Split Shift (Abaddon Academy Book 1) Read online

  “Do the panties match the bra?” I ask, giving her a saucy wink as I eye the blue bra peeking through the thin white material of her uniform shirt.

  I can’t take my eyes off her. Her face flames red as she steadfastly ignores me. She’s like a flame daring me to touch it. All heat and dancing embers, but with a bite I’m sure will sting. Just as I’m about to ask her to meet me after lights out, the damn teacher starts talking, “We covered paraphrasing the works of H.G. Bissinger and Ethan Canin. This week’s topic will be a comparative piece on your choice of poet. I expect everyone to hand in their completed assignment before Thursday next week as I will not be marking anything that is handed in later than Thursday afternoon.” Mr Grey waves his hands around excitedly and I roll my eyes to the ceiling. Normally I love learning new things but all I can think about is her. I’m curious if she’s smart, if she has a boyfriend – not that it would stop me from fucking her, but if she doesn’t then I might just keep her long term.

  I shift in my seat so I’m leaning further back. My legs spread beneath the table to allow extra room for my body’s reaction to her. “Single or taken?” I prod. I’m trying my hardest to get her to talk to me but all I get in response is a side eye glare that makes me smile.

  I’m so curious about her that when she starts taking notes I read over her shoulder.

  Almost twenty minutes of watching her neat hand fly across the page and I’m still fascinated by her. Mr Grey switches subjects so fast that my girl drops her pen. I snatch it up before it can roll off the desk and hold it out to her. “Want to-.”

  I don’t get a chance to say anything more. He chest heaves as she draws in a deep controlling breath while the teacher talks a little louder. “How about we go around the room and see if anyone knows any decent poets now-a-days?” He poses it as a question, but the stern look in his grey eyes lets the entire class know this is not a request. Poets names are called out by various students, everyone names the more popular ones like Shakespeare, Dickinson, Poe and Dr Seuss. Not my girl though, she mouths a name even I’m unfamiliar with.

  Sir Thomas Wyatt. I make a note of the name in my book, curious if her taste in poets is any good. I know I’m obsessing, but come on, she’s sexy, smart and the way she moves… It’s with a grace so natural and fluid that I could see her dancing so vividly in my mind that I have to shift in my seat to adjust myself again.

  “I’m sure all the girls will just do some twisted version of Romeo and Juliet and all the guys will just google search poets then use the first one that they find, so how about we skip the pretence and just use our time to actually do the assignment.” I call out.

  Goose bumps appear all along her arms, making the tiny hairs stand on end. I shift so I’m looking right at her, daring her with my eyes to argue with me.

  She goes stiff as a board and keeps her eyes glued to the front of the classroom. Mr Grey looks around the room, waiting far too long to see if anyone will argue, but no one’s game enough. Finally, my girl raises her hand. I smile and open my mouth, prepared to defend my little speech but the fucking bell rings cutting our debate before it even starts.

  Everyone else escapes the room, eager to get to Elemental training. I remain seated, waiting for my chance to talk to her. She sighs, gathers her books then pulls out a class schedule. I climb to my feet and lean over her, placing my hands possessively on her shoulders.

  “You don’t need that babe we all have Elemental Training next.” I whisper into her ear. Had she been anyone else, she’d have swooned at my feet, but not my girl. She flings my hands off her and snaps, “Not your babe.” Before walking away leaving me drooling at the view of her short skirt and long legs.

  I follow her all the way out to the oval where we have our Elemental Training. Unfortunately, she veers off towards the fire section as I walk over to the area where the air users are taught. I was hoping to get a chance to show off a bit, but it’ll just have to wait.

  I keep an eye on her from across the oval. I almost break my number one rule and storm across the oval when Raine knocks into her, sending her flying to the ground. I hold back though. As much as I want her to like me, I can’t break my own rules.

  My rules are simple enough;

  1. Don’t let anyone come between me and my grades. Straight A’s all the way.

  2. Don’t fall in love.

  3. Never forget rules one and two.

  I’m aiming high because I am going to become the world’s first Dragon-shifter who makes it to the top of the Council’s Elite Protectors.

