Weakened Mountains (Artemis University Book 4) Read online

  I let out a happy grunt and then soft half gasps each time he slammed back in me again, not even able to get enough air in between thrusts. I pushed up on my elbows, but he growled and made me go back down so I was at his complete surrender.

  “Show us your nape,” he demanded.

  “Yes,” I hissed, moving my hair to the side and giving him what he wanted. “Fuck your princess, my dragon. Own my pussy as yours.”

  Well, that was waving all the red flags in front of the bull because he went wild, giving me more than my body really could take, and I loved every second of it. Craftsman did too from his view sitting on Hudson’s computer chair stroking his cock and watching.

  “That’s it, mate, make our tidy girl scream she’s loving it so bloody good,” he pushed, a naughty sparkle in his eyes. I knew that Brit slang was calling me gorgeous and I just smiled at him. The damn man knew his sexy voice, hot accent, and Brit slang that sounded better than American English just flat did it for me.

  That was fine, I knew how to push his buttons too. And I did the moment Hudson and I were done.

  “Darby knows about Hudson,” I warned them. “He didn’t want to seem like he was flippant with me or being lax.”

  “He’s fine with it?” Hudson checked.

  “Yeah, I promised he could watch next time you guys fuck me in Craftsman’s lecture hall,” I answered, smirking at Craftsman. “Friday night work? I want to get some stuff done at home this weekend so I thought we could have some fun there until I ached and then use my tub for a soak with ice cream. I mean, if you want.”

  “Yes, I want,” he hissed as he jumped to his feet. “You drive me crazy, you lush, cheeky minx. And now I see the shreds of your knickers on the floor and knowing you dressed up for him and a night of fun just makes me need to boff you even more.”

  Well damn, all his Brit was coming out.

  And not long later, my sexy Brit was coming in me.

  Mission accomplished and I fell asleep snuggled in between them and feeling much, much better.

  The next morning I woke warm and cozy, and as much as I hated to leave my cocoon of happy, I needed to. I slid out but a steel band of an arm locked on me and dragged me against a hard body.

  “You’re still on light duty,” Hudson grumbled in my hair. “No going running this morning.”

  I snorted. “I doubt what we did last night was light duty, but I also shouldn’t get caught here with you and our professor.” I elbowed him when he tried to argue. “Plus, I have to pee, you pushy dragon.”

  “Fine,” he sighed as if it was a hard decision to still make. Yeah, nothing said sexy like a woman who wet the bed. Goof.

  I did my business and the briefest of cleaning up since I didn’t have anything there… Until I saw the brand new toothbrush sitting on the counter. Well, he did have his own bathroom and I was pretty sure we could find a hiding spot for it. It was kind of cute and who was I to deny such a kind offer?

  So I didn’t, brushing my teeth like it meant something more, but I caught a glimpse of my new charm bracelet and realized it really did… And I was okay with it. At least this step if we kept things good.

  Wasn’t that always the challenge though?

  “You—I can’t even—you fucking goddess,” Craftsman stuttered as I came back out into the room.

  “Huh?” I asked. “Don’t be confusing before coffee.”

  “You don’t drink coffee,” he chuckled, sliding his arms around me and kissing me silly as he spun us. “I came to check on you and talk with you on a few things, one of which was the crystals. I didn’t have to go through Calloway this time, plus Edelman and White helped me negotiate a bulk discount since we plan to use them for the school and such.”

  “And there are lots of basic crystal sellers you can go to,” Hudson muttered, joining us and looking over Craftsman’s shoulder at something. “You can trust the quality with Calloway’s contact, always, but for bulk you normally go somewhere cheaper.”

  “Yes, which is why the discount,” Craftsman confirmed.

  “Great, what are you so excited about?” I asked as I tried to see what was going on too.

  “Well, right now that you’re still naked,” he admitted before cupping my ass and pulling me closer. “How is your body? We were rough with you, but I used a healing rune after you fell asleep.”

