughs, her eyes sparkling. She pulls me back through to the living room, finding a space for us in the center of the mass of people. I let the music slide through me, and my body instinctively sways to the rhythm. The beat reverberates through my bones, the music flowing around me like the wind. Someone must have woven a spell into the speaker, but I don’t care about that right now.

Alice spins me out, and I laugh as we dance. Maybe it is the alcohol, but I feel like I have known this little vampire forever. A shifter comes up behind her and wraps his arms around her waist, pulling her back against him. Her eyes darken, and I prepare to move away to give them some semblance of privacy. Strong hands grip my hips, fingers digging in only slightly, but enough that I know it’s an intentional hold and not just one that creepy men do when they’re trying to move past you. I glance over my shoulder at him and mask a smug smirk when I see my staring angel. A lock of his golden hair falls into his eyes, the wave in it making it look like a half curl.

He looks down at me, his lips pulled into a confident half-smile. “Why don’t I know you?”

Oh, so he’s cocky, too? I hate that I like that.

My voice lowers to a purr, and I coquettishly place my hands over his on my hips. “Because until tonight, you’ve been extremely unlucky.”

“Connor,” he says, trying to hide his quick glance at my lips, but I catch it and file it away.

“Nice to meet you, Connor.” My lips curl into a flirty smile. This is a game I’m well versed in and one I enjoy. It’s the only game I am willing to play.

He spins me so we’re dancing face to face, his hands only leaving my waist for the briefest of moments. I slide my hands over his shoulders, digging my fingers into the wavy golden hair at the nape of his neck. “This is usually the part where you tell me your name.”

I lock eyes with him. He’s even taller up close. “You’ll have to earn my name. Good luck with that.”

Connor raises a brow, his thumbs skimming along the curve of my hips. “Oh, I’ll definitely earn it. No luck needed.”

“And what makes you think that?”

He dips me dramatically and looks down at me, his eyes sparkling with challenge. “Because I’m so charming.”

My breath hitches, and my gaze wanders to his full lips. “Modest too…”

Okay, so maybe he’s a little good at this game too. I can respect that.

“It’s a gift,” he adds. Connor lifts me back to my feet and pulls me close. He glances at my lips again before he leans down and brushes a kiss over them. It is gentle as if he is asking permission.

I pull back almost instinctively, and our gazes lock for a long moment. My lips tingle from the contact, my stomach twisting in such an intoxicating way. I push up onto my tiptoes and pull him down, kissing him again. It is deeper this time, my lips pressing against his a little more insistently. I slide my tongue along the seam of his lips. He opens for me, and his groan of pleasure vibrates through me. I almost moan in protest when he retreats.

“Want to get out of here?” he asks, his eyes dark and urgent.

“I should probably stay with my friend.”

Connor’s eyes dart over my shoulder, and I follow his gaze. Alice has cornered the shifter and is making out with him so hard it looks like she’s eating his face off. I might try to rescue him, but the shifter looks to be really into it.

“Looks like your friend is occupied,” Connor croons in my ear. I turn back to him and can’t help but laugh at his cocky grin. This angel seems to think he has the upper hand.

I notice a group of angels keep glancing at him, smirking. “Your boys are missing you. I wouldn’t want to take you away from them.”

Connor rolls his eyes and chuckles. “Please, you’d be doing me a favor.”

I step back and tip my head, looking him up and down. I glance at Alice once more to see she is still making out with her shifter and then back at Connor. “All right.”

He smiles and slides his hand into mine, pulling me back toward the kitchen. There are calluses on his palm, maybe from holding a sword. The house has an open floor plan, but there’s a layering of runes on the floor between the kitchen and the living room. The second we cross over them, the sounds from the party dim.

“So, are you going to tell me your name?” Connor asks the moment we are away from the noise.

I walk to the counter and lean against it. “You still have to earn it, angel.”

Connor stalks over to me, putting his hands on my hips and lifting me onto the counter. He spreads my knees and presses his powerful body between my thighs. He leans in and kisses me again, pulling back just enough to ask, “And how am I supposed to do that?”

