Held In Contempt (Of Magic and Contempt Book 2) Page 8

  Melody closed her eyes, hoping that they could read between her words and understand the horror that she was describing.

  “For the wellbeing of the coven, Craig was worn down until he could barely shift. Then he was given the option to challenge Claudia. Not only was she older and more experienced, but she was a better match for him. She would take good care of him, and if she had trouble controlling his bond, then I was there as a backup to support her — for the good of the coven.”

  She wanted to choke on the lie. The truth was that Claudia would use him as a sex slave until she conceived, and then she’d discard him to the basement with the others, forced to endure whatever it was that their coven did to them.

  Of course, if the child was male, or if Claudia lost it or wished for another one, he would be trotted out again and again for his stud services. It would either make him understand his position, or it would break him.

  She’d seen too many of the latter for her to hold out hope.

  An act of kindness, a warm bed, some food, the ability to bathe in warm water. These were the luxuries that were used, along with beguiling words and the scent of a witch primed for pregnancy. The males would be lulled, thinking that their mistress had relented, had repented, had returned. But of course the reality would be much worse. When they were sent to the basement the second time, many of them broke. Craig was just the latest toy in a long line of shifters. She could only hope that without her there, he would fare better than she expected. Sometimes, it was only her presence that could calm the shifters once they realised they’d been betrayed again.

  Only this time, she wasn’t there.

  No, she wouldn’t think of that, she couldn’t think of that. It would break her, and for all the shifters back at the compound, and for the two beside her, she had to stay strong. They needed her to find a way out of this, and that meant that she couldn’t stop to care for those falling by the wayside. Not now, not this time, no matter how much it killed her to leave them behind.

  12. Dean

  Holy fuck. What the hell had Melody been through? Dean’s mind reeled with the possibilities.

  He could feel it in the bond, every time she lied, every dip of her heart, every crack in her soul. All the pain that she was hiding behind that monotone that she spoke in. Fuck, did she even realise she was doing it?

  Dean cast a look at Asher, seeing the confusion and pain there in his bond-mate. The stupid bastard was only just beginning to realise how bad this shit was. How much danger they were in. At least Dean had had a bit longer to get his head around it before he was hit with the details.

  “That’s a very organised way of doing things,” the provost said, choosing her words carefully. “Did it happen often?”

  Melody flinched.

  Inside, his beast roared. Already they knew the answer. Yes; yes, it had happened more times than anyone could ever imagine and she blamed herself. He could see it. She was helpless, as much a victim of the abuse as the shifters were, but she saw herself as the cause.

  She wasn’t, Melody was merely the tool, but he knew that the differentiation would offer her no comfort.

  His witch was suffering, soul-crushing wounds, and there was nothing he could do to ease pain. How could he, when she was inflicting most of it herself?

  “It is the way all of our shifters are bonded. It’s the best possible thing for the coven,” Melody said, a tear trickling down her cheek. “It means that witches who are more suitable, but not as strong, are able to bond with and watch over shifters who need it most.”

  She looked at them all, helplessly, and a tear fell down her cheek. “I didn’t know they were suffering. I didn’t know how to help them. I’d always thought that they were strong, that they’d survived the death of their witch. But there were too many of them for that to be true.”

  Another fat tear joined the first.

  “No, how were you to know? I bet you rarely left your compound before you came here,” Mrs Hardinger said, looking sadly at her.

  Dean startled. She hardly …?

  “Before I came here,” Melody almost whispered. “I’d never left the compound.”

  Shock ricocheted through him. The Apex had chafed at being locked in the academy until they found their witch, but at least they’d had their childhoods with their packs, or with witching families. But Melody had never known anything other than the hell she’d lived in. How on earth was she even sane?

  “You can’t mean never,” Asher scoffed. “I mean, you’ve probably seen a human doctor at least once in your life. Or, you’ve gone shopping, or hunting, or something.”

  Melody pulled up the sleeve of her shirt, something she rarely did. Dean wasn’t surprised, he’d seen all her scars when they were caring for her. But Asher hadn’t, and neither had the two women, who hissed at seeing her story carved into her skin again. He knew they’d seen some, but not everything. In her skin were divots, where entire chunks of her flesh had been removed. Scores, burns, slashes. Her arm was a tapestry of terror. He could only imagine how she had suffered in her life.

  Dean wasn’t sure whether he wanted her to tell him, to trust him with her pain to help her find closure. Part of him wanted to be there for her. The rest of him cowered at the thought of knowing. Of being haunted by her past.

  His lion surged forward. He wanted to tear out the throat of whoever had marked her. The only marks she should bear were the ones left by his teeth when he claimed her as his mate.

  Dean froze, only half listening as Melody assured them that she’d never been allowed out of the compound, for the good of the fucking coven. He was starting to hate those words.

  It was what his lion was chanting, however, that held his attention in a way that nothing else could.

  Mate. Mate. Mate. Mate.

  The beast was relentless and resolute. Melody was his, and Dean needed to claim her.

  Dean sat there, shocked, thrilled, horrified. She was his mate. He’d found her. All this time, and he’d finally found her. And she was his witch! His witch. The woman who had conquered his beast, and then stolen their hearts. But she was in so much pain, so much fear, so much danger. He needed to protect her. He needed to pull her into his arms and hold her there, never letting her go.