  I hadn’t even thought about that, nodding I was good. “I feel great. It was amazing and I slept amazing which…”

  “You haven’t been, we know,” Hudson muttered, kissing my shoulder. “Thank you for coming to me—trusting us—my princess.”

  “Anytime,” I purred, but then done with the flirting. “What did I do?”

  I finally jumped, knowing he would catch me, and saw over his shoulder that way when he did. On Hudson’s desk were boxes of crystals. One was open and I had a minute to think how much they looked like a box of bullets almost, a few inches tall, standing in plastic holders in the box.

  And it made me shiver. I didn’t like guns.

  “These aren’t weapons but used for good, especially with you,” Craftsman comforted, probably seeing something in my aura as he hugged me tightly. “They’re all tier seven, love. Each box is fifty and I brought over six boxes. You tiered up three hundred crystals during our fun last night like nothing.”

  I almost didn’t have the heart to tell him, but then I sighed, knowing I needed to. “That explains why I woke up starving. I didn’t just have to pee, my stomach feels like it’s eating itself, but I get what you mean and why you’re so excited.” Then I flinched.

  No, I really hadn’t. I had heard White when she told me the price of a tier seven crystal and how excited everyone was I could do that. But I’d been so distracted with what had happened with Darby. Plus, I didn’t have to worry about money anymore. Then all the stuff with the havens and hiring people.

  Now the trauma with Mason and it really hadn’t sunk in.

  “Are you saying I just made thirty million dollars of crystals and magic by having a kinky sex fest with you both?” I asked, not hiding the shock in my voice.

  “Yes, around there,” he chuckled, understanding now I’d been missing that. “Minus the two grand for the crystals as it’s now fifteen for a hundred instead of five.”

  “Shit.”

  “Yes, so you’re a little miracle, love,” he murmured, kissing up my neck.

  “Wait, she needs to eat,” Hudson cut in, holding out a chocolate truffle to me. He shrugged when I shot him an amused look. Right, he was carrying boxes of Godiva in his room if I came by now as our running joke and it was probably the highest calorie anything he had.

  Craftsman agreed, and set me on the bed with the box. Hudson loaned me a sweater to wear under my jacket as both of them seemed like they weren’t going to focus while I was still naked.

  I took that as a compliment.

  “I’ll have to speak with White and Edelman,” Craftsman muttered as he stared at one of the crystals. “You must cap out at tier seven at this stage in your magical and power development. Astounding, but important we not push you then.”

  I snickered at the look Hudson gave me, knowing what he was thinking without even having to flip on my telepathy. “Yeah, believe me, if I couldn’t hear his thoughts, I’d think he wanted me for my power, the mystery he wanted to unlock, and the magical find I am more than who I am.”

  Craftsman slowly turned and gave me a look of horror. “Do I make you feel like that, love?”

  “Sometimes.” I shrugged when I popped another truffle in my mouth. “No one’s perfect, Doc, and sometimes you get lost in your savant, genius head and get so excited about what I can do or have done that you act like I’m a subject in your study instead of the woman you’re involved with.” I shook my head when he opened his mouth. “Don’t apologize. I’m not mad.”

  “Why not? I’d be bloody furious if someone treated me that way, and I have had people treat me that way,” he practically growled.

 
; I smiled at him. “Because I hear your thoughts and how often you get distracted thinking you can’t wait to kiss me again or how it scares you that you love snuggling with me and that’s a first for you. Yes, you think what I can do is cool, and you get lost in that, but you get lost in me more, Julian. You want the whole package as a man, but as a warlock and academic, you get distracted.”

  “Well, smack me if I do at the wrong time.”

  “Of course I will,” I promised, glad when he smiled. I finished the box, kissed the both goodbye, threw on my coat and boots, and headed out the way I came, careful to use the shadow rune so no one could see me.

  Well, except the wolf who was waiting in the tree line. Great, so Zack and Ray now knew I was sleeping with Hudson. Oh well, that probably wasn’t the last of the secrets they would keep for me. I just felt bad they were hanging out in the snow watching to guard me.

