Relever (Ironside Academy, #4)

by Jane Washington

Maybe the part of her soul that was tied to theirs was demanding them to not just accept this, but to fight for it. It was a dangerous thought, because if she wanted them to want the bond, then … didn’t that mean she wanted it too?

“No.” Moses sighed, some of the fight draining out of him. “Elijah did. He noticed her before any of us. He’s just smart enough not to mention it. And Oscar saved her first. And I kissed her first. And Kilian was her gay best friend first. You made her come first but Cian’s cock was in her mouth first. And Niko has taught her to stand up for herself, to fight back, and to carve out a safe space for herself between all of us before any of us could even think about the need for it. You really want me to go on? Because I can. You never had her, you never owned her. You never will.”

“Is she bleeding?” Theodore demanded, bending down to get a better look. “No.” Moses barked out a sharp laugh. “That’s actual cherry juice. She’s playing.” The little Sigma is playing.

Carter ran, and it made him want to chase. She disobeyed their rules, and that made his hand itch and his stomach burn with the need to see pretty tears in her eyes and even prettier words on her lips like I’m sorry and Sir.

“You’re glad it’s me,” he said, his hand settling on her hip. His hair hung over his eyes, rainwater trembling from one of the strands. “It’s because you don’t have feelings for me. I’m uncomplicated.” There was a small, understanding smile tight on his lips. “It’s okay.” She sucked in a shuddering breath, wiping her tears with the backs of her hands. “I’m s-s-sorry.”

He was … letting go of something. Accepting something. It was there in his deep, unsteady breaths, in the indulgent lining to his tone, like suddenly he would give her anything and all she had to do was ask for it.

There would be plenty of time for cowardice later—omitting her feelings before completing a bond with one of her mates after he had confessed his feelings for her was not that time. “If we keep going the way we are—and I don’t mean me and you, I mean the whole group—then I will develop relationships with several people at once. I already am.”

“Elijah.” He anticipated her question again. “Although all this packaging would suggest it was actually Gabriel who got the pen, but it was Elijah who gave the package to me. He tracked you here and stood back, waiting for me to approach him with everything I needed to complete the bond in his pocket, like the psychopath he is.”

His grip slid down her neck, his body looming closer, his thumb tilting up her chin. “I can be very very—” His lips brushed hers, both of them inhaling deeply. “—very stubborn, Illy.”

Hurry up before I ruin you in the middle of a fucking forest. “L-like a dumbbell o-or a b-burger,” she squeaked, her cheeks burning with colour. “Did you mean to talk in my head just now?” “No.” His confusion sparked inside her. “You heard me? What did I say?”

“Make it a heart, mate.” This time it was a growled order, and she fell back to her heels, staring up at him. He blinked, wincing. “I mean … please?” His voice was strangled now. “You can call me that,” she whispered, her skin tingling.

They had bonded a corpse. As if hearing her thought, a rippled reaction scattered, like a breeze, across their faces. Kilian’s eyes filled with tears, his chest heaving. Theodore’s jaw clenched, his eyes also shimmering with unshed tears. Oscar’s tanned skin had taken on an impossible pallor. Moses was shaking his head, denying what was in her head. Elijah looked like he was in pain, and Gabriel’s face twitched, showing her a flash of agony. Cian’s chest was rising and falling rapidly like he was finding it hard to breathe. Kalen and Mikel both seemed to brace themselves against competing fear and sorrow.

It was difficult to sort out all the thoughts and feelings being vaulted into her, so she simply pushed them all away, hiding behind the crumbling remnants of the wall she was accustomed to building. Several of the Alphas flinched like she had struck them.

“You …” He sucked in a breath, holding it like he didn’t know what to say. “T-text us if you need us,” he finally said. She had never heard Oscar stutter before.

“She can no longer use her power on you, on us, or on anyone.” Kalen’s voice lowered to a growl. “For taking your hair, we took her eyes.”

