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