  “Finally twigged, have you,” Mrs Hardinger said, looking at him.

  Dean’s gaze snapped to hers, his beast growling. She was challenging him.

  “Mine,” he growled, more lion than man in that moment.

  “Yes, I know. I’ve known for a while. What took you so long to get there? Hmm? She needs you to man up, Dean. Stop thinking with your cock, both of you, and get with the program. She doesn’t need to be mated, what she needs is to be protected. Until her current situation is resolved, you shouldn’t be thinking of anything else.”

  The witch’s tart words sent a jolt through him, making his lion back down, grumbling but compliant. With a start, Dean realised how close he’d been to losing control of his beast. That had never happened to him before. The two of them had worked in harmony from the beginning. His father said he’d never seen anything like it. His mother had warned him not to be complacent. That one day Dean’s lion would challenge him, and he’d need to be prepared for it, or lose his mind to the beast.

  He’d certainly done everything he could to prepare, but Dean was starting to wonder if it was enough.

  “Thanks, Mrs H,” he said, lowering his head to her. Even his lion understood that she’d helped him, not protesting the movement that placed him as under her. Less. Lower.

  “You’re a good beast, Dean,” she said abruptly. “I’d hate to see you go feral. I’m always here to give you a tap on the nose.”

  His lips twitched. Dean could just picture it, the portly witch bopping him on the nose with a finger when his lion roared at her, threatening to eat her alive. She’d take it in her stride, tell him not to be stupid, and then ignore his stupid ass until he calmed down. It wasn’t funny, but it kind of was. Dean couldn’t
help himself, the burble of laughter that escaped his mouth was as embarrassing as it was inevitable. He snickered.

  Mrs Hardinger grinned at him.

  “Welcome back, Dean,” she told him with a wink.

  Somehow, he knew it was all deliberate. That the humour was the last thing he’d needed to make him fully cognizant of where he was and who he was with.

  Melody was watching him with wide eyes.

  “Don’t fret, Melody. It happens to a lot of shifters when they first bond. I guess you’ve never had one long enough, but most of them go through an adjustment of their inner bond between man and beast. You haven’t failed him, so don’t go there. Dean’s lion is one of the most arrogant, stubborn yet placid beasts I’ve ever met. Dean’s never had to wrestle him into compliance, so it’s a bit harder for him right now than usual. But you’ll both get there. Just keep him in the here and now. Let him know what you need, and the two of them will work out their differences in a flash to make sure you get there.”

  “We’re not a concierge service,” Asher snapped.

  Mrs Hardinger tutted at him. “Of course you’re fucking not. You’re hers. End of story. Just as she is yours. So don’t get your knickers in a twist.”

  “Provost,” asked Melody quietly, instantly catching his full attention. Asher stilled too. “Have you heard anything? Anything at all?”

  “I’ve not heard of any accolades for you yet, Melody,” the provost said carefully. “I’ll be sure to let you know as soon as that changes. I’ve got high hopes for you. Speaking of which, how are your advanced studies?”

  “I’m making progress in botany, Provost,” she said. “I had a moment when nothing was sticking, but then it all started to click, and I’m doing well. Well, at least I think I am.”

  The provost nodded. “I’ll check in with your professors again soon. For the good of your coven, I hope that you reach the rank of top of all of your classes. It would bring you all great honour. I could only imagine the opportunities that would arise then.”

  Dean shook his head. The woman wasn’t saying anything against Bestia, yet they all understood the subtext. Melody was likely to get more offers if she could improve her marks. She needed to advance, to learn and to achieve.

  It was just like Mrs Hardinger had said. Whatever Melody needed, he would provide it, or die trying. His witch needed him, and he would answer her call.

  13. Melody

  The waiting was going to kill her, she was sure of it, and if it didn’t kill her, it would certainly end up killing both of her familiars. Every day Melody attended classes, studied until her mind was numb and slept for fitful hours between, and still there was no word from the provost or Professor Ludwig.

  Things weren’t looking up with Carla either. Now she not only sneered openly at Melody, but sometimes she joined in when they harangued her. Quinn looked more miserable than ever, but he refused to talk to her when Melody caught him alone for a moment.

  The Apex had picked up on her agitation as well, all of them becoming irritable. Arguments broke out over the smallest things and the atmosphere in the cottage became thick with tension. It got to the point that Melody sent them all back to the shifter dorm after dinner, except those who were due to tutor her for that evening, because she couldn’t cope with any more negativity.

  In desperation, she turned to Mrs Hardinger, but without being able to tell her what had her so agitated, the older witch was unable to help. They both knew what the situation was, and nothing had changed. They would have heard of it straight away. Still, the sense of impending doom was beginning to crush her spirit.

  Mrs Hardinger recommended that she get more sleep, and applauded her for sending the argumentative shifters home for the night.

  “Part of the issue for them, is that they’re desperate to challenge you,” she held up her hand as Melody opened her mouth in protest. “It just means that they’re more irritable than usual. Add to that the fact that they’ll be sharing their witch with a bunch of other shifters, something that none of the dunderheads probably ever considered, and that there’s a threat hanging over you, and oh yes, the fact that you’re agitated about something too.”