I smile against his lips and brace my hands behind me on the countertop. “I’m going to leave you to work that out.” I bite his lip and pull back, dragging it with me until it escapes my teeth.

His moan is low and guttural, but he steps back and opens the fridge. I blink in confusion and shiver, feeling the loss of his heat. What in the world is he doing? He stopped for a snack?

He rummages inside the refrigerator for a few moments before emerging and offering me a sandwich. “Eat.”

I blink, staring blankly at the stacked bread in his hand. “Wait, what?”

He holds it closer to my lips, moving to stand between my legs again. “It will soak up the alcohol.”

“And why would I want to do that?” I ask, tilting my head.

“So you will have a clear head when I kiss you again.”

I blink and then burst out laughing. “Oh, no. You’re one of those.”

He raises a brow, some of his blond hair falling over his forehead. “One of those?”

I pull back, poorly imitating a bro voice. “I’m not like a regular guy. I’m a good guy.”

Connor snorts. “Eat the sandwich.”

“I’m not hungry.”

He leans in and kisses me again. I pull him closer to deepen it and let out a soft moan, my tongue playing with his.

Connor pulls back slightly, panting a little. “How about now?”

I kiss him again. His lips are so velvety, and he tastes so fucking good. He needs to stop talking.

Connor accidentally brushes the tip of my ear as he plunges his fingers into my hair, and every pleasure center I have goes wild at the sensation. I wrap my arms around his neck, deepening the kiss even more, my tongue exploring his and my fingers tangling into his silky blond locks.

The angel from earlier falls through the ward wrapped around the kitchen in a loud burst of noise, pulling us from the moment. He looks between Connor and me, a slow grin curving his lips. “Con’s with a giiiiiiiiiirl ,” he sing-songs.

Another angel follows him in. This one is darker. His features are similar to Connor’s, but his hair is black and there is a broodiness to him that is absent in Connor.

“You’re quite astute, Zach,” the dark angel says, helping Zach up.

“And you’re a sour one, Rafe.”

“Get out!” Connor shouts, glaring at them.

Rafe, the one with dark hair, gives Connor a mocking salute before grabbing Zach and pulling him past the kitchen boundary.

“Brothers,” Connor says with a sigh.

My lips twitch. I knew there was a resemblance.

“I should go.”

Connor blinks. “What? Why?”

I lean in and kiss him again.

Connor tightens his fingers in my hair, holding me close. “Stay,” he murmurs against my lips.

“Maybe for a little while…” I say, losing myself to the kiss, intoxicated and not by the alcohol.

Thankfully, Connor seems to have forgotten about the sandwich. He moans and moves closer, deepening the kiss. I lick at his tongue but pause when, through the haze of pleasure and soundproofing rune, I hear Alice shouting. I pull back and gently push at Connor before hopping off the counter.

“I have to go see what is happening with Alice,” I say, heading toward the living room.

“Wait, tell me your name,” he demands.

“Later, angel,” I say, winking at him over my shoulder before hurrying into the living room.

Alice is being held around the waist by yet another angel. Fuck, how many fucking angels are here? This one looks scarily like Zach.

I push through the crowd to stand in front of her. “What happened?”

“She said I was being a whore,” Alice snarls.

I look behind me at the object of Alice’s fury and see a female wolf shifter smirking at her.

“You were being a whore, leech .”

Alice squirms, trying to break free to lunge at her, but the angel tightens his hold on her and lifts her off her feet.

I walk toward the wolf shifter with a sweet smile on my face. As soon as I am within reach of her, I punch her in the face. The sound of her nose breaking echoes in the now quiet room. While everyone is too stunned to react, I turn back to Alice. “Ready to go?”

“Right, both of you out!” the angel holding Alice demands. He waits for me to proceed and just carries Alice to the door. Alice lets out a low oof when he sets her none too gently on her feet and goes back inside, slamming the door behind him. The music starts up again, and Alice and I burst out laughing. I swing my arm over her shoulders, and we head back home.