Held In Contempt (Of Magic and Contempt Book 2) Read online

  Nick kissed across her chin and across the other side of her jaw, nipping and nuzzling down to her other shoulder, and effectively blocking her view of Trent.

  “The only way he’ll go feral is if you walk away from him right now,” Trent continued. “It’s painful, but he’s trying to give you a choice.”

  “How do you know?” Melody asked.

  Trent sighed. “Because he’s crying inside my head, Melody. I’m here convincing you to accept him, like he’s not good enough, like he hasn’t waited long enough. You’ve already turned down Justin once, and I don’t think Nick is strong enough to walk away from that if you do it to him.”

  Hundreds of years bonded to these shifters. That’s what she had to look forward to. If it didn’t work out, she wouldn’t be able to have the bond broken, because they’d need a witch capable of taking it on, and she was the only one. Their only hope.

  It was like a switch flickered on.

  Hundreds of years. Only hope.

  Suddenly she saw not only her future stretched out in front of her, the wondrous possibilities, but the past. She saw them, waiting, wanting, pining. And here she was. What they had was inevitable, and she was denying it, denying them.

  Melody felt awful. All she’d ever known was slavery, so these few precious freedoms were wondrous to her. But they had known freedom before they were trapped here. They’d had it taken away, and now it was being dangled in front of them, it was torture, and she was the one causing the pain.

  “Arena,” she gasped, as Nick began nibbling up her neck again.

  “Trent, get us to the arena. We need to do this now.”

  Everything blurred.

  One moment, she was crushed between Nick and the wall. The next moment she was in the arena, Nick panting in front of her.

  “Are you sure?” Trent asked, standing beside Nick whose golden eyes shone.

  “I’m sure, challenge me, Nick.”

  But it wasn’t Nick’s voice who spoke, it was Trent’s.

  “He can’t speak, his forked tongue doesn’t work like that. I’m translating for him.” Trent tapped his temple and she knew that Nick was talking to him there.

  “Melody Canticum, I challenge you.”

  Melody blinked and found herself nose to nose with a ruby dragon. The sunlight glimmered off his wings as they beat the air, and cool fire sizzled against her skin. It didn’t hurt, in fact, it tickled a little, but she was too distracted to think about it too much.

  She kissed the giant snout, then took a step back, raising her arm in front of her. It wasn’t necessary, but it felt right.

  “Shift,” she told him in a ringing tone.

  Nick fell backwards, but just as quickly he was on his feet again, whirling around with her in his arms.

  From the other side of the campus, a trumpeting roar sounded, and a huge black beast shot into the sky, quickly hidden by the clouds.

  Melody looked at the man in front of her, wondering at the beauty of their bond. For all that she’d bonded hundreds of shifters before, even the three still bonded to her, she’d never really thought about the differences in their bonds. With Nick, the difference was so great, it was impossible to ignore.

  Reaching inside of her to feel the silken thread that connected them both, Melody stroked it with her magic. Nick groaned, pulling her against him and crushing her in his arms as his mouth molded to hers.

  “I don’t know what you just did to him,” Trent said with a dirty little laugh. “But you should probably resist doing it in public. I know you can’t smell him, but his arousal is enough to set a herd of elephants rutting.”

  Melody couldn’t respond, Nick’s lips were still firmly glued to her own.

  The soft chime to indicate the end of class sounded, and they finally broke apart. Melody’s breath fell heavily from her parted lips, her body throbbing with need for Nick.

  “What have you got next?” Trent asked, the only one of them capable of speech.

  Nick’s gaze never left her own, the gold still prominent. She wanted to drown in it until the world ended, but eventually her mind came up with the right answer.

  “Wards,” she said, breathily.

  “Then let’s get you to class,” the kitsune said.

  He gave Nick a resounding slap on the ass, making him jump. Melody giggled, and the two shifters smiled at her.

  30. Melody

  Melody?

