I felt him against my entrance, slick with his own desire. We each muttered a lubrication spell, and then he was pushing inside me.

It wasn’t gentle, but it was wanted. So fucking wanted.

I gripped his shoulders to steady myself, holding on for dear life as he thrust in and out, slamming into me with rough ferocity.

His teeth scraped my jawline, and I groaned, twisting my hips, seeking more friction.

We were both breathing heavily, grunting with each hard thrust. The sound of our bodies slapping together would have echoed through the forest if not for the cloaking spells we’d already cast. Instead, we were surrounded by silence in our own little world of sin.

Suddenly, I came with a shout, my entire body tensing up as he stroked me through the orgasm. His name on my lips as the world spun around me.

Then he followed, growing loud and primal, in my ear as he came too, his fingers digging into my hips.

We panted for air, our chests heaving as we pulled apart, looking deeply into each other’s eyes.

“Fuck,” he breathed. “That was... intense.”

Understatement much? But shit, we were losing time. Daylight was quickly passing, and I was supposed to be gathering intel on the goddamned bastards who were destroying our world as we knew it. Not getting ass-fucked and jerked off by none other than Torin- Fucking-Murphy.

Jesus Christ. I tucked my dick back into place with hands that shook more than I liked. At the sound of metal zipping, Tor caught my eye and that traitorous cock of mine gave another little twitch in acknowledgment. But my happy one-eyed soldier and I both knew it was just the beginning, and we’d have time to catch up later.

I glanced at the watch on my phone, shocked to see how much time had passed. Torin checked his as well, grimacing guiltily. We needed to hurry.

As we approached the lake, we heard growling and the splash of water.

Eyes widening, I looked closer and saw the alligators swimming towards the shore.

What the actual fuck?

A growl rumbled deep in my chest, and I pushed it down, focusing on the task at hand. More alligators were moving towards the school, swimming towards us.

I could hear Tor gulp beside me, his breath hot on my neck while he muttered another silencing spell around us, fortifying the ones we already had. He was afraid, but he wasn’t showing it.

Tor’s eyes met mine, and we shared the same thought.

We couldn’t risk being seen or heard. Without the extra power from the Dark Ones, we were just two regular wizards. Maybe a little better-trained and well-versed in spells than others our age, but I felt the loss of that added “oomph.” But I didn’t miss all the shit that came with it.

We crept backward, silent as ghosts, then came to a stop when a voice muttered in the darkness.

“Come up here, my darlings. Daddy’s got something good for you.”

Through the dim light, I saw the whites of Torin’s eyes widen. I recognized the voice of one of the school’s groundskeepers, and I would bet Tor knew it as well. In sync, we crouched to listen and watch as the waning light over the lake revealed the man tossing what looked to be human remains at the hungry reptiles. My stomach lurched at what was left of a man’s leg was chomped by waiting jaws. Tor shuddered at my side, and I gripped his hand, afraid to move.

“Eat up, babies,” the gravelly voice said. “Show what happens to bad interlopers.”

Tor’s hard body pressed to mine, still smelling of sweat and sex, neither of us moving, and barely breathing until the man disappeared toward the school. By unspoken agreement, we shot out of there in the opposite direction, feet flying over the forest floor as we made our way back to our secret portal.

Riley and Tor’s dad jumped to their feet at our arrival, their eyes searching our faces. “What happened?” his dad asked.

Tor and I glanced at each other, his poker face intact as always. How to tell them we wasted time fucking out four years of anger?

“So?” Riley’s expression turned guarded when we didn’t answer immediately.

We shook our heads, unable to explain anything yet.

“Any luck on your end?” I asked, and they shook their heads.

“Victoria is working on some extra finding spells now,” Gerald said, but he looked as if he didn’t approve. It didn’t take much of a leap to figure she must be using dark magic to do it. It made me fear for Heath and Sierra.

“Did you see anything suspicious?” Tor’s dad asked.

“Let’s just say that it was interesting,” Torin drawled, and I nearly laughed.

Riley eyed us suspiciously but didn’t push.

“We didn’t get too far,” I finally said, my voice low and strained as I recalled the gruesome sight of what the alligators were devouring.

“They have fucking alligators guarding the lake. And the groundskeeper is feeding them something that looks an awful lot like human remains.”

“Christ,” Riley muttered, his expression a mix of horror and disgust. “That’s fucked up.”

“Exactly,” Torin said tightly, his jaw clenched. “They’re disposing of their enemies as well as trying to keep people out, which means they’re hiding something – something big.”

Gerald sighed, seeming to have aged even more since he’d been home. “I wonder what—”

He didn’t get to finish his thought. Tor’s mother burst in, waving a piece of paper. “I think I’ve found them!”

CHAPTER 14

HEATH

I had no idea where we were. Or how long we’d been there. I only knew that I had begged her to kill me. And she refused.

I attacked her, again and again. Tried to set my Dark One free so she’d be forced to take me out with it. I denied repentance. Told her I’d do it all again.

She didn’t fucking believe me. After all I’d put her through, Sierra still had faith in my worthless ass, and it was killing me. I could still feel the darkness seething inside my bones as I sat bound by some kind of fucking magical chains she’d pulled out of nowhere when I’d refused to repent and let her take the darkness. She had more tricks than I could even imagine. She must have learned more during her time in the Underworld than I had in all my years of my parents’ tutelage and Ravenswood put together.

I snarled at her, letting her see the evil within that wanted her power. Wanted her dead.

“Keep trying, buddy. I’m not going to kill you, Heath, no matter how much you think you deserve it.”

My neck jerked from the force of the Unconsecrated. “Then join ussss,” it hissed at her. “You can be so much more than a Reaper.”

She laughed, as if it had something cute, then smacked me upside the head with the flat edge of her cleaver.

Fuck, that hurt.

But it brought me back to myself.