Seven is Swell: Hemlock Academy Book 7, page 3
“It was an accident, okay? And it’s my fucking body.”
“Okay, I need to hear this story,” Cory says, clearly amused while still seeming slightly alarmed. Why is no one else freaking the fuck out?
“Look, you guys can’t tell anyone, okay? He was ready to go quit his job and tank his career over a stupid accident that was mostly my fault anyway. Did you know he has two dicks? That was a fun fact I did not think I needed to know about our headmaster.”
“He’s a naga,” Cory says. “His power base is what helped him secure the job. Nagas are scary but not necessarily evil. And they’re called hemipenes.”
Now I’m seeing red. “How the hell do you know about the headmaster’s dick? You have something you want to tell me?”
“Oh, calm down, you oaf. You know I like to learn things. The only dick I want is yours, and you know that. Stop acting like you’re being threatened.”
Delaney goes in for a high five with Cory, giggling at the way they handle me.
“I don’t think I like the two of you teaming up against me.”
“That sucks,” Delaney says immediately. “You introduced us and now we’re soulmates so you’re going to have to deal with it. Hey Cory, you want to have a slumber party tonight?”
“Ooh, yes! Yes!” They’re jumping up and down as I stare at her couch, hoping it’s comfy enough because there’s no way in hell I’m sleeping in my dorm if they’re both here.
“Okay Delaney,” August says, wiping tears from his eyes, “only you could accidentally give the headmaster head. How the hell? Please enlighten us.”
“I cannot stress enough how much this needs to stay in this room, though. I'd feel terrible if he lost his job because of me and my bad decisions."
“But you’re a conduit,” Cory says helpfully. “It’s not against the rules to court students if they’re conduits. Can’t really turn down who the goddess handpicked for you,” Cory says as they narrow their eyes at me.
“Yeah, yeah, I know, I’m a dumbass. Continue.”
Delaney winks at me and leans over the counter to pat me on the head and call me a good boy. “Positive reinforcement is supposed to be good, right? Keep admitting you’re a dumbass when you’re being a dumbass, and we will be far better off.”
She turns back to pour some soup base into the pot and stir it, talking while she works. “We need to keep an eye on his sister, Shelly— Wilford was saying to be careful around her because the headmaster is like really protective over her or something. Shelly complained to the headmaster that August and Jackson couldn’t live in the dorms, not realizing we were mated now, but really just wanted them gone because goddess forbid, I have something she doesn’t. She’s on a power trip.
“Even though Mr. Aspis gave me special dispensation for August and Jackson to live here when I applied, he felt like he was being pressured to retract that. I let him know that it’s all above board since we’re mated now.
“Guys, I felt lust pour off of him, but it wasn’t the kind I normally sense. It recharged me a bit. So, there’s something going on there that we’ll have to face at some point, when he’s ready to address it. I don’t know. Maybe not.
“He was perfectly respectful, didn’t make me uncomfortable, I promise. We had our talk and I left, but I only took a few steps away from his office before I realized I left my sweater in his office. I spun around and opened the door without thinking, and he was…”
“You better continue that sentence,” I growl when she pauses.
“Can you pass me the pepper over there, Cory? Thanks.” She kisses them on the cheek, and I watch Cory’s cheeks flush. Adorable. “He said he was just yelling at his body to calm the fuck down; he must have been squeezing himself to wrangle himself under control or something.”
“So, when you say you felt lust, you mean you felt lust, right? Like the kind you feel from us?” Jackson asks as he pops a tortilla chip in his mouth.
“I could tell he didn’t want to be in the position he was in, but whatever. I tripped on his rug as I stepped towards the chair where my sweater was, and I somehow fell perfectly on top of him. My face landed in his crotch because of course I’m an idiot and fell hard enough to knock us both over, and while moving, his hand that was in his pants shifted so that his entire double dick delight was exposed, right where my mouth was.
“We both were shocked and frozen for a sec because what the hell do you do in a situation like that? Then we scrambled apart, and he started profusely apologizing. Honestly, I didn’t hate it.”
“That’s because you’re obsessed with dick,” Jackson says as he pops another chip in his mouth.
But I’m seeing red. “How the hell are you two okay with her touching another man? Like, how is that okay? Why aren’t you pissed? Why aren’t you ready to storm across campus and pound his face in and put him on blast?”
“You’re being a dumbass again,” Delaney warns.
“Let’s get one thing clear,” August says as he steps into the kitchen. He carefully pries the spoon out of Delaney’s hands and puts it in Cory’s and then carries her to the corner so he can put her on the counter and step between her legs.
“We’re in her life because we’re fucking hers. She doesn’t get off on the overprotective bullshit. She’s an adult and a fucking conduit and gets to touch whoever the hell she wants to touch.” He’s talking to me, but he’s facing Delaney, making sure she knows the truth in his words.
They’re difficult words to agree with, though.
“I can’t even say it’s the bond that we’ve solidified that makes this easy to accept because even before we fully claimed each other, I felt the same way. I think Jackson is on the same page.”
Jackson nods as he keeps munching on his snack like we’re just talking about what to watch on tv later.