  She spun around, looking for the source. There was nobody there but the three of them.

  What the fuck, Mel is here? She can hear us? Nick, I thought you said you couldn’t link her in unless … mused a second.

  Holy shit, she bonded him, said a third voice.

  Suddenly several voices clamored together, and Melody instinctively clapped her hands across her ears, not that it made any difference to the volume.

  Hey, enough, said an authoritative voice. She’s new to this, you’re too loud and too much. Yes, Melody and I bonded just then.

  From the clouds there was another roar.

  I gather Justin isn’t taking it well then, said the second voice.

  Nick started going feral, the decision was very quick.

  This time, she was sure the voice was Trent.

  You were there, Trent?

  My kitsune was, the disgust colouring his voice was worrying. Did he not like kissing Nick?

  You were never going to act on it, pup. Especially not after we bonded her.

  This voice was completely new. It was deeper, darker and sounded much older than all of them. Even Nick.

  It didn’t give you the right to take control and make a move, Trent snapped.

  Several things fell into place. Trent’s kitsune had taken control and initiated the kiss between him and Nick. But it wasn’t against Trent’s desires. Far from it. It seemed that the kitsune had been acting on the quiet fox’s desire. Did that mean that it was the kitsune who wanted her, and not Trent?

  It was so hot. The thought was out there before she was conscious of sending it to them.

  There was a beat of silence.

  You liked it, baby?

  There, that was Dean, she was sure of it.

  She smells so good, we’re going to be beating them off with a stick, the kitsune said, chuckling.

  Uh, can we not talk about this while I can hear you? She asked, embarrassed. Of course they could smell her arousal. Every shifter in the school would be able to. Her hands flew to her flushing face, as the two men guided her between students. She could feel Nick’s ward around them, deflecting an increasing number of hexes.

  Melody was overwhelmed. The new bond, the desire still coursing through her veins, wondering about the dichotomy between Trent and his kitsune who was obviously bisexual. But was Trent?

  Yes, he is, although he’s too shy to tell you anything. He would have enjoyed sharing you with Nick as much as I would, the kitsune responded, telling her that she’d thought that loud enough for them all to hear.

  Melody, I love you, Trent told her. Please, don’t ever doubt that. While I’ll never pressure you for anything more than our bond, I won’t say no to it either. The thought of us … I love you.

  She stumbled, Nick catching her, and everything went silent in her head. Looking up at him, she saw him watching her with concern.

  “I can feel you spiralling. I think you need a little headspace,” he said with a grin, pulling her against his side. She realised he’d turned the link off.

  A body stepped in front of them, barring the way. “Melody Canticum,” a strong voice began, but Trent snarled and pushed him backwards.

  “Not like that. You don’t get to steal her choices from her. Approach her with respect, or fucking not at all.”

  “You don’t get to interfere with this, fox,” snapped the man.

  “Yeah, I fucking do,” Trent replied, equally as angry. “One, I’m bonded to her. Two, she’s my mate…”

  There were gasps and whispering around them. Bonded was the nicest
term she heard. The rest of them revolved around words meaning whore.

  “Three,” shouted Trent over the commotion. “You’re a fucking weasel. What do foxes do to weasels?”

  Orange fur sprouted from his face, and the angry weasel shifter backed up, his face paling.

  Around them, people laughed at his fear, but Melody couldn’t stand to see him further humiliated, even if he had been an asshole to her.

  “Look,” she said, reaching out a hand towards him. “I’ve just bonded my fourth shifter …”

  Cue even more gasps, murmurs and nasty comments.

  “I really can’t take on any more right now, and if I did, I would have to give first choice to the Apex; that’s if they wanted me. They’ve waited the longest and have the least choice in who they bond.”

  “Because nobody would bond a slut like you if they could help it,” sneered Shawna.

  Of course she was there.

  They’d almost reached the classroom, but the crush of students wanting to witness the showdown prevented them from getting any closer.