  Of course, if that stupid myth is true, then I won’t be making it to the top of anything except the guardian list. According to the myth, the guardians of the royal family will be born with the royal symbol upon their person. A symbol which matches the mark a royal is blessed with upon their seventeenth birthday.

  Guardians are the first and last line of defence for the royals, their most trusted and beloved companions. Everything I’ve read about past guardians had them as the Queens/Kings consorts as well as their guards more often than not.

  I don’t believe the myths though. If they were real, then the lost princess would have been found by now.

  ♡

  Chapter: Raine

  I’m on my way to elemental training when I first see her, she’s beautiful, gorgeous, stunning…. no words seem to be good enough to describe her ethereal beauty. Her raven hair hangs in waves down her back, enticing every male within sight to stare at her perfectly heart shaped ass. The way she moves is all fluid grace, as though she was born to entice with her dance-like movements. I’m so caught up in checking her out that I literally run into her shoulder as she stops suddenly in front of me.

  I feel bad for a split second as I stare down at her. But I have a reputation to uphold. So, while she lands on her face in the grass, I swallow down my need to make sure she’s okay and instead I growl out, “Watch it noob.”

  I’m gone before she can recover.

  I don’t really have much of a choice, we all have our roles to play and right now, mine is getting through this class without making myself look like any more of an asshole than I already do, especially since the rest of the thirty-odd students around us are too busy laughing over how I knocked her over.

  Her vanilla and honey scent lingers on my jacket from where I bumped into her and for the next ten minutes, I struggle to hide the obvious bulge that I’m sporting. I feel like such a douche to be lusting after her after embarrassing her like that but the truth is, I’m more embarrassed that I knocked her over because I was obsessing over how she looks. I’ve never been a shallow person, sure I’ve had my fair share of one-night stands and hook ups but I always make sure that whoever I’m with knows that all it is, is a good time.

  This girl though, I could see my entire life with a girl like her. There’s just something about her that keeps drawing me in.

  She rubs the back of her hand where her fire elemental mark is and I notice how much smaller than everyone else’s it is. She catches me watching her and I can’t help the cocky smirk that makes its way across my lips. She’s looking at me and that gives me the biggest confidence boost. That is until she slinks back behind the other students and out of my direct line of sight. My smirk drops the second I lose sight of her.

  I catch the three girls in front of her gossiping about me. The redhead looks familiar, I’m pretty sure I hooked up with her at a party not too long ago, but I can’t remember her name. Their words wash over me, I’ve no interest in any of them or the bullshit they are spreading around school. All of my attention is on her. It’s like she’s my flame and I’m her moth. My feet move of their own accord but before I can take more than a couple of steps towards her, Red comes bounding up like an excited puppy.

  “Yo, Raine! You gonna show us that mad trick with the fire today bro?” Red shouts as he bounces up to me. I swear Red is the kind of guy who is always happy. It’s exhausting just watching him.

  I chuckle dryly a
s I greet him in the usual way. “Nah not today Kyle, you know Doc likes to let me test drive the noobs.” Please let him assign me to her. I’d give anything for the excuse to spend some one on one time with her.

  “Bro, did you see her? She’s smokin’. Can’t wait to see what she’s got under that uniform.” Red’s brown brows wiggle suggestively and a burning hot anger builds up in my chest. I stamp down on it and turn back to look at the girl of my dreams. Her stunning sapphire eyes meet mine for a split second and I lose the ability to breathe. Lost in a daze I stand there staring at her, thinking about all the ways I can convince her to spend time with me.

  Preferably alone.

  “All right kids grab your partners and form two lines. Raine you’ve got Miss Kale today, let’s see what she’s capable of before we assign her a permanent partner.” Doc is a man with the type of skin and hair that girl’s call golden and the typical dragon purple-blue eyes. He’s been a teacher here since before my father’s time and although he looks to be in his late twenties, he’s one of the oldest staff members at over two-hundred years old. It’s not unusual for our kind to live for centuries, so much so that age doesn’t really seem to matter to us much.