  She let out a belly laugh. “Honey, just be glad they haven’t put holes in the walls yet. Because when shifters need to blow off steam, there’s always a fight. And with a bunch of alpha males, you’re just adding fuel to the fire.”

  Melody hung her head. It was all just an explosion waiting to happen. The tension was eating her alive, and there was absolutely nothing she could do about it, other than work at being the most attractive option at the academy for other covens.

  “There is one other thing, and I feel stupid, it’s for the best, but it’s killing me …” Melody halted.

  The scene she’d inadvertently witnessed played in her mind on a continuous loop.

  “Justin and Jaynie,” said Mrs Hardinger, surprising her.

  Seeing the look on Melody’s face, the counsellor wagged a finger at her. “Honey, I may be as old as the hills, but I have eyes, and I certainly have ears. The rumour mill has been running wild, and Jaynie has certainly said a fair bit about it. That little glitch is setting many hearts fluttering. All these witches are coming to me for advice on how to snag your other unbonded shifters.”

  Melody wrung her hands together. “It’s for the best. I mean, he’s not safe around me, he has a chance at a normal life with her. It’s not fair for me to have so many.” She cut herself off before she could get any closer to betraying her coven.

  “Now Melody, you listen to me. I know Justin, he was here when I first arrived, and already a legend even then. I’ve never seen these boys in such a flap about anyone or anything as they are about you. When you were sick this last time … Honey, I had to start bringing food to them and forcing them to eat, because none of them were even trying. Toby said he could hear their beasts howling. Even the dragons were putting up such a yammering, that we had to ward your cottage so everyone else would be spared the noise.”

  She smiled at Melody and took her hands. “If that’s not enough to convince you, then know this. He came to me for advice about it. Whatever you think you saw in those woods, it’s not what happened. I won’t say any more on it, the two of you are adults, well able to sort this out between you, if only you would communicate.”

  Melody looked down at their joined hands. Part of her wanted to believe it was innocent. But she’d seen it first hand. She wasn’t so sure if she would believe him, even if he did tell her what was going on. He might not have made out with her, but he also wasn’t sitting with them any more. She already had enough on her plate to deal with.

  Mrs Hardinger frowned as if Melody had spoken aloud. "Has all that pranking nonsense stopped?”

  Melody thought about it for a moment, but shook her head. “No, if anything, it’s even worse. With only Nick to help me deflect the attacks, more of them are getting through to us. They’re not even hiding what they’re doing now, most of the teachers just ignore it. They only say something when it disrupts the whole class.”

  Melody sighed and rubbed her hands over her face. “Like, the other day, in herbology, someone slipped something into my cauldron that made it boil over and spew out purple smoke. We had to evacuate the greenhouse. Mrs Jenson was really annoyed about it. She chewed me out, and then when I said I hadn’t been near the wolfsbane, which was apparently the thing that did it, she chewed the whole class out and put us all on clean up duty during our lunch break.”

  That had been a truly shitty day. Nobody would talk to her for the final class of the day, and somehow, all the notes she had taken in the class had gone missing in the drama. Nobody would lend her theirs either, so she had to rewrite as much as she could from memory during her dinner and then the men helped her fill in the gaps after. It was a waste of a couple of hours trying to cover everything that had been missed.

  “I hadn’t realised that the staff weren’t actively policing it, I’ll have a word t
o Augusta. We can’t be seen to be favouring you, but at the same time, bullying will not be tolerated.”

  “It’s just so petty. If it were major things, well I’d be justified in telling you, but they aren’t. They’re all stupid little pranks, well, except for the memory charm, that was a bit darker, but the rest of it is nothing. If I complain about it, well, it just makes me look stupid and weak. But I’m so sick of walking around on high alert.”

  “Sounds like you need to blow off some steam, I’ll get to that in a minute, but tell me more about the memory charm.”

  “Well, you know I’m aiming to graduate early, right?” asked Melody, and Mrs Hardinger nodded.

  “I’ve already finished first-year history and I’m now taking the second-year class. So we’re working towards doing the same for herbology, and hopefully one more subject this term. Earlier this week I borrowed several texts that the guys said I would need to read, and Ryan and I settled in to start cramming. Only nothing was sticking. I couldn’t remember the difference between a petal and a pistil. I was going insane and poor Ryan was frustrated because he wasn’t getting through to me.”

  “So, what happened?”

  “Well, I lost my temper, my magic surged and everything blew across the room, and it was just the final straw. I stormed out for a walk to try and cool off. And the whole time I’m stomping around, I’m thinking about it, getting angrier and angrier. My thoughts were twisting around and around until I made the comparison to being blocked. It made me stop, because it was just like a block. So, I grabbed Nick and asked him to check, and sure enough, he found a memory hex that was specific for herbology. He broke the spell and I’ve loved it ever since.”

  “You’re right, that is a little more serious than tripping you over. That’s active sabotage. I really will have to report that to Augusta. Now, tell me something, are you fucking either of your shifters yet?”