  “At least I don’t need to use a spell to get someone to like me. Imagine using a charm on a witch, poisoning her mind not only against her best friend, but against her own bonded shifter.”

  Shawna paled and sputtered, as the voices around them rose, questions being shouted at her.

  “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Shawna protested.

  Melody knew she had to get her dig in, before the general populace found out that she had no protections left.

  “Why don’t you ask Carla? She’s in the sick bay being healed from the spell you put on her, which was wrong by the way. She nearly clawed her hand off, and she was convinced it was going to be the end of the world if she removed the bracelet. She was suffering, Shawna, all because you hate me. What a great person you are, willing to torture others just to get your way.”

  Melody turned and pushed through the crowd, while they turned on Shawna. It wasn’t safe to turn around to watch it happen, and she really didn’t want to see what they did. They wouldn’t kill her, but anything else, the bitchy witch had brought upon herself.

  “It’s not wise to poke the bear,” Trent warned her. “She’s going to win them over again, and she’ll come at you even harder.”

  She straightened her shoulders as she walked through the door ahead of them. “Let them try,” Melody told them.

  Trent chuckled. “You know, I think your sessions with Mrs H are doing you more good than learning how to deal with the bonds.”

  “What do you mean?” She’d been meeting with Mrs Hardinger three times a week since arriving at the academy. Many of those sessions had been with the provost there as well. They hadn’t resumed since the attack, but Melody presumed that they would recommence that afternoon.

  “She’s rubbing off on you, don’t you think, Nick?”

  Nick turned his golden gaze to her, and Melody shivered at the intensity of it.

  “Yes. When you arrived, you would have never spoken up like that. Defend yourself, yes, but you’re not just getting stronger in your magic. Your soul is free, Melody. Your spirit. You are becoming more.”

  “Good morning class. Please take your seats, we’ve got a lot to get through today,” Professor Simmonds said.

  Melody went to take her customary corner seat, only to find it occupied. In fact, witches had scattered around the room so that the only place where there were three seats together was in the center.

  That didn’t bode well.

  Reluctantly, Melody took a chair, holding it firmly when someone tried to whisk it from underneath her. There was a snicker from somewhere behind. She might have gained a moment of revenge on Shawna, but she was willing to bet the bitter witch had been behind the delay in the corridor just to create this kind of situation. One where she was a sitting target in the room.

  “I don’t know what your other teachers do,” Professor Simmonds said firmly. “But unsanctioned magic is not welcome in my lecture room. I will not tolerate any disobedience.”

  A hex pinged against Melody’s ward.

  “Miss. Carter,” he said, angrily. “Given that I had just finished warning you all of this, that was very stupid indeed. Please leave and do not return. You have just earned yourself a fail. You may attempt the class again next year.”

  The witch in question sputtered, but remained seated. “You can’t do that. You can’t deny me my education, my coven has paid good money to send me here. You can’t arbitrarily throw me out of a class.”

  Professor Simmonds raised a hand, and the witch floated into the air with it, her books and materials falling from her desk when she bumped it. Abruptly, her belongings went flying out the room and into the corridor.

  “That is where you are mistaken. If you had bothered to read the contract you signed when you applied to the academy, you would remember that in the classroom, the teacher’s judgement is final. You would also remember that students performing unsanctioned magic in a classroom could be expelled from the subject and face a failed grade.”

  His angry gaze swept across the room. “Let this be a lesson to all of you. Your childish games will not be tolerated here. This is serious magic for serious witches. If you cannot control your impulses, then you have no place being here.”

  He flicked his hand and the squawking student zipped out the door, although, to Melody’s relief, she was deposited gently on the ground with her belongings, her bag flying through the air to hit her firmly in the chest. Then the door slammed in her face.

  On the one hand, Melody was elated. It meant she could focus in this class at least, one that she truly needed to protect herself against exactly this kind of behaviour. On the other hand, she knew that despite having done nothing to earn it, she now had the enmity of everyone in the class. They would see this as her fault.