“We trust her judgement. We understand that what we have with Delaney is separate from whatever she has with anyone else. This is where you keep fucking up,” he says as he turns to look at me.
“You don’t get to own or control her. If you want to be in her life, that’s how it’s going to be. If you’re going to be in her life, then you have to understand that means you’re fitting yourself around her.
“That’s why she’s the planet and we’re the moons. She’s our fucking mate, and we know the goddess gave her a lot of mates because she needs them. She’s the only one for us, so we need to support any decision she makes. Otherwise, we lose her. So yeah, we’re not pissed because she said it was an accident and we believe her.
“If she wants to kiss or fool around with you and Cory, she can absolutely do that and we’re not going to feel betrayed, even though you’re not even officially courting.” He turns back to Delaney, running his hands up and down her legs until he gets to her waist and wraps them around her lower back and pulls her into his chest, cradling her. “Whatever affection she chooses to share with others is her business, because we know she won’t give it freely. She’s only going to give it willingly to people she feels comfortable with, those she feels deserve it, or have earned it. We know she’s a conduit and we’re just two of the many mates she’ll take. We don’t know what it’s like to balance multiple relationships, we haven’t been raised to do that, have never wanted to do that, so we leave those decisions up to her.
“Even if she had felt a moment with the headmaster and they decided to fool around on purpose, and she told us, we wouldn’t be upset, because she has to feel free to explore things with people so she can make informed decisions on who to invite into her life permanently. We know she’s always coming back home with us.”
He helps her off the counter and kisses her on the forehead before striding right up to me and getting in my face. “Remember that. If you make her feel like she has to check in with you and ask for permission on everything, she’s not going to want to come to you when she needs affection. She’s going to feel nervous and wary and like she has to hide things from you if you teach her you’re going to react badly.
“She’s a conduit. You said you were okay with having that in your life, and this is a big part of it. You don’t get to be mad when she touches other people because the goddess told her she was allowed to. Pretty sure the goddess trumps your whiny ass. Now you’re going to help Cory finish dinner so my brother can eat her out. You stressed her out and I need to hear her scream.”
Chips abandoned, Jackson carries Delaney out of the kitchen, shoulder checking me as he leaves. Her bedroom door closes, and I’m left standing there, feeling empty.
“We’re going to figure this out,” Cory promises as they wrap their arms around me. I feel their soft curls brush against my neck and smell the lingering scent of pear from Cory’s favorite soap on their skin, and I soak up the moment.
It takes me a minute to muster up the bravery to admit what I’m really thinking out loud but at some point, I need to just fucking bite the bullet and stop trying to keep everything about her to myself. “I don’t know if I can learn to share her.”
Cory grabs my face, and then full-on licks me from chin to hairline. “That sucks. You’re going to do it anyway.”
And then Cory turns around and starts barking orders at me, jarring me out of my own head so I can try and keep up with whatever they decided we’re having for dinner.
It takes a bit for me to understand Cory’s genius, how perfect they are for me that they’re able to just snap me out of my spiral before it gained any momentum, and I find myself smiling as we finish throwing things together and start on dishes while everything cooks.
It’s not domestic bliss yet, but we’re going to get there as long as I have all these people in my life that will keep pushing me where I need help getting to.
Chapter Four
Delaney
There’s no way there were this many bodies in my bed when I fell asleep. Who the fuck has their hairy ass toes on my pillow?
Whatever. They can have the bed.
I stumble into the bathroom and throw myself under the shower, dying for caffeine already. How is it only a few weeks into the school year? Even with how busy my downtime has gotten, it feels like I’ve been in school for months.
There’s something bothering me that I can’t figure out as I throw on something suitable for class, then go about figuring out breakfast.
My phone.
I never heard from Wilder last night. He always calls before he goes to bed; I was planning on swinging by his office during the gap hour I have today, but maybe I should try and touch base with him before I have to go to class?
I’m worried that my relationship with him isn’t growing as fast as it could because we’re both so busy and because we live in two very different buildings, but that just means I have to try and carve purposeful time out of my schedule and prioritize him. It doesn’t feel fair that others are getting more of my time when I’m not even courting them.
Suddenly I’m desperate for a kiss from Wilder, so I decide to wake one of the twins in case they get snotty about me going somewhere alone.
I’m waking Jackson because it’s his foot currently resting where my head was. He’s changing that pillowcase for me later. Was that there the whole night? Ew. Men are gross.
“Hey, wake up. We’re going to get coffee for Ash.” I poke him in the forehead.
Jackson grabs me and pulls me into bed, making me fall over him so my crotch is right on his face. “Mm. Got my breakfast right here.”
I squirm and try to pull away as he tries to eat me through my pants. “This is all I need.”
“Should I take somebody else?”
“Ugh. Fine, no need to get ragey. I’m getting up.”
I check my phone again while he stumbles out of bed and does the bare minimum to prepare for the day, trying to reign in the anxiety that says the only way Wilder would have forgotten to call last night would have been if he suddenly decided I was a terrible idea and eloped with somebody else, or maybe he got kidnapped by a foreign circus that instantly recognized his talents and offered him bookoo bucks to join their show. Fuck. I hate the idea of a long-distance relationship.