“Oh?” She quirked a brow at him, and his eyes traced the shift in her expression. “Mhm.” He released a short rumble of sound before folding his arms across his chest. “Do you want to know what colour it is now?” She crossed her own arms, mirroring his pose. “Yes?” “Then check it,” he ordered, expression deadpan, words inflectionless. “It’s in my pocket.”

What I’m saying is that we will deliver swift and ruthless justice to anyone who touches you, in a way that doesn’t expose you, until every motherfucker out there finally gets the message that you. Are. Owned.” He cut himself off on a growl, quickly releasing her. “Protected,” he seemed to amend. “Untouchable. You should go.”

“Just because she lives with us, doesn’t mean she has to eat with us,” he growled, so much venom soaking the words that Isobel fell back a step in shock.

“Thank you,” Isobel managed, catching Mikel’s eye. “Mhm,” he rumbled the sound of acknowledgement. “Don’t thank me yet, Carter. You still have a punishment on the way.”

“I take my job very seriously. Carter was assigned to me. The health of her bond is entirely my responsibility. I do not like the idea that my student is in danger and another Ironside employee may be interfering with her proper care. She’s been through a lot, and I worked hard to get her away from her father and back to Ironside where I could protect her properly, and I’m not going to let anyone—not even an Alpha, or three,” she glared at the others, “or ten, for fuck’s sake, get in the way.”

“Why can’t you just leave me alone? The bond is dead. There’s nothing between us. The secret is safe with me, but I don’t want to be in an eleven-way relationship, so just leave me the fuck out of that part.” He fell back another step. “It happened, and now it’s over.”

“Mei is wearing our bond around her neck.” Niko scoffed, rolling his eyes. “Jealous isn’t a good look on you, Carter.”

And she needed to try her best not to hate this version of Niko. He was only like this because he had tried to spare her the mental damage of their bond being torn out.

Holy shit, Moses’ voice spoke to the group in Isobel’s mind. I never thought I would say this, but I hope Niko dies a long and painful death, and I hope I’m there to witness it. Stop, Isobel chided. He’s like this because he saved me from being like this.

He frowned harder, glancing back to Isobel. She raised her brows at him. I told you, asshole.

Stop that, Killian ordered, barging into her mind. She straightened, releasing her lip. I can’t get a fake boyfriend with you shouting in my head, she returned. Do it without flirting, Cian butted into their conversation.

“What is even happening here?” Bellamy asked, leaning over Isobel. “Their precious little dorm sister?” She elbowed him. “Butt out.” “You were so much cuter when you were afraid of me,” Bellamy grumbled. “You were never cute.” She smiled at him sweetly.

“I guess you’re staying, though?” she asked. “What gave me away?” “The whole not walking out of the room thing. Dead giveaway.” “I’ll try to be more subtle next time.” “You do that.” Something sparked to life in his russet eyes, causing a tug low in her stomach. “Are you flirting with me, puppy?” She laughed nervously. “What? No. What’s flirting?” His lips twitched. “Come here and I’ll show you.”

“Good girl,” he praised, swiping the pad of his finger across his tongue, his eyes darkening. Isobel’s legs turned wobbly, her mouth pooling with saliva, her face burning with heat. Seeing Gabriel of all people doing something so dirty was making her insides riot.

“I need you to understand that I meant what I said yesterday. I won’t be having sex with you.” Her posture snapped up straight, shock making her feel stupid. What? Who said anything about sex? “Okay,” she choked out. “But I’m going to discipline you like you’re mine because you are.”

“Understand, pet?” “Yes.” The word rushed out of her. “I won’t forget my words. I promise.” “Good girl.” He stroked his thumb beneath her lower lip before he eased back a few inches. “Your punishment is simple. No orgasms for the next twelve hours. Say ‘yes, sir.’”

“Why are you being punished?” he asked, rolling up one of his sleeves. “Because I disobeyed an order that was for my own safety,” she answered as he rolled up his other sleeve. He smiled at her, a roguish expression that stilled her heart, because it was so unguarded, so him.