  Hell, I’ve seen hundred-year old shifters end up mated to twenty-year old shifters.

  Doc gives me one of those warning looks that he gets when he knows I’m lusting after one of his students. He’s always on my back to stay away from anyone he thinks could be important. The fact that he’s giving me the look now has me wondering who the hell this girl is. Of course, his wanting me to stay away from her only makes me want to find out more about her.

  It’s his own fault really. He could have assigned any one to her. Then again, he might just be warning me to behave, probably been talking to my brother again.

  But when you have a reputation like mine, nothing, not even family can stop you from getting what you want.

  I don’t want my brother on my back this year, so I swallow my lust and put on my bad-boy persona. “Come on Noob, I don’t have all day to waste on you.” I say as I grab her arm and spin her around to face me.

  She looks past me to stare at Doc and again. The pleading look in her eyes only lasts long enough for her to realise he’s too busy to help her. She blanks her face, then turns her back on me. In seconds her eyes are drawn back to Doc, the slight blush on her cheeks is proof enough of her attraction to him. I feel that white-hot anger building inside my chest as I watch her ogling Doc. “Noob, eyes on me.” I grip her chin to keep her eyes on me but the frightened look in her sapphire orbs makes my chest constrict. She steps back, so I let her put some distance between us.

  Then she steps forward into my personal space, staring right into my eyes.

  My heart stops beating.

  I swear it does.

  She’s so close, all it would take is to lean down and her pouty pink lips would be against mine.

  “Your eyes are blue.” She practically breathes the words and for a moment, I’m lost.

  Confused about what she’s talking about.

  Then it dawns on me.

  My eyes, like my brother’s and every other male panther shifter’s, are a blue so dark they appear almost black. I let out a laugh but not over what she has said. I laugh because I had actually thought someone as beautiful as her was going to kiss a guy like me.

  “Yeah, yeah laugh it up, but from a distance your eyes look black-brown, like they are soulless pools waiting to suck in unsuspecting innocents.” She huffs out the last word, her lips pulling down into a full pout.

  My laughter dies.

  I swallow the lump of emotion caught in my throat. Her thinking I’m soulless actually hurts. My defences kick in and once again I’m back on the cocky bad-boy persona. “Look Noob, we’re not here to flirt. Now, show me what you can do and be quick about it.” I give her a lewd once over for emphasis and keep my guard up.

  Her face flames red as she splutters for a second; it’s the cutest thing I’ve ever seen. “I wasn’t flirting, merely making an observation, I’ve never seen eyes like yours before.” She’s so adorable, her long dark hair swings back and forth like it’s a living thing while she shakes her head indignantly.

  “Keep telling yourself lies and you’ll start to believe them.” I snidely reply, trying to see if I can get more of a rise out of her. She opens her mouth then shuts it, making one of those grunts that girls make when they are pissed off, but can’t find the words to shout at someone. She makes my dick throb as she turns that grunt into the cutest little growling sound.

  Suddenly her adorableness disappears as she lets loose a basketball sized fireball. It fizzles out after a few seconds but damn she looked like a warrior goddess for those seconds. As the thin trail of smoke floats above her hands, my curiosity gets the better of me. “Where’s your ignition source?” I ask as my hands slip around her soft wrists, pulling the fabric of her white shirt up to expose her forearms.

  I swallow the lust that fills me from such an innocent touch. Everything about this girl has me on the edge of cumin’ in my pants.

  She’s got me wrapped around her fingers and she doesn’t even know it.

  “Doc, we got us an Igniter.” I shout making her jump. I feel guilty for a split second but then she pulls her hands away and the loss makes my head clear.

  Igniters are very rare. I’m the only one at the school right now. Well, was the only one.

  Guess she’s even more perfect for me than I thought.