Those are so clearly the only two options.
With a heavy heart, I head down the hallway with Jackson’s arm around my shoulder, aiming for the coffee shop between my dorm and Wilder’s office. Maybe if I bring him a really good cup of coffee and a nice, buttery, blueberry muffin he’ll reconsider leaving me.
“August is going to get all your school stuff together and meet us at your first class so you can spend a few more minutes with Ash.”
“Oh, okay. I should have just brought it with me.”
“That’s okay, that’s why we’re here. You okay? You sleep well?”
I turn and scowl. “Yes, except I woke with your feet inches in front of my face and your toe hair resting serenely on my soft satin pillowcase.”
“Cory was taking up where I wanted to sleep, I had to squeeze in where I could.”
“You’re not even sorry?”
“I was still in your bed, so I’m happy.”
I roll my eyes as he opens the door for me. The coffee shop is crazy, which is to be expected since students exist on coffee, but I generously let Jackson stand in line while I steal one of the only empty seats in the place so I can try and get a hold of Wilder again. At this point my aim is to annoy him enough that he texts or calls me just to tell me to chill.
He hasn’t responded to any of the texts I sent today and it’s too loud in here to call him, so I settle for yet more texts and try and sit patiently whilst also imagining all the people and/or situations that are clearly more important than me.
“Hey, you’re Adler’s sister, right?”
I look up from my phone and am taken aback for a minute by the angelic face in front of me. Purple eyes, broad shoulders, flawless dark skin, and a smile that should feel blinding but instead has me wanting to smile with him. “That’s me.”
“I’m Spencer,” he says, extending a hand. “I’m on his team.”
Ah. A football player. That explains the ridiculous shoulder span. “Delaney,” I offer back, taking his hand.
He sits on the little table in front of me, a bit twitchy. “Hey, so I just wanted to apologize for the whole ball incident thing when you came to visit Adler. I really don’t know how the ball got so out of control. I’m glad you stopped it before it hit your friend, but I just, I feel really bad.”
“Are you guy I thew the ball back at? The one that sounded like a giant rubber duck when it hit you?”
“My reputation precedes me, I see.”
I shake my head and fight a grin. That was stupid. “If I hadn’t stopped that, I’d probably be a lot more violent with you right now.”
“Well thank you for your admirable restraint. I take it you grew up playing with Adler? He’s told us about your guys’ dad, how he got him into the sport.”
“Oh, I have zero restraint, I promise. I’m just satisfied with the damage I already did for the threat to one of my mates.”
“Oh shit. Yeah, that makes it worse. Well, it sucks either way, but I’d be pretty pissed too if someone threw a ball at my mate.”
“You’re mated?” I ask, for some reason feeling quite some way about that.
“Uh, no, I just meant, I can imagine how it would feel if I had one and hypothetically, they were threatened by some stray ball flying at their face.”
“Uh-huh. You’ve got a good imagination, then?”
Damn he looks uncomfortable. I love it. Instead of responding to that, he blurts out, “I think my sister lives across the hall from you.”
“You know my family, you know where I live; Spencer, are you stalking me?”
His face flushes, and once again I find his discomfort hilarious. “No! It’s just hard not to take notice of a woman like you.” He looks around the coffee shop as if the entire female student body population can be summed up with the sample that’s currently inside of it. “I’d notice you anywhere,” he says a bit softer.
Okay, now he’s being kind of cute. “What are you studying?”
“The ol’ ‘what are you studying’ question, huh? I guess I deserve that.”
“What are you talking about?”
He rubs the back of his neck. “That’s like the most over-asked question in college. You can’t find out anything about a person with that. Especially because so many people enter a career field that has nothing to do with their program of study eventually.”
“Ookay…what do you like to ask to get to know somebody, then?”
He scoots just a little bit closer and squints at me. “What’s your favorite breakfast cereal?”
“I don’t really like cereal.”
He reels back. “Did not see that one coming.”
That’s what Jackson walks back into, handing me my coffee from a tray full of other drinks and a bag in his other hand with what looks like a half dozen pastries judging by the strain on the paper handles. “You good, babe?”
“You should apologize to him, since it was his face you almost broke,” I tell Spencer as I slurp some of my coffee.
Spencer stands and folds his arms across his chest, bowing his head slightly in respect. “I am. Sorry, that is. I don’t know how I lost control of that ball so badly. I was just telling Delaney how bad I’ve felt since it happened. I’ve been hoping to run into you actually,” Spencer says as he turns back to me. “You guys seem busy, so I’ll let you get on with your day. I, uh, have something for you though,” he says as he digs something out of his pocket. He hands me a piece of notebook paper that’s folded up into some sort of complex design and gives a terse wave before leaving the coffee shop.
I stand up and smile to myself because men that get awkward are delightful.
“Were you able to get ahold of Ash?” Jackson watches Spencer until he’s out of sight, and I watch Jackson because he’s pretty.
Then I have to force myself to focus on something else because I think I’m supposed to be at least a little productive now. “No. It’s kind of weird, right?”
“I’m sure everything’s fine. Maybe his phone broke or something.”