  Even if it was a little unnerving they were out there watching. I didn’t think it was in the pervy way at least.

  Gods I really hoped not. I couldn’t take any more of the bad pervy for a while.

  Classes were fine, and afterward I went to see Dr. Salzman, glad when I got the all clear that I could get back to my normal routine. I had to take it slow and not push, but I was good. He also gave me an emergency vial of that anti-poison potion for fairies. I raised an eyebrow at the single-serving metal tube flask he handed me.

  “Melody,” he chuckled as if that explained it all. “She repaid me for the cost of what I used and bought what I needed to make another batch. She is smart in her paranoia, as you are in danger always. Several of us each have one of those in a matching set she bought for bachelor parties so we’re prepared should anything happen to you again.”

  “Doc, don’t take this the wrong way, but I sure as fuck hope not as that shit was horrible.”

  “Yes, but better than the fate planned for you or dying because they gave you too much,” he argued.

  Fair enough. Fair fucking enough and I totally agreed. We went over when to use it. I at least knew what that potion felt like, so if I ever had those symptoms again, I could try to take the antidote to make me puke it up. It happened fast but that was also because of the too strong of dose.

  Dr. Salzman seemed to realize when I hit the line of what I could take, the discussion hitting too many open wounds at the moment. I nodded I got it and hurried out of there. I knew it was better to be ready and prepared, but the idea that I would keep being in this constant danger and what I’d already survived was upsetting.

  I didn’t want to be an ostrich sticking my head in the sand, but I couldn’t handle it for long right then. I thought that was pretty fair.

  Even if it wasn’t, I couldn’t handle it.

  And I was allowed to say that. I was learning it was better to know when to say that and stop pushing myself too far.

  And to the people who disagreed?

  Well, I didn’t fucking care what those people thought. They weren’t me.

  13

  The next morning I was up and ready to go for my normal run, knowing I wouldn’t get through the full thing, but needing to at least try. Physically, yes, I wanted to get back to where I was, but mentally I needed it more. Running was my quiet alone time and when I processed what was going on with me best.

  And there was a lot going on.

  For example, the discussion I’d had with Headmaster Edelman and Professor White the night before about taking over the mental shielding classes. I obviously couldn’t teach them all given I had my own classes to attend as a student, but it turned out that someone had recorded my working with Hudson and shared it with others.

  And it had really helped. They wanted me to do it again, but a bit more structured and to work with checking people’s shields. That would be more complicated, but it would count towards my class credits that I needed to graduate. Plus, Edelman and White were in a bind and given how they were taking on extra projects to help me… It made me want to do it.

  We needed some better rules and lines though. It was stupid to assume or think people were going to behave. So, they could watch the videos of my helping people and use it as a guide, but the one on one work they had to sign up for—and take seriously.

  I almost wanted a third party wearing a telepathy rune to sit there and monitor the situation so I didn’t get another bunch of guys sending me dirty thoughts until I lost it like when Blake Ward had tried to get me kicked out. Or any of the other bullshit I’d put up with since. I was willing to help, but as long as the cost to me was only time and effort, not more problems and trauma.

  I thought that fair.

  I was so distracted by my run and thoughts I didn’t realize I wasn’t alone until a bear darted out in front of me. A bear I knew. The only bear shifter I recognized in bear form.

  Mason.

  I screamed and didn’t even bother writing runes as I threw up the barrier to encase him, thinking of the rune for electricity and shocking him just to incapacitate him as well. I was so scared I didn’t control it and something similar to a pretty big bolt of lightning zapped him.

  The moan the bear let out almost hurt my heart, but I reminded myself it wasn’t a natural bear and Mason was a threat.

  Except the bear shifted back into a man and it wasn’t Mason.

  “What. The. Fuck?” I whispered as my eyes bugged out as I stared at Lucca.

  “Shit, Tamsin,” he groaned, leaning against my barrier to keep standing. “I didn’t mean to scare you. I ran in front of you from a distance a few times.”