“Hmm …” He loomed closer, sliding the heated metal down, probing her opening. “Good girls aren’t supposed to get so wet when they’re being disciplined.” She was squirming so much that he gripped her thigh, securing her to the desk. “Maybe I’m not a good girl,” she rasped.

He stared at her mouth, something cracking in his expression. It was there and gone in a flash, but she felt the heaviness of his desire like a towering weight dropping right through her body before he pulled it back and hid it away again.

“You’re mine,” he growled, his grip around her neck tightening. “Nobody hurts what’s mine, not even you.”

“I see Mikel picked a highly inconvenient night to punish you,” he said, backing off her. “He’s a real asshole,” she returned, because she was nervous and didn’t know what else to say. Kalen grinned at her. “He was nice to you, princess. Let’s go.”

“In that room, it’s only Sir.” She pointed out the obvious. “We’re not in the room.” His grin sharpened, something she might have thought was impossible. “Indeed,” he purred, his eyes growing hot, his scent smouldering, his desire crashing through her mind, knocking over the wall she had erected as though it was made of matchsticks. Her core clenched around the metal balls, making her wince as her thighs grew uncomfortably sticky.

“Mikel has to obey you,” she muttered, her eyelids too heavy to keep open as Kalen’s fingers continued driving her insane with those absent patterns drawn over the satin covering her stomach. “Make me come.” He chuckled, the sound darkly amused. “You’re gonna regret saying that once you come back to yourself.”

“Stop moving, baby.” She was beginning to love when the Alphas started to purr and call her baby. She especially loved it at that moment because it was usually accompanied by an erection, which would be exceedingly welcome in her current situation. She shifted backward, immediately coming into contact with something hot and hard and huge. Something that throbbed as she ground down on it.

She was slowly sinking back to earth, a heavy pout tugging at her lips as she realised how she had acted. “No, no,” he said, returning to her, kneeling on the couch before her. She was tearing up, she realised, as drops fell onto the backs of his hands. He kissed her forehead and then brushed several more kisses along her brow. “You didn’t do anything wrong, princess. You’re okay.”

She was pathetic. She was crying. Her lip was wobbling. What the hell was wrong with her? And why did Kalen look like her trembling lip was about to be his undoing?

Isobel: I need help. The thumbs-up icon popped up below her message and she clicked on it to reveal the name. Mikel Easton. She wrinkled her nose, shaking her head. “You’re the literal devil,” she said to her phone.

Theodore: This feels like a trap. The little thumbs-up icon appeared below Theodore’s message, and she clicked on it to reveal Mikel’s name again.

Cian: Is the platonic part negotiable? Isobel: No. I don’t feel like being spanked tonight. Another thumbs-up. Mikel Easton was the devil.

“And I can hear you.” He pulsed inside her. “I can feel you in my head, separate to all the chaos. Will you stay?” “I’ll stay,” she promised quietly, hugging herself tightly against him. “I’m sorry, Niko.” He nuzzled his mark. “I’m sorry, mate.”

“You’re safe?” “Yes—” “You’re hurt?” “No, Niko⁠—” He nodded and disappeared in a blink, slamming the door behind him.

Sophia: They dismissed us quicker than you dismissed the concept of a traditional nuclear household. Isobel: Wow. You’re on a roll. Isobel: Heading downhill, by the way. Sophia: I’ll let you know when I hit bottom. Sophia: Or will you already know, since your poor vagina is already there?

Mikel piled coloured balls—each representing a different backing track—into the middle of the circle, and Isobel grumbled something about his obsession with balls that earned her a terrifying look from the scarred Alpha.

“How do you even know that?” Moses asked Gabriel, looking surprised. “Because I read?” Gabriel shot back, rolling his eyes. “Yeah, I read too,” Moses grumbled, looking put-out.

“No punishments before the session. The smell drove me fucking insane.” Mikel chuckled, and Kalen yanked the door open, leaving the room.