  “Sweet, I guess we finally found a match for you, Raine.” Doc’s purple eyes sparkle with mischief as he turns his gaze on the new girl. “Let’s hope you can keep up Miss Kale.” Doc calls out as he’s turning back to the rest of the class.

  I love the thought of her being my match. She’d definitely make a perfect partner for me, in and out of the bedroom. I groan under my breath at my own thoughts.

  She stares at Doc with a dreamy look on her face and I run my hands through my hair in frustration. “We’re supposed to be figuring out what you’re capable of doing and you’re too busy checking out the Doc to pay attention.” My voice rises with each word and I flush as everyone stops throwing their fireballs and stares at us.

  “I was not.” She growls, her brows creasing in the middle with her anger.

  “Wipe the drool and stop lying.” I snap back, plastering on that cocky fake smirk I use on girls.

  “You’re a jerk, you know that?” Her fists clench at her sides and I find my fake smirk turning into a real one. Her fiery attitude is a huge turn on. If she keeps this up, I’m going to be sporting a boner all day.

  Damn this chick is feisty enough to have me acting like a fool with his first crush.

  It takes everything I have not to pull her into my arms and kiss her silent. For a heartbeat I consider doing just that. But I won’t do it, no matter how crazy she drives me. I’ll wait until she’s begging me for it then I’ll make her wait some more.

  Her gaze drifts back to Doc and my temper snaps like a stretched rubber band. I do the worst thing I can imagine, grabbing her arm and trying to turn her back to face me forcefully. “Just keep your attention on me, Noob.” I spit the nick name out like a curse word. I never manhandle women. Ever. I growl under my breath. Angrier at myself than I am at her. Getting jealous of her obvious attraction to Doc? What the hell is wrong with me? Every girl in this school lusts after Doc and River, why is she the only one who drives me nuts with the very thought of her being interested in someone else?

  “Fuck you!” Her shout is like a blow to the gut. I feel guilt eating at my throat as I try to apologise but she storms off, heading towards the school’s main building. I didn’t mean to piss her off so much. I just couldn’t stand the thought of her wanting someone other than me. She’s just so beautiful. I seriously don’t think she’ll stay single for long. I’ll have to lock that shit down if I want to survive until graduation. Or make her fall for me instead….

  “Raine, go deal with that. Fix wha
tever the hell you did and bring her back!” Doc shouts.

  ♡

  Chapter: Joey

  I’m storming off before I can even think about the consequences of leaving in the middle of a class.

  How dare he talk to me like that!

  I make it all the way to the nearest girl’s rest room before the humiliation gets to me. I lean over the sink breathing hard as I turn the tap on. “I wish he could feel what it’s like to be in my shoes right now.” I grumble as I scoop up the water and splash it on my heated face.

  I look up into the mirror and scream at what I see.

  ♡

  Chapter: Raine

  Now I’m traipsing through the entire fucking school trying to find her and I’m not having any luck at all.

  A sudden heat hits me and I stumble a few steps, catching myself on the wall beside the cafeteria. “What the fuck was that?” There’s no one around to answer me. Not that many people actually talk to me in this fucking school. Most of them think I murdered my own parents. They couldn’t be further from the truth though.

  I stumble again, practically falling to my knees as the heat inside of me intensifies. It’s like all of my internal organs are boiling. Even the blood pumping through my veins feels like it’s lava. Whatever it is, it’s over in seconds. I push myself back to my feet. “What the actual….” The voice coming out of my mouth is not my own. I swear to god it sounds like a chick’s voice.

  My heart goes into a stuttering pattern as panic grips me. I haven’t felt this out of control in a long time.

  Not since-.

  A guy’s scared shout comes from the girl’s bathroom across from me, cutting off my thoughts. I almost trip over my own pants as they start to fall off my hips.

  The shout comes again as I push the door open and stop dead in my tracks.

  “I better fucking wake up from this nightmare before it gets any fucking weirder!” Again, with the chick voice coming out of my mouth. Not that the sight of my body in a blouse and skirt, leaning over the sink in front of me isn’t any freakier.