  “Of course you would scare me!” I snapped. “I thought you were Mason!” Then it hit me, the truth of all of this. “It’s been you all along? My running bear buddy? The bear who saved me from going into wolf territory?”

  “Yes,” he answered, rubbing his side where the electricity had hit him. “I tried to tell you, but you refused to talk to me because of my dad.”

  I narrowed my eyes at him. “You knew I thought you were Mason.”

  “Not at first,” he defended. “Not for a while. And then… I didn’t know what to do. I’m sorry, I didn’t. You were running alone, and I knew there were more threats than you did and guys looking for a chance to get you alone. Mason was acting weird and—I’m sorry. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you sooner.

  “I was going to, but then he started acting weirder and I tried to tell Mel, but she wouldn’t hear me either because of my dad. It just got all fucked up and I didn’t think about how you might trust Mason more because of our runs. But then I realized you hurt more after what he did because you had this time with him.”

  “But it wasn’t him, it was you,” I whispered, rubbing my hand over my chest. He was right though. I did have trouble matching up how Mason behaved a lot as a man with Mason the bear. And I did forgive him a lot because of Mason the bear. “You idiot.”

  “I know, I know I am, but I didn’t know what to do,” he whispered, hanging his head. He cleared his throat and stood up straighter, moving his hands over his groin—yes, both, because both were required to try and hide his massive fucking cock. Holy shit. Wow. “Sorry. I didn’t know how to tell you and I didn’t think you’d believe me unless I showed you. I wasn’t planning to shift, or I didn’t think about this part.”

  “Uh-huh,” I grumbled, shaking my head at him. “You deserve this.” I flipped on my telepathy and projected images in his mind.

  “Tamsin,” he moaned loudly as he tried to come towards me. The barrier stopped him, and he groaned in protest as I showed him in his mind what it would be like if I dropped to my knees and took care of him. “Oh fuck, shit, yeah, you want my cream, kitten? I’m gonna lick all of yours. I dream of tasting your cream all the time.”

  That was hot, really hot, and made me shiver even if I was fucking with him. I pushed harder and showed myself naked, giving him his fantasy with the promise of more. He came moments later, and I pulled out of his head, smirking at him when he blinked at me.

  “Fuck,
” he groaned as he sank against the barrier and slid to his knees. “It felt so real. Damn, kitten, please let me taste you? Please?”

  “No,” I chuckled darkly as I pulled back my magic and lowered the barrier. I went over to him and patted him on the head. “Thanks for finally telling me you were the bear though. It might help me settle my issues with Mason.” Then I thumped him on the head as hard as I could. “Don’t keep things from me again. We were in a place I would have listened. I listened to you when I was in danger.”

  “I know, but you would have stopped letting me hang with you,” he grumbled, pouting more than I would have thought a man that large could. It was sort of sexy.

  “Maybe, but now you got punished and have to work back that good will we had. And that’s sad because you had a lot of it after coming to my rescue twice.” I turned and walked away, noting Zack was standing there watching from a respectable distance. I hadn’t even felt him there either, shaking my head at myself for being so lax. “Thanks for the backup.”

  His eyes flashed shock but then he nodded. “You okay?”

  “More distracted than I realized as I didn’t feel you either.”

  “We all have those times. It’s why we’re here.” He cleared his throat as if he didn’t know if he was about to go over a line as he nodded towards Lucca. “You do that often to guys? That could, um, mess with them.”

  I flinched, understanding he was asking what type of person I was, but it hit me like he thought I screwed with Mason. “No, only him, and there’s a reason for it. The first time I did it was with him and… His mind is easiest for me to do it for some reason. I kept doing it on accident and I apologized, but he wanted it even if there was no follow through.”

  “Got it.”

  “Otherwise I only torture the men I’m involved with and then I absolutely follow through with it,” I added, wincing as I thought of what I’d done to Craftsman. “Unless they make unconscionable jokes about how much I eat and my weight.”