Page 44 of Stormbringer (Tracthesian Academy #1)

S omehow, that became a habit. Risha kept popping up at the library. Without a fault, he always had a chocoffee with him, and he was unfailingly polite and nice toward Mrs. Riverson. He even helped Wave shelve books. Wave got the disturbing feeling that he was… lonely.

He asked about her classes, kept her informed about Elena’s movements and plans, and actually managed to make Wave laugh once or twice.

Not that she liked him or his company. Besides, there was the thing with Diana, and Wave wasn’t going to change her mind just because, as she gathered from little tidbits, his family was a piece of work.

Another constant in her life was Hellion appearing at the end of her shift to glare at Irishen.

Wave got her share of this stink eye, but Hellion refused to talk about any of it when she brought it up.

There was definitely some history between the two of them that Wave wasn’t privy to, and she wasn’t going to pry, no matter how much she wanted to know.

And Jarred and Marc were still trying to teach her shielding. She kept failing. No matter how hard she tried, she just couldn’t grasp the way Marc made his shields work. He was keeping things outside, and Wave had always focused on containing things inside.

It was Friday, and the library was quiet, enough that Wave had spent the last two hours reading everything she could find about recorded faction skirmishes and beings of power.

While her parents had taught her the basics and she had been schooled in etiquette, the topic of faction wars hadn’t been deemed polite dinner conversation.

Mother’s take on all of it was that everyone was an enemy anyway, so there was no point in going into too much detail.

Now, Wave soaked up any drop of information she could find about the High Council’s siren policies and Council Force reports regarding any altercations. There weren’t many, but none of them boded well for Wave.

To save her sanity, she switched to reading stormbringer reports. There were more of them, but most were redacted heavily or simply labelled ‘confidential’. Wave frowned. Why would someone go through all that effort?

The sound of the front door opening pulled her from her musings, and a wide smile spread over her lips when it was Jarred, not Hellion, walking through.

“Happy to see me,” he teased, and Wave crooked her finger, summoning him closer. Once he reached the desk, she got up and leaned over it, claiming his lips.

“Yes, pet, very happy,” she purred between nips and licks. Jarred clasped her arms and pulled her even closer, until Wave practically sat on the counter.

“Happy enough to go out on a date with me?”

“Cheeseburgers?” Wave asked hopefully, and Jarred roared out a laugh before letting her go.

“Whatever my mistress wishes. Are you almost done?”

Wave glanced at the clock and nodded. “I just need to close down the systems and set the alarm.”

“Anything I can help you with?”

“Just, try to look… less handsome. You’re distracting me,” Wave replied and let her eyes roam up and down his body.

His was just so delicious. Jeans that hugged his ass and legs just right, a simple pullover that hinted at the muscles underneath, and the tiniest shadow of a beard giving his jaw some extra punch.

“Wayla,” Jarred said, clearly not for the first time. His eyes were laughing once she finally lifted her gaze.

“Huh?”

“Closing things down? I can turn around if that helps?” He chuckled.

Wave sighed. “It won’t. Your ass is too bitable.”

Jarred laughed and almost blushed. The way he swallowed made Wave want to climb him like a tree and lick his neck. Two days without an orgasm, and she was clearly going crazy.

“Speaking of asses…” he hesitated a moment, looked around, and then focused back on Wave. “Have you read the book already?”

It took a moment for Wave to connect the dots and then she grinned. “Almost.”

“Well… Anything you’d like to test out? Tonight?” Jarred looked wary, and immediately Wave rushed around the counter and jumped into his arms.

“Really? You sure? I didn’t want to ask or pressure you, but—”

Jarred melted under her onslaught and then crushed her into his chest. “Well, I haven’t before, with anyone,” he mumbled against her neck.

“I promise I’ll be gentle and we’ll take it slow, and you can tell me to stop anytime,” Wave rushed to reassure him. “I just really, really, want to make you feel good, pet,” she murmured and kissed the side of his face.

When Jarred purred, it shot straight to her clit, and Wave couldn’t help the little moan that broke free. She could feel his cock growing hard between them and wiggled in an attempt to rub against him.

“Damn, precious,” Jarred groaned. “How badly do you want those burgers?”

“I’m not hungry anymore. Take me to bed, pet,” Wave growled and nipped his earlobe, before reluctantly sliding down. “As soon as I get things locked up. Go wait outside,” she ordered him. Then she rose to her tiptoes and kissed him quickly one more time, before pushing at his chest. “Go!”

S omehow, by some unknown miracle, Wave managed to keep her hands off of Jarred’s cock while he drove her to the Powerhouse mansion. They stumbled up the stairs together, and Jarred slammed the door and then locked it.

The tension in the room ratcheted up when he turned around and met Wave’s eyes. She bit her lip and looked him up and down before blurting out the question that had been bothering her.

“Do you want to be my pet for this, Jarred?”

All the tension leaked out of his body, and he swallowed before answering, “Yes.”

Just one word and the tone of his voice held pleading and hope and a myriad of other emotions that Wave couldn’t focus on, or she would lose her nerve.

So, she smiled and nodded. The need to take care of him and make him feel so good he forgot his name rose deep within her. He was hers. She would never share him.

“Mine.” The siren’s growl broke free before she could bite it back. Jarred nodded, eyes turning hooded. Not an inkling of resistance to her claim. Wave shuddered as the feeling settled low in her stomach.

Slowly, she walked over to Jarred and stopped just before her nose made contact with his chest. “Undress me,” she whispered.

He didn’t hesitate, pulling her shirt over her head and then snapping her bra open.

The clothes ended up in a pile on the floor when he dropped to his knees and unlaced her sneakers.

Her jeans dropped to the floor a moment later, and Jarred’s eyes burned holes into her panties.

The whole time he’d been efficient and touched her only minimally, but now Wave could see he was close to snapping.

“Where’s the lube, pet?” Her question made his gaze jerk up, and then he cleared his throat.

“Nightstand, top drawer.”

“Undress and bring it to the shower.” She didn’t wait to see if he followed her instructions, she wanted to make sure the water was nice and warm by the time he came. And he would come. A small smirk stretched over her lips. Water was her element after all.