  Chin up, rise above it, Nick’s voice said in her head.

  Melody gave the slightest of nods and fixed her attention on the professor. If she was going to survive this year, then she was going to need every bit of help she could get.

  By the time she had finished her classes for the day, and they had returned to the cottage after dinner, they were all exhausted. It was only when Nick looked around the living area and hovered over the couch that Melody realised her problem. They were short of a bed. His tall frame meant that the couch was out, so they needed to find another option. She knew there was no way he would go back to sleeping in the unbonded shifter dormitory.

  Trent came to her rescue, before she could really begin to panic. “He can bunk with Asher, and I’ll go back to my spot,” Trent said, setting it up by the fireplace again.

  “Thanks, Trent,” Nick said, happily. “I’ll head over to admin in the morning and see about getting us a bigger cottage.”

  Melody looked between the two of them. “Trent, you’re not sleeping on the floor again.”

  Gold pupils turned amber, and his smile turned leering. “Then you can sleep between Dean and I? I think I’d like that.” His heated gaze eyed Dean hungrily.

  Dean turned to her with a ‘what the fuck?’ look.

  Nick chuckled. “Trent is bi,” he told the lion.

  “Oh, right well um. Sorry man, I’m not.”

  “Pity,” Trent murmured. “What about watching?”

  “Trent!” Melody snapped. “You’re happy, I get it, you're horny, okay. But I’ve got four bonded shifters and this is way outside my comfort zone right now, and you know it. You’ve got an agenda. Fine. Keep pushing it, see exactly where it gets you.”

  “I’m open to that,” the kitsune said, stepping towards her.

  “A spot by the fire,” Melody told him, unamused. “That’s where it gets you, right over there.”

  She called on her magic and his rug and pillow zoomed from her bedroom back to their spot.

  “That’s not big enough for me,” the kitsune whined.

  Asher gave a low chuckle. “But it’s the perfect size f
or a fucking fox to curl up. Get with the program dude, you’ve pissed her off.”

  Cool eyes regarded her for a moment. “As my lady wishes,” he said with a bow. When he straightened, Trent’s eyes were golden again.

  “I’m so fucking sorry, he’s a prick,” Trent apologised.

  Nick grunted. “He seems a bit more like a dragon than a fox.”

  Melody shot him a look of alarm.

  “Not my dragon,” Nick quickly amended. Then canted his head. “Although possibly like Justin’s, he can be a real jerk.”

  “Tell me something new,” Melody said drily, and the men laughed.

  There was a knock at the door. She wasn’t expecting anyone, so Dean answered it, Asher was close by his side.

  “Professor Simmonds?” Dean’s voice hiked up in surprise.

  “Good evening, I know it’s getting late, but I’d like to talk to Melody if I may.”

  She moved forward to greet him. “Of course, professor, please, come in.”

  He inclined his head at her, and stepped into the open plan space, glancing at the armchairs.

  “Please, have a seat,” she said, gesturing to him to come in further.

  The professor took one of the armchairs, Melody taking one opposite him. Nick sat on the arm of her chair, while the other three squished together on the couch.

  “Melody, I know that what happened today was unorthodox, and that it may possibly cause further problems for you.”

  She nodded.

  “I wanted to apologise for that, I had very good reasons for what I did, and if you’re amenable, I’d like to explain myself to you.”

  They all stared at him in surprise. Professors did not apologise to their students, at least not for something like this.

  “Professor,” she said, regaining a little composure. “I truly appreciate you coming here, but you don’t have to explain yourself to me. It’s your classroom, you may discipline it as you wish.”

  His shoulders sagged a little with relief. “Well, yes, that was part of my reasoning. I will not tolerate bullies, and I will also not tolerate unsanctioned magic in my classroom. She is not the first student I have done this to, but it’s been over a decade, so the rumours fade into myth.”